A/N: I had absolutely no intention of creating a sequel to The Lion and the Lamb. But then a plot bunny bit me, and I've had so much fun writing this. Enjoy! So far there's 7 parts to this, but I tend to write long, so there might be a few more.
Warnings: Violence, sex. But much lighter content overall than The Lion and the Lamb.
Summary: Coral is tired of her overbearing father. After running away, she gets stolen by the rebellion intending to use her as leverage. Or is that really what they want? The rebellion might have bitten off more than they can chew, because Coral is a Carthage and always gets what she wants.
Song Suggestion: Aurora- "Runaway"
Stolen
CORAL
Coral brushed the sweat from her brow and lay down on the mat, groaning.
She'd hurt tomorrow.
"Are you done for the day?" Uncle Lorcan looked bored. He'd taken her down three times in a row. "You're distracted, and there's no point."
Coral agreed with a nod and grabbed his awaiting hand, letting him pull her up. Next, he gave her a water bottle, and she drank some before pouring the rest over her hair.
Uncle Lorcan looked her over, checking for bruises. Despite forcing Lorcan to train her, her father always got mad if he went too hard. It frustrated her. Like a tiny scratch would kill her. He certainly didn't treat Max like that, or even Rory. Both got better and harder training.
Luckily, her godfather, Uncle Lux, delighted in slipping her "toys". Something he didn't do as much with the boys because she was his favorite. She'd gained quite the collection since he took on his father's legacy of technology creation, cranking out new and brilliant ideas every year.
"So what's bugging you?" Lorcan asked.
"What?"
Lorcan rolled his eyes.
"Exactly that. You're usually not so… spacey." He looked her up and down and then his eyes widened. "It's another boy, isn't it?"
Coral groaned and swiped a hand down her face.
"How do you always know?"
"Because you're the easiest person to read I've ever known." He gave a grin. "Your father won't like it. I wonder how long this one will last."
Coral wished to hit something. Maybe Lorcan's face. Or maybe her father's.
"I'm twenty. If he won't let me date without scaring off the suitors soon, I'll never get married."
"You shouldn't even be thinking about marriage. You're way too young." He scoffed. "The boys you've brought home so far weren't worth the energy anyway."
"My mom was twenty when she got married."
"That's not a good example."
Coral heaved a sigh, laying a towel on her neck.
"Don't tell him."
"Sorry," he answered with a smirk. "If he can't survive the initiation, then he's not good enough for our precious Coral."
Coral swung at him, and he dodged it. Lorcan took off before she could get him. Probably to go tell her father.
Coral gave a tempered scream. Now her date was ruined. They did it every time: her father, Max, Rory, Lorcan, Lux, Brutus, and Hannibal. Even sometimes the brute, Ace. She wasn't sure who was the worst. They terrified them all away. She still wasn't so sure how her father assembled them so fast. They must have some sort of light signal.
By this point, she assumed she'd die a virgin, because no boy ever had the balls to date her, let alone fuck her. Not when her family would dismember him for it.
Only her mother sympathized with her. She'd give her a hug, always so gentle and warm, and reassure her that the right guy was out there.
Well, he needed to hurry the fuck up and find her.
CORAL
Coral drove to Severan's house to intercept him. She peeled into his driveway, stopping with a screech.
Severan was in the process of entering his house and looked up in surprise. A delighted smile passed his lips. He was taller and broader than her father, with brown hair and really pale skin. She picked him because he was top of his class in battle school and had the courage to ask her out.
After the war, Districts 2 and 1 became a training ground for soldiers and peacemakers, led by Lorcan and Ace. Unrest was common, because after the crops kept dying, the food supply was low. Lux assisted the new president as best he could, but there was still widespread starvation.
Severan was due to graduate within a year and was on the fast track for leadership roles, like his famous older brother, Felix. Brave, strong, and handsome. He'd survive the initiation; she just knew it.
He had to, or else she was out of options.
When she got out of her car, he was there with a hand to guide her out. She grabbed it, a little annoyed. She wasn't so weak she couldn't get around by herself.
"Why are you here? I thought I was to pick you up at seven."
"Let's just go now," she said. "There's no reason to go to my house first."
"The restaurant unfortunately has a dress code." He looked at her training clothes. The sweat still stuck to her body. She wiped at her forehead in embarrassment. She'd forgotten what she wore, desperate to intercept him before her family intervened. Severan shook his head at her, as if amused. "Besides, I wouldn't dare take you out without meeting your father first. I think he'd cut me apart before I could explain."
Coral gave a heavy sigh.
He had a point.
"Alright."
Well, there went her plan to have sex tonight. Or at least have her first real kiss.
Severan cupped her chin.
"See you at seven, beautiful." He leaned down slightly, and she held her breath.
She. Was. About. To. Be. Kissed.
However, only a few inches away from her lips, he suddenly pulled back, as if remembering who she was.
The disappointment felt suffocating as it always did.
If he were too scared to kiss her, then maybe he wouldn't survive the initiation like she thought.
Coral got back into her car, but her excitement vanished.
CORAL
Lorcan was smoking outside of their log cabin. Her mother told her it got bombed in the war, but it looked the same as it always did: grand, imposing, suffocating. Something she couldn't escape, trapping her into childhood.
She parked next to Max's sleek, pretentious hoverbike and got out with a huff.
"I hate you," she said with a glare.
Lorcan put the cigarette to his lips and puffed out a cloud of smoke, leaning against a pillar near the front door.
"You couldn't if you tried," he said. "Rory is excited this time. Him and Lux are already plotting out a new scheme."
"Great."
"Good luck." He gave a wink she wanted to swipe off his stupid face.
CORAL
She saw Max first. He stood in the middle of the foyer, twirling a sword around in an arrogant manner. His blond hair curled around his head, looking like a mixture of Hannibal and her father.
"I hope you slice your hand off," she spat, not in the mood for his bantering.
He always walked around as if he owned the world. And the sad fact was he did, especially in this district. He was the little prince, the legacy of their father, excelling in violence. He ranked higher than Severan already, even though four years younger, beating out most of the records for his age. It made him unbearable to be around sometimes.
"You know, I think you might be the most violent of all of us." He gave a teasing grin, hazel eyes sparkling.
"And you'd be smart to remember that tonight."
"I'm not the one the fucker should worry about. Dad's already in a bad mood."
A dark look crossed his expression, and it made Coral pause.
"Did something happen?"
Max hesitated. Her father kept things from her, but to his credit, Max never did. Maybe he just remembered the days she could beat him up and capitulated to subconscious fear.
"There's been another riot in District 11. They believe it's the same instigators as the last one."
"The rebels?"
Max sneered.
"They could only wish. They're only vermin, causing destruction for no reason. There's a man named Thorn leading them, stupid name really. Hardly organized enough to be a long-term problem. As soon as we fix whatever disease is killing the crops, they'll lose their following."
Coral wasn't so sure. The rebels were gaining strength, bolstered by a desperate population. Enough of a problem her father had looked concerned for months.
"The princess has arrived," Rory taunted, entering the foyer from the living room. "But sadly, I believe the knight in shining armor will ride away into the sunset alone."
If she was honest, he was her favorite. Not today, but usually. His blue eyes almost glowed under the light of the chandelier in amusement. Most of the girls in school stared at him with sickening googly eyes, but Rory was still self-conscious of his strawberry blond curls and freckles. Like Max, he was trained to be lethal, but unlike Max, he preferred to read and attend school. He also looked the most like their mother.
"All of you can go collectively fall in a giant hole and never come out." She sighed in exasperation. "I'm taking a shower."
CORAL
By the time she put on her lipstick, the doorbell rang. She fluffed her red hair, reaching all the way down her back in riotous curls. She straightened her dress. A scandalous red one that matched her hair and glittered under light and adhered to her body. If she wasn't going on a date, she might as well make a statement.
When she walked down the stairs, she found her father near the bottom. He just got back from training, so his golden hair looked slicked to his head. He looked up and saw her, lips falling into a frown.
"You are not wearing that."
"You can't stop me."
"I'll lock you in your room."
"Mom wouldn't let you." Coral frowned right back at him, just as stubborn. Everyone knew her mother ruled the house. If she said yes, her father may grumble and stomp, but he relented.
In response, her father did exactly what she thought he'd do. He gave a grumble under his breath and stomped away.
Coral ran to the door to open it. Severan smiled down at her, but his lips twitched, and his hands clenched at his sides, betraying his nerves.
"You look…" he started and then stopped. "You look stunning."
He glanced inside behind her and already looked near throwing up.
Really, she understood. She was either related or connected to some of the most powerful people in Panem. Each infamous in their own way. Her father most of all, being the victor of three games. Most of Panem loved her mother, Madge, and Lux, but even after several years, they still feared her father.
"Come on in."
He hesitated, but she gave him credit for stepping past the doorway.
Max met them first, sword still twirling in his hand.
"Ah, Severan," he said. "Good to see you outside training. Did you tell my sister how I beat you soundly last weekend? I'm surprised you even got back up."
Severan's cheeks managed to color a little.
"I was off my game."
"Oh, really?" He gave a one-sided grin, looking as mischievous as Hannibal. "Then how about we recreate it. If you win, you can take my sister out."
"I'm not playing your games."
Max gave her a look, a little disappointed. His initiation was tame compared to the others. He always offered a fight, and each time he was denied.
"Shame. Oh, well. I guess I'll see you soon… or not." He added cryptically. Coral gave her fiercest glare.
They walked along, and Coral already knew what was next. When they passed by the dining room, Coral tugged back Severan just in time as a knife flew past his hair. It landed with a thud in a portrait that everyone used as target practice for some reason.
She turned her glare on Rory, who just stood in an alcove with several throwing knives in his hands.
"You should watch where you're going," he said. "I'm practicing."
Severan looked back and forth between Rory, Coral, and the knife sticking out of the portrait, as if wondering if he should believe it an accident.
It wasn't. At all.
"You should watch it, too," Coral hissed. "I thought you were going to do something else this time with Lux?"
He shrugged.
"I thought about it, but why ruin a great thing." He gave a wink and walked away.
"Come on." She tugged Severan's body forward. He tensed, already second guessing his decision. She didn't need to look at his expression to know this.
They arrived at her father's study. He liked to meet people here, because it exuded wealth and privilege, intimidating on its own. Only a victor thrice over, married to the Mockingjay, had so many Ancient artifacts displayed so pretty.
She hesitated before opening.
"Don't let any of them get to you," she said.
"Them?" He asked. "How many are there?"
Maybe she should have prepared him better, but then he might never have asked her out in the first place.
She sighed and opened the door. Lorcan sat on a couch in front of the pictographs. Something was playing, but the volume was on too low to hear much. Ace and Hannibal played a game of pool, with Hannibal already in the lead. Lux was at the bar, picking out his next drink. Her father was sitting at his desk, like a king at court, already giving a ferocious scowl toward Severan. As if he was back in the games, and his prey in sight.
She felt Severan snap straight next to her, just as all five turned toward the open door.
Lux snorted into his glass of whiskey, already amused at the situation. Ace and Hannibal set their pool sticks down and puffed their chests out, crossing their arms. Finally, Lorcan clicked off the pictograph with an indulgent smile.
"Who do we have here?" Lorcan teased, as if he didn't know.
Severan gave an audible gulp, just now realizing he was in a room with five of the most powerful, influential figures in Panem. He gave a step back, but Coral tugged him forward.
"Dad," she said. "Uncles… this is my boyfriend, Severan."
"Boyfriend, is it?" Her father's gruff voice echoed around the room. "So soon? Didn't you just ask her out this week?"
"Yes," Severan said. "I mean no… I mean…" he trailed off.
Her father tilted his head, accentuating the scars on his face. Her mother mentioned he got them in the games, but Coral never asked how. She never liked to know much about that time, hating the few memories she had of it.
They looked gruesome under the low light, making him look the beast people accused him of being.
Two giant hands landed on Severan's shoulders from behind.
"Out of my way, pup," Brutus said, in a much lower voice than usual.
"Fuck!" Severan said, jumping out of the way. He had held Coral's hand, but dropped it fast, as Brutus walked through them.
Severan might be bigger than her father, but no one was bigger than Brutus. And her father may have scars, but they covered Brutus all over. A single glance showed he was a hardened warrior.
A warrior who was growling at her date.
She growled right back. He gave a grin and a wink towards her.
"Come sit down, boy," her father ordered. He kicked out an empty chair beside him.
Severan looked as if he wanted to run away, but surprisingly did as her father asked.
He walked over and perched on the chair.
"Closer," her father ordered, and he grabbed the edge of the chair and tugged it sharply toward him, until Severan was face to face with her father. His hand trembled against his thighs.
"If you touch her tonight, I'll cut off the offending finger. A single touch. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good, now that we're on the same page, I'll go over some ground rules." He glanced at his friends. Lux was nearly giggling by this point. "She's home in two hours. Not a second longer, or I'll send Lorcan, Ace, and Hannibal to find you. And they won't treat you well when they do."
"Yes, sir."
"You eat, you bring her home, and that's it."
"Yes, sir."
Her father grinned, showing all his teeth, but it had malicious undertones.
"Alright, have fun."
Severan popped up as fast as he could and nearly ran out the door.
Lux was howling with laughter. Hannibal looked amused too. Brutus crossed his massive arms, already bored. And Loran shook his head. Ace just looked dumb as he always did.
Coral clenched her hands and ran after him, already knowing how this night would end. She caught up to Severan just as he opened her front door.
"Wait," she said.
He stopped and looked at her, breathing heavy, eyes still wide.
"I'm sorry, Coral," he said. "You're fucking gorgeous. Maybe the most beautiful girl in Panem, but it's not worth making your father angry. Or Lux. You didn't tell me he would be there… or Brutus. Shit, I can't risk my spot for leadership." He gave one last regretful look. "Sorry, Coral," he said again.
And then he left, just like all the others. Speeding his way down their gravel drive in his expensive car.
CORAL
Coral made her way back to her father's study. When she got there, they were all in a lighter mood, congregating around the pool table. They each held a glass of alcohol, giving sips while telling jokes.
When she entered the room, she picked up the nearest object, some ancient vase and smashed it into the ground. The men paused and looked at her in shock.
"He left," she said. Her chest heaved up and down with panting breaths. She'd never felt so unhinged, like she was seconds from snapping.
"Good," her father said in a dark voice. "If he isn't brave enough to face me, then he doesn't deserve you."
Coral answered by picking up another vase and smashing it.
"Stop that, Coral," her father ordered.
"What are you going to do if I don't? Send me to my room like I'm five?"
"Possibly, if you keep acting like you're five."
"I'm twenty," she seethed. "And I'm tired of you ordering around my life. I want a boyfriend, and you scare all of them off. I want to go to art school, and you deny that too."
"It's in District 3," he said in an exasperated voice. "It's unsafe with the rebels causing terror. What do you think would happen if they got their hands on you? You can take art classes right here."
She understood his point, but she was tired of everyone handling her as if she would break at the slightest touch.
"You would let Rory and Max."
Her father sighed and rubbed a hand down his face.
"That's different."
"No, it isn't. You can't keep stopping me from living life just because you're scared to lose me."
Her father's face grew much darker than she'd ever seen it. Coral stopped herself from taking a step back.
"You were stolen from me once," he said. "And I promise it won't ever happen again."
Coral's insides tangled into knots. She knew something bad happened when she was little, during the war. She remembered flashes. A smell like metal or roses. An old man with a terrible smile. A woman with red hair that kept kissing her cheeks. Dark corridors of monsters. She brushed most of it off as nightmares.
"I got all dressed up." Coral's voice cracked. Her anger dissipated into sadness, viewing her looming lonely, boring life in flashes behind her eyes.
She rarely cried, so when a little tear escaped and trailed down her cheek, the mood in the room shifted.
"Coral," her father said, voice once again much softer. "You look beautiful tonight." He moved as if he would come over to hug her, but for once, she didn't want his affection.
"Don't come near me."
His face turned into a frown, and he set his glass of alcohol on the pool table.
"You can still go out," Lux intervened, no longer laughing. "If that's what you're upset about. Call your friends, and I'll get a sitter for Ruby and Tallie, so Madge can chaperon."
"You could go to the bar I bought," Ace added, but it only earned a glare from Lorcan.
"She's not going near that den of heathens," Lorcan said. Coral knew it was a bar he attended weekly.
"I don't need a fucking chaperon," Coral yelled. The anger built again in her chest. "I'm not a child. I'm a full-grown adult. None of my friends even live here anymore. They're all off at different schools and districts, living the lives they want. Not stuck here rotting away in this mansion."
"You're being dramatic," her father said.
"I hate you."
The whole room stopped in shock. No matter how mad she got; she'd never said anything like that before. Not in a serious tone, anyway.
"You don't mean that," her father said, narrowing his eyes. But his back was straightened, and his fists clenched. He had the audacity to look wounded.
"You're nothing but a tyrant," she said, and her father reared back at the words as if she slapped him. "I'm leaving."
"What do you mean, little girl?" Brutus asked, still with crossed arms.
"It means I'm leaving this house tonight and never returning."
"Like hell," her father said.
"What? Are you going to stop me? Lock me in this house forever?"
"I'm considering it."
"I'd hate you forever then."
Her father seemed to slump, as if unsure what to do. Punish her? Let her go? After a moment, his expression hardened.
"Fine, go if you wish," he said. "But your charge card will be canceled. All your wealth and all your privileges will be gone. You want to be an adult? Then go be one. I bet it will be one day before you crawl back asking for forgiveness."
"Cato—" Hannibal started, but her father cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand.
"Goodbye then," she said, gathering her dignity and courage.
Her father took a step forward as if he wanted to lunge after her, but he went back into position. She knew him well enough that he was more than upset.
But she didn't want to see his face any longer.
She ran out of the study and flew toward the front door, grabbing her keys, not even bothering to get anything else. They only thing she took time for was to unlock the tracker on her wrist, chucking it on a side table. She'd rather not stay a second longer.
Right when she walked out the front door, a gentle voice stopped her.
"Where are you going?"
Her mother.
Shit.
She didn't wish to hurt her, but she had no other choice.
"I don't know," she admitted, not wishing to turn around and see her wounded face.
"What happened?"
"Ask your husband."
A soft hand touched her shoulders, and Coral melted, turning and falling into her embrace. It was awkward, though comforting, because she'd grown taller than her mom by the age of twelve.
"Stay," her mother said, brushing her wild hair from her face. "I'll talk to him. He can be so stubborn sometimes, but he loves you. I know we can work out what's troubling you."
It took all of Coral's strength, but she pulled away, swiping a few tears that fell with her fingers.
"I'm sorry. This time I can't. He went too far."
She walked out the door to her mother calling her name.
She ignored it, got in her car, and slammed the door.
CORAL
Coral drove down the winding roads. Her car needed gas, but she had at least enough to get to the Capitol. Everyone knew the best place to party was in the old ballroom on the abandoned Snow compound. Every weekend they hosted new bands. And they wore bright colors, and everything glowed, including the drinks.
Of course, she had never been allowed to go before. Which was the precise reason she traveled there.
By the time she pulled into the parking lot with hundreds of other cars, the sky turned dark, nearly black. The stars and moon hidden by clouds.
She got out; aware people stared at her car. It was one of Lux's newest models, one he hadn't released yet. Ignoring them, she grabbed her purse and headed inside, adjusting the hem of her glittery red dress. She had fixed her makeup in the car, until happy with the result.
Tonight, she planned to get kissed and tumbled into bed. She didn't care if it was a one-night stand. The only requirements were that he was good looking and had good vibes. Her sabbatical wouldn't last, she knew that. She had no idea how to live without money. So, she'd prefer to use this night for all it was worth.
CORAL
The club pounded with music, the bass rattling her bones as she walked in. Everyone had glow in the dark paint covering exposed skin in various patterns and sipped glowing drinks.
She made her way through the crowd, avoiding the more lecherous looks, suddenly self-conscious in her dress. When she got to the bar, the bartender came up to her, looking her up and down in appreciation.
"What do you want to drink?"
She didn't know. She'd never been to a bar before.
"Whatever is most popular."
He grinned and went away for a moment, coming back with a drink that had yellow, pink, and green layers and looked a little frothy.
She dug in her purse and extracted her card on reflex without thinking. He swiped it, but it beeped.
"It's declined."
"Declined?"
Her father had been serious. Coral's cheeks heated for a moment, and she almost said sorry, when a hand reached across and handed the bartender a card.
"I'll pay for it."
Coral turned to find a handsome man in a dark shirt, leaning against the bar next to her. He had black hair that was shaved on the sides, grey eyes, and olive skin. Probably from district 12, her mother's old district. Though the coloring wasn't exclusive to them, so who knew. He stood as tall and broad as her father, and she knew even with clothes covering his body, that he was toned and muscled.
He grinned, showing two deep dimples. The sight of them curled something dark in her belly.
"Thank you."
"No problem," he said. "A girl as pretty as you shouldn't have to pay."
She rolled her eyes at the misogyny, but in this case, she'd accept it.
The bartender returned the card, and the man grabbed her drink and handed it to her. She sipped slowly, enjoying the foamy taste, much like ice cream mixed with bubbles.
"So," he said, giving her another examining look that left a blush on her cheeks. "What is Coral Carthage doing all the way out here? And without bodyguards?"
Coral shrugged. She knew she'd be recognized. Paparazzi followed her everywhere, and she graced several magazine covers. A year ago, she won most eligible bachelorette in Panem, whatever that was worth. Still, it always felt odd when strangers knew her name.
"I've run away."
"Run away?" the man laughed, as if he couldn't believe it.
"For the night, probably."
"Well then, why don't I show Panem's princess how to party."
Coral's smiled big, heart racing in excitement.
"Wait. What's your name?"
The man seemed to think, as if it was a big decision.
"Vick," he said with a light smile.
"Well, Vick, I have high expectations, and I'm hard to please. Lead the way to the dance floor."
He gave an indulgent smile, looking her up and down.
"I like a challenge."
CORAL
They danced in the middle of the crowd, not touching each other. Just smiling and laughing, jumping around in the same manner as the others to the beat. She'd never felt so alive, so free.
She drank her drink slowly, but after a while it started to give her a bad headache and gross taste in her mouth.
"I don't feel so good," she said. "This is too sweet."
The man looked concerned and took the drink placing it on the floor.
"Are you going to be sick?"
"Maybe, I'm not used to drinking alcohol," she admitted, grabbing her forehead with her hand. She suddenly felt woozy, as if she'd faint away. "Whatever's in that must be strong."
"You need fresh air," he said.
She agreed. If she didn't get away from the dancing, she was afraid she'd vomit or pass out.
He led her out a side door, away from the entrance. The outside was quiet. They were in a courtyard, and something about it was familiar, as if she'd seen it in some dream. No one else was out there with them, and she suddenly felt wary.
"Do you feel better?" He asked.
She breathed in a deep breath of stale summer air, trying to pay attention.
"No."
She felt worse. Everything wobbled: her stomach, her eyesight, her balance. She reached out on instinct and clutched the man's shirt. He pulled her in for a hug. She attempted to tug away, but his hold only firmed.
"It was the drink," he whispered into her hair. "You should have been more careful with strangers."
With her last strength, Coral tugged away and struck him, conjuring every training exercise with Lorcan. Her fist hit his mouth, and he reared back a little, surprised.
But it was useless. The force was a third of what she normally used, and her aim sucked. He must have slipped a drug in her drink when she wasn't looking. He tugged her back to him with a smile. Blood coated his teeth.
Fear spiked across her body in a way she'd never experienced before.
By this point, she couldn't stand anymore. Her legs gave out, but the man was ready and scooped her up. He adjusted her gently, so her head rested on his chest.
"No, no, no," she said in panic.
"Shh," he soothed. "I'm not going to hurt you. Just give in and go to sleep, princess." He looked down at her with an odd expression, as if she was a hidden treasure he'd just found, and then pressed his face to her hair again. "I took a solid year of planning and waiting, but I finally have you."
The last thought before darkness was her father's haunted face as he yelled at her.
You were stolen from me once. And I promise it won't ever happen again.
She wished to tell him sorry.
CATO
Cato's mood was black. After his daughter ran off, the others tiptoed around him, until they left besides Hannibal—the only who dared be around him when he felt like murdering. He sat in his leather chair behind his desk, while Hannibal sat in one opposite, still sipping on his drink.
He had regretted sending his daughter out the moment the words left his mouth. Especially since she left the fucking tracker.
"Is Lorcan looking for her?" Cato asked, unsure what to do with this extra tension.
"Both him and Ace. Their contacts are unmatched. If she's at any club in Panem, they'll know within thirty minutes at the most."
"You think she went to a club?"
Hannibal gave him a knowing look that grated his nerves.
"She's young, beautiful, lively, and dressed in red. I'm positive that's where she's gone."
The idea of her in a sweaty club, letting some fucking waste of space touch her was enough to make the blood pump through his veins faster. She looked too much like Persephone. He hated the bitch, but he could admit, she had been stunning in a visceral way. And Coral had his stubbornness and little fear, which could only lead to trouble.
Coral never noticed the way men stared wherever she went, eyes tracking every movement. But he did.
"Maybe we were too hard," Hannibal suggested.
Cato threw him a dark glare.
Something hard clenched his stomach. He'd never been great at recognizing his emotions, but he remembered this guilt. Prim made him feel it enough. It traveled into his insides, camping again in spaces he thought free. He slumped forward, letting his elbows rest on the desk.
"Maybe I was," he admitted. "But what am I supposed to do? Let her go out with any reject?"
"Look, I don't like the idea of Coral dating any more than you do. But, yeah, I think you should start letting her make her own choices. Maybe that art school could be a nice compromise?"
Cato tensed, and then released it, rubbing a hand down his face.
"Maybe." He paused. "At least once we break the rebels. They've been getting more violent, stealing grain stores and cattle. I can't risk sending her there until then."
His phone rang.
Lorcan. He must have found her.
"Where is she?" He asked without pleasantries.
"We can't find her." Lorcan's voice sounded panicked, and Cato stood straight up, his chair screeching on the floor.
"What do you mean you can't find her?"
A pause.
An ominous feeling overtook him, and an old horror crept along his skin.
"We know she went to Rave club at Snow's old compound."
"She went all the way to the capitol?"
"Yeah," Lorcan's voice was oddly strained, as if he were close to crying. Something he thought he'd never hear from him.
"Did she go anywhere after?"
"No," he said again in that panicked voice. "Her car is still here."
His heart calmed a little, and he forced himself to breath.
"I'm not sure what's the problem. She's probably in the bathroom. Go find her."
The pause on the other end was excruciatingly long.
"We can't. We've searched every inch of this building. They're pulling the security camera's right now. I think…" He cut himself off, as if afraid to tell him. It only agitated Cato.
"Fucking talk."
"I think someone took her."
In an instant, Cato's world was plunged into darkness.
CATO
Hours later, Cato sat in a dark room, watching grainy security footage.
"These cameras are shit," Hannibal complained.
But Cato could still pick out his daughter as she entered the club as if on a mission. She went straight to the bar and ordered a drink. She tried to buy it, but he'd locked her card, so it had been declined.
He almost vomited when a man approached her. His face never showed, as if intentionally facing away from the cameras. But he caught something that sent a chill right through him.
"What is that on the back of his shirt?"
A tech zoomed in to what he asked. It got grainier, but he'd looked at the symbol enough to recognize it.
"Fuck," Lorcan said. "The Stag."
The outline of antlers was colored in a dark red on the back of his black shirt.
The symbol of the rebels.
Max gasped behind him, as if sucking in a cry. He'd taken the boy along, and now he wished he hadn't. His oldest son may be the closest like him, but none of the kids understood loss or cruelty on the scale he had been forced into.
Now he probably understood though, watching some predator in the process of kidnapping his sister. It was his first trauma, and there was nothing he could do to make it better.
"The fucker knew where the cameras were," Lux said, examining it. He had a dark voice. One Cato hadn't heard in many years. "He showed his back on purpose. He's taunting us, wanting us to know exactly who took her."
They watched the rest of the film as Coral, so naïve and trusting, sipped her drink while dancing. The man, whoever he was, never turned to the cameras, skillfully evading identification, proving Lux's hypothesis.
After a while, Coral put a hand to her forehead. She didn't look as if she was having fun anymore. In fact, she looked a little ill.
She stumbled a little as she walked out a side door of the club, the man trailing right behind her. The man had the fucking balls to throw up a middle finger right at the camera with his back turned before exiting. An intentional fuck you.
"He drugged her," Lorcan said, voice raspy with horror, saying the thing he couldn't verbalize.
"Is that all you have?" Cato's throat felt raw from control.
The tech looked terrified as he whispered a little, "Yes."
"Where did she go?"
"The courtyard."
The place where they killed Snow. He hadn't stepped near Snow's compound since the war. He found it morbid it now hosted a club.
Cato stood up, forcing down all his emotions. The same state of mind he entered during the games. He'd need to think logically through this, or else he might never get his daughter back.
His stomach revolted at the thought. Somehow, he was back inside the same nightmare from fifteen years ago.
The others followed him as he made his way outside to the last known location of his little girl. Max kept swiping at his face, but there were too many tears to hide.
The courtyard had a stagnant feel to it, trapping in the summer heat.
"Search it," he ordered, and like a clump of insects they all spread out, crawling over every inch.
He ended up finding it near the old scaffold, folded neatly into thirds. The stag stamp was on top of the letter addressed to him.
"What does it say?" Max said at his side, as he stared at the words on the page, written in neat script.
"They have her," he said. "And they'll contact us in time with the demands. If we pull out our men from District 11, we'll get to video conference her."
"What will we do?" Max asked, voice shaking.
Cato glanced at the note, thinking.
"We'll pretend to do what they want, so they don't panic and kill her." He sucked in a breath through his teeth, trying to focus the rage wanting to overtake him. "I want their heads. All of them. Lux, pull all the logistics. Every resource."
"I'll do more than that." Lux promised. People underestimated the Rose, but Cato discovered long ago making an enemy of him was fatal. "Everyone leaves a paper trail. The stag used a fake account to buy the drink, thinking he's clever. But District 11 seems close to their heart. I think it's time we audited them. Every single citizen. We'll investigate every misplaced drop of money."
They smiled coldly at each other.
"Lorcan." He jerked to attention. After all this time, he still had a bit of a baby face. "You and Ace gather the forces. Quietly. We'll bring only the best, maybe thirty. A great soldier is worth ten bad soldiers. This is a mission that needs stealth and darkness."
"What do I do?" Hannibal asked. Unlike the others, he cried openly, letting the tears drip down his cheeks like Max. He never had children with Katla, so he treated the kids as his own.
"I think…" Cato winced in pain. "I think I'll need you by my side. I'm not sure I can think clearly on my own."
Brutus squeezed his shoulder.
"I'll be there too."
They always had an odd relationship, flip flopping between respect and loathing. If Cato was honest, Brutus had been more of a father to him than his real one, always putting him in his place when needed. His grip on his shoulder felt comforting, in its strength and its promise of retribution."
"They wanted a war," Cato said. "And now they have one."
He sneered and threw the note to Max who caught it easily, pushing it into his pocket. They'd need to analyze it for clues later with their experts.
Lux put a hand on the back of his neck, looking around with a snort.
"What is so funny?" Cato asked in an icy voice.
"Nothing, just…" he looked up and grinned. "This isn't someone like Prim getting taken captive, all sweet and forgiving. They have Coral."
"And?" He hated obvious statements.
"I'm just saying they might have a hard time with her. She's a Carthage though and through. She's not one to sit down and do what's she's told. Lorcan's trained her most her life, so I think they might regret their target. Especially since I know she has some of my toys and has no hang-ups with using them."
"Which ones?"
"Hidden ones."
It did make him feel just a little bit better that she had some weapons. But he hoped she didn't anger them too much. The dangers a woman can face while in captivity are far different than a man. His stomach turned at the thought.
Cato stomped out of the courtyard, each step heavy with intent, with his entourage beside him. The Stag messed with the wrong family. Before he'd worried over the attacks, but now it turned personal. They now had his full attention, and they should fear the fire coming for them.
He let his monster in, the one buried long ago. It leapt with rage and took its old seat in his soul.
And he had no plans to cage it any time soon.