by Jami Gray
Whatever she saw in his face had her lifting her chin and finally looking at the others. ‘About seven, maybe eight months ago, I was in Kennewick restocking medical supplies, and someone sent me a notice about an underground auction, said what I was looking for would be there.’
‘You went?’ The question, carrying bucket loads of disbelief and censor, came from Ruin.
A bit of Mandy’s normal spirit broke through the guilt and fear. ‘Of course.’
‘By yourself?’ Ruin shot back, totally ignoring Charity’s dirty look. ‘Are you stupid?’ That turned Charity’s dirty look straight into a ‘shit-you-best-duck-for-cover’ territory.
When Vex turned to aim a similar look at her brother, Math figured Mandy’s story was getting to the women. However, he had to silently agree with Ruin. It was downright stupid to follow up some anonymous lead—especially into an underground auction.
Before Mandy could respond, Reaper cut in. ‘Did you find him there?’ When Mandy turned to him, he clarified, ‘Drake.’
‘No,’ she answered. ‘But it wasn’t much better.’
There was no missing that whatever Mandy saw left a hell of an impression. It was there in the sick fury colouring her cheeks a hectic red and the anguish darkening her eyes. Math had his own memories to pull from and they were far from pretty.
Vex leaned forward, gaining Mandy’s attention. ‘What happened?’
Mandy’s gaze slid away as she went back to that moment. ‘There was this vile man dragging a little girl on a leash. She couldn’t have been more than seven, and so scared.’ Mandy’s throat worked, her voice going husky. ‘She was nothing more than bones, barely able to keep up, and he was dragging her through the filth, laughing even as she cried. I couldn’t stand by and watch.’
The situation was a familiar one at such auctions. As difficult as it had been for Math to stand aside when faced with it, such a scene would have been hell for Mandy. As a mother and a healer, she would’ve done whatever she could to save the child.
‘I lost my temper—my mind—and went after him.’ Math was unsurprised by Mandy’s admission. The defensive note in her voice remained strong as she continued. ‘The fight spread to the ones around us. They pulled me off of him, but the little girl …’ She blinked and looked down at her hands. ‘She didn’t survive.’ Those healer’s hands curled into tight fists. ‘My fault.’ Her voice came out harsh with self-recrimination. ‘If I hadn’t gone after him—’
‘She’d still be dead,’ Charity cut in, bringing Mandy’s attention to her. ‘Maybe in a worse way.’
When Mandy shot her a grateful look, Math figured she heard Charity’s strange comfort.
‘Who’s “they”?’ Reaper asked.
Mandy turned back to him. ‘Some sort of guards, private I think. Maybe hired by whoever ran the auction. They were monitoring the crowd, the payments, all of it.’
Guards, my ass. Math had no doubt those so-called guards were mercenary enforcers, paid to ensure the exchange of money and flesh was kept as bloodless as possible. If a single person, especially someone like Mandy, managed to cause a mini-riot, they must have sucked at their job.
Mandy wasn’t done with her story. ‘They took me to a holding cell, told me I would be charged with attacking that … that man and fined for loss of property.’ Her lips twisted into a bitter curve and her voice was harsh. ‘They called her, “property”.’ She blinked and finished. ‘They threw me in, locked the door and after a few hours, when I figured I was pretty much screwed, she showed up.’
‘Greer?’ Reaper clarified as he drew a leg up until he could rest his arm on his knee.
Mandy gave another one of her nods. ‘She claimed to be in charge of New Seattle’s militia and started in on the questions—who I was, why I was there. There was no reason not to tell her, so I did. When I finished, she explained the charges against me, how I could find myself sentenced to a labour camp, or serving as a replacement for the property the man lost.’ She dropped her gaze as her teeth worried her bottom lip, even as she smoothed her palms over her thighs.
Reading her nerves, Reaper just watched her. ‘Then she made you an offer?’
Mandy swallowed and looked up. ‘She said she’d be willing to talk to the slaver, get him to take a deal.’
Math could see it all so clearly. Greer, probably thrilled beyond measure to find an unexpected gift, would move quick to ensure she sank her nasty ass claws deep into a possible inside source to Crane. His conclusion solidified as Mandy kept going.
‘She said she’d ask around, see if she could find out, once and for all, if my children had survived. Put my mind at ease.’
‘And what did she ask for in return?’
Mandy turned at Ruin’s question so she could see him. ‘Nothing.’ Reading Ruin’s disbelief, she rushed on. ‘I knew there’d be a price tag, but I wanted out of there. So when she made me an offer, supposedly with no strings attached, I knew it was too good to be true. I wanted out. I wanted to go home. If I didn’t take her offer, I’d rot there.’ She turned back to Reaper, pleading. ‘I’d spent years chasing whispers and got nothing. Why would it be any different from her? I figured she’d come up empty. I’d be off the hook. Once I was out of the cell, she had no leverage.’
Seeing Mandy’s desperation as she tried to convince not just Reaper, but herself, of her logic, a small flash of pity rose. Math knew Mandy wasn’t like him, or Charity, or the Vultures watching her. She wasn’t one to come up swinging when life decked her, not anymore. Life had dealt her a brutal blow. She’d walked away. If forced into a corner, she might fight—might being the operative word. It made her the perfect choice for Greer.
‘What changed?’ Reaper hid his feelings about Mandy’s story behind an expressionless mask.
‘I came home, tried to pretend it never happened. Prayed I’d never hear from her. Then a month or so later, she reached out—told me to meet her in Kennewick. Said she had something I’d want to see for myself. So I went.’ Her smile was small and wobbly. ‘He was there, Drake was. A little worse for wear, but alive and breathing. She had him working with her men, training. She made him part of her guard.’
‘He recognised you?’
Mandy swallowed hard and nodded. ‘I got to hold him, talk to him. Not for long. She watched the entire time, made it obvious she was the one in control.’
Call him cynical but Greer finding a boy supposedly taken by Raiders almost ten years earlier, in a month’s time? Yeah, that seemed awfully convenient.
The irony didn’t escape Reaper either. ‘How, exactly, did she explain finding a boy you couldn’t?’
‘She told me she used her resources to track down one of the Raiders involved in the attack. From there it was a matter of following the money.’ She turned her head away, her eyes closing. ‘Initially he was sold into a brothel, then again to a private owner, and most recently to a cartel-held farm for labour. She paid his owner and put him to work under her.’ Her eyes opened, blurred with tears. ‘She told me she’d give me his papers free and clear, once I did her a favour.’ Her voice faltered to a halt and she swallowed, hard.
‘Let me guess,’ Charity spoke up. ‘She wanted information on the supply runs.’
‘Dates and routes, mainly.’ Mandy’s shoulders shuddered as she took a bracing breath and lifted her head. ‘I pushed back, told her I wasn’t comfortable betraying Crane. She gave me this cold smile—,’ her hand went to the back of her neck as if still feeling it, ‘—and informed me it was Crane or my son. Which would I rather lose?’ She dropped her hand to her lap, her fingers lacing tightly as she held Reaper’s gaze. ‘Crane had you and Simon and Bodin to protect him. Drake only had me. I didn’t have a choice.’
‘You could have come to us.’ Vex’s voice carried a castigating whip.
Mandy flinched. ‘Maybe, but at the time I couldn’t risk Drake.’ She held Reaper’s gaze, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. ‘I’m sorry.’
Maybe she was, but
Math knew the words meant little to those watching. Her actions, on the other hand, spoke volumes.
Reaper stared at her, saying nothing, then got to his feet and went to the railing, his back to the porch. Mandy twisted in her chair to watch him. Silence stretched, until the crickets filled it. No-one spoke, leaving it to Reaper to pass judgement. When he turned and finally spoke, even though he held Mandy’s gaze, his comment wasn’t to her. ‘Charity, take her inside and check on Cam.’
Mandy scooted forward and half rose from her chair. ‘Reaper, please.’
He held up a hand, stopping her. ‘Don’t. Inside.’
Math didn’t miss Charity’s soft sigh as she moved away from Ruin and towards Mandy. ‘Come on, doc.’
With slumped shoulders and bowed head, Mandy walked with Charity into the house, leaving the shattered remains of the Vultures’ trust behind.
Chapter 20
Torn between pity and anger, Vex struggled to come to terms with Mandy’s confession. Betrayal left scars. No-one spoke, but the emotional storm hovered on the porch, lifting the fine hairs on her arms. The only one who seemed to be handling it was Math. Sitting as close as they were, she couldn’t deny his solid presence kept the bone-deep chill at bay. With his arm around her shoulders, tucked into his side, she rested her forehead against his scruffy jaw and took his scent deep.
Ruin turned away and stared into the night-shrouded yard. ‘Fuck.’
Without moving from her position, Vex muttered, ‘You can say that again.’ On her shoulder Math’s hand tightened. She blew out a breath, lifted her head and turned to Reaper. Even after years of riding at his side, the intimidating mask he wore gave her pause. She got it. Boy did she get it, but there was no getting around the need to discuss what Mandy shared.
The Vultures rode the roads as judge, jury and, when needed, executioners. Never before had her responsibilities been so difficult. This hit so close to home she wasn’t sure she could do it. Judge, jury—no problem. Executioner? The possibility left her stomach in knots and sent emotional fissures snaking through the core of her. Carefully maneuvering around her internal struggle, she kept her voice level as she asked Reaper, ‘What are you going to do with Mandy?’
Reaper leaned against one of the porch’s posts, arms folded over his chest, his gaze directed out into the night with Ruin’s. ‘That’s Simon’s problem.’ Sharp-edged fury lined his voice. ‘Ultimately Pebble Creek’s his responsibility. She’s one of his.’
Ruin’s arms flexed as he gripped the railing. ‘Hell of an intro to the big leagues, don’t you think?’
‘Crane’s gone.’ Reaper’s response was hard, unforgiving, a simple statement of fact. He met Ruin’s gaze. ‘He’s going to have to pick that damn mantle up sooner or later. We promised Si we’d stick around until he was back on his feet. He’s upright and breathing. We aren’t sticking around much longer.’ He turned away first. ‘And not just because of this shit.’
‘You forgetting something?’ Ruin snapped.
Reaper stilled, looked back and stayed mute.
Not heeding the silent warning, Ruin kept pushing. ‘You promised Lilith we’d stay and keep things steady until the dust settled.’ His lip curled up. ‘Ain’t seeing nothing but dust storms on the horizon, brother.’
Reaper’s eyes narrowed and his face tightened, and Vex braced. It was clear Reaper hadn’t forgotten a damn thing, including how Lilith maneuvered him to get that promise. When he spoke, his voice was cold enough to freeze her brother’s balls. ‘Promised her I’d hold it—temporarily. Time’s up.’
It sucked, especially for Si, but Reaper was right. Things in Pebble Creek got shaky after Crane’s death because the only two men available to step into his shoes were Bodin and Simon. While Simon recovered from the Raider’s brutal handling, running things required more than Bodin’s hand on the reins. So the Vultures had stuck around to help, just until Simon was on his feet.
Which was fine until Lilith got involved. Holding a territory that stretched from Colorado, through New Mexico and into Texas, she was a power to reckon with. Much like Michael. At her request—okay, more like order—the Vultures agreed to stay put and keep the routes open and moving until further notice. But with Simon back in action, he and Bodin could manage without them so they could deal with the fallout from Mandy’s duplicitous role.
Vex had a feeling she could predict Reaper’s next steps—going after Greer, possibly Michael and getting Mandy’s son. Not things the Vultures could do if they were stuck at Pebble Creek. Up first would be keeping Si and Pebble Creek clear of the mess, and to do that, they’d tackle things from the road.
When Math shifted in his seat next to her, drawing Reaper’s attention, it became clear she wasn’t the only one considering those lines. ‘You got a plan?’
Expression half hidden by the shadows falling from the porch roof, Reaper studied Math, and by extension, Vex. There was a shift in the air around the big man, one that left Vex fighting the urge to squirm. Math’s hold kept her still.
‘First,’ Reaper said, ‘we take on Greer.’
Vex didn’t miss the way Math tensed, or the way Reaper’s chin suddenly acquired a stubborn jut.
‘Just because you were right about this, doesn’t make you right about all of it,’ Reaper snapped. ‘Greer belongs to Michael, which means his hands could be dirty.’
Sounding just as surly, Math shot back, ‘Maybe, but he’s not your immediate problem.’
‘Yeah, fucking got that.’ With that, Reaper pushed away from the post and began to pace, one hand going to his neck. The air around him fairly shimmered with fury and frustration.
For a minute they all watched Reaper pace and fume. When he stalked by Ruin, her brother decided risking Reaper’s temper once wasn’t enough. ‘We are going after the boy, right?’
His question brought Reaper to an abrupt halt. He turned on his heel and shot Ruin a dark look. ‘What do you think?’
Right before the big man decided to take his frustration out on her beloved twin, Vex decided to intervene. Scooting out from Math’s hold, she perched on the edge of her seat, elbows to knees. When the warmth of Math’s hand settled at the small of her back, she fought back the shiver, and kept her gaze on Reaper. ‘So, plan?’
Their fearless leader’s attention dropped to her, then shifted to Math. ‘Any idea on how soon your boy is mobile?’
Vex turned her head in time to catch Math’s shrug. ‘Have to check with the doc, but I’m thinking two, maybe three days.’
Reaper rubbed his chin. ‘So he’s out.’
With obvious impatience Ruin stepped closer. ‘Details, brother?’
‘We can leave Cam here with Sara and Danny, but we keep it quiet. Can’t bring this farmstead any further into this mess. Work for you?’ He aimed the last at Math and got a nod before continuing. ‘You and Vex need to head out before sunrise, want you at Stone Pen before the sun’s up.’
Located on a bend of the Boise River and tucked behind overgrown trees and vegetation, Stone Pen referred to a collection of ancient buildings that once served as a prison. Most of the structures were one strong wind from crumbling into piles of rubble and dust. But there were a couple that weren’t going anywhere any time soon. Even better, it was far enough away from the Hole to escape Trip’s notice.
Reaper turned to Ruin. ‘Once doc says Cam’s stable, you and Charity get her ass into town. Doc needs to reach out to Greer.’
Ruin nodded. ‘Want us visible or shadows?’
‘Visible. No reason to hide yet. Far as Greer is concerned we still trust Mandy, so you two escorting her into town won’t raise any alarms. Just give her enough room to make contact.’
‘You think that’s smart?’ Math cut in.
Reaper’s jaw flexed. ‘Chances are damn good Greer got wind you snatched Cam, so she’s most likely hauling ass to Boise as we speak.’
Of that, Vex had no doubt. Especially since one of the men holding Cam managed to get away.
> ‘We need Mandy to reach out. Fastest way to do that, get her close and have her make that contact.’ Crossing his arms over his chest, Reaper’s face fell back to its familiar hard lines. ‘Mandy’s going to offer the bitch exactly what she wants, us—’ he pinned Math with a look, ‘—and you.’
‘We’re bait.’ Math’s voice made it clear it wasn’t a question.
Reaper’s lips curled into a nasty smile. ‘She wants us, so fuck yeah.’
‘And the boy?’ Ruin asked. ‘How are we getting to him?’
‘Doc’s going to make one demand, Greer brings her boy out. Gets him somewhere she can see him. Easy enough to hide a face in a marketplace crowd. Once she has eyes on him, she’ll lead Greer to us. The boy will be dragged along as insurance for doc’s good behaviour.’
‘So what?’ Ruin groused. ‘Charity and I are just supposed to play stupid?’
‘Yeah.’ Reaper shot back. ‘Make it believable.’
Unlike Reaper, Vex wasn’t so sure it would be that simple. Granted Greer wanted blood, but would she really be arrogant enough to believe her greatest wish would fall right into her hands? She turned to Math, who seemed to have a better grasp on Greer’s mental state. ‘Will that be enough for her?’
His gaze was steady and clear. ‘My guess? Yeah.’ He faced Reaper. ‘But she’s going to double cross your ass, and you know it.’
‘Not stupid,’ Reaper growled. ‘Which is why we’re picking the place.’
Undaunted Math kept pushing. ‘Greer will bring reinforcements.’
‘Figured she would,’ Reaper snapped clearly losing patience with Math’s persistence. ‘Got an idea how heavy?’
Math took his time before answering. ‘She’s arrogant enough to believe Mandy’s trapped under the thumb, so she might be convinced the doc wouldn’t double cross her. Still, she doesn’t go far without her handpicked guard. Guessing ten, but no more than fifteen. She likes to use two-man teams.’