No one stopped them. The entire time they’d walked through the Upper section and right into the western ghetto, they’d been left alone. It had almost felt too easy, not that she was complaining. Her face hurt and body hurt, and more importantly she was emotionally a mess.
She knew Tyler was trying to keep his distance so as to not upset her further, since the few times he had attempted to touch her she’d flinched away each time. Guilt would fill her, but she just couldn’t seem to control her reaction. All she wanted to do was be back in the safety of her home, tucked away in her room where she could hide away from the world again.
All the growth she’d accomplished since setting out to save Tyler seemed to have been completely, and utterly reversed now. Her inner voice argued with her to smarten up and not let something like this bring her down again. It wasn’t as though the soldiers had accomplished what they’d set out to do. But it didn’t matter to the less rational side of her brain. The whole thing had brought up too many painful memories for her to just simply brush off her knees and continue on.
When they’d rounded the corner, her house coming into sight, it had felt like the biggest weight had been lifted off her chest. She’d breathed a little easier, even picking up her pace for the first time, eager to be in familiar surroundings.
The reception they got when they entered was both expected and unexpected. Voices collided in surprise, demands to know how they’d managed to get back so fast, and questions about just what was happening where they’d been. What was unexpected was the absence of her sister.
Missy looked around, confused as to why Phoenix wasn’t berating her for putting herself in danger. It was exactly what she should have been doing, if Missy knew her sister at all.
“Where’s Phoenix?” she asked, her voice softer than those around her. Yet everyone seemed to have heard her, instantly growing quiet. Unease slithered into her stomach as she looked to her father, then Charlotte. “Where’s my sister?” She felt Tyler take a step closer to her, not touching.
Charlotte cleared her throat before meeting her gaze. “She’s…missing.”
It was Tyler who responded. Her voice seemed to have escaped her completely. “Missing? Since when?”
“For a couple of weeks now,” Pete answered. His words were like a sucker punch to her stomach. “Trent is missing too.”
Tyler cursed under his breath. “What do you know?”
“Only that they were seen being put into a van,” Garrett said.
Missy gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “God, no!” She spun to face Tyler. “What if…”
He reached for her, stopping midway before letting his hand drop. He looked down for a moment, his jaw tense, before running the same hand through his hair. When he looked back up at her, she could see him battling with something inside him, but his eyes quickly shuttered to the same expressionless look he often wore.
“I don’t think they were there,” he said.
She shook her head. “You don’t know that. They could have been trapped in one of the other rooms.”
“We don’t think they were taken to the same place as you two,” Lake said, grabbing their attention.
“Why not?” Missy asked.
“The van was different than the one being used by the General,” Seamus answered. “It seems we have two groups of people abducting civilians off the street.”
“Great,” Tyler muttered.
Seamus smiled grimly. “My sentiments exactly, mate.”
Every hour that he was awake, he spent looking for Trent and Phoenix. They all did. But Tyler specifically threw himself into the search. Part of it was his concern for his friend. He and Trent had been friends for years, and the fact that he’d vanished completely did not sit well with him. Especially considering the amount of shit the General was planning, and despite the van having been different.
The other part of him just wanted to be out of the house as much as he could. It was too hard to stay there – close to her. Missy had retreated into herself even more than she had when he’d first arrived in the western ghetto. After everything they’d gone through together, all that had happened between them, he thought…Well, obviously he’d thought wrong. After her attack by those soldiers, she wanted nothing to do with him anymore.
It hurt. Far worse than he thought it would. His feelings for Missy made being around her, but not being able to physically touch her, more than he could bear. All he wanted to do was hold her, kiss her, show her that not all men were evil like those blasted soldiers and technicians. Surely she realized he would do anything to protect her. That he would never hurt her.
He knew it wasn’t necessarily him she was afraid of, but that didn’t stop her from ignoring him again. During breakfast, his eyes would watch her every move, no longer trying to hide it from the others. Unless she happened to look his way, which was few and far between. He’d look away then so he wouldn’t make her nervous, but he was sure everyone else had picked up on something.
No one asked, and Tyler didn’t say anything. In fact, he didn’t say much of anything to any of them about what had happened, other than explaining about what they’d done strictly to him. He explained how the drugs felt, the effect they’d had on him, and how they’d trained him day in and day out. He never said a word about Missy or what had taken place between them. It was nobody’s business. He wasn’t sure if she even wanted anyone to know, if he was being honest with himself.
The possibility that perhaps she was ashamed of being with him was something he thought about often while trying to fall asleep at night. It made his stomach turn, and he’d be up at the crack of dawn again and out of the house as soon as he’d had a quick bite to eat.
It wasn’t until the second week of being back that they’d made a major discovery. One of the men who kept a place near the northern side of the city told them about some men who would come in from the countryside every so often, and then leave again the same day. From the way he’d described the black van, they knew it was the same group.
After some further digging, they’d come up with an explanation that left them all sitting around the family room in a tense silence. Missy stood across the room from him, her arms crossed protectively in front of her. He wished he could keep her out of all this, but knew it was neither fair nor possible.
“Some sort of underground ring?” Michael asked, rubbing at his chin.
“Aye,” Tyler said, tiredly. The past weeks were finally starting to catch up to him, he reckoned. His entire body felt like he needed to sleep for a week straight. “The kind of ring you don’t walk out of unless you’re the winner, if you catch my drift.” His eyes glanced up at Missy, noticing how pale she’d become.
“What is the purpose of it?” Lake asked, her eyebrows pulled into a confused frown.
“As if the damn government isn’t killing off enough of us, now we have regular civilians helping out,” Sam said in a disgusted voice.
“Dark times, my dear,” Missy’s father said. “It makes people do things perhaps they wouldn’t normally do.”
Michael shook his head sadly. “All for the sake of entertainment at that.”
“What are people betting in such a ring when no one has money?” Seamus asked.
“We don’t know,” Pete answered. “Could be anything. These are countryside men and women. We all know the stories about the sort of things happening out there.”
“Yes, the hillsides are just crawling with thieves and beggers,” Seamus said dryly.
“Well, whatever the truth, it looks like they’ve got quite the successful operation going,” Pete continued. “From what we’ve heard, it draws a very large crowd on fight days.”
“Perfect,” Garrett muttered. “Now that we know all this, what do we do with it?”
“We go in and get them out,” Charlotte said as though it were obvious.
“I love the way she thinks things are so easy,” Seamus said, rolling his eyes.
“She’s
right,” Tyler said. “We need to find a way to get there, and then find a way to get them both out. Unless they win every fight…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
“Even if they win, the result will be something neither of them can stand,” Violet said softly.
Tyler knew what it was like to kill someone in a ring. The memory was one that haunted him often now that his thoughts were clear. He doubted it was something he’d ever forget. Guilt was a heavy burden to carry, even if he hadn’t been in his right mind at the time. He shook off his thoughts, focusing on what was important right then.
“I’ll go in as a fighter so I can get access to them,” Tyler offered. Everyone’s eyes swung in his direction, but he only really felt one pair, even though he refused to meet them.
“You just got back, mate,” Pete said.
“Aye, but it makes the most sense.”
“The hell it does!” Missy’s protest shocked him enough to have him looking over at her, eyebrows raised.
“Lass, you of all people know just how well trained I am for this sort of thing. I’ve been fighting in a cage more now than anyone else in the room. Not to mention the fact that I’m – enhanced, so-to-speak.”
A blush crawled across her cheeks, even as her eyes narrowed in the way that he knew meant she wanted to argue. It was the most reaction he’d seen from her in weeks. A small glimpse of the girl she’d been when they’d been together, away from everyone else. When she’d been stronger and more confident, he thought sadly. Her mouth opened and closed a number of times like a fish out of water, but nothing came out.
He smiled triumphantly at her. “It’s settled then. My fighting career has officially just taken a new turn. Who would have thought?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Missy paced in front of the window, the worn boards of her bedroom smooth beneath her bare feet. She bit at her thumbnail, her mind frantic from all the recent events. What was she going to do now? Damn it. What was she going to do?
Tyler was set on going out into the countryside to get her sister, and she knew from the look of resolve on his face that afternoon that there would be no changing his mind. How could she just sit back and let him get himself into more trouble? This fighting ring wasn’t just for amusement, it was serious. Deadly serious. The kind of thing that she definitely didn’t want Tyler to be a part of.
She didn’t want Phoenix and Trent in there either. Oh God, things were as bad as they could be, she thought. If Tyler didn’t go then how would they get her sister and Trent? But if he did go…well, if he did go he’d be in danger again. Neither scenario sat well with her, hence the constant pacing she’d kept up for the past hour.
The sky outside was slowly lightening to dawn already and she’d yet to sleep a wink. How was she supposed to rest when everything in her life was in disarray again? Was there ever going to be a moment of peace?
The past weeks had been torture for her. Even though she had tried hard to avoid him since they’d been back, Tyler was never far from her every thought. Her dreams were even worse than her daytime fantasies. It was as though she was being tortured by her own mind.
It only made her feel worse when Tyler seemed to do his best to remain scarce around the house. She’d only see him in the mornings, and then he’d be gone again all day. Sometimes he wouldn’t come back until well after dark. The only reason she knew he’d returned was that she listened at the door for his footsteps every night. It was starting to get pathetic.
As much as she craved Tyler with every fibre of her being, every time she actually thought about being with him, she’d panic. As the days wore on, her need for him only seemed to increase. Tyler, however, seemed completely indifferent to her now. Maybe he’d never really had much of a true attraction to her outside of their situation.
It hurt. It hurt more than she could say. You’re the one that has pushed him away, she reminded herself. What a mess she’d made, she thought, growling out loud. Even if she’d wanted to fix things, it was too late now. Tyler was getting ready to leave within the next couple of days, and then who knew when she’d see him again? Or if she’d see him again. No, the thought was too upsetting to seriously consider.
Her pacing halted as she watched three figures walk up to the house outside, their faces shadowed. It didn’t matter. She could tell exactly who was who, even from the second floor. Garrett, Seamus, and the most familiar to her, Tyler, made their way to the front door. She hadn’t been able to sleep as it was, but she wasn’t dishonest enough to deny that part of the reason was because they hadn’t returned by supper. Hours had gone by after, as she’d waited in the kitchen, hiding out while she listened for the front door.
By the time she’d gone to bed they still hadn’t returned. Seeing them now made her breathe slightly easier. Where had they been so late? A bark of laughter drifted up through her open window, reaching her ears. Seamus was going on about something that had Garrett in stitches. Had they been out drinking?
Her stomach dropped. Did they go to one of those bars where the women hardly wore anything, and sat on any available male lap there? Tyler was available. She had no claim on him, and he was a young, healthy man. Maybe the three of them had gone out for a bit of fun.
Oh God, she gripped her stomach, she was going to be sick. The thought of another woman putting her hands on Tyler made her want to scream. Missy resumed her pacing again. Everything around her was just falling apart. She’d been locked in a room, caught in a bombing, run through a burning building, fallen in love, attacked by a group of soldiers again….Wait.
She sucked in a breath. What had she just thought? Fallen in love? Surely not, she thought, shaking her head. The idea was preposterous. She was too damaged to fall in love with someone. Look at how she’d reacted to the first bad thing that had happened to her. Tyler probably wanted nothing to do with her. Who would? She was a head case. It was no wonder Tyler had gone out with his mates to look for fun. Fun with women who didn’t have a whole list of issues to deal with the way she did.
Footsteps climbed the stairs and progressed down the hall outside. Missy didn’t stop her pacing as she listened to the three men head to bed. They passed by her room – all except for one. Missy stopped, her heart hammering in her chest as she sensed him pause just on the other side of her door. There was a tense moment before she heard a soft tap.
Taking a deep breath, she walked over, opening the door just a crack. Tyler stood there, his eyes piercing through her even in the dim lighting. This was the first time they’d been this close, and just the two of them, since they’d been back. He smelled fresh and male, just like he always did. There was no way to describe his scent other than it was just “his”.
“Hello,” she whispered, gripping the wood.
“You’re going to wear a hole right through the floor, lass, if you don’t stop that pacing of yours,” he said, his brogue heavier when he spoke softly. Her cheeks warmed at the realization that he knew how she spent much of her evenings. “Why are you still awake?”
Missy looked down, away from his knowing gaze. “Just couldn’t sleep,” she replied. Shrugging, she added, “nothing big.”
He grunted, unconvinced. “You need your rest.”
She nodded.
He sighed. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Missy nodded again. “Tyler,” she called out, as he turned to leave. He looked back over his shoulder. “I’m…I’m sorry.”
He didn’t ask what for. They both knew what she meant as they stared into each other’s eyes. They’d found something special between them and she was ruining it. What else could she do but apologize?
“There’s no need for that,” he replied. “I’m not.”
Missy swallowed awkwardly. “I just…” How could she explain this properly? How could she tell him she just needed time when she wasn’t even sure if time would help? It had helped the first time, she thought. She’d found a way to get over her fears before with him. Perha
ps she could do so again. But what if she couldn’t? She shook her head in frustration. “I can’t ask you to wait around for me,” she blurted out.
Tyler turned so he faced her better. His hand reached out, cupping her chin gently and lifting her face so she was looking at him.
“Och, lovely, I’d wait forever for you. Don’t you know that?” He smiled sadly before dropping his hand and turning to walk down the hall to his room. She didn’t call out to him again.
I’d wait forever for you. Those words kept her up the rest of the night. Her mind had gone back and forth on what to do about Tyler. So much of her felt unprepared to give her trust and heart to a man, but there was just something about Tyler that made her think he would be the only person who could handle it as delicately as it needed to be. Did her mind and body not already belong to him in some way? Yes, they did, she’d thought as the early morning hours had crept up. Maybe there was no question. Maybe it was just a matter of letting go and letting herself fall for a man who was more than willing to catch her.
By the time Missy had actually fallen asleep there had already been people moving around downstairs in the kitchen. She’d snuggled down deeper under her covers, deciding they could make their own breakfast for once. She ended up getting only four hours of sleep before she’d finally pulled herself out of bed.
Every muscle in her back ached, her limbs feeling heavy and sore. Deciding a bath was in order, Missy grabbed a change of clothes and a towel, and headed to the bathroom down the hall. The water filled the tub loudly, blocking out all other sounds so it felt as though she was in her own world. It was a much needed reprieve.
Her eyes stared blankly as the water rose, steam slowly filling the space around her. She added some bath bubbles to the water, something she rarely did since it was nearly impossible to find such commodities anymore. Thank God, she thought, that Ludwig Tennebris had been humane enough to keep the water lines to the ghettos active. Missy shuddered to think what it would be like not to have running water. With the tub filled just below the rim, she reached over and twisted the squeaky knobs.
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