Chapter Twenty-Two

 

 

“Does anyone else feel like the conciliation prize?” They woke up in a cage having been separated from river and Jaz.

“Rena.” Dee gave her a look.

“I’m just saying I feel like the prize you get when the person in front of you got the prize you wanted.”

“She has a point, Dee. How long have we been sitting in this cage waiting for someone to come and tell us his bad guy story? I for one am tired of waiting.”

“See Lorali agrees with me. There is something else we need to think of.”

They turned to look at her.

“I don’t know about you two, but it took me forever to get Aran trained to the point that he is okay with me leaving the house by myself. This is not going to help. I need to beat him home.”

“You have a point. Niko is going to flip out, and all that beautiful blonde hair will be standing straight up.”

“Hope he gets a cut first.”

“Thanks, Lorali the voice of reason.” They all laughed dispelling a little of the tension they were feeling.

“We need a plan.” They nodded as they opened and closed their mouths discarding plan after plan.

“I’ve thought about this, and we only have one option. One of you has to climb the cage until you get to that bar.” She pointed upward to a bar that was situated a little further apart and looked like someone small could get through. “Then you have to maneuver around the barbed wire and climb down. Easy.”

None of them wanted to remind Rena that the cage was sitting on a platform in the air. It was attached to a cable from the ceiling, and even though it should have been still, it managed to move side to side.

They stared at her. “It amazes me that Aran lets you out the house.”

“He wants to protect his brother's mates that’s why he lets me out.”

“Rena.” Dee just shook her head and looked up again.

“I’ll do it.”

“Lorali, I can do it too. I’m just as physically fit as you.”

“I know you are Dee, but the last time we went jogging you stopped at two miles and said, ‘come back with a car and donuts.”’

“That’s not fair, you’re ex-military; I'm an ex-accountant.”

“Ha, I caught you looking over the books the other day.”

“Shush no one tells Niko. I just like to keep an eye on the guy we hired.”

“You hired him.”

“I know Rena, but after all we’ve lived through I feel better knowing I’m watching over things.”

They nodded they were still watching over the company in different ways.

“My way is security, so I get to draw the short straw.”

“Make sure you live because we don’t want to tell Sergey you didn’t make it.”

“Awe, I love the way you love me, Rena.”

“I swear one day I’m going to set a trap for her, just so she knows she’s not the only one with a military mind.”

“I can hear you, Rena.”

“No, you can’t, concentrate.”

“Damn, this is tight. Dee, I think I need a diet.”

“No diets for you. I’ll sit on you and force feed you.”

“I want to watch.”

“Don’t know about the rest of you, but it’s starting to sound pervy to me.” Lorali forced herself through the opening.

“Watch the barbed wire.”

“Thanks, Rena I almost didn’t see it.”

“No laughing Dee.” She laughed louder.

Lorali picked her way across the barbed wire and several little traps they didn’t see from the floor of the cell.

“I swear I thought I left all this behind when I left the military.”

“No, you didn’t. If you don’t have adventure in your life, you get bored, and you know it.”

“Rena, have you looked at Sergey lately? He’s more than enough adventure.”

“Please tell me she didn’t go there.”

“Really Dee? Weren’t you the one who said you miss Niko’s—.”

“Don’t say it. How are you going to get down?” They were both staring at her as she stood on the edge of the cage. It looked further up now that she was standing there with nothing but air between her and the platform.

“I always wondered how people pole dance. Let’s call this lesson one.” She wrapped her body around the bar of the cage and began to lower herself.

“I wonder if I can hold on with my legs and lower my body?”

“If you want to pole dance have Sergey buy you one, but don’t play now,” Dee hissed at her.

She laughed, but the look in her eyes told them she wasn’t having fun.

“I’m going to jump.”

“If you miss the platform.”

“I won’t Rena because if I do, you’ll have to explain that shit to Aran. I wouldn’t want that.”

“Funny.” Rena and Dee laid on the floor of the cage stretching their arms through the bar. “Jump.”

Lorali let go; she picked up momentum as she approached the platform. She hit with a loud thud and began to roll toward the edge.

Rena and Dee caught her with their fingertips and together all three of them worked to get her back against the cage.

“That hurt, this isn’t fun let’s not do it again.”

“Agreed,” Rena and Dee echoed each other.

“What now?”

“Dee you’re not about to be happy, but there’s a rope we can grab onto and shimmy our way down.”

“Did she say 'grab onto and shimmy?”'

“Sorry, but she did.” Dee reached out to hug Rena with one arm.

“I am not having fun.”

“Neither are we.” Dee glanced at Lorali who was coming towards the door of the cage.

When the door was unlocked, they all laid on their bellies and moved slowly to the edge of the platform.

“We’re high. Maybe twenty feet?”

“That’s wishful thinking Rena. I put us somewhere around forty to fifty feet off the ground.”

“I have a feeling you weren’t any fun when you were in the military.”

“You’re probably right. What order are we going in?”

“I’ll go first.”

“Rena who died and made you the leader of the group? You’re not going first.”

“Dee’s right, I’m going first. Rena, you’re going second and Dee you get to bring up the rear. Watch me, so you know what to do.”

They nodded knowing better than to argue with her when she was in her military mindset. They followed her over the side of the platform descending the rope using a hand over hand move that Lorali showed them.

The rope swung back and forth causing Rena to want to throw up.

Lorali is below you, don’t throw up. Do not fall she screamed inside her head as she kept going. I have to survive if I die Aran will kill me. Her thoughts rambled around her brain until she felt Lorali’s arms go around her.

“You made it.”

“I’m alive, and I didn’t fall on you.” She turned around and hugged Lorali, the sheer terror she felt now plainly visible in her eyes.

“Hey, I’m not safe yet.” Dee was dangling about four feet in the air. They caught her and lowered her to the ground.

“Lorali, you know that fitness program you wanted to start?”

They were all slumped on the floor struggling to catch their breath and beat the fear back.

She turned to look at Rena. “Yeah.”

“I’ve decided working out with Aran is as much exercise as I need.”

“I second that emotion. Come on we need to get out of here.” They stood and started looking for the way out.

The way out led to a small park where children were playing. It was surrounded by trees and flowers. Parents were sitting on benches watching children on swings and sliding boards. They took a seat on a bench and allowed themselves to breathe slowly.

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Rena nodded agreeing with Dee before they both looked at Lorali.

“Divide and conquer. They took Tempest if we weren’t trapped and fighting for our lives we would have been looking for her. Someone wanted us out of the way.”

“I can feel Aran. The guys are close.”

“I’m glad, I hate to say this, but I’m exhausted and starving.”

“So are we.” Rena and Dee agreed and slouched hoping they would find them soon.

Aran’s concern flooded her mind the minute he stepped through the trees. Whatever had blocked their mental communication was gone.

“Rena!” He ran to her picking her up before she could make it off the bench. He kissed her while his hands stroked her body looking for any area where she might be hurt.

“What took you so long?” She sniffed trying to hide the fear she felt behind her I am strong voice.

“Long?” He was kissing her neck.

“Long.” She nodded. “We’ve been sitting here forever waiting for you guys.”

“Forever?” Niko parroted.

“Yes.” Dee kissed him, “Forever.”

“Our car broke down,” Lorali told them.

“We sent out a call for help,” Dee supplied.

“Then we got bored with waiting, so we started walking.”

“Doll, I’m not going to tell you how far away from the car you are. Instead, I’m going to act like you’ve been sitting here the whole time and not in any danger, but tomorrow we will talk about this.”

“You’re such a good mate.” Rena kissed him again still held in his arms.

“Let’s go home.”

“Let’s get food we’re starving unless Dante will send food. Do you think he’s open for takeout?” Rena’s eyes got big thinking about it. Lorali and Dee looked at their mates with hopeful expressions on their faces.

“He spoils you.” He gave her that what am I going to do with you look. “He spoils all of you. Your food will be at the house shortly after we get there.”

“Sleepover.”

“I’m sure they want to go home doll.”

“Nope, we can sleep over.” Lorali gave him a big smile.

“Dante’s food, sound proof rooms, and family. What more can we want?” Dee snuggled in Niko’s arms.

The guys gave them a small frown and shook their heads. When their mates were no longer paying attention, they threw small grins at each other. They loved the sleepovers, but they would never tell the females that. They didn’t want to take the fun out of it.

 

*~*~*~*

 

“Jaz?” River shook her shoulder trying to wake her up.

“River?”

“It’s me.”

Jaz sat up rubbing her eyes. “How did we get here?”

“Where is here?” She was pretty sure she knew, but she’d wait for her friend and sister to confirm it.

“We’re home. This is where Mick, and I are living.”

“I thought so. I like the furniture I wish they placed us on it. What do you remember?”

“They took Tempest. I’m not sure what happened to the car. We were with Rena, Dee, and Lorali. Where are they?”

“Not here maybe they got sent back home.”

“Why didn’t they take us?”

“I think it has something to do with the rules of engagement.”

“What?”

“It’s what Damon said. Once we survive, they are not supposed to come back and try for our soul again. Our souls both yours and mine should be fine because they are merged with Mick’s and Damon’s. Once you're free, they will never be able to come after you again.”

“Do you believe that?”

“I want to, but I think the rules are changing.”

River stood up and lent a hand to Jaz, who was still woozy from whatever was done to them.

“Should we go look for our guys?”

“We can’t even stand without swaying. I feel them.”

“Do you feel Mick?”

“I do.” They made their way to the couches and sat down.

“Jaz!”

“No need to bellow I’m right here.”

“I couldn’t feel you.” He picked her up and sat down with her in his lap.

“I couldn’t feel you either.” Damon pulled River onto his lap.

“We just woke up. Where’s Tempest?”

“She’s missing and so is Lucca.”

“Are we going after them?”

“No, we have no idea where they are.”

“We can’t just leave them out there.”

“I know; Julian is running a trace to see if he can pick up on either one of them. So, we have to wait to see what he finds.” Mick took his hands running them over Jaz’s body to make sure she was fine.

“What happened to Rena, Dee, and Lorali?”

“Aran got in touch with us and told us their mates were unharmed. Although, Rena said something about a cage and a rope. She stopped talking because Aran was getting upset.”

“When Damon says upset, he means he was changing colors, and his beast was close to the surface,” Mick told them.

“Damon.” River kissed his cheek before trailing kisses down his neck. “Make love to me.”

He picked her up and headed for the steps. There was no telling what was going to happen tomorrow, but today they would come together in love one more time.