by Celeste Raye
Jasper started to untie him, and he shrunk back away from him.
“You tell my brother to go away. I am fine here.”
Jasper smiled and clicked his tongue. “It doesn't look to be that way. Are you sure you don't want to take a break? How long will it take for all of that to heal?”
Against reason, he said that he didn't need a break, but Jasper would not take his word for it. He’d already gotten excited by the idea of getting to torture someone new. It wasn't the first time Fred had met someone like him, but he didn’t want Jake to go through it as well.
“I won't go.”
Jasper pulled him to his feet and pushed him towards the door. “You don't have a choice although I can put a bullet in you before you go. Something to remember me by.”
The reminder that he wasn't in charge of anything came through like it was supposed to and he tempered his words. It was going to do him no good if he had a bullet in his back before he left. Who would be there to help his brothers if he were gone?
“Can I at least talk to him before I go?”
He shook his head that he couldn’t. “Hell no. Just think of this as a stay of execution, but only a temporary one. I'll be back for you and the rest of your family just like you took out all of mine. This isn’t over.”
Fred wanted to say something in retort, but nothing would come out. It was just shock that he was leaving, pain from standing.
His clothes were put back on him, and he was pushed through a door that he didn't remember. The light was blazing overhead, then he could see that he was in the basement. He tried to remember everything as he was walking out, but they seemed to notice, and his eyes were covered. Fred was put into a car and taken away.
When Fred was finally released, he had no idea where he was. It took him time just to find the right way home. From there, he was going to have to figure it all out. Right then, though, he had to get back and talk to Donovan and Charlie. Maybe they would have a better idea.
He was finally oriented enough to know which way to go. He was about to turn into his bear form when he heard a familiar voice. The sound of it brought him close to a rage. He wasn’t able to think for a moment. He was standing there, stunned into silence, not sure what to say or do. He had to react, had to do something, but he just stood there for the longest time.
“Isabo?”
Fred turned around and saw her there, guilt written all over her face.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Isabo was surprised that he could even get that mad because it seemed so out of character for his usual gentle nature. It was miles away from the man she had spent time with on the hill. Isabo wanted him back, because that was version, was a whole lot less scary, then the one that was in front of her at the moment.
“How could you do this? How could you set me up like this?”
Fred was walking towards her quickly, and Isabo's first reaction was to backtrack. She had an instinct that something was going to go horribly wrong.
“Now listen, Fred. I wasn't trying to set you up. I was trying to do the exact opposite. I was trying to keep you away from them. That's why I changed the meeting place, but they found out and threw me in that basement before they got you. I didn't want any of this to happen.”
“Then why the hell did you bring my brother?”
“Because it would be better for him to be there than you. You had told me before that Jake was fair and I knew that he would take your place. You shouldn't be there.”
Fred just shook his head. “That wasn't your decision to make.”
“It wasn’t. It was your brother’s decision, and he agreed to it. He wanted to take your place, so why wouldn't I let him?”
He looked like he was going to yell at her, but instead, he just sighed. Isabo could see past all of the anger. He was hurting, badly. Not only were there physical marks, which were rather substantial, but there were emotional ones that ran just as deep. There seemed to be nothing that she could do for either of them at the moment. He wanted to hit her, hurt her, something. It was clear in his expression. She’d hurt him, and it was only natural to want to give it back. Maybe he wasn’t as pure as she had thought.
Isabo tried to apologize, but he didn’t want to hear it. “They wouldn’t let me refuse it. They let me go because they wanted Jake. What that man is capable of…”
He whistled out loud, and Isabo again tried to ignore the obvious. They had tortured him extensively, and Jasper liked it. She’d known that he was off, but the more she knew, the more she realized how bad he actually was.
“I really am sorry, Fred. Let me help you in any way I can.”
“Can you get my brother back? He doesn’t deserve this, Isabo.”
“I know that he doesn’t, Fred, but it was better than you.”
Isabo was embarrassed even to say it. It made no sense, but she’d been ready to do about anything, just to make sure Fred didn’t have to go through it.
“Why set me up and then try to help me?”
Another question with no answer. Her only one was a shrug and a downcast set of eyes.
Isabo couldn’t explain why she had done any of it. He was supposed to be the enemy, but she could never look at him that way.
Chapter Twelve
Fred was livid about the whole situation. He didn't want to go home and explain to Donovan and Charlie how he had been caught and then Jake had sacrificed himself for him. Now, he had to tell Donovan and Charlie's wife that they were supposed to sacrifice themselves for Jake. He wasn’t under the impression that they wouldn't; he was actually afraid they would.
When he got back to the clubhouse, there were a lot of people looking his way when he walked in. It was clear that something had been said while he was gone. He saw Claire and asked her what was going on.
“I'm glad to see you. That woman that came to talk to Jake wasn’t here very long, but she must have made an impression. And I'm glad to see that you are safe.”
“Is Charlie or Donovan here?”
“Donovan is. He wanted to go with Jake, but he wouldn't let him. You know how Jake is. Said that you guys would figure out another way. No martyrs, he said.”
“Yeah, I do know how Jake is. I wish he wouldn't have done that. If something happened to me, it would be less of an impact on the clan. He is our fearless leader; without him...”
He didn’t want to finish the sentence because he felt bad about the whole situation. It was all because of him.
“It's going to be fine, Fred. They're already talking about how they're going to get them back. I'm telling you now that it's going to be fine.”
Fred wanted to believe that was true, but he wasn't sure. He had left Isabo behind where he met her. The way he felt because of her betrayal was so intense that he could barely breathe. As much as Fred wanted to believe her when she said that she wanted to help, he just wasn't sure if he could. He knew where his brother was anyway. He had left his markings when he first arrived; he knew that he would want to find it again one day, and he would.
“Let me talk to Donovan, and we will see what he says. You know that he is one of the people that they want, right?”
Claire agreed, but she certainly wasn't happy about it. She took him to see his brother, and the whole time, Fred was worried about what was going to happen next.
He was a little concerned that his brother was going to be mad at him. Maybe he should have done something different so that he wouldn't have been taken. It put them in a bad spot. In a way, it was all his fault. He hoped that his brother didn't feel the same way.
When he got in to see Donovan, he was unsure what he was going to find. When his brother came to him and gave him a hug and told him that he was glad that he was okay, it made Fred relax a little bit.
“I am sure glad to see you, Fred. We came as soon as we heard.”
“Did you get my message about the ancients?”
“We did.”
“That's what we were coming
back for, and then we got the rest of it from the woman that came. What was her name?”
“Isabo.”
“She must really care about you because she put herself in danger to come tell us.”
Fred didn't want to hear that. He believed that she had set him up and how it was being described was too close to what she said.
“I think it was just a bit of a guilty conscience when she heard me getting tortured. That woman is the only reason that I was taken in the first place.”
Donovan shook his head slowly and told his brother that it wasn’t the truth. “You were picked up and tortured Fred because I did something very similar to them a decade ago with dad and a few others. Not to mention that Celeste did kill almost all of them. It doesn’t matter if she meant to or not. That’s just fact.”
Fred didn’t want to be reasonable about it. There was too much going on. He wanted to be mad at her because that was easier than feeling any kind of pain. He’d had enough of it.
“I don’t want to talk about her right now. I can worry about Isabo later.”
“We are going to need her if we are going to get Jake out of there.”
“Why would she help?”
“Because she doesn’t want her cousins killed. They are the only family she has left. I don’t think she agrees with them, but she doesn’t want us to take them out. Then she will be all alone.”
Fred didn’t know what to say to that. He thought he knew what had happened with Isabo; he’d been mean to her, and she’d been telling the truth. Fred didn’t know how to act after. Donovan looked at him strangely.
“What happened between the two of you?”
Fred shrugged and then said he didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t say that he didn’t know, because he did, or at least he thought he did. He had fallen in love with her, and something must have happened on her end as well. If not, he wouldn’t have been standing there.
He trembled for a moment, a cold air going down his spine. Just to think about what Jasper and Brick would have done with him if they’d only had more time. And what if Donovan was right, and Isabo did care, and she was put in danger? What would those two maniacs do to her?
Fred told Donovan he had to go.
“Where are you going?”
“Well, if you want to use Isabo, I guess I am going to have to go talk to her. We didn’t leave things in the best way. If we need her help, I am going to have to apologize.”
Donovan smiled, and it made Fred think he knew what was really going on with the two of them. He’d had so many questions to ask before, but now, he knew what he needed to know. He wanted her, and once that was established, from there, nothing else mattered.
“I have a feeling that I’m going to be getting to know Isabo soon enough. I am happy for you, Fred.”
Fred waved him off like he had no idea what he was talking about. The brothers didn’t have to say anything more. They already knew what was happening. Fred had seen each of his brothers fall in love, and he knew that this was how it was.
“Just be back in the morning, Fred and bring her with you. Then we will be able to see what is going on there and how we are going to get him back.”
Fred nodded, but he wasn't so sure he wanted her involved. Sure, she might be an asset, but he already knew where Jake was, so if they didn't have to put her in harm's way, he didn't want to.
Chapter Thirteen
Isabo tried to level with Fred and tell him what was really going on. She was eaten up inside that all of it had turned out the way it had. It was the last thing that she wanted, Fred mad at her, but she didn't want him to be tortured either. How could he be upset with her about that?
Isabo wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. She wanted to check on Jasper and Brick, see what they were doing to Fred’s brother, but she didn't know if she would have the heart to see it.
She was standing outside of the house she was staying in with her cousins, and she couldn't go inside. There were no sounds of torture, and she couldn't feel it, but she knew it was coming. She was starting to think that she wasn't cut out for being in the family. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that she’d felt that way. Her family had told her time and time again that she needed to toughen up or she was going to be taken advantage of.
Little did Isabo know that she would have a choice not to be a Bennigan. It wasn't like she was happy when they all died or anything like that, but it did open up an opportunity that she had never thought about before.
That was what was keeping her from going inside. She didn't want to be a part of any of it anymore, and now that Fred was out of it and the real culprits would be taken care of, what was the point of staying there?
The internal turmoil went on for some time, and she still wasn't sure what the right answer was.
“I didn't know how I was going to find you, Isabo, but I'm delighted you came back.”
Isabo's heart fluttered because it was Fred’s voice. It had a tone that was much like she wanted it to be before. She didn't have to look at him to know that he was smiling. She wasn't smiling any longer, though. He had said things to her that were going to take a while for her to forget.
She got a bit standoffish. “What are you doing here?”
When she turned around, he did have a smile on his face. He also had a little bit of a guilty look, and it made her wonder why. What had changed since the last time they'd seen each other?
“I needed to see you, Isabo. The last time we had a conversation, it didn't go very well. I hate that we left it like that.”
She scoffed. “I guess it didn’t go very well. You said quite a few things to me, so I'll ask again, what are you doing here?”
“I want to talk to you. I wanted to thank you for what you did for me. I guess I didn't understand it fully.”
“And now you do?”
Fred agreed, but it wasn't good enough. She wanted to know why, all of a sudden, things had changed.
“I probably don't understand it all the way, but you did what you had to do, and without your help, I would still be getting tortured right now. I know that much for certain. My brother took my place, and while I'm not happy about it, I can't be mad at you. I guess I just want to know why you helped me.”
“You came all this way, tracked me down, to ask me that?”
Fred shrugged. “If you're going to make this harder on me than it has to be then I will just wait until you get it all out.”
“I have.”
“Have you?”
She agreed.
“You said some really mean things to me. I know that this has not been good for you, but it hasn't been good for me either. I got pulled into this, and all I wanted to do was get out of it somehow. I didn't want anybody to get hurt.”
“I know that now. Like I said before, I can see it all clearly.”
He was moving closer, and it made her nervous. She backed up and asked him what he was doing.
“I am doing what both of us want, but neither one of us is willing to admit.”
Before she could see it coming, he was leaning in for a kiss that lingered far longer than the one had before. There was something else to it, and it took her breath away. Isabo was breathing hard when he pulled back.
Isabo couldn’t think straight. She had never been kissed in such a way before, and certainly, her body had not reacted to it so strongly in any past embrace. She was trying her best to hold herself upright, but she felt herself swaying a little bit in his arms. When he finally did pull away, she was finding it hard to focus.
“Why are you kissing me out here like this? You shouldn't even be here.”
“Ever since I met you, Isabo, all I've been thinking about is seeing you again. If this is where I have to come to see you, then so be it.”
Isabo had never had somebody say such things to her, and she had certainly never felt so good about it before. Just one kiss had electrified her senses and made her certain that she wanted to have more.
They didn’t go far before she was being pulled down into the grass, and Isabo ignored the stick that dug into her side. Her main focus was on the man that was over her, kissing her and making her feel like she was never going to be the same again.
His lips were soft but insistent, making her squirm. Isabo whimpered, and the sound did something to the man. Fred growled at her, and his hands were battling with her clothes. He was trying to get her naked but had to rip some of what she was wearing just so that he could get to her.
Isabo tried to slow him down. Everything was happening too fast, but then she was naked, his hand was between her legs, and she was squeezing his forearm. He was playing with her, making her call out in pleasure. Isabo had never felt so good and she was battling with a mix of emotions. She wanted him, all the way, but she still had a fear of it all.
“You have to slow down, Fred. I’ve never done this before.”
He seemed to hear her finally, and he sat back, looking a little guilty.
“I’ve never done this either, Isabo, and right now, I would give about anything to be with you. I feel like I am going to explode if I am not inside of you soon.”
Her lower parts were throbbing at his words. What was she supposed to say to that? She wanted the same thing, but that didn’t mean the unknown didn’t freak her out.
“I want that too. I don’t want you to stop. I just…I don’t know, Fred. It’s all happening so fast.”
