by Julia Crane
“Yeah, right. You’re starving.” He pulled the burger out of the bag and unwrapped it, holding the food near her mouth. She felt like an animal salivating. She jerked her head to the side, trying to get away.
“Eat the food Lauren. You’re only hurting yourself.”
“What—you feed me and then I kill for you? It’s absurd. I’d rather starve to death.”
Galen stared at her, his face impassive. “It’s not a joke, Lauren. You know faeries can’t last long without food. How many hours has it been since you last ate? Did you even bother to eat before you ran off to meet Tristen?”
Lauren knew all that. Because of their hyper metabolism, faeries had to eat almost constantly. And she would need energy to figure a way out of this disaster. She hadn’t eaten since last night; she had no idea how long she had been at Tristen’s. She’d dozed off a couple of times.
Fury filled her. Her emotions, rocketing up and down, exhausted her. She couldn’t believe she was chained to a wall and being forced to eat like a toddler. She kept hoping she would wake up from this terrible nightmare.
“Fine,” she murmured, the fight fizzling out of her. She yanked at the chains. “Can you let me out so I can at least go to the bathroom and then eat with my own hands?”
Lauren felt humiliated. She hated Galen seeing her this way. She hated Tristen for subjecting her to such horror. And she hated having a gift that made her a target for these wackos.
Without a word, Galen pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked her shackles. Blood rushed back into hands as they fell limply to her sides. Her hands hurt as the blood rushed down returning circulation.
“Come on.” Galen took her gently by the arm and helped her to her feet.
Lauren felt weak from the lack of movement. She stumbled alongside Galen, clutching at his arm to steady herself as feeling returned to her fingers.
“I’ll wait outside. No closing the door,” Galen warned her as he stepped aside. He propped himself against the wall and motioned her into the bathroom.
Heat rose in her face; tears filled her eyes. She felt like an animal. She didn’t want to go to the bathroom so that he could hear her, but what other choice did she have?
She flicked on the faucet for the steady sound of the water, then did her business as quickly as possible.
Back in the secret room, Lauren leaned on the wall and sank to the floor. Just the walk to the bathroom had worn her out. How long had she been imprisoned?
“Eat fast,” Galen told her, tossing the bag on her lap. “If Tristen finds out I let you out of the chains, we’ll both be in trouble.”
She didn’t answer, but the hint of kindness in his voice spurred her into motion. She ripped open the bag and unwrapped the burger. The first bite felt like heaven.
Lauren devoured the sandwich. When it was gone, Galen held out a drink for her. After she ate the second burger and fries, she started to feel normal again.
She balled up the wrappers and stuffed them in the take-out bag. Galen leaned forward to chain her arms again. She felt like slamming her forehead into his.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The side of his lip quirked up as the first manacle clicked into place.
“Do what?”
“What you wanted to do. Crack my skull.”
“So you’re a mind reader, too?” Great.
“I told you mind control was my power.” He stepped away and swiped the bag from the ground.
As he turned to walk away, Lauren blurted, “Don’t leave me in here. It’s terrifying being alone like this.”
“I know,” Galen said over his shoulder, closing the door with a loud click.
With her belly full, Lauren started to get tired. Her head kept falling forward, then the clanking of the chains would startle her awake. But there came a point where she couldn’t force herself to stay awake any longer, and she slipped into dreams.
The door opened again, and this time, Tristen strolled in. He looked at ease, exuding his usual casual confidence. She had once found it sexy, but now it made her want to hurl. His shoes slapped on the concrete floor, echoing through the room.
“It’s time, Lauren. As I told you, your first task will be something small. You just have to prove yourself to my father. Tomorrow everything will be back to normal.”
Lauren looked away. “The hell it will.”
Tristen dropped the illusion. She once again sat in an empty white room with a bright light above her. Her arms dropped to her sides—the manacles suddenly gone—and she rubbed her wrists. The cool rush of the air conditioner brought up goose bumps on her skin. Still wearing her gym clothes, she felt filthy.
“Just one thing, Lauren,” Tristen assured her. “That’s all you have to do.”
“What is it?” she asked as she got to her feet. She couldn’t help herself; she was curious. If she understood the plan, maybe she could prevent it from happening.
“I just need you to get us into a secure facility. You only need to disable the alarms and cameras.”
Breaking and entering? That didn’t sound as bad as murder. Lauren narrowed her eyes. “What do you want to break into?”
“That’s none of your concern.” He came closer, and Lauren scooted backwards into a different corner of the room, wishing she could disappear.
“I need to know what I’m breaking into,” Lauren bit out. “It doesn’t work if I don’t.”
Tristen gave her a sick grin. “Oh, it will work. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.”
“So if I do this for you, you’ll really let me go?”
“Yes.”
Lauren’s mind raced. She couldn’t make sense of what he wanted. Why would he let her go after the imprisonment and threats? Because he could just control her like a puppet with the use of Galen? If that was the case, he didn’t have to go through all of the drama to begin with, so he had to off his rocker. She was dealing with a mad man.
“I really didn’t want it to work out this way. You have to believe me, Lauren.” He shook his head and heaved a harried sigh. “If it weren’t for you leaving when we needed you, none of this would have happened. If you want to blame anyone, you should blame your so-called friends.”
She stared at him like he’d lost his mind. Was he really going to try to justify his actions and put it on her friends?
“Tomorrow, you won’t recall a thing.”
“What about my friends? They’re looking for me. I know they are. How will I explain my disappearance?”
Tristen shrugged. “They’ll just think you couldn’t stand the thought of leaving me.”
She fought the urge to gag. Twenty-four hours ago, that would have been the truth, but now… Now she’d gladly hit him over the head with a two-by-four and run away without ever turning back.
Chapter 24
Galen stepped into the room, interrupting them. He stood at attention with his hands at his side, waiting for instruction.
Like the obedient soldier he is. Disgusting, Lauren thought, fighting against the stupid part of her brain that wanted to launch across the room and attack him. He’d acted like her friend.
Tristen turned to Galen, clapping his hands together with a grin. “Are you ready?”
“Always.” Not a hint of emotion crossed Galen’s face.
How did she get messed up with these sociopaths? She clenched her hands and closed her eyes, quelling an urge to scream.
Rough hands grabbed her arms. Lauren’s eyes flew open, startled. “Hey!” she yelled, trying to jerk away from Tristen. She loathed his touch. “Why don’t you just have your goons push me around?”
“They’re already on location, scouting out the area,” Tristen answered, shoving her out the door. “It isn’t far. You just need to turn off the system for ten minutes. Don’t worry about why, just focus on your task. Once our men are inside the building, they can take over from there. Then you need to set the cameras to replay the last twenty-four hours instead of present time. D
o you understand?”
Head spinning, Lauren nodded. “Sure. Easy.”
“If you make a sound or try to run while we’re out,” Tristen warned, “I’ll hand you over to my dad.”
Lauren dug her heels into the floor. “Are you kidding me? You’re too much of a wuss to kill me yourself?”
A shadow passed over Tristen’s face. “I did love you, you know. And when you come over to our side, I’ll love you again.”
“Never. If what you say is true,” Lauren said loudly, “If I will wake up tomorrow and forget whatever horrible thing you made me do, then at least I want you to remember.” She cocked back an arm and punched him as hard as she could in his eye, adrenaline racing through her body.
“What the hell, Lauren?!?” Tristen shoved her before his hands flew up to his face.
Lauren fell to the floor, but she didn’t even feel the impact. She smirked. The bastard had it coming. From the ground, she looked up and saw a slight smile cross Galen’s lips, but it disappeared instantly.
As Tristen composed himself, Galen came forward and helped her to her feet. When he stepped away, Lauren waited, worried that Tristen would hit her back. When her ex-boyfriend turned around, she laughed out loud. A circle of red already decorated his left eye.
“Bitch.” Tristen grabbed her arm and jerked her from the room.
In his study, Tristen put duct tape over her mouth and Galen tied her arms behind her back. They led her out the back door into the dim evening. The warm, salty air ruffled her hair.
On the tense, silent drive, Lauren lay on her side in the backseat, exactly as they had tossed her in, listening to the gentle rumble of the car beneath her.
They didn’t drive far. Almost as soon as they’d gotten on the road, the car rolled to a stop and both men got out.
Lauren didn’t recognize the area, but it was an older, boxy brick office building. Connor and Garret waited nearby with flashlights.
“Anyone here?” Tristen asked quietly.
“No,” Garret answered. “Appears to be secure.”
With a grin, Tristen shoved Lauren into the brick facade of the building. She hit hard on the rough material, tears springing to her eyes.
“You know what to do,” Tristen commanded.
I need my hands, you jackass, Lauren thought angrily. With the duct tape tight over her mouth, she couldn’t tell him. So she stood there, her body leaning against the building as she stared at him.
Galen cleared his throat. “She says, ‘I need my hands, you jackass.’” The corner of his lip twitched.
Lauren wanted to laugh—not only at Galen’s word-for-word rendition of her thought, but at the way Tristen narrowed his eyes at Galen.
“You don’t need your hands,” Tristen argued, shoving her in the back. “Just do it, Lauren.”
Lauren rolled her eyes. He was so obstinate—not to mention insane. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, pushing her energy into the wall beneath her. She reached inside the building, seeking the electric lines she needed.
There.
“She has it,” Galen interpreted.
I should kick your ass, Lauren thought at him, envisioning an alternate universe where she wasn’t tied up and she could jump him like a guerrilla warrior.
Behind her, Galen coughed, a thinly-veiled disguise for laughter.
“What? What’d she say?” Tristen demanded.
“She’s just being spunky,” Galen responded.
Lauren focused on the currents running through the building and, with a burst of energy, she entered the lines. The electrical beings surrounded her, chittering at her arrival. She spoke with them softly in her mind. It only took her five minutes to get into the security system and disable it—it was severely outdated. Then she turned her attention to the cameras; they were a piece of cake.
They really should update their security.
Her eyes locked on Galen’s.
“It’s done,” he told the other men.
Connor and Garret disappeared around the corner of the building, while Tristen led Lauren back to the car.
Back at the house, Tristen made a phone call while Lauren sat stiffly on the couch waiting for Galen to untie her hands. She felt all too aware of his masculine scent and the warmth of his body. She entertained the thought of giving him a good head butt just because she could, and he grinned.
“So full of fire,” he murmured as her bindings fell away.
She pulled her arms back around to her front with an audible groan. The feeling in her fingers had disappeared on the way to the warehouse. She shook off the pins and needles, glaring at Galen.
I can’t feel my fingers. Jerk.
Tristen said a curt, “Goodbye,” and lowered the phone. “They got it.”
Galen just nodded.
“Remove the duct tape, too,” Tristen told him. “We don’t want her to come out of your gift wondering why she had her mouth taped shut.”
Lauren swatted away Galen’s hand as he reached for her face. Her hands felt normal enough for this, so she dug a fingernail beneath a corner of the tape and gently tugged it away. It didn’t hurt as much as she’d expected.
Galen got up and sat across from her, on the coffee table. He put his legs between hers, and brought his face too close to hers for her liking. She didn’t know if he needed eye contact to use his gift, so she squeezed her eyes shut obstinately. She wasn’t going to be a willing participant.
“Open your eyes, Lauren,” Tristen said through clenched teeth.
“Nope.”
“Why do you have to be such a difficult little wench?”
“Why do you have to be a murdering jackass?”
A hand slapped her hard across the face, and her eyes snapped open. Tristen stood beside them with his hand raised—the bastard had hit her.
Before she could react, Galen’s hands were on either side of her face. Their eyes met.
A heavy fog descended on her. Her limbs grew weak and she slouched in the seat, her face leaning heavily on Galen’s hands.
“Lauren. When I leave your mind, you will not recall anything that has happened since you arrived at Tristen’s. When your friends ask where you’ve been, tell them you were spending time with Tristen before you left on vacation.” Galen’s voice was smooth, his accent pronounced. She swayed in his grasp, trying to open her eyes wider. “Do you understand?”
She nodded. “I do.”
Galen averted his eyes and stood up.
Lauren looked around the room as the fog lifted. What was she doing sitting in Tristen’s living room?
“Come here, love.” Tristen held out his hand and Lauren grasped it, letting him pull her up.
She stared at the red mark on his eye. “Tristen? What happened to your eye?”
Galen laughed, but covered his mouth as Tristen glared at him. “Nothing, love. Walked into a doorframe.”
Lauren felt…off. She couldn’t place the problem.
“Are you sure you have to go away with your friends?” Tristen asked. “I really wish you would reconsider and stay here with me.”
Lauren shook her head, trying to grasp what he was saying. For a brief moment, the fog returned. Where was she going?
Oh, that’s right—Tahoe.
“I wish I could,” Lauren said regretfully. “But you don’t know Keegan. It’s hard to tell her no.”
Tristen walked her towards the front door. “In that case, you have fun and make sure to call me.” He kissed her, just a brief brush of his lips.
“Um, okay.”
Tristen practically pushed her out the door and, with a wave, closed it behind her. She was surprised to see the sun disappearing on the horizon. Didn’t she come to Tristen’s in the morning?
Lauren noticed her keys dangling in her hands, but she couldn’t remember picking them up. Her head throbbed. Maybe she was coming down with something.
She tried to shake off the odd feeling as she turned the key and her little car came to life. She
looked down at her phone lying on the center console—it was dead. She laid a hand on the screen and willed it back to life.
Twenty-seven text messages?
She scrolled through five panicked texts from her friends and decided it would be best to just call.
She hit send and put the car in drive.
Chapter 25
“Oh my gods! Lauren! Are you okay?” Keegan’s voice screamed through the speaker.
Lauren cringed. “I’m fine. Why are you yelling?”
“Are you kidding me? Where the hell have you been? Where are you?”
“Calm down!” Lauren barked, rubbing her temple with one hand. “I’m on my way home. I’ll just talk to you when I get there. I’m fine. My head hurts, that’s all.” And my face. She rubbed her cheek.
“Lauren…”
“I’ll be there soon.” She hit the end button on her console. Hands-free phones made driving easier, but Lauren just didn’t feel like dealing with Keegan right now, or anyone for that matter.
How could it be dark already? Lauren looked around at the nightscape of the city, confused. She tried to recall what had happened that day at Tristen’s, but she drew a blank. It was as if she had lost time or something. That was ridiculous. She shook her head, as if shaking it could clear the cobwebs from it.
A shudder ran through her at the thought of cobwebs, and she had a flash of unadulterated terror. A dark room filled with cobwebs. Where had that come from? The back of her head tingled as if she needed to remember something, but she couldn’t quite reach it. Shivering, she pushed the sensation away.
She wanted to fall into bed and not wake up for a long, long time. The trip would have to wait till tomorrow; there was no way she could handle a road trip right now.
The drive home seemed to take forever. She let out a sigh of relief when she pushed her front door open. It was good to be home.
Lauren scanned the living room, baffled. All the guys, Audrey, Anna, and Keegan jumped up as one when she came through the door.
“What is everyone doing here?” Lauren asked, brow wrinkling. She felt pretty sure she’d left Anna and Keegan alone. Rubbing her forehead, she tried to remember if they’d all made plans to hang out that night.