We drive about twenty minutes before the hood is yanked from my head a second time. I’m taken into an old stone cottage. Again, I’m shoved through the door. Same story, second verse. Except this time I maintain my balance.
The room we enter is vacant of furnishings. The walls are white and veined with cracks and chipping plaster. Aged planks of wood cover the floor, many rotten and buckling.
It’s cold despite the burning fire. The air reeks. Reminds me of decomposition. I hope it’s a dead varmint and not a body.
Broden comes toward me, pulling a knife from his pocket. Most people would be afraid. Maybe I should be but I’m inclined to think he would’ve killed me already if that was his goal. “Hands.”
He pushes the sharp edge of the knife between my skin and the zip tie. In one fluid motion, he frees my wrists. “Mrs. Breckenridge. Meet your companion, Lainie Grieve.”
Grieve. She must be Torrence’s daughter. Except I was unaware he had one. I thought Jason was his only child.
None of the men say another word before leaving. The clicking sound from the other side of the door confirms I’m locked in.
They’ve left me unbound with this woman to guard me?
The woman’s a small blond with childlike facial features. Round face. Big brown eyes. Thin and frail, maybe even sick. She doesn’t appear to have the physical strength to fend off a mosquito. She has no weapon that I can see. I’m almost offended they think she’s capable of wardening me.
Go ahead, Grieve. Keep underestimating me. Continue making mistakes like this and see where it gets you.
At the same time, it isn’t wise for me to underestimate this woman. Just in case. She could be a chameleon.
One of the first rules of abduction: make your abductor see you as a person so it makes it more difficult for them to harm you. I need to develop a rapport with Lainie. “Hello. I’m Bleu Breckenridge. But I guess you already know that.”
“Why would you assume I know who you are?” Lainie continues eating her sandwich without looking up. Her voice is monotonous and deadpan.
Something is off about this. “I assumed Broden or one of the others told you ahead of time that I was coming.”
“You’re Mrs. Breckenridge. I know because that’s what Broden called you and you just told me the same. With a name like that, I would assume you’re Fellowship. Beyond that, I’m clueless.”
This woman doesn’t appear to be on alert at all. I could attack and kill her with my bare hands right now.
“They didn’t tell you anything about me?”
“Why would they?”
“Aren’t you here to act as my guard?”
She bursts into laughter. “No. I’m their prisoner, same as you.”
She’s related to Torrence because they share the same last name. I would expect her to be the top of the hierarchy instead of the bottom. “But you’re a Grieve.”
Her laughter disappears. “Don’t remind me.”
This woman clearly isn’t pleased to call Torrence family. That could work in my favor if I play it right. “What turn of events made you a prisoner here?”
She shrinks into herself and looks away, saying nothing. Within two minutes of knowing her, I can read her body language and plainly see that she’s been abused. “What have they done to you?”
“I’m sure you’re aware Torrence’s only son was killed.”
“Yes.” Very aware.
“Torrence’s wife, Cordelia, had difficulties carrying babies. She lost many pregnancies before she gave birth to Jason. She almost died having him and was told by doctors to never become pregnant again. Because she had done her duty and provided Torrence with a son, it wasn’t a problem … until Jason was killed. Torrence was left without an heir and with a wife who couldn’t give him another. That became a huge problem fast. So he killed Cordelia and replaced her with a young, fertile wife. Me.”
My God.
“My parents arranged our marriage knowing he murdered Cordelia for her inability to provide him with another son. I wonder what they think he’ll do to me if I can’t give him one either.”
“I’m sorry.” I really am. Doesn’t matter if this woman is part of The Order. No one should be subjected to such treatment.
“I’m nothing more than a breeding machine for his next heir. Believe me when I say he reminds me on a regular basis.”
“Are you pregnant?”
She shakes her head. “Unsuccessful two months in a row.” I can’t tell if it’s relief or regret I hear in her voice.
“Two months can’t be considered unsuccessful.”
“Try telling him that. He’s impatient and angry. Says he could get Cordelia pregnant any time he tried so it must be my fault it’s not happening. I’m fearful of another failure. I don’t know what he might do to me.”
She probably should be fearful of what he might do to her if she doesn’t conceive.
Torrence is aging so he must be desperate to produce a son as soon as possible. Even if this woman becomes pregnant now, the child would have to grow into an adult to take his place as leader of The Order. Doesn’t make sense. He should choose someone else as his successor.
“I don’t want his spawn inside me but I almost wish I would get pregnant. At least then he’d stop coming here and forcing himself on me.”
Lainie is tiny. I’m sure he easily overpowers her. That’s likely one of the factors to sway his decision in choosing her. A wife with strength would be more difficult to subdue.
I feel nauseated.
Torrence Grieve is a monster. I have very strong opinions about what I believe should happen to his kind. “Why are you a prisoner in this place? He took you as his wife. The very least he should do is care for you in his home.”
“I knew him for the devil he is so I ran after my parents traded me to him. He was furious so this is my punishment. No contact with my friends or family. I’m stuck here.”
What has happened to this woman is a tragedy. She’s so sad, and it makes me want to save her. But I must concentrate on saving myself—and my babies—first.
“Would you run again if you had the chance?”
“Without a doubt. And I’d do a hell of a better job next time. But I won’t get another chance. Torrence has made sure of that.”
He’s beaten her down. “There’s always a way out.”
“If there is, I haven’t found it in the two months I’ve been here.” She goes to the window and pulls back the dated floral drapery, revealing planks of wood covering the glass. “It’s dark so you couldn’t see this when they brought you in. They’re boarded up from the outside. There’s no getting out.”
She goes to the front door, turns the knob and pulls. “Padlocked from the outside. Trust me, I’ve tried. There’s no opening it from this side.”
Lainie is an Order member but I can’t see her as my enemy. If anything, this tortured soul is my ally. I’m neither afraid nor ashamed to use that to my advantage. “We have the same goal: to get out of here alive. Are you willing to put aside your loyalty to The Order if it means escaping?”
“I have no allegiance to The Order. None. Any obligation I felt was terminated the day my parents traded me to a man who would repeatedly rape me and consider killing me if I’m unsuccessful at conceiving his child. I want out of here and I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
She may be broken but she’s angry. I can use that. “All right, then. Tell me about their routines.”
“Broden or Reuben checks in every two days. Deacon brings food and supplies every four.”
That’s a new name. “Who’s Deacon?”
“My brother’s mate. He’s kind. Not like the others at all. Has a soft place in his heart for me.”
Ah. That has potential. “Is this soft spot big enough to free you?”
“No. He isn’t willing to die so I can escape.” Not the answer I was looking for.
“How often does Torrence visit?”
“Only w
hen I’m ovulating.”
He should burn for what he’s doing to her. “When will that be?”
“I have four days left until he’ll come for me five nights in a row. And just so you know, I don’t fight him because that can get me killed, but that doesn’t make it consensual.” Her eyes become distant while staring at the white cracked plaster wall. “I can’t go through it again. I’ll kill myself before I let him touch me again. I even have a plan on how to do it.”
Her threat isn’t empty. If she’s formulated a plan, she’s a serious contender for suicide.
She needs reassurance, to know there is a way out. “My husband is coming. I don’t think there’s going to be a peaceful trade so we can probably expect guns blazing. Either way, I won’t leave you behind.”
She comes to attention, her head jerking in my direction. Her sunken eyes enlarge. She places praying hands against her lips and mutters something I can’t decipher before dropping her hands to her lap again. “Swear to me.”
“I swear I’ll take you with me.”
I fully expect an all-out war when Sin comes for me. We should be prepared.
“My father-in-law tried to barter for me but Torrence wouldn’t agree to a trade. Thane offered him everything we had and still Torrence refused to hand me over.”
“Something bigger is going on. Torrence loves money and power too much to refuse a bountiful offer,” Lainie says.
“He wants revenge for Jason’s death more than he wants those things.”
Lainie lifts her brows and nods. “Aye. Now this makes sense.”
I pray Sin suspects the same thing when his father tells him Torrence turned down the deal.
“Why didn’t your husband come to negotiate for your return?” she asks.
“I was told he was taken into custody. After tonight’s events, I suspect his arrest might have saved my life. I’m hoping Sin won’t contact Torrence for a trade.”
“What would he do instead?”
“I hope he and the brothers will rush this place as soon as he’s released. We need to be ready to move in a hurry.”
There’s no time to waste. “Do you know how to fight?”
She snorts. “Do I look like a brawler?”
Appearances can be deceiving. She doesn’t look like she could punch her way out of a wet paper sack but even the smallest person can be taught to deliver powerful blows. “I’m going to show you some defense and attack maneuvers.” I get to my feet. “What’s his signature move?”
She shrugs.
“Show me how he usually restrains you.”
She comes forward and places her hands around my throat. At five six, I’m looking down on her several inches. “He chokes you?”
“Always.”
I look at her neck and see the faded yellow remnants of his last attack. Fucking bully.
“Watch my motion.” I lift my arms over my head and rotate my body. I bring my left arm down slowly over her wrists, forcing them from my neck. I use my right hand to grab her wrists and demonstrate how to hyperflex them.
“Show me again,” she says.
I demonstrate several times before reversing roles with her. She gets a feel for it quickly.
“It takes twice as much energy to swing and miss as to swing and hit. Are you right-handed?”
“Aye.”
I pat my right shoulder. “Reach across my body and put your hands here. Pull me down diagonally to your right.” I bend at the waist to show her what I mean. “You’ll bring your right knee up to kick his face. Do it fast and hard.”
“When do I stop?”
“You don’t.”
Chapter Two
Sinclair Breckenridge
The booking process is long and tedious. As a solicitor, I’m never involved in this part. My clients have already been charged and booked by the time I arrive.
I’m escorted to an interrogation room and left to sit in an uncomfortable chair at a lone table. There’s a video camera mounted on a tripod in the corner. I hope they don’t think they’re going to question me without my attorney present.
I don’t sit long before Buchanan comes into the room. “I want to speed this process since it’s late. I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of calling Rodrick for you. He should be here any minute.”
I don’t reply.
“Might as well pass the time with a little friendly conversation. Is married life all you thought it would be?”
I give him nothing.
“I have to hand it to you, Breckenridge. That little wife of yours is one fit piece of arse. But I guess you already know that.”
He’s trying to provoke me but I won’t fall for it.
“I bet it’s killing you to know they have her. And I’m guessing I’m not the only one who thinks your wife is fit. The Order is probably putting their filthy hands all over her right now. And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
Hold it together, Sin. Stay in control no matter what he says.
“I guess you should be grateful she’s already pregnant so she doesn’t come back to you knocked up by your nemesis. That would put a real damper on the honeymoon phase.”
It’s taking every ounce of self-control I have to not jump over this table and strangle the fuck out of him.
“I wonder if you’ll ever be able to touch her again without thinking of all the nasty things they did to her.”
He’s enjoying this way too much; I refuse to contribute to his satisfaction.
“Oh wait. I don’t know what I was thinking. You’re going to jail for the rest of your life so you’ll never get to fuck your wife again. Damn. That must be depressing as hell knowing you’ll never get between those fine legs again. But don’t worry. I’ll check in on her from time to time to make sure she’s doing all right. I can even come back and give you a report on how things are going.”
I clasp my hands behind my head, lean back in my chair, and prop my feet on the desk. I want to appear as nonchalant as possible. He won’t stop this game if he thinks he’s getting to me.
Buchanan. Meet my poker face.
It works. The motherfucker gets up to leave. “I’ll be back when Rodrick arrives.”
I may appear calm on the outside but a shitstorm brews inside me. I’m a fucking mess.
Rodrick arrives but Buchanan gives us no time alone. I’m unable to get an update on what’s happening with Bleu. Bastard. He’s doing this on purpose.
“Do you understand your rights before we begin questioning?”
I was unaware Buchanan believed I had any.
“We understand,” Rodrick answers.
“How did you know Malcolm Irvine?”
I’m questioned for the next two hours. The longer I sit here, the more I realize that Buchanan’s grasping at straws. He doesn’t have shite on me and we both know it. I’m going to walk on these charges but it’s going to take time to be released. The evidence will have to go before a judge—he’ll decide if there’s a case against me. There clearly isn’t.
This has to be a set-up. But by whom?
The questioning ends and I finally get a private word with Rodrick. “Tell me what you know about Bleu.”
“Thane met with Torrence. Of course he made a very generous offer in exchange for your wife but Grieve refused. He’s demanding to see you.”
“That’s not the report I was hoping to hear.”
“Torrence wants to deal directly with you. He was adamant about it. That should be enough to keep Bleu alive.”
“I know what he’s up to. If I make a trade, he’s going to kill her so he can avenge his son’s death. That’s the whole point of this game.”
“Then don’t make the trade.”
“I’m not.” I couldn’t if I wanted to. The bomb makings have been confiscated by the authorities.
“We both know these charges are shite. You’ll walk but it’s going to take a couple of days. When you get out, you have to go after your wife immediately. The
Order can’t discover that you’ve been released and didn’t reach out to them for an exchange as soon as your feet hit the pavement. They’ll know something is up and the whole thing will fall apart at the seams.”
Bleu and the babies will be the ones to pay. That can’t happen.
* * *
People like me don’t need bars. We build our own cells.
That’s what I used to think. Until I met Bleu. She freed me from the prison I’d built around myself, around my heart.
I’m lying in my jail bed thinking of her and our babies when I hear movement rushing toward me in the dark. Instinct sends me hurtling forward. I tackle my assailant and feel a sudden sharp pain in my thigh.
“Prepare to die, Sinclair Breckenridge.”
My attacker and I wrestle on the floor but I easily overtake him. The lights turn on and an alarm sounds. Three guards rush into our cell and yank me off my cellmate. I didn’t pay attention to him when I was brought into the cell but now I take a closer look. Young. Skinny. Hair in need of a cut. I don’t recognize him but he certainly knows who I am.
I notice a huge blood smear on the floor and then the bloody gash on my leg. Fuck. It’s right above my amputation.
I can’t afford for people to find out about this.
“Looks like he got a stab in on you, Breckenridge. You’ll need to have that seen to.”
This isn’t good. I don’t need anyone else knowing about my prosthesis. The guard who saw it when I changed my clothing is more than enough.
“It’s just a scratch. I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”
“You don’t get a choice. Can’t have you suing us over an improperly treated injury you sustained while in custody.”
I’m taken to the infirmary and locked inside an exam room. I’m given a towel and told to hold pressure over the bleeding wound to my thigh until the doctor arrives. It isn’t long until I see Jamie come in.
How the fuck did he pull this off?
“Mr. Breckenridge. I’m the on-call physician for the jail tonight. I’ll be taking a look at your wound to see what kind of treatment you require.”
The Sin Trilogy Bundle: A Necessary Sin, the Next Sin, One Last Sin Page 47
