Dad headed for his horse and I followed him through the back gate. We walked side by side toward the stables. “Thank you, Dad.”
Chuckling, he wrapped the arm not holding his bay’s reins around my shoulders. “The world is your oyster and such simple things please you, Poppet.” I laughed. It had been years since he’d called me the pet name.
I glanced around but didn’t see his security team. He and Mom had doubled security but it was rare to catch a glimpse of the professionals who guarded us behind the scenes. I didn’t doubt I had many such invisible protectors now myself.
As we neared the stables, I saw Cameron waving madly from the back of a golf cart driven by his dad. They were coming down the rambling path between our properties. I waved back, unable to keep from smiling.
“That boy is going to be a hit with girls in a few years. I can’t believe he’s already nine. Where did the time go?”
My father turned to me and took my hand, “It goes far too fast, Ellie. Savor every minute and make no excuses to anyone.” He twined our fingers and I saw a shine in his eyes that clenched my heart. “You are the best thing to ever happen to your mother and me, Elliana. I would give every dime I have to keep you safe, to see you happy.”
“I love you and Mom so much.”
His eyes closed for a moment before he opened them and cleared his throat. “I want to tell you, now that time has passed and you have precious Kit Kat to love, that I have never been so proud of another human being in my life. I’m sorry we lost sight of you for one second. In the space of a blink you and Jonas were just…gone. Within minutes teams were crawling all over that park, looking for signs. The 911 call from the Vasquez family was the most terrified I’ve ever been.”
“You…you were there when they…found us?” The thought of my dad seeing me like that, broken and weak after what had been done to my body, destroyed me.
Swallowing, he whispered, “You were hurt so bad. You…you kept saying to find Hyde. You told Mom and me that you loved us, asked us to find him and save him. Both brothers had been found but you couldn’t hear us or understand. Of all the things I’ve been through, that was the worst day of my life, Ellie.” He scrubbed angrily at the tear that escaped him.
“And look at you now. You’re healed and so very lovely; the proud mama of a darling daughter. I love you, Ellie. You are my greatest accomplishment."
“I love you, Dad. You know you can do everything right and something can still go wrong. It wasn’t your fault or the team’s – it was the fault of those animals intent on hurting me.” I cupped his cheek with my palm. “Thank you for always trying to so hard to make me happy and keep me safe. I may chafe at the restrictions but it doesn’t make me any less grateful.”
He kissed my knuckles and wrapped his arm around me as we continued on to the stables.
Watching the proud profile I’d memorized as a toddler, I said, “I was so lucky to get you as my father. Thank you for loving me, Daddy. I love you more than you know.” He squeezed my shoulder and touched his eyes again as the golf cart entered the stable yard.
Cameron jumped before the cart fully stopped and ran full out to my side. “I’ve been waiting, Ellie. Gosh, I was afraid you wouldn’t ever ride with me again. Mom and Dad ride too slow.” We waited for our saddled horses, Sarafina nudging me with her nose in happiness.
Her colt wasn’t as wild but still prone to a good run. Cameron scrambled up on Lilith’s back with a huge grin. “You’ll be so proud of me, Ellie. I’ve been practicing.”
I pulled myself into the saddle and was startled when Jonas and Jordan led horses from the stables and mounted to either side of Cameron and me. They appeared comfortable on horseback but they’d never ridden with me before. Bianca and Fiaaz were always my riding companions.
They each wore a shoulder holster with a matte black 9mm prominently displayed. I smiled and guided Sarafina out of the stable yard with a wave to Cameron’s parents and my father.
As soon as we hit the open field, I turned my girl loose. The feel of her pounding rhythm was like a memory I’d forgotten. I let her have her head and trusted her as I always had. Cameron was laughing beside me and I could see Jonas and Jordan on either side of us.
Half an hour later we topped the ridge to the pond near the rear boundary wall, dismounted and let the horses drink. I was going to be sore as hell but it would be worth it. I’d missed riding so much.
Cameron was so excited he could barely stand still. We talked horses and he caught me up on what was going on at school while I fixed my ponytail. He was a happy and intelligent child that I truly enjoyed spending time with. I wondered what Katie would be like at his age and looked forward to outings like this with her.
As we laughingly mounted to head back, Jordan went still beside me. “Jonas, movement along the wall. Ellie, Cameron, we’re moving now.”
Without further instruction, I leaned toward Cameron, “Stay low on your horse, Cam. We’re going back at top speed. Low, do you understand?”
He nodded, “Someone’s after you. Happens to me, too. Let’s go.” The boy came about and nudged Lilith’s sides sharply with his knees, letting her speed build fast, I was right behind him angling my horse to block as much of his small body as I could.
Jordan was beside me, a phone in his hand and barking orders. I didn’t see Jonas.
We entered the stable yard and the grooms guided us all the way into the covered stalls before pulling us off our saddles and Jordan pushed us gently into the panic room every building on the estate had. This one was big enough for our horses. Neither of us would be allowed to leave the building until we received an all-clear from the basement command center at the main house.
I tried to distract Cameron by having him brush down Lilith while I brushed Sarafina. We gave them apples and sugar cubes then filled their feed bags.
Jordan never left my side. His weapon was in his hand and pointed at the ground, he was listening to updates in a small transmitter in his ear.
From the other stall, Cameron said, “It sucks to be worth so much money, doesn’t it, Ellie? People without a lot don’t realize we always have a target on our backs. Last year, when Dad took over that pharmaceutical company, Mom and I got all kinds of threats. All he ever wanted to do was publish good books. He can’t seem to help that he’s really good at making money. Our folks can’t stay off the damn Fortune 500 list.” He paused and Ellie watched him swallow hard. “I hope you’ll still want to ride with me, play video games, and stuff.”
She put her hand on his shoulder. “Cameron, I’ve been going through this for as long as I can remember. Nothing would make me not be your friend. Believe me, having a friend who understands the paranoia that is part of every minute of my life is very comforting.”
“Do they taste your food if you go out?” he asked quietly and the sad truth was he was serious.
“Yeah…they do and it doesn’t ever get easier to have your wings clipped, Cameron. But I’ll tell you a secret. A lot of the frustration at having to be protected all the time is lessened by the good you can do for a lot of people who don’t have what we have. Helping other people in need is what having money is all about. I take it seriously and I hope you will, too.”
Cameron got really quiet. He walked around Lilith to stand beside me. Clearing his throat he said, “Ellie, I know I’m young but I’m also really smart.” He asked, “When you were…hu…hurt so bad last year…Katie…she came from that, didn’t she?” I nodded with my heart in my throat.
“I thought so. I think you’re amazing to have her. She’s a good baby and it wasn’t her fault. I want you to know how much I think of you as a role model. You never quit, Ellie. I’ll never tell anyone about Katie but I respect you so much more for loving her like you do.”
“Th…thanks, Cameron.”
“And I’m just saying, if she grows up like you, I call dibs on an arranged marriage. I’ll be ten years older and that isn’t so bad, do you think? When she’
s in her twenties, I’ll probably still look good. I’d take really great care of her always.”
I was so shocked I started to laugh. “Cameron, the thought of you being my son-in-law in twenty years makes me very happy. I think of you as family anyway. And no, ten years age difference is nothing, men need the extra time to grow up, so their brains match their bodies.”
“Har, har. You are so funny, OMG. Being an only child sucks ass, Ellie. The Hydes are lucky. I wish to god I had a brother. Mom can’t, you know. She tried but I think she lost a couple of babies after me. They ask me sometimes about adopting and I’d love it but they worry I’ll miss having all their attention.”
“I’d have loved sharing my parents’ attention. I know exactly what you mean.” We leaned against the wall and sipped bottled water Jordan handed us with a smile. “Cameron, you’re always welcome here. You have to be the most well-grounded person I know with exception of my inner circle.”
“Thanks, Ellie. If I was twenty years older, I’d sweep you off your feet.” Jordan valiantly stifled a sharp bark of laughter by pretending to sneeze, unable to look directly at me. Cameron grinned and gave a dramatic sigh. “As it is, I’ll wait for Katie. She’ll be twenty soon enough. I have to sow my oats first, do all my manly growing up and whatnot.”
I glanced at Jordan’s face and he was struggling with his laughter. I had no doubt teasing would result from all the others when they heard about this.
We relaxed and chatted, trying not to think about why we were sitting in a panic room. A few minutes later we received the all-clear and my bodyguards as well as Cameron’s escorted us to the main house. Bianca’s first sentence was, “I brought Katie and Robyn. No worries, little mama.” I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
Robyn brought me Katie and Cameron settled beside me. “She’s going to be a stunner. Totally my future wife.” At his parent’s shocked faces, he promptly informed him of our deal and had all our folks smiling.
“Katie, you’ll find me annoying in your teens. I’m going to hate all your friends and likely harp if you don’t listen to your mom. But one day, when you’re about twenty, you’re going to take one look at me and swoon dramatically into love with yours truly.” Katie laughed at her future fiancé loudly and Cameron grinned. “Already you have the tools to wound me. Diabolical.”
Jonas came in a short while later and searched until his eyes landed on me. He visibly relaxed and gave me a smile. “There was evidence of a car sitting for a long time on the other side of the boundary wall. Someone had a ladder against the side, sat with a pair of binoculars. A couple of gum wrappers but no used gum. Cigarette ash on top of the wall but no butts. We traced the tracks to the paved road a mile over. Could of gone any of three directions from there and we have cars fanning out.”
Turning to my dad, he added, “I’ve increased the patrols to every fifteen minutes and we’re going to use the horses to cover more ground than we can on foot.” With a final nod to my parents, Jonas moved to stand behind me.
Looking down at Cameron, he said quietly, “Thank you for keeping a clear head. You helped us protect you and Ellie.”
“Thanks for doing the protecting.” The boy held out his hand like the young man he was fast becoming and Jonas shook it with a sincere smile.
I could tell my security team wanted me back within a perimeter they’d checked and re-checked a hundred times. Saying my goodbyes, I allowed myself to be lead to the armored SUV out front and driven to my home. The net around me would be tighter for a few days until the threat was either neutralized or dismissed.
After we’d all showered and changed, we met for dinner. I said with a sigh, “It could be a reporter.”
Jordan and Jonas said together firmly, “No. It wasn’t a reporter.”
I tilted my head at them with a small frown, “How do you know?” Neither man looked happy about being asked and it could not have been more obvious that they didn’t want to answer.
Noting my intensity, Jordan’s jaw was tight as he said, “We found the corner of a condom wrapper and spermicide on the wall about where a man’s hips would be if standing on a ladder.”
I stared blankly at him for a long moment. “What? I…I don’t get it.”
Bianca explained quietly, “The pervert climbed the ladder, leaning over the top with binoculars, wrapped his tiny pecker in a condom to keep from leaving DNA, then wanked off while watching you, Ellie.” With a low hiss she added, “And took all the evidence of said wanking with him. The creepy son of a bitch.”
“Wait…some…someone was watching me and masturbating?” Bianca nodded slowly. Everything in me recoiled in revulsion. “So their goal isn’t money. Their goal isn’t anything but to get me, right? That’s what we’re dealing with. Looking to…get me…to…”
I stood up from my chair so fast I knocked it over and I couldn’t breathe. It was the same motive as the men from last year. We were dealing with a man who just wanted to use my body; someone who wouldn’t care about taking money to go away.
I saw the Hydes standing beside me and suddenly my memory was there. Not clear because I’d been dealt a major blow to the head. Flashes, still pictures, bits and pieces.
And oh my god it was far more than I needed or wanted.
While I was semi-conscious they’d used my body brutally…in every way possible…laughing at Jonas as he tore open his own flesh trying to get loose from the ropes and chains that bound him in a position to watch what they did to me while he was unable to protect me.
Tears streaming down his face behind the dirty rag they’d shoved in his mouth. His body had already been beaten bloody but he was no less desperate to get to me.
His eyes locked with mine and I saw the rage he still had from that awful day. I was never so grateful for darkness in my life.
Chapter Eleven
There was a soft light glowing on a table across the room. The rest of my room was dim and the house was silent. I blinked several times to clear my thoughts.
Jonas’s voice came from the side of the bed and I turned my face. He was kneeling, his hands clasped on the bed beside me as if he’d been praying. “I didn’t want you to remember, Ellie. I hoped you never would. I’m sorry I didn’t protect you. So sorry I didn’t stop…stop them. Please forgive me, Ellie.” His forehead dropped to the bed and wracking sobs shook his large frame.
I turned to my side and cupped his hands in mine. “Jonas. Oh, Jonas, there’s nothing to forgive you for.” I stroked my hand through hair that was so much softer than I thought it would be and I whispered, “Did you kill them for me, Jonas?” He lifted his damp face and met my eyes with a brutal hardness that should have scared me but didn’t. “Did you make them suffer for me, Jonas?”
“I made them scream until their voices broke, Ellie. Tortured them and bled them slowly.” He was practically growling and I wished I could have been there. “When I was done and covered in their blood, Jordan put a bullet in their groins then one between their eyes. They died hard for what they did to you, Ellie. It was the one time in my life that I was scared for my sanity because I truly enjoyed it with all three of them. I wish I could have made it last longer. I punished them for their part in what happened to you, Ellie…I wish you’d punish me for failing to protect you.”
I fisted my fingers in his hair and made my voice hard. “You didn’t fail me, Jonas. Evil men will see evil done. You’re a strong and capable man but you aren’t omnipotent. You can’t be everywhere at once.” Stroking from his brow to his cheek, I added, “I survived, so did you…so did Jordan. Ultimately, they didn’t. We won, Jonas.” I leaned closer and pressed my lips lightly to his.
His arms came around me, crushing me to him, his large hand holding my head against his shoulder. His lips beside my ear, he told me, “No one will ever hurt you again, Ellie. One day you’ll have good memories to replace the bad ones. I want to be part of those good memories.”
I soaked up the feeling of his ar
ms around me for a long time. I struggled to ask for what I wanted, how to find the words to tell these men what I needed from them.
“Jonas, I’m afraid of the dark. I never was before but since the…I…I didn’t have nightmares in the hospital. There was always light there. When I sleep alone in the dark, my mind tortures me. I didn’t have nightmares last night. I…I want you both to sleep in here. I’m…that is…if that isn’t something…”
“Ellie, we’d love to help you keep the nightmares away. We expect nothing from you. I’ll go change.” He touched his lips to my temple and stood.
I watched him leave the room and went to change into sleep shorts and a soft tank top. After I brushed my teeth and hair, I braided it and went to climb beneath the covers of my bed.
I was strangely lethargic, almost asleep when the twins appeared on either side of my bed in basketball shorts and t-shirts. They put their weapons on the nightstands and slipped in beside me. I sighed deeply and rolled to my back so I could hold their hands.
I was asleep before the covers fully settled over their bodies.
Moonlight shone on the vibrant landscape painting hanging in my sitting area and for a moment I was confused about the presence of the two bodies in bed with me. My upper body was stretched against the chest of one Hyde brother, my legs tangled with the other behind me.
In the dark, it was impossible to tell which was which.
I looked at my palm lying flat on a hard male stomach, skin to skin since the t-shirt had ridden up on one side. Taut warm skin over sculpted muscle. My hand was so much lighter and I wanted to move it, to explore, but I wasn’t brave enough. Not in this.
In this arena, I knew nothing.
I started to pull away when a large male hand covered mine. “You can touch us, Ellie. We won’t touch you without your permission but you can touch us as much as you like.” Then he lifted my hand and kissed my palm before replacing it on his stomach.
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