Page 68 of Captured Heart

The knock at the door makes my head snap up. It’s sharp, commanding, and instantly puts me on edge. I stand, moving to the door to unlock it. Victor strides in, Bowman trailing behind him like the shadow he’s always been.

He carries in a tray with a dry cheese sandwich, a cup of black coffee, and a container filled with sachets of sugar and creamer. He sets it on the bedside table, then moves to stand at the door.

“Where’s the girl?” Victor asks, his eyes scanning the room.

“In the shower.”

“You sure? She’s a runner.”

So, he knows. Interesting. He must have cameras facing the fence. It’s the only explanation. He never puts them inside. Too risky, too much evidence if the wrong person ever gets their hands on the footage. But outside? He’s always one step ahead.

“She’s not going anywhere,” I assure him. “Not with me here.”

Victor gives a slight nod. That’s good enough for him because he trusts my competence.

I try to steer the conversation to get more information. “Why are you here? Is there news?”

“No, but her father wants to talk to her to make sure we haven’t hurt her.”

I keep my face blank, though Bowman’s words from last night play in my mind:Kenji’s not walking away from this.

“What are you going to do if Kenji doesn’t hand over the files?” I’m careful to sound curious, not concerned.

His lips curl into a sinister grin that makes my stomach churn. “Well, whether he hands them over or not, he’s dead to me. But those files will determine what happens to the girl.” He steps closer, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, the kind ofquiet that carries more weight than a shout. “If I don’t get those files, she’ll find out just how creative I can be. I’ve been toying with some ideas.” He contemplates it for a bit. “Skin burns so easily. Did you know that? Just a little gasoline, a match, and that radiant glow she has will be no more.”

He watches me carefully, looking for even the slightest twitch. He’s the reason I trained myself to always appear completely emotionless, the reason why, to this day, I show no expression on my face. These mind games are a method he uses to weed out the weak ones.

I bite the inside of my cheek, forcing myself not to react. He’s testing me, waiting to see if I’ll crack. He wants to see if I flinch, if I care. I give nothing away, even as every fiber of my being is screaming to lunge at him.

“Or maybe I’ll start smaller,” he continues. “With a pair of pliers. People underestimate the pain of losing a fingernail, but you’ve seen what it’s like. Can you imagine the kind of screams that will extract from our pretty little princess?” His smile is sadistic. He’s enjoying that thought way too much. “And that’s just the beginning. By the time I’m done, her own mother won’t recognize her.” He’s still studying me with unbelievable scrutiny. “Or maybe...I’ll just give her to my boys. Let them decide what to do with her. They’ve worked hard. They should get some reward.”

His eyes narrow slightly because he’s gauging my loyalty, and I’m not going to give him any reason to doubt it.

I steel my spine to stop my jaw from clenching, to stop my hands from curling, to stop myself from ripping his fucking head off, and simply shrug my indifference. “Do what you want with her. I don’t give a fuck.”

He smiles, happy that I passed the test, but he throws in one last piece of bait just to make sure. “Well, you’re welcome to stay for the show if you like.”

“Nah,” I say, forcing a smirk. “Get your boys to help you with that shit. At that point, I think I’ll cash in, take my money, and disappear. I’ve already spent more time with this chick than I wanted to. I just want this to be over. Regardless of how it ends, I can’t wait to never lay eyes on you or her again.”

I don’t look at Bowman or Victor as I say it. I don’t need to. The words are for their benefit, not mine.

The bathroom door creaks open, and my eyes are drawn to her instantly. Katelyn steps out, wearing my hoodie, her hair damp from her shower. Her eyes meet mine. Last night, they were burning with lust and passion for me. But today, all I see is contempt. Hurt and betrayal douse those last few flickering embers, and the fire that was blazing just a few hours ago is now dead.

Whatever trust we started to build last night is gone, shattered by the lies I just fed Victor. She overheard everything.

“Good morning, lovely.” Victor’s practiced charm cuts through the silence, his eyes zoning in on the bruises circling her wrists. “I see John taught you a valuable lesson. Trying to escape is only going to make it harder for you, my dear.”

She swallows, her eyes flicking to me. He’s speaking to her with care and concern, yet she just heard how menacing and cruel he can be. He spoke so casually about setting her on fuckingfire. She knows exactly what this monster will do to her if he doesn’t get his way, so she sees right through the fake pleasantries. She knows it’s all a front because he wants her to trust him enough to lower her defences.

And now she’s looking at me like Vic and I are cut from the same cloth, like we use the same methods of persuasion. But we arenothingalike, and I hate that she’s drawing these similarities between him and me.

For a moment, she looks angry enough to want revenge. I wouldn’t put it past her to expose me, throw me under the bus, and tell Victor exactly what happened last night.

But then she lets out a defeated sigh and drops her head as if she can’t take the disappointment anymore. “I won’t run away again,” she says softly.

“Good. Your father wants to talk to you.” Victor pulls out his phone, dials the number, and puts it on speaker. “Two minutes. No funny business.”

When the call connects, Kenji’s frantic voice fills the room. He speaks in Japanese, the words tumbling out so fast I can barely catch them.

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