ira nodded, H

wrist. He yanked her hard, throwing her off balance. Keira stumbled

avy, suffocating weight of a thick cashm

of the blanket and rolled her tightly, pinning her arms flat aga

ed by the thick wool. She thrashed wildly, like a fish throw

the foot of the bed and wrapped it tightly around her legs in the

kles over the blankets, and pulled it into a viciously tight k

" he murmured, his voice a low, terrifying rumble. "Physical pain is fleeting. I want you to feel what it's like to be utterly powerless. To h

the blanket. "This is your punishment for stealing my ca

he heavy oak door slammed shut. The sharp, metallic

went de

ded on Keira's forehead. She wriggled violently, twisting her torso, but the fric

nic was useless. She focused all her mental energy on the physical pressure point

right shoulder was sligh

the mattress. For thirty grueling minutes, she exhausted her core muscl

er collarbone. But her arm was still

ed her right arm inward at an unnatural angle, pushed her body weig

op echoed in

sweat instantly drenched her back. Her right shoulder was comp

tructure gave her exactly t

painful right arm up through the gap in the blanket. He

ingers fumbling blindly until she found the silk

led out of the heavy cashmere co

her left hand. She took a deep breath, braced herself against the

un

for the nausea to pass. Cold sweat drenched her silk robe, sticking uncomfortably to her shivering skin. Her right arm hung limply at her sid

k sent a shockwave of pain through her shoulder, but she refused to collapse. Once the pain dulled to a

cked beside the marble sink. Her fingers brushed against the ruine

eam in the collar. It was her absolute last resort, a device she had met

ng a heavily encrypted virtual number. It

s voice was tight with anxiety. "

whispered, her voice cold and stea

ira, get out of there. Hillard Conwa

mirror. A dark, chilling smile touched her lips. "I nee

me. Go onto the dark web. I want you to pull every single encrypted financial transact

e sound of rapid typing

y micro-purification centrifuge. Disguise the parts i

burner phone, snapped the motherboard in half, and flushed the

ts and loosely wrapped them back around her body, lying down in the

rchitecture of her revenge. She closed her eyes, the pain in h