Page 27 of Hysteria Rises
I haven’t peed in a while because I’m dehydrated, but all I’d been given to use was a fucking bucket. My teeth clench hard, and my gaze skirts from one man to the other. Not only is there a toilet and sink in here, but also a shower. A really nice shower. It’s an open stall, but the walls are lined with tiles that give the aesthetic of rustic wood planks. A shiny showerhead above looks like the most inviting thing I’ve seen since I found myself here. My brows dart together. What the fuck is this place that boasts modern fixtures in some rooms and yet has a basement fitted with literal jail-style cells?
“Lock the door behind us, then go ahead and take the collar off.”
Hazel Eyes hesitates, and my breath catches in the back of my throat, strangling me. I don’t draw another until he speaks again. “Look. I’m not questioning, but would Finneas do this?”
I stare straight ahead, terrified to find out whatthisentails if it’s something this Finneas person wouldn’t approve of.
“You know what I’ve been tasked with, Cross. We aren’t taking into account what Finneas would orwould not do. He’s not fucking here.” Their gazes connect as he continues. “I’m putting her in the shower.”
My attention darts to the hazel-eyed guy I now know is named Cross, and he heaves out a sigh, nodding. “You’re right. The closest she’s come to bathing since the night of the Full Moon Hunting was the rainstorm and subsequent sponge bath to remove the mud.”
Hunting? I frown, doubting I want to know what the hell they’re talking about. And who the hell is Finneas? Is he the guy who whispered all those awful things to me? If so, I don’t care what he thinks either.
My eyes track toward the shower, gazing longingly at it, but there’s no way these freaks are going to allow me to use it in private. A prickle of unease makes me want to crawl out of my own skin.
Only a heartbeat later, Cross tugs the key from his pocket and hope surges forth as he unlocks the collar. The moment he removes it, I feel relief like I’ve never known, but flinch when he quickly grips my chin and stares into my eyes. “Don’t make us have to put that back on.”
I pull in a ragged breath. No way do I want that, so rather than risk it, I watch silently, wishing the two of them would suddenly drop dead and leave me in peace. But that’s not gonna happen. I’m trapped here, and there’s nothing close to weapon-like within my reach. My breath heaves from my lungs, jerking and stuttering as I watch Hayze, my brows drawing together ashe pulls a towel from a shelf under the counter, then sets a crude bar of handmade soap on top.
I have no clue what else lies in store for me, but I pivot, putting eyes on Cross. It’d be a very fucking bad idea to not pay attention to both of them. He folds muscular arms over his chest, then eyes Hayze, giving him a nod. “How do you want to do this?”
“Stand at the door. Just in case.” Hayze appears almost thoughtful. Pensive. But also determined. And it’s the unshakable resolve in his eyes that should scare me most.
Something settles deep inside my bones. An understanding. This isn’t going to end with these two men leaving me to clean up on my own.
He lifts a hand to his stubbled jawline, rubbing a few fingers over it. His focus lands on me once again and stays there. I wish it wouldn’t. I wish I were anywhere but here. Swallowing hard, I wait. Try to breathe. “Take off the gown.”
I inhale sharply. “What?”
Looking me up and down in a slow perusal that has the baby-fine hairs rising all over my body, he mutters, “We need you clean. Take it off.” When I don’t immediately comply, he juts his chin toward the loose shift dress they’d put me in after the exam days ago. “Now, or I’ll do it for you.”
I don’t know who this Hayze person is, but I’m no fucking coward. Shooting him a cold, unfeeling stare, I peel it off, then whip it sharply at him. “Fuck you.”
FIFTEEN
HAYZE
I’m fasterthan the girl—Twenty-three—is expecting. I snatch the clothing she’s chucked at me out of midair just before it hits me in the face. Who does she think she is? She’s playing with fire. My brows raise, and I exhale audibly through my nose, then smirk as her mouth drops open.
Her lips press together. She’s clearly fighting an internal battle here… and losing. Sucking in a breath, she aims a lethal stare at me as she spits, “If you heathens were so concerned, you could have let me shower before now or brought me a change of clothing.” Her jaw locks visibly, likely to prevent the trembling of her lips. She’d seemed cautious up until just a minute ago, but now not so much. I think whatever control she thinks she’s capable of is slipping, as if we’re pushing her to her breaking point… which is exactly what the Collective wants.
Too bad I read people well. Her tiny act of rebellionhas cost her. She’s spirited, I’ll give her that. I’m certain there’s no fucking way she’ll allow either of us to see how her current circumstances have rattled her. She stands there, expression carefully blank, not even bothering to cover herself. Inwardly, though, she’s terrified. I can tell by the stiffness of her body language. The way her eyes dart between the two of us. And most important for us to be aware of—she’s actively looking for either a weapon or a means of escape, whichever she can figure out first. Smart.
The jerking of her chest as she inhales draws not only my gaze, but Cross’s as well. My lips twitch. Can’t blame him. He’s lucky. This is the second time he’s laid eyes on those breasts. Her nipples. All this creamy, beautiful skin.
Heat licks over me, flaming hot enough that I swear I feel the burn. I huff out a laugh when Twenty-three shoots us a scathing glare. Unexpectedly, it makes my dick jump. “Assholes,” she whispers, pressing her lips together.
She needs to learn not to express herself so freely. It’s time to teach her a lesson. I reach in, cranking the faucet to the on position as I collar the back of her neck. “Watch yourself,” I bite out before plunging her beneath the water that hasn’t had nearly enough time to warm.
A gasp of dismay wrenches from her, and she immediately wraps her arms around her naked body, diverting her gaze from us. She shivers, her body quaking with the cold shock of it all.
I strip out of my clothes right down to my boxer briefs. I’d take them off, but I predict that would increase the struggle that’s about to commence. I watch the girl’s body shake and the way she refuses to look at us. She can do whatever she wants, so long as I complete my task.
“Here ya go, man.” Correctly understanding my needs as he so often does, Cross lobs the bar of soap at me.
I throw up a hand, catching it, then return my attention to the woman in the shower. It’s then that she turns ever so slightly. Her eyes widen, then travel the expanse of my body. Blinking, she tears her eyes away.
None of our women would ever look so carefully at us. It’s simply nothing they would have the opportunity to do. And even if they did, we are not for them. They’re kept here for one reason alone.
