43
GAbrIEL
We didn’t leave Emersyn alone again. For the next two days, Seven and I relentlessly guarded her and pissed everyone off in the process.
If we weren’t negotiating to switch shifts, we threatened or coerced until we got what we wanted.
We knew we would catch shit for it eventually; Mahoney was too controlling and calculating to let something like this go, but I was beyond caring.
Any day now, Rune would break through and we’d be able to coordinate exfil and get off the island.
Until then, Emersyn wasn’t leaving my fucking sight.
Despite still being a bit haunted by whatever she’d been forced to endure with Mahoney, Emersyn seemed to have steadied her mental state.
I watched her from the entrance of the guardhouse as she paced around the enclosure.
Occasionally she made eye contact, but I could never read what thoughts ran through her mind.
Her beautiful grey-blue stare was back to being expressionless and stoic.
We didn’t interact with her much besides the occasional food delivery because we didn’t want to risk being caught on camera any more than we already were.
The tablet on the wall of the guardhouse pinged and Seven got up to read the message.
“Mandatory meeting in the Great Hall,” he said.
Every instinct I had screamed that this was going to be the meeting Mahoney laid it all out.
I looked over my shoulder. “Well.”
Seven sighed. “Yeah.”
The open door of the guardhouse darkened and Brooks appeared with five additional guards flanking him.
“Mandatory meeting,” he said.
“We saw,” I muttered.
“Well, get going then.”
“What about her?” I asked.
“She’s coming too, Casanova, don’t worry,” Brooks sneered.
That didn’t bode well. He moved off to Emersyn’s enclosure, a syringe in hand, while the other five men stood around him monitoring everything. My jaw clenched but Seven put a hand on my shoulder.
“Come on, we have to choose our battles.”
I hated that he was right.
We arrived at the Great Hall and everyone milled about in small groups.
Mahoney had his hands thrust into his pockets in the center of the room.
All of the guards and household staff were in attendance so it was something big.
I saw Angel a few yards away where he stood with Marcello.
Angel didn’t look happy, but Marcello looked positively gleeful.
That was concerning. Movement near the doors pulled my attention and Emersyn was escorted in with her hands cuffed behind her back, and the glazed look of someone mildly sedated.
“Fuck,” Seven muttered.
“Ah, there you are,” Mahoney gestured for the guards to bring Emersyn to his side. “Now—we’re all gathered. Brooks—” He turned to his head of security who stepped forward.
“Griffin!” Brooks bellowed.
Here we go.
I made my way through the crowd with Seven on my heels.
“Step forward, Griffin,” Mahoney said.
I could practically feel Seven’s anxiety, but I took a large step forward and separated myself from the rest of the guards.
I clasped my hands in front of me and stared directly at Mahoney.
His face was a mask of indifference hiding the rage that clutched his jaw and made a vein stand out on his neck.
He was very obviously pissed off, but was trying to hide it.
“I hear you have been manipulating the schedule when it comes to the Hurricane,” Mahoney said.
I stayed silent.
“I have also instructed that she is to be sedated at all times, especially during handling.” Mahoney paused. “Orders you have also not followed.”
When it was obvious I wasn’t going to speak again, Mahoney pursed his lips.
“Is it because you got…territorial?” Mahoney spread his arms wide. “She is available for anyone here, as long as it is during their free time.” He smirked. “And they have the balls to risk it of course,” he added dryly.
My jaw clenched involuntarily and I watched Mahoney latch onto it.
“Ah, so you believe she’s yours then. I see.” He studied me. “Marcello!”
Marcello emerged from the crowd and stood at attention in front of Mahoney.
“Marcello, is this the man who attacked you in the dining hall?”
“Yes, sir,” he said smugly.
“And he told you not to touch her—meaning the Hurricane—again, correct?”
“Yes, that’s what he said,” Marcello agreed.
“Thank you, that’s all,” Mahoney waved him away.
He proceeded to call forward several other men we’d had heated altercations with while negotiating the Menagerie shifts. Each one condemned me with a satisfied glimmer in their eyes. When Mahoney was done, he turned with a smirk.
“I see that we have a problem here.” Mahoney rubbed his jaw, the glitter in his eyes darkening as he contemplated whatever dark thoughts ran through his mind.
“I must admit, I haven’t run into this kind of territorial nonsense before, but I think I’m going to have some fun with it.
Usually around this time I’m holding Atrox tryouts here, but since the league is postponed,” Mahoney’s face soured at the word.
“We will just have to host our own little game.”
Brooks looked uncomfortable. “Sir, we can’t afford to lose anyone—”
Mahoney waved his hand in irritation. “Nonsense. We can spare twenty people I’m sure.”
“But the party tomorrow night,” Brooks insisted. “It’s high profile and—”
“Brooks,” Mahoney turned on his head of security. “That’s why I hired you. You’ll figure it out.”
Mahoney looked him up and down coldly. “Or I’ll find someone who can. Understood?”
Brooks frowned. “Yes, sir.”
Mahoney clapped his hands. “Good! Now, besides Griffin, I need nineteen volunteers. Whoever finds the Hurricane first and brings her back to the starting line, will get to have her overnight as their prize. Weapons selection will be one handgun, one extra mag, and one knife.”
“What is the map?” Brooks asked.
Mahoney grinned diabolically. “The maze.”
Several groans came from the crowd, along with a few guards who shook their heads.
“You heard him,” Brooks bellowed. “Who’ll go up against Griffin? Remember boys, it’s live ammo, and the maze is a nasty bit of real estate itself—who’ll it be?”
Seven immediately stepped up to my side.
My jaw tightened—I’d rather he didn’t come but I knew any protest of the sort would fall on deaf ears.
Marcello took an additional step forward with a sly glint in his eyes.
The rest of the men who answered the call looked like they were either down for a little danger, or knew exactly what they were getting into.
The last to step forward, and round out the twenty of us, was Angel.
He didn’t look happy at all and refused to look me in the eye.
“Perfect!” Mahoney exclaimed. “Oh, I almost forgot. Griffin—” He turned to me.
“Usually the punishment for disobedience of the rules is a whipping, but since we are pressed for time, I’ll settle for a beating instead.
Twelve hits. Unresisting. Brooks?” He snapped his fingers and two men started forward with Brooks.
They went to grab me and Seven stepped into them.
I put a hand on his shoulder. “Stand down,” I murmured roughly.
I stepped up to Brooks and squared off before I deliberately placed my hands behind my back. The two guards flanked me and Brooks rolled up his sleeves slowly, drawing out the suspense. He circled and came up to my shoulder where he leaned in. His voice was low and smug.
“How does it feel to know I’ve already had a taste of that sweet pussy?”
The anger surged, but I’d learned long ago that patience was the greater reward. I slowly turned to look at him, a low rumble of a chuckle deep in my throat made his smirk falter.
“That was your first mistake,” I said. “And it’s why I’m eventually going to kill you.”