Page 235 of Bound By Her

The silence grew, punctuated with the sound of his labored breathing.

When an animal is trapped, they choose between two emotions.

Fear and anger.

And Jonathan deserved to be afraid. If he wasn’t, Adria was going to make sure that was rectified.

“Not missing your face this time,” Adria said.

Jonathan tried to move towards her, and she saw Bryson move, too.

“Stop.”

Her voice echoed in the room, and everyone froze. Jonathan’s face was purple, his hands clenched at his sides.

“You have been a busy boy, Jonathan,” she said, moving towards him.

“A very bad, very busy boy.”

She closed the distance between them easily.

Jonathan preyed on the weak and vulnerable. He didn’t have a clue what genuine power was.

He didn’t understand what it meant to have someone trust you deeply, to feel the weight of their devotion and protection.

He’d never known the fear of standing alone with no one to shield you.

But Adria was going to show him.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” she said, invading his space.

His blue eyes riveted on her, sweat breaking out on his brow.

“What delusional island do you live on that makes you think you can do whatever you want without consequences?

She folded a photo in half. Placing the no more than six-year-old boy face down on the table and the image of Jonathan face up. “It’s not a secret you can hide any longer.”

She folded another and another. Lining the table with images of Jonathan. Forcing him to look upon his own disgusting face.

“Nowhere to hide anymore. Nowhere you can go where I won’t find you.”

She put another, and another, on the table.

“Stop, that’s enough,” Jonathan said.

He was pale, sweat dripping down his forehead.

“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” he sniveled. “What do you want? I’ll do anything.”

He wasn’t the boogeyman; he was a disease.

Seeing him now, practically groveling at her feet, Adria wondered how she had ever been afraid of him.

“When the Triune finds out about this, you’ll be allalone. And let’s be honest. Without the Triune, how long will you last?”

Adria let the threat settle into the space before giving him more.

“How many people out there want you dead?” she said, getting in his face.