by Faith Gibson
Rhi padded into the dark room. A candle sitting on a small table was the only light offered. The woman was blindfolded, her body covered with a quilt. Rhi had never healed a tumor before. She didn’t know if she could, but she had to try, or she’d be sent to the dark room without food. Doing as Brother Josiah instructed, Rhi placed her small hands on the sides of the woman’s head. She closed her eyes, because that’s what Momma had taught her to do when she was helping the dying plants. Taught Rhi to close her eyes, ask the goddess for strength and guidance, and push her warmth into whatever it was she was trying to help. In this case, a sick woman. Rhiannon pushed. She imagined her warmth was like the candle. A flame she needed to get inside the woman’s head. Rhi collected all the light until it was gathered in her hands and pushed it out. The woman beneath her gasped, and that was when Rhi knew she felt the warmth. Felt Rhi’s gift. When Rhi couldn’t push any more, she slumped to the ground. Tired. She was so tired. So cold.
“Does she have a fever? Her skin is like ice, and she won’t stop shaking.” Rhi knew that sweet voice, the one that reminded her of her mother, but she couldn’t make her eyes open. A hand to her forehead burned her skin, but she didn’t have the energy to say so.
“No. There’s no fever. I think she’s in shock. Ryot, hold her leg in case she wakes up. I don’t want to cut her any more than I need to.” That deep voice was familiar as well.
Strong hands held her down, while soft ones touched her face, brushing her hair methodically. The movement was soothing. There was a tug on her leg just above her ankle. It didn’t hurt. Nothing hurt at the moment. She was too cold, too numb, to feel any pain.
“I don’t understand how we missed this,” Rev said.
“We weren’t looking for it. Rhi was young when David had the chips implanted, plus she said she had passed out. Rev, I want you to scan her from head to toe. If there were three chips, there could be more. Never again will she be manipulated.”
“You got it, Ryot.”
“Hang on, Rhi. Just a little longer,” Ryker said gently next to Rhi’s ear. She wanted to bury herself in his warmth. Her teeth weren’t chattering, but she was still cold.
“C-c-cold,” Rhi managed to stutter.
“I know you are, but Rev needs to search your body. Hang in there. You’re doing so good. I promise I’ll get you warmed up when he’s done.” Ryker kissed her forehead. She would rather he kiss her lips. Her thoughts went back to the way his large body covered hers as they made out earlier. The way her body flamed from the inside out was enough to give her the strength she needed to endure however long it took for Rev to finish searching. Refusing to think about her father, she focused on Ryker’s scent. It was a little sweaty, a little leather, and a whole lotta man. She was a twenty-three-year-old virgin, and if she got her way, that title would change before her birthday in a few weeks.
“The good news is Dr. Chastain removed the tracker like he said. The other good news is there was only one more chip imbedded in Rhi’s skin. This one didn’t leak any type of substance into her bloodstream. I’m thinking the other wasn’t supposed to either, since this one caused the same type of reaction with the debilitating pain and subsequent passing out. This is some next level technology.”
“Well, he does work for the GIA. There’s no telling what type of technology he has available to him.”
“Bethany will get her stitched up and then I’ll give her something for the pain.”
“N-no. D-don’t want to b-be groggy.” Rhi knew she needed to rest, but she was counting on Ryker taking the pain away with his kisses. Or more.
“Okay, no shot. But I will write a prescription in case you change your mind.”
“Th-thank you.” Rhi closed her eyes while Bethany once again sutured her. Rhi felt herself being shuffled around on the bed, but she was too drained to figure out why. Warmth surrounded her back, and a strong arm came over her body, the hand threading through her fingers and settling against her chest. She felt safe. She was safe.
When Rhi woke, she was alone. She knew Ryker couldn’t spend every waking second with her, but she missed his heat. Mentally taking stock, she found she was no longer freezing. What she was, though, was gross. Rhi wanted a shower, so she climbed out of bed and closed herself in the bathroom. The bandages over her stitches were waterproof, so she didn’t have to worry about getting them wet. While the water heated, she brushed her teeth. She then stripped out of her clothes and underwear and wrapped the non-bloody pad in toilet paper before disposing of it in the wastebasket. The only good thing about her period was it never lasted long.
The hot water felt like heaven against her aching muscles. Rhi was always sore after one of her episodes. Now that she knew the cause of her blackouts had been removed, she looked forward to not having to endure them anymore. While she washed her hair, Rhi took a moment to think about her father and what she knew about him, which wasn’t much. He allowed Josiah to use Rhi’s gift to bring people into Haven. She had no idea if her gift had worked the numerous times she had used it without her knowledge or consent. If given the choice, she would never had said no to try and help another human. It pissed her off the preacher railed against her gift, then used it in private. Up until she poured her energy into Ryker after he was shot, Rhi had never knowingly used her gift on a person. After the rabbit incident when she was younger, she had only used her energy to help plants.
David had known about the rabbit. He had exploited her without her knowledge or consent. He had chips inserted to manipulate her into doing his and Josiah’s bidding. She hated him. Hated both David and Josiah. Goddess, forgive me. Please help me find a way to get past my hatred. Rhi allowed herself a few minutes to find the peace talking with her goddess usually gave her. What she needed was to be outside. That’s where her true peace came from. And from Ryker. He was able to calm her with just a touch. Thinking of him putting his hands on her, she took extra care with shaving her legs. Women weren’t allowed to shave at Haven unless they were married. It had taken some getting used to, but Rory had brought her a razor to the hotel, and she relished the silkiness of her skin without the hair. She trimmed the pubic hair at the juncture of her inner thighs so it wouldn’t escape the sides of her panties, but she left the rest of it natural.
Rhi turned the water off and stepped out onto the plush rug. She enveloped her long hair in a fluffy towel, then used another to dry her body. She watched her movements in the mirror. What would Ryker think of how she looked naked? Would he find her desirable merely for the fact that she was a woman as Josiah had talked about? Or would he find her lacking because she was on the skinny side? Her breasts were pert if smallish. She didn’t have curves like other women. If she thought about it, she was built like a boy. There was nothing she could do about it other than eat a lot and put on some weight. Thinking of eating had her stomach rumbling.
Having forgotten to grab clothes, Rhi wrapped the towel around her body and opened the door to the bedroom. Ryker was there, sitting on the side of the bed. His dark hair was damp, indicating he’d taken his own shower. His eyes traveled from the towel on her head to her bare feet, then back up to her face. He wore an expression she couldn’t read, but she didn’t have a lot of experience when it came to men. Ha, you have no experience other than going to town with James.
“I brought you some food,” Ryker said, motioning to a tray on the dresser.
“Thank you. I’m starving.” Rhi didn’t move from the bathroom doorway. She wasn’t sure what to do. She wanted to touch him and have him touch her, but she also didn’t want to look like an idiot.
Ryker stood and closed the distance between them. He ran a finger along the edge of the towel at her chest. Goosebumps prickled her skin, and heat flooded her stomach, dipping lower. What would he do if she dropped the towel? Would he take her to bed and have his way with her for the first time? Or would he be appalled at her forwardness?
“It’s probably a good thing we aren’t alone.” Ryker loosened
the towel around her head, dropping it to the floor. Running his fingers through her hair, he tugged on a strand, lifting it to his nose. “If we were at home, I’d be unable to resist taking you to bed and showing you how desirable I find you. I’m not going to lie, Rhi. I’m a man with certain proclivities when it comes to sex, but for you, I promise to be gentle. I’m going to please you, and I’m going to teach you how to please me. If that’s something you want. If not, I need to know now before I get in any deeper.”
“I want you.” Rhi had no idea what possessed her to do it, but she unhooked the end of the towel and dropped it to the floor. Ryker hissed and took a step back. At first, she thought he was appalled at what he saw, but then his eyes turned darker than their normal brown, and he took two steps forward, dragging her body against his. The rasp of his clothes against her bare skin sent delicious waves of heat throughout her body, and the space between her legs ached with want. Rhi had touched herself a few times when alone in the shower. Living in a cabin with two or three other women didn’t leave room for privacy. She knew what it felt like to orgasm, but she’d always felt unfulfilled after she came. Ryker’s hard bulge pressed against her mound, and she knew that was what had been missing. She wanted his hardness inside her, filling her up.
Ryker’s large hands skimmed her back, caressing the top of her butt. His lips were leaving a trail of kisses along her neck, sending more zings to her core and her nipples. Rhi pressed her breasts to his chest, searching for relief to the ache. “Please,” she begged against his ear as she clutched his T-shirt.
“Rhi, we can’t. As much as I want you, we need to wait until we get home. I don’t want our first time to be rushed. I want to make love to you all night.”
Rhi was past the point of caring where they were. All she knew was she needed release. “Fine. I’ll take care of myself.” She let go of his shirt and turned toward the bathroom, but a strong arm banded around her stomach, his large hand splayed across her chest. Ryker cupped one of her breasts and rolled her nipple.
“You’ve touched yourself before? Made yourself come?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
The hand on her stomach slid lower until a calloused finger touched her bud. Ryker rubbed it, and if he hadn’t been holding her up, her knees would have given out. Ryker dipped two fingers between her legs, sliding easily through the slickness. “I want you more than I want to breathe, Rhiannon.”
“Then have me. I don’t need lovemaking. I just need you to fill me up.”
“If I take you now, I’m going to hurt you, and I never want to hurt you. What I will do is get you off.” Ryker pushed her until she was lying on the mattress. He lifted her legs and said, “Put your feet on the bed.” Rhi did, and Ryker spread her knees apart, staring at her vagina. No, her pussy. Ryker was a biker. A virile male who could have any woman he wanted. No way would he call it anything other than pussy. She had heard the men at Haven speak about women and what they wanted to do to them. Just because Haven was supposed to be all about God didn’t mean that it was.
Ryker dropped to his knees, and before she knew what he planned, he buried his face between her thighs. His tongue tortured her nub before dipping inside, lapping at her opening. Within seconds, he had her writhing against the bedding, pushing against his mouth. He licked and bit at her clit while two large fingers explored her passage. He twisted and pumped, never delving far enough to break the barrier. Goddess, she wanted him to break it, but not with his fingers. Rhi’s stomach tightened, the sensation of her impending release traveling to all her nerve endings.
“Ryker,” she husked. “Ryker, I… oh… I’m…” Her orgasm hit hard as he tormented her clit. Her body quivered and her insides pulsed around his fingers. Rhi leaned up onto her elbows, catching her breath. Ryker licked her release from his fingers before standing. “That was… Yeah. So good.” So good? “It was amazing.” He stared at her a few seconds. The bulge in his pants was still there, but she had no idea what to do about it.
“I’m going to take a leak and wash my hands. Why don’t you get dressed and eat a bite?” Ryker disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door. Rhi blew out a breath. She knew she’d screwed up when she didn’t reciprocate, but he really hadn’t given her a chance. Wanting to make things right, she pressed her ear to the door. When she didn’t hear him peeing, she gently turned the knob and inched the door open. Ryker had his back to her, and his hand… Oh.
Ryker
Ryker closed himself in the bathroom and jerked his hard dick. It only took a few strokes until he was shooting into the toilet. He pressed the hand not holding his cock against the wall and hung his head. Fuck. Rhi was too enticing. Now that he’d had a taste, it was going to take every bit of his willpower not to fuck her. Yes, he promised to make love to her, but she called to his primal instincts, and he would fuck her. One day. Soon. The way she responded to his tongue and fingers, he knew Rhi would be a tiger in bed. Ryker flushed the toilet, then tucked himself back in his jeans before washing his hands and splashing cold water on his face. When he returned to the bedroom, he was pleased to see Rhi was dressed and eating her sandwich.
She wouldn’t look at him, and that wasn’t good. Fuck, he’d screwed up going down on her, but she’d enjoyed it. “Rhi—”
“What’s the plan?” she asked, cutting him off without looking at him. Her face was flushed. He wanted to know what she was thinking. Was she embarrassed, or did she regret what they’d done?
“Honestly, we don’t have one. We’re waiting to hear back from Lucy. She’s working with Henry Palamo, the Gargoyle in New Atlanta. Henry’s sure he can figure out a way to get your father off our trail. Until then, we’re just waiting.”
“Why not just expose them all?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you said you can’t go up against Haven because of the guns, so why not tell the cops what they’re doing out there? I’ll tell them they were holding me against my will. You have the chips my father had implanted. I’ll tell the police he had those put in me when I was younger, and Rev can explain what they are and what they did to me. Surely that’s considered child abuse. Right?”
“You’d be willing to accuse David?”
“You bet your ass I would. Now that I know what was happening to me when I passed out? It pisses me off. They were using me, Ryker. Using me without my consent. What if that’s not all they did to me while I was passed out? I mean, I remember vaguely being sent into dark rooms where I laid my hands on people, but I don’t remember anything that happened after. I have no idea how I got back to my cabin or how long I was out of it.”
Ryker refused to think of Josiah or one of his men taking advantage of Rhi. He knew she was still a virgin because he’d felt her barrier still intact, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have touched her in other ways. If he allowed himself to think about anyone doing something to her in a sexual way, he would tear them apart, guns or not.
“Finish eating, and we’ll take this discussion downstairs.”
“I’m full. My stomach is still a little queasy.”
Ryker lifted the tray from her lap, and Rhi climbed off the bed. She opened the door for him, and they made their way downstairs. Xavier arched an eyebrow, and Stefan and Claudia were grinning. Fucking shifter hearing. He smirked back at them all, refusing to feel bad about what happened upstairs. Gryphons weren’t the only ones who were insatiable around their mates, so they had no room to give him shit. Instead of going into the living room with Ryker, Rhi turned toward the dining room. Shit, he needed to clear the air between them, but now wasn’t the right time.
“I’ll take that,” Claudia said, reaching for the tray.
“Thank you. Has anyone heard from Lucy?”
“No, and she’s not answering her phone,” Xavier said.
Ryker looked around for Elijah. Not seeing him, he asked, “What about Tamian? Can he reach her mentally?”
Xavier sighed and shook his head. “I haven’t be
en able to reach him either. He should be landing soon, though.”
Fuck! Ryker pulled out his phone and called Maveryck. “Mayhem, are Shadow and Ace still sitting on Lucy’s house?”
“As far as I know. Why?”
“She’s not answering, and Tamian hasn’t landed yet. Get on the phone and find out where she is. Call me back.”
“Will do.”
Ryker paced in front of the fireplace, his mind torn between going to Rhi and waiting to hear back from his brother. When his phone pinged, he expected it to be Maveryck. It wasn’t. Instead, it was a text message from an unknown number.
You’ll want to see this.
Ryker assumed the message was from David Spencer, and he knew better than to open the attachment, but his curiosity got the better of him. When he saw what it was, his heart stopped.
“Stefan, do you have a printer?”
“Sure, come with me. Is everything okay?”
“No. No it’s not.” Ryker sent the text to Stefan who in turn printed the document for him. Without looking, the Gargoyle handed it over. Ryker muttered a thanks, then stormed through the house out the back door.
Chapter Twenty
Rhiannon
Rhi couldn’t help but notice the tension between Mac and Elijah. Mac had been thrilled to get her boyfriend back, but it was obvious the guy wasn’t as happy. Elijah looked like he was ready to run. He had been taken from one compound to another where he didn’t know anyone. He had been kept in a cell, and Rhi was well aware of how that solitary existence messed with your mind. It gave you nothing but time to come up with so many different what-if scenarios you didn’t know which way was up. Being locked in a room with no windows and only a cot to sleep on and a bucket to pee in had been bad enough.
Rhi hadn’t told Ryker about that. She hadn’t told him a lot of things, because she didn’t want him to think she was crazy. Maybe she was. Maybe the dreams weren’t her mind reminding her of her past. Maybe they were her mind trying to confuse her from what she knew with what she wanted to be the truth. And what was that? Rhi wanted to be a normal girl without a special gift her father was willing to exploit. There was nothing normal about her.
