It was sweet. Or so the saying went.

Because the world was a better place without people like these. People who thought nothing of death, intimidation, hurt and fear to achieve their twisted objectives. The hell of it was she still didn’t know what their primary goal was. Only that they wanted to use her—her powers—in a way she knew was evil.

It could be said she was as twisted and as evil as they were, and she supposed there was some truth to that sentiment. But at the end of the day, her actions, her conscience, the consequences for her choices were between her and God. And she was okay with answering to the higher power who’d gifted her with her own “higher power.”

She was once again shoved into the sterile, blindingly white laboratory with the same two goons—this time she was going with Pete and Repete—and the smarmy “medical professional” who no more had a medical degree than she did.

“So what now,” she said tiredly, purposely injecting extreme weariness—and resignation—into her voice.

The lab rat rubbed his chin in an exaggerated fashion and studied her intently, his eyes flashing with irritation.

“So far you’ve proven to be a major disappointment,” he said in disgust. “And considering the time and money that have gone into the careful cultivation of gaining access to you, disappointment is an understatement.”

“Gee,” she said with heavy sarcasm. “I feel so insulted that a lab rat and his goons find me a major disappointment. What’s the matter? Were you expecting me to be able to achieve world peace? Or maybe fix the ozone issue. Oh wait, there’s also the issue of all the starving children in Africa.”

She began to press each digit of her hand to count down each point.

“Or maybe you wanted me to find a cure for Ebola. There’ve been at least ten cases reported in the U.S. over the last month or so. Want me to annihilate all the African nations on the Ebola watch list for you?”

“For someone who seemed willing to do anything to save your parents, you show none now,” “Pete,” aka Goon A, said in an icy tone.

She sent him a mocking smile that had him furrowing his brow in brief confusion.

“You can’t touch my parents,” she said softly, satisfaction forming her smile.

“Clearly the brain bleeds leeched most of your intelligence,” the lab rat said, shaking his head. “Perhaps a demonstration is in order.”

He turned to Repete, Goon B, and issued an order that would have made Ari’s blood freeze in her veins if she wasn’t certain that she was capable of pulling this off. Now more than ever, as much as she’d asked her parents to believe in her, she had to have absolute faith in herself. There was no room for error or a breach in her concentration. This was the most important stand she’d ever take in her life. She’d die before failing her family.

They turned on the monitor, and to Ari’s relief, her parents were still standing in the exact spot, in the same position as when she’d left them. She breathed a silent thank-you that they’d trusted her and prayed that they wouldn’t react to whatever this asshole had up his sleeve. Because shit was about to get real.

Goon A barked an order to execute her mother through his radio and mere seconds later, without even opening the cell door, two minions appeared on the periphery of the monitor and opened fire.

Three mouths dropped open when the bullets bounced harmlessly off an invisible barrier surrounding her parents. Her father had instinctively wrapped himself around her mother, turning so he would take the bullets if Ari had failed, but they hadn’t moved from the boundary she’d set. Thank God for her father’s rigid discipline.

The lab rat turned his seething glare on her and began advancing, a syringe in his hand. His two goons also began to close in around her and she let her powers fly.

Every single thing she’d dreamed up while lying in the cell with her parents unrolled with ease. She didn’t dare close her eyes to concentrate on what she was attempting to achieve over a much longer distance because she faced the very real threat of being drugged, which would render her ineffective. The barrier around her parents would simply disappear and they would die.

So one problem at a time. Her parents were safe. She still had faith that Beau would come to the rescue. All she had to do was wreak some serious havoc in the meantime. And right now? After all these bastards had put her and her family through?

She was thinking this was going to be a lot of fun.

Resolve and determination settled over her, cloaking her with confidence she hadn’t imagined ever possessing. And she set about unleashing the hounds of hell on the three men who posed the most immediate threat to her.

“You have no idea what you’re dealing with,” she said in a soft, menacing voice that didn’t so much as tremble with fear.

Gone was the meek, shrinking violet weak Arial Rochester. Yeah, that’s right. Rochester. Her name. Her heritage. Blood meant nothing. After all, look where it had gotten Caleb and Beau and their siblings.

Really shitty parents who didn’t one damn about them. Yet her adoptive parents had given her more love in twenty-four years than most people were blessed with in a lifetime.

“That’s my line,” Goon A said coolly. “I have a score to settle with you, little bitch. And don’t think I’m not going to enjoy every second. The people who pay me may want you alive, and now that we’ve confirmed your powers, your price just skyrocketed, but there’s nothing to say I can’t make you wish you were dead.”