by Faith Gibson
“So, you’re saying you want what? Free rein? To do as you please when no one else has to?”
“Not at all, because I know someone like you won’t abide that.”
“Someone like me?” Gideon took a step closer. “How exactly do you see me, Kerrigan?”
“As a man who likes complete control. Hell, you even decide who in your flock can date each other. Well, date is the wrong word since there isn’t anything around here to do that would be considered going on a date, unless you milk the cows together, or maybe gather eggs. Tell me, Gideon. Do you watch when a couple has sex to make sure they’re doing it the right way? Do you have rules about that as well?” Kerrigan knew she should shut up while she was ahead, but she was curious.
When Gideon took two more steps, he was so close Kerrigan could smell his cologne. His eyes darkened, and his nostrils flared. His breath, when he spoke his next words, was fresh with mint, reminding her she hadn’t brushed her own teeth since the morning before.
“Would you like for me to watch you having sex? Would you strip down for your partner knowing I was seeing what they were going to do to you? Is that the type of woman you are, Kerrigan? Is that why you showed up battered and bruised?” Gideon ran his fingertip down her jaw, ghosting the proof of where Dalton had marked her.
Kerrigan wanted to smack his hand away. “No. I don’t like to be watched, and I definitely don’t cheat. I was beaten because someone else wanted complete control over me as well.”
“And we see how that went for you.”
“Exactly. So, forgive me if I’m a little skeptical of what you’re asking of me.”
Gideon pushed Kerrigan’s hair behind her ear. If he had been anyone else, the gesture would have been sweet or romantic. Since it was Gideon, Kerrigan wanted to go take a shower and wash his touch off her body. “And you believe it’s fair I should show partiality to you because you don’t want to follow the rules of our society?”
“I think you should give me a break because you freaking kidnapped me.” Gideon opened his mouth to argue the point, and Kerrigan held up her hand. “You claim I was brought here to have my wounds tended, but I was still taken away from my world. If I had come here willingly, then yes, I would expect to do as you say. But I didn’t ask for any of this. If you would take me to the nearest town, my not wanting to follow your ways wouldn’t be an issue. Hell, even blindfold me so I don’t know where this is.”
“Why is our way of living so offensive to you? The outside world has laws as well. Are you telling me you don’t obey them?”
“Laws, yes. Archaic rules, no. It’s called free will. Why won’t you—?” Kerrigan’s brain had a sudden clarifying moment. He wouldn’t let her go because he was afraid she would tell someone about them. Even if he blindfolded her, she would be able to contact the police stating she’d been kidnapped. She knew that’s how she’d ended up at The Sanctuary, and Gideon knew it as well. She was never getting out of there.
“I think another twenty-four hours of thinking is in order.” Gideon turned to go, and Kerrigan let him. It really was too bad the man was an egotistical psycho. In another lifetime, another world, she could see how he could charm his way into her life. Yeah, and look how well that turned out with Dalton.
Kerrigan returned to her spot by the far wall and sat down, pulling her knees up and resting her chin there. She had no illusions about being kidnapped, no matter how fiercely Gideon protested otherwise. She had been in pain, but it hadn’t affected her memories of that night as he tried to convince her. If she was able to make it out of there and contact the authorities, Gideon’s little hideout could be exposed.
As the day progressed, a guard brought her lunch and then supper. She’d finally given in to using the bucket to pee in when she could no longer hold her bladder. She’d moved the container to the corner next to the door for privacy. They’d not bothered to leave toilet paper, so Kerrigan had to drip dry. If she had to do more than pee, she would be in trouble.
No, she would be at their mercy to ask to leave the room, and that wouldn’t happen until she agreed to Gideon’s terms. She’d never considered lack of basic personal hygiene to be a form of torture. She now knew better. Then again, if she wanted to risk the man’s ire, she could rip her pants and use the cloth to wipe with. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the wall.
Were her parents looking for her yet? Gideon had told them she was fine, but she spoke with them at least once a week. When she didn’t check in, would they get worried? If they did, would they show up at her – Dalton’s – house, demanding to know where she was? Even he didn’t know what happened to her. Had he tossed all her belongings? Or was he smug enough to think she’d come crawling back? So many questions ran through her brain until she had a headache. Another night of sleeping on the cold concrete wouldn’t help, so she needed to at least get out of the inner chamber and back to her bunk. It was the lesser of two evils. The better of two shitty situations.
Every which way Kerrigan thought of making her escape always brought her back to the same conclusion – she was going to have to play a game. One in which she bided her time and made Gideon believe she’d had a change of heart. She couldn’t seem too eager, because that would be too obvious. No, Kerrigan had to make it seem like she was still opposed to being held against her will while agreeing to his terms. She just prayed she was strong enough for whatever he threw her way.
Her breakfast was brought in by a different guard. One who didn’t even look at her. He dropped the tray on the floor and picked up the empty one from her supper. Kerrigan was almost afraid to eat the slop. Her stomach had rumbled during the night, but she’d been able to avoid using the bucket. If she ate the oatmeal, she was afraid she wouldn’t have a choice. Then again, she’d made the decision to get out of her prison as soon as Gideon came to see her so she could at least use a proper bathroom.
The man didn’t come to her until what she figured was a couple hours after the guard brought her morning meal. She’d tried to keep track of the minutes so she’d know the approximate time of day, but memories of her former life, her parents, the bar, Brooks, Ambrose, even her time with Dalton, interrupted, making her lose count.
Gideon was once again alone when he unlocked the door and stepped through. He was dressed down from the ways she’d seen him since she’d been brought to the compound, but he still wore khaki pants and a button-up shirt. He was no less imposing just because his clothes were more casual. There was nothing casual about the way he carried himself. “I’ve given consideration to your request for leniency.”
“You have?” Kerrigan pushed up from where she was seated but remained against the wall.
“Yes. You have two options. One, you can go back to your job in the garden and living among the others as you were. If that is what you decide to do, you will be expected to abide by the rules as they are given. You will receive no reprieve for disobeying, and if you do not behave as expected, you will find yourself back here in this room for an extended period of time.”
“And option two?” Kerrigan had a feeling she didn’t want to know what option two was.
Gideon remained close to the door, his eyes raking in her appearance. “Option two is that you become one of the chosen.”
“Chosen for what?”
“For tending to my needs.”
“Like a harem? No, thank you.” Kerrigan had no intention of being his whore. Agnes had mentioned being chosen, but Kerrigan assumed that was how Gideon decided who among them deserved to have a partner. Agnes had wanted to be Gideon’s mistress.
“Harem?” Gideon laughed, and his normally dark eyes lit up with mirth. He was nice-looking when he was serious, but he was extraordinary when his features softened. “I do not believe in polygamy. The sharing of bodies is a sacred act, and I do not allow those who live here in The Sanctuary to engage in random sex. It is why I am involved in the process of two people becoming a couple. It is important for the man and woman to
get to know one another on a platonic level. If they aren’t compatible in the long run, then they haven’t sullied themselves with rutting around like animals.”
The way Gideon eyed Kerrigan’s body was at odds with his words. There was no way a man so virile was a virgin. “If not a harem, then what? Are the chosen your personal house maidens?”
“Something like that. I have a select few I allow in my personal quarters so I can spend time getting to know them better. If, after a time, they do not meet my expectations, I release them back to the population and choose a replacement. I have yet to find the one who I wish to take as a wife. In all the years I’ve searched, no one ever held my attention long enough to want to give myself over to her for the rest of my life.”
Kerrigan swallowed hard. Agnes’s words about how Gideon let Kerrigan slide in breaking the rules came rushing back. Had Kerrigan been correct when she joked it was because Gideon liked mouthy redheads? The way he licked his lips had her considering she had been right. Kerrigan gave his strong body a once-over, hoping she wasn’t making the third biggest mistake of her life.
Kerrigan released a deep breath. “I’ll take option two.”
Chapter Nine
War
AFTER taking advantage of the continental breakfast at the hotel, War and Mav headed out to Sully’s Garage. New Portland was intriguing with its brick roadways, breweries, and large cathedrals. As he followed his twin, War took a deep breath of salty air. He missed flying in his eagle form over large bodies of water, dipping down, dragging his talons through the waves, as he eyed fish he could easily catch in his beak. It had been too long since he’d enjoyed the majesty of humpback whales as they rose from the depths, arching in the air, only to splash down and do it again. War envied animals their freedom to live in their skin, hides, and feathers. Maybe he would sell his home and look into buying land with plenty of acreage where he could let both sides of the Gryphon loose.
Sully’s was surprisingly neat for a garage. Several cars were parked along the side of the lot, and the bay doors were open, even though the temperatures were still in the forties. An older man stepped out of the first bay, wiping his hands on a grease rag. He stopped just outside the door, watching as War and Mav climbed off their bikes.
“I don’t work on bikes, if that’s what you’re here for,” he said when they closed the distance.
War stood behind his twin, letting him take lead. “We’re not looking for a mechanic. We’re actually looking for a car.”
The man frowned. “This isn’t a car lot. It’s a garage.”
“Not to purchase. We are looking for a specific car that was towed here on April seventeenth at approximately two a.m.”
“I remember that one. Charlie got the call.” He turned around and yelled into the bay, “Hey, Charlie. Come out here a minute.”
Warryck was surprised to see a younger woman striding out of the building. Wearing blue coveralls, her long brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “What’s up, Dad?” She slowed her steps when she got a look at the twins. Standing well over six feet and dressed in all leather, they made most people take a good look. With Mav’s visible tattoos, he made people take more than one look and usually a step back.
“They’re here about the abandoned car. Tell them about the call.” A loud bell rang, and the man said, “Excuse me,” before heading back inside.
Charlie wiped her hands on a grease rag, same as her father had done. It appeared the woman was both mechanic and tow truck driver. “Some guy named Stanley, if I remember correctly. Asked for it to be brought here specifically. Thing is, when we tried to call him later about the needed repairs, the phone had been disconnected. I checked the glove box, but all the paperwork had been removed. It sat on the lot over there”— she pointed to where the other cars were lined up — “for about a week, and then Dad called the police. They ran the plates, and the owner came back as being a woman, definitely not a Stanley. They sent it to the impound lot since we didn’t want it taking up needed space.”
“Was there anything at all in the car?” Mav asked.
“Just a backpack stuffed full of women’s clothes. Do you know the owner? Is that what this is about?”
War sighed, running a hand through his short beard. “The owner of the car is missing. We were hired by her parents to see if we can find her.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but the deeper they got into this mystery, the more determined Warryck was in finding out what happened to her.
“Do you have a record of the call so we can get the man’s name who phoned it in?” Maveryck asked.
“I gave that to the police, but I still have a copy in the office. Hang on.”
When Charlie walked back into the building, War said, “We need to find her.”
Mav grinned. “What about our road trip? I thought we were supposed to be bonding.”
“We can bond while we do a little snooping, asshole.” War shoved his twin’s arm and grinned back.
“Here it is. I made a copy for you.” Charlie handed War a sheet of paper. It was the service order detailing all the issues with the car as well as the time it was brought in and the man’s name and phone number. Seeing all the needed repairs had War’s hackles going up. The woman shouldn’t have been driving something so unreliable. He already knew Dalton Watkins was a piece of shit, but this added to his list of sins.
“Thank you for your help,” War said as he and Mav turned toward their bikes.
“I hope you find her,” Charlie called after them.
“Yeah, me too,” Warryck muttered.
“We need to find the other car Lucy noticed on the road that night. If we can locate it, I bet we find Kerrigan.” Maveryck pulled his phone out of his saddle bag and typed off a text to Lucy with the man’s name and phone number, even though it had been disconnected.
“Is Julian’s computer really that good?”
“According to Lucy it is, as well as the male using it. But if the police have this same information, wouldn’t they have run the plates and gone to her house and questioned the boyfriend?”
War shrugged. “You would think so. It didn’t sound like the cop at the bar last night had heard anything about that.”
They both leaned against their bikes, waiting to see if Lucy could get any information quickly. “What’re we going to do if we don’t get any solid information?” Maveryck asked.
“I guess we continue on with our original plan.” War rubbed his short beard again, still getting used to the feel of it. Maveryck’s was quite a bit longer, but it suited him, as did all the ink and piercings. They weren’t identical in the first place, and all Mav’s enhancements only added to their differences. War was okay with that. They didn’t have to be mirror images to feel a bond.
Mav’s phone vibrated, and he answered. “Lucy, you’re on speaker. Whatcha got?”
“Hey, Mav. Hey, Dad. The good news is we were able to track the car as far as New Conway in New Hampshire. The bad news is it disappeared once it entered the White Mountain forest on 302. Either they stopped somewhere among all the trees, or they switched vehicles. The tag was renewed six months ago, but the car is registered to a Clara Orr, only she’s been dead for several years. We’re looking into all relatives, but so far that’s come up empty. I also searched for stolen vehicles in that area, but that turned out to be a dead end.”
“What about the boyfriend? Did the police speak with him at all?” Mav asked.
“Julian tapped into the New Portland PD’s system, but they never opened a case since nobody filed a missing person’s report on Kerrigan. I went ahead and gathered his information for you, and I’ve sent it to your email. Are you guys going to continue looking into this? I know you were supposed to be riding cross-country.”
“As long as you keep feeding us pertinent information, it won’t hurt to continue looking for a while. I remember what it was like when you went missing, and I’d hate to think there hadn’t been anyone looking for you,” Warryck sai
d. “I’m just sorry it wasn’t me.”
“Water under the bridge, Dad. We’ve discussed this.” Warryck’s heart warmed every time Lucy called him Dad. And they had discussed what happened to her as well as why he wasn’t there along with the Hounds. She was much more forgiving of him than he was of himself. He had a lot of ground to make up for.
Mav clamped a hand down on his shoulder, squeezing. War cleared his throat and said, “We’ll start with the boyfriend, and if we don’t get anything out of him, we’ll head toward the forest. Maybe camp out and stretch our wings. See if we can find something that way.”
“I’ll continue to search on this end, and if I come up with anything, I’ll let you know.”
“Appreciate it, Luce,” Mav said at the same time War responded with, “Thank you, Lucy.”
Maveryck disconnected then plugged the directions to the boyfriend’s place into the GPS before setting the phone into the holder attached to the handlebars. “Let’s go talk to this asshole.”
Traffic was light considering it was before noon and most people were at work. According to the information Lucy dug up, Dalton Watkins had lost his job soon after Kerrigan went missing. There were no employment records since. If he wasn’t working, how was he paying rent on the two-bedroom house he’d shared with Kerrigan? He had taken all her savings out of the bank, so maybe he was living off that.