Aimee takes the exit to the campground, and we find the closest available spot and park the car. She cuts the engine and slumps down in the driver’s seat. “Do I need to worry about you robbing me during the night?” she asks in the darkness.
“If I were going to rob you, I would have already,” I point out.
“True,” she mumbles.
Silence falls upon us, and minutes later, Aimee is snoring softly.
I sigh silently and try not to move around on the creaky seat. Instead, I peer out my window and gaze into the stillness of the night. After driving all day, we’ve made it to Grand Junction, Colorado. My legs are aching and begging me to get out and stretch, but the door of the old car is rusty, and it’ll wake Aimee and whoever else that’s camping nearby. She estimates that we have about several more hours of driving before we reach North Platte, Nebraska. After that, I’m on my own.
I’m not sure what will come next for me. I know trying to find Brin and Andi would be the equivalent of searching for a needle in a haystack. I’m not ready to give up on them though, and if I’ve found my escape, I want them to have theirs too.
I know the horrible reality is that they may have been sold already. I ended up all the way in Los Angeles, and it’s hard to speculate where they’ll be taken. Sooner or later, I’m going to have to accept that I may not ever see them again. But right now, I’m not ready to face that just yet.
At least I escaped Lethe.
A slow smile builds on my lips. I bet that cocky bastard is pissed that all that money he’d spent on me turned out to be for nothing.
* * *
By late afternoon the next day, I’ve parted ways with Aimee and have made my way from North Platte to Columbus. I’d asked Aimee to drop me off at a rest stop alongside the interstate. With as many truckers that drive past and people stopping by to relieve themselves, I figured I’d hitch another ride and keep heading east.
I’d come across an elderly couple who had been trying to coax their poodle back onto the leash that it’d escaped from. I’d kindly walked over and helped secure the little, yapping dog before it could run circles around them once more. They’d been grateful for my help, and after twenty minutes of conversation, they’d asked where I was heading. I’d kept my answer simple and said I was making my way east. Then they’d generously offered me a ride to Columbus—their destination, and I’d graciously agreed.
The couple had been really sweet, but I’d had to listen to what they called the golden oldies for three full hours. By the time we split to go our separate ways, I was more than ready to be on my own again.
So here I am in Columbus, and exiting a pawnshop with a large wad of cash in a plastic shopping bag. I need a purse of some sort and to change out of these clothes. The first thing I look for is a clothing store, and I find one at the end of the block and buy jeans and a few tees. At least Columbus isn’t as dire looking as Chicago had been. I can still see a few signs of violence, but at least the town still seems intact.
I can tell the people are skittish though, and I’ve gained more than a few wary looks. I can’t blame them for being suspicious of a new face. New faces can bring more trouble than you’d think. People looking to avoid the violence and poverty-stricken cities have moved out into the smaller communities in hopes of establishing some sort of safe life for their families. Strangers are now an unwelcoming sight in smaller communities, and as I exit the store with my money secure in a simple black purse, I keep my eyes downcast and avoid looking at anyone. In Chicago, my meekness could have gotten me killed. Here, people just want to be left alone, and I certainly don’t want to come across as a threat.
Since I’d barely slept last night, and I’d only slept an hour on the way to North Platte, I decide it’d be wise to rent a motel room for the night. Tomorrow, I’ll keep making my way east. What I really want to do is drop in at the old apartment in Chicago and see if my backpack is still in the alley. I really want that letter my father wrote me. And…if Nany is still there, I want her properly buried. Now that I have a plan, I begin searching for a motel.
Thirty minutes later, I have my own room, and I’m sitting at the sticky table in the corner and eating a burger. As I enjoy my meal, I look around. I’d found a one-story motel, and it’s definitely a dump. I should have splurged for something nicer, but I want to stay hidden as much as possible in case Lethe hasn’t given up on me yet.
The walls of the room have old, wooden panels, and the floor has a shaggy carpet that’s stained in a few places. There are water stains on the ceiling, and the room reeks of cigarette smoke. My eyes settle on the bed. It’s a little lumpy, and the bedding is all solid browns. I’m a little iffy on the bed, but I know I’m not going to be able to sleep sitting at this table. I think I’ll sleep on top of the covers.
After I finish eating, I crumple the burger wrapper and toss it in the garbage. I’d love a shower, but I’m betting the bathroom isn’t all that appealing, either. I walk to the door and peer inside as I switch on the light. Yep, I see dirt and grime along the sink and floor, and there’s a dark yellow ring of piss around the bottom of the toilet.
I reach out and pull back the paisley shower curtain. The tub has been stained a weird yellow, and I glance at the window along the wall. I always like to have an escape plan mapped out—so I step into the tub and mess with the lock on the window. I test the latch, and surprisingly enough, the window opens easily. I could fit my body through it if needed.
With that decided, I step back out of the tub and wrinkle my nose. I’ve showered in less appealing establishments, so I might as well freshen-up.
Nine
Lethe
I slam my fist into the punching bag with fury as I release my irritation over Arista’s absence. Maverick, the bastard, had been right after all. She’s managed to escape my men far longer than I’d expected. No woman has ever pulled a fast one on me like she has.
The punching bag swings violently as my fist connects with the leather surface once more. I own a fucking strip club that has a death pit in the basement. The club sells pussy on the second level, and I also happen to run the biggest illegal drug organization on the West Coast. People don’t best me, I best them. I fuck ‘em over and watch them bleed. But women…they’re my one and only weakness. And I’m not referring to sex. I think with my head, not with my dick.
It’s Davina that I think about when I see a woman being sold to other clans.
My jaw clenches as I angrily strike at the bag as sweat drips down my temple. My sister was fifteen years old when my father mated her to a man twice her age. I knew then and there that the man would ruin her life, and she would be miserable. Maverick and I had tried to stop the mating from happening, but all it did was enrage our father further. As for our mother, she’s about as warm and emotional as an ice cube.
Davina’s big, brown eyes flicker in my mind, and I curse under my breath. Maverick and I had abandoned the clan shortly after she was mated to Gavril. Guilt weighs heavily on me daily for leaving her, but I’d had to. Maverick and I weren’t strong enough to take on our father—who happens to be the clan’s leader. The only way to someday save Davina was to build a new clan somewhere else—a stronger one. I’d promised her that I would be back for her one day, and that she wouldn’t suffer at Gavril’s hands for the rest of her life.
I’m going to keep that fucking promise.
As for Arista, it pisses me off that I’ve offered her a home—my home—with every intention of it being free of violence. The women in this clan will never have a fist raised at them, and that’s because it’s the way that I would want Davina treated. I would want her comfortable, to want for nothing. That’s why the third floor was renovated for comfort.
I just never considered that I might bring a woman into the clan that didn’t want to be here—even after learning that her life would be for the better. The woman has to be mental, and I’m a fool for having Kai and the others drag her back.
My thoug
hts are interrupted when my phone rings where it’s resting on the bench press. I flex my taped fingers and stride over to pick it up. “Fill me in,” I bark out.
“We’ve found her. She’s at a motel in Nebraska, but we haven’t extracted her yet,” Kai informs me.
“Why not?”
“It’s too early. We’ll retrieve her around three. Less witnesses if this should get messy.”
I grab a towel off a nearby rack and sling it around my neck as I begin striding out of the small gym. “Where exactly are you? I’ll send the chopper to the nearest airfield.”
“Already taken care of.”
That’s what I like about Kai. He’s always thinking ahead and preparing for every possible scenario.
“Lethe,” Kai continues. “She’s different and won’t go down easy. Once she’s back, you’re going to have a battle on your hands,” he warns.
“She’ll come around eventually.” She’d be a little idiot not to.
“We’ll do our best to contain her as safely as possible. She’s quick to react and not afraid to draw blood.”
“Just get her back here. Call me when it’s done.”
After the call ends, I walk down the hall towards the main recreational area. Once I have that little vixen under my control again, I don’t know what I’m going to do with her. It’s going to take a strong mate to tame her. She may be beautiful and sexy, but that doesn’t mean any of my men are going to want to waste weeks, months, or even years trying to get her to see reason.
Ten
Arista
I wake with a start, and I’m momentarily confused until I recall that I’m in a motel room in Columbus. A bad feeling settles low in my stomach, and I sit up, my ears straining. I’ve learned never to ignore my gut instinct, because it usually saves my ass.
Something had woken me... What was it? Then the sound of the motel’s doorknob being picked reaches my ears. How the hell…?
The door opens, and I don’t wait around to see who’s entering the room. I fling myself off the bed and race for the bathroom. Just as I’m about to cross the threshold, I’m caught from behind. My body’s response is automatic, and I slam my right elbow into whoever’s behind me.
I hear a grunt, and the grip on my waist loosens. It’s enough for me to pull away and lunge into the bathroom.
I begin slamming the door shut, but a firm hand grips the side of it. My eyes connect with a pair of familiar light green ones. It’s the blond who was with that Anton guy when I was sold. Before I can react, he gives the door a good shove.
I’m thrown backwards, and as I stumble back, I fall butt first into the bathtub as the shower curtain tears and drifts to the floor. Panic engulfs me as he determinedly stalks towards me, and I fling my hands out with a desperate sense of self-preservation. My right hand burns briefly, and then an honest to God fireball shoots out from my fingertips.
The blond ducks just in time, and the ball of fire collides with the door. It immediately bursts, and flames begin crawling up the door and towards the ceiling.
We both freeze as we stare at the flames with shock.
That came from me?
Thick, black smoke begins to fill the bathroom, and the man swears profusely. “Get the bedsheets!” he orders to someone from within the main room. A second later, the blond and another man begin trying to smother the flames.
Shit, shit, shit!
I’m wasting precious minutes.
The fact that I can somehow throw fire will have to wait until later. Right now, I just need to get away before they can drag me back to Lethe. I scramble to my feet and reach for the window, flipping the lock while gagging and coughing from the black smoke. After I shove the window open, I grip the sides and pull myself up. As soon as my head and shoulders clear it, I breathe in fresh air and cough the smoke from my lungs. Then I squirm until my hips pass through, and I fall headfirst to the ground. Luckily, my hands cushion my fall, and a hint of pain shoots through my right wrist. I ignore it and launch myself to my feet—only to come to an abrupt stop.
A new man stands before me, and his clothing blends in with the night. I fling my hands out at him, but nothing happens. What? Where’s the damn fire?
I’ve lost my chance to make a move against him, and he comes at me hard, his arms clamping around me as he tries to subdue me. I immediately begin to struggle and kick at him. Something pierces my neck, and my eyes widen as I realize it must be a dart. No… Even as I feel the effects of the tranquilizer kicking in, I continue struggling.
The strange man tightens his grip on me and says to someone over my shoulder, “Who the hell set the bathroom on fire? I thought this was supposed to be quick and inconspicuous.”
“I’ll explain once we get out of here,” I hear the blond man say from behind me.
Then, my eyelids are too heavy to stay open.
Eleven
Lethe
The sound of my phone drags me out of my sleep. Knowing it must be Kai with news of Arista, I roll onto my side and reach for the phone. I put it to my ear and sit up, rubbing my bare chest as I become fully alert.
“We’ve got her,” Kai tells me.
About fucking time. “She conscious?”
“No. We had no choice, she had to be tranqed,” Kai informs.
“Bind her wrists before she comes to.”
“She won’t need to be restrained. She’ll be staying sedated until I can speak with you and Maverick,” Kai says in a serious tone.
“I don’t want her doped up on tranquilizers for too long, so let her wake up,” I order.
“Lethe, it was necessary,” Kai says in a deliberately measured tone.
It’s his tone that betrays there’s more to the situation than he’s letting on. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“I can’t tell you over the phone. It’s best we talk in person. It would be wise to have Anton place restraints in the medical room when we bring her in. Her hands need to stay immobilized,” Kai warns.
“She hurt one of you?” I ask. She’s a woman, she can’t be that difficult to subdue.
“No.”
“Did she harm herself?”
Kai sighs. “No.”
“Then why all the extra measures, Kai?” I ask as my impatience begins to grow.
“Lethe, trust me. This is something we have to keep under wraps at all costs,” he says lowly.
“Fine.” I lean over and turn on the lamp, glancing at the alarm clock. “We’ll be waiting.”
Kai ends the call, and I rise to my feet and rummage around for a pair of jeans. What the hell happened? I’m annoyed that I have no idea what’s going on, but if Kai feels it’s necessary to wait until we can speak in person, I trust his judgement.
Since I won’t be getting any more sleep tonight, I leave my room and head towards the elevator to go to my study. By the time Maverick and Anton wake up, the team will be close to bringing Arista in. Until then, I have some paperwork I’ve been putting off.
* * *
I study the padded cuffs that Anton has secured to the hospital bed in what we call the medical room. The room is large with a curtained-off area in the back that has all kinds of medical machinery stored away. There’s also a connecting walk-in, storage closet that contains plenty of antibiotics. Anton is our clan’s doctor. He’s very sharp-minded, and he can calmly and methodically deal with any type of situation.
Anton gives the cuffs a final tug to verify they’re not going to give when in use. “Tell me again why we’re doing this?”
I shrug. “Hell if I know. Kai’s insisting on them, and he’s never been dramatic over anything.”
Anton frowns. “It seems wrong to restrain her like this.”
I have no sympathy for her situation, and I reply, “She’s brought it on herself.”
He gives me a look. “If you were sold and being held in a strange and unfamiliar place, wouldn’t you try to escape?”
“This is different. We’ve done nothing to make he
r want to flee.”
Anton rubs his forehead as he seems to choose his words carefully. “I know you have a hard time with trying to see things from another’s perspective, but you’re going to have to try with Arista.”
“I don’t have to do anything.”
“If you don’t, she’s going to continue fighting us all.”
“She’s not going anywhere, so it doesn’t matter. The garbage bin incident was a fluke.”
Maverick opens the door and sticks his head in. “ETA is in five,” he tells us.
“Surveillance up and running?” I question.
When I’d had the third floor renovated, I’d had hidden cameras installed everywhere but the women’s bedrooms. I’m not too concerned about Evie and Tenley, but I did have Maverick install a hidden camera within the chandelier hanging above Arista’s bed. There’s not much trouble she can get into, but I still want her monitored. Now that I’m aware that she’s quite resourceful and intelligent, she’s not to be trusted.
Maverick nods. “Surveillance is on,” he confirms. Then he ducks back out of the room, and the door closes behind him.
I turn to Anton. “She’s been tranquilized for a long period of time, so I want her monitored until it’s out of her system.”
“I’m quite curious to see what the big deal is,” he murmurs.
“You and me both,” I state dryly.
We don’t have long to wait, and soon, Kai enters the room with an unconscious Arista slumped in his arms. Maverick is right on his heels along with Trev and Knox. Anton motions for Kai to set Arista on the bed, and I watch both men work to make her comfortable as they secure her wrists.
There are too many people in here, and I want answers. I turn to Trev and Knox. “You can leave,” I tell them.
Captive (Igniting the Flame Book 1) Page 7