Hope Restrained (Estate Series) (12 page)

Her eyes widened.

“Tell me which house.”

The details slipped easily from her lips, her resolve broken
far enough that even something as small as a kiss was enough to leave her loose
and malleable.

He smiled once she’d confessed. “Good girl.”

Standing, he walked to the door, looking back at her one
more time before disappearing out into the lit corridor. When the door shut
closed again, Hope was left with nothing but the light of the moon and stars
shining through the glass ceiling above her.

“I don’t think she’d lie about this, Aaron.”

Xander watched as Aaron pulled on his leather trench, strapping
steel blades of all shapes and sizes to his body. They’d prepared for battle
together many times in the past and, like those times, they’d covered
themselves in enough weaponry to take out a hundred men.

“She has every reason to lie.” The green of his eyes roiled
with barely controlled anger. “And I’m concerned that you’ve let down your
guard with this woman. If we go there tonight and find nothing, she dies
immediately when we return. I’ve been patient to this point, but I won’t allow
her to twist your head any further.”

“I’m perfectly capable of keeping my head in her presence.” Xander’s
body tensed at Aaron’s threat, his spine straightening to think of what he’d
have to do to protect Hope if Aaron truly intended what he’d said. He didn’t
want to think that women were being abused once again at the compound, but in
this instance, he prayed it was true.

Aaron stared at him before silently turning to exit the
room, Xander quickly falling in step at his back. Entering the living room, he
saw Maddy pacing nervously in the kitchen while Jason sat relaxed back into the
couch. Straightening at Aaron’s presence, Jason commented, “I’ve spoken with
Patrick, he will meet us at the house.”

Aaron’s face swiveled quickly in Jason’s direction. “Did I
instruct you to do so?”

Jason staggered as he stood, taken back by the cold fury of
Aaron’s tone. “No.”

“Let’s hope it was a wise decision for you to contact
Patrick, considering it was his search that failed. I suggest that, in the
future, you conduct yourself as instructed without making assumptions that I
would want you to do anything further.”

Jason’s entire body froze at the menace in Aaron’s tone. Xander
remained quiet, knowing full well that Aaron had slipped into his role as the
executioner. As dangerous as a hair trigger, Aaron could react unexpectedly to
even the slightest perceived insult, attack or disobedience on the part of his
men. Jason appeared to understand as well, and his hands immediately rose in
defeat.

“I apologize, Aaron. I didn’t intend to overstep your
authority. I only thought …”

“Then don’t fucking think.”

Every person in that room stilled, Maddy immediately facing
the floor in reaction to Aaron’s anger. Xander knew she couldn’t help it
— that she used it as a means to hide from the depth of Aaron’s rage.

Stepping towards the front door, Aaron turned back to look
at Xander and Jason as they walked behind him. “Do not forget, if you know
these men or are their friends, they have taken part in an attack against The
Estate. Regardless of the relationship you have with them, their punishment is
death. Do not hesitate or it will be your death as well.”

Exiting a side door, the men poured out into the black of
night, six boots marching in unison across the ground, hard with winter’s
frost. Dry leaves blew at their feet as they traversed the woods, eventually
finding the house lit up against the shadows and thick fog that surrounded it. Patrick
stood in plain sight, feet held at shoulder width, his hands folded behind his
back. He didn’t notice the men at first so Aaron held up a hand, stopping
Xander and Jason before they could break away from the cover of the trees.

Silently motioning them towards Patrick, Aaron indicated
that he was going a different way. Xander nodded and walked away, breaking past
the tree line and attracting Patrick’s attention. He knew Aaron moved around
back, becoming nothing but a fast moving shadow, slipping quietly through the
night.

“Where’s Aaron?”

Jason answered before Xander had the chance. “Change of
plans, he wants us to run the search. Said if we find evidence of slaves
inside, we are to kill any man that comes into sight.”

Patrick’s eyes narrowed for a brief second before he
forcibly relaxed his expression. Xander noticed the quick slip, but said
nothing before motioning for Jason and Patrick to walk ahead. He didn’t fully trust
either man and refused to have them at his back.

Approaching the door, they moved swiftly up the stairs of
the house, Patrick taking the front while Xander and Jason stood behind him in
a triangular pattern. The door swung open and the men forced their way inside,
Jason apprehending the man who’d attempted to block the door when they’d rushed
inside. Splitting up, each man went a different direction, quickly sweeping
through the large expanse of the house. Xander kept his eye open for anything
that could point to a trap door, or hiding place — a rug out of place, a
separation in the wall, anything that could lead to evidence that what Hope was
claiming was true. He knew her life depended on what they found tonight. If they
found nothing, it would be the end of Aaron’s patience with her game.

~
   
~
   
~

The hinges of the door creaked from age and lack of care
when Hope saw light creeping inside the room from the hallway. Lifting her
head, she watched Maddy’s small silhouette move inside, a tray balanced in one
hand while she closed the door with the other.

“I’ve brought food. You need to eat if you hope to heal
anytime soon.” As usual her melodic voice barely brushed against the silence of
the room. Walking softly over the floor, she approached Hope, placing the tray
at her feet. Hope straightened her body, her muscles tight and knotted over her
body from her uncomfortable position on the floor.

Her stomach growled angrily when she smelled the food on the
plate. Maddy pushed it towards her. “It’s okay, Hope, just eat. I haven’t done
anything to it.”

Grabbing the fork on the plate, Hope quickly scooped up some
white rice and shoveled it into her mouth, not caring that the shaking of her
hand spilled most of it. She continued eating, her stomach churning with the
introduction of something solid to digest. Maddy sat quietly watching Hope, her
expression one of sympathy and remorse. When Hope had trouble swallowing down
the food, Maddy handed her a bottle of water that she’d brought in the room
with the food.

When the only sound in the room was the scraping of Hope’s
fork against the plate, Maddy shifted where she sat, her eyes searching the
layout of chains in the room before refocusing on Hope. “Will you tell me about
your sister?”

The sound of the metal fork falling against the ceramic
plate echoed throughout the room. Hope’s body tensed at the reminder that
within hours she would find out the truth of Honor’s fate. She prayed that her
sister was alive and not shattered by whatever those men had done to her over
the past weeks.

“What would you like to know?”

“Her name for starters.” Maddy shrugged.

“Her name is — or was — Honor.”

Maddy’s eyes widened slightly. “Hope and Honor. Those are
both lovely names. Is she older or younger than you.”

Hope looked up and found nothing but kindness and innocent
interest in Maddy’s eyes. “The same age — we’re twins. Well …” The sound
of laughter was so foreign coming from her, it had been far too long since she’d
been able to laugh. “… technically, I’m the older twin.” She remembered all the
years that she’d teased Honor with that fact, the look of frustration on her
sister’s face when Hope always told her to ‘respect her elders.’

A smile peeked out on Maddy’s lips. “You light up when you
talk about her.”

Hope’s lips cracked from the small smile that snuck over her
mouth. “Everything that is good can be found in her. She’s the only person that
can truly see me, that can understand and not judge certain parts about me.”

“She’s not the only one.”

Their eyes met and Maddy’s shimmered with honesty. “There’s
someone else that gets you, even though the time you’ve spent together hasn’t
been under the best circumstances.”

Hope blinked. “If you’re talking about Xander, you do
realize the bastard drugged me, raped me, and has pretty much taken advantage
of everything he could with me.”

It was odd to Hope how Maddy didn’t seem offended by what
she’d just heard. Growing up in the networks, the acts Hope had described were
commonplace, most people didn’t even bat an eye to hear of it being done; but
Maddy hadn’t grown up in the networks and she had been made into one of the
worst types of victims: a slave. Death was preferable to a person like Hope.

“You attempted to kill Aaron — to kill Xander, as
well. Did you expect him to fall to his knees and beg you to play nice?”

Hope laughed softly.

“Xander did what he had to do. I think you’re more upset
with the fact that he was able to get to you, more so than the methods he used
to accomplish it.”

“He’s annoying.”

Maddy laughed. “Yes, he is.”

Hope looked at her, noticed Maddy’s endearment for Xander
written across her expression. “He won’t stop calling me ‘Sunshine’”

Maddy’s face puckered, looking like she’d just bitten into a
lemon before she burst out in laughter again. Holding her hand out, she said, “Hello,
Sunshine. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Cricket.”

“Seriously? That has to be aggravating. Why does he call you
that?”

“I have no idea. He won’t tell me.”

Hope grinned. “I’d stab him for something like that.”

Her expression softened. “I can’t say I haven’t considered
it.”

The door slammed open and Hope’s eyes immediately shot to
Xander when he burst into the room.

“Maddy, you need to go back to your suite now.” Quickly
crossing the room, he grabbed Maddy by her arm and lifted her from where she
sat on the floor. “Go to Aaron. Get out of the west wing.”

“Where’s my sister?” Hope interrupted Xander’s obvious panic
with her own.

Pushing Maddy towards the door, he ignored Hope. “Go now.”

Without another word, Maddy hurried from the room, allowing
the door to slam behind her.

“Where’s my sister?” Hope looked up, her eyes narrowing from
fear.

He didn’t answer, just knelt down in front of her, pulling
cuffs and the leash from the pockets of his long coat. Hope flinched away. “What
happened to my sister? Answer me!”

His hand was suddenly wrapped over her face so tight, the
bones of her jaw and cheek ached from the pressure. His eyes looked black when
he stared at her. “Do not say another fucking word if you want to get out of
here alive. I’ll tell you what you want to know eventually, but for now, you’ll
turn the fuck around so that I can put these restraints on you and you won’t
resist me.”

She stilled, her mind reeling with confusion, but her body
reacting instantly to the force behind his tone. When she’d submitted, he let
go of her face so she could turn around as told.

Xander led Hope down a dark trail, her feet tripping over
roots sticking up from the ground. The chain of the collared leash he’d secured
to her neck rattled into the bone chilling wind that blew across their bodies. He
attempted to peer through the fog of night, not able to quite remember the path
he’d traveled so many times as a child exploring the expanse of the compound. An
owl hooted above them, the sound reminding him that predators watched him while
he betrayed the man who’d become his brother.

Catching Hope before she could fall, he pulled her against
him so that he could whisper to her without the wind carrying his voice to any
man who looked for him. “I know you’re weak, but you have to move faster. You’re
an assassin, put those skills to work now, make no sound as you walk.” She
looked up at him and his eyes burned back down at her.

“Be a shadow, your life depends on it.”

Moving quickly across the path he found again, he shook his
head. Aaron was out for blood and Xander didn’t know how long he could hide
before the edge of Aaron’s steel ran across the perfection of Hope’s body. They’d
searched the house and found nothing except for the indignation of the unit
leader who lived in the house. Once everything had been searched and when no
chains, or blood, or other evidence of Hope’s story could be found, Xander
watched as Aaron’s eyes darkened, as revenge and vehemence coursed through his
veins until only a single target remained — Hope. Aaron had entered that
house expecting to feed his darkness. Finding nothing, he focused on the only
other way he had to fulfill his need for slaughter.

The path had become overgrown through the years, and not
many who remained on the property knew of the existence of this path. Xander
wondered if any of the men who knew of it still remembered the way. As it was,
Xander was walking blind, the canopies of the trees too thick to allow
moonlight to trickle down and break up the thick black that surrounded them.

It felt like hours passed before the full moon above them
came into view. They were within feet of where the tree line opened up to a
small creak that ran across the compound and he sighed in relief the hear the
water babbling across the rocks. Hope slowed beside him, her breath billowing
out in front of her in steamed clouds that caught the gauzy light of the moon. Tugging
on the leash he led her along behind him, turning once he reached the water and
moving quickly towards a rock wall that jutted up from the earth — the
entrance to its cave hidden by the wild shrubs growing at its base and the
vines that hung over its roof.

“Go inside, sit down and don’t make a sound until I return.”
Releasing the leash, he watched as Hope was swallowed by the dark interior of
the cave before he returned his attention to the landscape around them. Xander
slowly crept back to the other side of the rock wall, listening for any
disturbance in the woods from which they came. After ten minutes, he relaxed to
hear nothing but the rustling of leaves.

Moving back to the cave, he climbed inside. “Hope?”

“Over here.”

He couldn’t see her as he moved through the cave, the vines
falling from the ceiling brushing over his face and hair. His hand brushed
across her skin when he reached the back and found her huddled into a corner.

“Please tell me what’s going on.” Her voice was whisper soft
and shook with the biting cold of the air.

Using his hands to feel along the wall, he searched for
something he hoped remained over the many years it had been since he visited
the cave. Finding a soft spot, he moved the years of dead vines covered over
several times by new layers. He reached in and grasped the handle of the trunk
he’d found here when he was a child.

Pulling it out, he opened the lid, grabbing the old musty
blanket he knew would be folded inside. It smelled horrendous for the amount of
years it had been stored, but it was warm and dry. Quickly moving back to Hope,
he placed the blanket over her body, attempting to warm her against the winter
wind blowing outside.

When her teeth finally stopped chattering (they were so loud
they echoed between the stone walls and ceiling), he sat beside her, and leaned
his head against the wall. “Your sister was not in the house. There was nothing
in the house.”

“What?” It was a choked back question, disbelief and
absolute heartache dripped from that single syllable. The tone of her voice
making it obvious that she hadn’t been lying when she sent them there. “I don’t
understand. You missed something, a false floor, a hidden door, something. They
had to be there, unless …”

She didn’t need to express her fear and Xander had already
considered that when Hope failed to kill Aaron, the men had disposed of the
women in case she told Aaron who’d sent her. “We missed nothing. I checked
personally for any type of hiding place. The house was clean.”

She was stunned silent; her gold eyes almost incandescent
against the bits of light that breached the cave. Rage swirled behind the gold
and her body shook in her attempt to contain the inferno within her mind and
body. He listened to her breath out a deep breath, before slowly refilling her
lungs to do it again.

“Let me go.”

“I can’t”

“Let me go. Let me the FUCK go so I can go find my sister.” She
lunged towards him, attempting to fight her way free despite the fact that her
hands were bound at her back. She pushed him back against the wall, dodging his
arm as he attempted to grab her, standing up she ran quickly attempting to
escape. Xander grabbed the collared chain pulling her back off her feet, her
breath knocked from her when she crashed against the ground. Crawling over her,
her placed his hand over her mouth and brought his face close to hers to ensure
she saw in his eyes the seriousness of his words.

“Aaron Carmichael has ordered your death. If you are caught,
you will be presented to him for execution, do you understand NOW why I cannot
let you go?!”

She stilled beneath him. He stared at her for a few minutes,
ensuring that she was listening to what he had to say next. “Even though I
believe your story, Aaron does not. He believes you’re attempting to play The
Estate against each other. If we don’t figure out what to do, he will find you
and he will kill you. If your sister is alive, the only way you are going to
help her is to stay alive yourself.”

“I’ll fight the bastard. I’m not afraid of him.”

Xander’s eyes clenched slowly shut as he attempted to withstand
the feeling of his loyalty being torn in two. He would always protect Aaron and
Maddy, would die if it was required to save one or both of their lives, but he
couldn’t let go of Hope either. Opening his eyes again, he answered, “I cannot
let that happen.”

Her eyes blinked, the gold peeking out from below her dark
lashes. “Will you do something for me?”

“What?”

“Get off me. My hands are behind me and this is, quite
possibly, the most uncomfortable position you’ve had me in yet.”

A short burst of laughter broke from his mouth, but he rolled
his weight off her, sitting up and reaching over to assist her into a sitting
position as well.

“What can we do? If they’re not at the house, I don’t know
where else to look.” Hope dared asked a question to which she feared there
would be no answer.

His tone was emotionless and cold. Slipping quickly into the
role of guard and spy, he detailed what he knew, giving her the only options
left to find her sister. “The house you described, it’s the hub of our drug
unit.”

“They should be the weakest of your units. Drug runners
typically rank low in the majority of the networks. Why would they attempt to
kill Aaron when they stand no chance of taking over control of The Estate?”

Xander smiled, delighted to find that she was as bright as
she was beautiful. He wasn’t too surprised — the mark of any good
assassin was the ability to think and to do so quickly.

“I can only think of two reasons, the first being that these
particular men were corrupted by Joseph more than we thought. When he was
alive, the mansion was a veritable abattoir. It was one of those places where
you grew nervous if you didn’t hear agonizing screams in the halls. The silence
only meant more death …”

“That’s common knowledge about this place. I don’t
understand how that plays into the drug runners’ thinking.”

“Simple. When Joseph was killed, Aaron ordered that the sexual
abuse and depravity stop. We knew there would be some who were so
enchanted
with Joseph’s practices that
they’d either continue despite our warnings or attempt Aaron’s life.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “But, Aaron keeps a slave.”

Xander grinned. “I would have thought you’d seen past that
by now.”

“Maddy’s not a slave, is she?”

He stared at her for a few seconds, a small trail of
moonlight breaching the vines covering the cave and resting over the gold in
her eyes. Shaking his head no, he fought against the urge to cover her mouth
with his, to grip her by her hair, and bury himself inside the fire that burned
inside her. Her next words interrupted the fantasy.

“What’s the second reason?”

Taking a second to remember the topic, he got a grip on
himself to answer. “Another change Aaron made in the network was to bring down
the unit that dealt with prostitution and human trafficking. The men who lived
because they accepted their reassignment were transferred to the house you
identified. We’re most likely dealing with men who are unwilling to give up
their prior habits.”

Her shoulders dropped, the knowledge of who held her sister
an obvious weight on her body. Light flickered in again allowing Xander to see
that she looked down and that a tear fell from her face. When the light died
again and when there was nothing more to see of her than a silhouette, she
looked back up again. “How can we get her back?”

“There’s a warehouse owned by the network that the drug
runners’ utilize as a base of operation. I suspect that if they removed the
women rather than killing them, they would have gone there.”

“Then let’s go there. Tonight.” Steel inlaid the words of a
warrior, Hope’s voice was firm and resolute.

“We wouldn’t get off The Estate property. I’m sure Aaron is
plotting my death as well as yours at this very moment. There won’t be an inch
along the walls not covered by guards.”

She was frustrated and her words sped with her anger. “But
the walls must end somewhere!”

“If you are far enough out to where the walls end, you have
a good day of hiking if you want to see civilization again. And by that point,
the terrain is too difficult to manage — it’s a natural barrier.”

“Fuck!” She doubled over, her body shaking from the futility
that consumed her. After a few moments, she gained control of herself and sat
up. “How do we escape Hell?”

Xander smoothed her hair back with his hand. “We don’t. The
only thing we can do is wait for Aaron to calm down and hope like hell he doesn’t
remember that this cave exists on the property before that happens.”

“That’s why you sent Maddy, isn’t it? She calms him.”

Xander nodded in response.

It grew quiet, only the nocturnal chorus of animals and
insects piercing the heavy silence. Hope moved to sit against the wall and
Xander reached out to help her, choosing to sit at her side. An hour or more
could have passed before she spoke again.

“If Aaron was so against sexual abuse, why did he let you
rape me?” Her voice was a whisper that brushed across his ears.

Xander grinned, not ashamed of what he’d done to tame his
beautiful beast. “You were an enemy. Aaron wanted information and he wanted you
dead. How I obtained it was my decision.”

“So, why did you do it?”

He turned to look at her in the low light of the space. “You
asked me to break you, I complied.”

The tone of her response gave away the fire that, once
again, sparked inside her. “I was drugged.”

He chuckled. “But you weren’t drugged in the gym.”

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell slightly open from shock.
Holding her stare, he leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. “And you
aren’t drugged now.”

His fingers were wrapped into her hair faster than she could
react to what he’d implied. Working over her leg, his other hand explored over
her body when he leaned in to take her mouth fully with his.