Chapter 16

As soon as we materialized, Steve touched my face and shoulder. The cold was unbearable, like a brain freeze for my entire body. Too numb to attempt an escape, I concentrated on simply staying conscious and upright. I could feel his cold breath in my hair, chilling me further.

Our destination was some kind of complex—it wasn’t quite an office building, but it hardly looked like a private residence either. I gazed around and nothing looked familiar. There were no other buildings or streets, only a winding road that led to this place. Trees and darkness surrounded us.

Steve led me toward the massive building.

Through chattering teeth, I managed, “Where the fuck are we?”

“Have you ever heard of Barker Industries?”

I nodded. It was one of those mega companies that had their hands in everything. I knew of them because I’d used their data obfuscation software on a project. The founder, Derek Barker, was a recluse who rarely went out in public. People even joked about whether or not he was a real person.

“This is it.”

“You work for Derek Barker?” I rubbed my upper arms, trying to warm up, but it was no use. Steve’s cold hand rested on the small of my back, keeping me frozen.

“I’m afraid so.” There was regret in his voice, and I could sense it too, in his emotions. “He wants to meet you.”

I made a derisive kind of snort, not totally in control of all my faculties. It was a wonder I didn’t drool on myself or blow snot out my nose. Maybe I did, I was so fucking cold I wouldn’t have felt it. “And this is his idea of hospitality?”

“Would you have come otherwise?”

He had a point. I had trust issues with Steve from the start, and he had tried to take me a couple of times, presumably here. I focused closer on the building, with all its glass and steel, and realized it did look familiar. I saw it from one of Steve’s memories, when I had probed him in the car.

“This is where you made me into a f-f-freak, isn’t it?” My head throbbed from the cold, which passed through my body in waves. More than anything else, I just wanted to go to sleep.

“I didn’t actually do it,” he answered quietly. Again, the fucking regret. Like it made any difference. He had managed to abduct me again, to return me to the monster who had done this to me. Did he really expect me to feel pity for him?

“Whatever.” I yawned and partially collapsed to the floor, so tired I couldn’t lower myself properly.

Steve helped me to my feet. “I need you awake. No more cold, I promise.”

His hands were still icy when he touched me, but the feeling of brain freeze was starting to dissipate. I shook my head, trying to clear it further, but that only made me dizzy.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Like you fucking care.”

“I do care.” He sighed. “I know you don’t understand, and I can’t explain—”

A security guard waved Steve in as we approached.

“You could try.” I wanted to simply extract the reason myself, but my head still hurt from being frozen. We walked into the building, and I immediately felt a change. The cold left me in a rush, making me feel normal again. Well, normal for a telepathic, teleporting freak.

I concentrated on my apartment and attempted to teleport back there.

Nothing happened.

I closed my eyes, as if I could just wish myself back there. Still nothing.

Steve grabbed hold of my hands, and I was surprised at the absence of cold in his hands.

“It’s neutralized.”

“Neutralized?” I opened my eyes, embarrassed that I looked like an idiot with my eyes closed and all scrunched up. Of course, he figured out I was trying to teleport.

“Powers don’t work here in the compound. That’s why we teleported outside of it and had to walk in here.”

I shot him a skeptical look and he laughed.

“Go ahead. Try to fry my brain.”

“You know what, fuck you.” I shot him a middle finger and walked off.

The security guard saw me approaching and shook his head slowly.

I tried to use my power on him, focusing on his mind.

But there was still nothing. “Fuck, seriously? I’m a prisoner?”

Steve gently touched my shoulder. “If you’ll just come with me, I can—”

I shrugged off his hand. “It appears I have no choice.”

“I’m sorry it had to be this way.”

“Don’t. Don’t you dare fucking apologize.” I motioned for him to lead the way. Derek Barker was intriguing, if nothing else. I was curious as to what his deal was: why he felt the urge to play Dr. Moreau, and what his endgame was in all of this.

Steve escorted me to an elevator. Inside he pressed a button for the upper floor. I felt him staring at me.

“What?” I asked, not giving him the satisfaction of eye contact.

“I… I want you to know I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t have to.”

I snickered. “I don’t see a gun to your head.”

“No, not to my head.”

I softened. If someone else he loved was in trouble, it would explain the conflicting emotions from him. Of all the times to NOT have my power…

But then I remembered a little girl, from when I probed his mind in the car.

“He’s got your daughter?”

His lips parted open in shock. “How are you doing that?”

“I’m not doing it now. It was something I picked up on, before.”

A smile appeared on his face. “That time you gave me the nosebleed?”

“Yep.” Considering the current situation, it felt good not to apologize.

“She’s my whole world,” he whispered. “I’m not proud of my actions, but I’d do anything to keep her safe.”

Of course, he had to go and say that. Fucker. I let out a frustrated groan. It was hard to stay mad at him, knowing that. Still, he could’ve gone about it another way. One that didn’t involve turning my entire world upside down.

“So you have a daughter…guessing a wife, too...and still you endanger the lives of total strangers, and even come on to them…”

“My wife died in childbirth,” he said emotionlessly. “I’ve had to raise my daughter on my own.” His eyes searched mine. “And yes, I have endangered lives, but I don’t come on to everyone!”

It was almost comical how undone he became at the suggestion of being a slut. I knew something happened between Vi and him, but I didn’t think it was the right time to bring it up. Especially not knowing the full story.

The elevator doors opened into a huge room. It took a few seconds to take it all in and realize it was Derek’s office. On the right was a sitting area, with two plush couches, a modern coffee table and an elaborate fireplace. What I presumed was his desk sat at the far end, with floor to ceiling glass surrounding him on three sides. In the middle were several whiteboards on the walls and tables in L shaped configurations.

“Mr. Barker, I’d like you to meet Ms. Godfrey,” Steve announced, to no one in particular. The room was empty.

“What the shit…” I heard footsteps approaching, but no one was there. I gaped at the sight of Derek Barker materializing right before my eyes. The sharp suit and tie he wore probably cost more than I made in a year.

He extended a hand for me to shake, a sly grin on his face. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

I arched an eyebrow but shook his hand nonetheless. It was an overly firm handshake, the kind they tell you to have in business and self-help books to appear confident. His short brown hair and goatee weren’t as memorable as his unique scent, no doubt some high-priced cologne. It wasn’t unpleasant, but his smug demeanor put me off. It was worse than being around other DBAs.

“I can’t really say the same. Wanna let me go before I call the cops on your ass?” I smiled sweetly at him.

He laughed. “And tell them what? I own half the force anyway. The rest know how many millions I’ve donated over the years.” The arrogant smirk on his face that appeared made me so want to punch him. “Helps being such an upstanding citizen.”

He turned to Steve and shook his hand. “Great work, I’m impressed.”

I folded my arms against my chest and rolled my eyes. They talked about me as if I were game they hunted.

“I apologize, that was rude,” he said. “Why don’t we all sit down and talk for a while?”

He led the way to the sitting area. The couches were even more comfortable than they looked. They were made of a material I’d never encountered before, a plush microfiber that felt like velvet on steroids. Part of me wanted to succumb to the loveseat, just close my eyes and pass out. Forget about my fucked-up life for a few minutes.

Derek and Steve sat across from me on the larger sofa. Steve focused on the floor, while Derek took me in, his eyes scanning every inch of my body.

“So? What the fuck do you want?” I didn’t see the point of pleasantries, given the shitbag had kidnapped and modified me.

“I like her. She’s feisty.” Derek reached into his suit and pulled out some kind of tablet, but nothing like I’d ever seen before. It was thinner and smaller than most, but the screen ran edge to edge. After a few swipes and clicks, he turned his attention back to me. “Kate, can I call you Kate? I admire your directness. It’s found so rarely in business these days.”

“Okay. So?”

“Is there something I can get you? To make you more comfortable.”

I snickered but resisted the urge to say something snarky.

“Surely there’s something you want that I have.” The curious smile on his face led me to believe he knew something I didn’t. Then, he reached into his suit again.