Come Fill Me (The Prophecy) (24 page)

Good. He wanted to intimidate her. No fucking way was she calling the shots in this, whatever it may be. “Who are you?”

“Kele. Jacob’s woman.”

Jacob? Zeke’s brother? A thread of unease mingled with Carreon’s desire to toy with, then kill her. How was it Jacob had allowed her to come here alone? Why would he do that? “How did you find this place?”

She curled her upper lip in a show of disgust. “Ever hear of GPS?”

Carreon grabbed her throat and squeezed. Kele’s eyes bulged in surprise, then pain. With as much calm as he could muster, he asked again, “How did you find this place?”

She pulled at his fingers, trying to free herself.

Before she lost consciousness, he let go.

Kele sucked in air, coughing it back out, rubbing her throat.

“Answer me,” Carreon ordered.

She stepped back, her shoulder bumping into Victor’s arm. Quick as could be, she sidled away from him. “I came in the van Zeke’s men used.” Her words rasped. She cleared her throat and continued, “The night they came to rescue him.”

Carreon squeezed his fists so hard his knuckles hurt.

Watching him, Kele blurted, “Their GPS recorded the trip back to our stronghold.”

And she’d used it to come here. Carreon spoke to his lieutenants. “Are you certain she wasn’t followed?”

“We’ve sent out patrols,” Roberto said. “There isn’t anyone else out there.”

“I came alone,” she insisted.

It didn’t make sense. “Why are you here? Did Neekoma send you?”

She straightened, her defiance returned. Carreon edged closer. Her coppery complexion paled a bit. “He doesn’t even know I’m gone. No one does. If you hurt me—if you kill me, you’ll never get your woman back.”

She was just full of surprises, wasn’t she? Intrigued, Carreon managed to keep his excitement hidden. “You’re speaking of Liz Munez.”

“Who else?”

“Zeke has her,” he said, “and yet you came on your own, meaning he didn’t send you here to negotiate her return.” Carreon gathered her hair, winding it around his hand.

Horror flooded her face at him touching her again.

He wasn’t about to stop. “Why are you here?” Using her hair, he tugged her closer. The tips of their shoes touched. She shuddered, turning away from him as best she could.

Carreon gripped the back of her head, forcing her to look at him. Hatred and panic contorted her features. He murmured, “So why are you here?”

“She’s poison to my people…to Jacob.”

Ah. It was beginning to make sense now. This wasn’t about the clan’s war but something so much simpler. Downright stupid, in fact. A woman’s jealousy over her man. Carreon had already figured Zeke was fucking Liz as much as he could while she was his prisoner. Apparently, he was allowing his younger brother the same privilege, and Jacob was enjoying Liz so much Kele had come here, hoping for Carreon’s help in getting rid of her competition.

Which brought up another question. “If you want her gone,” he asked, “why didn’t you just bring her here with you?”

She bared her teeth. “I would have if it’d been possible. Zeke has her locked in Jacob’s room. He won’t let her go. He knows keeping her is dangerous to our people but he claims to love her as much as she loves him.”

Carreon stared in surprise. Liz loved Neekoma? No. Fucking no. “You’re lying.”

She winced as he dug his fingers into her scalp. Her words poured out, strong, unafraid, “Killing me won’t stop what they feel for each other. I’ve seen it. I’ve heard it. Night after night, they can’t get enough of—”

“Shut up.” He pushed her away.

She cried out, then gasped at her shoulder hitting the wall.

A fraction of the pain he intended to give her. He moved closer. “What has she told him about this place and my operation?”

“Nothing.” Kele huddled against the wall. “They talk about her father. She’s worried about him.”

As well she should be. If what this woman said was true, Liz was going to regret having given herself to any enemy male, especially Neekoma. Carreon was going to use her father’s pain, the old man’s drawn-out death to make certain of it.

“You want her back,” she said. “I want her gone, away from my people and Jacob. We can help each other.”

Carreon didn’t agree or disagree.

The silence undid her. “I can show you where the stronghold is.”

“Your GPS can do that.”

“But you can’t get past the tunnel’s door without me,” she said. “It won’t open without my palm print.”

He shrugged. “We’ll cut off your hand after we kill you. Before, if you prove to be a problem.”

Her mouth fell open.

“You shouldn’t have come here alone,” Carreon said.

Kele’s chin trembled. “I just want Jacob. That’s all I’m asking for.”

“You’re not in a position to ask for anything.”

“You need me!” she shouted. “I can lead you to Liz without alarming the others. You want to risk your men’s lives in a battle they might not win when I can show them where she is? They can take her and be done with it?”

Carreon regarded Victor and Roberto. He wondered how willing they were to die for him. How eager his other lieutenants might be. More importantly, he considered how well they could outwit Zeke and his men in a stronghold that was unfamiliar to them.

“Without Liz, you’d have no one to heal for you, except her father,” Kele said. “He’s old. What are you going to do when he dies? If she’s killed in a fight at the stronghold, there won’t be anyone to save your men or you.”

Carreon glared at her. “Liz told Zeke that she and her father are our clan’s only healers?”

“He knows they’re the most powerful. She’s healed for you. Now, she’s doing it for him.”

Victor cut in, “If what she says is true—”

“I’m not lying,” she cried.

He kept his attention on Carreon. “It might be better if we get Liz out of there first before we attack.”

“You can’t hurt Jacob,” Kele said.

He’d be the second to last one to die. Carreon would make certain Zeke watched his younger brother’s torture and death before facing his own if he refused to reveal the future.

Kele stared at him, a mix of emotions crossing her face. Apprehension. Hopelessness. Outrage. “No,” she said at last. “I won’t help you get Liz out of there if you don’t promise me that Jacob and my people will be safe.”

“You think I have to promise you anything?” Carreon asked. “You think you have a choice in what’s going to happen now?”

“Kill me, then. I don’t care,” she cried. “I’m dead without him anyway.”

“Pain may make you change your mind.”

She growled, “You think I haven’t known pain?”

“Not the kind my men can give you on one command from me.” He smiled as one would to a stupid child. “With your GPS, we have the means of finding the stronghold without you. With your severed hand, we can get inside.”

“Try it, then,” she countered. “See how far you get. Unless I lead you to Liz, you’ll wander around aimlessly, searching for her.”

“No, we won’t. In a few seconds, Roberto’s going to start breaking your fingers. One by one, you’ll hear them snap until your screams drown out those sounds. It’s my guess he’ll only have to do two before you’ll be begging for the pain to stop. It won’t until you draw us a map of the stronghold.”

At last, she looked cornered, though not to the degree Carreon wanted. “Roberto,” he said.

Kele backed away from the burly young man.

“There’s nowhere for you to run,” Carreon explained. “Either draw us a map now or later. Your choice. Because you will—”

“How long do you think that will take?” she snapped. “Every minute you waste threatening or hurting me is another Zeke and his men will have to discover that I’ve left. Want to know what happens then? They’ll fortify the stronghold to the point that nothing will allow you inside. Think that’s hard for them to do? No way. They’ll simply change the door’s settings.” She snapped her fingers. “Just like that, you’ll be locked out, unable to get past the tunnel. Unable to get to Liz.”

She smiled. “You need me, Carreon. You can’t do this without me and on my terms. Just try it. Once your men are in the tunnel, Zeke’s men will trap and kill them. What are you going to do then, huh? All I’m asking is that your men take Liz, you keep her here away from Jacob. Promise me that, and I’ll do whatever you want.”

She’d do that in any event. Not that Carreon wanted to waste another moment debating the matter with her. Once his men were inside Zeke’s stronghold, she’d lead them to Liz. The moment one of them had Liz on the way back here, they’d take Neekoma’s entire clan down, including Kele and her beloved Jacob.

Alone in the stronghold’s massive pantry, Zeke grabbed a package of barbecue-flavored potato chips and lemon cookies, Liz’s favorite snacks. One of the many things he’d discovered about her since she’d been here.

He’d learned that she hated milk and could tolerate coffee, preferring water above everything else. When she was exhausted, she had a tendency to snore, which he wasn’t brave or crazy enough to tell her. Witnessing her constant worry over her father was bad enough. She’d asked what his specific plans were to rescue the man.

He’d lied, “Ike and Paul are working out the details now. When we have everything in place, I’ll let you know.”

There wasn’t a chance in hell that Zeke intended to tell her the truth about having to do it alone. She wouldn’t let him. She’d sacrifice herself first.

Troubled, he left the pantry and steeled himself for the walk across the equally large kitchen, where a dozen women worked. The domestic scene coupled with the scents of stew, corn, baked black beans and other fare might have made the moment homey and welcoming if not for everyone’s reaction to him.

The females concentrated on their dicing, chopping, stirring as though he was invisible, while Ike and Aaron pretended to taste the chocolate pudding as they watched him.

Ignoring them, Zeke headed for Jacob’s room and Liz. Within seconds, he heard footfalls coming from behind. He stopped and turned.

Aaron’s arm bumped into Ike’s as both men halted.

Zeke frowned. “What are you doing here? Why isn’t one of you standing guard at the entrance?”

“Not my turn,” Ike said.

Aaron shrugged. “Mine either.”

Zeke sighed. “Is anyone watching?”

“Paul,” Ike said, “or maybe it’s Samuel’s turn now. Don’t worry, someone is there. Someone’s always there. No one can get past. No one.”

He sounded fucking certain of that. “What’s next?” Zeke asked. “You guys going to cuff me to my bed and barricade the door so I stay put?”

Ike’s complexion turned several shades darker with his blush. Aaron didn’t look any less embarrassed.

“Stop following me,” Zeke warned.

Aaron spoke first. “We don’t want anything happening to you.”

“It won’t.” He moved closer to them so no one would overhear. “I’m not going to break into Carreon’s stronghold with guns blazing like I’m fucking Clint Eastwood or John Wayne, all right? I’ll find a reasonable way to get inside and then I’ll—”

“No you won’t,” Ike said. “We can’t let you leave. We’re not going to. Did you ever stop to think what would happen to this clan if you die, Zeke? Who’s going to lead us? Whose visions are as strong as yours? No one’s. We depend upon what you see to know what’s happening with Carreon’s men. You want to take that away? You want us to be even more vulnerable to them than we’ve been in the past?”

“Of course not,” he argued, “and you won’t be. I’m not planning to die, okay? Even if I’m injured, we have Liz to heal me.”

“Liz,” Aaron growled. “Is she all you can think of? She shouldn’t still be here. Let us take her back.”

“Absolutely fucking not. Don’t suggest it again.”

“Zeke, please,” Ike said. “It’s either her or your people.”

Bullshit. It didn’t have to be a choice between the two. He could have them both. He would, along with bringing her father here, giving Liz a future she’d never had. Giving himself one too. A chance to heal, to love. To be fucking normal for a change, no different from other couples who lived out their lives without all this crap.

“I won’t put anyone here at risk,” he promised. “I give you my word. Unless neither of you believes it or accepts it anymore.”

“It’s not that we think you’re lying,” Aaron countered. “We know you’re crazy in love. We’ve all been there, all right? Not with women from Carreon’s clan, but we have been there. You’re swearing to do stuff without knowing how you’re gonna pull it off. You’re sure as hell not thinking clearly.”

“Fine,” Zeke said. “You believe my only concern is Liz. If that’s true and I get killed and put everyone here at risk, that would include her too. Given how much I do love her, do you think I want to do that?”

Aaron frowned. “I—it’s not—I don’t—I didn’t—”

Ike cut into Aaron’s stammering. “Of course, we don’t.”

“Then you accept my promise,” Zeke said.

The man’s broad shoulders slumped.