Slade's Desire (White River Wolves Series, #2) (12 page)

“Are you talking about Gypsy?” the soft, timid voice came from down the hall.  “Is my sister missing?”

Slade’s eyes connected with the wide, frightened ones coming slowly toward him, and he fought to get his wolf back under control.  The child had been through enough, she did not need to see Slade shift in front of everyone.  “I will find her,” he promised roughly, struggling to make his fangs recede.  “I will bring her back home to you, Sari.”

Slade was aware of Chase walking through the doors and striding in his direction as Sari stopped in front of him.  “I know you will,” she whispered, hesitantly reaching out to touch his arm lightly.  He forced himself to stay still when she cringed slightly, but bravely kept her hand where it was.  “Gypsy told me about you.”  Gypsy had told her sister about him?  Slade felt his claws slowly begin to recede, along with his fangs as Sari went on, “She said you are the other half of her soul, and that if anyone ever took her, you would not stop until you found her.”

“Gypsy explained mates to you?” Chase asked, the low growl in his voice demanding an answer.  “She told you about shifters?”  It was not necessarily forbidden to tell others about shifters, but it put the lives of many in danger.   

“She did,” Sari admitted, as she moved closer to Slade.  “I already knew about shifters, but she said Slade would protect us because that’s what mates do.”

“She’s right,” Slade said, reaching out to gently pull the trembling girl to him.  “I will keep you safe, and I will find your sister no matter what it takes.”

Chase’s eyes narrowed on Sari, but he turned away, taking out his cell phone.  “I’m going to try and contact Angel again.”

“She can’t help you right now,” Jade interjected before he could place the call.  “She is nowhere near here.”  Chase swore as he put his phone away, but Jade held up her hand.  “Chase, you don’t need Angel right now.” 

“Yes I do, dammit,” Chase growled in frustration.  “I don’t have the ability to find Gypsy quickly, Jade.”

“No, but you have me,” Jade replied, setting the chart she held on the counter and walking towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Chase demanded, following close behind.

“To gear up.  I have a friend to find.”

G
ypsy came to slowly, her mind a jumbled, foggy mess.  She could not seem to open her eyes, and no matter how hard she tried to get her arms and legs to cooperate, she was unable to move.  Licking her lips, she groaned at the dry, cottony taste in her mouth.  There was a dull ache in the back of her head, and her broken arm throbbed with pain.  Her breath came in shallow pants, and Gypsy trembled in fear as she struggled to remember where she was.

The last thing she could recall was sitting with Sari in her hospital room.  What had they been talking about? 
Her magic, and shifters
, she thought.  “Slade.”  Gypsy breathed his name quietly.  She had told her sister about him, and what he was to her.  An image of Sari sleeping seeped into her mind.  She had decided it was time for her to go.  After tucking her sister in, she’d left the hospital intending to go to Slade, but had stopped to take in the beauty of the night.  Then, something sharp had pinched her neck, before total darkness overcame her. 

“I see you are finally awake, my pet.”

It was a voice from her past.  One she had never thought she would ever hear again. 
No!
  She screamed the word silently, and it echoed in her mind.  It was
him
!  The monster of her nightmares...Titus. 
Oh God!
  She had to get away from him.  Struggling to open her eyes, Gypsy weakly moved her head.  Her body shook with the need to jump and run, but her limbs were sluggish, and the most she could do was push up into a sitting position.  Managing to open her eyes slightly, she cried out at the bright light that hit them.  She heard his cruel laughter first, then he smacked her; a powerful blow across the face.  “How dare you leave me, you bitch!” he yelled.  “You are mine!  I own you!”

Whimpering, Gypsy tried to scoot back away from him, crying out at the pain that shot up through her arm.  Looking down in surprise, she saw that Titus had removed the cast.

“I broke your arm for a reason,” he snarled.  “I was teaching you a lesson.  You obviously have more to learn, so you will suffer the way I originally intended.”

Anger swamped her at his words.  Cradling her broken arm to her chest, Gypsy hung her head, letting her long hair hide the defiance she knew was beginning to show on her face.  She may be terrified of the man, but unlike her arm,
she
was not broken.   

Hearing a loud, familiar clang, Gypsy stiffened, waiting until she heard the sound of heavy footsteps as Titus made his way up the stairs.  Prying her eyes open, she got her first good look at her new prison.  At first she thought the son of a bitch had brought her back to The Dungeon, but she knew that was not possible.  RARE had blown the place sky high when they rescued them.  There was no Dungeon left, but this place was very similar.  She only counted three cells this time, and she did not see a large table like the one they used to strap the prisoners to before, but there were several torture devices hanging from a piece of plywood screwed into the far wall.  There was a steel chair in the center of the room bolted to the floor with what looked like metal cuffs that were used to clamp a prisoner’s arms and legs to it.  So, instead of a torture table, they had a torture chair.  Did Titus think he was going to put her in it?  No way in hell. 

Struggling to her feet, Gypsy swayed as waves of darkness swarmed through her. 
She would not faint!
she told herself. 
She would not fall! 
Stumbling to the front of the cell, she grasped the bars with her good hand.  Leaning her head against cold metal, Gypsy closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  She had no idea what Titus had drugged her with, but it was slowly starting to leave her system.  She was beginning to feel her strength returning, and with it the determination to find a way out of her prison.  She had so much to live for, and she would fight to the end.  She refused to ever become the weak, pitiful woman that bastard had made her before.

Gypsy knew Titus would not be gone long.  He had brought her there for a reason, and torture was his favorite game.  However, this time she vowed she would be the winner.  She had gifts, powerful gifts, and she would use them. 

Gypsy, can you hear me?
  The words whispered through her mind, so faint she almost missed them. 
Gypsy?  Please, answer me.

Gypsy almost wept at the sound of Jade’s voice.  Of course they would be looking for her!  Slade would not stop until he found her, she knew it. 
I’m here, Jade.

Thank God!  I’ve been trying to reach you for hours.  Can you tell me where you are?  Are you alright?

It depends on your definition of alright,
Gypsy said wryly, looking down at her broken arm that she held against her waist. 
I’m stuck in a basement that resembles the hell I just escaped, waiting on Titus to come back.  I’m scared to death.

Do you know where it is?

No.  Titus drugged me when he took me.  I just woke up a few minutes ago.  He left, but he won’t stay gone for long.  He wants to punish me for leaving him.

Shit!
Jade cursed, anger and fear in her voice. 
We are going to find you, Gypsy.  We are doing everything we can on our end right now.

Gypsy’s eyes narrowed on the torture toys across the room from her.  While they were doing everything they could, she needed to do the same.  No one was going to be there in time to save her.  She was going to have to figure out a way to do it herself.

Concentrating on a large knife hanging on the wall, Gypsy shut out everything else around her, including the sound of Jade’s voice.  It had been so long since she had last tried to move anything with her mind because of the horrible pain she experienced afterwards, but she needed a weapon, and she needed it now.  Taking a deep breath, she focused her gaze on the knife and willed it to come to her.  When it didn’t move, she tried again.  After several failed attempts, she finally admitted defeat.  Rubbing her forehead, she fought tears as she tried to figure out what to do next.

Maybe it’s too big.  Is there something smaller you can try?

Gypsy jumped at the sound of Jade’s voice.  She had almost forgotten about the other woman.  Squinting, sharp stabs of pain shooting behind her eyes, she replied,
It looks like there is another knife smaller than the first, but I don’t know how much damage it could do.

Anything is better than nothing.

Jade was right.  Even the smaller knife would be something to defend herself with.  It would wound, even if it didn’t kill.  Gypsy breathed in deeply and slowly let it out.  She did this several times, trying to calm her nerves.  Holding her good arm out toward the wall, she narrowed her eyes on the weapon, trying to ignore the pounding in her temples.  At first there was nothing, but then the knife began to tremble.  Suddenly, Gypsy felt as if there was an added energy within her, something helping her, making her stronger. 
Jade?  Is that you?

Yes.  Concentrate, Gypsy!

Gritting her teeth, she willed the knife to come to her, watching in shock as it slowly slipped from the board and levitated across the room until it came to rest in her outstretched hand.  Wrapping her fingers around the handle of the knife, she quickly slipped it into the back of her pants. 
Now what?

Now, you wait. 
The response was not what Gypsy wanted to hear, but there really wasn’t anything else she could do. 
You need to rest, Gypsy. 

I can’t.  He will be back soon. I have to be ready for him. 
She had no idea where Titus had gone, but there was no doubt in her mind that he would return to continue his game soon.  She had seen the extreme possessiveness in his gaze.  The desire to conquer her, and make her his.  She would die before she let that happen.

Sit and rest.  You will hear him when he comes, but if you don’t rest, you will not be able to fight.
  What Jade said made sense, but Gypsy was scared to close her eyes. 

I will be here, Gypsy.  I promise, I won’t leave you. 

Gypsy hurt, she was exhausted, and she was terrified.  She knew Jade was right.  If she did not get some rest, she would be unable to defend herself.  After one last look around the room, she walked over to the far corner of the cell and sat down with her back against the wall.  The knife stayed hidden at her back, but within easy reach.  It wasn’t very big, about the size of your average steak knife, but it was something. 

Allowing her eyes to slowly drift shut, Gypsy thought about Slade and their last words to each other.  She had been upset that he had found someone to love and marry instead of waiting for her.  A part of her had felt hurt and betrayed.  Now she was just glad that he was able to experience love at least once in his life, because there was the very real possibility that she would not survive the next few hours.

Jade, if I don’t make it out of here...

You WILL make it out of there, Gypsy Layne!  Giving up is not an option. 

I’m not giving up,
Gypsy protested tiredly.
I just don’t want to die without Slade knowing how I feel.  I’m too weak to hold a connection with him. I need you to give him a message.  Please.
 

After a moment of silence, Jade whispered,
Tell me.

Tears slipped down Gypsy’s face as she collected her thoughts. 
Tell him that I understand what he was trying to tell me before.  I was wrong to be upset and I am so sorry that I left when I did.  I never should have. 
A ragged sob slipped out as she continued,
I hope I have the chance to someday earn his love myself.  I want to spend the rest of my life showing him how much I...
before she could finish her sentence, the door at the top of the stairs groaned as it was opened, then it shut with a loud thud. 
He’s back, Jade.
 

Gypsy scrambled to her feet, reaching back to make sure the knife was still there, even though she could feel the bite of the blade against her tender skin. 

I’m not leaving you, Gypsy.  I’m right here.

I can’t help you hold our link.  I don’t have enough energy. 
It would take everything she had in her to defeat the monster walking down the stairs toward her, but losing was not an option.  She wanted to go home to her family.

You don’t have to.  I’m strong enough to hold it for both of us.  I will not leave you.

The raw determination in Jade’s voice helped Gypsy shore up her courage.  When Titus stopped in front of her cell, he would not see the terrified woman she had been back in The Dungeon.  That woman was gone.  In her place was one fighting for a future with her mate.  Titus had no idea what he had awakened inside her. 
You have to Jade.  You need to tell Slade what I told you.  He needs to know that I love him, now and always.
  Not waiting for a response, Gypsy severed their link.