Kings of Anarchy (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #3) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,266

led to slaughter. "Because the country is in dire need of a vaccine as fast as one can possibly be produced."

I stared into his eyes, fighting not to cower. "So you want to make a vaccine from my blood? Fine. I can accept that. I'll give blood for that. Obviously I want this virus gone. But just unchain me." I tried not to sound pleading, but it was hard when I was literally at this man’s mercy, about to be used for whatever fucking tests needed to be conducted to make this happen. All without my say so. With a chemical scent filling the room and the bright white, horror movie walls glaring at me, I was barely keeping it together.

He shook his head, brushing a speck of invisible lint off of his sleeve before he tugged it up and checked the time on his glitzy watch. "How noble of you, Miss Rivers, but I believe you're misunderstanding me. So let me explain to the best of my abilities in the few more moments I have to spare. You will be exposed to the Hades Virus on a daily basis to the highest possible level your immune system can handle. Your body will respond by creating antibodies at an accelerated rate which will then be harvested to build a vaccine. I will of course make sure you are kept well as long as possible, but I am afraid there is a chance that your body will succumb to the virus eventually. Especially with how hard we are going to need to push your immune system to get what we need from it. It is a sad but honest truth. And it’s a sacrifice I am willing to make for my country." He nodded curtly to me, heading for the door and I realised I was trembling with fear, rage, hate.

This man was stealing my life from me. I was sure I was going to die here if I didn’t get out. The Night Keepers were shouting again, but I couldn’t make out the words, though I felt their pain and desperation through the sound alone.

"Don't lie to me," I spat as rage won out amongst all the toxic emotions bubbling inside me. “I know what you’re doing it for and it’s not your people. It’s for money.”

Troy glanced over his shoulder at me, raising his eyebrows then slowly nodded. “Alright, you caught me. But perhaps I like the sound of being the man responsible for saving the world as a happy side effect. It does have quite the ring to it. And of course, you will be credited as a hero as well. So your sacrifice will not go unrecognised.” He stepped aside as a nurse walked into the room with a Serenity Pharmaceuticals lanyard swinging around her neck and Troy nodded to her. “Proceed.”

“No!” I screamed in panic.

“Tatum!” Kyan bellowed in my ear. “I’m coming for you, I’m fucking coming, baby, just hold on.”

“Shit, Saint, calm down,” Blake gasped and I heard them struggling as Saint bellowed curses that raked against my ears.

“We’ll find you,” Monroe spoke to me. “Princess, we’ll figure out where you are. You have a direct line to four demons of hell and I swear we’ll seek you out, even if we have to bleed the world dry to do it.”

I couldn’t answer, but I found myself clinging to his words. I knew they would do whatever was possible to find me. But what if they couldn’t? It was Troy Memphis we were dealing with here; the father of the most calculated person I knew. And from everything I’d heard, he was just as methodical, just as thorough in his dealings. If he didn’t want me to be found, then I wouldn’t be. It was as simple and as terrifying as that.

The nurse didn’t look at me as she drew up a syringe full of some drug across the room and I kicked and thrashed, trying to break the chain that bound me to the bed. I flung myself half out of it, throwing my fists into the bitch as she came at me with the needle, shoving her away so it went flying from her hand.

“Get the fuck away from me!” I screamed.

“Ah – help!” she cried and two male nurses burst into the room a second later.

They dove at me and I bit and clawed and fought them with every scrap of strength in my body as my Night Keepers cried out in