by Riley, Alexa
“I don’t know,” I say, glancing over to the picture I’ve drawn a thousand times.
The first time I slept after I was created I dreamed of her. For two hundred years she has come to me every night, in one way or another. Some nights it’s just visions of her and other dreams feel as real as if she were here beside me. It’s been torture knowing exactly what she looks like, down to the birthmark on her shoulder, but not being able to find her.
“I’ll only know if I’m close enough to scent her, but I don’t know how that’s going to be possible.” I move my legs and they ache with even the slightest touch of the sheets against them.
“If it’s up to the family, we’ll find a way,” Valen says, and he leans forward and grabs my hand. “You are the leader of all of us, so you have to fight.”
I nod because he’s right. Now isn’t the time to give in and let death take me away. I need to pull together all the strength I have left and find a way to get to her. My violet-eyed angel who’s been with me the whole time. If Gordon has her, it will be his final mistake.
Chapter 3
Loren
I lie on my bed as I click away on my laptop. It’s been days since I helped the girl escape and I keep checking the local news to see if she’s missing. There’s nothing, so that has to be good. If something happened to her then her family would have reported her missing. Relief fills me each time I click on the news page and don’t see her. Though there are other missing girls.
My eyes drift across the screen to the five missing women. All of them have red hair and I subconsciously reach up and touch my own. I freeze when I recognize one of them. I only met her once. She came to deliver groceries over a month ago when the normal delivery guy was out sick. We only shared a few words, but she was nice. She rushed out when Dad entered the kitchen, but it wasn’t unusual because people always seem afraid of him. They leave his space as quickly as possible unless he uses his charm on them. I think he enjoys when people scurry from the room. I never felt that way, but maybe I’m used to whatever vibe he puts off because I’ve grown up around it. I understand that feeling because I get it when I’m around Greg. I have a need to be anywhere else but within reaching distance of him.
My chest starts to ache and I hate this swirl of emotion that has been closing in around me. Even in my sleep I can’t escape it. When I close my eyes all I see is Bishop. I still haven’t asked my dad about it for fear of learning things I don’t want to know. It’s childish and weak.
Guilt hits when I think about all these growing questions of doubt surrounding my dad. I’m turning into everyone else and running from the room when he enters it. I know we can’t go on this way. At least, I can’t.
I type our old address into the search bar and start clicking around. Two redheaded woman from the area went missing in the past, but it’s been over a year since the last disappearance. I sit up and cross my legs as I pull the laptop into my lap. I don’t want to believe what is right in front of me because it could be a coincidence. It’s too painful to think of what else it might mean. What if it’s one of his men? So many came with us in the move—that has to be it. I try to reason with myself as I grab onto any other possibility.
I keep scrolling and almost scream when I see a picture of my old guard Sam. I put my hand over my mouth to stop the fear from bubbling up as I scan the article and see the police are looking for leads. His body was found washed up under a bridge near where we used to live. According to the article it was shortly after we moved.
I close the laptop and toss it to the other side of the bed, not wanting it near me. Tears fall down my cheeks even with my eyes closed tightly. I muffle my sobs with my hand, but it’s no use. I can feel that it’s only beginning, so I jump up from my bed and rush to the shower. I turn it on and strip off my clothes before I get in. I let the shower drown the sounds of my sobs as I rest my hands against the cold tile to keep me upright.
I cry for Sam, I cry for my dad, and selfishly I cry for myself.
The enclosed shower walls around me squeeze tight and I want nothing more than to run. I don’t know where I’d go, but I imagine it’s a place where my dad can explain it all away. He can tell me my imagination has gotten the best of me and everything is going to be okay. The alternative is running from him, and that thought causes me even more pain.
There is nowhere to go. I have no one and I have no doubt my dad would find me.
When the water finally turns cold I pull myself from the shower and wrap a towel around me. I freeze when I open my bathroom door and see Greg sitting on my bed with my laptop open. His eyes roam over me as they always do, but this time all I have is a towel to cover me. The side of his mouth turns up and I swallow as I try to not look afraid.
“Why do you have my laptop?” I ask, and I’m surprised my voice is steady.
“It’s my job to keep an eye on you.” He shuts it and stands from the bed.
I fight the urge to take a step back. Men like him enjoy the fear they can incite in people. I know that from watching my dad. He enjoys it too much, but I always chalked it up to being the boss. Now I’m not so sure that’s true. His way of life is all I’ve ever known, and from what I’ve just discovered, it might all be an illusion.
“I wasn’t aware I couldn’t have some sort of privacy.” I raise my chin in challenge.
“You’ll never have that.” I glance away from him to my closed bedroom door, wondering if I could make it. I might not need to because my scream would get attention. “But you know that already, little Loren.”
I look back at him and he licks his lips. I can tell something is rattling around in that head of his.
“He killed the last man who watched over you.” I’m not sure if he knew that already or if he just saw it on my laptop.
“No,” I say, but my head is nodding, not only shocking me, but I see it on Greg’s face, too. My faith in my dad is faltering and I just gave Greg a weakness.
“Why?” His voice is low now.
“I don’t know.” A tear slips free. I was sure I’d cried them all out. I was wrong. I was wrong about many things.
We both stand in silence. It’s not uncomfortable, there just aren’t any words I can find to say. At least that why I’m quiet. Greg is a little slower on the uptake, but even as I take the mental jab at him I realize I’m the one who’s slow.
“He kills them,” he finally says, and this time I can’t stop the chill that runs over me at the impact of his words. “Dear old daddy isn’t who he pretends to be in front of you. You’re his darling sweet daughter.” He licks his lips again. “Do you think he thinks about you when he kills them? You know I’ve read about that shit. Killers pretending to kill the same person over and over again. Some sick shit if you ask me.”
Suddenly I envision all those girls with red hair. The disgusting thought had entered my mind for the briefest moment before I tossed it back out. Greg is shining a light on it, on everything I’m refusing to look at. He’s giving the thoughts voice and it makes it feel real.
He shakes his head. “Though I could see why not having the real thing would be unsatisfying. Especially when it’s right in front of you.” He clears the rest of the distance between us and everything inside of me freezes.
He runs his finger down my cheek and it keeps going down my neck and across the top of my breasts. I want to slap his hand away, but I keep my grip on the towel.
“I bet you’re untouched, aren’t you? You’ve been locked away from anyone getting to you, when really you should fear what you’re locked in with.”
“Are you going to hurt me?” I ask, because I’m sick of not knowing.
His words are true and I should fear what’s around me. All this time my dad has been saying things out there could hurt me because of who he is, but the danger lingers within these walls.
“No, I don’t want to hurt you. I want you as my own because he doesn’t deserve you.” Greg’s nostrils flare and the darkness I know he has in hi
m flashes in his eyes. I notice the way he says want to, meaning he will if he has to.
It’s in that moment I know it’s better the devil I know. My dad has never laid a hand on me. He might be capable of horrible things, but so far it’s not been to me. His temper with me is growing and I can feel it. Tension is in the air and I know all it will take is a spark. Still, I’d be safer with him than Greg. Maybe I could get out of here with the help of Greg, but I still have my own hidden escape path if they haven’t destroyed it.
“He’d kill you if he knew what you were saying.” I remind Greg who he’s messing with. I’m trying to use the fear my dad uses on others to get Greg to back down.
“But you won’t tell, will you?” His smile broadens. “You don’t like to see people hurt, which is unlike your father.” He leans down, brushing his nose against my neck and up to my ear. “Or maybe you don’t want me to get hurt. I’ll get you out of here and then I’ll have you all to myself.” He walks away from me and leaves the room. I’m relieved, but his fantasy that I want to be with him is terrifying.
I stand there knowing the sun is setting and I need to make a choice. Greg is right. I won’t tell on him because I know it will mean his death. I don’t know if I can run, but what I do know is I can’t let my dad go on killing women. Even if it means sacrificing myself.
Chapter 4
Bishop
“What’s the plan?” Kane says as he crosses his arms over his chest.
The whole family came over an hour ago and I’m just finally able to get out of bed and walk to the study. As soon as I sit down, Kane starts in.
“The man just got out of bed. Do we really have to make a move right this second?” Ravana asks as she looks around the room.
A silence falls over everyone and I smile softly at her. “As I’ve said before, I don’t have much time left.” I turn to Dove and nod. “Tell us what you know.”
“Not much, but I think she’s being held either against her will or under false pretenses.”
“What makes you say that?” I ask, hanging on her every word. This could be the mate I’ve been searching for and I have to find out.
“Just a feeling when I looked at her. I think the fact that she had a secret escape route is a big indication that it’s not safe for her. All I know is that her name is Loren and she’s Gordon’s daughter.”
“Did you know he had children?” Ezra asks, and I shake my head.
“No, the last I heard he was still without a mate and trying different ways to stay alive forever. He didn’t believe that love was the key to eternity,” I say, and I see the mates all look at one another.
“He couldn’t have had a child without a mate,” Valen says, his eyebrows pulling together. “It doesn’t work until you find one, right?”
“Right,” Kane says in agreement. “Unless he had a mate, it would have been physically impossible for him to have a child. Are you sure he hasn’t found his?”
“There’s always the possibility,” I say, but it doesn’t fit with the Gordon I know. “I think he would have seen a mate as a sign of weakness. It’s not his style.”
“What do we know about where she’s being held?” Kane asks, and Erik walks over to the monitor and turns the screen on.
“This is where we found Dove,” he says as images come up on the screen. “Ezra and I went and got as much intel as we could yesterday, and from what we saw, the place is heavily guarded.”
Valen lays down blueprints of the house and rolls them out. “I called in some favors and got this a few hours ago.” He points to a room that faces the woods where Dove ran through. “From what I could tell based on the twins’ pictures of the outside, this is where Loren is being held. She’s guarded by two men that trade out day and night shifts. If I had to guess, it would be between a human and vampire based on the sun,” he says, and I nod.
“We’re afraid the path that our Dove took has already been breached so that point of entrance is out.” Erik says as he clicks through more photos. “The exterior guards line every exit with heavy weapons and the fact that Dove got out alive is a miracle.”
“If we can’t break in, can we draw them out?” I ask and Valen nods.
“That’s my suggested plan of extraction.” Valen turns over the blueprint to reveal a plan of the surrounding block and nearby properties. “We line explosives here and here,” he says, pointing to four key points around the house. “I say we time them to go off in intervals to create confusion.”
Kane steps forward and points to a place on the map. “I’ve hacked into their security system and this is their emergency exit. If there’s a problem, this is the way she’ll go.”
“This is the plan?” Ravana says from over in the corner and everyone turns to look at her. “You just blow a bunch of shit up and hope we can snatch Bishop’s mate on the way out?”
“Do you have a better one?” Valen asks without heat in his words. He sounds genuinely curious to see if his mate knows better, and I like that he’s willing to explore other ideas.
“What if we have someone go in and retrieve her?” Ravana says and shrugs.
“No.” The word rings out from all the mates in the room except one.
“It could work,” Dove says, and now all eyes are on her. “I’ve been in that house. They are armed to the teeth. But Gordon seemed to be losing it and I think if we could get someone inside it would be easier to sneak her out than to blow up a city block and start a war.”
“None of us are going to allow that,” Kane says.
“I’ll do it,” Ravana says, and Valen takes her arm.
“We should discuss this first,” he says in a low voice, but she ignores him.
“His men will know you,” Kane says, and he looks around the room. “They’ll know all of us.”
“Then what does it matter?” Ravana says, pushing again to be heard. “Let’s say we sneak in and we don’t get caught and we get Loren out of there. No problem, right?” She throws up her hands when no one agrees with her. “Scenario two is we sneak in and we get caught and we just blow shit up anyway and run out. I don’t see the problem.”
“She does have a point,” Valen says as he rubs his chin. “If this goes south, we can have the explosives in place to create the distraction. If we’re able to do it silently then it’s fewer casualties and less of a chance that something will happen to Loren.”
“I didn’t spend a lot of time with him, but I’m afraid of what he’s capable of,” Dove says, and a silence falls over all of us.
I steeple my fingers in front of me as I think over my options. I don’t like the idea of sending someone in alone to get Loren, but the thought of possibly hurting innocent people in a series of explosions is gut-wrenching. Why are these our only two options?
“I’ll do it,” I say as I gather my strength and stand from the chair.
“Are you crazy? You can hardly walk!” Ravana says as she rushes over to help me up.
“If this is my mate, all I have to do is get close enough to scent her and then all will be right.” I look around the room at everyone. “Wasn’t it the same for you? One scent and the mating took over and everything inside you came alive. I’ve studied parings for two centuries and this is the one constant. I will know the instant I’m with her if she’s the one.” I pause as I let the possibility of disappointment hit me. “And if she’s not, then it’s the end of my life anyway. I won’t risk any of you for this.”
“Bishop—” Ezra steps forward, but I hold my hand up.
“I want you all to stay behind and protect those that you love. If this goes wrong, then you’ll need to be ready to leave. You’ll have to get out of the city, get away as fast and as far as you can.”
“We’re not leaving,” Ravana says as she clenches her fists. “We can stay and fight.”
“But I’m ordering you not to,” I say, and I can see her shoulders drop. “I will die protecting my family and my sacrifice will be in vain if something happens to
any one of you.” I let out a breath and look around at them. “Go home and get ready. I leave at dusk.”
It’s silent until I walk out of the room and I hear whispers behind me. I don’t pay them attention because I know in the end what I command will be done. They don’t have a choice because I’m their maker but also because they know that I’m right. None of them want to risk their mate’s safety. It’s not in their nature now that they’ve found one another, so even if the intent is there, they’ll be unable to go through with it.
I’d never ask them to do this task for me, because it’s mine to take on.
When I get to my room I walk over to the paintings and look around at them again. Some are better than others, but the eyes are always the same. The violet color stares back at me and the hope inside me rises. Could she be the one?
It takes me a long time to change into my suit because my movements are slow and lethargic, but when I look at myself in the mirror, nothing has changed. There, still, is the dark hair and dark eyes I’ve stared at for over two hundred years. My body is big and strong, and no matter what I feel right now, I know that if Gordon comes between me and what’s mine, I will end him once and for all.
There is more to us and our story, but right now my only focus is getting to Loren.
Chapter 5
Loren
I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. I smooth my dress down, making sure I don’t look as much of a mess on the outside as I feel on the inside. When I open my door, I smile when I see Marcus standing there. He gives his usual chin nod to me. He never says much. It’s welcome over Greg any day. He put me more on edge after his parting words. I’m good with being ignored by Marcus if it means he keeps his hands to himself, and vampires always do. At least the ones that I’ve met.
“Is Dad in his office?”