Authors: Sarah Brocious
Then when David was not an issue…he still kept his distance. Heck I didn’t even know he was her protector, and I stalked the guy day and night! He could have been with her long ago, but chose to stay anonymous to prevent me from knowing!" Thanatos shook his head. "He's made of good stuff our friend."
"This is why he deserves a happy ending," Jonathan said softly.
"He does deserve a happy ending which is why this new news may ruin everything!."
Jonathan gripped the steering wheel tightly again. "You doubt Raina's love for Nolan?"
Thanatos shook his head vehemently. "There's just so much to be explained. She won't stop loving him but things may change."
Jonathan knew this to be true but he didn't want to elaborate. They remained silent the rest of the trip.
Hours later, they pulled up in front of Richard’s estate. It was just as big as Joseph's but more militant. There were security cameras and a large gate at the front where guards stood.
"I guess when you kill immortals for a living you kind of have to watch your back huh?" Thanatos teased.
"I know more than a few that would like to exact some sort of revenge on my father. He's definitely made a name for himself." Jonathan pulled up to the gate and gave the guard at the front a smile.
"Good afternoon Master Rivers." The man gave a familiar nod.
"Hey Ken, is my dad here?"
The guard named Ken shook his head. "Not today sir. I'm actually not sure when he'll return."
"Okay, well I'm here to visit anyway. I need to get some things from my room."
Ken gave a nod and walked back over to his station and hit the power button to open the gate. "Good day sir," he called after the car as Jonathan drove through.
"He tried to block me," Jonathan chuckled. "It's ridiculous! My dad's been trying to teach the servants that trick for years. Though my dad has mastered it… they most definitely have not. I've let them believe all these years that they've succeeded. It's funny to listen to their jumbled thoughts sometimes. They get in a panic anytime I’m around. Well, most of them do." Jonathan laughed again.
Thanatos rolled his eyes. "Well we aren't all mind readers so you're going to have to fill me in."
Jonathan smiled. "He said that he wasn't sure when my dad would be returning and he lied. My dad will be coming back on Tuesday. He has a meeting with his partner." Jonathan gave Thanatos a pointed look.
Thanatos paled. "Emmanuel? Or will he be meeting with the silent partner?" He shuddered at the thought.
Jonathan nodded. "He's meeting with the partner that no one wants to think about."
Thanatos grimaced.
"But this may be to our advantage, Thanatos. If we know where the both of them are maybe we can make a move. That is, if we can get enough information today. So be your charming self, okay? Many of the servants are women and I know how you can persuade the ladies," he teased.
They pulled up in front of the house and the stairs leading to the front door. A servant immediately ran out to greet them. Jonathan threw the man the keys.
"Make sure she gets gas, Sam," Jonathan called as he quickly led Thanatos up the stairs. He entered the house as soon as he put in the code.
An elderly woman came running to meet him. "Master Rivers! To what do we owe the honor?"
Jonathan gave the servant a hug. "Annette, this is my friend Thanatos. And I came to see my dad but it seems he's not here."
Annette shook her head. "No I'm sorry he's away on business."
Jonathan turned to Thanatos and tilted his head toward Annette. “Although I spent much of my childhood with my grandpa, when I was here Annette was the one to come to."
The elderly servant blushed at the kind words. "Will you be staying long?"
Jonathan shook his head. "I was hoping that my dad would be here but since he's not there is no need in my staying. I thought I'd show Thanatos around the house and collect some things from my room. Can you let the staff know so that they are not taken by surprise?"
Thanatos was already looking about. He'd never been invited here all of these years he’d been with Elenora. He'd spent plenty of time at Joseph's. The funny thing was Thanatos always had favor with Richard. Maybe Elenora's jealousy over her father's attention was deeper than he had ever known.
"Oh you don't know the half of that," Jonathan cut into his thoughts. "Elenora is jealous over everyone's attention." He shook his head. "Including mine."
Thanatos laughed at this.
"Come, I'll show you the house." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Thanatos was following him. "Actually, I think there's someone you should meet. I think," he lowered his voice as he came to the end of the sentence. "We can get some information from her." He lowered his voice further. "I can't read her mind but I believe your powers of persuasion can help."
"Madeline?" Thanatos asked in a hushed voice.
Jonathan nodded. "One of the playthings," he said sarcastically. "But she's never been quite willing. I mean, she's obedient but she's always been a little rebellious. I think that's why my dad keeps her around. He likes them feisty."
"How long has she been here?"
"A few years."
"And she still lives?" Thanatos green eyes were wide with wonder.
“Surprisingly, she means a lot to my dad. This will sound blasphemous but; she is to my dad as Raina is to Nolan.”
Thanatos’ brow furrowed. “Impossible.”
Jonathan slowed down as they entered the living room. He turned to Thanatos. "He doesn't use her anymore. He did at first, but then I think he may have had a moment of conscious. He tries to hide it, but she means a lot to him. He hasn't touched her since he came to that conclusion. He still treats her like trash. She's used for when a new plaything comes. She explains things to them and convinces them that all is well, even when it isn't."
"Oh she sounds like a peach," Thanatos snorted. "She's turned against her own?"
Jonathan gave a shrug and continued through the living room into a longer hallway. "She does what she can to survive."
"Why doesn't your father just arranged for her to be changed?"
Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Have you not learned? My father is cruel. He knows it's what she wants and so he uses her with the promise that she's going to get it. It's disgusting."
They moved farther through the house. It was lavish and it was sterile. It wasn't the type of place you would call home with its simplistic but expensive furniture and its white walls covered in unique and perhaps smuggled paintings. There were cameras in every corner and many of the doors that they passed required codes to enter.
Jonathan led them to the farthest point of the house to a door with yet another code pad. There was also a guard outside of the door.
"Master Rivers," the guard greeted with a dip of his head.
"Is Madeline in?"
He gave a short nod.
"See if she will see us," Jonathan ordered.
The guard looked hesitant. "Sir?"
"See if she will see us," Jonathan said with ring of authority. "Do as I say now! If you do not, my father would hear of this."
The guard blanched at Jonathan's words and quickly picked up the phone that was stationed near the door. "Master Rivers is here with a guest and he wishes to see you if you will allow him to visit." The guard waited only half a second before answering, "Yes ma'am, right away." He began to punch in numbers on the pad beside the door.
Jonathan stepped closer to Thanatos. "She likes blondes, so charm her well," he whispered.
Thanatos had to keep his jaw from going slack at the insinuation of Jonathan's words. So that's why he felt they may be able to persuade something from her? Obviously from Jonathan's quick description, Thanatos could deduce Madeline had been without a male companion for some time. She must thrive on any kind of male attention.
He gave a nod and followed Jonathan through the entrance.
Immediately after they entered, a very lovely woman emerged from a room connected to the main room. She had long red hair and deep blue eyes. Her smile was winning when she regarded the two standing there. She hurried over to Jonathan and gave him a quick hug.
"Jonathan, my dear how wonderful to see you! Did you come back with your father? Is he coming to see me?" There was a wild desperation in her face as she waited for his answer.
It made Thanatos feel for her. If their connection was anything like Nolan and Raina’s, she would be aching to see Richard.
"No, I'm sorry I arrived here with my friend Thanatos. I hear fathers on a trip?"
She frowned prettily. "He's always gone anymore. He hasn’t even brought me anyone for training lately! Either he's doing just fine on his own or he has someone else doing my job." She did not seem very happy about this. Her eyes lingered on Thanatos and opened a little wider.
Jonathan noticed it right away. "Madeline, this is my friend Thanatos. I was just showing him a bit of the house. I thought you might want to meet him."
She was not shy at her perusal. Thanatos, after all, was not bad to look at. "I most certainly would. How is it the two of you came to meet?"
"Thanatos was Elenora's for the longest time. He's just recently been made free of her. I've known him for quite some time."
Madeline made a face. "Elenora's you say?” She shook her head. “What a very unlucky boy you must've felt like." She didn't even try to hide her distaste for Richard's daughter. "She must've been a wreck to lose you." She walked closer to Thanatos to get a better look.
Thanatos gave his most charming smile and held a hand out. "It's lovely to meet you, Mistress Madeline."
When he had her hand in his, he lifted it to his lips. He set a small kiss there and lifted his stunning green eyes to see her reaction.
She held a hand to her throat and then smiled. "Why are you here, Jonathan? And why are you bringing me such a beautiful distraction? I know a bribe when I see it."
Jonathan grinned. "We were just looking for a little information is all. I didn't bring Thanatos as a gift," he pointed out. "But I felt his presence may persuade you to have a little talk?"
Madeline didn't take her eyes from Thanatos, nor her hand from his. She led him slowly to the couch where she sat down. She patted the spot next to her indicating that he should join her.
Thanatos sat down and quickly turned to see if Jonathan was following suit. He didn't want to be left alone with this woman and her hungry eyes.
"What kind of information are the two of you looking for?" Her blue eyes were all over Thanatos and she twirled a strand of her red hair between her fingers.
Jonathan sat down on the chair beside the couch. He knew with his questioning he would be giving up his anonymity in the whole Raina situation. His father would know he was also involved in wanting her rescue. So he would want to get as much information as he could now because after this, he doubted he would be allowed into the home. He counted on Madeline's anger at being left alone to loosen her tongue. She would pay for it later but right now she would want Richard to pay for his neglect.
"What has my father been up to? More importantly, do you know where he is now?" He wasn’t going to beat around the bush.
Madeline sighed and leaned back against the back of the couch. "Jonathan, you know I can't give you exact information. I don't have the address and he doesn't own the place that he's staying right now. I overheard him tell one of the guards about where they were heading. It sounds like a prison to me or at least some sort of compound." She rolled her eyes.
Thanatos and Jonathan exchanged glances. Jonathan could hear the angry words flowing through Thanatos mind now. He willed him to stay calm.
"Has he mentioned a woman?"
"Yes, it's some funny name…Reagan or René… something like that. I was tempted to be jealous at first but the way he was talking about her didn't sound like he was fancying her for himself."
"Thank God for that," Thanatos murmured angrily.
This Madeline's attention. "Is she your girl?"
Thanatos frowned.
"Thanatos is her protector," Jonathan answered. He knew Madeline had been around long enough to understand what that meant. "We're trying to find her."
Madeline worried her lip. "I'm sorry to hear that. But you know that I can't tell you where."
Jonathan nodded, he understood. He cleared his throat. "But you know who took him there don't you?"
She hesitated. "I'm not happy with Richard at the moment but to tell you anything might jeopardize my position here. I have to be obedient."
“We just need the name, and then we can question him.”
“I can’t,” she cried. “If I give you that, he’ll know it was me! I was the only one to see him off that day!”
Jonathan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Is it a driver that I know? One that I would be familiar with?” He knew he had to narrow it down. He was sure some of this conversation had been heard. He knew Madeline was monitored. He needed the name quickly because their time here may be cut short once Richard got word of this.