Garron accepted the blow.
“That wasn’t it,” he said in a low voice. “I…told her things. Private things. I thought—”
“No, you didn’t think. You got mad and turned her in just in time for that bastard of an ex-husband to come get her and take her God knows where…”
“I didn’t know!” Garron held up both hands in a gesture of peace. “If I had, I never would have taken her to the authorities. I’m here now to try and make things right—only I can’t find her. Her scent ends right outside the building and I don’t know this world. I can’t track her any further without help.”
“Well, you—” Just then her handheld device started squawking again. Di put it to her ear and listened for a moment. “Yes, I understand. Thank you anyway.” She pushed a button that seemed to end the communication. “He didn’t take her to the station.” Her voice was quiet with despair.
“I could have told you that,” Garron said evenly.
“How?” She frowned at him. “How could you know that? Were you in communication with some of the Kindred guards down here or something?”
“Something like that.” Garron didn’t want to tell her about the dream. It sounded crazy for one thing. And for another it was too…intimate. Like a secret he shared with Tess, even though he didn’t really know her.
“Well it sounds like you’ve got more information than I do—where did he take her?” Di demanded.
“I was hoping you would know that.” Garron felt a surge of frustration—was this going to be a dead end?
“Let me think.” She sighed. “Well, he didn’t take her to the station and he wouldn’t take her back to her apartment—he’s been trying to get her out of there for months. I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet he took her back to his place.”
“All right. Where is it?” Garron was ready to go at once.
“He has a house out in Old Seminole Heights—Central Tampa.”
“Can you take me there?” He was shifting from foot to foot with impatience. “Please, I have to find her. I have to make this right.”
Di shook her head grimly. “Knowing Pierce, this situation is so wrong nobody will be able to make it right. But I’m with you—we need to find her.” She frowned at him. “But before we go, why do you care so much? You didn’t even know Tess before today—she was just some girl you turned in. Why the change of heart?”
“I don’t know,” Garron said honestly. “I just know I have to find her and make sure she’s safe. Please, will you help me?”
She gave him a long, speculative look and then nodded.
“Okay, big boy. Let’s go.”
Chapter Eleven
“Tess is about the sweetest girl you’ll ever meet. We used to work together at the nursing home. I was the administrator there back before I got the job at the HKR building.”
Di was keeping up a running commentary as her little blue car sped through the Tampa streets. Garron, crammed into the passenger side with his knees almost up to his ears, could only nod.
“Uh-huh. Can this vehicle go any faster?” he asked tensely, scanning the strange alien domiciles and vegetation as they flashed past outside his window.
“Going as fast as I can without getting a ticket,” Di said grimly. “If we attract the attention of the police it’ll slow us down considerably. Not to mention if we get the wrong officer, he might call and give Pierce a heads up that we’re coming.”
“All right. I see your logic,” he growled. But he couldn’t help feeling restless. What was that bastard Pierce doing to Tess? What was she enduring right now because of Garron’s wounded pride? I never should have taken her to Sylvan. I should have let her go back to the Pairing House—at least there she would have been safe!
“We’ll be there soon. Anyway, as I was saying, she’s always been the sweetest kid. So kind to her patients. But she kept popping up with bruises and black eyes—”
“What?” She had Garron’s attention now. “You’re saying he beat her?” He’d been hoping against hope that what he had witnessed in his dream wasn’t a common occurrence. But…he thought of the small, white scar he’d seen on Tess’s thigh.
“All the time,” Di said grimly. “She always had excuses—‘Oh, I ran into the door frame…I fell down the stairs…I tripped in the dark…’ But I could see the signs. My first husband was a beater—nearly beat me to death before I finally got away from him.”
Garron thought of his own childhood. Of the screaming, drunken rants his father, Feels Pain, had gone on. Of the verbal abuse he’d heaped on his mother and the way he had beaten Truth and, on occasion, Garron as well. If he and his brother hadn’t been there to stand up to him, the younger children in the household would have carried his marks of violence on them too.
“I know…something about that,” he said in a low voice. “My own father…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”
“Then you know what it’s like—walking on eggshells all the time, trying to keep him happy, praying he won’t get angry and take it out on you.” Di sighed. “I finally just took Tess aside and let her know that I knew. She denied it at first but then she broke down and cried. She’d been trying so hard to make it work. Every time after he hit her he’d beg her to forgive him—do something nice like buy her flowers and swear it would never happen again.”
“Yes.” Garron nodded, thinking of the remorseful face his father would show after a night of drunken savagery. “I am…familiar with the pattern.”
“So am I. I told her when she’d finally had enough I would help her leave him.”
“And?” Garron raised an eyebrow at her.
“And a couple of months ago he—” Di broke off, shaking her head. “No, I can’t tell you that. I wanted to give you a little background but that’s…it’s personal. Not my story to tell.”
Garron wondered what Pierce had done that finally convinced Tess to leave him. Whatever it was, it must have been truly horrific. And he had sent her back to that situation—he was responsible for whatever was happening to her right now. Whether that bastard was beating her, bruising her…or something worse. It could all be laid at his door.
Oh Gods, I can’t bear it! He put his head in his hands and groaned.
“Hey—are you okay?” Di threw him a worried look as she drove. “You in pain or something?”
“Only here.” Garron put a fist to his chest. “I hate myself for turning her in. If only I had known…I was just so angry.”
“You didn’t know,” Di said. “Nobody did—that was the way Tess wanted it.”
She twisted the wheel and the little car made a sharp left. They were in a residential area now, as far as Garron could see. A quiet street lined with the strange domiciles built right on the ground instead of up in trees where they would be safe from predators. Of course, maybe the Earth people didn’t have big enough predators to worry about—or big enough trees. None of the ones flashing past his window looked like they would support a good sized dwelling, let alone several.
“We’re here.” Di pulled up in front of a medium sized white domicile and parked her vehicle. “I don’t see his car—maybe he’s gone.”
Garron felt his heart jump into his mouth. “If he’s taken her someplace else…”
“We came all this way. Let’s check the house first to be sure. I’d call Tess but I’m sure he’s taken her phone—the bastard. Come on—just be quiet and careful.”
They went to the front of the house but the front windows were covered by some kind of metal mesh which completely enclosed the glass. They had holes big enough to see through but there were cloth panels hanging on the inside of the glass which obscured the view.
“This is new,” Di said grimly, pointing to the metal mesh window coverings.
“Is it not common to have these on your world?” Garron looked at the mesh which was fixed firmly in place almost like a cage around the window. “I thought maybe they were to keep predators out.”
“They put the
m up to keep out burglars—thieves—in bad neighborhoods. But this is not the kind of place you need them.” Di shook her head. “And I don’t think Pierce had them put up to keep anyone out. I think he wanted to keep Tess in.”
“He intends to keep her a prisoner here?” Garron felt a surge of anger course through him.
“That’s his general MO. Back when they were together, he would barely let her go to work or the grocery store. He wants to keep her under lock and key all the time.”
“Should we try the door?” It was a thick piece of wood with a knob on one side. Garron was ready to burst it open at once but Di shook her head.
“No, let’s go around back first. See if she’s in the bedroom.”
She led the way around the corner of the domicile into an area she called the “back yard” which was filled with more lush, tropical vegetation than Garron had ever seen. There were more of the trees with skinny trunks and long fronds sticking out of their tops which Di called “palm trees” as well as other plants she didn’t name.
All the windows they passed had the metal cages over them and the one they stopped in front of was no different.
“Here,” Di whispered as they peered through the holes in the mesh into a sleeping chamber. There were cloth panels here as well but they were open to show a large sleeping platform with a green and gray spread heaped with pillows. “This is her bedroom—or it was before she moved out.”
As she spoke, Tess came into view. She was wearing a long, white cloth wrapped around her breasts and her dark hair was wet. Garron saw that there were red marks on the side of her face where Pierce had struck her. His heart went tight as a fist in his chest. Had those come from the blows he had witnessed in his dream…or were they more recent?
Tess clearly didn’t see them. She moved slowly…stiffly, keeping her eyes down as she shuffled forward. When she got to the edge of the sleeping platform she lowered herself carefully with her back to the window. The white cloth she had draped around her slipped a bit, revealing the graceful curve of her back and Garron could see the reason for her slow, careful movements.
“Gods,” he muttered hoarsely. His stomach tightened and a wave of rage and remorse so strong it nearly stopped his heart came over him. He could hardly bear to look and yet he forced himself to anyway. After all, he had sent her to this place. It was his fault. His responsibility as surely as if he had marked her himself.
The pale, smooth canvas of her back was marred—the creamy white skin covered in long red welts and bruises. There were cuts too—many of them bleeding. All the wounds were obviously fresh and by the way Tess moved, extremely painful.
Beside him, Garron heard Di suck in a breath.
“That bastard!” she whispered, her voice shaking.
“Those should be my wounds to bear.” Garron’s voice sounded cold and distant in his own ears. “Her pain should be mine.”
“Never mind feeling guilty.” Di’s eminently practical voice dragged him back from the void. “The main thing is getting her out of there. Pierce doesn’t seem to be around so I’m going to take a chance.” Poking one finger through the mesh screen, she tapped on the glass with one fingernail and hissed, “Tess! Tess!”
* * * * *
Tess was moving slowly after the last round of “punishment.” In the end Pierce had decided that “whoring around” was indeed, a whipping offense and the belt was the appropriate instrument of choice. Accordingly he had whipped her the moment they got home—with the buckle end. The hard metal with its sharp tongue had torn her skin, making it extremely painful to move.
Not that she’d been moving much—mostly she’d been cowering in the corner, trying to protect her head and face with her arms. Pierce wasn’t too particular where the blows fell when he got going and she didn’t want to lose an eye.
Wish I was like one of those brave, plucky heroines in Lifetime movies. The kind that grab a butcher knife or a frying pan and smash their abusive husband over his thick skull with it!
But this was real life, not some inspirational movie. Pierce was bigger and stronger than her—he outweighed and outmassed her and he was fast. He’d been a quarterback in college and he still retained some of that speed. There was no getting around him or getting to him—all she could do was try to protect her face and vital organs and pray he didn’t kill her this time.
Now she was having a brief reprieve because Pierce had been called out to work a homicide. Tess knew it was wrong to be glad someone had died but she couldn’t help herself—she was just so grateful he was gone, even if it was for a little while. Of course, he had made certain she couldn’t leave while he was out which made her a prisoner in what used to be her own house but still, at least she wasn’t being beaten at the moment…or worse.
Because Pierce had promised much worse was to come and Tess believed him.
“Take a shower you filthy whore,” he’d ordered before he left. “You’d better be clean when I come back. Clean enough to fuck.”
He’s going to hurt me. Really hurt me this time.
Tess pushed a strand of wet hair out of her eyes and pressed her fingers to her eyelids for a moment, trying not to cry. She had attempted to dry her hair but it hurt too much to raise her hands over her head. After awhile she’d given up and wrapped a towel around herself instead, leaving her hair to hang loose and wet around her shoulders.
She sat on the bed, trying not to think about what Pierce was going to do to her and dreading it at the same time. Sex had never been exactly pleasant with him—not even in the beginning when she’d believed that he loved her. But he had never really gone out of his way to make it painful before. He’d seemed satisfied to get his violent urges out with his fists.
Tess had an awful feeling that he wouldn’t be satisfied with that this time. The beating he’d given her with the belt was just the warm up leading to a symphony of brutality that would doubtless be his piece de resistance.
He may kill me this time, she thought dully. He’ll just start “punishing” me and he won’t stop until I’m dead…
A sharp rapping at the window interrupted her morbid thoughts.
“What the hell?” She turned quickly, a move that hurt her back and drew a hiss of pain from her lips. But what she saw made her so surprised she almost forgot how much she hurt.
Di was standing there, her eyes red and her sensibly short hair mussed as though she’d been running both hands through it, as was her habit when she was upset. And standing right beside her was the Kindred warrior with the turquoise eyes—Garron. Those eyes were blazing at her now, filled with an intensity of emotion that was frightening.
What the hell? What is he doing here? Tess realized that her towel was sagging and hitched it up quickly.
“Di?” She got off the bed and opened the window with an effort that made her wounded back sing Ave Maria. The cool, damp air rushed in causing her to shiver. “Di,” she said again. “What are you—”
“Getting you out,” her friend interrupted. “Is Pierce gone? Come around to the front door and let us in.”
“I can’t.” Tess shook her head.
“What—he’s got you locked up in the bedroom?” Di demanded.
Tess nodded. “Are you surprised?”
“Not a bit. That asshole.” Di looked really upset. “Don’t worry if you can’t get out—we can come in to get you. Big boy here looks like he could do some serious damage to the front door.” She nodded at the warrior.
“No!” Tess exclaimed. “Pierce has it booby trapped somehow—the back door too. If you try to get in you could get seriously hurt.”
“Traps don’t concern me,” the Kindred growled. His voice was deep and angry. “Getting you out of there does.”
“Look, the traps involve loaded shotguns. Seriously, don’t try,” Tess warned. “And why are you even here anyway?”
He frowned. “Time for questions later. If the doors are impassible, we have to find another way.”
“There i
s no other way,” Tess said dryly. “I’m too pleasingly plump to wiggle up the chimney and Pierce has had these ‘anti-theft’ screens installed at every window. Unless you can pull one out of the concrete, I’m stuck in here.”
She’d been joking because honestly, there was nothing else she could do. It was ironic really, the way Pierce had cut her off. She was trapped in his house in more than one way and even now, when Di had come to the rescue, there was no way she could help Tess escape. He’d made certain of that.
But though she had meant the words as a joke, the big Kindred—Garron, his name is Garron, she reminded herself—took a step back and looked at the metal mesh covering the window appraisingly.
“Hey,” she said after he’d been studying it for a full minute, as though looking for weak points. “I was joking, you know. You’re a big strong guy but you’d pull your arms out of your sockets before you could get one of these screens lose. They’re made to be completely impassible—there’s no way.”
“There is a way.” He stepped forward again and looked her in the eyes with that unnervingly intense gaze of his. “But it’s dangerous.”
“More dangerous than leaving Tess there for Pierce to beat up some more?” Di demanded.
“Possibly.” He looked at Tess seriously. “I am half Rai’ku which means I have something within me which is…other.”
“Other?” Tess felt a chill run through her. “What do you mean other?”
Garron shook his head. “You wouldn’t understand. The point is, I can call on it for strength but if it comes too close to the surface…if I wake it completely…”
“Then…what?” Tess remembered the strange warning Becca had given her about him. That he was a good guy but dangerous. Was this what she had meant?
He shook his head again. “I’m not sure but nothing good would come of it. The other inside me is dormant at the moment but if it awakes it will be very, very hungry.”
“So…what? You have a split personality? Bipolar Disorder? What?” Di shook her head. “I’m not even sure what you’re telling us.”
Devoured Page 9
