Annabelle stayed quiet for the rest of the ride to the cabin. I wasn’t sure if this should worry me or if I should be grateful. I spent the drive fighting with myself, my brain was on a loop, repeating the same series of thoughts over and over. Get soulmate to a place she won’t leave you. Make sure Annabelle is safe. Make sure soulmate is comfortable, fed and hydrated. Get Annabelle to agree to be mine. Make soulmate love me. I knew it was the curse making me turn all caveman. I couldn’t believe that only hours before I hadn’t believed the curse, er, gift, was real.
I’d watched my brothers and even two of my nephews receive the gift. It sounded better to say a curse. Right now, knowing what it meant it felt like a gift, but I’d watched and seen it in action and from what I’d seen it was more like a curse.
I slowed down as the gate to the cabin retreat came into view. Glancing over at Annabelle, I caught her eyes widening as she lowered her feet to the floor. The fence surrounding the cabin land was high and made it look like a compound. One of the draw backs of being a Silverman was the lack of privacy we had. We paid for top of the line security and any way to keep our privacy at any of our homes or vacation places. The security gate and fence to outsiders would look daunting. May even look like a prison.
I had to stop. I couldn’t speed through this gate. This was Annabelle’s chance to try and escape and I hoped she wouldn’t take it. I needed to convince her to stay. “I promise once we get to the cabin we will talk and once you understand everything and I know you won’t run and you can call whoever you want.”
She snorted. “Oh sure.” The sarcasm was thick in her voice and as much as I’d like to believe she wouldn’t run, the road had come to an end so I had to stop.
On a sigh I stopped the car. Taking the key out of the ignition, I grabbed my phone and got out of the car. Running to the gate, I typed the code into the lock and then ran back to the car. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see the car empty, but I was. I’d hoped she’d listen to me. I’d hoped she would at least have some trust in me as I hadn’t hurt her.
Looking around me at the surrounding bush land, I groaned as my body and mind begged me to go searching for our mate. The problem was, I had no idea which way she went. As much as I wanted to go after her right then, I knew I needed help. Reaching into my pocket I got out my phone and dialed my brother Duncan again.
“What’s happened?”
I hated that my brother assumed that something had gone wrong for me to call him again. I despised it that he was right. “She ran when I stopped at the cabin. When is the security arriving? As much as I’d like to go after her, I have no idea which way she went.”
Duncan laughed and I’d never wanted to punch someone as much as I did now. I’d never been a violent man. I went into medicine to save lives. The curse seemed to bring out all the worst traits. “Are you going to continue laughing or help me?”
“I’m going to do both.” Duncan said between bursts of laughter. “But you do realize how good it is to know you’re human and make mistakes. We all thought you were a robot programed to plan and follow rules. For years we’ve listened as you told us the gypsy gift wasn’t real.”
“You were right. I was wrong. There. Now tell me when the security is coming.” There was quiet on the other end and I looked down at the screen to see Duncan just staring. “Are you going to tell me?”
Duncan smirked. “I was savoring the moment. I’ve never heard you utter those words.”
Rolling my eyes, I debated hanging up and trying Albert or even Lucas. Maybe they’d tell me what I wanted to know. Glaring at my brother I hoped he saw how close I was to losing my shit on him.
“Argh, there’s the brother I know so well. I thought for a moment that you’d left us. I thought that the gypsy’s gift might’ve mellowed you out. You’re always so in control and straight and narrow.”
“For fuck’s sake Duncan, just tell me how far away is the security?”
“They should be there in fifteen or so minutes. Rafe will be your head security. He was Richard’s seconded most trusted man besides Cole. Did you know that Gillian co—”
I didn’t want or need to hear anything else. I hung up on Duncan, reluctantly got back in my car, and drive down to the cabin.
I hoped that Annabelle hadn’t gotten far.
Annabelle
So my brilliant plan didn’t work. You know when you watch a movie and you yell at the stupid heroine to run and she does, but she doesn’t wait and stay hidden and the kidnapper gets in his car and picks her up again. I thought I was smart. I finally got away from the crazy guy who kidnaped me. Point one to me. I even waited a while before I came out of the bushes in case Carl drove by and saw me. The problem? I came out of the woods thinking I’d waited a safe amount of time for Carl to think I’d already gotten away, and flagged down a car, and guess what? Did you say the car was the crazy man’s security and they didn’t help at all, just picked me up and carried me back to a big SUV with three other big security men? Nope. I bet you didn’t.