silver, but there was no denying that the man was her father.
She shook her head, the urge to cry, to run to him, battling with the new knowledge of what he'd done, who he really was.
He put his hand up and the men lowered their weapons. He took a step forward and she started back. Through the gap between him and his men, Riley could see Lora's body laid out on the floor.
"What did you do to Lora?"
"It's just a sedative. It'll wear off in a couple hours." He smiled, blue eyes watching her carefully. His voice was calm, controlled, as if speaking to a small child. "I'm here to bring you home, Riley."
"Home?"
He nodded and held out his hand. "No one has to get hurt. Just come with me and I'll explain everything."
She took an uneasy step backwards. The two goons beside her father raised their weapons. Would he shoot her if she tried to run?
"I don't know what these…things have told you, but I'm not the enemy."
His eyes glittered with something she'd never noticed before—insanity, dark and twisted. What would he do if she refused? She glanced at Lora's unmoving body.
"If I go with you, you promise to leave Lora alone?"
His lips curved up. "Of course."
Despite his reassurance, fear continued to ride inside of her. But what were her choices?
Forcing herself to clamp down on the anger, she walked to the elevator. Lora's chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. She was alive. The pizza lay discarded on the floor beside her, making Riley wonder what had happened to the delivery boy.
The elevator opened and one the guards nudged her forward.
"I'm sorry that I had to keep things from you." The doors shut and they began descending. "But now that you know, we can go back to the way things were. Once Kiera is back to—"
She turned on him. "You know about what happened to her?"
He reached out and stoked her cheek, the touch sending a shiver of revulsion down her spine. "I'll make everything all right. Now that I have you both back—"
The elevator doors opened, and a deep reverberating snarl echoed through the small enclosure.
Turner.
Turner's eyes widened, a myriad of emotions storming beneath his silvery eyes. He looked at her, at the hand the rested against her cheek, and she swore she could see betrayal flash across his expression. Whatever it was, it was quickly replaced by rage.
Her father's men cocked their weapons. Turner drew just as quickly.
"No." She jumped in front of Turner, blocking him from the men's aim.
"Move out of the way, Riley," Turner growled in her ear.
Her father's eyes narrowed, his lips curled up in disgust. "Let us through, boy, and I'll let you live."
She spun around and placed her hands on Turner's chest. "Please, let us go."
His eyes searched hers, brows drawn down. She couldn't breathe, thinking he would attack, knowing her father wouldn't hesitate to open fire on him.
Turner gave a brisk nod and moved away from the door, placing his weapon on the ground.
Riley let out an unsteady breath. "Thank you."
He snarled in response, but stayed back as they exited the elevator. The men kept their weapons trained on Turner.
A black van waited for them. The side door opened as they approached.
"Get in," her father ordered.
She hesitated, glanced back at Turner and mouthed, "I'm sorry."
Turner stiffened, and then she saw it—a flash of the animal within him.
Oh God, no. He was going to attack. She opened her mouth to scream, to stop him, but it was too late. The animal seemed to tear from his skin. It happened so fast that her father's men barely had time to react as the lion lunged at them. His teeth sunk into the first guard's shoulder. The man dropped the weapon in a howl of pain.
The second guard fired, grazing the lion's leg.
The lion roared.
"Stop." She rushed at the man, knocking the gun out of his hand.
Another shot rang out, this time behind her, and she watched in horror as the lion crumpled before her. She fell beside him, digging her fingers into his thick
She shook her head, the urge to cry, to run to him, battling with the new knowledge of what he'd done, who he really was.
He put his hand up and the men lowered their weapons. He took a step forward and she started back. Through the gap between him and his men, Riley could see Lora's body laid out on the floor.
"What did you do to Lora?"
"It's just a sedative. It'll wear off in a couple hours." He smiled, blue eyes watching her carefully. His voice was calm, controlled, as if speaking to a small child. "I'm here to bring you home, Riley."
"Home?"
He nodded and held out his hand. "No one has to get hurt. Just come with me and I'll explain everything."
She took an uneasy step backwards. The two goons beside her father raised their weapons. Would he shoot her if she tried to run?
"I don't know what these…things have told you, but I'm not the enemy."
His eyes glittered with something she'd never noticed before—insanity, dark and twisted. What would he do if she refused? She glanced at Lora's unmoving body.
"If I go with you, you promise to leave Lora alone?"
His lips curved up. "Of course."
Despite his reassurance, fear continued to ride inside of her. But what were her choices?
Forcing herself to clamp down on the anger, she walked to the elevator. Lora's chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. She was alive. The pizza lay discarded on the floor beside her, making Riley wonder what had happened to the delivery boy.
The elevator opened and one the guards nudged her forward.
"I'm sorry that I had to keep things from you." The doors shut and they began descending. "But now that you know, we can go back to the way things were. Once Kiera is back to—"
She turned on him. "You know about what happened to her?"
He reached out and stoked her cheek, the touch sending a shiver of revulsion down her spine. "I'll make everything all right. Now that I have you both back—"
The elevator doors opened, and a deep reverberating snarl echoed through the small enclosure.
Turner.
Turner's eyes widened, a myriad of emotions storming beneath his silvery eyes. He looked at her, at the hand the rested against her cheek, and she swore she could see betrayal flash across his expression. Whatever it was, it was quickly replaced by rage.
Her father's men cocked their weapons. Turner drew just as quickly.
"No." She jumped in front of Turner, blocking him from the men's aim.
"Move out of the way, Riley," Turner growled in her ear.
Her father's eyes narrowed, his lips curled up in disgust. "Let us through, boy, and I'll let you live."
She spun around and placed her hands on Turner's chest. "Please, let us go."
His eyes searched hers, brows drawn down. She couldn't breathe, thinking he would attack, knowing her father wouldn't hesitate to open fire on him.
Turner gave a brisk nod and moved away from the door, placing his weapon on the ground.
Riley let out an unsteady breath. "Thank you."
He snarled in response, but stayed back as they exited the elevator. The men kept their weapons trained on Turner.
A black van waited for them. The side door opened as they approached.
"Get in," her father ordered.
She hesitated, glanced back at Turner and mouthed, "I'm sorry."
Turner stiffened, and then she saw it—a flash of the animal within him.
Oh God, no. He was going to attack. She opened her mouth to scream, to stop him, but it was too late. The animal seemed to tear from his skin. It happened so fast that her father's men barely had time to react as the lion lunged at them. His teeth sunk into the first guard's shoulder. The man dropped the weapon in a howl of pain.
The second guard fired, grazing the lion's leg.
The lion roared.
"Stop." She rushed at the man, knocking the gun out of his hand.
Another shot rang out, this time behind her, and she watched in horror as the lion crumpled before her. She fell beside him, digging her fingers into his thick
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