Demands

The shock of cold water splashing against his face jolted Graves awake. His eyes snapped open, instantly registering the piercing sting of the cold and the room around him.

He tried to move, but the tight restraints binding his arms and legs to a hard, unforgiving chair kept him painfully in place. Panic swarmed in his chest, his breaths coming short and rapid as the reality of his situation settled in.

He was a prisoner.

Memories of the moments before his capture rushed back. Maria's betrayal. The blinding pain at the back of his skull. The cruel smile that had replaced the warmth he'd known in her eyes. Every detail etched itself in stark clarity in his mind. He had been deceived.

"Ah, you're awake," a voice resonated through the darkened room, thick with cruel amusement. Graves' head snapped toward the voice. His eyes, still adjusting to the dim light, made out a figure — the boss.