Page 62 of Infected By Virus

RAE

Apparently, she didn’t learn a single thing from hours of binge-watching true crime dramas.

Not only did she allow Barker to take her to a secondary location, but she’d also gone eagerly into Harmon’s studio.

He’d told her he had Adam tied up in the back and that he’d been crying for his Auntie Rae. So, when Barker had unlocked the door, she’d bolted straight to the back, calling for Adam.

“Adam? Auntie Rae’s here.”

As she suspected, there was no Adam, but she simply wouldn’t risk that there may have been a chance. When she turned to give him a piece of her mind, he slapped handcuffs on her before she could even react.

“What the fuck?” It didn’t register in her mind what Barker was capable of and how much danger she was in until then.

He shoved her to the ground hard and loomed over her. Smashing the gun to her lips so hard it rammed them into her teeth.

“What the fuck indeed. Now, you can cooperate like a good girl.” He stroked her hair with his free hand. “Or I can make you. I prefer the latter, but I guarantee that you won’t.”

Holy shit. The Barker she’d known was nowhere to be found in the cold eyes that stared down at her with a repulsive mix of lust and violence.

“What will it be, Rae?”

She couldn’t speak, but she nodded ever so slightly, however it still ground her lips between the barrel of the gun and her teeth.

Disappointment marred his brow before he pulled the gun away and shrugged.

“Up.” He lifted her by her tethered hands, causing the metal to bite into her flesh. “Sit.”

Compliance wasn’t an option; it was forced when he made her sit. When he bent down to zip tie her leg to the chair, she kicked him in the face. As blood dripped from his lip, she bolted toward the front part of the studio, but she didn’t make it far before he tackled her to the floor.

“Do that again, and when I’m done with you, I’ll put a bullet between Darrin’s eyes.” The threat stilled her flailing legs. He obviously couldn’t get his hands on Adam, and after this, they’d protect that precious child with the full force of the Royal Bastards, but Virus? He thought he was invincible, and that made him vulnerable. Not to mention distracted, because she had no doubt he would seek revenge.

“Now.” He levered off her. “Get in the fucking chair,” he screamed.

Rae managed to get to her feet. Instead of sitting, she thrust her chin up in defiance.

“Just go ahead and shoot me, Barker, because there’s no way I’ll willingly let you tie me to that chair.”

If she thought there was insanity in his eyes before, she was wrong. Rage and insanity and a million other menacing emotions flared to life in his eyes.

“Oh sweet, naïve Rae. There are so many worse things I can do to you than shoot you.” His calm tone scared her worse than his screaming anger did.

“Now, get in the fucking chair right now, or I’ll make sure that as I carve Harmon into pieces, she knows it’s because of you.”

Ice shards sliced her veins to ribbons. “You wouldn’t.” She spoke in disbelief.

“I hadn’t planned on it, no. I like Harmon and wouldn’t want to hurt her, but if you don’t get in the chair, I will do that and worse.”

There was so much honesty in his tone that she woodenly walked to the chair. Barker stayed at a distance this time. “Reach down and hook the zip tie on your legs for me.”

Rae held up her handcuffed hands.

“They’re not useless, now do it.”

Deciding it was better her than him, she complied. First one, then the other, but left them as loose as she dared around her boots without his notice. At least that gave her some wiggle room that might come in handy to free herself.

“Now what, Barker? What’s the big plan here? They’re going to know I’m gone. Come looking for me. Hell, Harmon will call the police and the first place they’ll check is our homes and where we work.”

It was like talking to herself, Barker wasn’t listening to her. He was sitting on a yoga mat watching his phone.

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