Page 25 of The Union
“I might pay you for it,” I muttered between clenched teeth.
Two beeps resounded while that prickly sensation grew stronger. I fought against the restraints, salivating with anticipation in the hopes that Rianne was entering the room. A panel of glass cracked—a hairline fracture, but it was still progress.
Then Carly rushed over, her brown eyes filled with outrage. “Rianne, shut up.” She glanced at the camera. “How many times do I have to tell you, you’re not running this show.”
“Maybe you could kill her for me,” I said.
Facing me, Carly smiled, showing perfect white teeth, as though she’d been thinking that very thing. She placed gentle hands on my head. “Lie back, Mr. Mason.” Then she adjusted whatever was on my head before she checked the metal device covering Dane’s white hair.
“Where’s Layla, Carly?” My nostrils flared. “Tell me now!” She’d touted that Layla was in the building. Fourth floor, if I remembered correctly. “I want to see her.”
“Carly,” Rianne warned. “Keep your mouth shut.”
She flipped Rianne off as she went over to a computer on wheels that sat near the door. “Layla is fine, Sam.” She spun the computer around so the back of the screen was angled toward Dane and me. Therat-a-tatof her nails banging the keys helped to somehow dull my rage until I read the sticker on the computer.
“What in the fucknation?” I asked.
Carly peeked around the computer, her eyebrows pinched.
Dane muttered, “What is it?”
“Emery Mason Laboratories?” I asked.
My uncle Patrick was probably laughing from his grave. My old man wouldn’t be when he learned of the shit Carly had freely admitted to me so far.
She shrugged. “Adam Emery wanted to honor your uncle.”
“Your uncle is involved?” Dane asked. “So you’re as much to blame here as Roman.”
I snarled at the alpha. “Fuck you. Do you want to get out of here or die here?”
War was definitely coming. All that effort five years ago to stop Patrick Mason and Edmund Rain from experimenting on humans was for nothing.
“Carly, hurry up,” Rianne said.
Carly huffed. “She needs to go.”
“You don’t like her, do you?” I asked for nothing more than to drive a stake further between Carly and Rianne. Maybe then Carly would ditch her fucking job and loyalty to Adam Emery and work for us. Not that we would practice genetic engineering, but Dr. Vieira would welcome another scientist who would be eager to learn from him. My sister was studying genetics and hematology, and so far Dr. Vieira had taught Jo quite a bit. I had no doubt my sister would be in charge of our medical team one day.
Carly focused on the screen. “Rianne and I have different agendas.”
I’d gotten that vibe the first time I woke up and found myself in this place. “What’s yours? More vampires and mutts in this world? Doesn’t that go against what the Aberdeen family stands for?” After all, Carly was married to an Aberdeen.
“In part, yes.” She continued to pound the keys.
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound blared in my head before blinding pain throbbed like a motherfucker. It felt as though someone was crushing my skull.
Dane let out a howl that sounded as though he was dying. Hell, we both might be.
I saw fire and flames and images of a person I couldn’t make out. Then the pain stopped, and another flash of darkness hit me before the light overhead brightened. Where was I? I tried to sit up when a burning sensation gripped my neck.
A cold hand touched my chest. “Easy, Mr. Mason.”
“Carly?” Her voice sounded like Carly’s, but I was having difficulty distinguishing her and my surroundings.
Laughter blared from somewhere above, a familiar voice etching its way into my psyche.
A click sounded, followed by another, then my thoughts short-circuited, and a feeling of consciousness took over. I blinked several times.
