Chapter 2

PRESENT TIME

"Are you sure about this?" I question for the tenth time. I have been away for so long, I know they won't just be waiting for me with open arms. They are going to hate me, and have a lot of questions. Ones that I can't answer.

I may no longer be undercover, but I still need to listen to The Society's rules. It's my price for saving Jonas' soul.

I follow him down the hidden passageways to the courtyard, as he doesn't bother replying this time. I don't know why Chastity and the guys are here. I heard they graduated last year.

"Keep your mouth shut, and remember the rules we abide by, Ash," he growls and I nod. I know better than to talk back to him. He's a mean motherfucker at the best of times, but ruthless when pissed off. I have the scars to prove it.

After Isabella assaulted me that first time, it wasn't the last, and though I tried to behave and do my job, I could never satisfy her. High doses of Paradise and beatings became a regular occurrence for me.

Opening the hidden door that leads to the garden, I follow behind the man I have been shadowing for nearly two years. Snake is someone you don't want to run into in a dark alley. His darkness bleeds from his flesh.

He doesn't have one kind bone in his body. He's sadistic and psychotic, and his skin has the ink to prove it. I may have succumbed and gotten some ink myself, but I would never go to the extreme like he did.

Being undercover was fucking hard. I hated it, and the things I had to witness didn't help me sleep at night. I'm happy to be out of that hellhole, but I didn't plan to return here. I'm too damaged and broken now to be anywhere near my family.

Laughter greets me as I step out into the sunlight, and I pause.

They can't see me yet, and for that, I'm thankful. Chastity is standing there in a cute yellow sundress. She's blatantly pregnant, and has a dark-haired little boy on her hip. She's booping him on the nose as he giggles, and I'm frozen.

Jonas is talking with Bast and drinking a beer. If I wasn't lost in my own head, I may have found that weird. They are at a religious academy, out in the open, afterall. But I can't stop staring at the little boy.

Doing the math in my head, I think I may vomit.

"Are you coming, Spider?" he asks, and I shake my head. I open my mouth a few times, unable to find the words. He grunts, before leaving me in the bushes, hiding while I watch the loves of my life, like some fucking Peeping Tom.

What the fuck happened while I was gone?

Collapsing onto a bench, I watch as Chas goes off into the academy. Jonas and Bast are laughing with a man I don't recognize and Jacob. I don't know how long I've been sitting, freaking the hell out about possibly being a dad, when Levi enters the yard with another little boy in his arms.

He's wearing a light blue outfit and sucking his thumb. If I thought the baby that Chastity was holding was my son, I was mistaken; this child is mine. The resemblance is uncanny, and I feel sick.

My heart is racing and I'm trying to get my feet to move. I need to leave here before they see me. It's not safe yet for me to return. Especially if there are even more innocents involved.

I have seen hell this past year and a half. I have watched children be taken, exploited, and destroyed. Broken down into a devastating shell. I won't have that happen to my family.

Looking down at the ground, I drop my head into my hands, and I don't hear him approach. Fuck, I should have forced myself off this bench and ran back to the underground.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Ash?" Levi growls, and I startle. Being around shady types that won't hesitate to stab you in the back has kept me on edge.

I glance up at him and wince. Glaring at me, he crosses his arms.

"You need to leave. You have no idea what you put my family through. Months they looked for you. Not sleeping or eating. Where the fuck were you?"

I know I owe him an explanation, and I can't tell him everything, but maybe because he's a member of The Society, I can give him something.

"Levi, I…" I try to think of what to say, but he doesn't wait. Laughing, he turns, shaking his head. "Wait, Levi, I… Fuck," I shout, getting to my feet and gripping my hair tight.

Levi moves closer to me, until we are chest to chest. He's fuming and I honestly can't blame him.

"You don't understand. I had to go. You know I owed a boon to The Society, and when they say now, they mean it. I can't talk about it though, you know the fucking rules." I plead with my eyes that he will listen and understand.

Sighing, he looks at me with not only anger, but hurt shining in his baby-blue eyes. "Do you know how many nights I held Chastity as she cried?" he asks, while moving back to the people I need to avoid. It's bad enough that he's seen me.

I follow him, but try to stay hidden under the trees. "We were ruined for months. The only thing that helped pull her out of it was when she started to feel the baby move."

My throat clogs as I choke out, "Baby…" Is this where he tells me that little boy is mine?

"Yeah, we all moved on because we had to. Life doesn't exist in a vacuum, Ash."

I'm about to argue again that I had no choice, when he reached the others.

"Hey, did you find her yet?" he asks Jonas and Bast.

"Nope. I'm starting to get worried," Jonas mumbles, then looks behind Levi, right at me. My heart feels like someone is stabbing it repeatedly, and if I thought seeing Chas again was going to be hard, it has nothing on seeing Jonas.

"Hey," I whisper. I don't know what else to say to him, and when his eyes fill with tears, I feel lower than low. Levi steps in and grabs him, pulling his attention away from me.

They continue speaking, but I'm not paying attention. My eyes are glued to the babies. Now that I can see them better, I can tell one is older than the other, but I don't know which one is mine.

"Is… is he mine?" I choke out. My hands are shaking and I think I may pass out. Tempest gives me a look of shock and Bast growls.

"Wow, after all this time, you return and can't even recognize your own son," Bast says with a snarkiness that's new. He bounces the little boy in the blue outfit, the one I think is mine, then takes off after Tempest says they need to find Chastity.

Jonas glares at me as he passes and I feel broken.

"I'm so confused," I mumble, and Otto, Jacob's lover, sighs.

"Romeo is Tempest's son. Elijah, the baby in Bastian's arms, is your son. Chastity found out she was pregnant a few weeks after you disappeared," Otto says, then glares at Jacob.

He clears his throat, then starts walking over to a hidden door. "Let's not do this here," he says, and I follow him with Levi hot on my tail.

I knew coming back was going to be rough, but I never expected this. I have a son, and Chastity is missing. How? Does this have something to do with why Snake woke me up and said we had to leave?

I follow Jacob through the hidden tunnels to his office. Levi is furious, and I don't blame him.

"Start talking, right the fuck now," he growls and Jacob groans.

"Ash owed a boon to The Society. He was chosen to go deep undercover. I don't know all of the details, but the fact that he's standing here right now is not good, Levi. It means we're on the brink of war."

Yeah, he has no idea the shitstorm that's about to rain on us all, but that can wait. Right now, we need to find Chastity.

My phone rings, and I grunt while answering it. "Yeah."

"Spider, we have a problem. I need to leave for a bit, but you be sure to tell The Dragon all about what's going on, okay, boy?"

"Who are you? Leave me alone!" Chastity screams in the background, and my heart drops.

"No, what the fuck? You can't just take her!" I shout, before turning around and running from the room. I need to reach the car before he leaves.

"Why the hell did you kidnap Chastity?" I growl and he just laughs.

"Me and the little hellion have some chatting to do. I'll be in touch," he says, then ends the call.

"No! Fuck!" I roar, and I almost crash to my knees when I reach the spot where the car was and all I find is a shoe on the ground. Like some kind of fucked up Cinderella retelling.

This isn't good.

LEVI

I'm frozen. My dad is speaking to me, but I can't move. Everything I ever knew was a lie. My wife is missing, and the man who knows where she is, is my brother… Fuck!

I look up at my dad. "Please, don't tell me I'm married to my sister," I croak, and Jacob gags.

"I think I might be sick," he mumbles, and I wish I had my hands wrapped around his lying throat.

My dad sighs and looks up at the ceiling. "No, Chastity isn't your sister. I think it's time we all had a talk. I'm going to have to ask you all to leave," he says to Jonas and Bast. When did they get here?

"We don't have time for some family chat! My wife is missing. My pregnant wife!" I shout, and Jacob jumps to his feet, moving around his desk before pulling open a drawer.

He tosses something to Bast. "You know what to do," he says, then points to the door. Bast grunts, then leaves.

"Where are you going? What did you give him?" I snarl, and Jacob sighs.

"I've had a contingency plan in place for when Ash returns. Bast is the next in line to get the Society members to have a meeting. We only have a few hours, so I suggest we listen to what he has to say." He points to my dad and I grumble.

"No, we need to be looking for Chastity. Have you all lost your fucking minds?"

"Chastity is fine, Levi. She's with Snake. He's a psycho, but he won't hurt her. He's supposed to collect her and take her to a safe place. If Ash is back, it means that Isabella is coming after Chastity," Dad says with a groan, and I am so damn confused.

Taking a few breaths, I try to calm down and think. It's hard, but I need to put my emotions aside and be logical.

"Who is Snake? Why do you trust him?"

Taking a seat, my father turns to face us.

"Charity Andrews was my Eve. She was our Eve, I guess I should say. Mine, Snake, and Maxen's. We all initiated into The Society together, much like Ash, Bastian, and Jonas."

"Your Eve?" Jacob stutters, and I notice his face growing white. "My mother was your Eve?"

"So that means that you're Jacob's father, and Snake is Chastity's? Why did she marry Maxen Andrews?"

"Chastity's grandmother. She forced the marriage when Charity became pregnant. I was away on an assignment, and Maxen took full advantage."

My father blinks and his green eyes are watery.

"I always suspected Jacob was mine, but it didn't matter. Charity never should have married him. She was ours to share, marry, have children with."

My mind is spinning. Not too long ago, I was bathing Elijah and planning a night alone with my wife. Now she's missing, and past secrets are being exposed.

Jacob seems speechless, and I don't know how to react to him. He's my boss—The Dragon.

"If Isabella is coming for Chastity, then we should be with her. Not kept apart. She's due to have our little girl in just a few weeks. I don't know who this Snake is."

"You can trust him. He would never hurt Chastity. He adored her mother, and was destroyed when she left us."

"Snake has been undercover for fifteen years with Isabella and the trafficking ring," Jacob mumbles as he tries to stand.

I offer him a hand and he accepts.

"I need to go speak to the other Elders. We need to get things underway for the upcoming war. We have an inside guy in the James family, I'll give him a call too."

"I'll try and reach Snake. Make sure he has medical on call, in case the baby comes early," Dad mutters, as he stands and moves for the door.

Wait, what?

"If you think that me and the other guys won't be present for the birth of our child, you have lost your fucking mind," I growl and Jacob groans.

"It's not safe, Levi. Think about your family. We need to get Elijah, Romeo, and Tempest into a safe house too. We are going to war!"

CHASTITY

Whimpering, I turn when I realize that my eyes are closed and I'm laying on a hard surface. A cramp contracts my uterus, making me gasp, bringing tears to my eyes. No, it's too early.

Remembering that stress brings on Braxton Hicks, I force myself to breathe. The room is freezing cold, and I can see a man's boots by my face, but I am having a hard time concentrating on anything except breathing through this pain.

"What's wrong with you, girl? Don't tell me you're going to have that baby here. I swear I was gonna bring you upstairs, but you're kind of heavy," he grunts.

Pushing myself into a sitting position, I glare up at him. I'm tired of being a victim, being pulled into situations that have nothing to do with me.

"Where am I?" I snarl. "Did Isabella put you up to this?"

"Ha, that hag? I may work for her because of The Society, but she's not calling the shots here. You're at a safe house because those boys can't keep you safe anymore. The academy is a hot zone. Now it's your turn to answer my questions, girlie," he says, smirking.

He's covered in tattoos, all over his exposed arms and neck, and it doesn't appear as if he'll be able to keep anyone safe.

"I'm having fake contractions," I grunt as I try to stand. Maybe it'll be better if I get upright. I'm willing to try.

The man reaches out, as if by reflex, grabbing my hand and hauling me up.

"May as well show you to your room," he grunts. "The furniture is kind of sparse and uncomfortable. Nowhere to lay you down, unless it's a bedroom."

"Wait, I'm not going anywhere with you," I say, but he ignores me and begins to drag me across the room towards the stairs. "Who are you?! You do realize you fucking kidnapped me."

"I'm Snake. I knew your mother. We have a lot more in common than you might think," he grumbles. "Get moving, or I'll rethink how much you weigh and throw you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes."

"This doesn't make any sense," I say, beginning to feel overwhelmed. I'm too pregnant for this, and my emotions are running wild. I cried over burnt cookies last week and scared Jonas.

I want to ask him how he knew my mother, but there are too many thoughts racing through my mind. "Why aren't I safe? I was perfectly fine living my life. I'm owed an explanation from someone higher up."

Like my damn brother. I swear, if he made this happen and didn't tell me, we are going to have some serious words.

"I can't help you there. I'm just a lowly Society member. I do what I'm told," he says with a shrug. "Now, I can show you where your room is, or I can leave you here alone to figure it out."

Blowing out a breath of frustration, I follow him slowly. If he hasn't killed me yet, he probably won't. My baby and I will be safe. God, I need to stop watching Nightline late at night.

Slowly, I remember the parking lot and the way he drugged me. My memories are sluggish. I also feel a little dizzy from whatever he gave me, and the memory of being drugged makes me angry.

"I'm pregnant. Do you make it a habit to drug women?" I ask him, stopping a few steps up the staircase.

"I swear, you have so many questions. How does anyone put up with you?" Snake groans. "I'm fairly certain the drugs are fine for you and the baby. You won't be able to stay awake for long, which is a good thing for me. You talk too damn much. Get moving."

A huge yawn is forced out of me as I weave on my feet, and I glare at him. It's like his words are making me this tired. Word demon.

"You don't actually know if it'll be safe though… Ouch!" I yell as he twists his body and picks me up into a fireman's lift. It puts a lot of pressure on my stomach, and it's incredibly uncomfortable as I struggle against him.

"I'm not a good man, girlie. I'll throw you down the stairs and tell them you fell. Stop fucking struggling," he growls, making my blood run cold.

Whimpering, I go limp as he climbs the stairs, the baby showing me how much she hates this. As he puts me down, he shoves the door open and roughly pushes me inside the room.

"Wait!" I yell, recognizing that he'll probably lock me in here. There's a memory tormenting me and I can't stand it anymore. I need to know.

"Another question, I'm sure," Snake grumbles. "What now?"

"I heard a man speaking to you. I knew him once… Was it Ash?" I ask, goosebumps erupting over my arms as I shiver in anticipation.

"I don't know anyone by that name," he says. "Spider does some work for me, and that's who you may have heard. Get some rest. I will have questions of my own when I get back."

As he slams the door closed and locks it from the outside, I walk to the bed, that's covered with a flat sheet and a thin blanket, and sit down. I have more questions than when I started, and my cramps are getting more aggressive.

"Shit," I hiss, apologizing to the baby as I grit my teeth.

I can feel the pull of the drug that's still in my system, trying to drag me back to oblivion, but it's fighting with the pain I'm feeling. Curling up on my side, I wonder if Ash and Spider are the same person, and where the hell he's been all of this time.

Closing my eyes, as I struggle with my breathing, I pray these aren't real contractions. I'm not a vicious person, but I may consider throwing Snake's damn ass down the stairs if he hurts my damn baby.

"Ow, ow," I scream when something feels as if it's ripping from inside of me. Water gushes between my legs as I start to cry, cursing my luck.

I don't remember a lot of Angel's birth, because of the way I was forced to have her. I don't want to be scared to death and have yet another traumatic birth.

"I just want my baby!" I scream. "Snake! Help me!"

Silence is the only response I get as I sob.

The door unlocks and Snake walks into the room with a panicked gasp.

"You weren't supposed to be due yet," he whispers. "What happened?"

"Whatever you gave me… Ow, ow, God!" I scream. It feels like I'm being ripped apart, and he leaves to get something.

He leaves the door open, but there's no way I'm making a run for it now. I'm stuck, in labor, and alone with a man I don't know, who has familiar eyes that I can't place. They're wild, crazed, and evil. There's no way I can trust him.

I wish I had any other choice.

Please, don't leave me here, guys. I don't want to have this baby alone.