Cursed Angels

“You still think what you’re doing is right, don’t you?” Mikaela responds weakly but stands tall, facing her sister. I’ve never met her before, not that I remember anyway, but I can see the family resemblance. I wish I worked for the good, sane one and not the Devil herself.

“This is my company, and I have every right to carry out my business in the manner I see fit.”

“By buying children and inserting chips into their heads to make them soldiers at the whim of you, or whoever, owns them?”

“And the problem with that is?” Rebekah replies smugly. “It’s a business, dear sister.”

“It unethical and ruins people’s lives,” Mikaela bites out angrily, and I have to applaud her conviction.

“Good thing I’ve never had a conscience then, isn’t it?”

The two sisters banter between themselves, and I allow my focus to drift to Samara. She looks broken, and it’s all because she believes there’s a baby. She looks defeated and ready to submit to Rebekah’s rule just for a peaceful life. A chip could take away all her memories and make her forget the pain.

I won’t let that happen though, and neither will the man standing guard over her in my place. Hunter’s glaring at me, willing me to get on with whatever plan it is I have. The problem is at the moment, I’m coming up blank.

“I’m the ruler here,” Rebekah continues on. “You will not stop my plans.”

“I’m already putting things in place to destroy you, sister, and I won’t leave here today without turning off the chips in the soldiers.” Mikaela is fierce in her words, in her promise, and everyone in the room pulls in a breath.

Rebekah laughs at Mikaela. “I don’t need a chip to control the soldiers. They all bow at my feet anyway.” The potential mother of my child turns to me licking her lips. “Archer, I believe you have a little toy stored in your bedroom. Go get her.”

I don’t move.

“Now.”

“Why?” I fold my arms across my chest in defiance. I’m not a soldier who’ll obey her any longer. It’s pushing her limits, but I refuse to be her errand boy if it means letting Samara out of my sight for even one minute. The fact that she’s just been told I have a toy stored in my bedroom has left her paler than she was a minute ago.

“Because I want to give a little demonstration to our friends here.”

I saunter angrily toward the door and fling it open. “You.” I point toward the first soldier I see then turn back to Hunter, motioning for him to come forward.

He glares at me strangely, but I’m also feeling the need to protect Reagan. If I send the soldier on his own to get her, there’s no end to the torment he would inflict upon her during the short trip from my room to Rebekah’s office.

I promised her protection, and with one stern look at Hunter, I know I can convey the message that she needs to be watched over. Hunter nods and let’s go of Samara. I hope she realizes what’s happening. I warned her about a new shipment, so this will hopefully put her somewhat at ease.

The soldier enters the room.

“You.” I point at Hunter. “Go with this guard to my rooms, and retrieve the toy.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Rebekah interrupts.

“It’s all I’m prepared to do,” I bite out my response. “I’m your bodyguard, you’re carrying my child, and I’m not going to leave you alone in this room when I have no idea what these people are capable of. The man can go in my place with the soldier. They don’t want anyone hurt. Well, he can ensure she isn’t.”

Rebekah mulls over her response for a few minutes, her lips screwing together as she tries to piece together if I’m telling the truth.

“I mean it, Rebekah, I’m not letting you out of my sight while they’re on the premises.”

The ice queen finally melts, and she nods for the soldier to disappear. Hunter goes with him, and we remain in the office in silence for several moments. The tension in the room is palpable. I catch Samara’s eyes often, and she reassures me she’s all right. I want to go to her and wrap my arms around her, but I know with everything she’s been through, she’s a strong woman and can handle this. I have to trust her even though the trust she has in me is still brittle.

Rebekah eventually pulls up her computer screen and enters her password. She fiddles around on it for a few minutes and pulls up the section which contains the personnel files. What is she looking for? She turns her computer screen away from me so I can’t see, and her printer whirls to life and spits out a piece of paper.