“Let. Him. Go.” I seethe.
“If you insist.” She peers around me to the two-way mirror, giving a quick nod. The shackles around Raithe’s wrists snap open, and he falls to the ground. He doesn’t move, and I run to him. Sabel grabs my arm, stopping me. I look at her hand and consider snapping her wrist right there. It takes every last bit of self-control I have left to stop myself.
“Let this be a lesson, Riven.” She starts walking toward the entrance door as she calls back to me. “Meet me in my office in an hour.Do notbe late.” And then, she’s gone.
I run over to Raithe, dropping to my knees on the blood-soaked floor, brushing his damp hair from his face. I turn his head to look up at me, placing my ear next to his mouth to make sure he’s still breathing. And although it’s shallow, I find that he is.
“Look at me, Raithe.” I lightly tap on his cheek. “Open your eyes.”
He flutters them open just a bit, and relief pours through me, allowing me to truly take a breath for the first time since walking into this room. I’m about to pick him up when Callum comes running in.
“Where the fuck were you?” I spit out.
“I’m sorry, Riv. Sabel overheard our phone call and locked me in her office. She wouldn’t let me come to him or you. Here …” he says, grabbing Raithe from me. “Let me carry him. You look like shit. Cool off.” I follow him out of the room, picking up my cell to dial Caleb. He answers on the second ring.
“Caleb,” he says.
“Hey, man. Can you get to Sonus as soon as possible? It’s Raithe. I need you to bring him to see Brian.” Brian is our physician. I found Brian early on in my vigilante days. He’s one hell of a doctor, and he knows how to turn a blind eye to it all, as does Caleb.
“Of course. I’ll be there in five,” he says back without hesitation, hanging up.
I dial Brian now.
“Hey, Riv. What’s up?”
“Brian. It’s Raithe. He’s hurt. I’m sending him your way. He should be there in about twenty minutes.”
“Okay. What can I expect?” he asks, needing to know some details to prepare.
I sigh. “He’s been electrocuted a few times … I’m not sure how many. Um, he’s got several cuts across his chest and abdomen. Some of them look kind of deep. He’s lost a decent amount of blood. He looks pretty weak.” I choke up on the last few words.
“Fuck, okay.” Brian sighs. “I’ll have everything ready. I got him, Riv,” he says, trying his best to reassure me. I know he does. I wouldn’t have hired him otherwise.
“Thanks, Brian. Update me on his progress.” I hang up, pocketing my cell as I help Cal get Raithe into the back of the Sprinter.
“I’ll go with him. Don’t do anything stupid, Riven,” Callum warns, climbing into the back beside Raithe. I watch as they drive off.
I turn around and head right back into the building, right down the long hallway, and right into Sabel’s office. She’s standing with her back toward me, looking out of her window. I fight the urge to run her head straight through the glass. Instead, I take a seat in the chair on my side of her ugly ass desk.
“You wanted to see me?” I snarl.
She takes her time walking to her ugly ass chair and sits, pulling out a printout of the fake interview between Sloane and me that I sent her earlier this morning.
“This is good,” she says, looking up at me. “Could be better. But … good. She admitted to you that she thought something was going on with the music to draw in the fans?” Sabel asks, going on as if she didn’t just have my brother chained up and bleeding in her torture room.
“Yes, and as you can see, I steered her away from that theory. I assured her that our fan base is justpassionate.” I bounce my right leg, running a hand through my disheveled, slightly damp hair. I need to do something with this rage building up inside me.
“Yes, I can see that.” She narrows her eyes at me in question. “But I do find one thing odd.”Great. What the fuck is it now?
“Go on,” I grumble, barely holding it together. She smiles knowingly. She probably loves how much control she has over me right now.
“Her data from the meet and greet was unremarkable,” she states, staring into my eyes like she’s searching for the truth in them.
“And isn’t that a good thing?” I ask, my skin growing itchy and hot.
“Don’t you find it odd that she was an outlier for the concert, and now suddenly her results are 100 percent favorable?” she questions, eyeing me with skepticism.
“No, I don’t. A stronger frequency was used, so that makes sense.” I deadpan.Whyis she pushing this?
