When the car pulled to a stop, she handed the driver fifty dollars.
"Can you wait here for me? I shouldn't be too long."
"Sure, darl. The meter will keep ticking over though."
"I understand. Thank you."
With caution, Sharon approached the house. Slipping up to the front door, she tentatively tried the doorknob. It turned and the door opened. She frowned at the carelessness of whoever had left it unlocked. Didn't they know how dangerous that was?
She passed through into the house, silently closing the door behind her. Holding her breath, she crept down the hallway, peeking into the rooms along the way. Finally she found what she was looking for, her twins. When she did, she froze in the doorway. Her two beautiful boys sat on a city play rug, running cars around the roads while making 'beep beep' noises. With her complete focus on their blond heads, she moved forward. As she fell to her knees on the edge of the rug, they turned their identical faces up to her. Their sparkling green eyes opened wide and innocent as they silently stared up at her. Tears burned her eyes.
"Hello, boys. What are you doing?"
One held up a bright yellow car. "Playing with cars. You wanna play? You can have the white one."
She felt her heart stutter as he held out the toy for her.
"Maybe another time. I can't stay and play today. What are your names?"
Even though she already knew, she wanted to talk with them and figured their names would be a safe topic. The one who'd already spoken was obviously the dominant one of the twins. He stood, keeping his brother behind him.
"I'm Vali and he's Jari. Who are you?"
"My name is Sharon, I'm your mother. I've come to save you."
Vali frowned and tilted his head. "Mother?"
The awkward way he repeated the word tore a gasp from her throat. He didn't know what one was. How do you explain to three year olds what a mother is?
"They are not the ones that require saving, Sharon."
Sharon cursed her stupidity. The front door hadn't been unlocked through neglect. Toki had been waiting for her. Her boys were never in danger. Between her upset stomach, the voice in her head and the instinctual need to find her sons, she'd not thought out her plan. Now Toki was in the room with them. On instinct she lunged forward and gathered the boys to her. They held themselves stiffly but didn't pull away.
"I'll keep you both safe, I won't let him hurt you."
They both looked up at her with confusion.
"They know I mean them no harm. I am no danger to you either, Sharon."
She glared at him over her shoulder while she kept her arms around her boys. Inhaling their sweet scent, she grew stronger with her anger.
"How can you say you're no danger to me? You had me against my will for twenty-seven years! It was your voice in my head all day today telling me the twins needed me. These are my sons and they are coming with me. There is nothing you can do to stop me."
Toki smiled at her. A gentle lifting of his lips, it was a look one gives someone thought to have lost their mind.
"Your sons do need you, as any child needs their parents. But they don't need you to take them away from me. Are you worried over your blood bond? Is that why you're not admitting your true feelings?"
She frowned at him. What the hell was he on about with her 'true feelings'?
"Have you fallen on your head or something? You're making no sense."
Toki's voice grew hard as she showed him no respect in her choice of words.
"How about we step out into the hallway, young ears do not need to hear such things as what we'll be discussing."
Conceding he had a point, she winced before giving her sons one last small squeeze before she released them. She didn't want to leave them for even a moment.
"I'll be back for you."
Sharon didn't want to leave them but agreed with Toki that they didn't need to hear about what their father had done to their mother. She followed him from the room. Toki turned around at end of the hallway when he realized she wasn't following him. He looked puzzled for a moment, but she held her ground. Remaining between him and the boys' room, she was far enough way to prevent their voices traveling back but close enough she could see if anyone else went in there with them.
"We are alone with the boys. No one else is in the house. Their adoptive father is out and has been ordered to not return until he receives word from me."
"How did you know I was coming today?"
"I didn't. I wasn't certain you were receiving the thoughts I was pushing at you. Not that it matters. I knew you would come one day, so I've been here waiting."
"I came for my sons, not you. I'll never be yours again."
Toki moved so fast she was momentarily stunned. One minute there were several feet separating them, the next he had her pressed against the wall. Before she could react, he had her hands pinned above her head and his body pressing hers into the sheetrock. She shuddered in revulsion as she felt his arousal press against her.
Sharon struggled against him, trying to buck free, but he was too heavy. He'd taken advantage of her shock and now had the upper hand.
Damn it.
"I know you. I know what you really want. I can give it to you."
Fury coursed through her. "You know nothing of who I am or what I want, let alone how to give it to me."
"I know you stopped fighting me many years ago. You submitted to me each time I came for you. So, that leads me to believe you don't truly want your Vampire but feel you have to stay with him due to the blood bond you share. I can capture him again, Sharon. Free you."
Panic began to bloom within Sharon. Toki had gone mad if he thought she had fallen for him.
"I stopped fighting because I knew it was useless. Instead I closed my mind and left my body behind. Each time you entered that room, I was already dreaming of Barret."
His body stiffened as he hissed.
"You lie! I won you over, as a Viking should his captured bride. You want me, only me. If it was the sewing you didn't like, we can deal with that. We'll leave the Nobles, and you won't ever need to work again. We can take back our sons and raise them ourselves." He lowered his head to kiss her. She turned her face away, bile rising in her throat. Toki had truly lost his mind and that made him dangerous. Why had she come alone? It wouldn't have killed her to suffer through the voice in her mind and the upset stomach, and surely when Barret saw how sick she was, he wouldn't have made her wait months to formulate a plan. Just as her mother used to tell her so often, her impulsiveness would truly be the death of her one day. Wet lips against her jaw made her gag.
"I don't want this. Or you. I want Barret, not because of the blood bond but because I love him. I came here to collect my sons so they won't be raised to become monsters." She left the 'like you' unsaid.
"Hmm, that Vampire has turned you against me. No matter. I will remind you—repetitively—how good we are together."
Panic cleared her mind. She needed to distract him before he raped her again. What would he care about more than bedding her? She gasped in a breath as the perfect lure occurred to her.
"I have your book. The diary from the original Toki."
~ * ~
Barret woke feeling content. Making love to his Bride then falling asleep with her in his arms, made him one very happy Vampire, until he reached for her and found her side of the bed empty and cold. His breath froze in his lungs as he instantly knew what she'd done.
Not again!
When would he learn? He was going to chain her to the damn bed when he got her back this time. Damn woman. He threw his pants on and glanced at the clock to see it was only five in the afternoon. The sun wouldn't set until nearly eight. He grabbed the phone and rang reception.
"Good afternoon, sir. How can I be of assistance?"
"My Bride, Sharon—five-foot-five with shoulder-length blonde hair and clear blue-green eyes—left earlier today. Can you tell me when?"
"I was at the desk when she departed about half an hour ago. She took a taxi from the front of the building."
"Thank you, that's all I needed to know."
He hung up and growled low to vent his frustration. He wouldn't be able to go after her for hours, and there was no telling how much trouble she'd find for herself in that time. Even though Sharon was repeating history, Barret refused to do the same and rush off after her. No, he wasn't going to follow her. He'd get a team and they'd work together. Most of the Vampires from the rescue were in this building due to the research they were doing. He looked at the clock again. In another hour he could ring Angelo and get things moving.
Barret rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. He had sixty minutes to fill until he could make a move and he needed to ease the tension dominating his body. He stood and stripped out of his pants before strolling to the bathroom. A long hot shower should eat up some time and help relax his body. It was essential that he have a clear head for what he needed to do tonight.
An hour later, he picked up the phone and dialed the penthouse and told Angelo he was on his way up and the matter was urgent. He then grabbed his keycard and headed out the door. Minutes later he arrived at Angelo and Darcy's apartment to find Angelo holding the door open, waiting.
"What's happened?"
"Sharon snuck out at around four thirty this afternoon. I'm guessing she's gone after Toki to get her boys."
"
Merda
. Okay, we'll deal with this. Come in."
Barret entered and was greeted with a hug from Darcy.
"Mum's run off on her own again, hasn't she?"
"Yes, she has. I swear, I'm going to chain her to the bed when she returns."
The way Darcy's face screwed up made him chuckle despite his desperation and fear.
"I do
not
want to think about my mother being chained to a bed. Ewww."
"Sorry, Darcy."
"Go with Darcy to the kitchen, Barret, have a seat and a coffee. I'm going to ring in a team and we'll begin planning. You have the address of where she went?"
Barret shook his head, "Sharon took the note with her. Tye or Jashan will have it."
He never should have let her see the address. Those two Vampires should have told him first, asked him what he thought she should be told about it all. He was her Vampire, her mate. He was in charge of looking after her. They could have just given her the suburb name until they had a plan.
"C'mon, Barret. Let's go get comfortable. We've got a couple hours before we can go out."
Barret scrubbed his hands over his face trying to dislodge all the 'if onlys' running through his mind. They were useless now. On autopilot he followed Darcy into a sleek modern kitchen and watched silently as she made him a drink. He took the strong black brew when it was offered and focused on drinking it. He couldn't go through losing her again. His heart and soul weren't strong enough to suffer it a second time.
Angelo strode in with his laptop and sat at the table with him and Darcy. The air of control and authority surrounding him helped calm Barret's turbulent thoughts but his mind was still a mess and he struggled to concentrate. Over the next hour he silently watched as Vampires came to the apartment and discussed with Angelo tactics and extraction plans. He closed his eyes as he rubbed the ache in his chest. Damn sun. He wanted to go out and find her. They had the address and all agreed that was where she'd be.
Unless Toki had moved her already.
Could the Nobles have a second compound in Victoria? They were still gathering information on all the properties and companies owned by Noble Threads Enterprises Inc. Angelo was now setting up plans to send teams to check each of the larger properties, in case Sharon wasn't still at the Glen Iris house. Tears pricked his eyes at the thought of having to chase Toki all over the state to get his Bride back.
The doorbell silenced the room. Angelo and Darcy exchanged a look before they both headed off to answer it. A small bloom of hope took root in the pit of his stomach as he rose and followed them. Bracing himself against the door, Angelo opened it a fraction and looked out. Angelo released a small groan as he quickly moved to open the door wide. Sharon stood there looking hesitant. She didn't make a move to enter straight away. Darcy squealed as she darted around her Vampire to embrace her mother out in the hallway.
Barret's breath froze as he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Nope, his Sharon was really standing before him. He charged toward her. Angelo tugged Darcy away from Sharon moments before Barret descended on her. With a growl, he let all his instincts take control. With his fangs bared, he pressed his shoulder into her tummy and lifted her as he charged from the apartment and headed to the lift.
"I'll send down two guards, Barret!"
He glanced over to Angelo and nodded his thanks as the lift doors opened with a ding and he stepped inside.
~ * ~
Sharon's face felt flame hot. When she'd returned to her and Barret's apartment, she'd hoped he would still be asleep. After all, the sky had only just begun to darken. But no such luck, their place had been empty. She'd guessed he might be with Angelo strategizing to come rescue her. What she didn't expect was him to go caveman on her and haul her out of the room over his damn shoulder. He didn't say a word the whole way as the lift descended, nor did he make a sound as he opened the door into their apartment. He had his arm banded tightly around her thighs to keep her from moving and from the tense set of the muscles beneath her, she knew he was beyond furious. So she bit her tongue and didn't lash out at him for embarrassing her.
Sharon braced her hands against his lower back as he walked so she could lift her face a little. She was starting to feel queasy from having her head down. Barret didn't slow down until he reached their bedroom. The bed covers had been thrown back as if he'd risen in a hurry. She didn't try to stop the tears that began to flow. She'd been a fool. She never should have left without Barret. She should have learned that lesson well enough the first time. But no, she'd stupidly run off. A sob broke through her resolve to remain quiet as she thought about how Barret must have felt to wake up alone.