Page 79 of Uncontrolled

“So, you’ve heard of the dude,” East says when I’m quiet. “Guess he’s got himself a reputation.”

Any hate in Allie’s expression flees, replaced with chaos. She’s blowing our ruse and doesn’t even seem to care. “Christopher, please, don’t do this. You can’t let them do this.”

“Your name’s Christopher?” Keeley asks, her tone curious and all wrong for whatever’s going down.

“Yeah,” I say distractedly before going back to Allie. “Who is he?”

She presses her lips together as her head shakes.

“Allie, I—” I’m sorry. I can’t say it, though. She stares at me in horror before she leaps forward toward East. She’s put all her power behind her thrust and her head twists just enough to the side to bash expertly into his nose. East reels and then goes down hard. With Allie’s hands still zip tied behind her, the momentum costs her balance. Zen grabs her hard by her latched wrists as she falls and Allie yelps.

“Stop!” I yell. I’ve got to break this up before they hurt Allie even worse. She’s wriggling, desperate to break free of Zen’s grip, but the girl holds strong.

“Please,” Allie moans. “You don’t understand.”

Nico shoves me, desperate to get to her brother who is unmoving on the floor. “East?” she screams.

Allie’s struggling against Zen, but Zen hooks her elbow around Allie’s neck and tightens her hold. Allie battles for air and gains only a sharp, shallow wheeze.

“Ease up,” I beg Zen as seconds tick by into a minute. “You’ll choke her out!”

Zen doubles down and I watch Allie’s eyes roll into her head as her struggle weakens.

My fingers dig underneath Zen’s arm until I pry it loose. Allie manages a gasp. Her knees buckle and I lean to catch her, feel her breath against my neck. For a second I wonder if she’ll use her teeth, the only weapon she has access to, chew a hole in my neck. But all I hear is an unnervingly terrified whisper pleading for help.

“What the actual hell,” Quinn says from behind me.

The thought crosses my mind to take off, Allie over my shoulder, and rush into the street, hoping no one here is bold enough to confront us once we’re in public. It’s too late though, as East starts to stir on the floor, his eyes already swelling into angry slits searching for Allie. Blood pours from what’s clearly a broken nose.

I need to get her away from East. “Where do you want her?” I ask.

I’m watching Nico reassess as her attention bounces between me, her injured brother, and where Allie’s leaned against me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nico so rattled. She clambers to her feet and I’m not sure what she’s doing when she takes her phone out of her pocket. She holds it near to Allie’s face, and there’s a shutter sound effect as the camera takes a picture. Instantly, she’s typing. Whatever message she’s writing, she shoots off before nudging the phone into her pocket.

“Take her upstairs,” Nico says to me.

East has a grip on his sister’s waist, struggling upward on unsteady feet. As soon as he’s standing, his fist rears. It’s headed for Allie.

I don’t think. Shielding her, I catch the blow myself in a dull smack of knuckles against my side. It’s painful but doesn’t have nearly the power it would if East was more than semi-conscious.

“Dick,” I say. Then, before anyone puts together that I just took a punch for a girl I’m supposed to have been eager to sell mere minutes ago, I throw Allie over my shoulder and start the climb upstairs.

Nico directs me to the room they picked to use as my own possible holding area before I passed my test. I’m hopeful those drawers in the dresser have something Allie can use as a weapon, even with her hands restrained. Her fingers are already shaded an ugly purple, but it’s not like I can ask them to loosen the zip ties. As if reading my mind, Nico approaches the old dresser, rifles through the drawers, and tosses a few articles of clothing to the hardwoods.

“Okay, drop her,” Nico says, pointing to a spot on the floor. I do as I’m told.

Allie’s unusually quiet, to the point where I’m wondering if this is some sort of plan, if she’s got Talia coming or the rest of the cluster standing by in case she couldn’t pull this off on her own. My hope dies the moment her wide blue eyes rise to search mine. Whoever the Doctor is, the threat of him has her totally undone. Who the hell is this guy?

“Search her,” Nico demands. It’s Keeley who jumps into action. She hands Allie’s phone to Nico and then goes on stripping Allie of her weapons. None of the knives are a surprise. I expected more of them.

I should keep my mouth shut. I know I should. But the strange defeat in her, in Allie who never once truly gave up in Jamison’s cellar, has me on edge.

“She should have a little glass vial on her,” I say, holding my fingers a couple inches apart as I suddenly remember its color. “It’s cobalt.”

I emphasize the word, but Allie shoots me a look of rage. She’s too mad to get my message. “What are you doing? Why would you tell them that?”

Come on, I think, desperately. You know me better than this.

“You’re not taking poison,” I tell her as Keeley pats a spot high on Allie’s side.

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