by Kira Nyte
“Are you gonna come out? I’ve got some left over corned beef hash.”
“I…I’m gonna go to sleep,” she managed to say.
“Fine. Oh, might want to strip the sheets.”
She waited until her mother left her alone, door locked and closed, before curling up on the floor and crying herself to sleep.
* * *
Another day.
Gabby woke up, her body stiff from sleeping on the floor. A threadbare blanket had been draped over her. She didn’t remember hearing anyone come into the room. A shock of fear brought her upright. She checked herself, from her shirt and shorts to her panties, making sure nothing was out of place. She didn’t ache inside, wasn’t sore, and let out a breath of relief to know Jack hadn’t violated her while she slept, that she hadn’t been drugged into helplessness.
She would have known. From experience.
Stretching out on her back, listening to her vertebrae crack and realign, she remained quiet until she was certain she was alone in the trailer. When she did rise, she kept her movements light and cautious as she gathered up a fresh change of underclothes and slipped out of the bedroom.
The trailer was empty.
Blissfully empty. And silent.
Her mother had left a scribbled note on the counter, telling her she and Jack had gone to the grocery store. Gabby glanced at the plate of scrambled eggs left out for her and frowned. When was the last time her mother made her breakfast?
She used the fork next to the paper plate and poked at the eggs. Her stomach growled, hunger digging claws into her belly. She hadn’t eaten since Amelia’s house. When she was certain there weren’t any crushed up pills in the mix, she decided to take a small bite.
She gagged and spit the eggs out.
“What the hell?”
Cupping her hand under the water faucet, she rinsed the metallic flavor out of her mouth and cringed. Casting the drug-laced eggs a cold glance, she shoved the plate and the contents into the garbage and locked herself in the bathroom.
The water was only lukewarm as she showered with practiced speed, but a shower alone was better than a hot shower with Jack anywhere near the place. She’d rather an ice bath in the dead of winter on a mountain peak hundreds of miles away if she could escape that bastard and her conniving mother.
Only when the water turned cold did she end the shower and dry herself off. A draft spread goose bumps over her damp skin. She slipped into her underwear and bra, wrapped the towel around her torso—
A strange noise outside the bathroom made her stop.
A creak.
Frozen, she listened, her stomach flipping over.
There wasn’t a sound outside the door. No indication her mother and Jack were back.
After a few minutes, she hesitantly opened the door and poked her head out.
“Well, hell.” Jack snickered, unfolding his arms from over his bare chest. He leaned against the counter opposite the bathroom door. “Fresh and clean.”
Gabby shrieked and tried to slam the door shut.
Jack wedged his boot between the door and the frame. She threw herself against the door, trying to shove it closed while clutching the towel closed at her chest.
“You ain’t escaping now. I’ve waited long enough.”
His brute strength threw the door open and slammed her into the sink. Her head smacked against the mirror. He ripped the towel off her with one hand while he pressed his thick forearm against her throat, nearly cutting off her airway as he contained her struggles.
His tongue licked her ear. “That’s right, baby doll. I’m gonna fuck you and you’re gonna enjoy it, like a good little girl.”
Gabby tried to scream, but his hold blocked her voice. Tears sprang into her eyes and streamed down her face as she clawed at his arm. He dragged her out of the bathroom with a vile curse, spun her around, and threw her into the table. The edge cut into her gut, knocking the wind out of her, leaving her dazed for a crucial moment.
Jack’s hand smacked down on the back of her head, forcing the side of her face painfully onto the wood. She fought his hold, listening to the nightmarish sound of his belt coming off before he pinned her with his body against the table.
When she screamed, he fisted his hand in her hair, lifted her head, and slammed it back onto the table. Her teeth cut into her cheek, drawing blood and tears and hopelessness.
Her life. Her nightmare.
He caught her hands, jerked them to the small of her back. The belt wrapped around her wrists and pulled tight, digging into her skin. Jack licked the side of her face. “That’s right. Keep your fucking trap shut.”
He leaned off her, holding her chest pinned to the table with a strong hand between her shoulder blades. She cried, listening to the telltale sound of him unfastening his jeans. He stood between her legs, leaving her helpless to kick in defense. With her arms bound, she had no leverage to attack.
Not that it mattered. He was too strong.
His hand groped her ass. She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Aww, baby doll. Such a pretty thing.”
His fingers slid beneath the edge of her panties.
An unfamiliar rustling noise sounded behind her. His fingers yanked back, as did his hand. “What the—”
A furious squawk pierced the narrow room and Jack’s weight was gone. Gabby scrambled off the table, her chest growing tighter by the second as she began to hyperventilate. Her eyes darted around until she realized what was happening.
A large crow flew at Jack, taunting him with beating wings and lunging pecks of his sharp beak. The man growled and swatted his arms, missing the bird each time as he moved in circles.
Gabby’s eyes widened. “Talib?”
“You fucking bird. I’m gonna getchya and kill ya and pluck every goddamn feather…shit!”
The crow dove in, claws digging into Jack’s hair and head. Beads of blood welled up around its black nails.
Jack, face twisted in fury, grabbed for the bird.
The crow squawked again.
Its head snapped down.
Its long black beak stabbed through Jack’s right eye.
The scream that filled the trailer sent Gabby stumbling back toward the bedroom. Blood oozed down Jack’s cheek as his arms flailed in a frantic attempt to protect his face. The bird continued pecking, mercilessly creating a bloody mess of pulped eye.
The door to the trailer ripped open, tearing off the top hinge.
Taryn filled the narrow opening, his body seemingly larger than she remembered. His eyes blazed with fire. Smoke curled around his nostrils and deep red scales ghosted over his face.
The crow stopped the attack and landed on the counter, turning one flashing red eye toward Gabby. She remained rooted to the spot, pressed to the wall next to the bathroom door. Her pulse thundered in her head, threatening to knock her out.
Jack sobbed and cursed as he writhed on the floor.
“You fucking little bitch! I’m gonna kill you!”
Taryn didn’t look at her as he approached the cussing and whimpering figure. He crouched down—Gabby blamed her perception of his increased bulk on the fear and panic that seized her mind—and grabbed Jack by the throat. His nails had turned black and extended into lethal talons that pressed into Jack’s skin. Blood trickled from the new wounds.
Jack protectively covered his damaged eye with one hand, and frantically watched Taryn with the other eye. His teeth were clenched, spittle sieving through the gaps.
Taryn lifted Jack off the floor with ease. Like the man weighed nothing more than a few pounds. “No. You’re not. You’re not going to touch her. You’re not going to look at her. You’re not going to mention her name. You’re not going to remember her when we leave or I’ll have the bird chew out your other eye. I’d rather leave it intact so every time you look in the mirror, it’ll remind you why you have a hole in your socket.”
Gabby shuddered at Taryn’s tone. Ice. Razor-sharp ice, if that was possible for
a smoke-breathing dragon. Never had she heard a tone laced with so much menace that it resonated in her bones. The air around them crackled with energy, like boiling sap and air escaping from burning logs.
“Go to hell,” Jack spat.
“Been. Not a place you could handle.” Taryn shoved the man back, releasing his hold and letting the bastard bounce against the floor. “Heed my warning. The only reason I’m letting you live is because I’d rather not make Gabriella watch me take out the trash.”
Taryn’s gaze softened the moment it landed on Gabby. She shied away, trying to hide her barely clothed body as two long strides brought him to her. He shrugged out of his jacket and gently wrapped it around her shoulders, then used one lethal claw to slice through the leather belt that bound her wrists.
“He won’t hurt you again,” he whispered, tucking a wet strand of hair behind her ear. “No more running away. You’re under my care now, where you should’ve been two nights ago.” He frowned. “All your life.”
Gabby gulped in air as relief pummeled her. He brushed his fingers over her cheek, his touch making her wince at the tenderness where she had hit the table.
“I’ll get your purse. My truck is down the street, but I can get you there without raising suspicion. We can’t stay here,” Taryn said. He held her gaze, and the sense of security that filled her threatened the walls holding back her sobs. She nodded. It was all she could do, silenced by shock and fear and relief. If her heart didn’t slow down, she would pass out.
Taryn brushed past her into the bedroom. Gabby’s gaze dropped to the thrashing Jack on the floor as he swore and sobbed unintelligently. Blood seeped through the fingers clamped over his eye. When he tried to sit up, Talib squawked and hopped threateningly closer until he lay back down.
His dark, uninjured eye pinpointed her. His scowl deepened as Gabby felt Taryn’s arm slip around her waist and guide her to the door.
“My clothes. Shoes.”
“I have some in the truck for you. This is nothing more than your past after today.”
Gabby didn’t argue. It was futile. No matter what Taryn said, or even that he’d saved her today, this was her life. This would always be her life. This was the poison that leeched through her veins, killing all hope.
But she accepted the well-meaning promises of the man who’d saved her and tucked her close to his body as they left the trailer.
Thankfully, the bottom hem of his jacket covered her to mid-thigh. She could have easily concealed a short skirt beneath it. Shoes were another story, but the handful of people they passed didn’t seem fazed by her lack of footwear.
The heat that poured off his body kept the chill from her damp skin. She’d noticed he always seemed warmer than her, but right now, he burned, and she found comfort in his heat.
Talib glided through the air overhead on almost silent wings. He cawed before shooting up into the sky and disappearing over the rooftops.
She could barely see the trailer park by the time Taryn pulled her to the passenger side of a big pick-up truck. He opened the door and helped her up, placing her purse on her lap before closing the door. She tugged the seatbelt across her and slouched down in the seat, self-conscious of her appearance, her condition, and suffering the aftereffects of nearly being raped.
Taryn hopped in behind the wheel, revved the engine, and pulled away from the curb, banking a U-turn in the middle of the street. He gunned the accelerator and sped down the road. Only after a few minutes did he reach behind her seat and pull a bag up front.
“Here. You’ll find pants and a sweater. Good enough for now.”
Gabby dared to steal a glance at him. “Thanks.”
The man was forbiddingly handsome, even if the dark edge of his lethal nature shadowed his finely cut profile. His hair was tied back in a small club at his nape, waves of the locks that didn’t quite reach the band falling over one cheek.
There were no scales. No talons. He appeared fully human. Even his size was normal, which made her wonder if her mind had been playing tricks on her.
The silence in the truck’s cab carried the heat of Taryn’s carefully tempered rage. His jaw shifted as he ground his teeth. He continually flexed his fingers against the steering wheel.
She sank deeper into the seat, wrapping her arms around her body. She selfishly inhaled Taryn’s scent from the jacket as she looked out her window at the blurry scenery.
“Has he done that to you before?”
Taryn’s strained voice warned her of his barely restrained anger. She sighed, not wanting to look at him. God, she knew what was coming, and she didn’t want to face it.
“No. Not him.”
“What do you mean ‘not him?’” She felt the burn of his gaze and refused to look. Instead, she pulled the bag of clothes onto her lap and dug out the pants. “Gabby.”
“That was the first time he’s tried to do something like that.” He didn’t need to know about the night before, when Janice had stopped Jack. No reason to toss more fuel onto the already raging inferno of his outrage. “Why were you there?”
“I’ve not been far away. Do you really believe I’d leave you to fend for yourself against our enemies?” Taryn’s tone was harsh. He made a right onto a side street and eased off the accelerator. “Besides, Amelia had Talib keeping watch over you.”
“So you were there the whole time?” Gabby finally looked at him. She wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse. Why didn’t you come sooner? She suppressed the thought. She should have been smarter and avoided the whole situation.
Taryn shook his head. “I was on my way to Amelia’s when I realized you were in trouble. Amelia did some little magic trick not long ago that linked me to Talib. Her idea of a joke. After this morning, I’ll have to thank her for her humor.” He glanced at her. “You didn’t answer my question. What did you mean when you said he hadn’t done something like that before?”
“Exactly what I said. He didn’t.”
“Has someone else?”
Gabby tugged on the loose pants as Taryn slowed in front of a house with a gated driveway. She ignored his probing stare. Sighing, he climbed out of the truck and opened the gate. He hopped back into the truck, guided it into the driveway, and cut the engine. Gabby stole her first look at the oversized house out Taryn’s window. It stretched back, longer than she imagined.
“Is this your house?” Man, she was way out of her league.
Taryn took her chin in a gentle hold and forced her to look at him. Fury still licked at his eyes, but concern and tenderness ribboned through the rage. “Gabby, I want to make one thing exceedingly clear. You are my lifemate. You are my Keeper’s miracle daughter, and therefore you are my miracle. I want to know your past. Why you take those pills.”
Gabby tried to turn her head away, but he refused to let her. It sparked a shock of anger, but shame doused it before it could grow into anything useful. She felt mentally exhausted and her head started to throb. Her face hurt. Her stomach hurt. Her wrists burned from where the belt had dug into her tender skin. Her soul felt tattered and far too worn to repair.
“I want you to know that whatever she did to you, you will never have to fear again.” Taryn brushed his thumb over her jaw. The motion did magic to calm her. Surprisingly, she hadn’t had a breakdown yet. No panic attack. No fainting. She wondered how much of the unexpected boon was due to Taryn’s presence. “I will give you everything you should have had all your life. But I warn you, none of it will include her.”
“Thank you.”
The corner of his mouth turned down. Had he expected her to argue with him? Hell, escaping her mother was her goal, by whatever means.
Taryn lowered his hand and got out of the truck. Gabby watched in the side-view mirror as he returned to the gate to secure it. She quickly slipped out of his jacket and pulled the sweater on, managing to get it over her bra before he opened her door. His eyes dropped to her bare feet.
“Want to put the shoes on?”
She began to climb out of the truck when he caught her in his arms and cradled her close. She squeaked, clutching his neck as he twisted away and closed the door with a bump of his hip.
He chuckled. “You let me know when I succeed in sweeping you off your feet. This is all practice.”
Had she not just suffered the trauma at the trailer, she might have found it in her to laugh. Instead, she settled her head against his chest, shameless in her search for comfort, and sighed.
She was too broken for anyone to succeed in sweeping her anywhere, except into the garbage.
Chapter Eleven
The smell hit her like a smack to the face. Fresh blood, acrid and coppery. Stale smoke and old sex, dried sweat and body odor made it almost impossible to stand.
Malla tentatively climbed the rickety stairs after one of her father’s soldiers. A human cursed, his language as foul as the odor emanating from the disgusting home. She lifted her gaze to the broken hinge at the top of the door. She tried to get a vibe off the door, but was unable to retrieve any essence of the person who’d touched the thing.
Strange.
However, as she stepped into the confinement of the unkempt abode, the strong energy of a Keeper whirled to life. The same Keeper she had seen in her tracking vision at the café.
The human went quiet. His one-eyed gaze, dirty and evil, latched onto her as she came around the soldier who preceded her. He held a blood-stained hand to one his other eye. With a snap of her fingers, the man froze, suspended in time. She waited to see the replay of the events that had taken place. She waited a few seconds. A few minutes.
Nothing.
The two soldiers stared at her with quirked brows. One said, “No activity? Then what happened to his eye?”
Malla moved closer to the poor excuse for a human and shattered the time suspension. He jerked away from her as she leisurely drew closer. Her spiked heels clicked against the peeling linoleum floor until she had him cornered.