“And you took my case anyway? Even after you’d left me? Why?” Lucy demanded, her eyes now intently on him.
“I didn’t leave you, dammit! I was forced out of the Theocracy because your family ruined my family ten years ago, okay?” Gabriel said harshly. “The Carmichaels were not your family’s first victims. Far from it, in fact. They’d pulled the same scam on us. We built small naval gunships, both water and air, out of the Grenada and Winona area over by the bay.”
Lucy frowned. “Spence Military Industries owns those areas now.”
Gabriel shot her a sour look as he kicked his feet off the bed. “Used to be MMI — McKibben Military Industries.” He shook his head, looking disgusted. “You remember when I was betrothed to you and was supposed to be your husband and protector? I took that role seriously. We only had a few dates and I respected your brother’s insistence that you wanted to remain pure until the wedding.”
“I never said that!” Lucy couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I figured as much,” Gabriel said and blew out a long breath. “Anyway, you may remember that my sister was also betrothed to Eddie back when he was just out of university school and she was out of high school. It was our parents’ way of maintaining strong ties between the families. The marriage arrangement fell through because her accounts had been sucked dry… by your brother. Sound familiar now? Your father then accused me of plotting the same thing against you and broke off the betrothal, but never paid back the bride price that we’d already paid out.”
His eyes settled back onto her and she could see the accusation behind them. “Your father then blackmailed my parents and forced them into servitude in Taylorsville. My sister committed suicide because she was facing a future as a slave to be sold off to the Wastelands.”
“What? No!” Lucy gasped in horror. “What’d you do?”
“I fled the country, despite wanting to take the last of our airships up north to get my family back.” Gabriel gestured out the door. “Deak and his family took me in until I could get passage out of the country.”
Lucy’s heart was pounding in her chest. She just stared at him, aghast. “So, how does he owe you?”
“I saved him and his family by giving him all of my house assets that I had access to. The west coast of the Theocracy is always under attack from raiders. Before your father and brother could scoop up all my family’s assets, I’d hijacked several of our gunboats and static defenses and transferred the titles over to the Michaelsons and rigged the paperwork to make it look like legitimate transfers and was able to back it up to local authorities. Just in time, too, as a raid happened shortly thereafter. The Michaelsons were able to defend all of their assets and flourish as a result. Deak said that he owed me big time for saving their family even though I wasn’t able to save my own.”
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Lucy pressed on. “And your parents?”
Gabriel shook his head and closed his eyes. A pained expression spread across his face. “I think I’m done with the history lesson for now.”
Another thought occurred to her. “Then why on earth did you take my case?” she asked, her voice now taking on a sharp edge. “Was it to see me suffer? Was it not enough to see my brother executed?”
“You know what?” Gabriel snapped right back as he stood up. “Believe it or not, no. After all these years, I still harbored some fondness for you and I was actually grateful that you hadn’t been corrupted like all the men in your family. I tried recusing myself from the case, but my boss insisted. Then I thought maybe I was just fulfilling my oath as a Jaeger to protect and serve the innocents and to keep a balanced playing field for you.” He sighed. “Doesn’t matter now.”
“You should’ve told me from the beginning what had happened to you!” Lucy said, unable to keep her voice from raising.
Gabriel opened his arms in askance. “Would it have made a difference, or would you have asked for another Jaeger to defend you? Keep in mind that another Jaeger probably wouldn’t have dropped everything to come defend you at your Theocracy trial, there, princess.”
“That’s not the point!” Lucy was on her feet.
Slave or no, she was going to get this out, damn the consequences. She came around the bed and jabbed her finger right into the middle of his chest. “You harbored this information from me all of this time! At one point, you even said that you loved me. You should have let me know instead of keeping me in the dark all this time! Instead, you acted just like the spoiled, arrogant jerk that you were when you were younger!”
He cocked his head at that. “Spoiled?” He harrumphed. “That’s rich, coming from you. You know, it could be argued here that you failed to speak up when you had the chance.”
“No!” she jabbed her finger into his chest, pushed him away, and then headed for the door. “Don’t you dare go all lawyering on me now, Mr. McKibben!” She threw open the door.
“Don’t you need this?” Gabriel asked, holding up her skimpy maid’s uniform.
“Oh, keep it! It’s not like I have anything to hide anymore, unlike certain Jaegers that I know!” she yelled, slamming the door behind her and stalking up to her room to get a replacement uniform.
CHAPTER 13
As it turned out for Lucy, most of the people in the mansion heard her fight with Gabriel. Per her assigned duties from earlier, Deacon had her out collecting hats, overcoats, shawls, and whatever else guests had on as they arrived for the gala. In the back courtyard, the band was in full swing. The entire estate was lit up with the soft glow of electric lanterns as night started to settle in. Clockworks milled about with trays of hour d’oeuvres and glasses of wine and champagne.
Lucy had to fight the urge to run. While guests poured in, she saw many that she recognized. Most of them looked down at her with open disdain on their faces, though they were quick to smile for Deacon as he received them, complimenting him on his bold choice to take in a criminal to rehabilitate. Her face burned with shame at each comment, but she managed to keep a civil tongue.
“Baroness Carmichael,” Deacon said, greeting the platinum blonde warmly as she walked in on the arm of a handsome businessman in a neatly tailored suit. The name alone got Lucy’s attention as she stood by to receive whatever overgarments her master’s guests might bring. She gasped when she saw the happy couple now coming in the doorway. She supposed it was inevitable that once again she’d be reminded about why she fell from grace in the first place.
Deacon regarded the man as he shook hands with him. “You must be Charity’s new husband. I do apologize, but I missed the name.”
“Lucas Wolverton!” Lucy blurted out as the memories of her arrest and interrogation by the Consortium official returned, causing the three of them to look at her. She blushed and dropped her head in embarrassment. “My apologies… sir.”
Deacon gave her a puzzled look and then recovered. “Baron, to you,” he said crossly. “After all, he did marry into the Carmichael fortune. And your outbursts today….”
“Please, relax,” Lucas said with a charming smile as he waved it off. “I’m an accountant with the Consortium first, and a newly married Theocracy noble second.” He stepped in and took Lucy’s hand, dipping down to brush her knuckles with his lips as if she were still a noblewoman. “Lady Spence, it is good to see you again although I wish it were under better circumstances,” he said before stepping back to his wife’s side.
Lucy was floored by his display of respect and was now blushing for an entirely different reason. It was the first time that anyone other than Gabriel had treated her like a lady. “Umm… thank you… sir.”
At least he wasn’t kicking my parlor door down this time, she thought.
“That’s not necessary, you know,” Deacon pointed out. “While I do appreciate the gesture, she is still an iSlave, after all.”
“As far as the Theocracy is concerned, sure,” Lucas admitted. “However, from what I understand, her case is still under investigation and review at
the Consortium level. Therefore, we’ll treat her how her birthright entails, re-gardless of the collar she wears or the clothes…,” he looked Lucy up and down, “or lack thereof, that she wears.”
“It is?” Lucy blinked.
Gabriel hadn’t told her that. Then again, they did have that fight before he had a chance to.
“Of course,” Deacon smiled as he shifted his gaze back to Charity. “I wasn’t expecting you here after all that went on a couple months back, Lady Carmichael.”
Charity smiled and hugged her husband’s arm. “We’re on our way back home from our honeymoon since it was already paid for. We didn’t want all that planning and money to go to waste.”
“That, and the Consortium owes me a ton of back leave,” Lucas added. “We’re due to return to Elysium at the end of the week on the Consortium Gold. Even though we don’t have time to settle in very much until we have to be out to Vegaston on business.”
“Just watch out for the Angel while you’re out there — I hear he’s worse than all the raiders in the Wastelands put together.” Deacon let out a polite laugh and waved them on. “It’s good to have you both here. We’ll have to talk later. I’d love to know the details. In the meantime, welcome to the gala. Please, enjoy yourselves.”
Lucy couldn’t help but watch the couple as they moved into the manor, arm in arm, looking totally in love. The last time she had seen them, Charity was wearing the black felt collar of a vSlave, but now it was gone from her neck. Did Mr. Wolverton release her from her contract?
With her hand absently drifting up to her own collar, Lucy felt the cold metal as if it had just been put on her for the first time. She’d criticized and was demeaning to Charity then. Now, Lucy was the slave, and not of the voluntary variety, either. It was taught that one’s sins came back to haunt them and maybe this was Lucy’s punishment for being so cruel to Charity.
“Pay attention, Lucy!” Deacon hissed at her, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Lucy jerked to attention and put her eyes forward as she saw the next couple of nobles walking up the path. It was none other than Lord Edward Vickers and his young wife, Lady Feckla Vickers. The Vickers were one of the more powerful families in Atlanta and thus very well connected.
“My, my, my,” Feckla said as she eyed Lucy. “Lucy Spence, naked and in a slave collar.” She gave a disapproving tsk. “My how your family has crumbled,” she added while her husband greeted and made small talk with Deacon.
Lucy bowed her head and lowered her gaze. “Lady Vickers,” she said formally with a curtsy as etiquette required. This was now beyond humiliating as the Vickers had been the third call she’d made when arrested right after her father and Gabriel. The Vickers had declined to help, despite their families’ connections.
Feckla gave a cruel smile, reaching out to lift Lucy’s chin. Lucy was close enough to see the pale streak of blonde highlights in the woman’s otherwise chestnut brown hair; the style was supposedly to be all the rage this season. “Oh, how the high and mighty Spences have fallen, with one of their daughters wearing iron.” She shook her head as if scolding a temperamental child. “Your father must be very proud.”
“I wouldn’t know, m’lady,” Lucy said evenly and formally. “He has declined to speak to me since he kicked me out.”
He also declined to show up tonight, thank the Lord. Lucy wasn’t sure if she could handle that embarrassment.
“For good reason, I’d imagine.” She took her shawl off and handed it to Lucy as if holding out a piece of garbage. “Do take care of this for me, will you, dear? Thank you and bless your heart,” she added piously as she took her husband’s arm and entered the manor.
Her face burning with shame, Lucy deposited the shawl in the nearby closet before returning to Deacon’s side. “Sorry about that. I’d thought to have you back inside by the time the Vickers came since they’re usually fashionably late. Now the assholes decide to show up on time.”
She managed a small smile. “Thank you, Master.” Indeed, the line of guests was thinning considerably now that the festivities were about to begin.
After a few more guests were greeted, Deacon couldn’t hide the surprise on his face at the last man in line who stepped up to be received. “Overseer Anderson, this is… unexpected. I haven’t seen you since the auction in Atlanta.”
“Yes,” Clark Anderson confirmed coolly, “when you bought the woman I’d intended on getting right out from underneath of me.”
“Really?” Gabriel couldn’t help but say, as he stepped up next to Lucy so quietly that it made her jump. She did a double take and saw that he was in his dress uniform now. Ice was evident in his voice. “And why would a prison overseer of one of those breeder farms want to purchase anyone from open auction when you just get inmates assigned to your facility at a regular basis?”
“Ah, yes, the Jaeger who kept Miss Spence from me in the first place,” Anderson said, his gaze dropping the temperature around them by several degrees. “You should learn your place among your betters, boy, and stop meddling in Theocracy affairs.”
“Deak?” Gabriel mused, “did it sound like Overseer Anderson just threatened a Consortium Jaeger?”
“One could certainly interpret it that way,” Deacon said with a solemn nod.
When he realized the overstep on his part, Anderson’s eyebrow’s shot up for a mere instant before dropping back into his cool, aloof demeanor. “I just meant that you should concern yourself with more pressing matters, like bandits in the Wastelands, for example.” Before Gabriel could respond, Anderson turned his attention back to Deacon. “Now, you have repeatedly ignored my requests to buy your new slave from you.”
“No, I’ve just given it all the consideration it’s due.” Deacon shook his head. “The answer was no two months ago, and it was no a month ago, and it is still no now.” He smiled thinly. “Welcome to my family’s gala, I do hope that you’ll enjoy yourself.”
Anderson stiffened Deacon’s dismissal and managed a curt nod before moving on. He tossed his cloak and top hat at the nearest startled maid without looking her way. The maid scrambled to catch it and hastened the garments off to the cloak room. Gabriel and Deacon watched him disappear into the crowd.
“He’s been asking to buy Lucy off you since the auction?” Gabriel asked, leaning in to Deacon.
“Yeah,” Deacon nodded, giving Gabriel a sideways glance. “She’s been more trouble than she’s worth just because of him.”
“You owe me. Just keep her safe until I can get all of my evidence to free her.”
“You keep her safe for tonight no matter if you two are fighting or not. As for me, I’m going to go get drunk and enjoy the company of my slaves and soon to be fiancé… maybe all at once….” Deacon cast another glance at Gabriel. “I swear to God, Gabe, after you free her we’re even.”
“Fine by me,” Gabriel muttered as he took Lucy by the arm to keep her close by.
CHAPTER 14
“Will you let me go?” Lucy hissed, twisting in Gabriel’s grasp. “I’m still angry with you!”
“No,” Gabriel responded in kind. “Not with Anderson here eyeing you. I don’t trust the man.”
“I can take care of myself!”
“And how’s that been working for you?” Gabriel pulled her into a side hallway and pinned her up against the wall. He glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention before he leaned in close as if to neck with her. Lucy squirmed and his hand shot up to the other side of her neck to keep her still.
“Stop it! Just listen to me for a second! I didn’t have a chance to tell you about your case because we got… umm… sidetracked.”
“And whose fault is that?” she asked wryly although a touch of anger was still in her voice. It didn’t help being in such close, intimate proximity to him yet again. Her loins shouted for her to jump on him.
“Look, Anderson’s name has been coming up on all of Takacy’s court records and on Takacy’s financial records. They have a rac
ket going on. On any given case, it’s always a single lady who is forced by Theocracy law to either remain silent or defend herself without an advocate. Your case is the first one in years in which an advocate has shown up,” he urgently explained. “On paper, it’s all legit. But when you add it all up over time, it paints an ugly picture of what the Consortium forbids.”
“Illegal slavery….” Lucy’s eyes widened as she gasped. “They’re… they’re using the system to do it?”
“Much like what your family was doing. It’s why we have so many Jaegers in theocratic nations around the world… especially in Dixie and New Zion,” Gabriel confirmed. “They like to game the system to their advantage. Now, I’m going to keep a close eye on Anderson. If you can, since I’m sure he’ll come near you again, see if you can get him to talk.”
Lucy shuddered, not wanting to be anywhere near that man. “But, no court will believe what I have to say, not without my father saying so.”
Gabriel pulled back and smiled at her. “No, Theocratic court will and it doesn’t matter; your father doesn’t have a say anymore since he disowned you. Deak does. He’s your legal master and this is a Consortium matter now.”
Glancing out at the party that was getting into full swing, Lucy felt uneasy. “What if he tries to grab me?”
“He’d be stupid to do so.” Gabriel looked up as if beseeching the heavens. “Oh, please let him be that stupid. That’ll make my job a whole lot easier and with less paperwork.” He smiled at her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Relax, you’ll be fine. I’m here. Deak and his whole family are here. Hell, I even saw one of our Consortium accountants here who was at your brother’s trial. You’re covered.”
“I hope that you’re right about this.”
***
It only took an hour before Anderson made his move toward Lucy. She was by the buffet table in the back courtyard clearing away empty dishes when he came up to her.
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