Chapter 63
Jared fucking hated this.
He didn’t like being tucked away somewhere safe while other people were putting themselves at risk. The only reason he’d agreed to wait at Zander’s compound was because this is where Angie was.
And he wanted to be wherever she was to keep her safe.
North was in the safehouse across the street from the house she’d lived in with Zander and Eli.
Miles and Keira were here with him and Angie while the rest of the team was scattered around, waiting for something to happen. This was their second night at it and so far, nothing.
North had escorted Angie to Colorado Springs. And she and Honey had switched places in a public bathroom in the airport. That had been the scariest part of the plan. He’d come separately with some of his men who were staying in a hotel on the outskirts of town.
While he had to sit here and wait and watch.
It fucking killed him.
He stared into the camera feeds that were displayed on several TV monitors attached to the wall.
“The waiting game sucks, huh?” Miles said, handing him a cup of coffee.
“I’ve never been one to sit back and wait,” he admitted.
“No, I figured you wouldn’t be. And a good leader doesn’t let others do what he’s not willing to do himself. Zander taught me that. But in this case, you’re helping guard Keira and Angie. Which is kind of the most important job of all.”
Jared gave him a wry grin of acknowledgment and tried to settle in on the couch with his coffee.
“Has anything happened?” Angie asked, walking into the room and sitting next to him.
“No, baby.” He kissed the top of her head. “It’s nearly time for you to go to bed.”
“I’m not going to bed until Zander is back,” Keira announced as she walked in and sat on an armchair. She rubbed her belly which had grown rounder.
“I’m not going to bed until North is back. I know I fell asleep last night but I was exhausted. Tonight, I’m waiting up.” Angie nodded.
“Me too,” Keira said.
Jared scowled down at Angie. “Keira might not be mine to boss around, but you are. You’re still recovering from your injury and you’re going to bed when I say. Actually, screw it, both of you are. I’m soon going to be Keira’s brother-in-law and her man isn’t here. So I’m in charge.”
They all gaped at him.
“Brother-in-law?” Keira asked. “Is there something you guys haven’t told me?”
“Nothing that I know about,” Angie said, gazing up at him. “Is there something you want to tell me, Jared?”
“You didn’t know that I’m going to marry you one day?” he asked. “Because I am.”
“You’re so certain she’ll say yes,” Keira said, sounding amused.
“Of course she will. No other answer will be allowed.”
“Whew, that’s kind of hot. Glad you’ve got a guy as bossy as mine, Angie.”
“I’m not so sure it’s a good thing,” Angie muttered.
He set down his coffee and then lifted her onto his lap. “Yes, you are. You love me and you want to marry me. Which you will do.”
“You are so bossy. Luckily, I do love you and I do want to marry you.”
“Wait . . . is that something?” Miles said as he spoke into his headset. “Zander, do you see movement in the back right corner of the yard?”
“I see it. I think we have some movement. Honey, get ready. Webb, you have her?”
“I’ve got her.”
Webb was hidden inside the house in the saferoom. His job was to protect Honey and hopefully secure Drews.
“Power has been cut,” Miles warned.
They all got up to look at the monitors. A person snuck across the yard and then managed to get through the back door. Honey had already gone to bed. Well, she was pretending to sleep.
This guy snuck into the room, creeping over to her. From another monitor they could see Webb creeping out of the saferoom.
That’s when Honey struck.
Fuck.
Jared felt Angie grow tense as they watched Drews fight back. But suddenly Webb was there, helping to subdue the asshole. He pinned him on the floor while Honey secured his hands and feet and the others rushed in.
North pulled off the intruder’s mask and turned his head toward the camera. Angie gasped.
“Is that him?” Miles asked. “Is that the guy who introduced himself to you as Richard Drews?”
“That . . . that’s him,” she said. “That’s Richard Drews or whatever his real name is.”
“That’s Drews,” Miles said into his headset. “Bring him back for questioning.”
“Thank God,” she whispered, relief flooding her. “Thank God.”
Angie was so relieved when they all came back.
Well, not all of them.
Ammo and North were missing.
“Where’s North?” she asked.
“He and Eli went to do some recon,” Zander reassured her. “They wanted to see if this guy had a vehicle nearby. And to make sure that he didn’t have anyone else with him. He’ll be back soon.”
“Where’s our prisoner?” Jared asked.
“We’ve taken him to our special room. Want to come and talk to him?” Zander asked.
“Yes,” she said.
They both shot her looks.
“Wasn’t talking to you, darling,” Zander told her.
“I want to talk to him. I’m . . . I’m the reason he was doing this. I deserve to know why.”
Jared scowled at her, then cupped her chin firmly. “You are not the reason he was doing this. And I don’t want you near him.”
“Actually, he might talk more if she’s there,” Miles said. “And he’s secured, right? She only has to stay a few minutes and see if he talks. You can pull her out if you don’t like what is being said.”
Jared glared at Miles, then at her. “Fuck. Fine. You can come, baby. But like Miles said, if I don’t like what is being said, then you’re out. Understand me?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Nerves filled her as Zander led them down to a secured room. She didn’t know what to expect. Maybe some chains and whips. Blood stains on the rough floor and moans of pain emanating from the walls.
But it was just a tidy, neat room with a single seat in the middle that was secured to the floor.
In that seat was Drews. He was only wearing some boxers. His arms and legs were tied down and there was even a metal collar around his neck which was attached to a chain that went down to a bolt on the floor.
“Angel,” he whispered. “You’re here. My muse. The love of my life. I knew you’d come for me. Release me and we can be together.”
Holy moly.
Of everything she’d expected him to say, that hadn’t been it.
Did he . . . did he imagine himself in love with her? Did he think that she loved him?
Jared leaned in to whisper to her. “Go along with him for a moment.”
“Get away from my love,” he snarled suddenly, making her jump. “I do not want you near her.”
“Hey,” Zander snapped as Jared drew her into his body, holding her tight. “If you want to see Angie, then you won’t yell and scare her.”
“I scared her?” Richard said, instantly contrite. “I’m so sorry, lovely girl. Come here. Come see me.”
She glanced up at Jared.
“It’s up to you, baby. You know that I’d rather you weren’t here.”
Yeah, he’d made that very clear. But it was also obvious that this guy was deranged. And that he would probably tell her more than he would the others.
“I’m staying.”
Zander moved out of the way so she could see Richard again. Jared stayed close, but not touching her.
“There you are,” Richard said. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“You seem different from when I last saw you.” There was something strange about his eyes. And he certainly hadn’t spoken to her like this. So what was going on?
“Oh, I stopped taking those drugs. They made me feel so weird. I was numb. As soon as I stopped, I could see what I hadn’t seen before. That you were meant to be for me. My first wife.”
“First wife?” she asked. “What do you mean, first wife?”
“Members of The Children of the Divine can take many wives. But the first one is always special I think. You can be the leader. The one to boss all the other wives around. Make them do all the work. That’s only fair when you are my muse.”
“The Children of the Divine?” Jared repeated. “That sounds familiar. How is she your muse?”
“Because she inspires me. She makes me think. She makes me want to help the Deity more.”
“And who is the Deity?” Zander asked.
“Ahh, I cannot tell you that. I am sworn to secrecy. All members of The Children of the Divine are. But it was naughty of you not to turn up to our meeting. The Deity wanted to meet you.” He frowned at her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Was the Deity the person who I was going to interview with? Did he work at that house?”
“Oh, that was a ruse,” he said dreamily. “When you turned up, the Deity would have given his approval and you would have become mine. Instead, you ran from me. That made me very angry.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t running from you. I . . . I was taken.”
His eyes flared open and he glared at Jared. “Taken?”
“Yes, I was kidnapped. I didn’t want to leave you. I was forced to.”
“I knew you wouldn’t leave me,” he said.
“Why did you kill those other women? Is it because you were angry?” she asked.
“Yes, I took them because I hoped they might fulfil my desire for you. But none of them could be my muse. And then I got angry and killed them. That made the Deity mad and he kicked me out. But I thought if I could just get you and bring you to him then he’d understand, you see? Then he could see how special you are.”
“The Deity left?” Zander asked.
“What? Yes, he left along with the others. He said it was my fault, that I brought too much negative attention onto myself and that I was putting The Children of the Divine at risk. So he left and took everyone. But that’s all right.
I had already followed you to Chicago. I was glad I put that tracker into your handbag. ”
“Why didn’t you just follow me instead of killing those women?” she asked.
“The Deity forbade me. But after taking them, I just knew . . . I knew that no one else would do. So I tracked you down. But I couldn’t reach you. So I sent you messages. Things to let you know that I was watching you. Ready and willing to come for you.”
“By killing Rex and Antony?” she asked, feeling increasingly ill. “How did that tell me that you were there? Waiting for me?”
He shrugged. “I was angry.”