Page 126 of Jump or Fall
The corner of his mouth twisted into a cruel smile. “Admit it. You liked it when she was out of the picture. You warmed up so much after that.”
“Keeping your captor happy isn’t the same as affection,” she said with a pointed look.
“Is that why you’d get so wet?” he taunted, biting his bottom lip. “No, I think you started to enjoy it. Even before she was gone. You wanted me all to yourself. Does the boyfriend know how you’d—”
Mara backhanded him so fast he barely saw it coming. His head snapped sideways, but he only laughed.
She knew he was trying to get a rise out of her, but the slivers of truth in his words were digging their way under her skin.
She hated him from the start, but there were days her resolve had faltered. Days he brought her a gift or spoke about her armor projects with true interest. Moments when he’d fooled her into thinking she mattered and so she wouldn’t hide so far in her mind when he had sex with her.
The crushing loneliness of having no one else—for idle conversation, for human touch. After enough time, maybe anyone could find the embrace of a monster comforting.
Then he took Liv and moved Mara to the apartment in Two, and reality came crashing back. She escaped back into the haven of her mind. The one place she could control.
That was when she finally understood Karena. Even with her flaws, she had been a victim of his venomous charm—lured into his trap and slowly rotting from the inside once he’d taken a bite.
“What did I say about trying to provoke me?” she warned.
Gordon remained silent on the comms, but her cheeks flushed at the thought of him hearing what Dawson had just said.
Would he doubt her now?
Don’t let Dawson shake you. He’s doing this on purpose.
Mara had enough talk. She stood and pressed the knife to his throat. His cold eyes met hers.
A soft beeping filled the room.
Ice shot through her veins.
Dawson’s suit was losing power.
No. No!
He wrenched away from the blade and slammed his shoulder into her hip, knocking her slightly off balance.
With the connection broken, he lunged, shoving her down and trying to pin her to the floor. Her augmented strength was the only way she had a fighting chance.
Why hadn’t she just killed him the second she walked in? He’d been right there—immobile and helpless.
He ripped her helmet off and hurled it aside. “I’m going to tear your fucking head off!”
“Gordon!” she screamed.
Dawson laughed and pressed a button on his gauntlet.
Behind them, the hidden door slammed shut. “Your little boyfriend isn’t going to save you, doll.”
Mara wedged a knee between them and thrust him off. She rolled away, scanning the room. The knife was gone and her gun was still on the desk.
She scrambled toward it, but Dawson tackled her back to the floor. Blood from the fresh gashes on his face dripped onto her.
Quickly, she caught his hands, struggling to keep them away from her unprotected head.
He snarled, claws elongating as he tried to loosen her grip. Without the gauntlets, her fingers would’ve been cut to shreds.
Taking one of the claws, she twisted it. He let out a ragged cry and pulled up and slammed her back down, attempting to shake her off.
