by Jami Gray
Tabby wasn’t sure how long she was out, but when she woke, she was in a cage with three other girls and a boy. At first, they were held in the basement of some building, but it wasn’t long before they were chained and gagged then locked in a box with air holes.
‘I fought them, Aunt Charity.’ A fierce pride underscored Tabby’s words. ‘I used the tricks you showed me, but—’ the pride faded and fear took its place, ‘—I couldn’t win.’
Closing her eyes at the emotional storm raging through the fragile body in her arms, Charity had to clear her throat before speaking. ‘Sometimes, sweetie, you fight not because you can win, but to let them know they won’t break you.’
Fingers curled into the back of Charity’s t-shirt, gripping tight. ‘It didn’t stop them.’
Fury evolved into icy resolve, and Charity fought to keep it out of her voice. ‘Tabby, I have to ask.’ How did she ask this beautiful child if she was raped? It made Charity’s stomach knot and heave, but she forced the rest out. ‘Did they hurt you?’
She wasn’t ready for Tabby to unwind her arms and push back until she was sitting in Charity’s lap, lifting her tear-stained face until they were facing each other. Tabby held her gaze as she solemnly shook her head. ‘Not me, not like that,’ she choked out, tears welling even as her chin firmed. ‘They beat the crap out of me, and the others. Like they were bored or something. But the night before we were found …’ Her slender shoulders hunched and her burst of bravery leaked away. Charity gathered her close fearing what was coming next.
Held tight against Charity, Tabby burrowed in and finished. ‘The night before they were drinking. An argument broke out between Sean and one of the others. Geezer, the old guy, complained about how they weren’t allowed any fun, but since no-one was here, it wasn’t like anyone would know. Sean warned him he’d know, so to stop being a dick.’ The fact that the normally reserved Tabby didn’t even flinch with the use of the crude word scraped over Charity. It was a subtle indicator of crushed innocence. ‘They fought while the others watched. I think they were making bets.’
Probably. Betting on who’d win and get dibs on the young girls wasn’t a stretch of the imagination because the Raiders were unconscionable assholes.
Unaware of Charity’s dark thoughts, Tabby kept going. ‘When Geezer was done with Sean he came after us. Katori, Katie, and me knew what was coming. We tried to protect the younger girls.’ The words began falling fast and furious as if she was afraid to stop. ‘Geezer opened the door and leant in. Katori, Katie and me went after him at the same time. It was hard cuz of the chains, but we couldn’t let him near the others. They knocked Katori out first, but Katie and me, we kept fighting.’
Renewed shudders started up and Charity whispered, ‘You did good, baby, trying to keep them safe. That was brave, so brave of you.’ Tabby turned her face against Charity. Over Tabby’s head Charity caught a glimpse of Ruin and got distracted by the gamut of emotions colouring his face. Against her chest, she felt Tabby say something, but couldn’t make it out. ‘What was that, sweetpea?’
‘I couldn’t save Katie.’ The aching pain in Tabby’s comment raked lasting wounds in Charity’s soul. Imagining what this child who held a special spot in her heart endured was killing her. Like lancing a festering wound, all of Tabby’s guilt came spilling out. ‘Geezer dragged her out. One of the others dragged me out. They m-m-made me watch while they … hu … hu—’
‘Enough, Tabby.’ It took considerable effort to keep her voice from breaking, but somehow Charity managed. No way would she make Tabby relive the nightmare that would follow her for years, neither could she let Tabby’s guilt fester. With utmost care she made Tabby sit up and meet her gaze. This was too important to dare any misunderstanding. Stealing her battered heart against the ravaged face, she kept her voice firm. ‘You fought. You kept the younger girls as safe as you could. You and Katori and Katie did your best against full grown men who were bigger and stronger than you. It is not your fault that they hurt Katie.’
‘But—’
‘No buts, Tabby.’ It sucked that this lesson had to be learned at all, much less now. Yet there was no way Charity could live with herself if she let the lingering touch of evil dim Tabby’s bright, brave spirit. ‘Even if you weren’t chained, can you honestly tell me you could take out Geezer?’ Tabby’s lips thinned in a mutinous line, and the flash of stubbornness gave Charity a measure of reassurance. Still, she didn’t relent. ‘What was the first thing I taught you about fighting those who are bigger and meaner?’
‘Fight dirty.’
She nodded. ‘What else did I tell you?’
Tabby’s hands fisted in her lap, but she begrudgingly answered, ‘You won’t always win, just make them hurt.’
‘Did you hurt them?’
‘Not enough.’
‘Sometimes you can’t ever hurt them enough.’
‘You could.’
Tabby’s obvious disillusionment made Charity want to rage. Time for some hard, cold truths. ‘Not in that situation. The best I could do in those same circumstances is exactly what you did. Cause enough hurt to make them reconsider how much pain they wanted to endure before they came at me.’
‘They didn’t hurt me!’ Charity wasn’t prepared for Tabby’s unbridled fury and barely managed to dodge a wildly flailing fist. It was as if the girl had locked everything away and Charity’s appearance smashed through the door holding the whole nightmare back. Child-size fists began to pummel her chest and shoulders. Tabby’s voice grew louder until she was screaming, ‘They didn’t hurt me. They hurt Katie. Nothing I did made them stop. Nothing!’
Charity bore the brunt of her anger, helpless to do anything but let the storm rage. If she could bring the Raiders back to life, she’d enjoy taking her time with them, skinning them inch by inch, until their vocal chords broke under their screams, the way her heart was breaking under Tabby’s. Finally, the blows slowed, then stopped. Tabby sat in Charity’s lap, hands lying in her lap, her face red and tear-stained, her eyes dull. ‘It should’ve been me.’
Arguing with the child would gain nothing because Tabby was in no shape to hear her, but Charity had to try. She cupped Tabby’s face in her hands, forcing the girl to meet her gaze. ‘Why?’ Tabby tried to look away, but Charity refused to let her. ‘Why do you think it should’ve been you?’
Long lashes drifted down, then rose, and deep under the emotional fallout was an ember of anger. ‘Because Geezer said so.’
Her answer didn’t make sense. ‘I don’t understand.’
Tabby covered Charity’s hands with her own, her ragged nails digging into Charity’s skin as she leant in and hissed, ‘Geezer said the best way to f-f-f-fuck with Lilith was to f-f-ffuck her daughter.’
Chapter 12
The echo of the young girl’s words reverberated through Ruin, overriding his simmering frustration as he waited for Charity. Standing on Mandy’s porch, shoulder against one of the railing posts, arms crossed against his chest, he stared unseeing at the star-studded sky, trying to fit Tabitha’s revelation into the puzzle of the Raiders’ attack.
Lilith’s daughter. He hadn’t seen that coming. The girl’s parentage, or at least the maternal half of it, explained why Charity was so damn tight-lipped about who initially hired her. Not only was Charity the damn Rocky Mountain queen’s ‘Hound, but if his ears weren’t playing tricks on him, there was the added joy of a family connection, despite Charity’s earlier evasive denials. Son of a bitch, could things get any more convoluted? Scratch that, better he not put that out in the universe to be answered.
Hard as it was to believe it seemed the indomitable Lilith managed to bury her biggest weakness deep. His limited interactions with her left him convinced such things as mercy or a mothering nature were foreign concepts. Absently he wondered if the father figure was around somewhere. Although he wouldn’t put it passed Lilith to have ensured the DNA supplier never surfaced.
He couldn’t help but imagine that once th
e existence of Lilith’s daughter became public knowledge—because it was a question of when, not if—shockwaves would curl through the constantly shifting tides of power. Guaranteed it wouldn’t take long for treacherous webs to crawl through the shock. Hell, they already existed. Didn’t matter why Reznik hired the Raiders, only that they knew to target Tabitha. The more disturbing question was how? How had they known, especially if Charity was to be believed, and Reznik was so low on the power totem pole?
An image of the girl’s tear-stained face haunted him, and pity welled. This fiasco marked the beginning of an unending nightmare for Tabitha. Those who lusted after Lilith’s power would fight to use the one tool guaranteed to bring the most ruthless woman on the west coast to her knees. And no doubt it would, because if Tabitha didn’t matter to her mother, her existence wouldn’t have been such a well-guarded secret or require the protection of a ‘Hound.
Think of the devil. He didn’t turn at the sound of the door opening and closing behind him, but his spine stiffened. Logically he got why Charity kept her connection to Lilith and Tabby quiet, but it didn’t soothe his mounting frustration. He could feel her behind him, that uncanny sixth sense he suddenly developed whenever she was close kicking in with a vengeance. She moved to the other side of the steps and stayed silent. He let the quiet stand because he wasn’t sure what would come out of his mouth first—an accusation or questions he probably shouldn’t ask. He was glad she spoke first.
‘Go ahead, Ruin.’ There was resignation underlain with steel, as if her time with Tabitha had worn away her earlier optimistic sheen, stripping her to grim practicality.
He tried not to think about how much the girl’s tears and brutal retelling managed to scrape his hidden emotional spots raw, because that led to wondering how much damage it had done to Charity. And why that should concern him remained a mystery. Not turning from his observance of the starry panoramic, he asked, ‘With what?’
He caught her sigh, soft though it was. ‘Fine. We’ll do it your way. Yes, she really is Lilith’s daughter. No, she’s not my actual niece, but I’ve known her since she was born. Yes, I lied to you about who sent me. No, I’m not apologising for keeping quiet about who hired me. Yes, I was really coming here for Crane’s help. No, I didn’t expect to walk into a blood bath. No, I didn’t know you’d show up, any more than I knew the Raiders would take Simon, kill Crane, or be the ones behind Tabby’s kidnapping.’ She took a breath. ‘That cover it?’
Stunned by getting some straight answers, it took him a moment to answer. ‘Nope.’ Finally, he turned to her. ‘But it’s a good start.’ He studied her. She leant against the opposite support post, arms folded across her chest, ankles crossed, not looking at him but staring over the front yard. Despite the soft porch light, she was difficult to read, whatever was going on in her tricky head was well hidden. With who she was he expected this emotionless mask was more natural than anything she’d shown so far. Since she seemed to be in a talkative mood, he pushed for more. ‘You didn’t wait for your phone call before sharing. Why?’
‘What?’ She shifted her gaze to his, lines creasing her forehead as she tried to decipher his hidden intent. Since there wasn’t one, she was bound for disappointment.
Her question was a knee jerk reaction, belied by her dawning comprehension, so he didn’t repeat himself, simply waited for her answer.
Finally, she sighed and answered. ‘Secrets have their place, but right now someone’s playing a dangerous game. If it’s Reznik, we’re better off pooling resources to figure out his end game than trying to defend a solitary position from multiple sides. Even Lilith can follow that logic.’ The last was muttered as if she was answering some unseen naysayer.
‘Multiple sides, uh? Thought you believed Reznik didn’t have the resources to pull off a power grab. You changing your mind?’
She shrugged. ‘Hard to argue with the evidence.’
He arched an eyebrow.
‘Crane’s death and the kidnappings.’ She cocked her head, a tell he was beginning to recognise. ‘Unless you think that was a coincidence?’
‘Not any more than Tabitha being targeted,’ he shot back. When she winced, he narrowed his gaze and snapped, ‘What?’
Her shoulders lifted, and regret shimmered behind her stubborn resolved.
He braced for the hit.
‘Tabby wasn’t the only one targeted.’
He kept a tight hold on his temper through sheer force of will. ‘Explain.’
‘The boy, back at Mandy’s? His name is Katori.’ She dropped her bombshell by adding, ‘He belongs to Istaqa, the Southwest leader of the Free People.’
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, Charity!’ What other potentially explosive secrets was the woman keeping? Every time she gave him another piece, worry twisted his gut. Each one added another layer of shit guaranteed to put the Vultures’ smack dab in the middle of the emerging political cesspool, potentially making their lives hell. As if holding Pebble Creek together until Simon was back on his feet, wasn’t rough enough. It was time to take this mess to Reaper. He closed his eyes in resignation. Dammit, Reaper was going to have a fucking field day with Charity. ‘You need to tell Reaper everything.’ He opened his eyes, pinning her in place with a glare. ‘And I mean fucking everything, Charity.’
At his reprimand she narrowed her eyes, temper crawling under her cheeks.
Before she could say a word, he cut her off with a warning, ‘You said it yourself, someone is playing a dangerous game. He’s going to be plenty pissed as is, don’t add fuel to the fire by hiding shit.’
‘Unlike you, I’m not fond of games when lives of those I care about are at stake.’
Justified or not, he stiffened as her barb found its mark.
She winced, her hand lifting only to drop back to her side and curl into a fist. ‘Dammit, that was bitchy of me, Ruin. I’m sorry.’
He didn’t think she used that word often. That she chose to do so now, left him offering his own form of apology. ‘The Raiders have a meet set in Kennewick.’
She barely blinked before stating, ‘I’m going with you.’
Still illogically pissed at her, he couldn’t help but poke. ‘Plan on carving your way through the Raiders until one of them squeals?’
She barely batted an eyelash before answering. ‘I have no intentions of letting you have all the fun. Don’t think for a moment you’re heading out by your lonesome. I’ll be right next to you, knife in hand, taking my pound, or five, of flesh.’
God that ruthless streak was a turn-on. He never realised what a glutton for punishment he was, or maybe it was who was handing out the punishment that got to him. Not that it mattered in the end, because only one person would make that call, and it wasn’t either one of them. ‘Only if Reaper allows it.’
That got a low laugh. ‘Allows it?’ She shook her head, her lips curved even though her bright eyes were hard, giving a glimpse of the real woman underneath. ‘Reaper might hold your leash, but he doesn’t hold mine.’
He arched an eyebrow. ‘No, but I’m guessing Lilith’s grip is just as tight.’
She shrugged. ‘Considering the damage done to her daughter, do you really think anyone is going to convince Lilith to pull me off this hunt?’
No, he was certain even Reaper wouldn’t be able to keep Charity away from this now. He pushed off the post and made his way down the stairs, leaving her to follow. ‘Lilith’s a long damn ways away, so it doesn’t matter what you or I think. Only matters what Reaper thinks.’
After her short and decidedly private call to Lilith, Ruin brought her back to Grave’s Hall where Walt sent the Vultures and Charity to the isolated back room for their impromptu meeting. There wasn’t much to the room, a handful of mismatched chairs and a couple of tables. Reaper paced along the end of the room while the others watched as Charity filled everyone in on Tabitha and Katori. Off to the side, Vex was stretched out between two chairs, her boots on one, her ass on another. Havoc took his customary post
by the door, probably to ensure a quick escape if things got messy.
‘A daughter?’ Reaper’s question fell into stunned silence following Charity’s big reveal.
In a silent show of support, Ruin stood at Charity’s side as she faced the Vultures’ leader. Ruin gave her credit when Reaper got like this most people would be knocking knees. The man was damn scary. Not Charity. She stood there, chin raised, hands on her hips and held her tongue.
Reaper’s long stride made quick work of the room’s width. He turned on his heel, his glare zeroing in on the undaunted blonde. ‘What the hell are we supposed to do with Lilith’s damn daughter?’
Funny, Ruin expected a different question. Say, like how the hell Reznik knew about Tabitha.
‘The only thing Lilith asked was that you let Tabitha stay with Mandy until someone comes to pick the girl up.’ Charity’s response was all cool and crisp, as if she wasn’t staring down the biggest predator in the room. It was impressive how steady her voice stayed. It was difficult to string two words together when Reaper got pissy. And his leader was definitely pissy.
Reaper prowled the floor and stopped directly in front of Charity, so close she was forced to crane her neck to hold his gaze. He leant in and snarled, ‘Which ‘someone’ is her frickin’ majesty sending?’
With her head craned back Ruin caught the movement of her throat as she swallowed before answering. ‘Your guess is as good as mine.’
‘How come you’re not taking the kid back?’ The question came from Vex. Despite her casual pose, Ruin could pick out the tiny indicators of tension—the barely-there lines around her eyes, the hint of white around her lips, the constant flexing of her fingers. His sister was strung tighter than a bow, and his gut said it was more than the current situation winding the pressure. But that was a problem for later. Right now, he had all he could handle, thank you very much.
