Page 78 of Never Submit

She shakes her head. “And Torin,” she reminds me.

“Unfortunately.” I hoist the man up and toss him over my shoulder.

“I’m not walking all the way to uptown. We’ll take my truck,” Flora says.

I lift a brow at her. “You can, but there’s no way you’re getting me in that metal box on wheels.”

She scoffs and says, “You’re such a baby.”

Ten minutes later, the delta is strapped and secured in the bed of the truck. I’m squeezed into the front seat with Flora eyeing me sideways, while Red and the human fill the seat behind me. The human girl looks to be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

“I’m sorry,” Red apologizes for the thousandth time. “I shouldn’t have left the building. I should have stayed there and dealt with my shit.”

“It’s not your fault,” Flora says. “I’m the one who pulled you out.”

“You’re both at fault.” I bite down on each word.

Throwing the blame around won’t solve anything. Flora knew better than to let Ren out of our sight and Ren shouldn’t have come here to these humans. She put them all in danger by doing so.

But it’s not my fucking place to say it. My place is very different.

It takes less time than I expected to make it back to the downtown building, the guard at the gate to the parking garage letting us in with only a brief once-over.

Low thumps sound from the truck’s bed.

It’s a small matter to drag Blondie into the elevator and yell at the cameras for Mathis.

I stab a finger into the button, going up.

The elevator creeps slowly upward to the main lobby, the delta squirming over my shoulder and Carrigan as far away from him as possible. She’s pale, terrified, and I can’t give a shit.

When the doors open again, the massive lobby stretches out in front us, immaculately clean and lit with grand chandeliers and minimalist decor.

I fucking hate it.

“I’ll go with Flora and Carrigan to see Torin. I’m guessing you can handle this, Dax?” Red asks as I step out with Blondie.

I grin. “Of course.”

Then the doors close and the elevator ascends. The next time they open again, Mathis is on the other side. He pulls up short.

“What a surprise.” He barely pays attention to my prisoner. “And you brought me a present?”

“Happy birthday.” I drop Blondie, and he practically bounces when he collides with the floor, his features twisted in pain. “A gift. The filthy delta from the mountains,” I explain.

Mathis bends down low to study him. “Andras must be missing you.”

Blondie rouses long enough to spit venom at Mathis.

“Let’s get him tied up in the basement. There’s a quiet place for us to have a chat with him down there, I’m assured.”

Mathis expects his will to be done, and I move to obey him, dragging the semi-conscious Blondie back into the elevator. Mathis pulls out a plastic card and scans it on a pad next to the buttons. The panel chimes and a green light flashes.

“Fancy,” I say as the carriage starts to descend.

“Torin gave it to me. Everything needs a passkey or fingerprint here. Seems a bit like overkill.”

“Seems a bit like Hell.”

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