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Shouts and running footsteps behind her didn’t slow her down. It took a moment until she got her bearings after recognizing Sam’s stolen car in the garage. Ellie was about to tell the two men running after her to get lost, when her world turned into a storm of fire and hail. The sound was a crescendo of pain vibrating inside her head to the point where her legs gave out.
Arms over her head, her body being battered from falling pieces from the sky, her ears ringing, Ellie’s eyes filled with tears. It was like suddenly being disconnected from the world, a preview of what being at death’s door was like.
As if from a great distance, she could hear voices, but she couldn’t discern what was being said. Arms grabbed her, and pain exploded in her head the moment she was moved. Nausea fighting with agony, Ellie tried to get her bearings, but it was impossible to make her brain work.
Feeling like a rag doll, she floated in and out of consciousness until her world went dark for good.
Or did it? Even without her vision, it was as if her body never ceased moving. Her ears were only buzzing now, although it sounded like a cat was purring full throttle right inside her skull.
Where was Sam? If only she could shake off the cotton that had filled her head and make her body respond to simple commands.
Like a boat floating in the middle of the sea, she lost track of time. She stayed that way until a dim light from behind her closed eyelid acted like the necessary switch for her brain to function again.
One blink, and then another, and Ellie realized that the glow was coming from under a door. When she dared to move by rolling onto her back, she discovered her body was sore but not as bad as she’d anticipated.
What had happened? As she slowly stretched each of her limbs, testing for injuries, her mind tried to make sense of what had happened. An explosion. It was the only thing that could’ve happened. Was it from a gas leak?
Sitting on the bed, she looked around, and with the faint illumination saw she was in a comfortable room, but not one she had seen at Lazarus’s.
Just as she was about to test her legs, the door opened, the now stark light blinding her poor eyes for an instant. When she could see again, it wasn’t Sam or Lazarus before her, but a man she’d never seen, and seeing the gleam in his eyes, as well as the two men flanking him, Ellie knew she wasn’t in Kansas anymore, and nobody would come to rescue her.
Chapter Nine
It was soweird how the brain worked sometimes. Ellie had heard of people fainting in the face of danger, others cried, and many begged to have their life spared. It seemed she was in another category—those who waited to see what would happen next. It wasn’t freezing in the face of danger, or not feeling anything because she was scared as hell, but more as if her entire being was waiting for more information before deciding which reaction to have.
“I see you’re awake.”
His voice was low, controlled, just like the man himself appeared to be. He was tall, and she guessed well in his sixties, but he wasn’t one of those people who became softer with age. Handsome face, lean and muscled, his body reflected the need for control she guessed he required. In a suit, the stranger wanted to make a statement. However, even though it was spotlessly clean, it had seen better days. Hair stylishly swept back, it was a soft gray, one that overtook the color of his beard too. It needed a trim. Was he a man who didn’t have the time to take care of that, or one who was on the run? It was when she finally locked gazes with him and fell into the swirling silvery irises she knew so well, she realized who was standing before her. Sam and Lazarus’ father. Jamieson Finch.
“With the amount of blood from your head injury, I didn’t think you’d survive the ride. Too bad you were standing so close to the detonation. It was unexpected.”
It was only when he mentioned the blast that she noticed the throbbing in her head. When she reached for her temple, her fingers trembled, but she didn’t acknowledge it.
“We wiped away the blood. I hate the stench of it as it dries and even if this place has its share of stains, I didn’t see why we should add more.”
The snark in his comment told her he wasn’t happy to be in this situation, that it was beneath his station.
“Why am I here?”
Eyes as sharp as blades returned to her, but he smiled. “Your first question isn’t to ask who I am. I see my sons have already told you. I would say that’s good, but as we won’t be together for long, I doubt that piece of information will be of any use to you.”
When she’d thought about ending her life, Ellie hadn’t felt any emotion about it, but now that someone wanted to do it for her, anger made her want to launch herself at him. “You have no right to keep me as your prisoner.”
“Ms. McLaren, I’ve ignored the law for so long, I won’t start complying with it now.”
One of the men behind him lowered his head, a smirk on his mouth, but Ellie knew she couldn’t be distracted from the main threat. “How do you know my name?”
“Is that really important? Just know that I keep tabs on everything and everyone that may be of interest concerning my sons.”
“Of interest or are you more interested in finding something you can use against them?” It wasn’t like her to be so direct, but if it kept her from succumbing to fear, she wasn’t against it.
“Ah! Sam has already gained your loyalty and in such a short span of time. I find it remarkable. You see, apart from his brothers, he hasn’t forged relationships with other people for a long time. I think it’s a shame that he’s started now.”
Ellie frowned at this strange revelation but stopped soon as it made her forehead hurt. “A shame?”
“Well, you see, I’ve always had a special relationship with Sam. One that centers around who I want him to become, and I wouldn’t like to see anyone steering him away from that path.”
“What?” More questions wanted to stumble out of her mouth, but she only managed the single word.
