by Nini Church
Curled up later that evening with Abe in his lap, Jericho pored over the ultrasound picture. It was nothing more than a big gray blob except for two fists held in front. Amazed and awed, his eyes glazed, thinking of his child, perhaps a son. Totally captured by an image of a black haired child with green eyes like his Mommy, he was lost in happy thoughts.
Him – a Dad.
Yeah, he’d have to wrap his mind around that one somehow. Jericho never expected to have kids and now in a blink without even getting to know his mate really well like he intended they were gonna be Mommy and Daddy.
A really big first. Epic. His first child.
When he let his mind play over the idea, it made him nervous. Antsy. Would he be a good father? Have the patience his did? God, he had pushed and crossed the line a lot more than once with his Dad. He groaned softly at what the future might bring.
In his lap, Abe twisted around to face Jericho. “So, poohbah. What’s going on? You came in here all tense and ready to take someone’s head off. Or maybe you already did by the looks of your bloody knuckles.”
Jericho hung his head – this wasn’t the time or the place to bring up the bad news. Not after sharing the first picture of their soon to be newborn. “Lon came by the compound today. It seems the Council of Nine want answers about Tess’ death. It’s never been proven she’s actually dead and that causes all kinds of issues for the family and of course fuels rumors. The Council feels that as the last one with Tess you may have some answers. They’ve requested your presence tomorrow. The order dictates a face to face meeting.”
Abe nodded, eyes distant, shivers creeping up the back of her arms, mind turning back to Tess and that tiny cell. She tried to remember what happened before and after the chain went around her legs, but it was all blurry. When did her shoulder dislocate? Did that happen first or when she face planted the stone floor? Truly the horror of it was a mess of bits and pieces, all disjointed and jumbled together in her mind.
She vaguely recalled when Tess fell down, but couldn't remember why or how it happened. After that there was nothing until she woke in the open doorway – half in half out of the cell – and desperate to escape. Loosely, she recalled calling Bear out, but had no memory of seeing or hearing Tess any longer.
"Jericho, I wish I could remember exactly what happened, but it's all one big mess. I don't know what happened when. Did I dislocate my shoulder first or did that happen later? I haven’t a clue. I do have an image of Tess standing over me, stabbing my foot. After that I can recall nothing but pain.”
Softly Jericho asked, "Was it only you two? You and Tess?"
"Yeah, it was just me and her. I didn’t see anyone else. There was this horrible smell of blood, maybe old blood, that just hung in the air. It felt as if a lot of souls had died there."
Jericho avoided pushing her for those kinds of details, she was already shaken up trying to remember the event. "When did Bear come into it?"
"I recall crawling towards the cell door. Tess had left it open. That's when I called Bear."
"And Tess?"
"I don't know. She wasn't standing over me anymore, I don’t know where she went."
"Abe, did you ever touch Tess?"
"No. Not even once. I did want to drag her down and go alley cat on her, but I knew she was stronger then me. And, she had a terrible chain that cut up my legs. It was hideously painful…”
He waited, having learned the arts of Delicate and Notice already with her and hopefully that would keep him one step ahead in the mate department. "Was it quiet when you called Bear out? Did you sense any movement around you?"
"Seriously, I don't know. I was in shock. Everything felt as if were happening from a distance. All gray and formless.”
Cold surrounded her and Abe snuggled closer to Jericho. “I screamed a few times getting to the cell door, my body wasn’t working and I felt so numb. Truly if Tess was there I didn't see her. But sound, sight and everything else was on the back burner at that point." Abe shivered. "That's all there is – a jumble of hideous, painful memories."
Jericho held her tight and leaned in to kiss her temple and the tip of her pert nose. “Myn lykyng, I don’t want you to worry. We have Reed Stetson on our side. When he heard what the Council of Nine was up to, he called me immediately and offered his services. He’s the best legal mind in the business and we grew up together – our families were close. Reed will meet with you before you answer questions from the Council. Both of us will attend with you, so don’t worry about being on your own. Piccola, I accepted Reed’s offer on your behalf.”
She kissed him. “Thank you.”
“Abe, if you’re not up to this, you just have to say so. You don’t answer to anyone but your King.” He leaned in and took her lips again. He’d never get enough.
She snorted before kissing him back.
Jericho broke the kiss with a big grin. “I know, Abe, you really gotta work on taking orders and the obeying bit too.”
Whooping laugher erupted as a wide smile split Abe’s face, emerald eyes dancing with delight. “You're so funny.”
“Well, what say you, oh Queen of mine.”
“I think I’m up to it. We need to put this behind us even if I don’t remember what happened to Tess.”
“That’s all you have to tell them.” Jericho didn’t want to mention it was easier said than done. But now that was settled and the issue with Council put to bed, he intended doing the same with Abe. With deluxe care and gently, he was bent on a mission to make love with her, ease her tensions and his worries.
Softly, eyes big and round with worry, Abe admitted, “You know, Jericho, there is a way to maybe find out where Tess took me. Bear was there – he can go back. He never forgets a scent – his nose is like a blood hound only from the bear family.”
Jericho scrubbed a hand over his face. He hadn't pressed Abe about what happened because he really hadn’t wanted to dive into further detail. Tess had disappeared, but whether she was dead or not was just a guess.
He recalled when Bear had roared with triumph after he asked if Tess was dead. That was enough for him then and now. Bear had clearly communicated victory when he heard dead and Tess in the same sentence.
For Jericho – and Abe – it was better to leave the dead, dead rather than raise them. It wasn’t necessary to investigate any further. Aw, shit! Who the fuck was he kidding? Gently, he shifted Abe to one side and slid out of the chair.
He opened the bedroom door and let out a long shrill whistle. Below, pounding feet and answering short whistles told his team heard his command.
“Bear out.”
Hunkered down on all fours, Bear surveyed Abe, the room, the open door and Jericho. Snout in the air, he sniffed again and again.
SR sauntered in, joining the party. Once upstairs, he was kinda stuck unless somebody carried him back down. It was pitiful.
Bear swiped a playful paw at SR who ignored it and sidled up beside the giant Kodiak now sitting on his haunches as floorboards ominously creaked.
“Bear, can you take Jericho back to the place where Tess hurt me? Please, it’s important. We need to know what happened.”
Bear went rock still, eyes lowering to SR. Unusually, he didn’t respond nor look up, but stayed quiet.
Abe knew Bear was resisting and said, “We need to know the truth.”
The massive beast whiffled softly, air puffing out his cheeks, a lone wail of denial.
Impatient, Jericho decided to step into it. “Bear, they’re accusing Abe of terrible things since Tess disappeared. If she’s dead, we need to prove it. Take me there.”
When Bear finally lifted his head, his hard beady eyes were all over Jericho.
SR sniffed loudly, then yawned widely letting his jaws snap shut.
Finally, Bear nodded with his chin, but only after a long study of Jericho.
CHAPTER 26
Jericho left with Bear.
Minutes later Matty rushed into the bedroom intent on d
istracting Abe. “I heard about your summons to Council. What are you going to wear? Gotta be something real special. Show you off a little.”
Fifi came in and they helped Abe choose her dress from a selection created while shopping with Daddio that afternoon not so long ago. In the end, they landed on a beautiful floor length crepe gown and two pair of shoes – the good looking heels and the pair she was going to wear most of the time.
Below there was an unspoken argument going on. Bear refused to take anyone but Jericho.
Reno went ballistic, mowing into Bear’s face. “Ain’t no ultimatums on my watch. Don’t push me on this, motherfucker. Don't do it.” Reno thumbed over his shoulder, “My King goes nowhere without protection. I don’t give a fuck how many tons of shit you throw around. He’s my man. True.”
Inches from Reno’s face, Bear – mouth opening wide – roared denial.
Rank, hot animal breath and spit sprayed over Reno so hard his hair blew back from his face and his eyes watered. Instantly, he realized Bear’s intense refusal was to protect Abe. He decided to cool his heels a little. For now. “I get you’re protecting Abe. But Jericho goes nowhere without protection too.”
Bear grunted then let out a long whiffle as if mulling it over. A barking grunt was his answer.
“I’ll take it you’re cool then.” Reno beamed. “Let’s roll.”
Cal handed both Jericho and Reno a black sheet of plastic the size of a business card and just as thin. “Cameras. They’ve got adhesive so they stick to cloth. Bury them in a pocket. They travel good so far. Cameras have infra-red lenses.”
Jericho slapped Cal on the back, an unspoken thank you. He worked tirelessly to provide the best electronics on the market and if not made yet, then Cal manufactured it himself.
Reno grinned. He loved Cal’s toys and told him often.
Once outside, Jericho tried to explain to Bear, index finger pointing upwards. “We’ll follow you from above.”
Bear swung away bounding past the compound gates, heading into open country. In less than a few minutes, he was out of sight.
Jericho took to the air, straight up as usual while Reno slid to the side, angling upwards following closely as they both dissolved into air molecules.
A couple of hours later, Bear pulled up, pawing the ground as Jericho and Reno materialized beside him. Bear waved a paw in the direction of an old outbuilding off to the side of an unused road overgrown with weeds. They were many miles north of where they had searched for Abe.
Old and wooden, the outbuilding hadn’t been used in years. Abandoned, as one sidewall slanted inwards, ready to collapse. Bear led them around the back to a set of basement stairs. A heavy wooden door recently ripped off its hinges lay tilted on its side against the old stone. No doubt by Bear when escaping with Abe.
Down three levels, the stench of old blood from a number of races hung in dank, moldy air. An inch of water lay over stone floors.
Jericho trembled with rage. It was beyond his imagination to think Abe had been down here. Yet, her faint scent – honey, lemons and rain – lingered as did Bear’s potent odor. They had both been here.
Bear remained behind the two big warriors standing outside the tiny space where Abe had been held. Jericho couldn’t catch a breath – the cell was full of the smell of Abe’s blood. Even weeks later, it hadn’t faded all that much.
Neither Jinn said a word, but got to work.
Reno made sure to keep Bear out of any photos, no need to bring the beast into it. As Jericho pointed out, it meant getting Giaa and Met involved. Totally not going to fucking happen. Metatron might just kill off the entire Council if he decided they had insulted his daughter. Yeah, they were gonna keep Bear on the down low. Real down low – nice and safe n’ out of the picture.
One step up, out of inch deep water, Reno and Jericho stood cramped together, shit-kickers only edging into the tiny cell with a thick wooden door. Solid stone, the cell was no more than eight by eight feet. Chains hanging on one wall and the smell of death heavy in the fetid air, it was more than evident this cell had been used as a torture chamber. Many times.
Reno stayed in the doorway covering every square inch of the tiny space, taking panoramic shots before Jericho entered the cell.
Several steps in and the toe of Jericho’s shit kicker nudged something on the floor. He poked it, but it appeared to be nothing but a ragged black heap. He lit the room using light from his palm, letting it play over an old bit of dried leather – black leather. All one piece. Huh.
Jericho didn’t say it, but it was similar to the black bodysuit Tess had worn. He toed it again – it was hard and dried up and only big enough to fit a child. His heart clenched at the depth of evil it would take to torture a child.
Odd that it had been discarded. There wasn’t any blood inside or around it. Tess, well known for her love of clothes, might have changed into a new outfit meaning she wasn’t dead. But it was too small, the leather shrivelled, appearing dried out over a long time.
Over his shoulder, Jericho asked Reno, “Do you think this shit could be that stretchy type of material? Do they make stretchy leather? Fake leather?”
“Nope, don’t know. What is it?”
“A garment of some kind. It’s got arms and legs.”
“Tiny arms and legs, boss,” Reno added before turning back to taking as many photos as he could before they got out of here.
Other than the blood everywhere it was the only other piece of evidence in the tiny cell. Hunched down, Jericho inched in, getting a faint whiff of Tess' heavy floral scent – she always wore too much perfume. When he stood up, Tess’s scent disappeared. That confirmed Tess had come in contact with the leather garment.
He studied the shrunken leather. Around what appeared to be a neckline were jagged slashes – uneven, hacked slashes. There were also blackened holes that turned out to be odd shaped burn marks.
Might be Tess’ weapons melting. Which meant lots of heat – a fuck of a lot of heat.
Next, he noticed a fine white film inside the garment, but not enough to consider it more than dust. Or ash?
Jericho’s world tilted.
Heart pounding in his throat, his worst fear roaring to life – that Abe had killed Tess whether she remembered it or not. Now more than ever, Jericho needed to know what happened here.
Many witnesses had seen Abe fry Amadan to nothing but ashes with one touch. Had she done the same to Tess? There was no evidence to back that up and he believed her when she admitted she hadn’t touched Tess. Abe had no reason to lie to him.
A heap of white dust in one corner caught his eye. As he edged in closer, he discovered the heap was ash not dust. Very fine white ash with one stray line of ash coiling to the side. For a second, Jericho’s mouth hung open. Could it be what was left of Tess’ notorious chains? If so, it was a fitting end to a hideous Demon tool.
Easing back to his feet, Jericho’s intense blue eyes tracked large puddles of blood corresponding with what Abe said happened. Large splattering blood droplets in an even line across one wall happened when Tess applied her chain to Abe’s legs.
Reno shot a cross hatch of shots of the blood spatter.
Jericho pointed out Abe’s handprints smeared in blood along one wall and imprinted on the stone floor beside puddles with splatters low on the rough stone walls right up to the cell door. It was all here in blood. Abe had dragged her body to the doorway. It was evidence and exactly what Abe described.
It all panned out – every word.
Reno took a few blood swabs on flat plastic slabs Caleb provided. They wanted facts. He got extra shots of Abe's movements in the blood trails and several close-ups of her handprints trailing one wall, taking pictures to match what Abe said happened. Another of Jericho’s brilliant ideas. When it came to his mate – Jericho was unstoppable.
Into his com-link, Jericho gave Cal orders. “Lock on our coordinates. We’ve found where Tess held Abe. Blood everywhere. No trace of Tess. Repeat – no co
nfirmation she’s dead.”
Again Jericho hunched over, toeing the garment and uncurling the hard husk with one hand to lay it relatively flat. “No serious shredding, no clean cut claw marks – this wasn’t Bear’s handiwork. We can rule him out.”
Jericho let the silence draw out as his next words stuck in his throat. “It could be considered an unsanctioned kill whoever the fuck did it and if it was Abe… Aw, fuck!"
Hunched down beside Jericho, Reno shot to his feet. “Our Queen…," he bit out each word fiercely, his voice clouded with emotions he wasn’t used to while holding back his spiraling temper by a thread. That Tess tortured and maimed his Queen in this cell – that she dared – drove home his oath, his honor to protect – any way he could – as Jericho’s second in command.
Reno took a deep breath to steady himself. "Under Jinn law, our Queen has every right to protect herself anyway she fucking can, boss. You, me and a thousand, thousand others will take on anyone who says different. No one can touch Abe under our laws. If it was her, it had to be self-defence.”
Reverently, his chin dipping low, Jericho nodded – Reno had spoken for all Jinn. Then he grinned, feeling lighter for the first time in a long time. To hear Reno say it – loud and fucking clear – made it ring home in a big way.
In the way of Kings – Jericho experienced the penultimate goal of any sovereign – the love of his race and their adoration of his mate.
No matter what – Abe hadn’t only found a place in his heart, but also the hearts of all those around her and many who didn’t know her. Her dream to build hospitals for all races showed how much she cared and for that they loved her.
“And, Reed’s agreed to represent Abe.”
“Couldn’t get any better than that, boss. He’ll make mincemeat out of those fuckers on the Council. With his legal rep, no one likes or wants to go up against Reed.”
Jericho cleared his throat. Now, it was imperative they work out what happened here and face the truth – Abe might’ve had a hand in this. "So, if she fried Tess wouldn’t there be a lot of ash like there was with Amadan? Roald told me later they had to use a sack there was so much of it.” He glanced around. "So where is it?"