Curiosity Killed Shaney(77)

After the doors to the SUV closed, Shaney tried the handle. Child-safety locks. Todd pushed in close to Shaney, way too close for the size of the massive back seat. The man got in the driver’s seat and they followed the car that carried Caleb. After they were on the main road, Todd’s hand covertly nudged Shaney’s thigh. Shaney discretely glanced at him, raising his eyebrows. Todd motioned down with his eyes. Clutched tight in Todd fist was the amulet. God, you had to love the guy.

Shaney turned his head to look out the window and then scooped the amulet up. Checking the man up front, he stuffed the disc down the front of his pants, settling the cold metal right next his dick. No one was going to check there.

The driver lifted his sun-glassed face to the rear view mirror and glanced at Shaney, who smiled wide and gave him a terse salute. Fucker.

Todd suddenly sat forward, looking out the windshield. “Fuck me,” he muttered.

Shaney had the same reaction when the SUV containing Caleb turned onto the driveway at Hudson’s house. Not the Hudson’s cabin where Maximus was to plant the wards. Even if Maximus had succeeded, those wards were two miles away and useless, just like the amulet he’d stuffed into his pants.

“Fuck us all,” Shaney muttered, and the man up front laughed.





Chapter Twenty-Seven

Yanked from the back of the SUV by the driver, Shaney was shoved toward the barn, a gun trained at his back. Shaney wondered if he could knock the weapon from the man’s hand using his mind. Pretending to trip over the threshold into the barn, Shaney focused on the gun, pushing a pulse of energy toward the hand. The man yelped and the gun went skittering across the floor. Shaney snickered and righted himself.

The man sneered and Shaney almost missed the fist that crashed into his cheek. Pain exploded through his head and he went down on his knees. Another blow to the mouth had Shaney’s head whipping around. That hit brought him down onto his stomach, much like being hit by a baseball bat—or an errant baseball—he imagined.

A smack rent through the air, and the man fell onto the floor next to Shaney. The man groaned and looked dazed.

“You dumb fuck. You never lay a hand on Silas’ son or he will end you,” Cassie growled over him.

“Not his son,” Shaney grumbled. His lip bled and his cheek felt as if it had been smashed into bony shards.

Cassie grabbed Shaney by the arms and yanked him off the floor like a rag doll. The world spun momentarily, but Cassie didn’t seem to give a shit about how he was faring. Grabbing Shaney’s arm, she dragged him, but they didn’t head toward the stairs at the back.

“Where are we going?”

She stopped at a door to the left Shaney hadn’t noticed before.

“Inside,” she commanded, as she threw the door open.

“I want to see Hudson, now.” Shaney crossed his arms and refused to move.

Cassie rolled her eyes, and, with a shove, Shaney stumbled inside the tiny darkened room. Caleb and Todd followed and the door slammed closed.

“What the fuck,” Todd yelled, banging on the door.

Shaney’s eyes adjusted to the dim light from a small window high up near the ceiling. He noticed shelves of canned vegetables and dried goods. At least they wouldn’t starve. In the corner behind him, someone moaned. A large lump in the corner stirred.

“Maximus!” Caleb rushed to his lover’s side.

Maximus was lying on his stomach, hands cuffed behind his back, feet bound as well.

“Todd, help me,” Shaney said. They managed to roll Maximus onto his side.

“Oh, Max,” Caleb sobbed.

Maximus’ face was a mass of purple bruises and cuts with dried blood. The odd angle of his shoulder said it had been dislocated. Despite wearing black fatigues, Shaney could see where dark, shiny spots of blood had soaked through his shirt. He was a fucking mess.

Caleb leaned down, tears rolling down his face. “Max, baby. Open your eyes. Please. Come on. I’m here.”

“Looks like Cassie got her revenge already,” Todd said, using his sleeve to clear some of the blood from Maximus’ forehead. Red was everywhere.

Maximus struggled to open his eyes. “Looks worse than it really is,” Maximus gritted out and tried to smile, but a painful cough scrunched up his face. He looked up at Caleb. “So glad you’re okay. Was scared.”

Caleb nodded and carefully touched a bloodied cheek. “Me, too.” He maneuvered his body and cradled Maximus’ head in his lap, whispering soothing words that immediately relaxed the lines of pain on Maximus’ face.

“They jumped me...when I left the cabin last night...didn’t matter...Silas lied.”

“It’s okay, Max. We’re going to figure this out,” Caleb assured him, laying kisses on his forehead.