“How the hell should I know?”
“Fuck…this ain’t good.”
“No shit!” Smokey exclaimed. “I need Riley to find out what that asshole is involved in and what it has to do with the Blackwood Pack. I need to know if my mates are in danger.”
“Hmm…” Ghost thought for a moment, then said, “Maybe it has to do with Willow’s kidnapping and The Collector.”
“If that’s the case, then Glenn needs to know since his mate was also targeted by The Collector. Has he contacted you yet?”
“No.” Ghost thought about the info Smokey had just given him before answering. “I’ll have Riley poke around and see if he can find out anything. The agency’s known about The Collector for a while, so why bring the best asset they have in on it now…it just doesn’t make sense.”
“Maybe because Glenn raised hell over the agency’s failure to protect his mom?”
“Maybe…but then why wasn’t Glenn told about it?” asked Ghost.
“We don’t know they haven’t tried,” Smokey muttered. “With Snow White running silent, there wouldn’t be any way to reach him.”
“True,” Ghost replied. “Look, nose around on your end while Riley works on it here. If we’re lucky, there’s a simple explanation why Nicolet was there, and it doesn’t have anything to do with your mates.”
Smokey snorted, then quickly surveyed the area, confirming he was still alone. “I’ll do that…just make sure you call me with Riley’s findings…no waiting until you hear from Glenn. Am I clear?”
“Like crystal.”
Chapter 3
Cain stared through the glass as the drug wore off, only getting a glimpse of the ice-green eyes before they disappeared. Bracing himself?at least as best he could?he knew what was about to happen. The only thing left to think about was what new form of torture would be used against him, but fuck, it wouldn’t matter—they’d never be able to break him.
The heavy cell door rolled open on its tracks, jerking to a stop with a loud clang. It was a sound he’d never become used to; it always foreshadowed something bad. Keeping his eyes focused on the opening; he’d save his energy until his torturer entered before letting loose with his latest volley of insults and curses. It was the only weapon he had left since they’d stripped him naked after he’d tried to use his clothes to strangle his last bunkie.What a piece of shit he was!
Pushing thoughts of his former bunkmate aside, Cain inhaled quietly, then exhaled, waiting for the next round of pain. When no one appeared, he cursed silently; his captors were attempting to fuck with his mind, but he was wise to their games. So he waited quietly, knowing it would lead them to believe they were winning.
Cain counted the minutes in his head, and when five of them had passed, he smiled inwardly. He’d forgotten that patience could be a very effective weapon. Finally, his eyes demanded relief from their unrelenting stare, so he gave in and blinked. It was then that he saw her.
The woman was stunningly beautiful and, though she appeared to be old, her body was tight, her face unlined, and the only indication of age was long silver hair falling in layers around her face, highlighting sculptured cheekbones and soft lips. Her ice-green eyes were like lasers, ready to latch onto prey which in this case, he realized, was him.What kind of fuckery is this?He watched her as she walked into his cell, wearing a loose, flowing green dress, accenting the color of her eyes, moving with an uncommon grace that spoke of a much younger woman. Cain was so fixated on her that he never realized his cell door had banged closed without causing him to flinch. Shifting his eyes back to the woman, he waited for her to identify herself.
Standing inside the doorway, Oracle kept her eyes on Cain, instinct telling her it was wise to do so, especially with him. Even though she saw a flicker of curiosity in his eyes, she did not speak, refusing to engage with him in their silent battle of wills. The situation reminded her of the times Slate tried the same tactic as a child, always so sure he would succeed and get his way. Although it never happened, she had admired his optimism that one day he would prevail.
The tension in his cell grew, swirling around Cain until it seeped into each of his overextended quivering muscles. But even with the visible signs of his body rebelling against the position chosen for this round, he refused to lower his eyes. Strength was the difference between life or death in prison?it was a lesson he’d learned the hard way and, regardless of whatever methods were used in his current situation, the basic rules still applied. Don’t show weakness. Better to fight than be beaten up. Don’t tell the authorities anything. Keep your prior life a secret. And the most important one, don’t trust anyone—and that applied to guards and fellow prisoners as well. These were the rules that had kept him safe during the other times he was incarcerated, and they would not fail him this time either.
Five, ten, fifteen minutes had passed, yet Cain remained silent. Oracle knew how hard it was for him to keep his composure andshe was impressed. As usual, the Fates were right; Mr. Foster was the perfect man for the job. And now it was her job to convince him to sign on. Changing the rules of his game, she made the first move. “Mr. Foster, my name is Oracle. I have a proposition for you.”
It wasn’t often someone could get the drop on him, but the woman had achieved it with her blatant offer of sex. None of his previous jailers had tried using a prostitute to pry information from him, but he figured it was a sign of how desperate the authorities had become. “Not interested.”
“How do you know?” asked Oracle.
“Not interested.”
“Why not?” Oracle asked.
What the fuck is it with her?Ignoring her, Cain had something more important to handle than answering her useless questions. His muscles were reaching the end of their tolerance for counteracting the position in which they were being stressed, which meant the next stage would be extreme pain. Trying to relieve the weight on his arms, he reached up and grabbed the chains connected to his shackles, pulling on them slightly. While it wasn’t ideal, it helped reduce a small amount of strain, enough to buy him more time.
Oracle waited until Cain was breathing easier, then said, “I can help you.”
Staring back at Oracle, Cain decided to be more explicit since it was obvious she didn’t understand his previous answer. “Yeah, I’m sure you tell all your customers that, but I don’t need your ‘help’ cuz my fist works just fine.”
Oracle’s eyes widened a bit before her laughter filled the cell. When it finally faded, she wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and then smiled at Cain. “Thank you for that…I feel much better now.”
What the fuck?His patience finally at the end, Cain growled, “What the hell is your problem, lady? Haven’t you heard…no one can help me so why don’t you move your ass and get the fuck out of here. There’s nothing you can say or do that will get me to play ball.”
