A soft sob drew his attention to the left, near the far corner of the room. Bent low, Seth crept inside and then crouched behind a table.
Four slanted boards were arranged in a semicircle. Each board resembled a child’s seesaw. Four nude women, including Honor, were tied to the boards. A bucket of water had been placed under each of their bare feet. Pike lowered a board holding a woman … Seth peered closer. Anna, he thought. When her feet dipped into the water, he tilted the board again until she was out of the water. Taking several steps back, he pointed something toward her feet. What the hell …?
“Pike, you bastard. Don’t you fucking dare!” Honor shouted.
Pike turned to stare at Honor. “You can’t talk to me like that.”
“You’re a monster and a sadistic pervert. I’ll talk to you any damn way I please.”
“You’ve been faking.” He sounded like a bewildered child.
“Your kidnapping and torturing days are over.”
“This is my kingdom, my rules. I can do what I please. No one can stop me.”
“Think again, asshole,” Seth snarled.
Pike whirled around. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m the man who’s going to shoot your head off if you don’t drop that Taser and back away from the women.”
Alden shook his head slowly, disbelief and fury culminating in a mass of volcanic emotions. No, this couldn’t happen. This was his home—his paradise. He had safeguards set up for protection. His people were supposed to die before they let anyone get to him.
Who was responsible for allowing an infiltrator inside his kingdom? The realization came quickly. He whirled around and stared at the traitorous female. The woman who should have been honored to be his chosen mate had betrayed him in the worst way possible. “You,” he whispered hoarsely. “You brought him here.”
With the look of innocence and fear now gone, her face showed a maturity that stunned him. Where was his lovely, submissive female? For the first time ever, Alden felt a blow to his heart, almost as if she’d ripped it from his chest and squeezed it with her fist. She was to have been his queen.
“I’m not telling you again, Pike,” the man behind him growled.
Barely hearing the threat, Alden shook his head, almost dazed with hurt. “I was going to make you my queen. You would have had everything any woman could want.”
“You’re a pervert and a freak, Pike,” the woman said. “And you’re going to prison for a very long time.”
The bitch hadn’t deserved him. His broken heart now fully healed, his mind grappled with a plan. Indecision battled with supreme confidence. This was his world … his rules. No one told him what to do. He turned to look at the man holding the gun. “This is my home. What I say goes here.”
As if he hadn’t heard him, the man motioned with his gun. “Walk toward me, slow and easy.”
No, he’d worked too long and too hard to create this world. He would damn well not allow anyone to destroy it. Staring intently at the man for several more seconds, Alden huffed out a long breath and slumped his shoulders as if accepting defeat. He dropped the Taser onto the floor and began walking in front of the women.
“I said ‘toward me,’ asshole,” the man growled.
The man wouldn’t shoot … not if it meant endangering the four females. Alden continued walking slowly. Then he darted sideways, running between two women.
“Dammit!” the man shouted.
Withdrawing a knife from his pocket, he held it to the betraying bitch’s throat. “Drop your gun or I’ll slice her head clean off.”
“And the instant you do, you’re dead.”
The man’s hard voice and icy expression gave Alden pause for only a second. If the girl was his partner, he wouldn’t risk her life. Smug with his superior knowledge of human behavior, Alden pulled hard on the bitch’s hair, stretching her neck. With the knife firmly against her throat, Alden smiled and said, “Drop your gun and slide it over to me. If you don’t, she’s dead. Your choice.”
His face twisted with indecision and then frustrated defeat, the man lowered his gun to the floor and slid it several feet forward.
Triumphant, Alden eased the knife back slightly. Even though he had every intention of killing the man, Alden couldn’t resist offering him instructions on what he had done wrong. “You made several errors in judgment. Your first was daring to infiltrate my kingdom. And your second was caring what happened to the bitch.” Tightening his grip on the knife, he whispered in her ear. “Say goodbye to—”
A noise sounded behind Alden. Tabitha? Good. She could help him do away with the intruder. Alden lowered the knife and turned. Searing pain shot through his hip; an instant later he heard a sharp blast. Stunned, he turned back to see that the man was down on the floor, holding another gun. The gun he’d slid across the floor was still there. How had that happened?
Knife still in his hand, Alden jabbed down toward the woman. Another shot blasted through the air—this time, from the other side of the room. Alden glanced down to see blood staining his shirt, and then pain exploded in his chest. His legs went out from under him and he fell forward. Men were shouting. Where had all of these people come from? How had this happened?
Fury dimmed the pain. Alden lifted his hand and, with the last of his reserves, threw the knife at the bitch who’d caused his kingdom to fall. In his last moment on earth, he heard a man’s tortured voice shout, “Honor!” And then he knew nothing more.
A furious howl of grief exploded from Seth as he ran forward. Pike had found his target … a knife was sticking out of Honor’s chest. His entire body close to meltdown, he raised a shaking hand to the knife.
“It’s not deep,” she whispered.
His gaze flew to her face. “What?”
“It’s barely inside me, Seth. Look. It hit a bone.”
Relief and happiness flooded him. She was right. The blade had pierced her sternum enough to make the knife stand up, but it hadn’t gone deep at all.
“She all right?”
He looked over his shoulder at McCall, who stood several feet behind him. “She’s fine. Knife hit the bone.”
Behind McCall, Seth saw Livingston untie Kelli and then cover her with a blanket. Assured that she was fine for the time being, he turned back to Honor. Unzipping one of the pockets of his vest, he pulled out gauze and bandages.
“We need to get everyone out of here as soon as possible,” Honor said. “Someone might have heard the gunshots.”
“Let’s take care of this first.” Gently, he tugged on the knife, more relieved than he’d ever be able to express that it almost fell into his hands. Though blood oozed from the cut, the tip of the knife hadn’t even penetrated a quarter of an inch.
Placing gauze on the wound to stop the bleeding, he held it with one hand and cut the ties at her hands and then her feet with the other. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have come sooner.”
“You came at exactly the right time.”
He shoved the bucket of water away and helped her stand. Tugging at his Kevlar vest, he dropped it on the ground, then unbuttoned his flannel shirt and pulled it off. “Let’s get this on you.”
“Thanks—it was getting drafty in here.”
Grinning at her unbelievable spirit, Seth stooped down and pulled a space blanket from his vest. “Wrap up with this. I’m going to check on Kelli. Okay?”
Honor nodded. “I’m fine. Go.”
Seth turned to see Kelli sitting on the floor, her face almost hidden by her long hair. Though she was wrapped in a blanket, he could see her body trembling. Feeling unusually tentative, he went to his knees before her and said softly, “Kelli? Honey?”
Her blond head came up. Her face was paper white, and tears filled her eyes. “Uncle Seth?” Her disbelieving whisper clutched at his heart. “Is it really you?”
“Yeah, it’s really me.”
An expression of such joy came over her face, it was all Seth could do not to grab her and hold
her close. Not knowing what she’d gone through, he hesitated to make the first move. Kelli, apparently, had no reservations as she threw herself at him. Seth’s arms closed around her and held her as she sobbed against his chest.
Tears stung his eyes, and he looked upward as he whispered a prayer of thanks. He had never given up hope that she was alive, and despite the thinness of her body and her obvious distress, she looked unharmed and whole. God only knew what Pike had done to her, but Kelli was a Cavanaugh through and through—a survivor.
She pulled away slightly and peeked up at him. “I’m never leaving home again.”
Laughter erupted from him. “I think that’s something your parents will wholeheartedly endorse.”
Shivering from equal parts shock and cold, Honor grabbed one of Pike’s buckets. Dumping the water out, she tipped it over and sat down abruptly. Her legs felt like overcooked noodles and her entire body was one mass of quivering nerves. She couldn’t believe it was over.
“Listen up, everyone,” Noah said. “Thorne’s on watch outside. He’ll alert us if anyone’s coming this way. A chopper’s on the way … ETA three minutes. It’ll land as close to this building as possible. We took care of the guards at the walls, but we don’t know what kind of resistance we’ll face once the chopper lands.”
Honor tightened the blanket around herself and took deep breaths, hoping to calm the jittery nerves that continued to send jolts through her. The shocks she’d received hadn’t been high voltage enough to do any real damage; they’d just caused sudden, tremendous pain. The knife wound, other than the scare it’d given Seth, was a small, insignificant throb just over her left breast. All in all, other than being weak as a kitten, she felt damn good.
And what made it all the better was seeing Seth hold Kelli in his arms. Honor’s relief that the young woman was safe was almost overwhelming. She could only imagine what he must be feeling.
How much had these poor girls been through before tonight? Their recovery was going to take a while, but thank God they were alive so that could happen.
The other women in the community would have to be dealt with delicately. Noah had probably already talked with the authorities. And though she knew that most, if not all of the women had been abducted and abused, she couldn’t help but hurt for them. Their lives were going to be torn apart once again.
She took in the room that Pike had apparently used for his training purposes—every available space filled with some sort of contraption or device meant to inflict pain. Never had she seen a more classic example of a sexual sadist. Problem was, not only had he used the torture devices for his own sick enjoyment, he’d somehow managed to control his victims’ minds. There was no telling what kind of therapy it was going to take or how long it would be before his victims were able to regain their lives.
A movement in her peripheral vision caught Honor’s attention. She stiffened. Was that someone or had she imagined it? She went to her feet and took a step forward, trying to peer into the darkness. “Is someone there?”
A shrill scream of rage echoed through the room. Tabitha appeared like a ghostly specter from a darkened corner and walked slowly toward her father’s body.
Tears streamed down the young woman’s face, her expression ravaged with horror and grief. Honor couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She had, no doubt, been a victim of Pike’s incredible cruelty since her birth.
“Tabitha, I—” Honor jerked to a halt when the girl’s hand flew up … she had something in her hand. Dammit, a weapon … she had a weapon. “Gun!” Honor shouted.
Too far away to tackle her, Honor focused instead on where Tabitha was pointing the weapon. Seth! The distance seeming insurmountable, Honor began running toward him. Her legs felt weighted and heavy, her body sluggish, as if she were moving in slow motion. Seth … she had to reach Seth!
He had been stooped down, holding Kelli, but when Honor shouted, he went to his feet. Standing in front of his niece to shield her, he never had the chance to defend himself.
Before Honor’s horrified eyes, she saw his body jerk. Terror almost locked her limbs as, helplessly, she watched Seth fall face-first to the ground.
More gunfire erupted. The sounds were dim, almost as if they were miles away. A part of her mind acknowledged that one or more of the men were shooting back at Tabitha.
Denial screaming through her, Honor gently rolled Seth over. He’d taken his Kevlar vest off when he’d given her his shirt, and he hadn’t put it back on. Why, oh God, why hadn’t he put it back on? A thin T-shirt was the only thing that covered him. He’d had no protection at all.
A litany of prayers repeated in her head: Please, God, please, let her have missed. Even as Honor uttered the prayers, she already knew the truth. A cry of denial echoed in the room. Tabitha had found her mark … Seth had been shot multiple times. A bullet hole high up on his shoulder, one right above his heart, another below his heart.
“Honor, hurry or he’ll bleed out.”
She turned to see Noah on his knees beside her. Holding a cloth against one of the wounds on Seth’s chest, Noah handed her another cloth. “Keep the pressure hard and steady.”
Nodding numbly, she did as she was told. She vaguely heard Noah yell for a medic. Apparently the chopper had arrived, bringing much-needed medical help. Her eyes were glued to Seth. He was unconscious, his face slack and pale.
Her hand shaking, she pressed her fingers against his neck. His pulse was weak, almost nonexistent. She leaned over him. “Seth … can you hear me?”
No response.
She put her mouth to his ear. “You’re going to be fine. Hang on. Please. Just hang on.”
His eyelids flickered as if he knew she was there, but they never opened. “I love you,” she whispered hoarsely. “Please don’t leave me again. Please.”
“Step aside, ma’am.”
Gentle but firm hands pulled her away. The medics had arrived. Backing away, knowing there was nothing more she could do, she watched as one man started an IV and another fastened a protective collar around Seth’s neck. Frozen from the inside out, she kept her eyes on his face as the medics lifted him onto a stretcher.
She shot a glance at Noah. “I’m going with him.”
His face grim, he nodded. “Call me when you know his condition.”
Barely hearing him, she ran to keep up with the men racing Seth to the helicopter. Honor tried to deny the facts, but she knew it was useless. She’d seen mortal wounds too many times not to know the truth. People didn’t live through those kinds of injuries. Seth was going to die.
thirty-one
Two days later
Janisville Medical Center
Janisville, Wyoming
Beeping machines were the only sounds in the stillness of dark midnight. Honor sat in a chair, as close to the hospital bed as she could get. Though there was a couch across the room, she had yet been able to move that far from Seth. The only time she’d left him was to go to the bathroom. Any other time, even when the doctors had given her an order to leave, she’d stubbornly shaken her head.
She would stay out of their way, she wouldn’t make a whisper of a sound, but she would not leave him.
His family was on their way in an LCR jet. They would have been here sooner, but the blizzard that had held off for three days had finally blown in, holding up their flight. Honor was expecting them at any moment. She hoped they’d make it in time.
Seth had held on longer than anyone had thought he would. An artery in his heart had been severely damaged, and his liver had been punctured. The wound in his shoulder was the least significant of his injuries, requiring nothing more than extraction of the bullet. After ten hours of surgery to repair the artery and the tear in his liver, along with two blood transfusions, the doctors had emerged with weary, defeated expressions and offered little hope. The artery in his heart was badly torn, the damage more extensive than they’d thought. They’d repaired the tear … done what they could. Now it was up to Seth.
After the surgery, she’d been told the next forty-eight hours were critical. With that news, she’d let herself believe there was hope. If he could hang on for forty-eight hours, he could recover. Seth was strong and tenacious … incredibly stubborn. She knew he could make it!
The hospital was small but well equipped. Noah had offered to fly Seth to a larger facility, but the doctors didn’t believe he would survive the trip. And when Honor had asked if there was anything she could do, one of the surgeons had taken her hand and gruffly whispered one word: “Pray.”
Twelve hours after his surgery, Seth had gone into cardiac arrest. A medical team had worked on him for a full three minutes, until finally, blessedly, she’d heard the beep … beep … beep. His heart had started beating again.
Honor had been standing in the corner, out of the way. Pressed against the wall for support, she had been praying fervently for a miracle. After Seth’s heart had started beating again, that same doctor had turned toward her and she had seen the knowledge in his eyes. They had bought him some time, nothing more.
Seth’s family was bringing one additional person with them. The family priest.
Honor still hadn’t accepted that she was going to lose him. Maybe at some point, it would take hold, but as long as that machine kept beeping, she could not, would not, lose hope.
He hadn’t regained consciousness during the entire ordeal. Skin that had been bronzed from the sun now looked almost bleached white. The lines around his mouth and his eyes indicated that, though he wasn’t conscious, somewhere deep inside, the pain was there and he was suffering.
She had gone over in her mind, again and again, the last few seconds before Tabitha had shot him. She should have been able to stop her. She should have screamed faster, louder. Found a way to jump in front of Seth. She should have had a gun. She shouldn’t have screamed … he’d stood up because she’d screamed. She should have done something, anything, to save Seth’s life. If he died, it would be her fault.
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