"Has she been awake yet?" the sound of a deep, dark voice filled the room.
Hailey frowned. Wait. What? Déjà vu?
"No. She's slept for…" A pause. "Ten hours straight."
Hailey mentally sighed.
Good. Hours, not days.
Hailey tried to remember what happened after James found her on the roof of the building. Obviously, she was currently at a hospital… once again. She could tell by the distinctive smell and she even recognized the voice of the medic. It was the same woman who had nursed her to health after Edyson had attacked her.
Does being with James equal regular trips to the infirmary?
"Have you been able to assess if there's any permanent damage?" James' voice sounded different from what she ever heard.
He sounds worried.
Hailey squinted her eyes before opening one fully.
James' tall form towered over her while he was questioning the medic. He looked all handsome and gorgeous while she was probably still a mess.
"All of her external injuries have been healed. Though the scans show no signs of internal injuries, I'm unsure how a flame out affects her physiology."
Hailey opened her other eye and stared at him. She mentally sighed again. She could watch him all day.
Perhaps he can take off his shirt for you.
She frowned. James wasn't wearing his suit anymore but a t-shirt and cargo pants instead, which meant he'd taken a shower. Hailey pursed her lips. She wanted to freshen up as well.
Maybe you can persuade him to shower together.
Right then James turned to face her, and she saw surprise spark in his eyes. "You're awake."
And you're always so sharp and pretty.
Hailey smirked when he narrowed his eyes at her. Then she frowned and gently traced the side of her face with her fingertips. She hadn't felt anything when she'd used her facial muscles.
"Where are the cuts?" She pressed the tips of her fingers a little harder on her cheekbone. "And the bruises?"
James sat down on the side of the bed and brushed his knuckles over her jaw. "The M-Psy healed them. Your muscle tissue will take more time to regenerate, but the surface wounds are mended."
Hailey's fingers slid to her throat, where the knife had dug into her skin. She looked at the tips of her fingers to validate there wasn't any blood on them. "So I'm ready to go?"
James shot her a look. Not until you're fully rested.
Hailey thought about that. She pushed herself up into a seated position. No headache. No psychic strain. No pain.
The M-Psy intervened then, running her through a battery of tests for what felt like hours, James' watchful and intent gaze lingering on her all that time.
"You're dismissed, but no physical or psychic exertion for the next four days," the M-Psy said sternly, and Hailey nodded in acquiescence.
When the medic left the room, James sat down on the side of her bed.
"I'm mostly healed," she said. James scowled at her, so she batted her eyelashes at him. "I feel great." A slow smile spread across her face. "And you look great as well." She reached out and brushed his hair off his forehead. "How are you?"
Better, now I know you'll be able to handle my anger. He thrust a hand through his hair and looked away for a moment. "What were you thinking, Hailey?" Azure blue eyes slammed into hers, anger written all over his face.
Hailey inched closer but stopped before she could touch him further. "Medically speaking, I'm fine, right?"
James gave her a curt nod.
"Okay, then I want to discuss this somewhere private." She glimpsed up at his narrowed eyes.
Hmm.
He really was angry with her. All the more reason to leave this room and speak with him alone somewhere.
James stood up from his seated position and watched her intently. The air around them shimmered and the next instant, Hailey felt grass tickle under her thighs. She rose to see James had teleported them to the small stream where she liked to swim. Her muscles felt a little sore and tender when she moved, but otherwise she felt no discomfort.
She walked a few steps towards the water and inhaled the scent of grass. Then she looked down and spread her arms. "I'm wearing a hospital gown." She swiveled around to face James. "You didn't mention that on purpose!"
James shrugged, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his expression stone cold. Hailey bit her lip and walked over to him. She pulled away his arms, wrapped her own around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest. "I'm sorry I scared you."
"You were reckless," his deep voice a rumble.
"I know." She tightened her hold on him while his arms were still braced stiffly at his side.
"I told you to hide."
"I know." Hailey stroked her hands over his back, his muscles taut underneath the soft cotton of his black T-shirt.
"I trusted you to listen to me."
Hailey pressed a kiss on his chest and moved her hands to his shoulders. She tipped up her head and met his gaze. "I know."
She stepped back and sighed, thrusting a hand through her hair that was still tangled and probably looked like a bird's nest. She didn't care. "I couldn't do it," she said. "I couldn't let them hurt you. The backup wasn't going to make it in time."
"You didn't know that." Cool arrogance in his voice.
Hailey shot James a look that would've set him on fire if she'd possessed the ability. "But you did! You knew and you sent me away to hide anyway. I understood what you did the moment I stood on the rooftop." Searing, agonizing pain uncurled in her chest while tears burned in her eyes. "You knew you were going to die and still you chose protect me!" And how bleak a place the world would be without her presumptuous, intelligent, beautiful Arrow there to hold her hand. The memory of her understanding still made her lungs ache for air, her heart shriveling inside her chest.
James stepped forward and gripped her chin, his voice sharp. "Yes. If I have to choose between me and you, I'll always choose to save you."
Hailey pushed away his hand. "I don't want to be here if you're not with me! You know that and still you decided for me!"
She'd heard stories of the mating bond, when one half of the whole passed. The other half rarely survived. Even though she'd seen it when her mother had passed, she'd never been able to fathom the extreme low her father had experienced, was still experiencing.
She did now.
"I didn't know until the moment they closed in on me." James' fists were white bracketed beside his body as he raised his voice a little. "It struck me when you were out of sight. And even if I had known before that, I wouldn't have changed anything."
The only reason why James' foresight hadn't been accurate was because of her impulsive attempt to save him–she was certain of it.
Hailey threw her hands into the air. "Why?" she nearly shouted. "Why did you make the decision without me?" Tears flowed over her cheeks. "You're so fucking stubborn! Why are you always set on having your way?"
"Because I love you!"
James' angry growl echoed in the air between them, and Hailey sucked in a sharp breath. She stared at his grim face with big eyes and slapped her hand over her mouth. A laugh bubbled out of her when James' features softened. He covered the distance between them and lifted her with ease.
"You're an exasperating woman." He kissed her. "You'll be the death of me."
Hailey smiled against his lips and ran her fingers through his hair, deepening the kiss, playing her tongue against his. She shuddered at the feeling of his warmth, his flavor, his scent.
Home.
"Next time when you say it, don't sound so angry," she murmured against his cheek, dazed by the power of his declaration, the intensity shuddering through their connection.
James bit her jaw. "Keep it up and there won't be a next time."
That got him a full out laugh as Hailey held him, her strong, wonderful, protective mate.
"Marry me, James," she whispered softly in his ear. "Make my life miserable and beautiful. Drive me insane and make me fall for you over and over." She placed soft kisses on the line of his jaw. "It will be flawed and there will be days where we'll fight with each other with a vengeance." She gave him a wide smile. "But it'll be worth every single fight if I get to spend the rest of my life with you."
James' eyes smoldered with warmth. "Yes, Hailey." He kissed the corner of her mouth. Illuminate my soul with your light every day.
Hailey kissed him, held him, loved him on the riverbank where she'd first known she had fallen in love with her Arrow.
An hour after Hailey's proposal, James and Hailey sat in a large office at a table with Vasic, Zaira and Aden for a briefing. Hailey had been able to shower and change in the meantime and had only rolled her eyes at James twice when he'd held off on her attempts to seduce him. He was convinced she wasn't recovered enough. Although she felt a little tired, Hailey was sure that tangling with her Arrow would make her feel a lot better.
Too bad he didn't buy it.
Hailey focused her attention to Aden as she ate a strawberry flavored nutrition bar James had conjured up somewhere. Aden had informed them the group of attackers had all been incarcerated, but none of them had talked yet. Two were in a coma due to James' telepathic blast. The others were kept on a tight psychic leash, their access to the PsyNet cut off and their abilities crippled.
A large number of Arrows remained in New York to help at the sites of the explosions. A mosque, a school building and a known base of the Human Alliance had been targeted. Because it had been nighttime, the school had been empty and there had only been four guards at the Human Alliance base. Most of the victims had fallen at the mosque, where people had been leaving after evening prayers.
Hailey's heart clenched with guilt. "They did all this just so they could get their hands on me and one of you."
Zaira shook her head. "We don't know yet. We can't break through their shields without damaging them, and even if the explosions proved to be a decoy to take Hailey and trap you," she glanced at James before returning her attention to Hailey, "this still isn't your fault."
Hailey wondered how Zaira was able to sense her feelings this accurately.
Perhaps she's getting better in distinguishing emotions now that she experiences them more vividly. She shoved that thought away and listened to the others speak while she took another bite from the nutrition bar.
"Zaira's unit managed to take down two perpetrators who'd been seen placing the explosives at the mosque. Together with the group we captured at the docks, there's a total of fifteen people who seem to be responsible," Vasic said.
"There were ten attackers at the industrial site. Where are the other three?" James asked.
Vasic' pointed at the comm screen mounted on the wall. "We believe they are hiding at one of these five places in the city." Five yellow dots appeared in the Lower East Side on the map of Manhattan. "The Arrows on site are setting a perimeter and will hunt down every last one of them." Vasic' cool grey eyes were filled with determination. "Abbot has recovered enough for him and Sione to lead the units," he said, naming the best trackers in the Squad. "They'll mobilize after this meeting."
Aden turned to James. "I don't want to ask this after everything you've already done, but I've just heard back from the interrogation team." His eyes locked with Zaira for a brief moment before he looked at James again. "The Forgotten male says he wants to talk."
Nausea churned in Hailey's stomach. She didn't need foresight to understand where this was going. "He wants to talk to James," her voice sounded strained.
Aden inclined his head. "He'll only speak with James."
"It's the only way to get answers, to know for certain if the threat is averted," James said. "There aren't any more signs so far of other cities being targeted?"
"No," Aden said. "The Human Alliance and Krychek's personal team haven't found any signs that indicate more terrorist attacks, but we can't be certain. Also, this attack can be a catalyst for other parties to act while there is disorder and our resources are split. We must keep this incident contained; the balance of peace is frail and won't hold if this doesn't prove to be an isolated attack."
Hailey felt every cell in her body reject the idea of exposing James like that, but everyone at the table agreed they didn't have another choice. Besides questioning Matt, the Arrow's interrogation team could attempt to tear the attackers' shields apart, but there was no guarantee the attackers would survive the force of telepathy if they'd resist the telepathic scan. Aside from that, the individuals were likely to have traps in their inner shields, which would make data retrieval next to impossible.
The only other option was the use of a J-Psy, yet surprisingly, James argued against it. "If it's not necessary, I don't want to burden them with digging through a psychopaths mind. Chances are that a J won't be able to find useful intel either. Psychopathic minds work differently from normal minds."
Which left them with one solid strategy for now. James agreed to interrogate Matt with Zaira as back up, while Vasic and Aden returned to New York to hunt down the last of the attackers together with Abbot and Sione, and aid the victims. Ten minutes later Zaira, James and Hailey stood outside of Aden's office.
"He's held in an interrogation room at Central Command." Zaira informed James. "Room 14B."
James inclined his head and looked at Hailey. "You want to come." It wasn't a question.
Hailey nodded, even though her stomach was tightening with the idea of coming within a short distance of Matt again. "Yes. I might be able to help since I've known him for a couple of years."
"It might prove useful," Zaira said as she zipped up her leather-synth jacket. "She can stay with me."
James inclined his head and teleported them to the hallway outside of the interrogation room. Zaira motioned Hailey to come along to the back room, where they would be able to see James and Matt.
Hailey shot James a worried look before she entered. Be careful. Don't let him hurt you.
James' eyes frosted over. I'm not the one in danger of getting hurt.
Shaking her head at his stubborn response, Hailey closed the door to the backroom. Zaira already stood in front of the large rectangular window. Being a powerful telepath meant she was able to shield Matt whenever he'd try to use his ability to hypnotize someone. Even though Aden told her that specialized Arrows were keeping the assailants in check, Matt wasn't Psy. There was a probability he was able to use that to his advantage. Hailey wasn't sure if he wouldn't try to hypnotize James into killing him; it would be a convenient and easy out.
Hailey didn't want James to interrogate Matt but knew he felt like he had to, his loyalty towards the Squad and the innocent people who'd gotten injured more important than his personal reservations. As for herself, she didn't want to see Matt ever again, but she wouldn't leave James alone to deal with this. At least having Zaira next to her made her feel a little better.
Matt sat quietly in the sober grey room, staring at his fingernails like he didn't have a care in the world. In front of him stood a steel table and another chair. The rest of the room was empty, except for the window Hailey and Zaira were facing.
"He can't see us, right?" Hailey glanced at Zaira.
Zaira shook her head. "No. It's a mirrored display, though he probably knows someone's watching." Zaira looked at Hailey, her dark eyebrows knitted together in a frown. "He expects you to be here; that's why he asked for James."
Hailey swallowed and nodded. She already considered that to be the reason why Matt had made the specific request. Her body tensed when the door to the interrogation room swung open.
Matt's eyes lit up when he saw James walk into the space. "Well, look who we have here," he drawled. "If it isn't the asshole that broke my arm."
James ignored Matt and sat down across from him, his back towards the mirrored display. He placed a datapad on the table and tapped on it. A hologram of images appeared. Hailey recognized the faces of the individuals that had attacked her and James, and saw a few others she didn't know. She let out a deep breath when James started talking.
"You wanted to speak with me. I'm here. Talk." James' tone was arctic.
Hailey bit her lip when Matt leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head.
"Who are these people?"
Matt smiled at James' question. "I'd like to speak about one person in particular."
James kept quiet. Moments passed and Hailey saw Matt's pale eyes harden when James didn't bite.
"Tell me about you and Hailey. How were you able to seduce her?" Matt leaned forward, his elbows braced on the table. "I bet you gave her a nice, long fuck. That's what she likes, doesn't she?" He smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
Hailey's stomach clenched. Jesus. Matt had seriously gone insane. How hadn't anyone noticed that?
James pushed back his chair, picked up the datapad and walked out of the room. Matt's smile disappeared and his head snapped up. "Hey!" he shouted and looked towards the display. "We had a deal!"
James walked into the backroom and shot Zaira a look. Hailey crossed her arms in front of her chest, aware that James was telepathing Zaira.
Zaira nodded. "Yes, he's trying to manipulate you into a reaction. Is it working?"
James gave her a cool glance, from which Hailey could distillate the answer to Zaira's question. The tendons in James' neck stood out stark, his jaw tight and his skin pulled taut over his cheekbones. He looked at Hailey. "You need to leave."
Hailey shook her head. "No. If you're here, I'm staying here as well."
James walked towards her and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. You don't need more nightmares. I'll deal with him.
Hailey rose on tiptoe and cupped his face. "We finish this the same way we started; together." Because even though Matt was a sick, sadistic bastard, helping innocent people by figuring out if there would be any more attacks would provide Hailey with some sort of closure.
James looked at her for several moments before inclining his head. "Alright. But if he continues doing what he's tried so far, I'm ending the conversation and not coming back. I'm not sitting there while he tries to get under my skin by insulting you." He directed his words to Zaira. "We won't play along with his game. Either he talks, or I leave. You'll have more luck with the others."
Hailey dropped her hands to her side as she listened to James and Zaira discuss the interrogation tactic.
Zaira shrugged with one shoulder. "I can still try to enter his mind, although Aden won't approve. Minor physical injuries, however, are within the boundaries," she said, her dark eyes glinting.
"It won't be worth the time and effort if the kidnapping and attempted murder prove to be the main motives."
"See if you can make him talk," Zaira answered as she turned towards the display. "Otherwise we'll have no choice but to request a J to read him and the others."
James gave a curt nod and walked out of the backroom. Hailey's eyes went to Matt, who didn't look careless anymore. His face was an unattractive shade of red, his hands fisted on top of the table.
James opened the door to the interrogation room, placed the datapad on the table and tapped on the screen again, opening the hologram. He walked towards the wall next to the door and leaned against it. "Talk. Otherwise I'll leave and I won't return."
Matt clenched his jaw but took his loss as he sat up straight. "I've met these two," he pointed at the images of the tall man and cardinal woman, "three or four times before." His eyes darted from left to right, as if to find a way out of the room.
Hailey's lips curled in disgust. Good. Feel uncomfortable. She could barely contain herself from shouting at the mirrored display. That bastard had cut up her face and would have raped her if everything had gone according to his plan. Just the thought of being violated and degraded like that made her stomach roil, but she forced herself to focus on the conversation.
"For about two years I've been making a little extra money on the side." Matt shrugged. "Some of the ladies from the club like to entertain guests after hours, if you know what I mean. But they like it if I stay to watch out for them, so they give me a cut of their earnings. These two," he gestured at the images, "came in one night and sliced beautiful Brandi to shreds. They cut her open and when I found them, her brain was leaking out of her ears." He shrugged again. "So sad," his tone without sorrow, "she was just planning her twenty-fifth birthday party. I even got an invitation." A distant look in his eyes, as if he hadn't just admitted witnessing the brutal murder of a young woman.
"When it became clear Shea, the cardinal, couldn't tear through my shields, I helped them get rid of the problem." Matt grinned with pride.
Hailey felt sickened by him. The piece of vermin had apparently disposed the body of one of the girls who'd trusted him to keep her safe. He was as much of a psychopath as the Psy that had attempted to take down James.
"They were in my debt from then on out. And they were very interested when I told them about a Psy soldier I knew. They paid nicely for the intel." He tipped his head to the side. "Unfortunately that junkie I used to spy on you guys got caught, the imbecile."
Hailey's eyebrows rose. It was as if Matt was so delusional, he didn't realize he'd been caught as well. As if this really was just a game to him. She tapped her index finger on her arm when Matt focused his gaze on James.
"And since you already took what I wanted, I decided to show Hales what she was missing." A slow smile spread over Matt's face when he looked from James to the mirrored display, like he could see Hailey instead of his own reflection.
Hailey felt James' anger pulse through their connection.
Breathe, love. She sent him a telepathic kiss.
He's talking about women as if they're objects he can own, James' voice was a growl in her mind. Like you were an object he could have his way with.
Which is why it's all the better that he's imprisoned. Maybe Brandi wasn't the only girl who fell victim to him and his 'friends'. You need to find out what he's got to say, if their operation ran on a wider scale than the attacks in New York.
James' face was a blank mask, but for the anger Hailey saw sparking in his eyes. "What was the original plan?"
Matt kept his eyes trained on the mirror. "If little Hales hadn't been such a bitch, she would have just come with me after I tried to kiss her at the hospital." He looked up at James, who was still leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest, seemingly relaxed… Seemingly being the operative word. "It must have been such a shock for her, to feel so aroused when I approached her." He grinned. "Especially since fucking you must resemble fucking a piece of ice."
Sucking in a breath, Hailey whispered to James. Don't give him what he wants. He can't hurt me anymore.
Matt turned his head to assess James' reaction. His pale eyes darkened little when James kept perfectly silent. "Fine." Matt sounded like he was sulking, a spoiled boy in the body of an adult. "Hailey was supposed to behave and get into the van. After I knocked her out, I had to drive to one of the empty buildings near the dock." He slid his finger through the holographic image of the cardinal woman, as if he was stroking her.
Hailey shuddered.
"Shea ran the show. The other guy was like a marionette." Shane shook his head. "I've heard about Psy mind control, but my, my," he whistled through his teeth. "Hearing about it and seeing it firsthand are two different things entirely."
James kept staring at him as Matt returned to topic. "Anyway," he said chirpily, as if he was talking about the weather and not about fucking kidnapping her, "I was supposed to tie Hailey down and wait until you came." He wiped his fingertips over the table. "They," Matt indicated to a couple of holographic images, "wanted to ambush you and tie you down as well, then put a bracelet on you to stifle your abilities so Shea could kill you. Shea told me it would be the crown upon her work, to murder a shadow from the Net. She had grown bored with easy prey and she was looking for a challenge. The others were to watch and learn. Shea was grooming them for future operations." An apologetic grin. "But I don't give three shits about what they wanted. Once they got you–or another fucking Arrow for that matter–I was free to leave with Hales and show her a good time."
He slapped his palm flat on the table and smirked at James. "She's a bit of a wild one, did you know?"
James straightened his stance and walked towards the chair. Turning it around, he sat down, his arms braced on the back. "Why is that?"
Again, his posture seemed relaxed, unthreatening. Hailey had no idea how he was managing to look so uncaring on the outside, while she knew he was absolutely boiling on the inside. Hailey shot Zaira a look. "I don't think he'll be able to control himself." The icy calm she felt through their connection was a façade; a way to shied her from his emotions. Hailey hated James for shutting her out like that, trying to protect her still.
Zaira kept quiet and Hailey returned her attention on the conversation in front of her, her muscles taut.
"Didn't she tell you?" Matt leaned back and moved his hands in front of his chest. "She asked me to touch her, to show her what a real man feels like. Of course I was happy to oblige." He made a squeezing motion in front of his pectorals and grinned. "And I could tell she liked it."
James leaped over the table so fast, Hailey had barely seen him move. She gasped when he lifted Matt against the back wall with one hand around Matt's throat. Matt released a gurgling laugh. "Is anyone filming this? This is unnecessary police violence."
"I'm not in Enforcement."
Hailey jumped towards the door and opened it, while Zaira followed her. She turned left in the hallway and went to open the door to the interrogation room, but Zaira clasped her hand around Hailey's arm when she reached for the door handle.
"Are you sure?" Dark, dark eyes met hers. Hailey considered Zaria's question for several seconds and nodded. Zaira held her for another heartbeat before inclining her head and letting go.
When Hailey entered the room, Matt's eyes flashed towards her, his face turning a reddish purple in James' bruising hold. They made eye contact he smiled despite his trapped position.
Ignoring him, Hailey directed her words to her Arrow. James. Hailey wouldn't give Matt the opportunity to listen in on their conversation. Come with me. He's going to spend the rest of his miserable life locked up, and you're going to spend the rest of your amazing life with me. Let's leave.
She moved closer and saw a muscle pulse in James' jaw. Is it true?
The depth of rage in his telepathic voice made Hailey freeze, the dark anger in James taking over. She understood what James was asking, if Matt had tried to touch her in an intimate way again. If she said yes, Hailey was certain James would kill Matt for it. If she lied… he'd probably know she would be lying.
Again, this wasn't about Matt–it was about James. She didn't care if Matt got hurt. Hell, the bastard deserved being smacked around after what he did to her. Still, she couldn't let James hurt him.
Hailey's heart tore at the seams when the glacial wall around James' psychic presence dropped. The only thing that blazed through their bond was anger, guilt, hate. Of course, her protective Arrow blamed himself for not being able to stop it, but how could he have? He had been doing the right thing, helping the people who were in need.
Yet, he wouldn't see it that way. He would only believe he'd failed to keep her out of harm's way, and by killing Matt he'd get rid of the person who'd hurt her. But it would also mark him, would be one more scar on the battered soul of her Arrow. Hailey couldn't allow James to fight her battle, to put himself in the crossfire again. He'd done enough.
Zaira stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest, leaned against the mirrored wall, seemingly unaffected by James' aggressive outburst.
Hailey, James' voice was steel, demanding an answer.
The truth was Hailey actually had forgotten about the part where Matt had touched her. Besides the fact that it had been for a brief moment, the other events of that night had preoccupied her mind. Unfortunately for Matt, he hadn't left the impression he was so desperate for.
Hailey clenched her jaw and decided she wouldn't give Matt the satisfaction to think he'd won by getting under James' skin. She could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he was enjoying this, enjoying James' reaction. Enjoying making others feel powerless. She snapped her gaze to Matt and decided to do the one thing that would make him stop. His actions, his deviant behavior, it was about control.
Then show him what it's like to be powerless.
Hailey channeled every ounce of her acting skills while facing Matt. "You did force yourself on me again, didn't you? You like taking things that aren't yours, like owning people. And you continued, even after I told you to stop." Hailey stepped closer, disregarding James' warning glance.
"The problem is that you're now at the mercy of the most dangerous people in the world." She made her voice uncaring, ignoring the rapid beat of her heart. "The Arrows don't care if your issues are rooted in your youth, where you never got acknowledged by your parents."
When a muscle in Matt's eye started twitching, Hailey decided to apply more pressure. "Yes, I know all about that. Shane has loose lips when he's had a few beers. I never got why he was friends with you in the first place." She shook her head. "But then I understood. He pitied you."
James lowered Matt to the ground when he started inhaling wheezing breaths but kept his hand locked tightly around Matt's throat. Hailey made sure to stay out of his reach without hiding behind James; she wouldn't use him as a shield.
"But the Arrows don't pity anyone. They don't care if the reason you're being accessory to kidnapping and murder is because your dad never gave you a compliment after you fucked up your career in sports." Hailey stuck out her chin. "They don't care that you're a pathetic moron who wants to be seen so badly, who has the childlike need for attention and approval, that he hurts innocent people."
When Matt growled as if to shout at her, James thumped him against the wall. Fury heating her blood, Hailey continued, coating her voice with ice. "They only care about the safety of the people you tried to harm–the safety your supposed friends endangered by placing explosives in the city."
Shimmers of uncertainty broke through Matt's anger, his cheekbones cutting through his skin and his eyes rapidly zigzagging left and right.
Hailey made sure her voice was pitched low and quiet for the next part. "They are the elite. Experts in physical and mental combat. They know a million and one ways to hurt you for what you've done. Nothing you could have ever dreamed of comes close to what will happen to you." Hailey wasn't sure if that part was true. Even after everything Matt had done, Aden probably wouldn't condone extensive torture. But Matt didn't know that.
She smiled falsely when she saw sweat break out on his forehead. "And you've been a special kind of stupid. You tried to come after one of their own."
"They can't touch me," Matt's voice raised an octave. "I… I have rights," he stammered.
"Not anymore." Zaira's voice was so cold, Matt's face turned pale.
"So we're going to ask you one last time if you've got anything useful to say. Maybe you should consider it for a moment, consider if you ever want to see something other than the four walls of a cell." Hailey glanced over her shoulder at Zaira. "Complete solitary confinement for several weeks messes with their minds, doesn't it?"
Zaira shrugged. "We have rooms without windows or doors we can teleport him to. If weeks aren't enough to break him, months will do the trick." She focused her eyes on Matt. "Maybe we should consider isolating him one week for every victim of the explosions." Zaira looked at James, who was still holding Matt in an iron-tight grip. "What's the count so far?"
"Thirty-two," James answered while pinning Matt down with his gaze.
Hailey nodded and kept her tone steady as she crossed her arms. "That seems fair. After all, some of the victims will need more than eight months to recover from their injuries."
Matt's skin turned an odd hue of green when realization kicked in that he would be trapped in a similar room like this for that extent of time. "N- no. No, you can't do that!"
"We can and we will." James' voice was sharp enough to cut through Matt's skin.
"Well, why don't you think about whether you'd ever like to see the light of day again and we'll go and eat some breakfast. I'm kind of hungry." Hailey turned her back to Matt and walked out of the room. When she reached the corridor, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling in a jagged rhythm.
Seconds later, James' hand cupped her chin and he tipped up her head. "Are you alright?"
Hailey wrapped her arms around his big body and buried her face in his chest. She inhaled the scent of oak moss and sandalwood, the scent of home. "I will be." She tightened her hold on him, borrowed his strength. "I deserve an award for that performance."
"Yes," Zaira's cool voice sounded. "That was very entertaining. I think I might attend one of your classes."
Hailey snorted a little, pulled back from James' embrace and faced Zaira. "Do you think it will work?"
The corners of Zaira's mouth twitched, fire in her dark eyes. "He was already on the verge of crying when you walked out of the room."
Hailey took a deep breath and released it slowly. "It's actually really sad, that someone becomes messed up like that. Go figure. Strange how lack of love and attention in your childhood combined with genetic predisposition can cause people to become like this."
James frowned. "Don't tell me you feel sorry for him."
Hailey shook her head. "No." Hailey felt repulsed by Matt's actions. "Not for him. But that doesn't mean you can abandon people like him to their fate." She looked from James to Zaira. "There has to be a system for people like Shea, like the others. Locking them up or letting them free shouldn't be the only two options." Her brow furrowed. "Especially not for the ones who are intelligent enough to fake their way through society."
James narrowed his eyes. "What do you suggest?"
Hailey shook her head. "I don't know yet." She rolled her shoulders. "Let's worry about that later. For now, let's eat."