Chapter 82

***~Riley~***

The initial wave of alarm almost immobilised me, but I immediately schooled my features into somewhat of an unreadable canvas. I levelled my gaze with the intruder, pouring all my energy into keeping my eyes focused on him despite the innate calling to flicker my gaze to the locked door. I’ve learnt that panicking in an unpredictable situation was always worse than maintaining a clear mind. That didn’t mean I was good at remaining logical, not when this situation triggered many degrading memories.

“We can talk with the door open.” I answer as menacingly as I could possibly muster while I gesture towards the locked door in a controlled manner. I tried to mimic that low, demanding tone I’ve often noticed Draven used. Granted, I was in no way as scary as Draven was, but I didn’t let that deter me.

“How about I remain at this end of the room as a compromise?” He brought his hands up as if in surrender. My guard didn’t lower. My nerves persisted, predicting an imminent threat.

“You have ten seconds before I start screaming.” I crossed my arms over my chest, eyes unblinking. I wasn’t sure how thin the walls were. There was a chance that no one would hear if I screamed or made a fuss. That thought chilled me but I steeled my spine and maintained my composure. No need to panic just yet, Riley. Not yet.

I applied my mind to identify any objects that might double as a weapon and came up short. I really should have asked Draven whether there was anything stashed in his office. Then again, we hadn't anticipated any danger in the organisation.

“You know who I am?” The intruder’s voice brought my attention outward, forcing me to refocus on him.

“You are Talia’s father,” I answer slowly to ensure my voice did not betray the unease I felt.

“Todd Fulmer.” He nodded with a sour smile that annoyed me.

“Your ten seconds are almost up, Todd Fulmer. What do you want?” I responded impatiently. I hated being toyed with and that is what this felt like.

He rolled his shoulders back, pacing the space in front of the door. “Have you taken any notice to my daughter’s absence from training sessions?”

I offer a curt nod. His movements were distracting me from keeping my cool. Talia had been absent shortly after we’d come to terms with each other. According to Jacob, she was at home nursing herself back to health from a nasty flu.

“I heard she has been unwell. How is her recovery?” I ask, not understanding why I needed to have this conversation with Todd. A man I’d never been face to face with before. No, if this was a casual conversation, I would not feel this alert or guarded. I had to trust my body. It often knew how to identify a threat.

“My daughter isn’t ill, Ms Magnar.” he halted his pacing to stare at me through narrowed eyes and if I were moving I might have staggered at the pure hatred I saw reflected back at me. Hatred from a man I’d never met before. That’s a new record, even for me. “She’s been taken,” he revealed, measuring my reaction.

“What? How? By who?” I croak the questions out, my heart rate sped up ten times its normal rate. That was the absolute worst news I could hear, especially about someone I knew. Perhaps, he wanted me to enlist Draven to find her? That had to be it, although I was certain Draven wouldn’t need convincing from me. He may be cold but he wasn’t heartless.

“By your father.” He sneered and my heart dropped. How in God’s name did my father get his hands on her? God, was this my fault? Was this to get back at me? I felt sick, my stomach churning, a disorienting ringing sounding in my ear and my eyes burned with a familiar foreshadowing of tears.

“I am so sorry,” I was clutching my chest. The hatred made sense and despite how guilty I felt, I knew that wouldn’t change the fact that my father kidnapped Talia.

“What do you need me to do? There must be a reason you’re telling me this?” I was willing to aid in whatever manner I could, although I knew I had no real power to do anything and I itched to grab my cell phone up and contact Draven. I needed him to find her. I knew the torture and humiliation I faced as a child and I didn’t wish that on anyone.

“There is something you can do.” Todd seemed a bit pleased by my willingness to help and while I felt terrible for Talia, I couldn’t shake that nagging feeling about Todd. That he was trouble.

“Take her place.” Todd advised and my hackles raised again.

“Excuse me?” I gritted my teeth. So this is why he came to me. He meant to trade me for Talia’s safety. He had an entire organisation of assassins at his disposal, why would he resort to using me?

“It’s a strange thing, Ms Magnar,” he began pacing again, my eyes following his like a hawk. “Have you any idea how it feels watching your daughter cry herself to sleep? Draven’s decision to break off the engagement and bring you here was too cruel on Talia. You were an eyesore to her.” He paused, a weird mix of pain and disgust evident in every word he said. I had been an eye sore, I can acknowledge that, but Talia and I had reconciled.

“Any parent would do whatever it took to have their child happy.” He said with a tone of finality that made my blood run cold.

“I wouldn’t know,” I answered, allowing every ounce of bitterness I possessed to seep into the words. This made no sense. I was certain Draven could find Talia. He’d promised that my father’s reign was coming to an end and I believed him.

“I made a deal with your father.” Todd continued, “I promised to lead him to you.”

“What?” The query felt lifeless on my lips.

“Suffice it to say, your presence has caused many problems for me. My proposal was supposed to allow me to be rid of you but your father didn’t want to risk my backing out so…”

“He took Talia as insurance.” I finished. Todd didn’t want to get Draven involved. He couldn’t, because his scheme would be revealed. His daughter was kidnapped and he was still thinking of saving his own ass in the process of getting her back.

“And what if I don’t take her place? I am sure any number of agents employed here can find her and bring her back,” I couldn’t fathom handing my life over to my father again. I couldn't fathom someone hating me this much either.

“Draven’s been fucking with your old man. He’s backed him into a corner. Draven has murdered countless men in the most gruesome ways possible. There are so many agencies that would love to know the killer. So far they only know an alias. Draven’s as good at protecting his identity as he is at murder. It has ensured his safety and his family’s.”

“You’d sell him out.” I scoff, swallowing down the sob that was forcing its way up my throat.

“Only if you refuse.” He answered as if the choices he gave me were as simple as which flavour of bubble gum I wanted to chew.

“You do know what my father will do to me if he gets his hands on me again?” I whisper the words, hoping they would appeal to Todd. That he wouldn’t stand by and force someone to the same fate he was trying to save his daughter from.

“You’ve already been sullied by that life.” He looked down his nose at me and I shuddered. Every late night I spent curled up on shower floors bawling my eyes out, every time I rubbed my skin raw just to remove the memory of being held against my will, every scar I plastered and every effort I made to convince myself that I wasn’t dirty or tainted, was undone in that moment.

Todd looked at me as if I were a whore. As if I chose to be raped and abused. As if it were all my fault.

“My daughter is innocent, she’s pure. There’s nothing that can be done to you that you haven’t survived before. My daughter doesn’t deserve any of that.” He was becoming forceful, his tone darkening.

“Your father wants you to be delivered tonight.” His words were decisive as if I had no choice. But I didn’t, did I? My life for Talia and Draven. I’d never be able to forgive myself if I was the reason his family was targeted. He would never forgive me.

“And I need you to ensure Draven doesn’t think to look for you,”

I shoot Todd a nasty glare. Anger was the best substitute for depression and I hung onto it. Todd knew what my decision would be and I hated that I was this predictable. “If I write him a note, will you ensure it’s delivered to him?”

“Once I accept the contents of it is safe, yes.” There was a glimmer of hope in Todd’s eyes which caused me to avert my own as they clouded with the tears I was holding back. I tried to run away, to build a new life but Todd made me realise that I’ll be regarded in much the way I felt. Dirty, tainted and unworthy. I had dared to hope but in the end, it was too good to be true.

An image of Draven flickered in my mind. I had thought it possible to stay at his side with consequences but I was wrong and now he would never know how I really felt about him. He’d never know I loved him.