“No. What the fuck are you getting at, Mads?”
“I went into his room a bit before everything happened this morning, to get his laundry and I saw something.”
Jon, being pushed to his breaking point, asks her between gritted teeth, “What did you see?”
“You need to go in there. His wall is like a shrine to Jane, but like a really weird one. He put angel wings and halos on all her pictures until the most recent ones. I… just go look.”
We go over to the hallway with all the rooms the prospects are given. Opening the one that Cain stays in, I’m shocked at what I see. It’s an entire wall of pics of Jane. They go back to the first time she came to the shop when her old car broke down. They must have been taken on his cell phone. Most of the pics are like Mads said, decorated with white halos and angel wings. Written around them are things likeProtect the Angel,Earthly Angel,andMust Keep the Angel Safe. What the fuck? What looks like the most recent pics have no halos or wings on them. Instead, written in red around them are things likeSave the Angel,Devil is Possessing the Angel, andShe Must Be Saved!Again, what the fuck is this shit?
I wasn’t around when Cain became a prospect so I have to ask, “I thought we ran thorough background checks on all prospective prospects?”
Juan glares at me. “We as sure as fuck did. There was nothing in his history that showed he was crazy. He was in foster care from age ten on. From what I could find, he never was adopted or let back with his family. Never arrested or accused of anything.”
“Well, you better get back on that computer and try to find where the fuck he would take our woman. There’s gotta be something. Look into his parents too,” Jon tells Juan in the deep authoritative voice he gets when he’s about to blow.
Juan hurries out of the room and I hear him calling Samson to get back to his computer.
I’m still looking at all the pics on the wall when an animalistic roar comes from Jon and he starts tearing down the pictures. I let him go for a minute before I grab him from behind.
He doesn’t fight me, which tells me just how torn up he is.
“What’s he doin’ to her, Ror? How’s she ever going to forgive us for not protecting her better? What if she is pregnant, and this makes her lose the baby, or we lose her?”
“Son.” I didn’t even know Pa was here. Looking at him, I let J go.
“I know you know better than to borrow trouble and put that shit out in the air.”
“I know, I just, I feel so helpless just waiting and not going out searching for her.”
“Search where, son? You know going out searching now with no clues would be futile. Give your brother a little time. I’m sure he’s going to find something, even a little nugget that you can take and start a search. I get your anger and fear. She’s your forever.”
I voice my fear. “If something’s happened to her, I’m not sure I could go on.”
Pa looks at us both.
“Now we are going to get her back. We will rain hell on Cain and whoever he might have helping him in this madness. Remember, boys, we’re knights in shining armor till someone hurts our family…”
“Then we release the wrath of Valhalla on those who dare to do us harm,” Jon and I say in unison.
“Let’s get out of this psycho’s room. It’s only gonna piss you boys off more.”
“Any word on Mario and Tim, Pa?”
He looks at me. “Mario’s going to be fine. He’s only still at the hospital ’cause they had to give him some blood and need to monitor him. Tim, well, son, he didn’t make it. Wyatt and Grant are at the hospital with Ben. They’ll help him and keep an eye on Mario, too.”
Jane
I wake up with a screaming headache. I go to rub my eyes and my arm can’t move. It all comes rushing back to me. The guy coming into the house, me running from him and trying to fight him off. I know I got a few decent hits in, but when I slipped on a towel, he got the upper hand.
Looking around, I have no idea where I’m at or how long I’ve been here. This room doesn’t seem to have any windows that I can see. I’m on the ground, with my arms out to each side and tied to something. My legs are together but they are tied to something too. At least I still have my clothes on. Thank God for small favors I guess.
I hear a door open. “Good, Angel, you’re awake. We can get started now.”
What in the fuck? “Cain? What’s going on, why did you do this?”
“Shhh. We don’t want to awaken the devil that’s inside you. It’s time to prepare so we can exorcize the demon that’s come to reside within you, Angel.”
“Cain, what are you saying? You know it’s me, Jane, not Angel.”
