Evanesce (The Darkness #2)

by Cassia Brightmore

  Cots. Rows and rows of cots and each one was occupied with a tiny infant. Some were sleeping, wrapped in thin blankets. Others were squirming, having come loose from their bundle. A few were wailing, a loud sound that would make any dog in the surrounding area sit up and take notice. How Brooke didn’t hear them, was beyond her. The adrenaline was a roar in her ears, blocking out everything except listening for footsteps of anyone that might be approaching. A quick count revealed twenty-four cots. Twenty-four babies either stolen are birthed by a mother that was likely a prisoner in the same house of horrors she was trying to escape from.

  Covering her mouth, Brooke suppressed a scream of disgust. Children. Helpless infants all lined up and ready to be sold by the indescribable monster, Marcus. An auction straight from a mother’s worst nightmare.

  “Red,” she tried to get her attention. “Red,” she said with more force. When that still didn’t work, she reached out and lightly shook her. The haunted, empty look in her eyes when Red finally acknowledged her, broke Brooke’s heart into a million tiny pieces.

  “My sons. My daughters…” she moved towards the cots. “I—I have to find them. I—I—I didn’t get to—to hold them,” she stammered, peering over the cots at the tiny faces. Her heartbreak was written all over her face as she searched from cot to cot for her children.

  Not being able to stand seeing her torment, Brooke rushed to her side, trying to tug her away. “Red, I don’t think they are here now. These…these are infants. As in just born, and you—” Red’s head whipped around to pin Brooke with furious eyes.

  “Shut up. You know nothin’. My children are here. They are here.” Tears sprang to Brooke’s eyes at the utter despair in Red’s voice.

  “I really wish they were, God, Red. But I promise you, we will make these bastards pay. We will find your children and make sure they can never do this to any other woman,” Brooke’s promise was fierce and true. She would shut this operation down, even if it killed her to do it.

  Red was too far gone to listen to reason. Ripping her hand out of Brooke’s grasp, she spun and rushed to the other side of the room, examining more cots. A table crashed in her wake, the noise deafening. Cringing, Brooke followed her. Looking to the right, she noticed a partition was slightly pulled across. Peering around it, she gasped. The room was filled with hospital style beds, all unoccupied except for one. A woman was currently strapped down by her hands and ankles, her swollen belly evident by the bump under the white sheet pulled tight across her. Duct tape was plastered across her mouth, restraining her from crying out. Her eyes met Brooke’s, a silent plea for help.

  “This is the birthing room,” she whispered under her breath as the realization dawned on her. The unimaginable scenarios kept getting worse in her captivity, day after day. In the other room, Red was making a racket as she frantically searched for her children in each of the cots. The utter devastation of not knowing which child may be hers was tearing her apart. Brooke needed to calm her down fast, before they were discovered. As much as it ripped her heart out to turn her back on the helpless woman, Brooke had to ignore the way she pulled on her restraints and yelled behind the tape on her mouth. She couldn’t come back and save anyone if she didn’t make it out herself first; alive.

  Mouthing an I’m sorry, to the woman, Brooke left the room in a hurry to get to back to Red. A few feet away from Red, the door suddenly burst open and Milo stormed inside.

  “You fucking cunts!” he shouted as soon as he spotted them frozen in place. Seeing him raise his arm, Brooke sprang into action, leaping and knocking Red to the ground just as he fired his gun at her. Landing with an oomph, Brooke immediately raised up on her elbows.

  “Red? Red, are you hit?” Red moaned and pushed Brooke off.

  “Girl, you fucking heavy. I’m good.” Her snark was back which was a good sign. Brooke was almost relieved to hear it. Grabbing the silver food tray, she motioned for Red to follow as she crawled under the cots. Pointing to the door, she indicated where she was heading. Red nodded, starting to shimmy behind her.

  Brooke gained her knees on the other side of the row of cots, spotting Milo coming towards them. The distance to the door was too far, she was going to have to fight. Casting a glance at Red as she crawled out and gained her feet, she accepted the hand up.

  “We got this,” she told Red and raised her silver tray like a bat. Milo scoffed at her measly attempt to ward him off and tapped his gun in a cocky manner.

  “I have a fucking gun,” he informed her as if she couldn’t see it.

  “Thanks for the clue, fucking Captain Obvious,” Brooke snapped back. Dropping her voice to just above a whisper, she squeezed Red’s hand once before letting it go to step forward towards Milo. “You’re not going to shoot either of us, you coward. You don’t have the power or the authority. Only Marcus can give that order and since he isn’t here…” Brooke looked around before continuing. “I’m the one that has the power. You can’t kill us, you’d lose half your inventory. And if there’s one thing that I’ve learned during my time in this hideous place; it’s that money is everything to Marcus.” She spread her arms wide. “So go ahead, do your worst. Douche,” she added.

  Milo’s face turned purple with rage and he ran towards her, his fist raised. Brooke stood perfectly still, staring him down. At just the right moment, she swung the tray with all the power she could muster, catching him square on the side of the face. Yowling, he clutched at his cheek and Brooke seized the opportunity. Grabbing Red’s hand, they ran out of the room at top speed.

  Brooke stopped when her arm was nearly yanked out of its socket. Confused, she looked back. Marcus had Red by the throat, holding her a few feet off the ground. His cold stare settled on Brooke.

  “You. Are. Becoming. A. Nuisance.” He ground the words out through gritted teeth. He applied pressure on Red’s neck, her color turning a deep red as she struggled for air.

  “Let her go, please,” she begged. “Please let her go, this is my fault.” Marcus considered her, tilting his head to one side.

  “Drop the tray. Come here.” Marcus didn’t ask, he commanded as was his usual approach. Milo staggered into the doorway, his expression murderous as he stared right at her.

  Brooke looked from the scene before her to the door that lead to her freedom less than five feet away. I can make it…

  Red squeaked and Brooke’s eyes snapped to hers. She was nodding, telling her to go. Brooke only had a split second to decide before the decision would be made for her. As much as her instincts were screaming at her to run, to save herself; she couldn’t do it. With a clatter, she dropped the silver tray to the ground in defeat.

  Red made a keening sound and then everything happened at once. She twisted her body and suddenly there was a knife in her hands, one that Brooke hadn’t seen before. The two women locked eyes and Brooke knew what she was going to do.

  “Red no!” she screamed just as she raised the knife and plunged it into her own throat, catching Marcus’s fingers in the process. Blood spurted out in every direction, coating Marcus, spraying into Brooke’s face. Marcus yelled and dropped Red to the ground, where she gurgled and clutched at her throat.

  “No, no no,” Brooked yelled, horrified at what she was seeing. Milo headed her way, cutting off her moment of grief. Run, Brooke. Now.

  Spinning, she ran for the door and fumbled with the buttons on the keypad. Crying harder in relief when it flicked green, she yanked the door open and ran down the vast concrete steps. Hearing the commotion behind her, she darted left, hoping to throw them off track.

  Marcus’s thunderous roar could be heard behind her, but she couldn’t stop. Legs pumping hard, she fought for the strength to run as fast as she could. Tears choked her and blinded her vision, but she didn’t give up. Escape was the only option. The green grass covered the property on all sides, she had no idea where she was going. She needed a place to hide until she could reach the main gate…maybe there was a phone, a megaphone, a smoke signal
—it didn’t fucking matter.

  A searing pain ripped through her head as her hair was yanked. Landing with a hard thud on the ground, she looked up into the slimy face of Dr. Daniels.

  “Dear. This was very foolish of you,” he told her. Gasping for breath, Brooke rolled over and with a cough, sat up.

  Dr. Daniels tsked at her, and removed a hankerchief from his pocket. Taking his glasses off his nose, he began to clean them as if it was just any other regular day. Marcus and Milo appeared behind him and Brooke knew it was over. Her escape plan had been ruined. Grabbing her by the arms, Milo dragged her back to the house. She kicked, she screamed, bit, scratched and punched but it was no use. She had no weapons and he had her at such an angle and any self-defense tactics she could have tried, would be useless.

  Entering the foyer, Milo tossed her onto the floor next to Red. Sliding in her blood, Brooke checked frantically for a pulse. “Red? Red can you hear me?” Crying, she knew she was gone. She had found her own freedom.

  Marcus crouched down next to her and gently moved the hair back from her face, wiped the tears from her eyes. Cupping her face in both his hands, he leaned in close, placing a kiss on her forehead like a doting father.

  “You’ve cost me today, beautiful girl. Red was nearing the end of our employment relationship, but I had other uses in mind for her. Now I have to take a loss on this asset. That doesn’t please me. Doesn’t please me at all,” his voice was cold and thick was malicious intent.

  “You will need to compensate me for this loss, Brooke. But first, you are going to have to pay for your actions here today.” His mouth set in a cold smile as he looked over his shoulder at Milo.

  “Take her.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Nora touched her lips as she had done countless times that morning. The memory of Gabe’s mouth slanting over hers as he fought for possession was haunting her. Her body longed to run straight back into his arms to finish what they’d started, but her mind was screaming at her to keep her distance. Gabe was trouble all wrapped up in an irresistibly sexy package. It grated on her last nerve that she was still attracted to him after all this time; after all he’d put her through. To make matters worse, he knew she wanted him. He’d barely been back in town a few weeks and he was already under her skin.

  Frowning, she stomped towards her main office, slamming the door so hard the frames on the walls shook. “Stupid grin. Stupid sexy smell. Stupid asshat man,” she muttered to herself as she rounded her large oak desk and flopped down into her leather chair. There was a mountain of paperwork to catch up on since taking full control of the family ranch. Her father had believed in running the ship single-handedly, never accepting outside help unless absolutely necessary. The only reason Nora knew anything about ranching was from the moments she stole observing him. She had become an expert at eavesdropping on conversations between the few ranch hands her father had employed. Now that he was gone and the power was in her hands, things were going to be run a hell of a lot differently.

  “Starting with hiring an accountant,” she huffed, tossing the paperwork aside. She’d never had a head for numbers, being in the thick of the action getting her hands dirty was what she preferred. Nora believed being a leader meant being seen, not just being heard. A leader gained respect by showing respect, tyranny had the potential to turn into hate or rebellion; neither was an outcome she was looking for. Jacobs’ Ranch was going to return to its former glory—back in the days when her Grandfather was in charge.

  Her father, Benedict Jacobs was a self-righteous bastard. He treated his family like employees and his employees like scum. When the time came that her Grandfather could no longer care for himself, he shipped him off to the nearest old age home and took full control of the ranch. A fact that surely would have had her sweet Grandmother spinning in her grave.

  Pushing those memories aside, her thoughts returned once again to Gabe and their conversation a few days earlier. Admitting that their town was under attack from some very sick, dangerous individuals was not an easy feat. Norton Springs had a very low crime rate, this sudden spike in murders, missing women and infants was almost hard to believe. But the facts were staring them in face, this was happening right in their backyard, whether she wanted to believe it or not. Try as she might, Nora couldn’t fathom the devastating hole a missing child would leave. Gabe had been shocked by the updates, he was aware of the general situation, but not how it had escalated in such a short time. He left not long after they filled him in to follow-up with Theo and the authorities on any progress in the case. The smoldering look he sent her before heading out the door spoke volumes. What they had started in the foyer wasn’t finished, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

  Her office door opened and Theo sauntered in, Gabe on his heels. Gabe’s eyes shot straight to hers, drinking her in. Nora could feel the heat of his gaze from across the room like a blaze, searing over every part of her body. Theo tossed her a grin and strolled in, lowering himself into one of two unoccupied chairs in front of her desk. Crossing his ankle over his knee, he looked between the two of them and let out a low whistle.

  “Shall I just close my eyes and you two can just jump each other? I don’t want to see, but I’m not opposed to hearing a little early morning sexy time,” Theo’s teasing voice had Nora gritting her teeth.

  “Shut up, you idiot,” she told him, ignoring Gabe’s chuckle. “There will be no sex. For anyone,” she added. A hurt expression crossed Theo’s face.

  “Let’s not get carried away,” he said, pointing at himself with his thumbs. “This guy can’t make that promise.” He winked at her as she rolled her eyes.

  Gabe patted him on the shoulder as he walked forward, heading straight for Nora. Panicked, she started to rise, but he was too quick for her and placed a hand on each of the arm rests of her chair—effectively caging her in. Leaning down, he placed a small kiss on her lips, swiping his tongue lightly across them. “Good morning, baby. Mmm, missed your taste.” Straightening up, he stuck his hands in his pockets, pleased with himself.

  Shoving aside the spark of electricity she felt from his simple touch, Nora took a deep breath. “Can you keep your…parts to yourself, please?” Averting her eyes from the noticeable bulge in his jeans, she looked at Theo.

  “What are you two doing in here? I know I’m not paying you to just sit around Theo.” She tilted her head in Gabe’s direction, “And I’m positive he’s not on my payroll.”

  Gabe grabbed her chin and forced her to meet his dark intense stare. “I don’t need payment for what I’m going to give you, Nora.” Swatting his hand away, Nora stood and walked to the door. She needed distance from him and she needed it fast. Her resolve was crumbling around her and it wouldn’t be long before she caved and her panties betrayed her and jumped into his eager hands.

  “Alright, you two, unless you have something to tell me—get out. I have real work to do.” She opened the door and shooed them out with her hand. Theo faked a cough and looked at Gabe.

  “Well actually, sweet cheeks—there is something we need to discuss,” Theo informed her. “With everything that’s going on around here in town and that fact that you still,” he looked at her pointedly, “Haven’t installed a security system, we’ve decided that—” Nora knew where he was headed and cut him off.

  “No. Absolutely not. You’re not moving in here, Theo. I’ve got the ranch hands and Bobby can stay over a couple nights a week if need be. There is no reason for you to move in here just to keep an eye on me,” she argued.

  Theo smiled at her. “I totally agree with you.” Nora smiled, satisfied that she shut down his ridiculous plan so easily. “Good, so then—” she began, but stopped when Theo held up a hand.

  “I’m not going to move in, how awkward would that be when I want to bring a lady friend home,” Theo laughed. “Gabe, on the other hand, well he doesn’t have that problem. He’s more of a repellent for the ladies, it only makes sense for him to move in and make sure you�
�re safe.”

  Nora gaped at him, shocked at his words. “No. No no no, and in case didn’t hear me—NO.” It would be a cold day in the heart of Hell before she agreed to let the infuriating man move in. Not. Happening.

  Gabe chuckled. Watching Nora get riled up was such a turn-on. She was beautiful already, but with her cheeks flushed with temper and her chest rising up and down, she was intoxicating. His restraint snapping, he strode towards her. Scooping her up and over his shoulder, he carried her out of the office, Theo’s booming laughter sounding behind them. They needed to have it out once and for all. Ignoring her protests and her fists beating furiously on his back while her feet kicked the air like she was riding a bike, he carried her to his truck and dumped her unceremoniously into the passenger seat. Leaning in, he kissed the tip of her nose while he reached around and snapped her seatbelt into place snugly. “We’re going for a ride, baby.” Without waiting for a reply, he shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side, whistling.

  Fuming, Nora started to unbuckle and simultaneously reached for the door handle. Gabe was too quick for her and was in his seat and had her hands trapped in his before she could blink. “Nora. Please. Just take a drive with me. One drive, that’s all I’m asking for.”

  Slumping down in her seat, Nora admitted defeat. The part of her that was screaming to say yes to Gabe won and she relented. One drive couldn’t hurt anything, after all. Hearing his excuses might actually prove to be quite amusing and watching him squirm wasn’t something she could pass up—no matter how dangerous the consequences could be.

  “Fine. I’ll give you thirty minutes to say whatever it is you have to say, but no more than that. I have to be back at the ranch to oversee the crane work on the west barn.” Nora tried to sound stern.

  Chuckling, Gabe started the truck and pulled out onto the main road. “Sure, baby. Whatever you say.”