All characters that are from the TWILIGHT saga by Stephanie Meyer belong to Stephanie Meyer. All others belong to me. I do not receive profit for these stories except for the joyous enjoyment of reviews.
This story follows right after When I'm Gone: Third Installment to GONE Saga, so if you haven't read that one or the two before, please do.
The timeline of the story will coincide with Gabriel Michael Laskaris' growing up years, starting at Seth and Rosa's wedding day, April 12th and will progress from there.
AN: Bonzgirl –life ain't fair, my friend. Even in fiction. Other than that, sorry it took me a while to update. The Easter season is packed full of activities for me, and with two jobs plus my business, I am limited in time to dedicate to my writing. Know that I am already working on the next chapter and hopefully I can get it complete, plus another one, before the summer activities start crowding my calendar.
As always, enjoy while you read, and please! Please review, because it's what makes me see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Chapter Eighty-Nine (17 yrs old)
Wednesday, August 26th, 4:45AM
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The air was heavy with the muffled sound of music as Vivi made her way to the auditorium, wondering who would be in this early when rehearsals didn't start until seven. She herself had come in to get some private time on the stage, to dance and let go of all the emotions building up inside her.
Pushing the heavy door open, she stopped a few feet in, keeping herself hidden in the shadows, eyes trained on the lone dancer on the stage.
The back stage lights were on and the music's heavy bass reverberated against the walls. It took a good two minutes of watching arms and legs, hips and shoulders, feet and head move to the rhythm of the music, all the time with eyes closed before Vivi realized she was holding her breath.
She had seen dancers before –it was the reason why she had wanted to be one herself. But watching her…it was more than just dance. It was the release of her soul from the prison of her body. Vivi was certain if there was no music, it would still be as beautiful, as heart-rending, as breath-stealing as it was right now.
Leaning her head against the wall as she cross her arms and ankles, she couldn't take her eyes off of her, watching as she executed perfect spins, arms long and fluid…and all the while, that bright colored ribbon she'd seen the first time they met spun out of her, inch by inch, beautifully wrapping itself around her.
Vivi didn't like Thalia –in fact, her feelings teetered on hatred for the one she knew was meant for Marc. She had no intention of letting them meet, not until it benefited her, that is. For now, Marc was still struggling with the emotions she continued to shove his way, all of them so much more intense now that she was feeling them as well. Since that day she'd set foot on that very stage, it was like everything she'd frozen inside her had not only thawed but doubled in size, and now he was carrying that extra weight for her. Not out of the goodness of his heart, which she was certain he had none, but because she made sure of it.
The change of music, now a slow heavy beat, had her thoughts focus on what she was seeing, her face flushing as she watched Thalia easily moved into the heavy beat, her body fluid and sensual. She recognized the choreography, her eyes following each step, each sweep, finally realizing why Thalia had given her the leading role –leading role, hell. She was meant to be her understudy.
"Se um orgasmo tivesse um corpo, isso seria o que parecia, você não acha?" *If an orgasm had a body, that's the way it would look, don't you think?
Looking over her shoulder and into the dark brown eyes of Lucca, who stood behind her left shoulder, Vivi took in a breath through her mouth, which didn't help. Her throat closed tight for a second before relaxing, her mouth filling with saliva as the scent of his blood –fresh and citrusy –made its way to her nose.
It didn't matter how much she gorched herself –it had taken three jungle cats last night to get her fill –she still craved the full bodied taste of a man's blood. The way it would coat her tongue, like hot wet silk, and have her body humming with pleasure...she'd never felt anything like it before that long fateful night. Looking back, she realized now she hadn't bitten him because she'd orgasmed, as he had thought...she'd orgasmed because she'd bitten him.
Blinking, she shied away from her chaotic thoughts, focusing on Lucca's face, speaking in Portuguese because she knew he did not speak English, "Why didn't she tell me I would be her understudy?"
"Oh no, baby doll," Lucca crossed his arms over his chest, his dancer's body relaxed as he watched Thalia, "She's to be your understudy. Although, I can see why you would think that...she does take your breath away, doesn't she?"
Vivi didn't respond, eyes trained on Thalia as she finished with the choreography, her eyes still closed.
"Watching her always makes me wonder what she'd be like in bed."
She turned in surprise, having seen the way Lucca and Thalia interacted with each other, "You're not –"
"Fucking her?" Lucca gave Vivi a side-ways look, his full lips spreading into a white-toothed grin, "No. That little bombshell has never been detonated."
Wrinkling her nose at his crude words, she pushed away from the wall and walked out of the auditoreum, heading towards the dressing rooms. When the timing was right, that little bombshell as Lucca called her, was going to blow through the only obstacle standing in her way.
With any luck, Marc would end up as collateral damage along the way –the bastard truly deserved it.
8:32AM
La Push, WA
The younger kids were still sleeping in, since they had one week left of summer vacation before having to start school. With Emmie being over at Embry's to harvest her small vegetable garden, Zak and Gabe doing morning rounds, Rick and Leah were enjoying their quiet breakfast together until banging on the front door disrupted their breakfast, Leah looking over at Rick before standing up to go see who it was.
"Where the hell is my daughter?"
Leah took a step back, looking over the man's shoulder at one of La Push's deputies, "What's going on, Matt?"
"I'm the one talking to you, bitch."
"Hey," Rick opened the door wider, easily moving Leah to the side and slightly behind him, "You speak to my wife with respect or you don't speak to her at all."
"Sorry Rick," Matt moved to stand beside the red-faced man, his thumbs hooked on the pockets of his dark blue jeans, "Mr. Hausler here is looking for his daughter."
"I'm not looking for my daughter," he growled at the long-haired sheriff, blue eyes bloodshot as he turned his glare towards Rick and Leah, "Your son has her. She's still seventeen and I didn't give her permission to be out of the house, so that means he's kidnapped her."
"Megan isn't here," Leah moved to stand beside Rick, jaw tight as she glared right back at the pudgy angry man, closing her eyes at the sound of her oldest child behind them, "What's going on?"
"You," he shoved his way between Leah and Rick, hands fisted at his sides, "You kidnapped my daughter!"
Gabe stood tall and straight, muscled arms crossed over his broad chest as he stared down at his accuser, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't act dumb, you Indian asshole."
Zak, who had come in behind Gabe, grimaced as Leah shoved at the man, her normally smiling brown-green eyes shooting sparks of rage, "Don't you talk to my son like that."
"Get your hands off me," he pushed her away from him, instantly realizing his mistake when all three guys lunged towards him, Rick reaching him first as he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slammed him up against a wall, blue eyes iced over with rage, "You think you can come into my house, insult my son, and put your hands on my wife without any repercussions?"
"I'll press charges," the three words came out in gasps as Rick applied more pressure to his throat, his feet dangling several inches away from the floor.
"No can do, Mr. Hausler," Matt tapped Rick's shoulder, spinning Megan's dad around and yanking his hands behind his back as soon as Rick stepped back, "They didn't invite you into their home –that's called breaking and entering."
"This is bullshit," he tried to struggle as Matt handcuffed his hands, tripping slightly as Matt pulled him away from the wall and towards the opened door, his head swiveling to glare at Gabe, "If my daughter's not home by tonight, I'm calling the FBI!"
As soon as the door closed behind them, Leah turned to Gabe, not surprised to see he was on his phone, her heart squeezing when he looked over at her, "She's not answering."
"Where are you going?"
He looked over his shoulder at her, "I wouldn't put him past him to hurt her then put the blame on me."
She nodded, her hand closing over Rick's as he headed out the back door, Zak right behind him, "I'm coming with you."
Neither spoke as they headed into the woods, quickly stripping out of their shorts and phasing, being they would get to Megan's house at the other side of Forks quicker this way. As soon as they hit the perimeter of the backyard, they both reared their heads, the sickly sweet scent like a punch to the snout.
Gabe snorted, dropping his large head to sniff at the ground, picking up two distinct trails of the same scent, one familiar to all of them being it was the allusive scent of the bitch they'd been unsuccessfully chasing for the past year, Fucking shit. Zak, follow the trail heading away from the house.
How far do I go?
Three miles, Gabe knew Zak had no problem going after the coldblooded bitch on his own, but their ma would kick their asses if he let him go alone, if it gets stronger, you stop and let me know. You do not go after it alone.
Shaking his large frame, Zak took off, disappearing into the darkness of the forest without a sound. Shifting, Gabe pulled on his cut-offs, moving towards the back door where the fainter scent led to. Finding the door locked, he took a step back and kicked it open without much effort on his part, a low growl rumbling in his chest as he moved through the utility room and down the hallway, the stench strong in the enclosed space. By the time he made it up to Megan's room, his nose was on fire, his body tight with tense rage as he looked around the room.
The sweet stench of the vampire overpowered the scent of vanilla and cinnamon he associated with Megan, causing the fire climbing up his back to intensify to epic proportions as he moved towards the unmade bed. Turning his upper body, he caught the blinking red light of Megan's opened laptop as Zak walked into the room, his dark hair mussed as he looked around the empty room, "Trail heads north of here –she's probably already over the Canadian border."
Gabe pointed at the laptop, Zak stopping at the foot of the bed as they both stared at the blank screen, "Is it recording us?"
Gabe shook his head, his gut burning with an overload of rage and adrenaline, "No –it would be solid if she were."
Zak looked around the room, picking up on small details, like the corner of the left window drape no longer hanging from its ring, the lamp on the farside bedside table laying on its side, "Megan put up a fight. Think the bitch left us a message?"
"She never has before," Gabe reached out to swipe his finger across the mousepad, closing it into a fist when he saw it was trembling, "Why would she now?"
"She's never taken anyone before, either," Zak sucked in air through his mouth, his nose already burning from the heavy stench permeating the room's air, "And as we know from my and Bradley's encounters with her, she likes to taunt."
Without further word, he clicked the camera icon on the screen, both of them sucking in a painful breath as the pale red-eyed face of the leech dominated the screen, a wide smile showing off gleaming white teeth, "What a pleasure to know I'm not dealing with simple minded mongrels. Rest assured, I'm already far away from your precious land, but I did decide to get myself a...souvenior."
They watched as she moved away from the screen, revealing a plain room with a simple wooden chair in the middle which had Megan tied to it, a gag keeping her from calling out as soon as she saw Gabe's face on the computer screen. Gabe leaned forward, resting his shaking hands on either side of the laptop, "I'm going to find you Meg. You hold on for me, angel. I promise I'll find you."
"How sweet," the small dark haired vampire came back into view, casually moving to stand behind Megan, reaching out to stroke her small hands through Megan's discheveled blond hair, "It's a pity you won't be able to keep your promise."
"Let her go," Gabe's words came out in a low growl, his nostrils flaring with anger, "Your beef is with us –she has nothing to do with any of this shit."
"Tut, tut, tut, tut," gathering Megan's thick blond hair, she gently, almost reverently, dropped it down her back before moving her small fingers to stroke her neck, "It always amazes me the filth your mother allows to come out of your mouths...then again, being she's the bitch who whelped you filthy dogs, it really shouldn't."
Zak's blue eyes narrowed as he moved closer to Gabe in silent support to his Alpha's threat, "We will find you. And we will destroy you."
"But until then, I will have my revenge," the smile on her face never wavered, her ruby-red eyes bright as she carefully closed her fingers around Meg's throat, letting up the pressure when she began to struggle, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Was I hurting you? Or were you suprised over your boyfriend's declaration?" She leaned down to speak softly into her ear, keeping her voice modulated so it would be picked up by the computer's microphone, "He never did tell you the truth about himself, did he? About what he is? And why that sweet little ex-girlfriend of his left him?"
The fear in Megan's tear glazed green-blue eyes practically tore a hole into Gabe's heart as the diminutive leech continued to taunt her, "He never trusted you enough to tell you the world you live in is filled with mythic creatures and monsters, did he? My kind are not the only monsters walking this earth, although they sure would like to think so...his kind think they're not monsters because they have beating hearts, just like you weakling little humans. They seem to think just because we lack a heartbeat, we can't love and hate the way they do...how wrong they are."
Megan jerked as ice cold lips touched her throat, right over the pulse beating furiously below delicate skin, Gabe's face flushind darkly as he growled out in anger, "Don't you dare fucking bite her!"
The throaty chuckle given in response had Megan shuddering, the gag keeping her quiet soaking up the tears that had finally broken free. She grimaced at the feel of something cold and wet moving up her throat, gagging when she realized it was a tongue.
"Mmm," she gave him an evil smile as she took in a deep breath, "Cinnamon and vanilla...with a hint of apples. I remember loving apple pie..." her breath was icy against Megan's hot skin, causing another unpleasant shiver to run through her, "I look forward to tasting it again. Tell me, mongrel –did you ever explain to her about your...love affair –with one of my kind? Granted, she may only be a half-breed, but she craves blood the same way we do. She can deny it as much as she wants, but she is indeed one of us, as I'm sure she proved to you."
Gabe could hear Zak murmurring into his phone, having felt his younger brother step out of the room, probably to get a hold of Brady and have him hack into Megan's computer to trace the IP address to the computer the coldblooded bitch was using.
"Before I let your sweet little angel say good-bye to you, I want to share something–it's actually rather ironic. See, the only reason my own love came onto your flea infested land was because of your little hybrid friends...we're attracted to our own kind, most of the time. Its always a curiosity when we scent a fellow vampire, mostly because we want to know what kind of competition for resources we're dealing with. Phillip didn't care about that, though...oh, no, he was mostly interested in knowing why there were two little vampires living right in the middle of enemy territory. Intriguing, isn't it, how love can tear into you until you bleed –or in my case, break until the hate is the only thing holding me together. I promise you I won't stop –and no one is sacred to me."
Gabe's entire body was trembling, his anger raw and pulsating as he held on to a mere thread of sanity, "I'll stop at nothing to destroy you."
"And so the game continues, pup," tilting her head to the side, a soft smile pulled at her full lips as she gently undid the gag covering Megan's mouth, "Although I didn't get the opportunity to say good-bye to my love, I'll let her say good-bye to you..."
"It's not your fault," Megan called out as soon as her mouth was free, her bright blue-green eyes begging him to believe her, "I love you Gabe. Don't forget you promised –"
Gabe let out a scream when the screen went blank, fisting his shaking hands as he turned to look at Zak, "Tell me Brady got something."
Zak nodded, listening to Brady for another minute before hanging up, "He was able to hack into Meg's computer through her WiFi connection and ping the connection. Apparently, its on some proxy server but he's certain he'll get the actual physical IP address in an hour, maybe less."
"We don't have a fucking hour," Gabe growled as they headed downstairs, walking out of the house from the back door, not surprised to see the rest of his pack waiting just inside the forest line.
"Brady's working on it," Bailey's face was set in place, hot anger evident in her dark eyes, the wet breeze sifting through her hair and tossing it into her face, but she didn't bother brushing it out of the way, "While he's doing his thing, we should follow that second trail before it gets too cold."
"Where did you say it goes to," Gabe looked over at Zak, lifting his chin at Bailey, the silent signal for her to find a private place to phase and give the guys their own privacy.
North of here, Zak answered once they all were on four legs, moving into the Beta position as he looked over at the rest of the pack –Sam and Seth stood next to each other, with Bailey standing a few feet away from Quil, towards the Canadian border.
Bradley is on his way here, Sam's words were quiet in their heads, yet had a thread of steel running through them as he looked at his Alpha, as are Collin and Doug.
Giving him a mental nod, he headed towards the trail left behind, a heavy sensation weighing on him as he thought about the possibility of it being a wild goosechase.
We have to find her, his words weighed heavy with anger, and barely discernible guilt, as he picked up the speed, the rest of his pack keeping pace as they weaved through the forest, This isn't her world...it shouldn't be her fight.
The IP address is in Vancouver, Brady's voice cut in as he mentally let them know where he was and how soon he would catch up to them.
They all kept pace with their Alpha, no one saying anything else, all knowing they had to find his Megan...or die trying.
3 Days Later
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
"The editor approved your second book," Ashley Eddison, agent to new literary talent, picked up the box she had brought with her and set it on the table as soon as Marc sat down across from her, the scent of coffee and pastries permeating the air of the Confeitaria Colombo, creating –along with the hushed conversations –an ambiance allowing for a relaxed business meeting, "And these are the three copies of The Indian Princess and the Wolf-man you requested. Keep in mind, it's still another month before the book is released. The publishing company doesn't want the book to go public yet – it could ruin the hype their PR team is working on."
"I trust the people I'm sending them to," Marc gave his attention to the waitress approaching their table, ordering an espresso and a cherry Danish before turning to smirk at her, "There was no need for you to come all the way down to Rio to give me the books. You could have mailed them."
Ashley tossed back her long blond hair, blue eyes sparkling as she gave him a flirty smile, "I don't trust the Brazilian postal office. There was no way I was going to let these books get lost in transit."
Leaning back on the chair he was sitting on, he let his smirk grow, "You don't trust the Brazilian post office...you sure its not because you're wanting a repeat of that night?"
She laughed at the cockiness in his voice, crossing her long legs as she smirked at him, "As memorable as that night was, I don't mix business with pleasure, and since you're now my client, there will be no repeat."
Picking up the espresso cup the waitress set before him, he took a sip of the hot liquid, "That's what you get for breaking the rules of the one-night stand."
"And look where you are because I did," she smoothed her hands down the silk fabric of the teal colored skirt she wore with a simple white top, "Had I not stuck around long enough to get a glimpse of your work, we wouldn't be here."
"I would have found a way."
"Yes, but it would have taken you longer," she cocked her head to the side, her smile smug, "In the end, you got what you wanted –sex with no strings attached and an illustrious career as a world reknown writer and artist."
"Not world reknown."
"Not yet, but soon," her blue eyes sparkled as she looked over his should to where the cafe's front door opened, her smile growing, "Ah, there's the real reason why I made the trip."
His eyes moved down her body as soon as she stood up, memories of what she looked like naked flashing through his mind before he focused to the guy she was greeting, his nose twitching as he picked up on a new scent, one much sweeter than the usual mouth-watering bouquet of human blood.
"Marc," Ashley looked over at him, lips slightly swollen from the kiss he'd given her, "I'd like you to meet the friend I told you about. This is Nahuel Pereyra –we met about a month after I met you. I was in Rio for a conference and went to this little wine bar where they have poetry readings. Nahuel's poetry is..."
The look on her face, along with the smirk Nahuel was sporting was all Marc really needed to guess the ending of that sentence. He held out his hand as soon as they sat down, Nahuel taking an available chair from one of the nearby unoccupied tables and setting it beside her, their small round table not allowing for much space, "Marcos de la Luna."
"I've heard about you," Nahuel's hand was steady as he gripped Marc's hand for a brief moment before letting go, teak colored eyes twinkling as he studied Marc, "Ash seems to think you'll be the next Dr. Seuss."
"Hardly," settling back in his chair, he rested his ankle over his other knee, taking another sip of his espresso, "My work is tamer, probably because I'm not tripping on acid."
"But still as captivating," Ashley shifted until her side rested against Nahuel's, his arm drapped over the back of her chair, long fingers stroking her opposite shoulder, "I wanted you two to meet because I thought you might become good friends –you have quite a bit in common."
"Aside from you, you mean," Marc's mouth tilted into a smirk, his dark brown eyes moving between her and Nahuel before settling on him, off handedly asking, "Do you hunt?"
"Many of us do, here in Rio," his words came out smooth, his face not revealing the thoughts going through his head, "It's a jungle out there, and there's a certain...thrill to hunting the world's natural predators."
Nodding, he finished his espresso, checking his watch for the time, "I do believe Ashley is right. We just might become friends –as long as we stay out of each other's hunting grounds."
"I agree," Nahuel looked into Ashley's blue eyes, seeing the confusion there. Cupping the back of her head, he pressed a kiss on her forehead before giving her a smile, "Just a bit of grand-standing, bebê. You know how men are... sempre precisando saber quem tem o pau maior." *Always needing to know who has the biggest dick.
Marc was impressed to see Ashley let out a giggle at the same time she rolled her eyes, breaking off a piece of his danish, "You're the one with the dancer-sister?"
Nahuel nodded, the long brown hair tied at the base of his neck catching the light, which gave it a slightly reddish tone, "She's one of many –sisters, that is. My...father...he likes to spread his seed far and wide, regardless of the consequences. As far as I know, I'm the only male he's been able to breed, and I hope it stays that way."
Nodding as he chewed on the flaky pastry, he easily sifted through all the information, able to read between the lines, "I couldn't agree more. Too much tempting...prey for men like us to exist."
Ashley looked between the two before letting out a sigh filled with exasperation, "So this conversation has officially become confusing –hey, maybe you can take me hunting with you next time you go."
Nahuel let out a mocking laugh, reaching up to tap a finger against her straight little nose, "You wouldn't like it –its too dirty and dangerous...not to mention, bloody."
Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head before glancing at the slim gold watch on her wrist, "Okay, maybe not. Nahuel, we need to go if we're going to make our dinner reservations."
"Tudo bem querida," he took her hand in his as they stood up, Marc standing along with them, "We should get together and swap hunting stories."
"Sounds like fun," Marc shook Nahuel's hand, dropping a couple of bills to cover his order and the tip before picking up his box, "Ashley can give you my number."
They walked out together, parting ways after a round of farewells, Marc rounding the corner towards the garage where he'd parked, but not before looking over his shoulder just as Nahuel and Ashley reached a black Lobini H1, a Brazil made sports car just making its debut outside of its country. He watched as Nahuel opened the door for Ashley, but not before pulling her into his arms and kissing her, his hands low on her back, resting on the curve of her ass.
Shaking his head, he went on his way, wondering what she was doing, wondering if she was over him, if it had been hard for her to move past the hurt and pain of their break-up. It had been over a year since that day...a year where he'd done his damn best to forget her in the blur of one night stands. Curved bodies, blond hair, blue eyes –he'd hoped her face would blend with all the others until he could no longer distinguish her from them. It hadn't worked –instead, all of their faces became hers and he was left with a long string of her, leaving him doing the same thing he did to her over and over again.
He had hoped fucking his way through every blue eyed blond he came across would help him grow numb, but the bitch he once called sister kept flaying him open, smearing his feelings of guilt, shame and hurt over Betty all over his life. Letting out a sigh, he tossed the box he held into his backseat before getting behind the wheel, the engine turning with a roar before settling into its usual purr.
As he headed towards the center of Rio, where he could get lost in the crowds of the many bars and clubs, he wondered what the hell she was planning against him. It was obvious to him she had plans of revenge for having made her leave La Push –revenge that meant more to her than whatever the fuck she felt for Gabe.
He wasn't being paranoid...after all, ever since they arrived Rio, he'd let go of any control he had over her. He was done dragging her along to keep him company, done with feeling responsible for the havoc she created without even trying, done with her altogether. He no longer gave a fuck whether her decisions ruined her life or not –for Marc, his sister Vivi no longer existed.
This Viviana, the one he shared space with but nothing else, no longer interested him...just like she had no interest for him, except to make him suffer. No worries, though, because the day was coming when he would be able to take his own revenge on her...sort of like a final twist to the knife.
Hell, he hoped to fuck she didn't take her fucking sweet time. He just wanted it done and over with so she could get the hell away from him and out of his life.
La Push, WA
"It's been a fucking week!"
"Calm down," Bailey admonished her Alpha, watching him as he paced around the large rectangular table taking up much of the space in the small kitchen that was their meeting place. There was a time when all pack meetings were held at her childhood home, but now that Gabe was in charge of their strange little ragtag pack, they met at the Laskaris' place whenever a meeting was needed, like now, "Brady's still working on tracking down the car."
"We shouldn't have left," Gabe shoved his fingers through his hair, shoulders aching with the tension and stress he was caring, his jaw hurting from the constant grinding of his teeth, "We should have stayed in Vancouver and kept looking for her."
"Once that bitch got her into the car, there was no way for us to track them," Bailey leaned back into her seat, crossing her arms under her breasts, "It would have done no good staying there and chasing our fucking tails. Besides, Brady needed a computer to hack into the street cameras."
Gabe stood still, hands clasped behind his head, staring at the floor. A sudden burst of rage crashed over him, making it impossible to think rationally. Without warning, he punch his fist into the wall beside him, his knuckles and fingers cracking with the impact as he let out a scream of pain and anger, "Fuck! This is not her world, it's not her fight –she had no idea about any of this and now that coldblooded bitch has done the one thing we are supposed to prevent."
"Gabe," Zak's quiet voice helped reign in Gabe's chaotic thoughts, blue eyes meeting as the younger Laskaris handed him an ice pack, "We'll do everything we can to find her...and we'll make sure it never happens again."
"When, Zak," Gabe held the cold compress to his swollen hand, a minute passing before he closed his fingers into a fist then stretched them out, the pain no longer there, "Megan's gotta be scared out of her fucking mind...and what if that bitch is hurting her, turtoring her? Then what? Megan's innocent in all this –I'm the dumbass fuck who didn't think she could be used against me."
"You're not to blame," Bradley leaned against the fridge, hands in the pockets of his cut off shorts, eyes steady as Gabe spun around to glare at him, "Not to blame? We knew the bitch was out for revenge –she took out Embry's mother, our grandmother. So tell me, how stupid am I to think she wouldn't go after Megan too?"
The silence was heavy, no one giving an answer to Gabe's question even though none of them agreed with him. Gabe was hell bent on blaming himself, but what they didn't say was they too were blaming themselves. The red-eyed bitch had been coming and going as she pleased for the past couple of years, easily evading them when they were on her trail, effortlessly disappearing into thin air. She had crossed into their land many times but the part that chapped their asses was they had no idea how or where.
They knew she had gotten herself a partner to help with her plans for revenge –they'd discovered this back when Zak had phased and chased her up the mountain, forcefully stopped by Gabe before he walked right into an ambush. Bailey had realized the importance of this new partner –they had no idea how, but they were sure he had something to do with their inability to scent the bitch whenever she set foot on Quileute land.
The silence was near deafening when the back door opened, Brady walking into the kitchen, "She turned south towards Richmond –"
"What," Gabe stared at him, able to create a mental map of the area around Vancouver, "South? That means she's leaving Vancouver and heading back."
"Yeah," Brady nodded, moving to stand behind the chair where Bailey sat, placing his hands on her shoulders, pressing his thumbs into the tight muscles, "She's coming back our way."
A loud knock halted any possible discussion regarding this new piece of information, everyone turning to look as Leah crossed the living room and opened the front door, Gabe's shoulders pulling back as he saw two unfamiliar faces over his ma's head.
"May I help you?"
The taller of the two removed his dark sunglasses, slipping them into the breast pocket of his suit jacket while flashing a badge with his other hand, "I'm Special Agent Fields with the FBI. This is my partner, Special Agent Pace. We would like to talk with Gabriel Laskaris regarding the disappearance of Megan Hausler."
Leah could feel her heart thumping hard against her ribs, her lungs locking up. Forcing herself to take in air, she held on tight to the front door, her voice coming out steady and strong despite how shaky she was feeling, "The FBI has no jurisdiction in Quileute land."
"We are aware of that, ma'am," Agent Fields kept his eyes on her while Agent Pace looked over her head, assessing the situation, not liking the fact there were too many guys who were way bigger than either he or his partner, "It is why we asked Police Chief Lyon for his help –he's graciously offered us one of his interrogation rooms. All we want is to ask Mr. Laskaris a few questions, nothing else."
Leah opened her mouth to argue, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Looking up into her firstborn's face, she worked at swallowing past the lump on her throat, her eyes watering when he shook his head at her before turning to look at the agents.
"I'm Gabriel Laskaris."
