Radcliff must have given the man a silent order, because Hall stepped away from Adrian. He stood between him and the door while Radcliff restarted the security footage.
With his hand still holding her hair in its painful grasp, the crazed man said, “Watch closely.”
As much as she hated to, Ellena slid her gaze from Adrian’s to the screen. This time, after a few more seconds of what appeared to be nothing, she saw them. She sawhim.
“Gabe! He’s here.” She looked up at Adrian and back to the screen. “They’re here!” The sight of her husband and his team charging in with their weapons left her dizzy with relief. They’d come for her. For both of them.
“Ah, shit. Look away, Doc,” Adrian ordered suddenly.
“No, they’re really here, Adrian. They’re right outside.”
“Look the fuck away, Ellena. You don’t want to see that shit.”
But she kept her eyes glued to the screen. There was no way she could tear them away from her incredible, brave husband and his friends. He was her own, personal hero.
They were going to come inside and take Radcliff and his men out. And then they were going to go home. Together.
As she continued watching, she saw them stop midway. Gabe and Zade appeared to be arguing about something. With no sound, Ellena couldn’t be sure, but it almost looked like Zade was trying to keep Gabe from going to the house.
Why would he do that?
“Goddamnit, Doc.” Adrian continued his plight for her to stop watching. Something else that didn’t make any sense.
Ellena saw Gabe shrug Zade’s hand away and started walking toward the house again. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding when she saw the other men fall in line behind him.
“They’re almost here.” She smiled. “He’s going to kill you, Henry. I hope you know that.”
“Please, Ellena. Stop fucking watching—”
Ellena jolted in her chair as a sudden ball of flames and dust filled the screen. Stunned, she saw Gabe and the others get thrown up into the air just before the screen went black.
“No!” Her heart lurched inside her chest. Tears filled her eyes, spilling over in steady streams down her cheeks. Still, she didn’t look away.
“You sick fucking bastard!” Adrian yelled at Radcliff.
Radcliff released her hair but kept the tablet where she could see it. Ellena couldn’t yell. She couldn’t say anything.
She just kept staring at the blank screen, replaying the image of her strong husband and his friends being tossed into the air like a bunch of rag dolls.
When she was finally able to speak again, her first words were for the man she wished had died instead.
“You bastard.” His smug face filled her blurred vision. “You k-killed them.”
“To be fair, they came here to kill me. I just beat them to the punch.”
“I’ll kill you,” Adrian vowed with a deadly tone. “You and this pussy-assed bitch.”
Ellena frowned. Shock, combined with the remnants of whatever drug they’d given her, slowed her ability to process.
“Why?” She spoke through her tears. “Your future is ruined. Why didn’t you just leave the country? Why keep us alive all this time? Why bring Adrian here?
“You already know the answer to that, Ellena.” A sick, evil smile spread across Radcliff’s face. “Think back to your diagnosis. The answer to your question is right there, inside your own, brilliant mind.”
You’re a narcissistic sociopath with homicidal tendencies.
“You like toying with us.” She looked up at him again. “Our pain brings you pleasure.”
“I am enjoying this. Very much, as a matter of fact. You’re also correct in your assessment that my life in America is over. It was a good run, and while being deemed the most powerful man in the world does have a certain appeal to it, I’ve decided to take my ventures elsewhere.”
