The Collector 4: Eight Arms to Hold You

by Ally Blue

  He refused to consider the implications of his increasing loss of strength in human form, or the fact that the more time he spent as an octopus, the worse his weakness became. The overwhelming challenge of freeing himself from his father was enough for now.

  “Okay,” Taggart said finally. “But I’m going with you. We’ll take the boat out into the Sound. Two hours, no more, or I get to take it out of your hide. Got that?”

  Luke winced. Two days before, Taggart had caught Luke making an unauthorized phone call. Austin hadn’t answered, and Luke hadn’t left any message. A few hours later, covered with brand-new cuts, bruises and burns, Luke decided Carson must have hired Taggart for his sadistic nature. He’d even refused to let Luke shift to heal the damage, waiting until Luke could barely walk before taking him to the water and allowing him to shift. The wounds still weren’t fully healed, and they hurt enough to keep him awake at night.

  Of course, his battered appearance had definitely swayed Dr. Martin’s assistant into agreeing to set up a meeting with her boss. Her reaction had been subtle, but he’d seen the way her brown eyes widened just a little, jaw muscles tightening when he emerged naked from the water and she saw the fresh burns marking his arms and chest.

  Luke hunched his shoulders, letting Taggart think him completely cowed. “All right. Can we go right now?”

  Taggart grunted and started down the hall. Luke trailed meekly behind. His heart raced and his hands shook. This wasn’t just a play for a little time to himself. His life hung in the balance, dependent on the outcome of today’s meeting. Everything had to be handled perfectly.

  You can do this, he told himself. Hoping he was right, he followed Taggart out into the gray winter afternoon.

  * * * * *

  Jetting through the cold, murky waters of the Mississippi Sound, Luke could almost forget why he’d come here. The strength coursing through his tentacles was like a drug, filling him with the giddy joy that only came when he was gliding free and easy through the endless depths. He had to force himself to focus, to swim toward the yacht where The Collector waited.

  Think of Austin. The only way to be with him is to do this.

  A picture of Austin’s face floated to the forefront of Luke’s mind. Brown eyes glazed, cheeks flushed, plump lips parted. Luke could almost feel Austin’s cock pulsing in his palm.

  The memory was enough to help him fight off the ever-present urge to just swim away and never return. Hanging motionless in the water, Luke stretched out his senses, located the yacht and shot off toward it.

  He emerged near the back of the boat and peered cautiously up through the water. Audra Phelan stood beside the steps, a large blanket draped over one arm. Her dark hair was wound into a long braid, the chill wind tugging stray strands loose to fly around her face. No one else was in sight. Luke shifted to human while still underwater and raised his head just enough to break the surface. The Sound was empty of boats as far as he could see. Breathing a silent thanks to the cold, rainy weather keeping most people off the water, Luke shimmied swiftly up the ladder and crouched on the deck.

  Kneeling beside him, Phelan wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. “Dr. Martin is resting. I’ll take you to the main cabin and bring him to you there.”

  Luke smiled at her. “Thank you for setting up this meeting, Ms. Phelan. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  She returned the smile. “Of course. Follow me.”

  Rising gracefully to her feet, Phelan crossed the deck toward a carved wooden door. Luke managed to stand by holding on to the deck rail. Once his head stopped spinning, he staggered after her.

  She frowned as she held the door open for him. “Mr. Cordova, are you all right?”

  “Please call me Luke,” he said, swallowing the nausea rising in his throat. “I’m fine. Just a bit tired.”

  She raised a skeptical eyebrow, but didn’t question him. “Come sit down and I’ll bring you some hot tea. Would you like something to eat?”

  “No thank you. I’m not hungry.” He stumbled on the last step down into the interior of the yacht. Phelan caught his elbow, and he gave her a shaky smile. “Again, thank you.”

  She guided him to a door on his left, opened it and led him into a cabin paneled in rich, dark wood. A porthole looked out over the Sound. Pushing him gently onto a plush leather sofa, she hurried over to a sideboard and poured steaming liquid from a large copper kettle into a deep mug.

  “Earl Gray,” she said, handing him the mug. “Sugar and cream?”

  Luke shook his head. “This is fine. Thank you.” He took a grateful sip, letting the warmth of it seep into him.

  She nodded. “Would you like something to wear?”

  “I’m fine. The temperature in here is quite comfortable, and the blanket’s nice and warm.” He smiled at her. “Thank you for that, by the way. I’m comfortable naked, but most people aren’t particularly comfortable with me being naked while conducting business.”

  Phelan’s laugh was unexpectedly warm. “Yes, well, one has to consider many unusual circumstances in my position. I’ll go fetch Dr. Martin now. We’ll be back in a moment; please make yourself at home.”

  Sinking deeper into the sofa, Luke sipped his tea and listened to the faint creaking of the boat as it rocked in the slight swell. It was all he could do to keep his eyes open, in spite of the excitement of his impending meeting with The Collector. Not for the first time, he wondered why he felt this way after every shift. It couldn’t be good, but he had no idea what it meant.

  He shoved the niggling worry to the back of his mind when Phelan returned, followed by a man who must be The Collector. The man was tall, with thick gray hair neatly trimmed, but his limbs were thin and lines of chronic pain marked his face. He limped slightly, favoring his left leg. Luke could tell he’d once been a strong, vital man, and wondered what had caused his muscles to waste away and brought the sallow cast to his skin.

  “Luke Cordova?” The Collector’s voice was as clipped and precise as the rest of him, with an undercurrent of kindness that put Luke immediately at ease. “I am Dr. Andrew Martin.”

  “The Collector. I know.” Shaking the hand Dr. Martin offered, Luke smiled at him. “I’ve been following your career my whole life, Dr. Martin. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  Martin laughed, the sound low and mellow. “My reputation precedes me, I see. I am quite pleased to meet you as well, Luke. More than you know.”

  Dr. Martin seemed to sense that Luke wasn’t comfortable with being called Mr. Cordova. He liked that. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, sir.”

  The Collector waved a dismissive hand as he settled into a chair, crossing his long legs. “Phelan tells me you are asking for protection from Carson.”

  “That’s right.” Luke twisted his fingers together, the thought of his father making him tense. “You’ve gone up against my father before. You know ... well, how he is.”

  “I do indeed.” Steepling his fingers beneath his chin, Dr. Martin gave Luke a penetrating stare. “You believe your life is in danger, yes?”

  “Yes, sir. He’s always beaten me, my whole life, but it’s been worse lately. He’s been after the idol for as long as I can remember. As soon as he has it in his hands, he’ll kill me.”

  “You can heal the damage he does to you.”

  “Yes, mostly. Sometimes it takes longer, like when he breaks bones.” Beside the door, Phelan drew a hissing breath. Luke glanced at her, surprised. He’d nearly forgotten she was there. “In the last several weeks, though, I’ve ... I don’t know. I’m not sure what’s happening, but it’s taken me several shifts to heal wounds that used to heal with one. And I’ve been so tired. Right now, I feel as though I could sleep for a week. Something’s wrong with me, and I don’t know what it is. I’ve tried not to let Father know how bad it is, but he’s very observant and I’m sure he’s seen. He’ll use it against me. He’ll wait until I’m worn out, then damage me so much that I won’t be able
to heal it without going into the ocean, an ...

  “And he’ll not let you take to the water and shift.” Martin’s eyes flashed angrily. “That man is a monster.

  A bitter half-smile curled Luke’s lips. “Some people would say the same thing about me.”

  “And they’d be wrong.” Dr. Martin leaned forward. “Phelan tells me you’ve offered to trade the idol Carson is hunting for my protection.”

  “That’s right.” Luke held The Collector’s gaze without flinching, though his heart was galloping like a race horse. “I know you’re looking for the idol too, sir. I’ve seen your people near the site. You want it, and I can get it for you, if you’ll protect me from him.”

  Martin’s face relaxed into a kindly smile. “My boy, I would protect you even without the idol. However, I believe it to be in your best interest to recover the idol. Carson must not be allowed to have it under any circumstances. You or your partner must be the one to first lay hands on it.”

  Luke blinked. “My partner? I don’t have a partner, sir. I’m alone.” The truth of that was a constant ache in Luke’s heart.

  “You don’t yet know the exact location of the idol.”

  It wasn’t a question, and Luke saw no point in denying it. “Not yet, no. But I’m very close.”

  Martin’s head tilted to the side, his expression curious. “How do you know?”

  Luke hesitated, unsure of how to explain the way the idol called to him, a constant humming vibration in his skull. “I can sense it,” he said finally. “I can feel it in my head. Eventually, it will lead me right to it.”

  “I see.”

  Leaning back in his chair, The Collector fell silent, staring at the ceiling. Luke waited, relieved that the man hadn’t asked him how or why he felt the pull of the idol in his mind. It was a disturbing question, one he couldn’t answer. Thinking of it made his stomach flutter with a mixture of fear and longing, as if the knowledge were linked to something hidden in the depths of his mind. Some memory both terrible and enlightening. He didn’t feel ready to discuss it with anyone .

  The seconds ticked past, and Luke grew restless. Beside the door, Phelan leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. She gave Luke a reassuring smile when he looked a question at her. Wait, she mouthed, as if reading his mind. Though he supposed it wasn’t difficult to see what he was thinking.

  “I’ll need to leave soon,” Luke spoke up eventually. “My guard gave me two hours in my octopus form. If I’m late meeting him, he’ll torture me again.”

  The Collector stirred, sat up and smiled at Luke. “Forgive me, Luke. I was planning our strategy.”

  “Strategy for what?” Luke wondered, trying to hide his growing impatience. “And what did you mean before about my partner? Anyone diving to the site where I believe the idol is located would need several different specialty diving certifications. It’s in at least seventy meters ‑‑ two hundred feet, that is ‑‑ of water, quite probably deeper. And I can’t quite see how we’ll manage to avoid being discovered. Father’s nothing if not paranoid when it comes to his treasures.”

  “Strategy for recovering the idol, of course. You’re quite right about Carson. You won’t be able to recover it in direct defiance of him. He’s far too clever, and far too careful.” Dr. Martin stood, grimacing, and moved to sit on the sofa beside Luke. “This is where your partner comes in. You and he will work together from within Carson’s organization to recover the idol.”

  Luke’s mouth fell open. “Sir, with all due respect, I can’t put anyone else’s life in danger for this.”

  “I already have someone in mind, actually,” Dr. Martin said, ignoring Luke’s protest. “Phelan, the file, please.”

  Producing a thin manila folder from inside her blazer, Phelan walked over and handed it to Martin. “Everything’s in there, sir.”

  The Collector beamed at his assistant. “Thank you, Audra. Won’t you sit down? You know there’s no need to stand at attention all the time.”

  “I’m fine, thank you.” Stepping back a pace, Phelan went still and silent again. She reminded Luke oddly of a much smaller, much prettier Taggart, though he got the feeling she was just as dangerous in her own way.

  Shaking his head, Dr. Martin opened the folder. “Your partner, should he accept our offer, will be Austin Bell.”

  The name hit Luke like a brick. He licked his lips, unable to speak.

  “Mr. Bell is an experienced diver,” Dr. Martin continued without looking up from the papers on his lap, “with over five hundred dives logged, including two hundred at depths over three hundred feet or in wrecks and underwater cave systems. He has specialty certifications in deep diving, wreck penetration, level three cave diving, Heliox, and Tri-Mix. He also grew up diving in the Sound and in the Gulf, so he is familiar with the general conditions and underwater terrain here.”

  “No,” Luke said, finding his voice at last. “I won’t drag Austin into this.”

  Raising his gaze from the folder, Dr. Martin stared into Luke’s eyes. “Austin has no job, and in a few days he’ll have no place to live. He needs work, and is spectacularly suited to this mission.”

  Luke’s stomach churned, and his palms were sweating. He wasn’t sure if his reaction was the result of fear for Austin’s life, or the possibility of seeing him again. “No, you can’t…"

  “And,” Martin plowed on, “he is rather obsessed with finding you. I think he would accept my offer, if for no other reason than to see you again.”

  Oh my God, he knows. He saw us. The thought sent a jolt of adrenaline through Luke’s body. “What?”

  Dr. Martin smiled. “Don’t worry, Luke. My intentions are nothing but honorable, I assure you.”

  “What do you mean he’s looking for me?” Luke demanded, forcing the words out from between numb lips. “How did you know that ... that w ...

  “It’s all a matter of knowing who to talk to.” Dr. Martin tapped a fingertip against the papers in the folder. “Austin’s landlady saw you entering his trailer with him, and said you stayed the night. The next morning, Austin started calling all the hotels in the area looking for you. Clearly, he wants to be with you. And I believe you feel the same, yes?”

  Luke closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. I’ve put Austin in danger. God. At that moment, he wished he could go back in time and change everything. He’d gladly give up that soul-searing encounter if it meant securing Austin’s safety.

  Sliding closer, The Collector laid a cool hand on Luke’s arm. “Luke, please trust me when I say that no one but you and Austin can recover this idol. You must do it, and Austin must be the one to help you.”

  “You’re telling me that Austin and I have no choice in this,” Luke said bitterly.

  “You came to me, Luke. You do have a choice, as does Austin. I won’t force either of you to do anything. But I believe this course of action to be the only one that will save you both.”

  “And you expect me to believe you came up with this whole plan since yesterday?” Luke shook his head, trying to keep his anger in check. “I don’t know how you did it, Dr. Martin, but somehow you manipulated me into coming to you. And I fell for it.”

  Dr. Martin looked shocked, but something in his eyes told Luke he was at least partly right. “I’ve been planning the recovery of the idol for roughly two years now, that’s true. But I did not anticipate your involvement, or Austin’s, until yesterday.”

  Narrowing his eyes, Luke stared at the man next to him. His gut told him Dr. Martin was telling the truth.

  You’ll be working with Austin. You’ll see each other every day. You can get to know him. You belong together, and this is your chance to be with him.

  They belonged together. That simple truth resonated in him, and he knew he would do whatever it took to make that happen. And so would Austin.

  “Okay,” he said. “What do I do?”

  The Collector smiled. “If Austin accepts our proposal, he will apply for a position with Carson’
s expedition. You and he will work together to pinpoint the location of the idol and recover it. I expect you’ll have to keep communication with Phelan and me to a minimum, but when it becomes necessary to contact us, Austin will have to do it. Carson will be watching you too closely.”

  “You’re right about that.” Luke sighed. “Speaking of being watched, I need to get back.” He stood, clutching the blanket around him and swaying a little. “How will I know if Austin agrees to this?”

  “He will contact you.”

  “What if Father doesn’t hire him?”

  The Collector arched an eyebrow. “Does Carson do his own hiring?”

  Luke grinned in spite of himself. “No. He has a foreman who does the hiring.”

  “And that foreman would be a fool not to hire Austin. Divers with his level of experience aren’t easy to come by. Carson needs Austin’s skills in this expedition.”

  The Collector seemed absolutely certain Austin would agree to this plan, and Carson’s foreman would hire him. To his surprise, Luke found his own confidence in the whole thing growing.

  “You have approximately twenty minutes to return to your guard,” Phelan cut in. “You should go now.”

  Tension sang along Luke’s nerves at the reminder of Taggart, and the necessity of returning to virtual imprisonment. “You’re right. Thank you both.”

  “I will speak with Austin today,” Dr. Martin said, shaking the hand Luke offered. “Hopefully he will be hired into Carson’s team within the week.”

  “All right.” Turning to Phelan, Luke shook her hand as well. “I hope I’ll see you both again soon.”

  “As do I.” Dr. Martin smiled, and Luke thought it seemed a little sad. “May we all find what we seek.”

  Luke started toward the door, then stopped and turned around. “Dr. Martin, please don’t tell Austin about my ... my abilities.”

  The older man’s eyebrows went up. “It’s not my place to divulge such information, my boy. That is up to you.”