“Do you understand any of this, Neeka?”
She didn’t bother responding.
“I knew your anomaly from the moment your blood was drawn after your birth.”
“What anomaly are you talking about?” Neeka was confused, angry, but also hurt and betrayed by this man.
“It was then that I realized you were the key to the Dark Haven Corporation.”
“The Dark Haven Corporation? I don’t understand any of this. Why now? If you realized you needed me so badly why not just ask for blood, ask for my help?”
“It takes time, money, and research to have this kind of corporation running smoothly. This has been my life’s work, what I was born to do. And even if I was researching and testing while you were growing up, I had a plan, one that was essential, but only with you involved.”
She was shaking her head, the pain behind her eyes growing more intense with each passing second. “You kidnapped me, took me away from my father, who you know is sick and riddled with cancer.” She was crying now, her emotions so strong, consuming her to the point she couldn’t even focus.
“Death is part of life, Neeka,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Truth is if I would have explained what I was doing, my plans, the search I work tirelessly on, neither you nor your father would have approved.”
“You don’t know that,” she said through clenched teeth. “You were like a father to me. I would have helped you.”
He shook his head and smiled. Rye leaned back in his chair, his hands placed on the desk in front of him. “It makes no difference now. You’re here, and that’s all that matters.”
“You’re insane.”
“No, Neeka, I’m far from insane. This is my empire. My research and accomplishments will make me a god. You’re the key I need, the missing element in all of this.”
She angrily wiped her tears away.
“It’s your rare blood type that will make my warriors invincible.”
Warriors?
She felt her brows knit in even more confusion.
He stood and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window to the side of them, grasping his hands behind his back and becoming quiet. She glanced at the door, wanting to escape, but she knew there were probably guards stationed outside, and she had no clue how in the hell to get out of here … wherever here was.
“They are right outside. You wouldn’t make it a foot outside of this room before they had you,” Rye stated with a hard, but bland voice. He still had his back to her, but she saw him watching her through the reflection in the glass.
She thought about what he’d just revealed, still no closer to knowing what in the hell he was talking about. “How is my blood going to help you?” She looked down at the healing track marks that riddled her flesh, and the new bruises painting her skin black and blue from the restraints she’d been put in just this morning.
She’d always been a fast healer, but with the frequent blood draws and the binding, it seemed like she’d never fully heal.
“I know you’re aware of how fast you heal, something ‘normal’ people don’t experience. The fact your cuts take twenty-four hours to close and start knitting it back together should have raised your curiosity.” Rye turned around and faced her.
Yes, she’d always noticed she healed fast, but she never paid much attention to it, because it was her norm. Rye had also never said anything about this “anomaly”.
“It isn’t just your blood that will unlock all of my life’s work, but also the very makeup of your DNA will help in unleashing exactly what this world needs.” His expression was hard, concentrated.
She had her hands twisted in her lap, felt her throat tighten, and knew her chances of getting out were zero. Her father wouldn’t know where she was, and he sure as hell would never think Rye could have done this to her. No, she was alone, and if she didn’t think of some way to escape, she’d die here.
That wasn’t going to happen.
“Have you ever wondered why you never became ill?” He continued speaking about this, but Neeka just wanted out of his presence. He disgusted her.
“You’ve never wondered why you never broke a bone?” He pulled out a plain manila envelope from his desk and spilled its contents on the desk.
She glanced at the paperwork, hating she had to be in the same room with him, but she needed more answers.
“The Dark Haven project is my life’s work. It’s because of you that I was able to create Adaym.” He slid papers toward her, and she slowly leaned forward.
Create Adaym?
She looked down at the photos of a hardened, fierce, and severe looking man. She noticed a chain and manacle were attached to his ankle, and there was a pallet of blankets in the corner.