An Embarrassment of Monsters: A Dark Romantic Suspense Novel (Alace Sweets Book 3)

by MariaLisa deMora

  He walked to the driver side and folded himself into the car. Alace let him put it into gear and drive away before she asked, “What’d Grundella want?”

  “Jessica”—he drew out the name for emphasis—“reminded me to keep visitors to a minimum for a few days. She said the hospital helps with that, discouraging people from coming in droves, requiring permitted visitors to wash their hands before holding the child, providing sanitizer stations outside the mother’s room door. She said it would be on me to corral the masses.” He made air quotes with one hand around the word. “I simply thanked her for her advice.”

  “What was that she handed you?” Alace leaned over to watch Lila sleep, the tiny movements of the baby’s lips and nose mesmerizing.

  “Hand sanitizer.” He chuckled. “I believe she really means well, beloved. You’re simply a force of nature she’d never encountered before.”

  “Okay. Whatever.” What if she’s right? What if I’ve put our daughter at risk because I’m stubborn? A memory resurfaced, one of Eric carrying her into the ER, blood smeared on the insides of her thighs. She’d nearly lost the pregnancy early on because she’d been too focused on her own wants and needs to be as careful as she should have been. A wave of insecurity broke over Alace, her mouth flooding with acid at the wayward direction of her thoughts. “You don’t think this is wrong, do you? Should we have stayed at the hospital?”

  “Beloved.” Eric’s hand appeared between the front seats, reaching blindly back towards Alace. She clasped hold, tight as if she were drowning and he was offering the only hope of rescue. “If the doctor hadn’t agreed, the discharge papers would not have been signed. We complied with the only direct request, and if the whole of the nursing staff had tried to discourage us from leaving, I would have probably put my weight behind their requests. It was one woman, and we have no idea the history behind her fixation on the black-and-white rules she’d like to apply to everyone. I don’t think it’s wrong. I also happen to agree that you and I will both rest more comfortably at home, where we know without a doubt we’re secure. The protection of Lila Sue is paramount, and the two of us are definitely focused on that. She’s safe with us, sheltered in this ridiculous car I bought just for her, and she’ll be far better served by a mother and father who are more relaxed. That’s only gonna happen in our home.”

  Alace squeezed his hand. “I love you, do you know that?” His gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, and she saw the lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes, signaling his response. “You’re pretty much my second favorite person right now.”

  “Second favorite?” He flipped on the turn signal and navigated steering the car around a corner, all without releasing her hand.

  She gave his hand another squeeze. “Yeah. These days, you’ll be coming in second to little Lila here. She’s nudged you out of the top slot.”

  “A defeat I can well understand and get behind. Not upset in the slightest.” He tightened his fingers around hers, then extricated his hand from her grip. “Traffic through downtown will be heavier. I have to take care of my best girls.”

  “Okay. I’ll give you up for now. But once we’re home, you’re all mine.”

  “I suspect I’ll be sharing you with Lila pretty heavily. And—” His gaze flicked back to the mirror, catching and holding hers for a moment. “—the doctor was particularly adamant about the six-week window before resuming sexual activity.”

  “Sexy fun times postponed. Got it.” Grinning broadly, she stuck her tongue out at him through the reflection, then focused back on Lila’s face. “I’m gonna want another one of these, Eric.”

  His tone was raspy, gruff with emotion when he promised her, “I’m totally on board with the idea. The sooner, the better, so our kids can grow up as friends.”

  She touched Lila’s soft skin with a fingertip, tracing an invisible line across the apple of her daughter’s cheek.

  “We’ll start practicing in five weeks and six days, then.”

  Chapter Six

  Owen

  The sun had scarcely begun peeking through the tree canopy as he made his way back to the car. The woods were silent around him, and if he hadn’t glanced up occasionally to look at the drone, he would have never known it flew above him, so quiet were its motors and rotors. He pressed the trunk button on the car fob as he approached the vehicle, methodically discarded the equipment he’d put on only a couple of hours ago, stowed his arsenal back into the disguised gun safe, and shoved the remaining items into the duffel bag.

  He stripped off his jacket, shirt, and cargo pants, unfastening the ankles to slip over his boots. Those were stuffed into the bag, along with the mask he’d worn and the square of fabric that held Shiloh’s blood, and only once he was confident he’d secured everything did he drop the sanitizing pod inside, pulling the tiny plastic trigger as he zipped the bag closed. The contents of the pod would help degrade any of Warrant’s DNA that had transferred to the clothing. Warrant’s penis and testicles went into a separate container followed by a splash of the solvent over the flesh. Owen took up the package of wipes saturated with the same chemicals and carefully cleaned what skin he’d left exposed during his time inside the cabin. Lastly, he used one of the wipes for the uppers of his boots while standing in a shallow tray retrieved from the trunk and partially filled from a jug of a similar solvent.

  Only then did he pull his spare clothing on, stepping carefully into the clean cargo pants, securing the ankle fasteners when he bent over to dump the tray on the ground. The compound would rapidly break down, and within half an hour, the chemicals would be undetectable. Once he was again dressed, Owen closed the trunk gently, leaning on the surface to press firmly until he heard the latch click.

  Peering into the back seat, he saw Kelly seated upright, staring out at him. Shiloh was strapped into the booster seat, her head on her brother’s shoulder, apparently sleeping. Probably a good thing. Ideally, they’d be behind closed doors before she had a meltdown. Owen was surprised she hadn’t reacted badly already, with everything that had happened back at the cabin.

  A memory of Warrant’s ruined face flashed in front of Owen, and he tightened his hands into fists, nails digging into the meat of his palms. Motherfucker had deserved so much worse. The arrogance of that kind of sexual predator made him sick, creating false scenarios where they were the center of attention, their thrill in the high of the moment, meaning the kids earned barely a second thought.

  The discovery of the camera setup had been an unwelcome surprise, but one that, in the end, Owen would be able to leverage to his advantage. If he could trace even one more pedophile from the information, it’d be another big chink in the wall of secrecy those sick fucks depended upon to stay in business. From one, he’d dig up another, and then another. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d promised to find them. Won’t stop until they’re all facedown in the dirt. He might not be able to fix what had happened to Shiloh, but he would avenge her.

  Revenge is mine, saith Saint Owen.

  Popping open the driver door, he crawled into the seat, trying not to rock the vehicle too much. Shiloh slept on, her shallow breaths never changing cadence. “She’s pretty tired, huh?” Kelly nodded and leaned his head towards the little girl, letting his cheek rest on top of her head. “She was really brave back there.”

  “She always was.” Kelly’s voice was rough and aching, older than his years by decades. “He hurt her, Da—Owen. He hurt her bad.” The boy’s near-miss on his name had Owen’s heart tripping fast in his chest. “I shoulda been here.”

  “If you were here, it wouldn’t have stopped him. He would have killed you, and then still done the same, and where would Shiloh be now?” Owen shook his head and started the car, letting the engine idle. He pulled the tablet out and sent the drone high, scanning the area between where he was parked and the highway. Nothing showed, no incoming cars. He angled the drone back towards the cabin, pleased to see the silhouettes of the dogs and kids remained within the cir
cumference of the fencing. All clear, and everything according to plan. “Him dumping you where he did saved both your lives.”

  “You saved our lives.” Owen glanced over his shoulder to see Kelly’s gaze boring into him. “If I couldn’t kill him, I’m glad it was you.”

  The bloodthirsty statement didn’t bother him, and Owen answered in kind, treating the boy as an equal. He’s earned that, and much more. “I’m glad it was me, too.”

  Owen put the car in gear and eased his foot down on the gas pedal, rolling smoothly out of the woods and back onto the private lane. At the highway, he quickly dealt with the chain, leaving it lying across the opening as he drove out and onto the larger road. A few minutes later, they were back on the interstate, free and clear, and rolling south towards home.

  Owen turned on the radio and kept the volume low. He selected a local station he knew would interrupt with breaking information and drove, the sun rising to his left, slashing across his face as he wove in and out of traffic. They were an hour away from the compound when the first news briefing hit the airwaves. Owen had already seen a few emergency responder vehicles headed in the other direction, lights on but no sirens.

  Any minute now, Terrence would be telling them all about the masked man who’d set the boys free.

  Any minute now, law enforcement personnel would storm the cabin, finding only one dead occupant.

  Any minute now, the call would go out over the darknet to hunker down, shelter in place, not draw any attention to themselves.

  For all of those moments, it was too late.

  Terrence could talk about Owen all he wanted; the careful work Owen and Alace had done made damn sure there was nothing to tie his mask-hidden reality to the pedophile ring.

  The forensic investigators could take the cabin apart board by board, and they would still only find what Owen wanted them to find. Evidence of the man’s depravity, but nothing to point to Kelly or Shiloh ever existing. Even if Shiloh left DNA in the cabin and the authorities managed to find it, he had confidence she wouldn’t be in the system. The boys might talk about a little girl, might talk about her being removed tonight, but the state lab couldn’t type the entirety of the cabin. It simply wasn’t financially feasible.

  And for the last tidbit, it was far too late for the sick bastards who had preyed on those children to feel safe. I’ll hunt ’em down one by one. Kill ’em all. Owen glanced in the mirror, finding Kelly’s eyes still directed his way. Revenge. That was a currency both Owen and Alace had dealt in for a long time.

  He thought about the image Eric had sent him, the contrast between the surreal picture of Alace fully invested in motherhood, and the scene in the seat behind him. “Alace is gonna lose her mind.”

  “Who’s Alace?”

  Owen allowed himself a tiny grin at the question. He’d bet even Alace wouldn’t be able to fully answer that particular inquiry. “She’s a friend. The one I called the other day, and then I talked to her again while you were sleeping. Does the same kind of work as me. She and I work together a lot.”

  “So she’s a good guy, like you?”

  The car jerked to the side with his reaction, swaying within the lane, but only barely. “Kelly, I’m not a good guy.” Better to burst that bubble right here and now than allow the kid to build him up as some kind of hero. “I’m far from good.”

  “You saved me and Shiloh.” Kelly’s shoulders moved up and down in the mirror. “Proof enough for me.” Owen opened his mouth, and the boy shook his head fiercely, gaze burning through the reflection. “No, you don’t get to say that’s not how it is. You think I don’t know bad from good? After what I’ve seen, after what’s happened? You said the reason me and Shiloh are alive now is because Earl dumped me in the woods where you were. That means you’re the reason we’re alive. What if you hadn’t been there? What if someone else had been?” Voice shaking, Kelly turned and stared out the window. “It was you. All along what we needed was you.”

  Lost for words, Owen fixed his own gaze out the front windshield, studiously ignoring the mirror for the remainder of the drive.

  After pulling into the garage, he sat in his seat while the overhead door rumbled shut behind the vehicle, listening to tiny stirring sounds from the back seat. The girl’s high piping voice murmured something he couldn’t make out, answered by Kelly’s raspy tone.

  Picking up the tablet, Owen woke it with a touch, quickly scanned the view below the still-hovering drone, and grinned. There had to be more than a hundred heat silhouettes in view, with a ratio easily that of four adults for each child. Terrence and the rest of the kids were safe. Owen updated the drone’s settings and watched while the scene changed, becoming a racing flow of treetops as the device headed back to home base. Wherever that is. Retrieving a USB stick from a recess in the back of the tablet’s case, he inserted it and touched the icon that appeared, agreeing to the warning that appeared next. Within seconds, the tablet was not just back to factory settings but had been bricked, requiring a complete software reinstall to become useful again. The device itself would go into the recycle bin at the local electronic store the first chance he got.

  He didn’t know why he was stalling, not really. But once he carried that little girl into his house, their path would be set. Taking her here instead of a hospital laid the framework for the next few hours at least, and probably the following few weeks. Still time. I could haul them both to an ER and drop them off. Hospital would call social, and they’d take care of the kids. He didn’t think Kelly would disclose Owen’s part in Warrant’s death. Doubted if the boy would be able to tell someone how to find Owen. Take ’em inside, and they’re no longer the kids; they’re mine. The thought should have been disturbing, but it wasn’t. Mentally acknowledging the connection he’d developed with the two kids settled him, steadying him. Long as they need me, I’ll be here for them. Long as they need me, I’m gonna be right here.

  With a deep breath, he reached for the door handle, stepped out of the car, and turned to see two sets of eyes staring at him from the back seat. Shiloh was definitely wide awake.

  Seated side by side as they were, the physical differences were startling. Kelly’s paler skin was topped with dark hair, the not-yet-adolescent stretch of his limbs speaking to his eventual size and growth. Shiloh’s skin was darker, arms and legs a creamy mocha brown. But the shape of their faces, color of their hair, and the startling clarity of their green eyes were more than enough to brand them at least half-siblings.

  “Come on, kiddos. Let’s head inside. See what we can do for food and a bath.” Owen walked to the door and held still for the facial recognition software, listening to the opening and closing of the car door behind him. He pushed the door open and held it there with a stiffened arm, looking down as Kelly passed through into the house, leading Shiloh by the hand.

  Neither child spoke, even as they followed Owen to the bathroom attached to the bedroom Kelly had been in before. Owen started the water running into the bath and turned, staring at Kelly. “I’m going to go grab the rest of the stuff from the car. I’ll be right back in to help Shiloh with her bath.” The boy’s chin dropped, and he developed a pugnacious expression, glaring at Owen. “Exactly as I helped you bathe, Kelly. Mostly by being in here in case she gets lightheaded or doesn’t feel well.” At least Kelly had recovered from the respiratory illness he’d had that first night, and Shiloh appeared healthy outside of the physical abuse she’d suffered. “Nothing more. She’s not sick like you were, so probably won’t need anything.”

  “I can do that.” Kelly stood straighter. “She don’t need you.”

  What happened to Owen the savior? “Okay. You stay in here with her and I’ll be in there.” He pointed through the door to the bedroom. “Close enough to help if needed, but you’re right. Her big brother can definitely be her helper instead of me.” That let the air out of Kelly, and his body rounded over, shoulders slumping in relief. “Don’t let the water get too hot. It’ll sting her scrapes. I�
�m going to get the bags and then make a call. Don’t leave her in here alone, okay?”

  “Okay.” Shiloh leaned into Kelly and whispered something, and the boy nodded in response. “She says thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, sweet girl. I’ll be back in a minute.” Walking out of that room and leaving the two kids alone was harder even than he’d imagined it would be. His mind was going crazy, running a thousand scenarios where one or the other could be hurt or killed while in the safety of a common bathroom, and Owen had to shake his head forcefully to slow his racing thoughts. Bags of clothing retrieved from the car, he dropped them outside the bedroom and abruptly turned on his heel, striding to the kitchen. He took in a deep breath and then accessed the tablet mounted to the wall.

  After needing and not having one when first treating Kelly, Owen had installed a pinhole camera in the bathroom. There was no sound, but it showed Shiloh in the tub, with the overlarge shirt still covering her body. Kelly sat cross-legged on the floor, head resting on his folded arms along the edge of the tub. The boy was turned sideways so he could keep an eye on Shiloh. The physical exhaustion both children exhibited was profound, and seeing it carved a hollow spot in Owen’s chest.

  He stared at them, then abruptly tapped away from the security camera system, entering a series of passwords to access a secure email server. He pulled up a contact, studied the information briefly, then keyed in a short, cryptic message. The green indicator beside the man’s name told Owen his contact was online, so it wasn’t a surprise when the response was nearly immediate. The contact had relevant questions, so Owen responded, then confirmed the address and timeframe for the man’s arrival, and finished by closing down the connection before turning off the tablet.

  Moving to the security system, he tapped a series of icons, then created a temporary access code to match what he’d given the man, who was a doctor at a nearby children’s hospital. Owen didn’t know him personally, but the other independents who disrupted local trafficking rings had recommended his services as discreet and trustworthy. After bringing Kelly home, Owen had run his own kind of background checks on the man, finding only more of the same. It had bothered Owen to not have reliable medical help for the boy, and when he’d begun entertaining the idea Shiloh would be coming back here, he’d been determined to ensure she had everything she needed to be healthy and whole. The security code would grant the doctor access even if Owen wasn’t home, helping make certain her care wouldn’t be interrupted for any reason.