Page 2 of The Girl He Crowned

The orderly’s eyeswidened slightly, and Paige couldn’t work out if it was at the sight of thebadge, or at the mention of Adam’s name. Probably the latter; everyone at theSt. Just Institute would know how dangerous Adam was, after an escape that hadseen him murder a guard in the process as well as commit repeated violencetowards the other patients there.

Paige saw theorderly check the computer on the reception desk.

“Ah, there’s anote here. We’re expecting you,” the orderly said after a moment or two. “Ifyou want to come with me?”

He led the waythrough the institute, using a key card to open doors as he went. Some of thelocks looked as though they’d been upgraded since Paige was there, while therewere cameras that Paige didn’t remember from her time at the institute. Apparently,they’d tried to upgrade security since Adam had escaped. Paige only hoped thatit would be enough to hold him this time.

Paige had no doubtthat if he ever got out again, it would be her that he came for. Last time,he’d killed people around her, trying to get closer to her. Next time, it wouldbe her he tried to kill. The thought of that was terrifying, but it didn’t makePaige any less determined to do this.

The orderly ledPaige through to a room she remembered all too well from her time here, withits pastel colors and its soothing landscape paintings on the walls. There werechairs set out on either side of a table, with a door on the far side leadingto the rooms for the patients who were locked away while being treated for thedisorders and illnesses that were behind their crimes. There were some of theworst criminals imaginable in the institute.

Paige took a seatand waited, facing that door, for the moment when Adam would come in. Shethought that she was as prepared as it was possible to be for that moment, buteven so, when he walked into the room with an orderly holding his arm, Paigestill felt a fresh thrill of fear running through her.

Adam was tall andbroad shouldered, in his mid-thirties, with his dark hair cut short. He wasgood looking, in the way that a tiger could be beautiful right up until themoment when it attacked, managing to look casually handsome even while he waswearing the gray sweatpants and hoodie that were standard issue for theprisoners here. His hands were cuffed in front of him, but that only made Paigefeel marginally safer. This was a very dangerous man indeed, even when he wasrestrained and medicated.

Adam smiled as ifhe could sense the fear coming off Paige in that moment. He walked to the tableslightly too fast, and for a fraction of a second Paige thought that he mightthrow himself forward at her to try to kill her, but no, he was just trying tostartle her, to get even the smallest response that he could count as atriumph. Adam liked to know that he had control over others.

“Sit down, Adam,”Paige said, in a firm tone. This wasn’t a therapy session. What mattered herewas getting the information that she wanted as quickly as possible, and thengetting out of there. After that, she would never have to see Adam Riker again.

“Trying to provethat you have the power in this situation, Paige?” Adam said, sitting smoothly.No, not quite smoothly. Certainly not as smoothly as he once would have. Therewas something stiff about the movement as he sat down, without the predatorygrace that he normally possessed. Paige guessed that his recovery from thegunshot wound she’d inflicted as he tried to murder her mother had been lessthan perfect.

That was theproblem with having to speak with Adam: There were too many emotions tangled upin everything to do with him, too much fear and hate, too many things that he’dalready done to hurt her. This was a man who killed without reason, and who hadevery reason to hurt her on top of that. Now, she was here to ask him for help,at his invitation, no less.

“I’m surprised youinvited me here,” Paige said.

“After you shotme?” Adam replied. He said it as if they’d had some minor falling out, ratherthan being engaged in a life and death struggle. Paige wondered if he reallydidn’t feel anything, or if he was just hiding it well. It was impossible totell, with such a pure psychopath as Adam.

“I would havethought it was the kind of thing that wouldn’t make you inclined to help me,”Paige said.

“Perhaps I’mfeeling generous,” Adam said, with a shrug that made it all seem casual. “Now,send the orderlies away, and we’ll talk.”

Paige shook herhead. She wasn’t that stupid. “No.”

“No? You say thatlike you’re the one with the power here, Paige,” Adam replied. He let some ofthe warmth fade out of his expression, so that Paige saw some of the terrifyingtruth of him beneath, in an expression that didn’t care about her, or anyoneelse, that could kill her without feeling a thing about it beyond a certainsatisfaction. “I’m the one with information you need, so you’ll do what I say,or I’ll stay silent. You’ll never know what you want to know, Paige.”

Paige could seehim reveling in the power he knew he had over her in that moment. Power andcontrol were what Adam loved most. They were even at the heart of the way hekilled, tying his victims in positions where they died slowly, throughpositional asphyxia. It let him watch, while giving him plenty of time to tauntand torment them.

“Send them away,Paige, or we’re done here,” Adam said. He smiled, so sweetly that it was almostbelievable. “I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Paige let herexpression harden. “Iknowyou won’t hurt me, Adam.”

She was a fulltrained federal agent now, more than capable of protecting herself.

“But I’m also notstupid. The orderlies stay.”

“Then we’re done,”Adam said. He turned to the orderlies. “I’d like to leave now.”

Paige held up arestraining hand. “Well, you don’t get to leave, Adam, not yet.”

Did he reallythink that he was in control of this situation?

“You’re not one ofthe doctors here anymore,” Adam said. “And I doubt that you have a warrant.Incidentally, what happens if I send a letter to your boss asking why I’m beingharassed by his agents?”

Paige knew thenthat she didn’t have a choice. She either let Adam go, or she did what hewanted. She hated him having that much control over her after everything he’ddone, but he did. There was only one thing Paige could do to get the answersshe needed.

Still, she had onecard that she could play.

“I think you needme as much as I need you,” Paige said. “You need me here. You want theattention. So stop pretending that this isn’t about that, and we can talk.”

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