Page 58 of Ravage

It's hard to miss the smirk that threatens to form on his face. "They did. But I took care of them."

"Of course you did," she grumbles.

"Does the name Dr. West mean anything to you?" Theo asks.

The change in atmosphere is immediate. Avery pauses, her nails digging into the table. The air feels thinner and charged with electricity as she slowly slides off the table toward him.

"Dr. West?" she repeats. "What do you know about him?"

My eyes shift to Damon, a frown appearing on his face as he looks back at me. She hasn't mentioned names to us, but it's obvious by her body language that he was involved in what happened to her.

"He was downstairs, trying to save equipment," Theo answers easily. I resist the urge to snort in amusement because he makes it sound so casual. But I'm willing to bet it's anything more than a fleeting encounter.

"What did you do?" Avery asks confidently. It's not an accusation nor does she seem angry—but it's something else.

"I merely showed him what it feels like to be a patient," he responds. "My finger may haveslippedon the machine."

Avery frowns, nodding slightly as she takes in this information. "He's dead, isn't he?"

Theo's gaze snaps over to Damon, then me, before resting back on her.

"Yes."

There's no elaboration, just silence as we all watch Avery carefully. When she realizes, she looks around at all of us, shrugging.

"I don't feel anything. He deserved it."

"Was he the one who tortured you?" I ask gently.

Avery nods once. "There was another doctor too—a female. But she wasn't as cruel and heartless as him."

My hands curl into fists. Theo did the right thing—he did exactly what I would have done.

"I saw the machines," Theo says, filling the silence. "And he mentioned some of the experiments."

She peers up at him, face blank. "Thank you," she mutters. "It's nice knowing he won't come after me again…" She trails off, but some of the tension disappears from her body.

"We should anticipate some backlash," Damon informs us. "I suspect they would have found him by now."

"That's why it's a good idea to keep the cells on us," I finish. "Just make sure the guards don't see."

Everyone mutters in agreement as the bell signalling the beginning of lunch echoes outside the library door. The four of us wait a few minutes until we hear the sounds of footsteps from incoming groups of people.

"Call a meeting tonight," Damon mutters to me as we walk into the hall behind a small group. "We need to set things into motion while we have the chance."

I nod. "On it. What are we going to do about Arthur?"

Damon's eyes hover on Avery's back as her and Theo venture ahead, sitting down at our usual table. "I'll pay him a visit. It will help us get an idea on what could be coming next."

Following his line of vision, I reach for his shoulder, halting him in his tracks. He looks at me with curiosity as I pull my attention away from Avery.

"Don't hurt her," I mutter quietly so only he can hear.

"What are you talking about now?" he replies, annoyed.

"I mean it," I grumble. "I'm not going to stop you from going after her if that's what you both want. But if you hurt her, you and I will not only be done, but I'll end you too."

Damon's eyebrows shoot up at my words. I wait for some snarky response about how he doesn't care for her, that there's nothing between them—but he just looks at me for a few seconds longer before turning away and walking over to the table.

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