The room felt smaller after Scorpion finished speaking, the terms visible and laid out for Alex to see.
Alex remained seated long after the offer settled between them, his fingers loosely intertwined as his thoughts spiraled in quiet conflict. Joining another syndicate should have terrified him more than it did, yet exhaustion had a way of dulling moral clarity. He had escaped one cage only to discover that freedom came with hunger, nausea, loneliness, and the growing awareness that his body was changing in ways he could not control. Staying alone meant safety from monsters, yes, but it also meant vulnerability, and vulnerability in a city ruled by cartels was simply another form of suicide and that was a risk, although he was scared to admit, he wasn't willing to take at all.
He exhaled slowly and leaned back against the couch.
He needed protection...That was a very big fact who was he kidding!?. He resented that truth.
