Aiden Knight's POV
I stare down at Mr. Thorne's broken form, his words echoing in my mind like a death knell. The game has just begun. But even as I savor the fear in his eyes, something feels wrong.
He's too calm. Too accepting of his fate.
"You're lying," I say quietly.
His battered face contorts with confusion. "What?"
"This whole performance. The begging. The information." I crouch beside him again. "You're stalling."
Terror flickers across his features before he can hide it. That's all the confirmation I need.
"What are you waiting for?"
"I don't know what you're—"
My hand closes around his throat again. This time I don't hold back.
"Wrong answer."
His eyes bulge as my grip tightens. Blood vessels burst in the whites of his eyes. But just before he passes out, he manages to gasp out two words.
"Too late."
Ice floods my veins. I release him and grab his shoulders, shaking him violently.
"Too late for what?"
