I groaned.
Everything hurt—my head, my wrists, my back, even my damn ankles. It felt like I’d been hit by a truck. I blinked, trying to adjust to the dim, reddish glow around me. The ceiling above me was cracked. The air smelled like dust and old metal. And then I realized something.
I couldn’t move.
I looked down and screamed.
My hands were chained to the sides of the bed. So were my legs.
Panic exploded in my chest.
“What the hell is happening?!” I yelled, twisting my wrists, trying to break free. The metal cuffs cut into my skin. “HELLO?! GET ME OUT OF HERE!”
I screamed louder this time. And then the door creaked open. My heart dropped to my knees.
It was Dave.
Standing there like this was some joke. No guilt. No fear. Just… casual.
I glared at him. “What the fuck are you doing?! Where the fuck am I?!”
Dave stepped inside slowly, arms folded, like he was the one who was disappointed in me. “Debby. Please. Behave yourself.”
“Behave?!” I snapped, yanking at the chains. “Get me the fuck out of here! This isn’t funny!”
Dave just shook his head like I was being dramatic. “This happens when you fall in love with the wrong person.”
I stared at him, my eyes burning. “What do you mean, ‘wrong person’? You were the wrong person, Dave! You cheated on me with Rachel! You destroyed me!”
“I did,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean Kyle’s right either.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What the hell is going on, Dave? Seriously. Tell me now before I lose it.”
He tilted his head slightly. “You don’t know what Kyle is… do you?”
I snapped, “What is he, huh? At this point, is he a fucking alien? Because no one wants to tell me the truth!”
Dave let out a dry laugh. “You wish he was an alien. That would be easy.”
He stepped closer to the bed, dragging a chair next to it and sitting down like we were about to have a therapy session.
“Kyle,” Dave said, rubbing the back of his neck, “he’s not just some quiet guy with a moody playlist and a sad past.”
I tilted my head, waiting.
“He’s… different. Smart. Like really smart. But not in a ‘he aces his classes’ kind of way. I’m talking government-level. The type of smart that makes people nervous.”
I just stared at him.
“He’s a hacker, Debby. One of the best. He’s been in places he shouldn’t be. Seen things most people wouldn’t even believe. That arrest? That wasn’t just some random screw-up. He’s been involved in some serious stuff—took down a drug ring last year, almost exposed this trafficking thing in Jersey. He gets close, and then he vanishes.”
My stomach dropped.
I stared at Dave like he had lost his mind. “You’re serious?”
Dave nodded. “Dead serious. That boy has a brain worth more than most countries. And the worst part? He’s good. Really good. Untouchable. Every time they try to take him down, he slips away.”
My heart was racing. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “Okay… but what the fuck does that have to do with me?!”
Dave leaned forward, and for the first time, he didn’t sound smug. He sounded serious.
“You, Debby Carter, are his weakness. The only thing that slows him down. The only person he’s ever cared about.”
I swallowed. “So what—you’re using me to get to him?”
Dave smiled. “Exactly.”
“You fucker,” I hissed.
“Watch your tone,” he said casually. “Before I shoot you in the head.”
I looked him dead in the eyes. “You wouldn’t shoot me.”
Dave smirked. “Not yet. Not until Kyle shows up.”
“You’re sick.”
He leaned back in the chair and stretched like he had all the time in the world. “Look at you, Miss Smarty Pants. Don’t worry. He’ll come. He always does when you’re involved.”
I clenched my fists. “You’re disgusting.”
He was about to respond when his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out and grinned. “Oopsie! Boss is calling.”
He stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his hoodie. “Stay pretty for the cameras, alright?”
He winked and walked out, locking the door behind him.