by Faith Gibson
“Protect her from who? And, wait. Your mother knows? What did you tell her?”
Daddy sighed, rolling his head around his shoulders. “Daisy, please.”
“Rhiannon is a normal child. She cares about everything around her. Nothing more.”
“I thought pagans weren’t supposed to lie? You think you’re so much better than the rest of us.”
“I never said that. Don’t use your mother’s words against me. It won’t end well for you.”
“Are you threatening me?” Daddy got in Momma’s face, and Rhi shrank back where she was hiding. She’d never seen her parents fight before.
“What’s going on in here?” Grandmother appeared out of nowhere. And she called momma a devil.
“Nothing for you to be concerned about. How did you get in here anyway?” Momma asked.
“Everything to do with my son is my concern. As for your door, I have a key. Now answer me.”
“I don’t have to answer you. You aren’t my mother or my boss.” Momma turned to walk away, but Grandmother grabbed her arm. “Let go of me.”
“You need to watch yourself, Daisy.”
“And you need to let go. Now.” Momma jerked her arm away from Grandmother and ran from the room.
“She threatened to leave you, David. You have to do something.”
“I can handle my wife, Mother. Now, why are you here?”
“Abraham is ready to put her power to the test. He is getting impatient.”
“Your husband is your problem.”
Grandmother slapped Daddy across the face. “Don’t you ever speak to me that way again. You forget who I am.”
“No, I know exactly who you are.”
“As the husband, it is your place to lead this household. Daisy will go where you tell her to, if not… Handle your wife, or I will.”
Grandmother left, and Daddy followed. Rhi waited until she was sure they were both gone before she went after her momma. When she found her, Rhi walked up to her and wrapped her little hands around her momma’s wrist where Grandmother had grabbed her, sending her love out of her body into her momma’s.
“Thank you, my little flower. I love you more than all the plants and trees. I love you more than the sunshine.”
“I love you more than the moon and the stars,” Rhi said back.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise I’ll always take care of you.” Momma pulled Rhi into her chest and held her close, stroking her hair.
No. Momma was dead, so who…? Rhi opened her eyes to find Elizabeth sitting beside her bed. It was her pushing Rhi’s hair away from her face over and over.
“Hi,” Rhi said, her voice rough from sleep.
“How are you feeling?”
Rhi searched her body for the pain but found it was gone. “I’m okay. Just ready to get out of here.”
“Dr. Chastain said you can go if this round of bloodwork comes back negative. Here,” Elizabeth said, holding out a cup with a straw. “You need to drink plenty of fluids.”
Rhi sipped the water, the cool liquid soothing to her parched throat. Elizabeth smiled, and it reminded Rhi so much of her mother’s warmth. “I was dreaming about my mom. You remind me of her. Not in your looks, but the way you take care of me. I… I don’t think David is my father.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The dream, it was more like a memory. And something my mom said about me being her daughter and David arguing with her about it. She was trying to keep my gift a secret from him, but somehow, he knew, and they fought. Then my grandmother came in, saying how Abraham was getting impatient. It wasn’t long after that when my mom died.”
“How did she die?”
“A brain hemorrhage. At least, that’s what David told me.”
Elizabeth got a funny look on her face, but she masked it quickly, her sweet smile returning. The doctor and Xavier entered the room, and Elizabeth stood, pulling Xavier off to the side, whispering. Rhi’s attention turned to the doctor when he blocked the couple from her view.
“I have wonderful news. Your blood is all clear, so you can go home.”
Rhi didn’t bother to tell him she didn’t have a home. Ryker had told her he wanted them to be together, but what if he changed his mind? He had more important things to do than babysit her. Yes, he apologized for saying that, but it was the truth. Someone had to look out for her because she wasn’t capable of caring for herself. She had no home, no money. Even now, she was relying on Tamian’s parents to watch over her.
“I thought that would make you happy,” the doctor said when she didn’t respond.
“What’s wrong?” Elizabeth returned to her side, grasping Rhi’s hand.
“Nothing. I’m just happy to hear the good news,” she lied.
Xavier stepped up next to his wife. “Rhiannon, I’ve arranged it so you’re going to leave here in an ambulance. I have two of my males outside the door. One will drive while the other rides in the back with you. We’re hoping if David is watching, he’ll be waiting for you to leave by the front door. Elizabeth, McKenzie, and I are going to leave together and hopefully make him think you are still here. It will buy us some time to get you somewhere safe.”
“You shouldn’t have to go to all this trouble. Not for me.”
“Dr. Chastain, if you would get Rhiannon’s discharge papers together, I’d like to get her moved as quickly as possible.”
“Of course. I’ll have the nurse come in and remove the IV. By the time that’s taken care of, the paperwork should be ready. Rhiannon, it was a pleasure to meet you.” He patted her arm before leaving the room.
Xavier sat down in the chair next to the bed. “Rhiannon, this really isn’t a lot of trouble. We have the means to hide you until Ryker can take care of business and return. Please, don’t worry about anything.”
“Do you trust the doctor?” Elizabeth asked Xavier.
“Yes. I explained to him David is a member of a cult, and we are keeping Rhiannon safe from having to return. I also offered him an exorbitant amount of money to keep silent.”
The next hour was a flurry of getting Rhi out of the hospital. The male riding with her in the ambulance was large like Xavier and just as handsome. Stefan introduced himself once they were on the road, then he was quiet but attentive. He was dressed in an EMT uniform so if anyone saw him getting into the back of the ambulance, it wouldn’t cause suspicion. She was taken to a nursing facility where once inside, she changed into the clothes Mac had been wearing. Somewhere, they had found her a short, auburn wig. From a distance, no one would be able to tell the woman exiting the building was Rhi. According to Lucy, David had access to some powerful tools, but hopefully by her leaving in the ambulance, he would be thrown off long enough for them to return to Xavier’s.
The SUV wasn’t one Rhi had noticed in the garage when Manny was showing her the cars. When Stefan opened the back door for her, Rhi smiled. It wasn’t Elizabeth and Xavier inside, but Manny and another man she assumed was his husband.
“Hop in, Miss Rhi.” When she was seated, Stefan climbed in next to her and pointed to her seatbelt. He really was a male of few words. “This is my husband, Lawrence. Lawrence, Rhiannon.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rhi.”
“Same to you. I don’t think you said, but are you two Gargoyles?”
“Nope. We’re as human as you are, but my family has been with Xavier’s for hundreds of years. Myra is a cousin on my dad’s side.” Manny pulled the SUV out of the parking lot, while Lawrence and Stefan both looked all around. Half an hour later, they pulled up to a gate that wasn’t Xavier’s.
“Uh, Manny? Where are we?”
“This is my place,” Stefan said. “There were drones flying over X’s house, so he asked me to bring you here. He, Elizabeth, and McKenzie are waiting for you inside.”
Rhi’s eyes filled with tears. “This is too much,” she whispered.
“Oh, Sweetheart, keeping you safe is never too much. You’re fa
mily,” Manny said.
“But I’m not.”
Manny pulled the car inside a large garage. When he shut off the motor, he unbuckled and turned around to look at her. “Yes, you are. Family isn’t always blood related. It’s the people who care about you. Those who would do anything in the world for you. That’s who we are. We might have just met you, but you’re important to the Lazlos. Lucy is one of them, and she’s Tamian’s mate. Tamian is one of ours, so that makes Lucy just as much our family and in turn, you too. Not only that, but both Gargoyles and Gryphons were put on this earth to protect humans. It’s what they do. Now, you have both watching over you. You might as well get used to it, because like I said, we are now your family.”
A side door in the garage opened, and Xavier filled the frame. “Everything okay?” His voice was muffled through the closed car window, but Rhi still understood him.
Manny opened his door and got out, then opened Rhi’s door for her and helped her out. “Yes. Just explaining to Miss Rhi how family works.”
Rhi was still a little weak, so she held onto Manny’s arm as they walked inside Stefan’s home. Rhi had expected the same opulence as Xavier’s house, but even though it was large, it was homey. Lived in. There were no statues and crystal chandeliers. Rhi wasn’t afraid to sit on the sofa for fear of getting it dirty. Mac and Elizabeth were seated at a long bar that separated the kitchen from the dining area.
Mac laughed. “Nice wig.”
Rhi reached up and pulled it off. Manny was there to take it from her. “I’ll just put this away for now.”
A pretty brunette was at the counter making sandwiches. She smiled and said, “Welcome to our home, Rhiannon. I’m Claudia, Stefan’s mate. Are you hungry? Or would you like to lie down and rest?”
“A sandwich would be wonderful. Thank you for opening your home to me.”
“It’s what family does. What do you like on your sandwich?” Claudia asked.
“Whatever you’re making is fine.” Rhi didn’t want to put these people out any more than she already was. She’d eat peanut butter and be fine with it.
The four women, along with Manny and Lawrence, sat at the dining room table. It was obvious by the way Manny got drinks for them all this wasn’t the first time he had been in Stefan and Claudia’s home. The conversations added to that proof. Manny asked about Claudia’s grandchildren, and after they finished eating, Claudia produced photos to show everyone. It surprised Rhi when she saw the kids in the pictures were teenagers. Claudia, like Elizabeth, didn’t look old enough to be a grandmother. She was a little envious of the fact that they would live hundreds of years. She remembered the question Ryker had posed about living a long life, and in that moment, Rhi knew she would jump at the chance if Lucy were able to come up with a way to make that happen.
Weather in Upstate New York was chilly in the fall, but the sunroom at the back of the house was toasty when they retreated out there after lunch. Several males, including Stefan, were outside. Xavier, however, was sitting inside next to Elizabeth. She wondered if it was because he was a king. Did he have an army of Gargoyles protecting him? It was still such a foreign concept for Rhi, knowing these males were other than human. She had seen Ryker shift into his lion and attempt to shift to his Gryphon. She couldn’t wait to see him in all his Gryphon glory.
The longer Rhi sat in the warm room, the heavier her eyes became. She tried to stay awake, not wanting to be rude. “Why don’t I show you to one of the guest rooms where you can rest?” Claudia suggested.
“I’m sorry. I guess I’m not one hundred percent,” Rhi admitted.
“No need to apologize. You’ve been through a traumatic experience. It’s understandable.” Claudia held out her hand, and Rhi took it. Claudia directed Rhi back inside and up the wide staircase to where the bedrooms were located. “Here you go.” The room was large, like the one at Lucy’s house, but it was well used. “This is my granddaughter’s room when she stays over. I hope it’s okay.”
“It’s perfect. Thank you, Claudia. For everything.”
Claudia palmed Rhi’s cheek. “Like I said, it’s what family does. If you need anything, all you have to do is call out. I’ll hear you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Gargoyle hearing,” she said with a wink.
“Wait, you’re…?”
Claudia lengthened her fangs, grinning. “Sure am.” Her fangs disappeared just as quickly. “Rest up. We’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”
Rhi slipped off her boots, turned down the covers, and climbed underneath. Exhaustion claimed her quickly.
Chapter Seventeen
Ryker
Ryker couldn’t concentrate. While he and the Hounds waited for John and Paul to return with Elijah, he paced the room, thinking of Rhi and what she was going through. One thing was certain – Ryker was going to tear David Spencer apart when he got his hands on him. What kind of man did that to his daughter? Ryker had walked out of the hotel, ready to get on his bike and head west when Xavier convinced him to stay put. Xavier vowed on his life he would protect Ryker’s mate. Xavier had called in several of his Clan to help watch over Rhiannon.
After taking Xavier’s call, Ryker returned to the room where the others were waiting, and he explained what was happening with Rhiannon. Collectively, they offered to stay and make sure Elijah was returned to them if Ryker wanted to head back.
“No. Xavier has the situation under control. The poison, or whatever was leached into her system, is gone, and she’s going to be fine. I can’t keep going back and forth from there to here and accomplish anything. I need to see this through. Then I’ll be able to return to both my mate and daughter with good news.”
Sultan reminded Ryker they had all ridden their bikes. If John and Paul did bring Elijah to them, they needed a vehicle to take him back to New Troy. Ryker called Judge and asked him to meet them with one of the club’s SUVs, and now, there were five Hounds sitting around waiting.
“We have movement,” Hawk said from the window. “I don’t know what Elijah looks like, but there’s a young man with John and Paul.”
“Spyder, you and Sultan head downstairs and escort them up here. I don’t want the exchange made around humans.”
Less than five minutes later, the door opened, and Ryker eyed the young man. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but the tall, lanky kid staring back at him wasn’t it. Standing about six foot, the young man was wearing dirty khakis and a plain, white T-shirt. His shoes were worn, and he wasn’t wearing a jacket. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in days, if the dark circles under his eyes were any indication. The first thing Ryker was going to do was feed him.
“Take John and Paul next door,” Ryker said to Spyder. When the humans were safely out of earshot, Ryker approached the kid. “My name is Ryker Lazlo. May I ask your name?”
“Elijah McLean.”
“Elijah, my family and I work to make sure people who live in places like Haven want to be there. Are you one of those people?”
“Look, man. I don’t know you. You could be a spy for Josiah for all I know.”
“I could, but I’m not. Do you know a young woman named McKenzie?”
“Mac?” Elijah’s face lit up for just a second before turning dark.
“I’m going to take that as a yes. I want to show you something.” Ryker pulled out his phone and opened the photos. He chose the one of him and Mac together sitting on the back deck. “Here.”
“She’s—”
“My daughter. Mac is my daughter, and when my family and I went in to rescue another woman from Gideon’s compound, I found out who Mac is. She came home with me, and she’s been waiting for me to find you ever since. Is it okay if I take your picture to send to her?”
“Why the hell would she want a picture of me, and why would she want you to find me? She made her choice even after that bastard raped her.”
Ryker was stunned. “Raped?” he managed to whisper. “What are you talking about? Who
raped my daughter?”
“Lewis. He forced himself on her, got her pregnant, and she still chose him.”
“Mac didn’t choose Lewis. Gideon locked Mac up. Kept her isolated the whole time she was pregnant. I’m going to kill that motherfucker!”
Spyder stuck his head through the adjoining door. “Ryot, there are other guests on this floor. Besides, Lewis and Gideon are in jail.”
Ryker paced the room. Why hadn’t Mac told him about being raped. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
Sultan rubbed a hand across his scalp. “Probably because you’re her father, and she figured you’d react the way you just did.”
“You mentioned Mac, but not the baby. How is it?” Elijah asked.
“Gideon took him and put him up for adoption. After that, Mac tried to run away, and Gideon sent a dog after her. It attacked her. Now I have another reason to kill the motherfucker.” Ryker paced the room again, raking his hands through his hair. Raped. Lewis raped his baby girl. Ryker did his best to calm down. There was nothing he could do about Lewis now, but somehow, he would find a way to make the human pay. Jail or not. First, he had John and Paul to deal with. When he got back to Mac, he was going to sit down with her and make sure she didn’t need therapy.
“The baby was a boy?”
“I don’t exactly know, but I feel wrong calling him or her an ‘it’.”
Elijah was quiet for a bit, looking across the room at nothing. When he finally looked back at Ryker, he asked, “Did Mac really send you to find me?”
“Yeah, she did. She loves you, but if you don’t feel the same, let me know now. She’s been through enough heartache to last three fucking lifetimes. I’m not going to take you to her if you’re gonna bail.”
“I’m not gonna bail, but…” Elijah walked over to the window and looked out. “I get you think I’m a kid, and at nineteen, I guess I am. But I loved your daughter more than anything. We made plans to get out of the compound and somehow start a life together. It was all I thought about. Then, one day, she comes to me crying, telling me she was pregnant and how Lewis raped her. I wanted to kill him, but look at me. Even before they threw me in the hole, I wasn’t much bigger than I am now. Lewis is built like you, so even if I did get my hands on him, he’d have kicked my ass.
