Jim placed his hand on my shoulder, and I twisted to look at him. “I don’t understand. Why does he want me there?” I whispered.

“I don’t know why exactly. This wasn’t where we thought you were headed…”

“What?” That made this so much worse. If Declan didn’t even think this was a possibility, then I was truly screwed. He was supposed to know his brother, but apparently I wasn’t the only one in the dark here. It made me wonder if Declan’s cover was already blown.

“I have to talk to your friends. We need to get a plan ready before…” He must’ve seen something through his neural lace because he froze and his skin grew pale.

“Before what?”

Declan got up, shoving his chair away and stormed over to us. He grabbed the collar of my jumpsuit and twisted it, lifting me from my chair.

“What the hell?!” I yelled, trying to shove him away. What the hell kind of game was he playing?

“You listen here, you little bitch. You fucked with the wrong fucking family.” He screamed the words in my face, spit flying. He gave me a sharp shake, and then lifted me off the ground by my jumpsuit. My feet weren’t even grazing the ground as he leaned into my ear. “You stay alive.” His words were so quiet, I could just barely hear him. “I don’t care what it fucking takes. You do what you have to do, but you make sure you stay alive.”

I started to cry. “How?”

He gave me another shake. “Give me three weeks. Four max. I’ll have you out of there. I promise, but you have to stay alive for me.” He pressed a soft kiss against my neck. “I’m so, so sorry. You’re going to have to make this look good.”

I was about to ask what he was talking about, but I didn’t have to. He threw me down, and I crashed into the chair hard enough that it wobbled. Declan looked at me like I was the lowest scum in the universe and then slapped me across the face.

I didn’t have to fake it. My face felt hot, and I could feel the shape of his hand like a brand against my skin. I’d been hit harder before, but not like that. Not when I was barely hanging on. Tears streamed down my face. I’d never felt more alone than I did in that moment.

I knew that he only did it because he was being watched. My neck was still warm from the soft kiss. But the look he gave me was worse than the slap, even if it was just as fake.

I watched Declan as he disappeared from the courtroom. The doors swung shut behind him, and he never looked back.

The judge started banging his gavel again.