Forbidden (Blood Ties #7)

“Well?” He demanded.

“I—” I started.

“I let her out.”

I jerked my gaze toward Walker as he stood inside the edge of the corridor, watching.

“You?” Coulter’s guard snarled. “You were told the Daughters are off limits.”

Walker just stepped forward, eyeing him until they were face to face. “The day I take orders from your boss will be the day I stop taking orders.”

My breath caught as both men glared, but it wasn’t long before the other guard backed down.

“How about we get you to the bathroom?” Walker murmured, never once looking away from the asshole in front of me. “Helene.”

The mere mention of my name shocked me into movement. I jerked my gaze toward him, my heart hammering in the back of my throat.

“Move now.”Walker growled through clenched teeth. “And take her with you.”

I stepped forward, grabbed the Daughter’s arm, and pulled her forward.

“Daughters!”Walker called loud enough to resound along the hall.

One by one they stepped into their doorways.

“Time for showers.” Walker urged as hate rippled from the other guard’s stare.

The other women spilled around them, oblivious to the standoff, and with one cautious glance at Walker, I gripped the Daughter I’d pulled into the hallway and was gone.

There were no more incidents, not when we showered or left for the cafeteria. But the tension inside was palpable. Walker and his men stood on one side of the room and Coulter’s guards on the other. We sat quietly at our tables, heads down as plates of eggs and toast were placed in front of us.

My stomach clenched at the sight. I grabbed a piece of toast and nibbled the edges, watching the silent battle play out in the corner of my eye. The other Daughters were oblivious. The drugs and the mind control made them almost zombies. They ate and drank in silence, eyes down, focused on every bite.

But I felt the tension rise, especially when Riven, Kane, and Thomas stepped in, scanned the guards on each side of the room, then glanced our way. Kane moved forward, his focus skimming over me as he checked the rest of us.

“There’s no training today.”

I shifted my attention to one of Coulter’s guards, who’d stepped forward.

“Isn’t there?” Kane leveled him with a dangerous stare before turning his attention back to us.

Something had changed between them. Before, there’d been a dangerous tension, now it was something else, a chilling whisper of war waiting to be unleashed.

“Finish up.” Kane commanded, looking our way.

I tossed the piece of toast to the plate, grabbed the juice, and drank before rising.

“You’re to follow Walker to the audio room.” Kane gave a nod to the commander.“Now.”

The Daughters moved instantly, snapping to attention at the mere sound of his voice. He was the Master here. The one man who with a simple look made each of us sink to our knees. We’d do anything for him…and anything to him with just one whisper of those perfect lips.

My teeth scraped my lower lip as I stared at him.Kane Cruz…I’d seen him before when I’d been a liar sitting across from his desk. But I’d never trulyseenhim. Not like this. A surge of desire swept through my senses, cutting to the center of me like a knife.

I hadn’t wanted him then, but I wanted him now.

God, I wanted him.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.