Thomas (21 page)

“
You fuck around anymore
and you’ll regret it. Do I make myself very clear to the empty
fucking head of yours?” She nodded but didn’t give him what he
wanted. When he took her to her knees by squeezing tighter, she
whimpered. Howard let her go. “When we return home, you’re going to
have to learn your place again. And until that time, you will be
confined to your room.”

Straightening his tie, he pasted his
meet-and-greet smile on his face and reached for Carole. Her
hesitation had him smile inwardly, but she finally gave it to him.
His appearance to the world was important to him, and she was a
part of his well-crafted image.

The limo was right where he wanted it.
There was a man standing there, just as he liked, with the full
uniform of his kind…hat, white gloves, and tux. It was as it should
be. As they slid into the car, he reached for his phone and called
Carla.

“
Have the room set up the
way I asked, luncheon for three only in the biggest private room
this hotel has. The plane will be ready to go at a moment’s notice,
and I don’t want to have to wait until the locks are in place
before we can leave with my granddaughter. You have put in an order
for a cage put in the back room, haven’t you?” She said it was
being done now. “Good. See that she is cleaned up as well. There is
no telling what sort of germs she might have gotten from these
people. And I need a doctor onboard. If there are…complications, I
want them taken care of now.”

As soon as he hung up, he looked at
Carole. She’d been the instrument to him getting to this point in
his life, but he was sick of her. She would have to be put away
soon too. He needed his freedom. More than that, he wanted to be
able to come and go as he pleased without her as a burden. Frist
thing he was going to do when he got home again was call his
lawyer. And the sympathy that her being “ill” would bring him would
be good as well.

“
Do you really think it’s
going to be so easy?” He looked at her, wondering if he should slap
her again for speaking without permission. “I hope she’s more like
Kelli than you think. Her defying you was the best thing that ever
happened to her.”

“
And she was murdered
because she defied me.” She only smiled at him. “You’re becoming
somewhat of a troublesome thing that I’m sick of. Do you remember
what happens to you when you get it in your head that you can do as
you please? Do you really think that I’m going to let this go on
much longer? I’m not, in the event you haven’t figured that out
yet.”

“
I don’t really care what
you want or don’t want any longer.” She smiled bigger, and he had a
second, just a split second, of fear. “But I’ve been busy too, you
should know. Busy getting things the way that I want them. And if
this turns out the way I hope, you’ll be the one who is
hurting.”

He hit her. His fist was out so
quickly and connected with her so soundly that he surprised
himself. As she lay slumped over in the seat, he tried to think
what to do now. There was no way he’d be able to get her into the
hotel without people seeing what a mess she was. Pressing the
button that slid the glass down just enough so that he could speak
without him seeing the mess his wife had made, he told the driver
to go past the Lanning offices. He wanted to see what kind of
person this man was. Not that he was worried.

The drive proved to be just enough.
Carole woke, but she looked at him differently. The smile, no
matter how many times he insulted her or threatened her, would not
leave her face. And the blood on her blouse was too glaring for his
taste too. She was going to make him take matters into his own
hands, and he was actually looking forward to it.

“
Clean up.” She only sat
there. “I swear to Christ, when we get this nasty business over
with, you are going to pay for this.”

Still nothing. Howard was getting sick
to death of this. He was going to lay down the law and have things
put back to order. First thing was bringing the girl home. Then he
was going to bring his son home as well. That wife of his was
finished too, as well as his own. Things were going to be just as
he wanted them in very short order or hell would be
paid.

~~~

Hannah paced back and forth. Daniel
and Wanda were sitting on the couch as if they were expecting some
gun men to come in and kill them both. Linyah only watched and
waited. Hannah was going to do fine, and the rest of the family
would as well. Smiling, Linyah looked over at Maribel.

“
What time to we need to
leave here?” She knew but was trying to make sure that everyone was
less tense. “And have you heard from the men yet?”

“
Misha said that
everything is in place. And we need to leave here in about ten
minutes. Are you sure this is going to be okay?” They both looked
at Hannah, who was pale and had been sick several times since
they’d all arrived at her home about an hour ago.

“
Everything will be just
fine. Mr. Little thinks that he is very powerful, but things are
not always as they seem.” That was for sure. Her mom and dad
appeared in the room just as Jackson came in to say the car was
ready. Hannah looked ready to run.

“
I can help you.” She
nodded, and Linyah touched her belly. She only took the sickness
away and bathed the baby in security. The smile that Hannah gave
her made her smile as well. “You’re going to kick his ass, you know
that, right? This man is not going to know what hit
him.”

“
I am.” She didn’t sound
very confident, but that was okay. Hannah would be great. “I’m glad
you’re here. I don’t tell you that enough, but I’m very glad you
and Thomas found each other.”

She was as well. And this morning
while he was deep inside of her, roaring out his release, she’d
told him she loved him. Thomas told her several times that when
this thing with the Littles was over, he was going to tie her to
their bed and eat her everywhere. She was looking forward to
that.

As they rode to the hotel, she thought
about her conversation with Carole Little. Linyah had visited her
several times over the past few days. The woman had been so…beaten
that Linyah had promised her that she’d help her as well. Linyah
had to fight hard not to find Howard every time she thought of
Carole’s face when she’d simply popped into her bedroom. He had
used her as a punching bag more times than Carole could
remember.

“
You get caught here and
he’ll tear you apart. Run now before…how did you get in here?”
Linyah told her that she was magical, and Carole had only nodded.
“Do you have any magical food on you? I’ve not eaten for five
days.”

Leaving her and returning seconds
later with several bags of food, she watched as the woman ate like
she was afraid she’d never have another meal. While she had her
fill, Linyah looked around the room. It was the most depressing
thing she’d ever seen.

There was a bed, a cot really, that
was as bare as the walls. A single blanket without a pillow lay on
the neat, smallish sheet. There was no dresser in the room and her
clothing, what little there was, had been folded neatly and put on
the floor in nice piles. A towel hung over the shower curtain bar
in the bathroom. There was a toilet in the room but the mirror and
towel rack had been removed. Rugs, curtains, and other things to
make the room look like something other than a prison were missing
as well. Carole looked around the room when she asked her about
it.

“
I’m so used to it now
that I rarely see it. He takes things from me, things he thinks I
like as punishment. It matters little what he thinks I’ve done
wrong, but there you have it.” Carole thanked her politely for the
food. “Could you tell me that you aren’t a figment of my
imagination?”

“
I’m not. I’m
sister-in-law to Hannah.” She nodded and wiped at the tears. “Would
you like to see her?”

“
More than anything in the
world, but not yet. Not here. Not like this.” She looked around.
“Her mother was killed. I miss…I wanted to help my daughter. I had
a plan to help her, but I was too late in getting this done. I was
going to send her away before Howard found out about the baby. But
he’d found her vomiting in the toilet and took her to the doctor. I
never saw her again after that. He tossed her away just like he
does most things he hates.”

“
I thought your daughter
had reconciled with him and was to return home that day she was
murdered.” Carole shook her head. “You mean that he was playing
her? And you? If you don’t mind telling me, I’d like to know what
happened.”

“
Howard had been so kind
to her on the phone when she’d gotten in touch with us. I was
almost fooled by it myself. She’d called here, you see, and before
I could catch the call, he’d gotten it. He was bringing her home in
the event someone found out who she was is what he told me later.
He was terrified that someone would associate her having a bastard
with him, and he just couldn’t have it. So he lied to her. Had me
do the same.” She looked at her, and Linyah had wanted to take her
away then. “Can you bring me someone? A lawyer? I want to make some
changes to…I want to take care of a few things.”

“
I can.” She’d reached for
Thomas, and he told her who to use. In minutes, Conrad Leonard was
in the room with them, and he was making changes to Carole’s will.
The man, a wolf, was appalled at the conditions that she was living
in. Two hours later, she took him back with a promise she’d visit
Carole often. But she also made Linyah promise that she’d not tell
anyone that she’d seen her.

So the plan was set, and Carole was
going to be surprised by the events as much as her husband was
going to be. Linyah looked at Wanda when she said her
name.

“
Daniel said to tell you
thanks.” Linyah nodded. “He also said to thank you for having me
come to him. He said…he had guessed there was a problem and it was
the deciding factor that had us moving here. I was…he said he loves
me. And that made it all better. Not great but better. I’m getting
help again.”

“
Of course he does.”
Hannah took her aunt’s hand and held it. “You’re going to be fine.
You’re going to those meetings, and Uncle Daniel is going with you.
He does love you. And when Mr. Little is gone, we’ll go on more
shopping sprees.”

“
He’s not going to like
you calling him Mr. Little.” Hannah smiled and Linyah had to laugh.
Wanda laughed as well as she continued. “You’re so much braver than
I am. I can hardly call him anything, and you’re going to defy him
right off. This is going to be epic.”

“
It is, isn’t it?” Hannah
looked at Maribel. “I love you as well. I don’t tell you that often
enough, but I do. I’d like it if you let me call you Mom too. I
know it’s a big step and all, but—”

Maribel hugged her and laughed. “I’ve
been wanting to hear you ask for days now. Oh, honey, I’m thrilled
to death. I heard you call me that when Andy was at the house, and
I could have wept with joy. And now you’re doing it for real. I
love you so much, child. So very much.”

As the limo came to a smooth stop,
Linyah reached into the hotel and found Carole. She’d been hurt.
Linyah asked her if she wanted her to come and get her. Linyah
would have too, gone up to the room and torn the man apart just to
save the poor woman from any more abuse from him.

No. No. I’m going to be
just fine. I’m looking forward to this, and every time he thinks
he’s putting me in my place, the better it’s going to be for me. I
heard from Leonard as well. He said that the house locks have been
changed and that all the servants have been dismissed. That was a
fine idea you had in getting rid of his employees. I don’t know how
you’re keeping them from telling on me, but I do appreciate
it.

It was no problem, and
I’ve taken care of them for you until you decide what you want to
do.
Linyah had had them put into a nice
deep sleep. None of them were harmed, of course, but they were in
no position to let the cat out of the bag just
yet
. Are you ready for this? Ready to meet
your granddaughter?

I’m not and I am.
Linyah told her she understood.
That nice young man of yours, Thomas, has brought
me some lunch. I know that we’re meeting you all downstairs soon,
but there will more than likely be no time for eating.

Probably not.
Thomas had helped her a great deal with this
after she’d told him what was going on. He’d been furious about
Howard’s treatment of his wife and they had, together with his mom,
set her up in a nice house not far from their own home. She could
come and go as she pleased, but be able to visit when she wanted.
Howard was no longer going to be a concern for her. For any of them
if things went the way they’d planned.

The room had been set up for a large
party instead of the small one that Howard had ordered. There were
shifters all over the hotel in the event something went wrong. And
the police had been notified that something might happen. Those,
too, were shifters and understood what exactly they might be
walking in on.

Tables were set in long rows with
beautiful flowers at every third place setting. Water pitchers had
been set up as well as tall glasses. Linyah thought it looked very
festive. Quite a contrast to the mess that was more than likely
going to go down.