Soul Enslaved (Sons of Wrath Book 3) (60 page)

No matter what.

“Had I known all along, seen a vision that loving you would come down to this …” He murmured, stroking her hair. “I want you to know, I wouldn’t have changed anything.”

***

Gavin walked through the long hallway in the basement of the abandoned building, keeping his steps light to keep from rousing the men in the room with its door cracked. Smoke permeated from the room, and he peeked inside to see a dozen of the Fallen sat around a table in there, playing Poker and, kneeling on the floor beside them, two naked women chained by the neck. Pets.

He slipped past, keeping low. The Fallen happened to be on the same side of the line separating good and evil as demons, but those fuckers were much more dangerous. Down the hall, he padded, keeping to the wall, becoming swallowed by darkness, the deeper he ventured into the basement.

Whimpers came from a room to the right.
Denya?
Gavin hustled toward the door, keeping low, as he pushed it open. Inside, moon’s light shone down on a female in tattered clothing, who’d been chained to the wall. With her face turned away, her body trembled with sobs, and Gavin widened the crack of the door, slipped inside.

A bed stood off in the corner, where a young adult male lay in his own pool of blood, buzzing flies swarming the scent of rotting meat.

The woman sniffled and scratched at the wall already marked from her nails.

“Denya,” Gavin said, voice low.

She continued sobbing and scraping away at the wall. Through the tattered remnants of her clothes, her back had been bruised and a chain looped around her throat, attached her to the wall.

“I’m here to take you home.” He removed his shirt, prepared to drape it around her barely clothed body, and lurched toward her.

She startled and, when she turned, Gavin reared back, staring into violet eyes. Not Denya’s. The female rose up to her feet with a knowing smile. “Well, what the fuck have we here?” The raspy voice came from behind.

Everything turned to blackness.

Gavin gasped for breath, palms smacking against the cement floor of the catacombs, dissolving the scene away. A vision. Perhaps where he’d find Denya.

“Bossman, you okay?” Xander stood over him, head cocked to the side. “Your eyes turned kinda white. Looked like you were having a seizure, or something.”

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Gavin pushed to his feet and continued on to where he’d been headed before everything blacked out.

Through the heavy iron door, he came to a stop in front of Jessica’s cell. She lay sprawled out on the bed, her hands folded behind her head. As Gavin unhinged the lock and slid the cell door to the side, Jessica sat up, but was halted by her wrists chained to the wall.

“Who is
he
?” Gavin leveled the gun in Jessica’s face and cocked the trigger.

“It’s not polite to point a gun at a lady.”

“You’re no lady. And I couldn’t give two fucks about being polite. I’ve never killed a woman before, but I’m about one thread from losing my mind, and I’m capable of anything right now. Who is he?”

“My servosx. Vissaul.”

“Call him.” He tossed her phone onto the bed.

She smirked, glancing down at it. “He’s not stupid enough to answer a call that you could very well trace. The phone number doesn’t go directly to him, anyway.”

“You’re going to arrange a meeting.”

“You’re a fool.” Shaking her head brought Gavin’s patience skimming along a fine edge. “If he bothers to meet with you, he’s not going to simply hand over the information you’re looking for.”

He shot a bullet at the mattress; ricocheted off the concrete beneath, the hot metal grazing the back of her calf on its rebound.

Xander snapped out a hand and caught it in his palm with a smile.

“Fuck! You bastard! That fucking burns!” Her eyes clamped in pain, lips drawn into a tight line as she dabbed a finger where the bullet had hit her.

Gavin couldn’t muster an ounce of sympathy for her. “I’m sure the next one will burn more, when it rips through your skull.”

“I’ll have to … probe him.”

“Probe him?”

“Get inside his head. It’s like a video hologram inside the brain.”

“The same way you cursed me.”

A wicked smile danced across her face. “Yes, and if I’m not mistaken, your Savidon is just about up.”

“Fuck you.”

“In time, darling.” She sat up from her attempt to soothe the bullet wound. “By the way, I don’t know where he is and I can’t see what he sees, so don’t even ask.”

Gavin’s attention shifted back to Xander. “Grab her.”

Xander unchained her from the wall and hoisted Jessica, arms cuffed, over his shoulder. Gavin snatched a chair from beyond the bars and set it in the center of the cage, gesturing for Xander to set Jessica down on it.

He leveled his gaze on the sitting female. “I suggest you make this as real as the possibility that you might be mutilated by a Fallen angel on camera, and sold on the streets to the highest bidder.” Of course, Gavin had no intentions of doing such a thing, and he’d never allow a woman to be harmed in any way on his turf.

Known for their violent tendencies in the bedroom, the Fallen were the most feared supes amongst females. Xander happened to be one of the few with some sense of morals and respect for women, but only because the woman he’d chosen to fall for had been brutally raped and beaten by his own kind. Didn’t stop the bastard from indulging in some pretty questionable sexual acts, though.

Xander blew out the black candle he’d lit to keep her from casting her magic.

She gave a nod, closed her eyes, sucking deep breaths through her nose, and chanted words in ancient demonic. Black smoke curled around her, and when she opened her eyes, they’d turned black as night. Dead, like a dolls eyes. “Vissaul,” she whispered. “I’ve a message.” She gave a slow nod to Gavin.

“Vissaul. I’m certain I need no introduction, so I’ll get down to business. You have something that belongs to me. As you can see, I have something that belongs to you also. I wish to make a trade. This evening. Midnight. You don’t harm what’s mine; I won’t harm what’s yours.”

He gave a quick nod to Xander, who stepped on the other side of Jessica and licked her from chin to cheek before biting her earlobe. She cried out and cursed. Convincing enough.

“Should you fail to show, or if one hair is harmed on the girl’s head, you’ll be sent your wife’s snuff film next.”

A breath of black smoke blew from Jessica’s mouth and dispersed into the air. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they’d changed back to the shit brown they’d been before. “You’ve no idea what you’re doing. He is a most powerful male.”

“Every male is powerful when you’ve taken something that belongs to him. I want Denya. How will I hear back?”

“Have to wait until I—”

A text popped up on the screen of her phone.
Dirty D’s. Midnight
.

“You’re playing a very dangerous game.” She bit just inside her lip. “I hope you’ve considered the consequences.”

“I always consider the consequences … and then? I do whatever the fuck I want, anyway.”

CHAPTER 33

Safe. Reunited with her children. Everything she’d ever hoped for, and yet a part of Sabelle still couldn’t completely enjoy her life, as she lay in Gavin’s bed, staring out the window across the room. Not yet. Not until she knew that Denya was safe, too.

Sabelle had never been against women having abortions, but having been robbed of the right to choose left her feeling violated, her body ravaged with poisons. For days, she’d let Gavin pamper her, comfort her. His care for her selfless. Wanting nothing in return. He’d even killed for her. Murdered the very male who’d incited the nightmares that plagued her every time she closed her eyes.

Goddammit, she’d make it up to him.

She’d heard him at night sometimes. Grunting, tossing, turning with the pain of his Savidon. Quietly dealing with the fact that Sabelle couldn’t give him the release he needed. The release only his mate promised.

Well, shit was happening. She’d told herself over and over the male deserved someone better, and if it took every bit of energy, summoning her gifts of seduction, she’d be that better woman.

For him.

Exiting her room brought her facing Anna and Janie. “Oh, hi, Anna.”

“Miss! So glad to see you up and about!”

“Have you seen Gavin?”

“No, I’m sorry. I’ve been playing with the children. Master Zeke is showing Thomas a rather wicked game of
Go Fish
. So Janie and I thought we’d see if Miss Calla wants to sit in the gardens. It’s quite lovely in the evenings.” Her hand stroked lovingly along Janie’s locks, much like the grandmother she’d always wished for, for her. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, thank you. I’m just going to check a couple places for Gavin.”

Janie exchanged glances between Anna and Sabelle. “Mommy, can I go with you?”

“Yes, of course, sweetheart.”

“I will play later, Anna,” Janie said.

The old demoness laughed. “You spend some time with your mom first, love, and I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”

Sabelle offered a warm smile. “Thank you, Anna.”

***

Sabelle searched Gavin’s office, the Wreck Room, the Game Room, until she arrived at the Library. Throwing the door open, she inwardly squealed when she nearly slammed right into Ferno’s massive chest.

He backed himself to the table, deeper in the room.

“Oh. I’m … sorry. I’m looking for Gavin.”

“Haven’t seen him.”

“Okay.” She turned to leave but paused. “Ferno? I never said thank you. For going into that alterrealm for my sister.” A twist brought her facing him again. “Thank you for your help that night. And with the guard …. It meant a lot.”

His eye twitched—his presence just had a way of making everyone feel uncomfortable, especially Sabelle.

“Okay.” She tugged Janie behind her, but her daughter released her hand and ran back toward Ferno.

She tugged his pant leg, and Sabelle damn near had a stroke. Arms stretched upward, Janie held up her stuffed puppy. Why she suddenly felt compelled toward him, Sabelle would never guess.

“Sweetheart. No. C’mon.”

She persisted, though, until the large man looked down at her. Through rapid breaths of panic, Sabelle cringed at the stark difference between them.

A tall, muscled killer, and her sweet, innocent baby girl.

To Sabelle’s utter surprise, he lifted her up into his arms as if he’d never held a child in his life, the sight so awkward, it left her wanting to laugh and cry at the same time.

With her thumb stuck in her mouth, puppy tucked beneath her arm, Janie reached out the other hand toward his face.

Ferno recoiled, and Sabelle’s breath caught, as she prepared to swipe her child from him. Unfettered by his first rejection, Janie reached again until the tip of her fingers grazed the large scar across his throat.

Dropping her thumb she looked him in the eye. “How did you get hurt?”

Oh, God. Sabelle wanted to crawl into herself and die. She wanted to tell Janie to be quiet and follow her back to Gavin’s room so she could chide her never to approach the man again. Except, Ferno tipped his head and seemed to be studying her.

“I did something very bad.”

“How bad?”

“Very bad.”

Janie lifted her gaze to his. “Did your mommy spank you?”

His jaw flinched like he wanted to laugh. “No.”

She traced another scar from his lip to his eye. If the rumors at the bar were true, it was where Zayne’s mate had clawed at him to save herself. “Are you sorry?”

His eye twitched. “Very.”

Janie’s hand lowered, and she tipped her head, her gaze directed toward his. “Then, you’re not bad.”

His brows drooped, and Sabelle slapped a hand to her mouth to keep from losing it. “What’s your name?”

“Janie.” Her precious blue eyes lit with a smile. “What’s yours?”

He sniffed. “Ferno.”

“We’re friends now.” Her gaze skimmed to Sabelle and back to Ferno. “Mommy says strangers are people who you don’t know their … their names. So now we’re friends.”

“Yeah. Friends.”

Janie leaned forward, and Sabelle held her breath as she planted a gentle kiss to his scar. “I hope you feel better.”

With his brows knitted together like shock and confusion battled each other inside his head, Ferno lowered Janie to the ground, his gaze following her return to Sabelle’s side.

Nabbing her daughter’s arm, Sabelle spun around before he could notice her eyes watering. “C’mon, baby.”

“Sabelle.” At his gruff voice, she glanced back, and he inclined his chin. “You’re welcome.”

***

Standing smack in the center of the Globe building, Gavin propped his blade beneath Jessica’s throat. Papers and debris cluttered the floor, windows had been knocked out, and the steel that surrounded him carried aging rust.

“Odd.” The voice emerged seconds before a portly man stepped out in front of him. “I always pegged you as the more intelligent brother. Yet, here you are. Like a lamb falling helplessly into a shark tank. Completely alone, in room full of those who would love nothing more than to tear you apart, limb by limb.” His gaze fixed on Gavin. The shark comparison seemed fitting, as the male’s eyes, round and black, almost looked like lifeless beads staring back at him—cold and detached. “Any son of Wrath deserves death. But then, you had to cross lines and fuck my woman on top of it all.”

“Denya in exchange for Jessica.”

“Denya in exchange for Jessica.” Vissaul paced in a condescending mockery of thought. “You are asking me to trade Denya for my own fucking mate. Hmmmmm.” He pointed a finger. “Well, you haven’t fucked Denya, which makes her significantly more valuable to me than Jessica.” Stroking his chin, he smiled. “How ‘bout you keep the whoring bitch, and I’ll keep that young, ripened piece of ass.” He forced a sigh. “And, as far Jessica is concerned, feel free to kill the lying cunt. She’s all yours.”

“Vissaul … what are you doing?” Jessica’s muscles sagged in Gavin’s grasp.