Evanesce (The Darkness #2)

by Cassia Brightmore

Stopping at the hinge, she felt a small bump. The screw is loose. Letting out a small squeal of triumph, she pinched her fingers around the tiny screw and pulled with all her might. When that didn’t work, she wiggled it back and forth, determined not to give up. After several frustrating minutes, it began to give a little and she could have wept in relief. A little more and I’ll have it…

  Chancing a look behind her, she found Red watching her with disinterest. Frowning, she turned back to the door and continued working the screw loose. When it finally popped free, she almost cheered out loud, but managed to catch herself in time. With a smug look in Red’s direction, she walked back to her corner of the cell. Tucking the screw safely in the tattered sleeve of her cardigan, she straightened her spine. At least when they came for her, which they undoubtedly would, she had a weapon at her disposal.

  Her joy was short-lived however, when she realized that her excitement had caused her full bladder to announce itself. Glancing around the room, she spotted a bucket on Red’s side of the cell. It was the only one in the room. Oh, Hell no.

  “Red. Hey, Red, look at me. I need to use the bathroom. Where is it? And don’t tell me it’s that disgusting bucket over there,” she pleaded. At Red’s smirk, she knew the answer, and she didn’t like it one bit. Standing, she sighed and made her way to the corner. Red at least had the decency to look away as she lowered her pants and squatted over the bucket. All sense of dignity left her in that moment. Her resolve dimmed as she was forced to stoop so low. How was it possible that just that morning she had been living her life, going to a job she loved…helping her patients, functioning like a normal human being—and now…now she was a prisoner. Kidnapped. Trapped in a dank hellhole with another woman, one who irrationally hated her. Depression threatened to engulf her, but as she stood and felt a trickle run down her leg, her anger came roaring back. She would not be a victim here. She would fight until she had no fight left to gain her freedom, and whether Red liked it or not, she was going to free her as well.

  Rising from her squat, she pulled up her pants. Losing her balance, she collapsed against the wall. Exhaustion was pressing down on her. The roller coaster of emotions she was feeling were robbing her of the precious energy she needed to fight when the time came. Closing her eyes, she heard a soft whisper.

  “You’re brave, I’ll give you that, girl.”

  Several hours passed. There was no movement outside of their cell. Red was a statue. The woman never moved or even made a sound for that matter. The silence was driving Brooke slowly crazy as she waited to learn her fate. The scenarios playing out in her mind couldn’t be any worse than the truth behind why she had been brought to this place and who the mysterious person that ordered her capture was.

  Ignoring the loud growling of her stomach, Brooke stood and stomped to the door. Raising her fists, she pounded furiously.

  “Hey! Did you forget about us in here? Unless your plan is to starve us to death, we need some fucking food and water!” There was a tiny peephole high in the door. Brooke raised up on her tiptoes, desperate to see beyond the confines of the cell. Where the hell is everyone?

  “Girl, shut your mouth. You got shit for brains. You don’t know what you just asked for.” Red’s voice was angry, the first sign of emotion she’d showed since Brooke had arrived.

  “Oh now you care? I can’t just sit here! Tell me, please. Who is holding us here? What was all that about taking our babies? I’m not even pregnant, and you sure as shit aren’t either,” Brooke snapped.

  Red shot her a look portraying how stupid she really thought she was. A few moments passed before she answered.

  “You may not be with child now, but that will change. Just as it changed for me,” the last part of her sentence was said so quietly, Brooke almost didn’t catch it. Red laid her head against the wall and closed her eyes, shutting down.

  Before Brooke could press her further, there was movement in the hallway. Heavy footsteps approached and just as she stepped back from the door, it flung open with force. The same man who had taken her filled the entrance, his presence casting an ominous glow. Brooke backed up several feet before stopping herself taking a deep breath for courage.

  “Let me out. You can’t keep us locked in here like animals,” she demanded. The man shrugged.

  “You want out? My wish is your command,” his tone was like ice and her hair was caught in his hands in seconds. Dragging her behind him, he continued. “Not about to be caught on the receiving end of your claws again, girl.”

  Digging her feet in and twisting her body only served to have more strands of her long brown hair ripped from her head as Brooke was dragged through the hallway. The pain was like a shot of adrenaline, it gave her strength she didn’t know she had. Ripping her nails down her attacker’s arm, she didn’t stop until she knew she had drawn blood.

  “Fuck,” he burst out, shoving her face first up a set of stairs. Whipping around, Brooke stilled when a gun was pressed hard into her nose.

  “I’m ten seconds from ending you, girl. Get your ass up those stairs before your brains become our new carpet.” His cold voice showed he meant what he said. Swallowing, Brooke followed his orders and climbed the stairs, her heart beating wildly in her chest with each step she took. At the top of the stairs, the man shoved her to the right, through an open doorway. Stumbling over her feet, she caught herself and glared at him; hate evident in her eyes.

  “Fuck you. Stop pushing me around, I’m in here aren’t I?” Aggravating the man with the gun further wasn’t the smartest option, but Brooke couldn’t hold her tongue. She was likely going to die anyways, going down without a fight was not in her nature.

  “Stay here. And don’t pull anymore shit,” he ordered. Without another word, he turned and left the room, locking her inside. Looking around, Brooke was a little in awe of the beautifully decorated bedroom she had been left in. A large, cherry wood four-poster bed stood in the center of the room, its silk white comforter immaculate. Matching dressers and an armoire lined the walls and there was a mirrored door over in the far left corner. A bathroom? Curious, she walked over and opened the door, revealing a gleaming stone white en suite. Whomever this room belonged to, they certainly had spared no expense. The stark difference between this room and the cell she had just come from was not lost on her. What in the fuck was going on? Walking out of the bathroom, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. A cold chill slid down her spine, a light sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead. There, standing in the middle of the bedroom, was a man she had never seen before. Devastatingly handsome, he was impeccably dressed in a black three piece suit. His dark hair had a natural wave to it and fell across his forehead in a sexy display. He was tall and muscular, his broad shoulders filling the suit out well. He had an air of authority to him—this was not a man to be tangled with. He motioned her forward, his smile not reaching his eyes. Every instinct was screaming at her to run, to get out of the room as fast as she could. This man was evil, she could feel it with every molecule in her body.

  “Brooke,” he greeted her. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you. Now, I’m a bit pressed for time, so I’m afraid our introduction is going to have to be short. I need to get right down to business.” His explanation made no sense to her, he spoke as though they were old friends.

  “Business? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe you don’t understand, I’ve been kidnapped!” He chuckled at her outburst as his hands came up to remove his jacket and loosen his tie. Crossing to her, his smile firmly in place, he picked her up with ease and deposited her on the bed.

  “Kidnapped, well yes I guess you could look at it that way, I suppose. I prefer to describe it as a new employment opportunity. You see, I’m your new boss.” Ignoring her shriek of protest, he loosened her pants and then moved to unbutton his shirt.

  “And you, my beautiful girl, have a job to perform for me.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  The most beautiful part of waking up on a
ranch in Norton Springs, Texas, was the sunrise. Nothing compared to the kaleidoscope of colours that splashed across the grassy fields, casting a warm glow on Nora Jacobs’ personal slice of heaven. Ever since she was a little girl, she had dreamed of the day when her family’s ranch would be hers. Having that dream become a reality gave her a pleasure she couldn’t describe. Sitting on her large wrap-around porch, she indulged in her first cup of delicious coffee—likely the only one she would get that day before the gruelling work of running a ranch began.

  Small town life suited her comfortably; while others her age had big dreams of growing up and moving on to bigger and better things. Instead of dreaming of what she hadn’t yet experienced, Nora dreamed of being in charge of the life she already had. Jacobs’ Ranch had been in her family for generations and now that she was in charge, she finally had a chance to right all the wrongs her father had made with their legacy. All she had been waiting for was the chance to take the reins, so to speak. Her family’s ranch was home to longhorn cattle, horses, and wool sheep. At one time, their livestock was the most prized in the state; Nora’s goal was to restore their reputation and build their name back to the prestige it once held.

  The rumbling of a truck’s engine rumbled in the distance, signalling the approach of one of her ranch hands. Smiling, Nora watched as Theo climbed out of the truck and swaggered over to her. As her head ranch hand, Theo knew every inch of Jacobs’ Ranch almost as well as she did. Growing up together, he was like the big brother she had never had. There had been a time when she thought there might be more between them, but her heart belonged to another—no matter how much she pushed those feelings aside.

  Tall, fair-haired and with a shit-eating grin that screamed sex appeal, Theo was Norton Springs most eligible bachelor. He was single, although not from lack of trying on the female population’s part. Nora wondered if there would ever be a woman that could handle him and his bad boy charm. The ladies still seemed to flock to his side, regardless of his playboy reputation.

  “Hope you got some of that coffee ready for me, sweetcakes,” he called up to her. Rolling her eyes, she held out her mug. “Here, take mine. I’ll go grab a fresh cup.” Grinning, he strolled up the steps and accepted the steaming cup.

  “If you wanted my lips next to yours, there’s a better way to make that happen, Nora,” he joked. Nora sighed and let the screen door slam shut between them. “Seriously, Theo, you would flirt with a telephone pole if you thought it would get you a piece,” she called back to him.

  His booming laugh had her shaking her head as she filled her mug and headed back outside. Sitting back in her chair, she outlined the plan for the day. If it hadn’t been for Theo, she wouldn’t be ready to take over the ranch at all. His knowledge and expertise were priceless and she was grateful he stayed with her and her family through some very rough years. She knew he’d had countless offers from bigger, more profitable ranches. The fact that he stayed with her, was a testament to not only their friendship; but his loyalty.

  “There’s a few repairs that need to be done on the fence along the south of the property. Think Bobby can handle that on his own?” Raising her blue eyes to his, she awaited his reply. Theo removed his cowboy hat and ran his hands through his sandy brown hair as he considered her question. “Yeah, he should be able to fix ’er up. I’ll get him on the radio and give him the instructions.” Bobby was a new addition to Jacobs’ Ranch, but with Nora’s long term plans, there wasn’t time to coddle anyone. Everyone needed to pull their weight. Bobby was inexperienced, but seemed eager to learn, so this assignment was the perfect one to test the waters. Although neither of them said it, they both knew that Theo would oversee this particular chore. Maintaining the fences on the border of the property was crucial. A downed fence could mean lost cattle, or a wild animal getting inside. Neither possibility would have a positive outcome. Jacobs’ Ranch couldn’t afford any mistakes at this stage in the game.

  “Have you had any trouble here at night?” Theo asked. Nora’s living alone in the ranch’s main house was a bone of contention between them. As a friend, he insisted that it was his right to question her and push her to think about hiring some sort of security.

  “No. There’s nothing to worry about out here, Theo, honestly.” Exasperated with him and his constant badgering, she started to change the subject. “What do you think about—” he cut her off.

  “You know as well as I do that there’s some fucked up shit going on around here. I heard on the news on the way over here that another woman has gone missing. I don’t like the idea of you all alone out here. If Gabe was around—” It was Nora’s turn to interrupt.

  “He’s not. And don’t bring him up to me, Theo. He chose to skip town, so just leave him the hell out of it,” the tingle that skipped over Nora’s skin at the sheer mention of Gabe’s name had her temper rising. Even two years after Gabe left, he still had the power to affect her in unwanted ways. Letting out a frustrated breath, she dragged her long, blue-black hair over one shoulder and pushed all thoughts of Gabe Thornton out of her mind.

  “Nora,” Theo said her name in a patient tone. “Regardless of what happened between you and Gabe on a personal level, I know he still cares about you and he would want to know that you’re safe. This shit that’s going on, it’s real and it’s right on our fucking doorstep. Missing women? Babies stolen right from their houses…even I’m on my guard at night. Until the authorities sort this shit out, I just need you to be careful. Be smart.” Nora gritted her teeth, as much as it pained her to admit it, Theo was right and he knew it. The fucker.

  “Fine,” she relented. “I’ll make some calls today about hiring security to patrol the property. But I’m serious, Theo. Don’t bring up Gabe to me again.” Her look left no room for argument, and she crossed her arms across her chest for added effect. Theo held up both hands and backed slowly down the steps, grinning.

  “You got it, sweet cheeks,” he winked and then turned, raising his hand to wave at her as he headed to the cattle barn. “I’ll rustle up Bobby and keep you updated on the fence repairs.” Nora sighed, the man was as frustrating as he was adorable. Thought he was quite the charmer. Taking the last sip of her coffee, she left her mug on the rail—a habit that cost her several broken mugs a week—and descended the steps in the direction of the horse’s stables. Starting her morning with the comforting routine of feeding and watering the horses was exactly what she needed to push Theo’s comments about Gabe out of her mind.

  Gabe Thornton had been her greatest love and her greatest regret. From the time she took her first toddling steps on unsteady legs, he had been by her side; supporting her, challenging her, loving her. Best friends from before they could form words, the two had been inseparable. He was not only the first boy that stole her heart, he was her best friend. Nora couldn’t bring up the image of his intense, dark brown eyes without feeling the physical pain the loss of him caused her. Ridiculous in love with him, when he suddenly uprooted his life and left town—the devastation he caused was unbearable. Without so much as a tip of his stupid, sexy cowboy hat in her direction, he was gone…taking with him a part of her that would never be whole again.

  Moving over to the first stall, Nora smiled warmly. “Good morning, Shadow.” Slipping a carrot from the bag hanging on a nail outside the stall, she stroked the horse’s black mane with an affectionate hand. Her prized steed, Shadow had been hers and hers alone since the day he was born. Kindred spirits, she found more comfort with him than she did with her own family.

  “Good boy,” she praised him as he chomped on the carrot. Moving to the hooks across from his barn, she grabbed a pitchfork and got to work mucking out his stall. While she had ranch hands that took care of these duties on a day-to-day basis, Nora wasn’t the type to not get her hands dirty. Especially when it came to Shadow’s care. Named for his black mane and white spot over his left eye, shadowing his forehead—he was her pride and joy. Bending over slightly, she started the strenuous task ahead
of her, already feeling the tension leave her body with the familiarity of the routine.

  “Well, I’ll be damned, if that view isn’t a sight for sore eyes.” At the deep voice sounding behind her, Nora spun around, hay flying up around her. Gabe Thornton stood leaning at the entrance to the stall, his muscular arms crossed across his chest, his cocky grin firmly in place. He looked so goddamn sexy in his tight blue jeans and white t-shirt that she almost drooled. Almost. His materialization from thin air was like a jolt to the system. Her heart jumped up to land in her throat, butterflies fluttered in her stomach. What the actual fuck?

  “Wh—what? Gabe?” she stupidly asked. Of course it was him, she could see it was him. The affect this man had over her was infuriating. The mere sight of him reduced her to a blubbering simpleton in a matter of seconds.

  “Hi, baby. I’m home,” the moron actually spread his arms as if he expected her to rush into him. That action alone snapped her out of her stupor and had her temper standing up and paying attention.

  “Home? Last I checked, this isn’t your home anymore,” she bit out. Straightening up, she ran a hand through her hair. “And do not call me baby,” she ordered. Ignoring her, Gabe stepped forward into her space, forcing her to tilt her head back to meet his eyes.

  “Nora. Norton Springs is my home; you know that as well as I do. Leaving was something I had to do, but I’m back now and I fully plan on reminding you that I belong here.” The way he said the last part gave her the sneaky suspicion he was talking about more than just his home in Norton Springs.

  “Well good for you. Really. Welcome back, happy days, whatever. But as far as I’m concerned, there is nothing about you that I need reminding of. So if that’s all you came to say…” Nora turned her back on him, ignoring the way her hands were shaking. The man was a lunatic if he thought she would be greeting him with open arms. He deserved her pitchfork right in his eye. If he tried to touch her one more time, he would be walking with a limp after she ripped his arms off and used them to beat him senseless. Anger coursing through her, she grabbed the pitchfork and stabbed at the hay aimlessly. Just who does he think he is? Honestly—