Chapter Forty-Nine
He knows. Nix’s words were soft, her eyes fully focused on the man in front of us.
What are you talking about? Megan turned back to us. He’s scum.
Nix shook her head. Look at him, Megan. Truly look, and push away your hatred towards Brandon, Vince, and well, the entire male population. Megan snorted but turned back.
What am I looking for? Megan sighed, but focused. I stepped closer, trying to see what she was seeing.
Nix was focused on Rick. Look at his skin. He is sweating, he’s pale, but his eyes are focused. His hand… She trailed off.
He’s clutching at his neck.
Megan tensed beside me. “What happened first, Rick?”
He turned his haunted eyes back to us. “What?”
Megan sighed as she crept closer. “What came first? You working with Vince? Or Abby getting branded?”
“Does it matter?” He slammed back against the wall and dropped to his ass. “It changes nothing.”
“It matters.” She growled. “It matters to me, and I know it will matter to Amy.”
“Why?” He dropped his head into his hands.
“It doesn’t change that I’m a dead man. That Abby is fucked unless Amy comes back to save her.
That I won’t get to watch my little girl grow up.
” His voice broke, and then he did. Sobs ripped from his chest as if there was no way for him to hold them in.
“I failed as a father, as a mate.” His eyes looked up and latched on to us. “As a friend.”
“What do you mean?” Megan sat back on her haunches. I could feel her softening. His words, his emotions, were breaking through her suspicion.
“I pulled Amy in. I knew. I lied to her when I said I knew nothing about magic.” He touched the back of his neck.
“Her father…he had told me stories about his family. And at the time I laughed him off. But then I met Vince.” He stopped and let out a groan that I could hear the pain in.
“Have you ever met someone and immediately regretted it? Someone if you could go back in time and avoid meeting all together, you would. That’s Vince. ”
“Why?” Megan was just asking questions. I need to know. Her voice was firm.
Why do you need to know if it was before or after? Nix question stopped us. We have to help him still; he has a pup, a mate.
Because I need to know if he betrayed Shelly. I need to know if he did this intentionally or if he was forced into it.
Would it change anything? I asked her.
Megan looked back at me. It would tell us if we can trust him.
Nix scoffed. A little late for that, isn’t it? We already showed him our cabin, our pup.
The words hit me in my gut, but Megan nodded. Exactly, we need to know if we have to move them.
“He lured me in. He was nice at first…too nice. But I thought he was friends with Amy's dad. I mean…” He looked at me with a pained expression and groaned. He doubled over and then shook.
“What’s wrong with you?” Megan walked as close to the bars as she could without touching.
Rick groaned and rolled over and we all watched the rune on his next burn bright. The skin around his neck bubbled, and blood poured from his lips. Then, like a switch, the light was gone, and Rock was left panting in a pool of his own blood.
“The rune, it was burning though the rest of the excess power. When I stop using it, it purges the rest of the magic from my system, so I can’t use it against Vince. Like a safety net.”
“It’s killing you.”
“I know…but it was the only thing I could do.”
“What are you talking about?”
Rick sighed. “Vince pulled me in. Got close to me. Told me his secrets, because he thought I was sold. But he didn’t know Amy’s dad was my friend. My benefactor. So when I refused to help him with her dad’s security. I woke up with the rune carved into me.”
“Then you are on his side.” Megan snarled.
But Rick just shook his head. “No…I still refused. But then Abby came home sick, and I knew I was toast. I had to play it smart. Her dad always told me to be smarter than anyone else in the room.” He shook. “I had to be, or else my little girl was dead.”
“So this was all an elaborate lie? How is Amy supposed to believe you? How is she supposed to know that you didn’t run to Vince with her secrets?”
Rick sighed. “I have no way of making her believe me. I can make a vow…I can tell her absolutely everything. Shelly already knows it all.” He leveled a look at me.
“I’ve been training her to break into Vince’s system since her first day.
She’s ready. She just has to find the back door I created, and then the entire system is hers.
” He pushed up off the ground. “I’m really sorry you’re in here.
Even sorrier you’re going to die. I promise I will tell her the truth as soon as she gets back. ”
“You’re going to let me die here?” Megan let her words sound incredulous.
Rick walked to the bars. “I don’t want you to die. But I have no way of getting you out of here without being seen or found out. If I could save you and only lose my own life, I would do it. You don’t deserve to be here…”
“But?” Megan cut in.
“But I have a pup and a mate who would be executed if I went against Vince.” He grabbed the bar and I heard the sizzle of his skin against the silver. “I can’t risk them. I hope you and Amy will understand that.” He pulled back and turned away.
“Wait!” Megan called after him.
He turned. “The guard is coming back in a minute. Be quick.”
“Will you come back to speak with me?” She tried to get close. “I have so many questions.”
Rick looked back to the door. “I can try. But Vince doesn’t like random people coming in here.”
“Then why did you come in now?” Megan pushed.
“Because…” His shoulders sagged. “Because I felt like a monster and I felt like I needed to explain. If I could have let you go, I would have. But I can’t risk them.”
Megan sat back. “You came to ease your guilt?”
He shook his head. “Guilt has become my best friend. There is nothing I could do to ease the guilt at this point. I just felt like I needed to explain myself to you. If that makes any sense.” He raised his shoulder.
“I listen to where the Goddess points me now. I stopped asking questions a while ago.”
Megan tilted her head. “The Goddess?”
Rick bobbed his head. “The last time I felt a push, it was to accept Amy, and now she might save my kid. So now I listen.” He turned back to look at me one last time. “I truly am sorry. You don’t deserve this. I’m hoping that if Amy gets back to me, we can get you out.” Then he walked to the door.
“If I can get out myself…when would be the best time?” Megan called after him.
He stayed looking at the door. “I would wait until Vince comes to see you in a day. He has a thing for you, girl, and he’ll become distracted.
Allow it to happen for a little while. He’ll become angry.
Like you’re distracting him from his plans, but he’ll still come because you are his new drug, his fix.
Once he leaves, he’ll be angry about wasting his time and ignore this place like a plague for a day or so. Go then.”
“How will I know it’s time?”
Rick looked over his shoulder. “Vince is like an addict when he finds a new girl to chase after. He has the same pattern. He will visit multiple times a day, then grow frustrated, and the visits will grow less. He’s quick to fall, and quick to move on.
Give it a week. By the end he will leave you alone for a day, then you will know.
” Then Rick pushed out of the door and left me alone with my thoughts.
So we are here for at least a week? Nix huffed out a sigh.
I raised a shoulder. It will give us time to collect information. Megan trotted over to the bed and laid down. Getting comfortable? I chuckled at her as she dug under the thin blanket.
Might as well. I need to rest. My body has had less time outside, and I am weaker than you and Nix. And while I’d love for either of you to take over, or share power with me, I also realize we will need most of your power when we escape.
That’s days from now… Nix offered, but Megan just settled deeper into the bed, curling up.
Yeah, but we don’t know how many traps are around here. We rushed in, no plan last time, and look where that got us. Now we have to plan. She turned to me. Is there a way for you to keep us from being drained by the magic thrown around here?
I settled on the ground next to Nix. I don’t honestly know. But I can try to figure it out.
Good. Megan nodded, I looked at Nix, and we both snorted. But Megan was already asleep and I looked at Nix.
Sleep. I’ll take the first watch.
Nix settled against my side. Are you sure?
Yeah, I’m sure. If anyone comes in to talk to us, I will wake everyone up.
Nix curled up and put her head on my lap again.
In minutes, she was asleep. Once again I was alone with my own thoughts, surrounded by my snoring wolves.
I pulled magic to me; tossing a ball of light up in my mind to illuminate the book I manifested in my hands.
I rubbed my fingers over my Book of Shadows, its words and form, a figment of my imagination here.
But it would mirror the real one at home.
Now…to find a solution.
There was a bang, and a door slammed open. “Alpha.” The guard at the door called, and instantly we were all on guard.
“Leave us.” He motioned for the wolf to leave, and he strolled down to my cell. “Hello.” He watched me with hooded eyes. “Still vicious?” Megan growled, causing Vince to chuckle. “I find it interesting that you aren’t afraid of me.”
We barked out a laugh. “Why would I be afraid of you?”
Vince froze. “You speak?” Megan rolled her eyes and turned our back on him.
“Stupid male.” She tossed her head, glaring at him over her back.
He chuckled, then turned back to the door. He grabbed the chair there and pulled it over in front of my cell. “Well, you kept your mouth shut the first day we met. I assumed you were mute.”
I huffed out a sigh. “I nearly bit half of your face off. My mouth was very much open.”