The Last Hero (Villains & Monsters #2)

Chapter 35

"Daija-"

"But if you must know," she started as she held his gaze, and at the hints of sharpness in her voice, Jamie shut up. "You're alive because I want you to be. I'm keeping you here because I like hurting you."

When Jamie paused for a moment, she grinned, lethal and predatory. "That there. That's what I like the most."

"What?"

"The look on your face when you remember just how fucking powerless you are here," she chuckled. "You can taunt and tease me all you want, but at the end of the day, the only thing you can really do is sit there and scream while I rip you apart and put you back together as many times as I please."

Jamie said nothing, and she hummed in satisfaction at his silence. Daija then grabbed something from the table and stepped closer to him. "I think since you can talk that much, you can go through a bit more today."

------

At the memory, he inhaled, then exhaled slowly.

It had been many, many months since Jamie last saw a sunrise. He stood outside the motel room, quietly leaning against the wall near the door. As he watched the sky fade from a dawn blue to a gorgeous array of bright colors, he didn't think about the looming danger or the stress for a few minutes.

The night they escaped, the group ditched the truck in case it could be tracked. Then Amaya used her abilities to get a new car, and a motel for everyone to get some rest.

If he had listened to Tony's advice and followed Valerie's rules, Simon, Daija, and the rest of the leaders would be celebrating his gruesome murder right now. Tony would've murdered him as an engagement present.

He was relieved that he made it out, but there was still so much he had to worry about. Making the formula, keeping the rest of the group safe and finding a way to win the new game between him and Daija. He knew she wouldn't stop until she had what she wanted, and even though he had a head start, he needed to be smart.

It felt good to not be under the constant fog of the depowering bracelet, but for the last few hours, he'd been questioning his own thoughts outside of his fear. How much of his own thinking was actually Daija now? Or Tony and Valerie? It was hard to remember the tiny details about himself before the constant torture and paranoia.

The door opened, and he didn't even have to look to know that Layla was now outside. "Heard you leave," she started quietly as she rested against the wall right next to him. "Just wanted to check on you."

"I'm fine," he muttered. "You should be sleeping. You had a long night."

"Please. Desmond and Victor snore pretty loudly, so that's impossible," she scoffed.

He didn't stop his chuckle, and when he looked over at her, he saw her smile; bright and dangerously pretty. Layla's brown, wavy hair was bound up with a few flyaways that flowed in the gentle morning breeze. Her smile grew as she held his gaze, and he turned away, suddenly aware of the way his heart pounded in his chest.

"I really like your smile," he confessed as he faced the sky again.

"But you turn away every time it's directed at you."

Because I don't deserve you, your time, or anything else you could ever offer me, even if I want it more than anything.

"Jason," his fake name sounded sad, almost desperate. "We're not at the base anymore. We can talk openly now."

He sighed. "I get that, I'm just worried. You're here with me. I dragged you into-"

"You didn't drag me into anything," she cut him off sharply. "I know the consequences, and I know what would happen if I'm caught. I chose to go with you."