Page 24 of Fearless

“Unfortunately, no. This is Mr. Kingsley’s order. Adherence to his rules is a staple of our household. At some point, you may be allowed to deviate, but that time has not come.” He did the game-show host wave again. “If you please.”

Knowing that arguing would be pointless, she went to the chair and settled into it. The moment she did, an electronic noise sounded, and her wrists and ankles were locked down. She had apparently graduated from having her torso and head immobilized, so at least that was progress.

His smile as plastic as a mannequin’s, Smith went to the back of the chair and began to push it out the door.

“Where are we going?”

“Not far,” he murmured.

A mere three doors down the hall, they stopped at a heavy oak door. Smith knocked once and turned the knob. She didn’t know what she’d expected, but it wasn’t this. The room, on the smallish side, was empty except for a desk, a chair, and a large flat-screen television on the wall. Kingsley sat at the desk, his smile firmly in place.

A chill swept over Serena, saliva pooled in her mouth, and the small amount of breakfast she’d managed to eat threatened to come back up. She was suddenly more nervous than she’d been last night.

“Hello again,” Kingsley said. “As we discussed earlier, we’d like you to work for us.”

She held back a derisive snort. Angering him would not be helpful. She couldn’t, however, stop herself from a bit of sarcasm. “You may be new to the hiring process, but normally people are invited to an interview. Kidnapping them and locking them in a wheelchair isn’t exactly proper interview decorum.”

His laugh was surprisingly warm and sounded authentic. It was odd, but for the first time, she noted how polished and genteel-looking Colton Kingsley was. From his five-hundred-dollar haircut to his eight-thousand-dollar Stefano Ricci loafers, he was immaculate. His navy blue bespoke suit likely cost half a year’s salary for many people, and his diamond cufflinks cost at least a couple thousand.

All in all, Colton Kingsley looked like an AI version of a sophisticated, properly dressed gentleman. Beneath that veneer was evil personified.

“I’m really going to enjoy working with you,” Kingsley said, still chuckling.

“I don’t believe I’ve accepted the job.”

The smile never wavering, he shrugged. “You will.”

“The people at breakfast—are they employees as well?”

“A few are. Some are in training.” He opened the laptop on his desk. “But that’s enough about them. Let’s talk about you.”

“Very well. What kind of work would I be doing?”

The smile disappeared as he leaned forward in his chair. “I know you’re playing along, trying to get as much information from me as possible in hopes that when you escape, you’ll be able to use it to destroy us. I want to disabuse you of this belief upfront. There is no escape, Serena. And you have no other options.”

“I believe I have the right to know what you expect of me.”

His smile returning, he sat up in his chair. “You’re right. For the time being, it’s just information gathering. You’ll get intel from wherever I tell you. In exchange, you and your family will remain safe and healthy.”

And there was the direct threat to her family she’d been waiting for. He would try to use her family’s safety to coerce her into doing his bidding.

“What kind of intel?”

“Anything and everything I ask you for.”

“And if I refuse?”

“I think you already know the answer to that, but just in case there are some doubts or confusion…” He clicked a key on the laptop, and the photograph of her parents she’d been shown last night appeared on the flat screen on the wall.

Despite the circumstances, the photo of her parents at their favorite Appleton diner made her smile. For the past ten years or so, they’d eaten there every Saturday morning. Her father would order an omelet. Her mother would order pancakes. The instant the meals were served, he would cut his omelet in half, and she would do the same with her pancakes, and they would share. This was routine for them, but to her and everyone who knew them, it was the perfect illustration of a loving partnership.

And this man would have no qualms about destroying them to force her to give him what he wanted.

Something her dad had said not long ago replayed in her mind. We don’t back down from the hard stuff, Serena. You save lives every day with what you do. As much as you love your family, every single person in this world is important. Trust us to take care of our own, and you take care of everyone else.

She had agreed at the time, but now, faced with the reality of threats against her parents, she didn’t know if she could do this. Yes, she had a backup plan, but backup plans weren’t foolproof. There were a thousand things that could go wrong.

“So what’s it to be, Serena? Are you going to cooperate?”