by Faith Gibson
“We need to talk, so I’d rather stay in the living room.” Sadie thought it was better to be around more people than being alone with Hayden. She was already thinking of him as her personal savior, and she couldn’t let herself believe the fairy tale her heart was spinning. The sooner she remembered she was a job to the man the better.
Hayden led Sadie to the sofa where he settled her with a large cushion at her back. He removed the borrowed flip-flops and covered her legs with a soft blanket. Instead of taking one of the chairs, Hayden sat next to her legs and clasped his hands on his thighs.
“You said someone sent you after me. Was it my mother?” Hayden wouldn’t meet her eyes. Instead, he pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed. “Or was it someone bad? Is that why you won’t look at me?”
Hayden did look at her then. “Sadie, your husband is a bad man. He’s not only a drug dealer, but now he’s added human trafficking to his resume.”
“What? No. That’s… Oh, God.” Bile rose in Sadie’s throat, and she clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Do you need a garbage can?” Hayden placed his hand on her knee.
“No, just give me a minute.” Sadie inhaled through her mouth several times until she got the urge to vomit under control.
“I’m okay. Please, tell me the truth.”
Hayden left his hand on her leg, his thumb rubbing circles over the sweatpants. “My family, we rescue people for a living. We go out and find those who have been taken and held against their will. Have you heard of The Ministry?”
Sadie had heard that name a long time ago, but being secluded in Juan’s home for the last eight years, she only read what was in fashion magazines, and those articles were only about makeup, clothes, and dating advice. She told him as much, then added, “I wasn’t allowed to watch any sort of live television, but that name sounds familiar.”
“The Ministry is a worldwide cult. They claim responsibility for the apocalypse.”
“Okay, yeah. I remember hearing about them in school.”
“Part of what our family does is find their compounds and remove the leaders from power. Anyone who is there and wishes to get out, we help them start over. We offer a place to live while getting them counseling. Not all compounds we come across are part of The Ministry. Sometimes they’re just a group of people wishing to live a simpler life. If they aren’t harming anyone, if everyone is there of their own free will, we leave those groups in peace. It’s the ones who are gearing up for world domination we target. That’s part of what my family does. Another job we have is tracking down people the government and law enforcement haven’t been able to catch or hold for whatever reason. People like Juan. We go after the worst criminals in the world. Drug lords. Pedophiles. Human traffickers. We use our specialized skills in hunting them and getting them off the street for good.”
“And someone hired you to go after Juan?”
“Yes.”
“And they wanted you to rescue me and Mateo?”
Hayden’s hand tightened around her knee briefly before he removed it. “Not exactly. Whoever took out the contract did so on both you and Juan. I’m sorry, Sadie.”
“Me? But I haven’t done anything wrong.” Sadie’s eyes filled with tears when she realized what he was saying. “Someone wants me dead? Then why didn’t they kill me when they attacked the house?”
“It’s possible the two aren’t related. Whoever took out the contract wanted both you and Juan taken out. If those men who hit your house wanted you dead, they would have succeeded. Instead, they left all the women alive.”
“Ana Marie! I need to call her. She has to be just as worried as I am about Mateo.”
“Who’s Ana Marie?”
“Mateo’s nanny. Well, she’s more than that, but that’s her title. She’s also his tutor and my friend.”
“Do you have many friends?”
Sadie closed her eyes, and a lone tear leaked out. “She’s the only one.” Hayden squeezed her knee again, and when she looked at him, his thumb went back to stroking her leg.
“I’m sorry, Sadie. Sorry you’ve been so secluded these last eight years. I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through. And as worried as the woman probably is, I think it’s better that no one know where you are. If or when Juan comes back to town, he’s going to question her, the cook, and his sister. If you don’t call her, she can honestly say she has no idea where you are.”
“You said if or when. Do you think he might not come back?”
“Several men were murdered in his home. The police are going to have questions. Someone like Juan Carlos isn’t going to appreciate being interrogated. It’s more than likely he’s going to hire his own crew to try and find your son.”
“But how’s he going to know Mateo’s missing?”
“You don’t think Antonia’s called him by now?”
Sadie pulled the leg closest to the couch toward her chest and wrapped her arms around her knee. The blanket fell away, pooling over her other leg. The one Hayden had yet to stop touching. She leaned her head against the pillow and sighed. “I have no idea. For all I know she could be the one who took out the contract. I’ve lived with the woman for eight years and know nothing about her.”
Hayden’s phone rang, and he rose from the sofa to answer it. “Try to relax. I need to take this. Hey, Luce,” Hayden said as he walked out of the living room at the same time Nora padded toward the sofa.
“Are you hungry?”
“I don’t think I can eat right now.”
“Okay, but if you change your mind, just let me know. I brought you some pain relievers and water. I also have juice if you prefer that.”
“Water’s fine. Thank you.” Sadie leaned up and took the pills. When she handed the glass back to the other woman, Sadie’s curiosity got the better of her. “Who’s Luce?”
“Lucy. Hayden’s niece, so that makes her Devon’s cousin. She’s really good with computers.”
“Is she like a prodigy or something? I mean, Hayden doesn’t look that old.”
“Lucy’s in her early twenties, so not as much a prodigy as just really skilled. Hayden is the youngest of all the siblings. He’s twenty-eight, I think?” Nora looked across the room, her mouth moving silently. “Yes, twenty-eight. He has four older brothers and six older sisters. All the sisters are twins, and one of them – Poppy – is Devon’s mom. Two of the brothers are also twins, and one of them – Maveryck – has a set of twin sons who are four. I haven’t met them yet, but I’ve seen pictures.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of siblings. I have an older brother. He was in a motorcycle club when my dad handed me over to Juan. I have no idea if he’s still alive. Him or my mom.”
“What about your dad?”
“I’m pretty sure he’s dead. After he gave me to Juan, I heard a gunshot as we were driving away.”
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.” Nora clasped Sadie’s hand.
“I’m not. He traded me to Juan because he didn’t have the money he was supposed to pay. I was worth almost half a million, so I guess that’s better than like twenty thousand.”
Nora pushed Sadie’s hair away from her face. “You’re such a strong young woman. I’m glad Hayden found you.”
Sadie looked around to make sure they were alone. “Did you know he was supposed to kill me?” she whispered.
Nora’s green eyes were sad when she nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry about that too. There are some messed-up, evil people in this world.”
“Like Juan. Hayden told me Juan is trafficking humans. How can someone do that? How can someone think another person’s life is worth nothing more than a dollar amount? Men like him and my father…” Sadie swallowed hard. “I’m not sorry my father’s dead, if he is, and I wouldn’t be sad if Hayden killed Juan. He took me away from my mom, my home, my friends. He kept me hidden from the world for years. Threatened to kill my family if I didn’t marry him. I was just a kid. He…” Sadie blew out a breath. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m tel
ling you all this.”
“Probably because you’ve been holding it in a long time. If he kept you hidden, you probably didn’t have anyone to talk to.”
“Just Ana Marie, and although she’s always been nice, kind of like a mother figure, she still works for Juan. I couldn’t exactly confide in her. She worked for him before he brought me home with him, so who’s to say she’s really not just as bad as he is?”
“Or maybe, like you, she didn’t have a choice. If she was kind to you, she probably has a good heart underneath, but she knows the type of man Juan is and is afraid of him. What if, like you, she came to be employed by your husband for a similar reason you were traded to him? Maybe he threatened her family if she didn’t toe the line?”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. At least I hope you are. She spends as much time with Mateo as I do. I’d like to think Juan wouldn’t have someone evil teaching my son.”
“Sadie, does Juan love Mateo?”
“Yes. If I know nothing else about Juan, I do know that. And the sad thing is Mateo loves him back. He has no idea what type of man his father is. Nora, do you think Hayden will be able to find Mateo?”
“If anyone can, it’s Hayden and the family. Lucy has a friend who’s even better with computers than she is, and the two of them are working hard to help Hayden.”
“But why? I was supposed to be someone Hayden killed. Why didn’t he do that when he found me instead of bringing me here?”
“Because you’re innocent.” Nora’s voice was filled with conviction.
“But how does he know that? How does he know I’m not lying to save my own ass?”
Nora tilted her head to the side, her gaze boring into Sadie’s. “Let’s just say he and the other Hounds are skilled in interrogation.”
“Hounds?”
“The Hounds of Zeus. It’s the name of their motorcycle club. All the Hounds are in the family business. They’re the good guys. The ones who will do anything they can to save whoever needs saving. Think of them as biker superheroes. Only instead of capes, they wear kuttes.”
“What’s a cut?”
“That’s the black vest with all the patches on it.”
“Oh, yeah. My brother had one.” Sadie was young the last time she’d seen Dom, but she always thought his biker vest – his kutte – was cool as hell. She didn’t remember him being a Hound. Something about gods instead. Sadie wondered if he was one of the good guys, or if he’d turned out to be a loser like their father. She prayed he was still the sweet guy who took her for rides on his bike. The brother who taught her about good rock ’n’ roll music. The one who threatened to beat every boy’s ass if they mistreated her. She didn’t let herself think about Dominic often, but when she did, it made her miss home as much as thinking about their mother.
“Your brother’s a biker?”
“Yes. At least he was back before I was taken.”
“He still is.” Hayden entered the room, his hands deep in his front pockets. “And he’s never forgotten about you.”
Hayden
Lucy had been able to locate Juan Carlos in California. Only his meeting wasn’t with Benning – he was Benning. He was using the alias to move about. And so far, the male hadn’t left California to return to Texas. That was the good news. The bad news was neither Lucy nor Henry had been able to find the vehicles of the men who attacked the estate. They weren’t giving up. Lucy had put her research with Jonas Montague on hold so she could work with Henry to try and locate Mateo. Henry had his own set of problems with a hacker who was targeting the Stone Society.
Hayden passed the information over to Spyder and Devon before returning to the living room to check on Sadie. When she mentioned Dominic, Hayden decided to give the female some good news to hopefully take her mind off Mateo, if for a little bit.
Sadie’s amber eyes widened at his admission. “You know Dominic?” She sat up, pushing the blanket off her legs.
“I do. Here, I want to show you something.” Hayden thumbed through the photos on his phone. When he stepped closer to the sofa, Nora stood, and Hayden sat down beside Sadie and showed her the tribute bike.
“Is that…?” Sadie ghosted her finger over the screen. “That’s me.”
“It is. When I’m not out catching bad guys, I build custom bikes. I was commissioned by Dominic to paint your picture on the tank. The request came in a couple months ago, so he hasn’t forgotten you. When this mess with Juan is over and we get Mateo back, Dom’s going to be thrilled to see you.”
“But why can’t we tell him now? I mean, he’s a biker, so that means he’s tough, right? Maybe he could help you.” Sadie was so hopeful, and Hayden didn’t want to squash her dream of finally seeing her family again, but he had to.
“It’s not that simple, Sweetheart. The more people who know where you are, the better chance Juan has of getting his hands on you. I can’t risk that.”
Sadie tossed the phone in Hayden’s lap and surged to her feet. “This is my life, not yours. I’m the one who’s been held captive for eight years. The one who was tossed away over a business deal. The one who had to marry a monster against my wishes!”
When Sadie grabbed her head, Hayden got up and gently urged her to sit back down. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to upset you. And you’re right – it is your life. But you need to trust me in doing the right thing for you.”
“Why should I trust you? I don’t know you. Yeah, you and your family have been nice to me, but you kill people for a living. How does that make you any better than Juan?”
Hayden sucked in a breath. Her words were like a punch to the solar plexus. “I am better than him because I don’t kill just anyone. I only take out those who keep skirting the law. Those who are killers, pedophiles, human traffickers. People who have no problem with harming innocent victims. People who take in young girls as payment, then force them to marry them. You said yourself you didn’t care if I took Juan out. I’m not going to apologize for what I do. I’m not ashamed that I get rid of the trash of the world. But hey, if you want Juan to find you, to take you back to your prison, then you should walk out the door right now. Go back to him and back to the way you’ve been living.” Hayden fisted his hands, his chest heaving. Instead of arguing more, he stormed out of the room.
Chapter Twelve
Hayden
“Everything okay in here?” Spyder stood in the doorway between the living room and kitchen.
“I’m going for a walk.” Hayden had to leave before he said something he’d regret. He strode through the house and out the back door, ignoring the glances from Devon and his mate. Zeus, he wished he had his bike. Hayden wanted nothing more than to get on one of his Harleys and take off. Since he didn’t, he opted for the next best thing. Striding into the woods, Hayden looked around to make sure he was alone, stripped down to his bare skin, then shifted into his Eagle. His Gryphon was itching to be turned loose, but that was too risky. Rarely did Hayden get to let the beast loose, especially when there were humans in the area. Seeing a large bird was one thing, but to see a half eagle-half lion? That was the stuff fantasy movies were made of, and Hayden couldn’t risk it.
Leaving without taking his clothes with him was stupid, but Hayden needed to get away from Sadie. Her words stung, but the longer he soared above the trees, the more he calmed down. He reminded himself what she was going through. What she had gone through over the last eight years. On top of that, her child was missing. Thinking of the boy, Hayden turned toward the estate where he’d found Sadie.
When he landed on a branch of the tallest tree, Hayden searched the area. The house was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape. Hayden wanted to shift and search the house for his own clues, but he couldn’t risk being found, especially wandering around naked. While he was staring at the lounge chair where he’d found Sadie, his Eagle prodded him.
There’s someone here.
Hayden focused in on the where the Eagle had spotted a human. A man dressed in camouflage w
as hidden on the other side of the property. He was peering through a pair of binoculars, his focus on the house. Without knowing where the security cameras were, Hayden couldn’t shift and voice the male. Instead, he sat quietly, watching. Since he’d left his clothes and phone back at Devon’s, he had no way of communicating with Spyder, so all he could do was wait.
The sun’s shadows shifted over the trees, finally changing place with moonlight. Hayden figured he sat there for over seven hours before the man moved from his post. When he did, he passed off the binoculars to another man dressed in the same dark camouflage. Hayden didn’t see rifles, but that didn’t mean the men weren’t armed. Still, he wanted to get closer, so he flew away from the house, taking a long loop around and coming up behind them. Instead of overhearing their conversation, he found the first man walking through the back of the property while the other one took up the post to watch the house. Hayden kept his eyes on the man walking, and when he was far enough away, Hayden launched from the branch he’d perched on and followed at a distance. Luck was on his side when the man got into an SUV Hayden hadn’t seen during his flyover. He figured instead of leaving a vehicle parked, they were coming and going in shifts. Hayden memorized the tag number before flying directly overhead.
Hayden estimated the man drove approximately forty or fifty miles before coming to a stop at an old house which, from the air, appeared to be abandoned. Hayden circled high above as the man got out of the vehicle and strode toward the back of the house. Instead of going inside, he sat down in one of several chairs surrounding what appeared to be a fire pit. Hayden settled on a nearby tree branch and watched. The sun was just rising when movement from the house snagged Hayden’s attention. His grip faltered when a little boy, followed by an older woman, came out of the house. The boy had to be Mateo. He walked right up to the man and climbed on his lap while the older woman took a seat next to them.
What the ever-loving hell?
At least we know he’s safe.