by Faith Gibson
Spyder, who was sitting in the back seat, looked out the window. “Where did they go? Are you sure we were being followed?”
“Yes, I’m sure. They probably thought we didn’t notice them and didn’t want to give themselves away.”
“Now what?” Hawk asked. “If they circle back around, and we leave, they’ll know something’s up.”
“I say we go in, eat a steak, then regroup. They already know I was here when Rhi went missing. They more than likely have footage of her leaving town with Sutton and Rory. On the off chance they don’t, I can play it off like we have business here.”
The three of them strode into the restaurant, imposing even without their MC kuttes. Ryker and Hawk were both over six feet and muscled. Spyder was shorter at five-nine, but the male exuded power in the way he carried himself. The hostess’s eyes widened, and like every time the Hounds were in public, surprise gave way to lust. The young woman tried to be subtle in her perusal of their bodies, but when she looked back up at Ryker’s face, her cheeks blushed.
“Right this way.” If Ryker had been alone, he’d have sat at the bar, but the three of them couldn’t talk freely spread out. The table the hostess led them to was a round booth in the corner, giving them a view of the room as well as the front door. Ryker slid to the middle so the Hounds could protect him. Not that he needed their help in a fight, but over the years, they had studied other MCs, and the President was always guarded by lower-ranking members. They received many looks from the other patrons, but Ryker only noticed long enough to ensure there were no threats. Mostly, he was looking for members of the cult. Lucy said they were dressed in black, so they would be easy to spot. No one seated in the restaurant fit the description, so Ryker relaxed a little.
The waitress came and took their orders, stopping back by quickly with their drinks. Spyder was less talkative than usual, so Ryker asked, “You okay?”
The smaller Hound shrugged, tipping his longneck back, swallowing down half in one go. When he set the bottle down, he turned to Ryker. “I turned Heather loose.”
That didn’t surprise Ryker. Spyder wasn’t one to keep a girlfriend long, but Heather had lasted longer than most. “Any particular reason?”
“She kept hinting at getting married. Said she’s ready for kids. I’m not opposed to finding someone to settle down with, but it wasn’t her.” Spyder scrubbed a hand down his face. “I don’t think I’m ever going to find the right one.”
Rhi popped into Ryker’s mind, but he shut that shit down right quick. No matter how much the pretty blonde called to him, she was too young. The server came back by with another round of beers, and Ryker spread his arm across the back of the bench. “You will. I believe there’s someone out there for all of us.”
Hawk barked out a laugh. “Who are you, and what have you done with Ryot?”
“Fuck you,” Ryker responded with no heat. “Just because I’m alone now doesn’t mean I want to be. Don’t get me wrong. I loved Juliette with all my heart, but her memory doesn’t keep my bed warm at night.”
Hawk held up his bottle, and Ryker clinked it with his beer. “I hear you, man. I’ve been babysitting for Tank just so I can be around kids. How sad is that?”
“Not sad at all. It’s all I can do not to kidnap Mayhem’s twins. Those two are so much fucking fun.”
Hawk laughed. “I about pissed myself when we went camping and Major tried to eat the fish he caught. I know they’re too young to show any tendencies, but I’d bet my bike he’s going to be a Hound.”
Their food arrived, and as they ate, they all reminisced about the group camping trip and the antics of Maveryck’s twins. For not being around the other Hounds’ kids for the first four years of their lives, those two were making up for lost time. Natalia was the perfect mother for the boys, blood related or not. Ryker had missed out on seeing McKenzie grow up, and that was another reason he was hellbent on seeing Josiah Talbert brought down. The Hounds preferred to let the legal system handle the leaders of the Ministry, but Ryker would make the man pay.
“What’s the plan?” Spyder asked when they finished eating.
“I say we check into a hotel, then slip out and do a little searching from the sky.” Ryker loved being in eagle form. The freedom he felt when stretching his wings was like nothing else, except maybe riding his Harley. He flagged down the waitress, and once the check was paid, the three males slipped outside to their vehicle. Ryker drove to the same hotel where he’d spent the night watching over Rhi. It was the nicest one in town, and it also backed up to a tree line.
They made it the six blocks to The Continental without seeing any of Josiah’s men nor the car that had been following. Ryker felt in his gut the men were still out there only hiding. Since they didn’t know how long they’d be staying, Ryker got three rooms on the same floor. He had no problem sharing with the other Hounds, but it was easier if they had their own space. With the extra money they’d received from Natalia selling her family’s estate, Ryker could afford to splurge.
Ryker’s phone vibrated in his pocket. “Hey, Lucy. You got something?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. You need to be careful. I managed to get into David’s system briefly, and I just watched you drive up to The Continental and go inside. If you were planning on doing any… scouting, I would suggest you rethink that plan. Ryker, he’s using government satellites, and they’re more powerful than anything I have access to. I’ve contacted Julian, but he isn’t in a position to help me right now. Something is going down with the Gargoyles, and Tamian is thinking about heading to New Atlanta to help out.”
“Fuck. Stay out of his system. I don’t want you getting caught by the GIA again.”
“Already out, but that means you’re going to have to do things the human way.”
Ryker wanted to ask about Rhi, but he didn’t want Lucy to get the wrong idea. “I have to go, Little Dove. Thank you. For now, focus on the family.” Ryker didn’t specifically say Rhiannon, but he included her in the sentiment. “I’ll handle this without getting you in trouble.”
“Stay safe, Uncle.”
“You know it. Love you, Lucy.”
“Love you too.” Ryker disconnected and put the phone in his back pocket.
“I take it we need to keep the eagles at bay?” Hawk asked.
“For now. David Spencer’s using government satellites and knows where we are. We can’t risk him seeing us shift.”
“What’s the plan then?” Spyder asked.
“We hunt.” Ryker ran a hand through his dark hair, his thoughts bordering on feral. “We hunt until we find them and then I’m going to have a little chat with James and the lot of them. I’m going to ‘suggest’ they return to the compound, but not until they’ve told me all about Rhiannon’s father. He’s the one standing in our way at the moment. We’re going to intercept him and keep him somewhere away from his computers. If he isn’t watching us, Josiah won’t see us coming.”
“Do you think he’ll try to move again?” Hawk asked.
“It’s possible, but if he does, it’ll take a while. I can’t imagine moving an entire community can be done quickly. Rhi said the last move took a few months. She also said the guards are armed, and they train all the males to shoot and fight. We need to get their guns. We can go hand-to-hand against them, but we’re no match to rifles.”
“Truth, but if James goes back and starts loading weapons, that won’t go unnoticed.” Spyder walked over to the window, pushed back the sheer curtain, and peered out into the darkening evening.
“You’re right. I think we need to apprehend David, then, without him watching our movements, we can get to the compound. Let’s find James or one of the others and find out as much as we can about the guards, their patrol schedules, and the number of weapons at their disposal.”
“Looks like we don’t need to go looking. Three males dressed in black are crossing the street.”
Ryker and Hawk joined Spyder at the windows. “I have no dou
bt David hacked into the hotel’s system to get our room numbers.” Ryker strode to the wall and flipped the switch, bathing the room in darkness. There were no good hiding places for three large shifters. Spyder ducked behind the sofa, Hawk stepped into the bedroom, and Ryker flattened his back to the wall beside the door and waited.
Chapter Eight
Rhiannon
During the drive, Rory told Rhi about Lucy’s life. Rhi was a little nervous. She hadn’t been around any women who were smart and fierce since her mother died. And the fact that Lucy used to work with Rhi’s father was intriguing as well as daunting. She wanted to know all about the man who had more or less abandoned her to help Josiah and his community. When they pulled through the iron gate and ended up in front of a large, stone house, Rhi let out a “Wow.” She’d never seen something so extravagant. Rory had explained how Lucy’s great-aunt and great-uncle adopted her, then upon their deaths, everything they owned went to Lucy.
Rhi looked around for Hayden, but instead of him helping her like he had before, he strode up to the house without looking back. It was Sutton who helped gather her things and escort her inside. Kyllian had grabbed Mac’s bag, and the two of them bumped shoulders as they walked. Rhi wasn’t jealous of their closeness, but she wouldn’t lie to herself and say she didn’t long for someone to joke around with. She had to remember she was an outsider. One who was only there long enough to figure out her future.
When they reached the top of the steps, a pretty brunette was waiting with an equally handsome man. “Rhiannon, I’m Lucy, and this is my mate, Tamian. Welcome to our home.”
Mate?
“Thank you. And please, call me Rhi. You have a beautiful home.”
The inside of the house was even more spectacular than the outside. Rhi couldn’t imagine living somewhere so grand. She looked all around, taking in the artwork, the sculptures, and the statues.
“Come on, and I’ll show you where you’ll be staying,” Lucy offered. When they were at the top of the stairs, Lucy asked Mac, “Who peed in Hayden’s Lucky Charms?”
“I don’t know. Why? Did he say something?”
“No, and that’s the problem. He came in the door, grunted, then strode right out the back.”
“I think he’s mad at me,” Rhi said. “Although I don’t know why. One minute he was smiling and joking with me, then the next he was frowning and ignoring me.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong. He’s probably focused on keeping you safe, and he takes his jobs seriously. Now, here you go.” Lucy gestured to a door, and when Rhi stepped in, her eyes widened.
“Uh, are you sure? I mean, I don’t need this much space.” The bedroom was larger than four cabins put together.
Lucy grinned. “It’s the smallest bedroom in the house. Lucius, my adoptive father, was of the mindset ‘go big or go home.’”
“Well, a queen does need her palace,” Kyllian said from the doorway. “Here you go, Rhi.” The dark-haired Lazlo brother stepped into the room and placed her bags on the bed.
“Thank you.”
Kyllian bowed with a flourish. “Anything for you.” Mac shoved Kyllian, and when he stood upright, he winked at Rhi, smirking. “I’m going to find my brother and see what crawled up his ass. If you need me, just yell.”
Rhi giggled at Kyllian’s colorful words.
“My room is right across the hall. Why don’t you unpack while I do the same, then I’ll give you the grand tour,” Mac suggested.
“Yeah, that sounds great.”
“Rhi, you probably have a lot of questions about your dad, and I’ll be happy to answer them all to the best of my ability once you get settled in. I’m going to get back to work, but if you need anything, come find me.” Lucy squeezed Rhi’s arm with a smile.
“Is everyone in your family this nice?” Rhi wasn’t used to the friendly gestures and playful banter.
“Mostly. My dad and Kyllian are the least friendly out of everyone. Dad is coming around, and Kyllian… Well, I’m not sure what’s going on with him. He’s the quietest of the brothers, unless he gets together with Uncle Mav. Then he’s a pain in Maveryck’s ass. His words, not mine. But yes, our family is loving and generous. You’ll meet War and Maveryck and their mates, Kerrigan and Natalia, eventually, and they’re equally as friendly.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” Rhi unzipped her large bag and stored the few clothes Rory had bought her in the tall chest opposite the bed, all the while singing to herself. She then took the smaller case into the bathroom and unpacked her toiletries. It dawned on her then that everything she owned was reduced to two pieces of luggage, and all of it had been given to her by the Lazlos. They really were good people. Rhi placed the empty baggage in a closet bigger than her cabin had been.
Just as she turned to exit the closet, something shiny caught her eye. Thinking Lucy had dropped an earring or other piece of jewelry, Rhi bent down. It was a ring of sorts, and when she picked it up, the carpet beneath separated. Rhi dropped it, thinking she had ruined the carpet. She dropped to her hands and knees so she could investigate and found the ring was attached to a metal wire. Pulling the two sides of the carpet aside, Rhi stared at the metal square on the floor.
“Rhiannon? Oh, there you are,” Mac said. “Did you drop something?”
Rhi looked over her shoulder and motioned for Mac to come closer. “I saw something shiny. When I went to pick it up, that happened.” She pointed at the floor. Mac lowered herself to the floor and crawled up beside Rhi.
“Huh. I wonder what’s inside.”
“Should we open it?” Rhi asked. She felt like a little kid having discovered a secret compartment.
“Definitely not. Lucius was sort of a mad scientist. There’s no telling what else he hid in the walls. We’ll tell Lucy and let her investigate. Come on. I’m hungry, and Rory’s in the kitchen.”
“Is that a good thing?”
Mac stood, then held out her hand, helping Rhi to her feet. “It’s the best thing. Rory’s a great cook, and with you here, she’ll be putting on the pig.”
“Pig? You mean we’re having ham?”
Mac laughed and linked elbows with Rhi as they found their way downstairs. “No. It means she’ll be going all out to impress you. The Lazlos are originally from Texas; Rory has some funny sayings. That’s one of them.”
Rhi had already heard Rory’s soft, southern twang, but Ryker didn’t have it. He must have lost it in the past however long he’d been living in New York. Mac showed Rhi around the large house, ending in the kitchen where Rory was, indeed, putting together a large spread. Rhi’s stomach growled from all the heavenly aromas.
Rory turned, smiling. “I heard that all the way over here. Mac, why don’t you go call the boys in for supper?”
“What can I do to help?” Rhi asked.
“If you’d like to get the plates and silverware, that’d be wonderful. Plates are in that cabinet” — Rory pointed to the right — “and silverware is in that drawer by the fridge. Just place them by the stove. We’re not getting fancy tonight.”
“How did you put this together so quick?”
Rory pulled a pan of biscuits out of the oven. “I have a large group to feed, so I’ve learned some shortcuts over the years. I can teach you, if you’d like.”
“Oh, I probably won’t be around long enough for that, but I appreciate the offer.”
“Where are you going?” Kyllian asked when he walked into the room.
“Uh, I’m not sure, but I can’t live off your family’s generosity forever. I guess I need to find a job, and…” Rhi had no clue what she was going to do. Lucy was getting her birth certificate, but Rhi had no experience except working in the kitchen.
“If you could do anything, what would it be?” Rory asked.
“Work with plants and flowers,” Rhi responded without thinking.
“There are plenty of florists in the area. Maybe once the threat of Haven is over, you can l
ook into working with one of them,” Kyllian said as he reached for one of the biscuits. Rory smacked his hand. “Hey, what was that for?” He smirked at his mother before winking at Rhi. She didn’t think he was flirting with her. At least, she hoped not. Not that Kyllian wasn’t handsome, because he was. All the Lazlos were gorgeous in their own way.
Mac returned to the kitchen. “If the florist doesn’t work out, you could always get a job singing.”
Rhi frowned at her. “When have you heard me singing?”
“You sing all the time. Did you not realize it?”
Rhi shook her head, embarrassed.
“You have the most amazing voice.”
“Oh, uh, thanks.” Crap. She had forgotten how she used to burst into song at any given moment.
Rory handed Rhi a plate and told her to dig in before the males got to the food. Rhi wasn’t used to having so many options available, so she took small portions of everything, wanting to try it all. Rory directed her to the dining room where Rhi took a seat in the middle of the table. Lucy and Tamian joined them, and supper was both mouthwateringly delicious as well as entertaining.
“Hey, Lucy. Rhi found a hidden compartment in the closet upstairs,” Mac announced during a lull in the conversation.
“I wasn’t snooping, I promise.” Rhi was mortified when everyone turned to stare at her. “I honestly thought it was a piece of jewelry. The ring was attached to some kind of wire, and when I picked it up, the carpet ripped.”
Lucy smiled and waved her hand. “You didn’t rip the carpet. It was designed that way. I found one in my own closet not too long ago. I meant to check all the rooms in the house for similar setups, but I got busy. What was in there?”