He raised his head. It felt like lead on top of his neck, but he managed to pull himself somewhat upright. He scanned the room, focused on the door that was merely a faint outline in the wall. No handle on the inside.
He knew who was on the other side.
“Defion,” he rasped. His voice was barely a croak of sound. He tried to clear his throat. “Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work.”
The door swung open and Harrison Stead stood in the frame. He hadn’t changed at all in the last year, still built like a tank despite his age. His steel-gray hair was still thick and combed back from his face so thoroughly, the comb left teeth marks.
“Xander,” he said in an almost fatherly tone. “I have to say, I’m impressed. You keep breaking our hold. All of the other test subjects’ minds cracked long before now. Dr. Denisova is very pleased with you. As am I.”
Xander glared at him. In the wretched state he was in, it was all he could do to show his hatred. “You won’t break me.”
“Ah.” A slow, nasty smile twisted his lips as he pulled on a bulky set of headphones. “But we already have. Listen up, soldier.”
A wave of nausea crashed over Xander and he bent double, gagging. His body felt like it was being torn apart on a cellular level, his mind splintering in a million pieces. He instinctively knew it was a sound causing his pain, but he couldn’t hear it. Could only feel it.
Then the voice that was not his own returned. He knew who it belonged to now, but he was powerless against its commands.
“Your next mission,” Harrison Stead said, “is to destroy HORNET.”
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Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I need to thank you, my readers! Without you, I couldn’t spend so much time with my HORNET guys, and they are my happy place. So, thank you. I know the real world is crazier than fiction right now, and I hope the guys and I were able to give you a few hours of escape. If you enjoyed Honor Avenged, be sure to sign up for my newsletter for exclusive scenes, sneak peeks, and first look cover reveals! You can sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/c7db2a79b019/hanewslettersignup
My heartfelt appreciation also goes to:
Heather and the entire team at Entangled for all they do.
The Boyfriend for always supporting me, even when I’m in insecure author mode. He says he always knows when I hit the hate-this-book stage of writing because I get grumpy. (Sorry, hon!) Thanks for putting up with my crazy.
Elizabeth Dyer, you’ve been my rock this year. I can’t thank you enough for being such a good friend.
*hugs*
About the Author
Tonya Burrows wrote her first romance at age 13 and hasn’t put down her pen since. Originally from a small town in Western New York, she suffers from a bad case of wanderlust and usually ends up moving someplace new every few years. As of now, she lives in the Pacific Northwest with The Boyfriend, a diva schnoodle, a plucky pug-mix, and #writercat.
When she’s not writing about hunky military heroes, Tonya can usually be found kayaking, hiking, or road tripping across the country. She also enjoys painting and B-grade disaster movies.
If you would like to know more about Tonya, visit her website at www.tonyaburrows.com. She’s also on Twitter @tonyaburrows and Facebook www.facebook.com/tonyaburrowsauthor.
Don’t miss the HORNET series…
SEAL of Honor
Honor Reclaimed
Broken Honor
Code of Honor
Reckless Honor
Discover the Wilde Security series
Wilde Nights in Paradise
Wilde for Her
Wilde at Heart
Running Wilde
Too Wilde to Tame
Fragmented Loyalty
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Honor Avenged Page 32
