Chapter 3

“You’re thinking too loud,” Rafe said from the doorway of the training room. “I can hear your thoughts from three floors up.”

I didn’t pause in my routine, continuing the series of combat drills I’d been running for the past hour. My body was slick with sweat, muscles burning, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the mental chaos of the past week. Seven days of living in this gilded cage, seven days of being watched, studied, analyzed like a lab rat.

“Maybe you should get your hearing checked,” I replied, throwing a particularly vicious combination at the heavy bag.

“Maybe you should stop pretending you don’t want to be here.”

That made me pause. I turned to face him, taking in his casual stance against the doorframe. He was wearing workout clothes that emphasized the lean muscle beneath.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” He pushed off from the door, moving into the room with that predatory grace they all seemed to possess. “You’ve been here a week. You could have tried to escape by now.”

“Maybe I’m biding my time.”

“Maybe you like being taken care of.” He circled me slowly, and I fought the urge to turn and keep him in sight. “When’s the last time you had a hot meal you didn’t have to steal? A bed that wasn’t in some fleabag motel? Clothes that fit properly?”

“Comfort isn’t everything.”

“No, but it’s something. And you’ve been without it for months.” He stopped in front of me, close enough that I could smell his cologne mixed with something that was purely him. “You’re not as tough as you pretend to be, sweetheart.”

“Don’t call me sweetheart.”

“What should I call you? You still haven’t chosen a new name.”

That was true. Adrian had given me a week to decide who I wanted to become, and I’d spent the entire time avoiding the decision. Choosing a new name felt like burying Elyra Hart forever, and I wasn’t ready for that funeral.

“I’m still thinking about it.”

“Want some suggestions?” Before I could answer, he continued. “I was thinking Elena. It’s close enough to your real name that you’ll respond to it naturally, but different enough that no one will make the connection.”

“Elena,” I repeated, testing the sound on my tongue. It wasn’t terrible. “And what makes you think I want your input?”

“Because like it or not, we’re partners now. All of us.” He gestured vaguely in the direction of the rest of the building. “Adrian’s been tracking the investigation into your case. Someone’s working very hard to make sure you’re never found alive.”

That got my attention. “What kind of investigation?”

“The kind that involves black ops teams and shoot-to-kill orders.” His expression grew serious. “They’re not interested in bringing you in for questioning, Elena. They want you dead.”

The casual use of the new name made something twist in my chest. “How do you know all this?”

“We have people everywhere. Government agencies, private contractors, law enforcement. Information is currency in our world.” He moved closer, and I found myself backing up until I hit the wall. “The question is, what are you willing to do to stay alive?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, how far are you willing to go to prove your loyalty to us? To this organization?” His hand came up to rest against the wall beside my head, trapping me without quite touching me. “Because right now, you’re a liability. A beautiful, dangerous liability, but a liability nonetheless.”

“I’ve proven my value. I gave you intelligence about Belgrade.”

“That was a down payment. We need more.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “We need everything.”

“I’ve told you everything I know about the Morrison case.”

“Have you?” His free hand came up to trace along my jawline, and I hated how my body responded to the touch. “Because I think you’re holding back. I think there’s something you’re not telling us.”

He was right, of course. There was something I hadn’t told them, something I’d barely admitted to myself. But the truth was too dangerous, too personal.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you?” His thumb brushed across my lower lip, and I felt my resolve cracking. “Tell me, Elena. What aren’t you sharing with the class?”

The way he said my new name, like a caress, made heat pool low in my belly. This was dangerous territory, but I found myself leaning into his touch instead of pulling away.

“Morrison wasn’t just investigating defense contractors,” I whispered. “He was investigating human trafficking. High-level stuff. Government officials, businessmen, people with enough power to make problems disappear.”

Rafe’s hand stilled on my face. “And?”

“And he thought he’d found a connection. Someone who was using legitimate businesses to move people, to hide transactions.” I swallowed hard. “He was going to expose it the night he died.”

“Who was he going to expose?”

“I don’t know. He never got the chance to tell me.” I met his eyes, seeing something dark and complicated there. “But I think whoever killed him is part of that network. And I think they’re still out there, still operating.”

Rafe was quiet for a long moment, his thumb still tracing patterns on my skin. “Does Adrian know about this?”

“No. I wasn’t sure I could trust any of you with that information.”

“And now?”

“Now I’m not sure I have a choice.”

He leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. “You don’t. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

Before I could ask what he meant by that, the door opened and Adrian walked in. His dark eyes took in the scene instantly, and something flashed across his face too quickly for me to interpret.

“Hmm, quite the bonding” He sounded jealous.

“Just getting acquainted,” Rafe said, but he didn’t move away from me. If anything, he seemed to settle more firmly into my space.

“I see.” Adrian moved closer, and suddenly I was trapped between both men. “And how is that going?”

“Elena was just sharing some interesting information about the Morrison case,” Rafe said, emphasizing my new name.

“Elena?” Adrian’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve chosen a name?”

“Rafe chose it,” I said, though I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to clarify.

“Did he?” Adrian’s smile was sharp. “How presumptuous of him.”

“I thought she needed a push,” Rafe said with a shrug. “She’s been avoiding the decision.”

“Some decisions can’t be rushed.” Adrian’s gaze fixed on me. “But since you seem to have accepted it, Elena it is.”

The way he said it, with that slight accent and dark intensity, made me vibrate a little bit.

“Now,” Adrian continued, “what’s this about new information?”

I told him about Morrison’s new Intel, watching his expression grow darker with each word. When I finished, both men were silent for a long moment.

“Why didn’t you tell us this before?” Adrian asked finally.

“Because I wasn’t sure I could trust you, you guys should stop making me repeat my word” I answered.

Rafe laughed, and the sound was rough with something that might have been approval. “I told you she was smart.”

“Smart enough to know she belongs to us now,” Adrian said softly. “Isn’t that right, Elena?”

The question hung in the air between us, heavy with implication. I knew what he wanted me to say, what they both wanted to hear. And despite every instinct screaming at me to fight, to resist, to maintain some semblance of independence, I found myself nodding.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Good girl.” Adrian’s hand came up to cup my face, mirroring Rafe’s touch. “Now let’s discuss what we’re going to do about this trafficking network.”

As both men bracketed me against the wall, their hands on my skin and their attention focused solely on me, I realized I’d crossed a line I couldn’t uncross. I wasn’t just Elena now. I was their Elena.