by Faith Gibson
“Ah, so a little revenge on your part… It’s starting to make sense. Continue.”
Shelby squirmed in her chair, and Finley was getting angrier by the second. “I said continue.” Fin lowered his voice allowing the shifter to seep through. It wasn’t something he did often, because rarely did Finley get angry, but when he did, it wasn’t something humans could handle.
The woman shook in her seat. Vibrated with fear, but she found her voice. “I– I didn’t know what they had planned other than Blake was going to pursue Rocky. Tommy didn’t talk about her around me after he’d mentioned her to Blake. But when he found out she’d fired me, Tommy got pissed.”
“Why would he get mad that a stripper got fired?”
“He and I had started dating, and I… I was the only one with a real job. Tommy told me he worked from home, but I didn’t know it was selling drugs to Blake until later. This is the first time I’ve been in Tommy’s house, so I didn’t know he lived with his mother. He always came to my apartment when he wanted… when we slept together. Blake’s drug business was like the club – failing. So when he didn’t have men coming in to see the dancers, Tommy didn’t have anyone to sell drugs to, and neither one of them made money.”
This shit was taking too long, so Finley spurred the woman along. “So Blake got Rocky hooked on drugs, convinced her to dance, and the club was back in business?”
Shelby nodded.
“Rocky left and got clean, and the club started failing again?”
She nodded again.
“Now’s where I need you to explain what’s gone down this week. Blake drugged Rocky and took her to the club, but for some reason he let her go. Start there.”
“He was going to get her hooked again. Said that’s the only way she’d dance, and he needed her up on the stage. Somehow he grabbed her and took her back to the club, and I assume that’s where he drugged her. One of the other dancers found them downstairs, and instead of keeping her the way he planned, he told whoever it was that Rocky had come looking to get high. He asked her to take Rocky home for him so it didn’t look as though he had anything to do with it. Tommy was getting pissed that Blake was taking too long in getting Rocky back on stage, so he decided to help out.”
Finley knew the rest but he needed Shelby to admit it out loud. “I’m listening…”
“Tommy figured if he could get Rocky alone, he could haul her back to Blake already drugged. He… we were going to set off the alarm and wait on Rocky to come downstairs. When the alarm didn’t go off, Tommy went inside and trashed the bar. Said it should have been his all along. When we heard the front door open, we hid outside. We didn’t know she’d have someone with her. Tommy insisted we wait, and as soon as Rocky came outside to smoke, I distracted her while Tommy shot her up.”
“Why cut her wrists? If he had her drugged, why go to the trouble of making it look like a suicide?”
“I… I don’t know. I had no idea he was going to do that to her. The plan was to grab her and take her to the club. I swear!”
Finley placed his phone to his ear. “Did you get all that? Yes, I’m headed there now.” He disconnected the call to Banyan and stood. “You’re coming with me,” he seethed and grabbed her by the wrist. Finley had never hurt a woman on purpose. He’d vowed to protect humans, but this one and the two men she was in bed with, so to speak, Finley couldn’t care less what happened to any of them. If Sinclair didn’t take care of them, Finley just might.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The unseen voices called to Rocky, twisting her in circles. Her parents were still urging her to turn back. Several different men were calling her to them. Rocky couldn’t see their faces. Couldn’t remember their names. She was so tired. She wanted to go to her parents. To end the turmoil. The uncertainty. The pain. Not only the physical pain, but the ache in her heart that had been there for so long. But you felt love, too. That was her own voice adding itself to the others.
Rocky didn’t know if the love she reminded herself of was real or something she conjured in her mind because she wanted it so badly. She wanted a love like her parents had. It was real with him. Him who? There were faces floating around her. Most of them handsome, but a couple were faces that scared her. Faces that wanted to hurt her. No, Rocky didn’t want to return only to have those faces do the bad things they’d done to her for so long.
“Hey, beautiful girl. I’m here. Please open your eyes for me.” That voice was familiar, but frightening. It commanded attention. Obedience. Rocky shied away from it. Another voice blended with his, and they were talking about her. She tried to concentrate on the words, but they weren’t making sense. Something warm spread through Rocky. It wasn’t covering like a blanket, but a slow gentle tug at her, filling her with strength. With something else. Hope.
“Open your eyes, beautiful girl,” the strong voice encouraged. “Rocky, baby, wake up.” His strong command was filled with something else. Urgency maybe?
“Can you hear us, Rocky?” This man was softer, less demanding. He was familiar, too, but his tone was soothing. Non-threatening. Rocky turned to look for her parents, but they had already gone back to wherever they were. She was alone now just like she had been ever since they both died. You’re not alone. No, if the voices in her head were attached to the various faces she’d seen, she wasn’t alone. But were these the good guys? Or were they the ones who had hurt her. They won’t hurt you.
Listening to her own voice, Rocky opened her eyes to find the one with the harsh voice holding her hand. “Hey, beautiful girl,” he husked. His eyes were so dark. Haunted. She wanted to pull away, but she was afraid.
She felt a presence on her other side. She turned her head toward it, and the one with the softer voice said, “Welcome back.”
There was an instant connection with this man. His eyes were soft and warm. She couldn’t help but smile at him. Her throat was dry, and she needed water. When she asked for it, the warm man stood to get the doctor, leaving her alone with the cold man. She begged with her eyes for him not to leave, but he didn’t listen. She turned to the one still sitting there, and he reached out his hand. Rocky shrank back. Not because she thought he would actually hurt her, but because she was afraid of what his touch would do to her.
Something about him called to her. He had been louder and more demanding than her parents, and he was the reason she was here and not dead. Of that she was certain. Somehow, this man had infiltrated her mind while she was asleep and begged her to hold on. What kind of magic did he possess that he could call to her on such a level? It had to be magic. Nothing else would explain it. She’d spent so much time under the influence of another man… Blake… She didn’t want anyone else to have that type of control over her. No, this man… Sin… she had to keep her guard up around him.
Try as he might, Sin couldn’t reach Rocky again. The closer to home he got, the more worried he became. The last time he’d meditated, he caught wisps of her essence, but he never could grab hold of her the way he had the first time. Finley called a couple of hours earlier and replayed the tape recording of Shelby’s confession. Tommy’s incoherent babbling to Rett had been nothing more than “the bitch deserved it”. Both humans were being taken to a secure location until Sin could get there to deal with them. When Finley hung up, he’d been on his way back to the club to get a confession out of Blake Stansbury. Not that a confession would matter to Sin. Blake and Tommy had done enough damage to Rocky in the past, and Sin was going to make sure neither male could ever hurt her again. He instructed Finley to take Stansbury to the same location the others were being held. It would make dealing with them all easier when he finally got around to it. Sin put his plan in motion over the phone, and after that, all he could do was wait impatiently to reach home.
It was almost four in the afternoon when the plane touched down, and Sin barely waited for the plane to stop before he was opening the door and jumping to the ground. He didn’t give two fucks if anyone saw him. He ran to his wai
ting car and sped off like the hounds of hell were after him. In all honesty, he was the hound, and he was bringing hell with him. At some point during the day, someone had brought the Lambo to the airport. Sin didn’t know who, but he was grateful all the same. He broke every traffic law there was getting to the hospital, but the gods were with him, and the police left him alone. Sin parked his car and ran inside the building, not bothering with the elevators. When he reached the private room where his mate was, Sin slowed himself in case Rocky had woken up.
Remy Doucet was standing guard at the doorway. “Remy, thank you, Brother. I’ve got her now.” Remy fisted his heart before taking his leave. Sin entered Rocky’s room as quietly as possible. His mate was asleep in the bed. Her long hair had been plaited and hung over one shoulder. Stark, white bandages covered both wrists. Sin choked back a sob at the thought of Rocky’s blood spilling out of her arms. Vivian looked up, but she didn’t move from Rocky’s side. “I would appreciate a little privacy,” he requested.
She cocked an eyebrow at him and remained seated. “For what? You’ve spent one night with her, and you think that gives you some kind of right to her?”
“What is between Raquel and me is none of your business, but since you mean something to her, I will give you this much – Rocky and I are together now. She is the one I have waited for my whole life, and there is nothing or no one that will get in our way. Not even you. Now, I need to speak to Rocky in private. Either you leave, or I will have you removed.”
“You can’t do that. You’re not family.”
“I can, and I will. Trust me on this, Vivian. I have had a shitty twenty-four hours trying to get back home to her. I will not wait another second to be alone with my girl.”
“What’s going on?” Dr. Mercato asked, coming up behind Sin.
“He’s trying to kick me out,” Vivian protested.
“And he has every right to do so. Please come with me, Miss Abernathy.”
Vivian’s mouth dropped, but she stood and went with the doctor. Before she exited the room, she turned back to Sin. “If you hurt her, I’ll break your dick.”
Sin would have been amused if the situation was different. He appreciated Vivian’s loyalty to her best friend, but now, he was there, and Rocky didn’t need anyone else. Sin bent over and kissed Rocky on the forehead. “Hey, beautiful girl. I’m here. Please open your eyes for me.”
Dr. Mercato returned to the room and closed the door. “I need your blood,” he said, as he rolled a cart up beside the bed.
Sin didn’t hesitate to hold out his arm. “Tell me everything, John.”
“She lost a lot of blood. If Banyan hadn’t found her when he did, she probably wouldn’t be here with us. That coupled with the fact there was an unholy amount of drugs in her system, I’m still trying to detox her without putting her into shock. Whoever did this to her wanted her dead, I don’t care what they are claiming,” the doctor seethed as the blood pumped out of Sin’s vein into the waiting bag. As soon as he had enough, John swapped out a bag of some type of clear fluid for Sin’s blood.
“Do you think it would help if I bit her? It helped when Frey bit Abbi.”
“It couldn’t hurt, except it will bind you to her.”
“That is not a problem. She is my mate, John. I am going to bite her anyway. I would rather she be awake and willing, but desperate times…”
“I’ll leave you alone.” John took the cart and left Sin alone with Rocky. His blood had only begun seeping into her system, but he was growing more and more impatient to see her eyes.
“Rocky girl, please open your eyes and look at me.” Sin sat down next to his mate, holding her hand, begging her to come back to him. He pushed with his mind trying to get through to hers, but she was fighting him instead of opening herself up to him.
The clock ticked the seconds by, and the medical equipment beeped. Sin wanted to scream. The only sound he wanted to hear was eluding him. Sin leaned over, ready to bite Rocky when the door opened, and Banyan entered the room. “Sin…”
Sin sat up and sighed. “Don’t, Banyan. Not now.” He wasn’t mad at Banyan, not really. He was mad at himself for leaving his mate behind. He’d never make that mistake again. A moan came from Rocky’s direction, and Sin’s breath caught in his chest.
“Rocky? Baby, wake up.” Sin ran his thumb over the back of her hand, waiting – praying – she would open her eyes.
“Rocky, can you hear us?” Banyan asked as he rounded the bed and took the empty chair. Sin’s beast was growing agitated with Banyan being in the room, but Sin knew the male was only trying to help. Besides, Banyan already had a mate whether they’d sealed the bond or not.
Rocky’s eyes fluttered open. She blinked as she focused on Sin. “Hey, beautiful girl.”
Rocky frowned and looked over at Banyan. “Welcome back,” he said. Rocky smiled at Banyan, and Sinclair’s heart shredded.
“Water,” she whispered. Sinclair let Rocky’s hand go when she pulled away from him. Instead of returning her gaze to his, she remained focused on Banyan. He stood from the chair and said, “I’ll go get the doctor. He might not want you to have water yet.”
Rocky nodded, and her eyes followed Banyan as he left her room. When she finally looked at Sin, Rocky frowned again. Sin reached out to touch her, but Rocky pulled away, as far as she could considering she was in a hospital bed.
“I’ve been so worried about you. I…”
“Miss Cartwright, it’s good to see you awake.” Dr. Mercato returned to the room and stepped to the other side of the bed. “Banyan tells me you want water, but we need to start off with some ice chips first.” John spooned out a small amount of ice and gave it to her. Rocky let the ice melt in her mouth while the doctor checked her over. “Do you remember anything?” he asked when he finished examining her eyes.
Rocky leaned her head back against the pillow and stared at the ceiling. “The bar… It was trashed. And Banyan…” Rocky looked around the room. “Where’s Banyan?”
“He had business to tend to. Now, what else do you remember?”
“I… I went out back to smoke and Shelby… She was there. Someone stuck me and… Can you go get Banyan?”
Sin and John shared a look. Sin wanted to know why the hell his mate was asking for another male. John shook his head. “Rocky, Banyan had to go check in with his boyfriend. Sinclair is here, though, and he’ll take really good care of you.”
“I… no, I need to talk to Banyan.”
Sin stood and said, “I’ll go get him.” He wouldn’t have left his mate, but her doctor could keep an eye on her momentarily. Sin stalked the halls until he found Banyan in the waiting room, pacing the floor. “What the fuck was that?” he asked the other Goyle.
“Sin, I swear, I don’t know what’s going on. The only thing I can think of is she has my blood. Maybe she recognizes me. I have been talking to her while I’ve watched over her. I’m familiar to her.”
“And I am her godsdamned mate!” Sin roared. The nurses outside the door looked their way, but they stayed where they were. John, however, did not. He entered the room glaring at Sin.
“You need to calm your ass down. She’s not going to be less scared of you with you acting like the beast you are.”
“And I need my mate to recognize me, not him,” Sin said pointing at Banyan. “Why would she fear me? Fuck! I should have bitten her when I had the chance.”
“Give her time, Sinclair. Your blood will mix with Banyan’s. We’ll give her another pint of yours to override whatever is in his that’s calling to her. If that’s what is going on. She almost died, Sin. We don’t know what that did to her psychologically. Instead of acting like a scorned lover, you have to be the brave mate she needs right now.”
Sin knew John was right, but it didn’t hurt any less. “I am still going to bite her,” he mumbled as he left the two males and returned to his mate. When he entered her room, Rocky was sitting up. The color was returning to her cheeks. When she looked u
p at him, Sin whispered, “Hi.” He remained where he was, hands in his pockets, unsure how to proceed.
“Hi,” she whispered back. Rocky cocked her head to the side, studying Sin. He let her have her fill, hoping she was remembering what had transpired between them. “How were you in my head?”
Sin wasn’t sure he heard her correctly. “Pardon me?”
“You were in my head. I want to know how.”
Sin took a tentative step closer but stopped. “May I?” he asked, gesturing to the chair he’d vacated only minutes before. When she nodded, Sin sat down but kept his hands to himself. It was taking everything he had to keep the beast at bay. It wanted to drop their fangs and bite her. Claim her. Sin took a deep breath. When he exhaled, he asked, “Do you remember spending time with me before… Before I had to go out of town? Do you remember any of that?”
Rocky drew her eyebrows together in deep thought. Her eyes were unfocused as she tried to remember. “There was a garden.”
“Yes.” Sin didn’t elaborate. Somehow he knew Rocky needed to remember on her own. He wouldn’t coax her.
“You’re different. Didn’t you have a beard?”
Sin reached up and stroked his rough jaw with his hand. “I did, but I had to shave it for my trip.”
Rocky’s eyes stayed on his jaw while she thought some more. “There… there was a room… an empty bedroom where…” Rocky’s face flushed.
“Yes,” he whispered. “Where I made love to you.” He would give her that much. He wanted her to know it was love they made and not the cheap hook-up it was going to be earlier in the week. “Where I loved you, beautiful girl.” Sin placed his hand on the bed beside hers but didn’t touch her. He wanted so badly to lace their fingers together, to feel that connection, but he waited for her to touch him. “That is how I was able to come to you in your mind. You and I share a bond, and I was able to tap into it.”
