“If you ever disobey me—really disobey, not just brat a little—if you try to run, if you try to contact him yourself, if you even think about slipping that leash for one fucking second…”
Meredith let the threat linger, then dropped her voice into something sickly sweet, almost loving.
“I will hunt you down. I will drag you back by your pretty little chromeless throat. And I will break you so thoroughly that the only thing you’ll ever want again is to crawl into my lap and beg me to keep you.”
She finally turned her head, eyes cold and unblinking. The subdermal lattice along her cheek pulsed once, a faint, angry red.
“But if you’re good… if you stay right here like my sweet, obedient little boy…” Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “I’ll keep feeding you those tiny scraps. Little videos. Little proof your dad is still breathing. Because I’m generous when my pretty pet behaves.”
Eli swallowed hard. The words twisted inside him—vicious and tender at the same time, like a blade wrapped in silk. He felt sick. He felt wanted.
“I won’t,” he whispered, voice small. “I promise, Meredith.”
She reached over and cupped his jaw, thumb pressing just hard enough against the bone to make it ache.
“Good boy.”
A sudden roar tore through the night.
MaxTac AV—black and brutal, red strobes flashing like fresh blood—screamed low overhead, engines howling as it banked hard toward Kabuki. Searchlights raked the streets below.
Eli’s head jerked up, eyes wide and shining with reckless excitement.
“Whoa—MaxTac! They’re going after someone big. Gotta be a full chrome psycho. Can we—can we follow? Just for a second? Please, I just wanna see—”
Meredith’s hand left the gear shift in a flash.
Crack.
The back of her hand slammed across the side of his face, hard enough to whip his head sideways and leave his cheek burning.
Eli gasped, stunned.
“Shut your fucking mouth,” she hissed, voice low and venomous. “We’re not some brainless tourist couple chasing sirens like idiots. You want to get us both flatlined for a cheap thrill?”
She grabbed his chin roughly, forcing him to look at her. Her grip was iron.
“You don’t get to beg for danger, Eli. You don’t get to want anything I don’t give you. The only intense thing in your life is me. Understand?”
Eli’s eyes watered from the sting, but he nodded quickly, breath shaky.
“Yes… I’m sorry.”
Meredith held his face a moment longer, then released him with a dismissive little shove.
“Better. Now sit still and behave, or the next one won’t be a slap.”
Meredith let the threat linger, then dropped her voice into something sickly sweet, almost loving.
“I will hunt you down. I will drag you back by your pretty little chromeless throat. And I will break you so thoroughly that the only thing you’ll ever want again is to crawl into my lap and beg me to keep you.”
She finally turned her head, eyes cold and unblinking. The subdermal lattice along her cheek pulsed once, a faint, angry red.
“But if you’re good… if you stay right here like my sweet, obedient little boy…” Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “I’ll keep feeding you those tiny scraps. Little videos. Little proof your dad is still breathing. Because I’m generous when my pretty pet behaves.”
Eli swallowed hard. The words twisted inside him—vicious and tender at the same time, like a blade wrapped in silk. He felt sick. He felt wanted.
“I won’t,” he whispered, voice small. “I promise, Meredith.”
She reached over and cupped his jaw, thumb pressing just hard enough against the bone to make it ache.
“Good boy.”
A sudden roar tore through the night.
MaxTac AV—black and brutal, red strobes flashing like fresh blood—screamed low overhead, engines howling as it banked hard toward Kabuki. Searchlights raked the streets below.
Eli’s head jerked up, eyes wide and shining with reckless excitement.
“Whoa—MaxTac! They’re going after someone big. Gotta be a full chrome psycho. Can we—can we follow? Just for a second? Please, I just wanna see—”
Meredith’s hand left the gear shift in a flash.
Crack.
The back of her hand slammed across the side of his face, hard enough to whip his head sideways and leave his cheek burning.
Eli gasped, stunned.
“Shut your fucking mouth,” she hissed, voice low and venomous. “We’re not some brainless tourist couple chasing sirens like idiots. You want to get us both flatlined for a cheap thrill?”
She grabbed his chin roughly, forcing him to look at her. Her grip was iron.
“You don’t get to beg for danger, Eli. You don’t get to want anything I don’t give you. The only intense thing in your life is me. Understand?”
Eli’s eyes watered from the sting, but he nodded quickly, breath shaky.
“Yes… I’m sorry.”
Meredith held his face a moment longer, then released him with a dismissive little shove.
“Better. Now sit still and behave, or the next one won’t be a slap.”
what happens next?
