Page 79 of Once Upon an Apocalypse

“Get your fucking hands off her!” he screams, making my blood curdle.

“You must be the real husband then,” chuckles Waylen. “Come down here yourself and try to pry my hands from her.”

“No!” I shout with all my might. “Just take me. I will go with you willingly if you let them live.”

“Lori, no!” Amos makes a move to sprint down the stairs, but Kyle stops him, barely able to hold him back.

“We won’t be letting anyone go, girly.”

Ew. Did he just call me girly? “You know I can rip your face off in one second.”

“Not before I sink this big, beautiful, shiny knife into your side.” Waylen presses a knife against my throat as if to make his point.

I laugh at the knife. “You forget, I can’t die.” Without thinking, I lift my foot up and slam it down with my inhuman strength. The loud crunch of broken bones pierces my ears before Waylen’s wailing scream. He lets go of me enough for me to whip my head back, likely breaking his jaw. As he stumbles backward, I grab his big, beautiful, shiny knife from his hands, preparing myself for battle.

That’s when I see Jonah. Unconscious. Helpless. With a gun to his head.

“Drop the knife. Surrender. And all your friends will be kept alive for Doctore to pass judgment upon.” The man holding a gun to Jonah’s head keeps my stare. I recognize the man’s face. He’s one of the assholes who kidnapped Jonah and me five years ago.

I growl, dropping into my fighting stance. “A judgment that will lead to death.”

“Then should I kill him now?” He pushes the muzzle of the gun into Jonah’s temple, and before I can even think about my next move, the knife flies out of my hand, sinking into the man’s throat. I dive toward his fallen body, pushing him away from Jonah and grab the handgun he held against Jonah’s temple.

With my body protecting Jonah’s, I chance a glance to the top of the tower. Olivia joined Kyle at some point, both of them holding back my husband from doing something stupid. Looking back at the Praetorian Guards surrounding me, I grind my teeth, saying, “Let them go unharmed and I won’t kill every single one of you fuckers.”

“Lori, behind you!” I hear Amos shout before the world goes black.

Chapter 49

Thefaceofmynightmares is the first thing I see when I come to. The dark color of his skin erupts from the shadows draped around the room. A room that looks nothing like the lab setting of my nightmares. It feels different too. There’s an odd smell, but it isn’t the dank damp of the bunker at Novus Seclorum. It couldn’t be, since the military had raided that bunker.

Doctore’s soulless eyes stare at me with menacing curiosity. I close my eyes, wishing I was stuck in a dream. When I open them again, Doctore is still there, standing in front of me.

It’s as if he commands all the shadows in the room. They seem to radiate around him, then scatter away when he takes a step toward me. A rickety light swings over my head, shining just enough for me to see the rest of the room I’m being held in. Some kind of office. I turn away from Doctore’s menacing smile, looking for signs that I’m not alone. Then again, I hope I am. I hope Amos was able to escape. Even though my heart knows he would never let me go without a fight. If I am here, so is he. The only question is where?

As Doctore takes another step toward me, I attempt to pull my arms free from the restraints keeping me supine on this table. With one more step, he towers over me, that smile never wavering. My strength fails me and with each movement. I feel myself getting weaker.

“What did you do to me?” My voice is quiet, as if it’s been unused for days.

“I made you better.” Doctore speaks with such command in his voice, my skin prickles in fear.

“What do you mean? How long have I been here? Where are my friends?” I try to rein in my terror, but with every question I ask, the more I lose control of my emotions. I’m so damn tired.

“So many questions. How about we play a game? You answer one of my questions and I answer one of yours. Shall I go first?”

He barely blinks at me as he asserts his dominance in this game, showing me I am powerless.

“Did you wish I had died that day?”

What kind of question is that? Like he wants me to feel remorse for throwing a spear into his gut.

“Yes.”

Doctore’s eyes narrow at me, examining my tells for the truth behind my words. Did he truly think I had any regret for trying to kill him? I don’t wait for him to tell me it’s my turn as I ask, “Are my friends alive?”

“For now.” I want to wipe that disgusting smile right off his mouth. My attempt to pull free again leaves me winded immediately.

“Waylen tells me you married the man with the metal arm. Very curious. Could you tell me who made his metal arm?”

---