ILYA
He stopped, hacking up a wet, bloody cough, his eyes darting frantically to my unmoving face to ensure I was still listening.
"What did they say, Ryder?" I murmured, leaning in just close enough to let him feel the predatory heat radiating off my skin.
"They were talking about a second phase," he whispered, his entire body trembling violently as the final piece of his leverage spilled out. "A second phase of the plan. They said the crash was just a setup... that they needed to trigger the hybrid with—"
His words wavered, trailing off into a slurred mumble as if he could no longer grasp the fleeting memory.
Rage ignited behind my ribs.
"That's not good enough, Ryder. Maybe I should help you jog your memory," I growled, completely swallowing the annoying sound of the aunt's weeping in the corner.
