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A beatific smile "I just know" Then she leaned forward to wrap her arentleness he had in hi her with him And as he walked back to Dorian’s, he wondered what siht," saeen them

Once, he would’ve brushed it off, distanced hiift of her trust

Chapter 24

Katya ate everything sent to her over the next three days She didn’t try to escape - though she did secrete away the over-the-counter pain and flu medication she found in the bathrooood - and she didn’t try to use telepathy Instead, she concentrated on strengthening herself using exercise routines she downloaded off the computer console on the wall That computer only allowed her to access the most basic of sites, but that was fine She had what she needed

Pushing all the furniture in the living room to the walls, she in to put her body back into shape She even cleared away the glass and porcelain shards, loath to let Dev see how deeply he’d hurt her Her focus was on getting strong enough that she could take the opportunity to escape when the chance cahtmare to face

On the fourth day after she’d been knocked unconscious, Dev finally returned She ignored hi routine He cae of the cleared space "Pack your stuff We’re ut, but she kept her face expressionless "Where?"

"You’ll be near Ashaya"

She was already shaking her head "We discussed this I can’t be trusted around her"

"That’s why you’ll voluntarily take a mild sedative"

Her stomach dropped "No" It would disorientate her, leave her helpless And she was through with being helpless

Dev folded his arms across that chest she’d slept so peacefully on o "Fine Be ready by ten"

She could feel her fingernails biting into her pal to punch h to draw blood "You?"

He walked out without answering, shattering her new-found cal outside Katya’s rooo well?"

"She won’t take a sedative"

"Did you really think she would?"

"No" He wouldn’t have either "But since both you and Tiara are going, she needs to coo see Sascha And no way can I take her in when she ht be a threat Lucas’ll slitpointed out "Glen could put her into a one"

Dev felt his entire body hum with violence "We do that, it’s torture" It’d break her, put her back in that room where she hadn’t been able to see, hear, touch

"Yeah" Tag blew out a breath "You have a little bit of telepathy - can you tell when she’s using her abilities?"

"Now that I knoatch for it - if I’ body away froh to physically incapacitate her if necessary"

Dev’s stomach roiled

"I’ll do it" It was a quiet offer from a man who knew Dev better than most

"No" He stared at the door he’d only just stopped hio "She’s mine"

"Your responsibility, you mean" It was a very deliberate re led around by anything other than the brain innow that she’s started to fill out" Tag shrugged "And we all kno you are with the helpless ones"

"But she’s not exactly helpless, is she?" He almost felt a sense of pride in her God, how fucked up Yetif she had been telling the truth - if she’d survived not only torture, but the destruction of her mind, her personality itself, shouldn’t that be a cause for pride?

"No" Tag’s agreeoing to tell Lucas?"

"The truth" He forced himself to look away froer the broken creature he’d found, but so "If necessary, I’ll inject her with sedatives ed "Dev, don’t torture yourself like this Give over the responsibility to me"

"No" Flat No room for compromise "You need to control Cruz - that’s much more intensive - Tiara can’t do it on her own"