“Oh, Miss Everleigh”—Berking wiped a hand over his eye, turning to her—“it’s a pity Mr. Ashton won’t be awake to watch what happens next.”
Berking slowly moved to stand over her. A terrible smile stretched his features. His knee roughly shoved hers apart, and she cried out in alarm. He grabbed Saffron’s hair again and jerked her chin back, exposing her neck. With agonizing slowness, Berking ran a thick finger down the column of her throat. The furious gleam in his eye turned to something more evil.
Berking leaned forward, his hands settling on the chair on either side of her head, making her feel even more trapped than the ropes she strained against. “It could have been much easier, Miss Everleigh, and so much more pleasant for you if you’d accepted me weeks ago,” he said. “You might have even enjoyed it, but now …”
With a chuckle that made bile rise in Saffron’s throat, Berking stroked a finger along her collarbone. “Blake might be no nonsense, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Such a delicate creature, just waiting for me to teach her why she can’t tell me no.” His finger trailed lower, taking the tie of her blouse and slipping the bow loose. Her attempts to jerk away from him were futile. His small eyes were locked on hers, enjoying the absolute panic he was causing.
“P-please,” she whispered.
Her ears rang so badly with alarm that she barely heard Berking’s next words, hissed into her ear. “Maybe I’ll wait, so Mr. Ashton can watch.”
Gasping, hands fighting the rope at her wrists, Saffron whispered, “No, please—”
Berking shoved Saffron back, making her head smack against the wall behind her and the chair wobble dangerously. He demanded with a terrible voice, “Then what do you know?”
“N-nothing,” Saffron whispered, eyes darting from Berking’s horrible face to the door. When was Blake coming back? Would he put a stop to this? It was ridiculous to hope for Blake’s return, so ridiculous she wanted to scream—
Good God, why didn’t she?
She drew in breath, but Berking anticipated her. He closed his hand over her mouth and whispered, “You don’t want to know how I used his method to improve my aconite yield?” He leaned forward until his hot breath was in her ear. “You don’t want to know how your father helped me create my poison?”
He leaned back to watch her face. The malevolence in his eyes caused dread to collect in her belly. Something in her eyes must have satisfied him, for his hand slowly released her mouth.
Almost against her will, Saffron asked, “What are you talking about?”
Berking studied her, then guffawed, throwing his head back in sudden and absolute delight. “You don’t know? You stupid girl, you didn’t recognize your father’s hand in my work?”
Saffron gaped at him. Part of her mind, the part interested in her survival, demanded her to be silent, to ignore his baiting. But a louder part, the one that had gotten her into this mess to begin with, wanted to understand. Had she been right to fear this connection?
“My father had nothing to do with your … experiment,” Saffron choked out.
“Oh, but he did.” Berking’s voice dropped into something soft and insidious. “When I joined the department, I inherited all of the previous head’s items, including mounds and mounds of paperwork. And what did I find in those stacks one day? A lone file, forgotten and unimportant, at the bottom of the pile, and a request for a meeting regarding a proposed study about breeding programs to enhance natural chemicals found in plants.” His smile grew at the look of apprehension on Saffron’s face. “I wonder, whatever was his purpose for such experiments? It wasn’t in any of his published work. Strange, isn’t it?”
Again, Saffron was silent. She had nothing to say, only questions.
Berking must have mistaken her silence for insubordination. “Not going to tempt you, Miss Everleigh? Fine.”
Berking’s thick hands flew to her neck, causing her to gasp as they closed on her throat. His palms dug painfully into her neck, closing around her airway. “You baited Blake with your family’s money. You know who he is, don’t you! Tell me what you know, or—”
Dots danced in Saffron’s vision, but she saw Blake enter the room, carrying glasses in which bright yellow leaves floated in steaming water. He didn’t look surprised at the scene in front of him, Berking choking Saffron while Alexander, still tied to his chair, remained unconscious on the floor. He looked annoyed.