Eli shook his head. Such a faint movement.
“I want you to put the necklace on, Mina.” Garrick’s voice had hardened. “I want you to show me that you can work with me after all this time. We need to rebuild our trust.”
He was insane. He could take their trust and shove it up his—
She heard a series of beeps. Then a grating behind her.
“Put on the necklace,” Garrick ordered her. “Or…well, I guess you could just keep standing there, watching that guy struggle for breath.”
Damn him. Mina whirled away from Eli and saw that a small tray had been opened near the bottom of her cell. The tray came from some kind of compartment that she hadn’t noticed before. She ran to it and inside—it wasn’t a necklace. It was a choker. Almost…a collar.
Still on her knees next to that tray, she looked up at Garrick.
He smiled—the charming smile that had tricked her so long ago. “Put it on,” he urged.
Her fingers were trembling as she lifted it up to her throat. Her hands slid beneath her hair as she brought the clasp to the back of her neck. It hooked together easily and was tight against her skin. Black, but with a heavy emerald stone in the middle that—
Something stabbed into her throat, a quick piercing that felt like a knife. She grabbed for the choker, but it wouldn’t come off. It seemed to have banded to her skin. She clawed at it because that pain was excruciating. It hurt so much and—
Garrick lifted his hand and revealed a small device cradled in his fingers. “If you stop fighting, it won’t hurt as much.”
She stilled.
“Good. See…that’s what I’m talking about…rebuilding our relationship, one painful step at a time.”
He might not be able to hear her, but she could still rage at him. “You fucking—”
Mina felt shock rush through her. She’d just tried to speak, but no sound had escaped her lips.
And he seemed to delight in her shock. “That was perfect.” He waved his hand and her cell door immediately opened. “Worked like a charm.”
She tried to speak again. “You’re a sick sonofa—”
No sound. Her lips were moving. She was mouthing the words, but no sound would emerge.
He grabbed her arms and pulled her close. He pressed a wild kiss to her lips and she clawed her nails down the side of his face. But Garrick just laughed. “It really was a charm, my Mina.” He tapped the emerald in the middle of her choker. “Other paranormals chose to cooperate with my team. You should have done the same.” His fingers stroked her skin, right above the choker, lingering near her rapid pulse. “A witch gave me this. Said she knew just how to reign in your power. Of course, I had our techs tweak things a bit. When science and magic work together, the results are quite spectacular.”
No, they were terrifying.
“I control you now.” His fingers curled around her neck. “Only I can remove the collar.”
Collar. Now he wasn’t pretending. She wouldn’t, either. Mina let him see the hate in her eyes.
“You will speak when I allow you to speak. You will follow the orders that my agency gives to you. You will do exactly as you are told…or I will see to it that you never speak again. I can take your voice from you. Take it completely, and you will be helpless for the rest of your days.”
No, she wouldn’t be helpless. She wouldn’t have the power to compel others, but she’d still be able to fight. He didn’t understand her, he never had. She’d gone to Luke because she’d wanted that terrible power taken away.
But losing her voice wouldn’t destroy her. Just as Garrick wouldn’t destroy her. She wouldn’t let him.
“Guards!” Garrick called, raising his voice. “Get Eli to the med ward! Patch up the guy before we start swimming in his blood!”
He was…he was really going to help Eli?
Garrick’s hand slid away from her. “See…it’s that trust I spoke about. We’ll fix the rift between us. Soon enough, things will return to the way they were before. You’ll want me again.”
Insane. No doubt.
He caught her hand and lifted it to his shirt-front, putting it right above his heart—and the scar there. “And I’ll forgive you,” Garrick said.
She waited until the guards had removed Eli. Waited until he was out of there and on his way to get help. Then she smiled up at Garrick, and, moving her mouth slowly so that he’d be able to read her lips she told him, “Screw you.”
He just laughed. “Doesn’t work, baby. Not without the voice.”
He turned away. Sauntered out of the cell. Shut the door and left her there.
“We are going to be great together,” he said, his words drifting back to her. “Just you wait and see.”
She grabbed for the necklace and began to claw it, but the choker—the collar—just tightened, threatening to cut off her breath.
“Oh, don’t do that.” His voice had sharpened.