Page 40 of Us Defiant Few

The sheer violation made Takeshi roar and sent his heart rate skyrocketing to the point where Lane was forced to sedate him.

When he woke again, Lane sat by his side with a sorrowful look in his eyes. He said the only way his memories would return was with time and patience.

Two things Takeshi lacked.

His plans of blood and carnage waited for no one.

Whoever invaded his mind would pay so dearly, they’d regret ever looking upon him. Earth would bend at the weight of his retribution.

His thoughts drifted once more to the brown-haired girl with the infinitely sad eyes. Something burned in his chest whenever he looked upon her. But it somehow hurt worse when she wasn’t in his sight.

It was infuriating.

Those types of connections were nothing but a weakness. A vulnerability for his enemies to use against him. He wouldn’t allow that to happen.

So he made a plan to study her. To learn every single flaw she possessed. And when the perfect opportunity presented itself in the basement to sever the connection for good, Takeshi seized it.

The girl was never going to beat him, but to her credit, she knew how to fight. He recognized that fiery expression in her green eyes. The slow-burning rage that ignited his dead heart and made him want to fasten his lips on hers, just to see if she’d bite back.

But those dangerous thoughts only reminded Takeshi of his goal. To humiliate Khalani and convince her to never seek him out again.

But the girl refused and dared him to hurt her.

Takeshi had no idea why her words caused such a visceral reaction in him. The thought of injuring her was nearly crippling.

That’s why he snapped her shoulder. To prove to himself that he didn’t care.

But when she looked at him afterward…

He’d never seen such torment and betrayal reflected in a single pair of eyes. The dark voice inside him raged to cut off his own arm for hurting her.

Electricity raced up his limbs as he clenched his fists.

Takeshi was slowly unraveling. He needed to fight. To kill.

To find all that he’d lost.

Takeshi gripped his head, pulling on the ends of his hair, desperate for the pain to distract him.

Get it together, he snarled.

Revenge wasn’t won by feeling sorry for yourself.

Victory was achieved at the end of a blade.

Takeshi lifted his gaze, staring at the dark stone wall as he formulated a plan. The only person he could fully trust was himself. That was the only truth he knew.

He had no idea if the Aces were lying to him. If his memories were real or fake. What Takeshi did know was that someone thought they could violate him without consequences.

They were sadly mistaken.

So he made a list.

A list of potential enemies. And everyone in Hermes was on it, including the girl, no matter what strange inner urges he felt toward her.

He would watch. Listen. Talk when needed. And figure out who was responsible for his torment.

Some names on the list would be crossed out.