by Faith Gibson
“Yep. I’m going to spend time with Myra. Maybe I’ll learn how to make some of this delicious food.”
“We’re going to hit the road. You’re in the best hands here, but if you need me, just call. I’ll get back as quickly as possible.” Ryker cupped Rhi’s face and pressed his lips to hers. She snaked her arms around his waist, and she set her cheek to his hard chest, Ryker hugged her back. Rhi never wanted to let go, but she knew she had to. Releasing him, she stepped back.
“Thank you. I’m not sure why Josiah’s targeting me, but I know you’ll figure all this out. I’m ready to get started on my new life.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Take care of yourself. Mac, come give your old man a hug.” Ryker held his arms out for his daughter, and she replaced Rhi in Ryker’s arms. Rhi waited for the jealousy to kick in, but it didn’t. She would gladly share Ryker with his daughter. She knew what it was like to need a parent’s affection, and she would never want to take that away from McKenzie.
They walked the males to the door and stood on the steps as they watched them all drive away. Ryker on his bike was the sexiest thing Rhi had ever seen in her life. She hoped to one day ride on the back with him. “What’s it like?” she asked Mac. “Riding on the back of a Harley.”
“It’s awesome. All that power beneath you as the wind whips your face. They call it riding the wind, and that’s the best way to describe it. Uncle Hayden is building me my own bike.”
“I think I’d like to learn to ride too. I guess I need to learn to drive a car first, though.”
“I can help you with that,” Manny said as he joined them.
“Riding a motorcycle?” Rhi asked.
“Heavens no. Driving a car. I taught Tessa to drive. If I can survive that, I can surely teach you as well.”
“Was she a bad driver?”
“Oh no. She took to it quickly. Too quickly. By the time she was fourteen, she was speeding through town with me holding on for dear life. I don’t think the word slow is in that child’s vocabulary. She’s always been wide open.”
“You’d really do that?” Rhi asked.
“I’d be honored. Miss Elizabeth isn’t the only one who’s missed having Tessa around. She’s like a daughter to Lawrence and me. If I’m being honest, I’m not sorry you’ve been brought here for safekeeping, only the circumstances under which you both are here. Lawrence has his greenhouse to keep him busy, but now that the threat to Miss Elizabeth is gone, Master Xavier does all his own driving. The only time I feel useful is if he’s out of the country and Miss Elizabeth wants to go to town, which isn’t often. Listen to me. I must sound like the most pitiful manservant on the planet.”
“No, you don’t. You sound human,” Mac said.
“I would love for you to teach me to drive, Manny,” Rhi added.
“Then let’s get started!” Manny clapped his hands together, his smile wide on his handsome, older face. Rhi’s heart hurt for the man. It sounded like his life was missing something. A Tessa-sized something. If she could fill the void, she gladly would.
Manny led them back inside to where Elizabeth was curled up in the living room with a book. “Miss Elizabeth, I’m going to teach our young Rhiannon how to drive.”
“Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea. Mac, do you want to go with them, or would you rather spend time with Myra in the kitchen?”
“The kitchen. I want her to show me how to make those puffy, meaty things.”
Elizabeth laughed. “The Beef Wellington bites are some of my favorites too. Come along. I’ll sit with you so I can be the taste-tester. Manny, please stay on the property for now.”
“Yes ma’am. Come along, Miss Rhiannon.”
David
“Karsyn Daily, my ass. What are you up to, Lucy? And how did Rhiannon end up with you?” David had been surprised to locate Rhi with Lucy Ball, a former fellow agent. He was well aware of Lucy’s aliases, as well as her family of bikers. They were the ones responsible for taking down Gideon’s compound, but that didn’t explain how his daughter had ended up with them. It was possible it had been a coincidence, but David didn’t believe in those. He believed in facts. What could be seen and manipulated with code. He had to give it to Lucy; she was much better with a computer now than she had been when she worked for the GIA. Not as good as him, though.
David bypassed the cabin where his wife waited for him. He almost felt sorry for Marion. The woman had been raised in Haven and was the least likely to speak out about him staying gone so much. She bought into everything Josiah taught. Why wouldn’t she? It was all she knew. She was the perfect, dutiful wife. Waiting at home – if you could call a small cabin with no amenities home – keeping the modest place pristine. Reading her Bible when she wasn’t working in the garden. A job Rhiannon should have had.
David had to find his daughter. Get her away from Lucy and the Hounds of Zeus before they ruined everything. When he finally reached his apartment, David was ready to climb out of his skin. He went straight to his computer. He hadn’t been truthful with Josiah regarding the trackers. James had the one handheld device which could locate the chip in Rhi’s neck, but the program on David’s computer could do the same thing.
He pulled up the program. “What the…? That’s not possible. Unless…” One of the chips was moving toward New Roseville while another was about an hour north of New Troy where Lucy’s house was. They must have found the one in her neck. If that was the case, why hadn’t they removed the other one?
Using the government’s satellites, David focused on the one closest to Lucy’s home. What he saw made no sense. One of Rhi’s chips was currently located on a large estate. David quickly searched for the owner. Of course it would be owned by a corporation. Only those people with nothing to hide held deeds in their own names. Using satellite imagery, he zoomed in on the house. There was movement outside. Two individuals walking toward an outbuilding – the garage. David zoomed in closer, and yes! There she was. It really was helpful having the most sophisticated equipment at his disposal. He was three hours away. If he activated the chip in her leg now, it would take about half an hour to take effect, and probably another hour before panic set in. That still left an hour and a half, but he had no choice. He gathered the necessary paperwork before hitting the button that would bring his daughter back to him.
When David was in the car and on the road, he called Josiah. “There are four Hounds currently sitting in The Continental. Do with that what you will.” He hung up before the bastard could bark any orders at him. Even if the leader of Haven called back, David didn’t plan to answer. He had his own problems to deal with.
Rhiannon
Rhi followed Manny out to the garage. She might not have been in the outside world for ten years, but she knew a powerful car when she saw one. Or ten. The garage held several sleek vehicles, all shiny and expensive looking. “Uh, Manny. I can’t drive these. Don’t you have an old beater or something?” At least that’s what she thought a banged-up car was called.
“Nope. No beaters here. We’ll take the Rolls. It’s not as fast as the others, plus it’s more durable. Just in case.”
“Just in case? Manny—”
“Nope. No, ma’am. Get your pretty self over here.” He held open the driver’s door, and Rhi slid into the soft, leather seat.
Manny joined her and handed her a key. “Here’s what you do first…” The man was patient as Rhi got the hang of driving around the property. “You’re doing great,” he told Rhi. She wasn’t going fast, but she was driving. It wasn’t that hard, really. But going up and down the long driveway was different than being on the road with other cars.
“Thank— ow!” Rhi gasped when a pain shot up her left leg.
“What’s wrong?”
“My leg…” Rhi felt like she was going to be sick.
“Pull over and put the car in park.” Manny waited until Rhi did as instructed, then he was out of the vehicle and around to her side, pulling the door open. “Whic
h leg is it?”
“My left one. There,” she pointed to a spot just above her ankle. “It feels like thousands of ants are moving around.”
“Let’s get you back to the house. Can you scoot over?” Rhi nodded as she breathed through her mouth, trying desperately not to throw up. While he drove, Manny pulled out his phone. “Master X, something is wrong with Miss Rhiannon. She has a sharp pain in her left leg. I’m bringing her to the garage. We’ll be there in approximately twenty seconds.”
When Manny stopped the car, Xavier was there to open the passenger door. “May I pick you up?”
“Y-yes,” she stuttered, her teeth chattering. Her body was freezing.
Xavier lifted her easily and gently carried her inside. He didn’t stop until he was in her bedroom. Elizabeth and Mac were already there waiting. Xavier placed her on the bed and then he sniffed the air. Rhi thought that was peculiar until he said, “It smells like poison. Rhi, may I look at your ankle?”
She nodded and wished she hadn’t. “Gonna… be… sick…” Rhi leaned over the side of the bed and vomited into the garbage can Manny was holding. Someone was holding her hair out of the way and rubbing circles between her shoulder blades. When she had nothing left on her stomach, Rhi sat up, her head still spinning. Elizabeth rushed from the room while Manny adjusted the pillows behind her back.
Elizabeth returned with a glass of water and a cold, damp washcloth. “Here,” she said, holding out the glass. “Take a few sips.” Rhi reached for the glass, but she was too weak to grasp it. Elizabeth held it to her lips, and Rhi drank tentatively. It had been a long time since she’d thrown up, and she didn’t want to do it again any time soon.
Mac sat next to Rhi. “Can’t you… you know?” She waved her arm over Rhi’s leg where her jeans had been sliced open at some point.
“No.” Rhi’s voice was barely a whisper.
“Can’t she what?” Elizabeth asked.
Mac looked at Rhi, and Rhi nodded once, so Mac explained. “Rhi has the gift of healing. My dad was shot, and when Rhi placed her hands on him, it took the pain away.”
Elizabeth took Rhi’s hand. “Is that something you can do now?”
“No. I have to push the energy out of my body into whatever I’m trying to help. The energy is already doing what little it can to ease the pain.”
“I’m calling Dr. Marks,” Xavier announced and left the room.
Rhi closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing through the pain. Her body was getting cold.
“Manny, what happened?” Elizabeth asked.
“She was driving when the pain came over her. She didn’t hit her leg on anything, so I have no idea. Master X said it smelled like poison, so whatever it is—”
“Shit. It’s probably from the bug,” Mac said. “Sorry about the language, but her father had a tracker implanted in her neck. One of the Hounds removed it last night. Maybe he didn’t get it all? Or maybe something from it leaked out when he removed it.”
“Where was this tracker?” Xavier asked, striding back into the room.
“In her neck.”
Xavier sat on the bed. “Rhi, I’m going to look at your neck, if that’s all right?”
Rhi leaned forward, but she had to grab onto Mac to keep from face planting on the floor. Xavier pushed her hair out of the way and inhaled deeply.
“No. There is no indication of anything residual besides whatever they used to numb the area. Whatever is causing this is definitely coming from the area above her ankle. My guess is there was another tracker or something worse implanted there. Dr. Marks is out of town, so we’re going to take you to the hospital.”
Rhi tried to respond, but she couldn’t force the words through her chattering teeth. She was so cold. She wanted warmth. Wanted… Ryker.
Chapter Fifteen
Ryker
Ryker kept waiting for Spyder or Hawk to send him a text. It was possible David was in New DC working. It was also possible there wasn’t another device capable of tracking the chip. The closer to New Roseville he got without hearing from either of them, the more his beast pushed against him. Ryker didn’t like leaving Rhi any more than the Gryphon did, but he had a job to do, and if a Gargoyle King couldn’t keep her safe, no one could.
Signaling to Sultan, they took the next exit. His sergeant-at-arms had insisted on riding with Ryker, and he was happy to have the company. Spyder and Hawk were waiting at a small park on the edge of town. Both were leaning against their bikes. “Nothing?” Ryker asked as soon as he shut his motor off.
“Nada. Maybe there was only one device,” Hawk replied.
“Maybe, but I doubt it. I’d bet David kept it, but he’s busy at the GIA. We’ll keep the chip on us and hope he comes for it sooner or later. For now, we’ll go ahead and recon the compound.”
Spyder stood and stretched his arms overhead. “I already did a flyover. Either they aren’t expecting us to come after them, or they’re confident in their abilities to stop us. It was business as usual. People were going about their lives like nothing was amiss.”
Ryker placed his helmet on the mirror. “Josiah’s faith in David must be high. Tell me about the guards.”
Spyder crossed his arms over his chest. “There were twenty guarding the perimeter and probably double that roaming the streets. All were armed.”
“Shit. This is going to be more difficult than taking down Gideon was. I still think getting to David is the key. He’s the one keeping them hidden. He’s also the one supplying them with guns. We need to get in there and take their weapons.”
Sultan ran a hand over his shaved scalp. “How do you suppose we do that? None of us are armed.”
“Did you get a look at the building where the guns are located?”
“Yes. It’s just as James said. A barn, smaller than the others, with a door on each end. There is no hayloft, so we can’t use the second story as an escape. The higher windows aren’t large enough for us to get in or out of.”
Ryker sighed. “As bad as I hate to say this, we might need to turn this over to the FBI.”
“And tell them what?” Hawk asked. “We don’t have proof of what they’re doing.”
“We have Rhi. She can attest to what she knows. Plus, I think the feds would be interested in finding out an agent for the GIA is aiding them. They want the Ministry as badly as we do, and if a government agent is aiding and abetting, that’s grounds for treason.”
“True, but David is smart. He’s been playing both sides for at least ten years. That’s a long time to go without getting caught. Do you think that’s why they want Rhi back? Because of what she could know?”
Ryker narrowed his eyes at Sultan, thinking about what Rhi had told them. “I don’t think that’s it. At least not all of it. Why would a father put a chip in his teenage daughter before they went to Haven? She was just a kid back then. She had no idea what was going on. For the most part, Rhi has been kept indoors, away from the guards and the training.”
“What about Elijah? If we turn this over to the feds, he’s going to get caught in the middle.”
Ryker hadn’t forgotten about Mac’s boyfriend, but his focus had been on the bigger picture. “We need to figure out which building his cell is in since he spends most of his time in solitary. James said it was the smallest barn. We’ll go in under the cover of night and observe. We don’t know the kid is in solitary at the moment. They have to feed him at some point, and I doubt there’s a kitchen in the barn, but I could be wrong. This is going to take more than just one night. We need to observe without being seen.”
Spyder returned to leaning against his bike. “The smallest barn is set off by itself, so that’s a plus. There are plenty of trees close by where we can watch. I didn’t see anyone going in or out, but I wasn’t there to scope out the buildings, only the guards.”
“Let’s head back to the hotel. I never checked us out, so the rooms are still ours. We’ll order in lunch, then wait for dark.”
With Ryker
in the lead position, Sultan took Mav’s usual spot, and Spyder and Hawk fell in line behind them. It didn’t take long to get to The Continental seeing how New Roseville wasn’t a large town. When they passed the convenience store where he met Rhi, Ryker found himself smiling. What a difference a couple of days made. Before, he’d been wary and a little jealous of the Hounds who had wives and kids. Ryker had Mac in his life, but he’d missed out on her formative years. He was doing his best to make up for it, but like War, having a grown daughter was different than watching your child grow into their own person. At least the twins had been returned to Mav at a young age.
Now, Ryker had a beautiful, sweet woman to call his own. Her inexperience still worried him, but if she was meant to be his, he would find a way to make it work. He didn’t know whether or not Rhi wanted children. He prayed she did, and he would gladly give them to her. He wanted the chance to watch a son or daughter grow. Witnessing all their firsts. Rhi had a good heart, and he knew she would make a wonderful mother. Ryker didn’t care if their children followed his family in believing in the old gods or worshipped the goddess as Rhi did. Ryker thought children should be allowed to choose their own path as long as they were honest and caring. Where Rhi never faltered in her trust in the goddess, McKenzie had given up on any type of deity after what she went through.
Ryker told Sultan what he wanted off the room service menu, then went to stare out the window. Just because Josiah’s men hadn’t followed the chip didn’t mean they weren’t watching the town. Josiah’s compound was different than Gideon’s had been. Ryker knew from his own life how brothers weren’t the same, even if their goals were. Both men were liars, using the guise of being preachers to command how everyone lived. Ryker had seen other Ministry compounds, and most were somewhere in between the two led by the Talberts. Gideon had no weapons to speak of, and Josiah had a small army. Maybe it was because Josiah had a government agent working for him.