Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Artemis

A fter three days of idyllic peace with my omegas, I was now staring down the barrel of the most precarious situation I’d ever been a part of. Goode was dangerous. I’d felt it during my interview with him days before, but I hadn’t known what it was then. The edginess that had radiated from him as he sat behind his big desk, questioning me about what I could do for him, was from this desperate, grasping certainty that Gideon belonged to him. There was no way to predict what he would do to take what he believed was his.

If I could have beamed Gideon away from the cliffside house to safety, I would have. But the remoteness of our hideaway worked against us as much as it worked for us. We were all trapped there together.

“Whoever shingled this roof originally did a decent job,” Goode said in a too-casual voice as we moved around, removing rotted shingles and replacing them with new ones. “It looks to me like the only problem with this structure is its age. How long have you owned it?”

“I don’t,” I said honestly, inching along the roof as Goode did. “Fletcher owns it.”

Goode nodded, and his affable expression faltered for a moment, but he didn’t comment.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see what Goode thought about Fletcher. He hated my omega with a passion. Logically, I could understand why. Fletcher had managed to keep Gideon away from him for years. I had the uncomfortable feeling that Fletcher would have continued to be able to keep Gideon safe if I hadn’t joined the picture.

Every which way I looked at it, I figured the only way Goode would have been able to find Fletcher and Gideon was through me. Whether it was Goode himself or someone working for him who had arrived at the farm just as I was leaving, they must have somehow had the ability to see the license plate on my car and to identify me after all. That or they’d spotted us at the travel center. But I didn’t think they would have known where to look if it wasn’t for my car.

And then there was my cell phone. I’d made that call to Victor the other day. I wasn’t sure about the technology behind it, but there had to be some way Goode was able to figure out my exact location based on my last call.

I wished I could make a call to Victor now, but after being turned off and unplugged for three days, my phone had no battery. I’d asked Gideon to plug it into the generator to get some power now, but I hadn’t wanted to let Goode out of my sight long enough to make a call.

I had to keep my omegas safe, and for now, that meant watching every move Goode made. I certainly didn’t want him anywhere near Gideon. Fletcher had his keys and his shirt and shoes, but I wasn’t about to let my guard down or assume Goode was neutralized for a second.

“The view from up here is spectacular,” Goode said, making light conversation.

We were on the ocean side of the house, dealing with the shingles there. The view was amazing as the sun slipped in and out of clouds, but I didn’t tear my eyes away from Goode to see it.

“Your feisty little omega did good to find this place,” Goode went on when I didn’t engage him. “I’m certain this will make a perfect love nest for the two of you for years to come.”

I agreed with him and I saw the three of us keeping the place and using it for vacations, but that was the last thing I wanted to say to Goode. He wasn’t my friend. We weren’t two alphas swapping sweet tales of our omegas. Gideon wasn’t his omega at all, he was mine.

I felt that more than ever, even though there was no bond. Although you could have fooled me on that score. I could have sworn I knew exactly where Gideon was in the kitchen below. Whatever he and Fletcher were doing together, I could have pointed to their exact location with a hundred percent certainty.

Goode sighed and rocked back on his haunches, dropping one act and assuming another.

“Look, I’m not the bad guy,” he insisted.

“You’ve hunted down an omega who you abused for years in an attempt to force him back into an abusive situation,” I said. “That sure sounds like you’re the bad guy to me.”

Goode sighed again and rubbed a hand over his face. “It wasn’t like that at all,” he said. “Gideon was a sweet, inexperienced omega when we married, as all omegas of that age should be. He was never educated in the way of the world. He was meant for a purer calling. It was a shock to him when his first heat started. He didn’t know what to expect, which, again, is as it should be. Omegas like that panic when nature takes over.”

I scowled, not liking where he was going with his argument.

“You’re an alpha,” he went on, grinning slightly at me, like we shared opinions because we were both alphas. “You know how it is when you’re with a young, beautiful omega in heat. God gave us our reactions to omegas so that we might be fruitful and multiply. That’s exactly what I tried to do, though my seed didn’t take. It wasn’t abuse, it was just ordinary procreation, even though my husband was frightened and failed at his duty.”

A rush of heated anger pulsed through me and I gripped the hammer in my hand tightly. I considered using it against Goode’s skull, too. I’d spoken before thinking earlier when I suggested we eliminate the man. I hadn’t necessarily meant kill him, but I was certainly capable of that kind of violence, knowing how remorseless Goode was about hurting Gideon.

“Gideon didn’t fail at anything,” I said, fighting hard not to shout with fury. “He was young and frightened. His family pushed him into something he didn’t want. Everyone around him let him down and took advantage of him.”

Goode huffed a wry laugh and shook his head. “You know how omegas are. They can’t be trusted with their own emotions or their bodies. They’re flighty and weak-minded. They need us, their alphas, to keep them in line and guide them to their true calling. Whatever my husband told you, it’s all just a flight of his silly, omega fancy. ”

“Gideon is bright and creative,” I defended him. “He is passionate about his career and the people he loves.”

“His career?” Goode asked, genuinely confused.

I could have kicked myself for letting that slip.

“He’s not your husband,” I went on, hoping Goode would ignore the slip. “He’s married to Fletcher.”

Goode snorted. “That’s not a real marriage,” he said, acting like it was funny instead of dead serious. “Two omegas can’t reproduce. They both need a firm hand to guide them back to the light. Clearly, you and Fletcher have some sort of connection. You should get that young man with child as fast as possible. I promise you, both of you will be happier for it. An omega’s purpose in life is to bear and raise children.”

The bastard went so far as to rest a hand on my arm, like he was some sort of pastor counseling a member of his congregation who had come to him for help.

“Fletcher is strong and brave,” I told him in return. “He amazes me with his fortitude and his loyalty to his husband .” I emphasized the words on purpose. “I wouldn’t want to change him for anything.”

Goode sighed, like he’d failed to convert me. “I’ll pray for you,” he added before going back to work.

The man was living, breathing frustration. Either he was so convinced of his rightness that it blinded him to everything else, including Gideon’s wishes for his own life, or he was throwing everything he had into his deception.

I had no idea what to do about it. I refused to let him leave with Gideon. I refused to let him threaten Gideon for a moment longer. But he wasn’t going to give up easily. I was afraid he wasn’t going to give up at all. People like Goode went after their targets with single-minded purpose until they got what they believed was theirs. I had no idea whatsoever about how to convince him to give Gideon up and let him go.

“Life with The People of God on Earth is actually quite wonderful,” Goode went on talking as we continued to work, though I definitely hadn’t asked him anything about his sick cult. “It’s family-oriented and all about community. Omegas are revered for their purity and ability to create new life. I’m sure Gideon has told you about growing up on a farm, surrounded by a large, happy family.”

He'd certainly mentioned the farm and the large family part, but happiness wasn’t part of the story.

“Right about this time of year, the community all comes together to plant the fields,” Goode went on, though I gave no indication of listening. “The omegas and female betas cook all sorts of amazing dishes, while the male betas set up tables and chairs by the side of the fields. The entire community takes part in the feast. There’s singing and hymns of praise, and while the children and older folks enjoy a special seed cake we eat to celebrate the occasion, the married alphas take their omegas out into the newly planted fields and breed them over the seeds.”

I snapped my head up from where I’d been working, appalled by the idea. Forcing their omegas, whether they were in heat or not, in an open field with the entire community near enough to see?

“Any child that is born from the planting is considered blessed,” Goode went on, as if violating an omega in public was a good thing. “If the baby is an omega, they are considered to be one of the highest prizes an alpha of the community can win.”

That made it even worse.

“Omegas are not prizes to be won,” I said, letting my disgust show .

Goode paused his nailing and looked at me like he was frustrated I wasn’t getting the point.

Then he just shook his head, like I was the problem, and continued working.

We only got a bit more work in before the clouds that had been gathering thickened and rain started to spit down from the sky. Sunset was on its way anyhow, and the light was quickly growing dimmer. The last thing I wanted to do was let Goode inside our house, where Gideon was, but I didn’t see how it could be helped.

“You’ve done a wonderful job of decorating,” Goode said once we were standing near the fire in the living room, drying off. He addressed his comment to Gideon, who kept his distance at the far side of the room as he set out snacks on the table. “I’m not surprised you have beautiful taste,” he went on. “You always were the perfect omega helpmeet.”

Those words had to mean something within the cult. Gideon snapped straight and blanched as he heard them.

“Don’t speak to him,” Fletcher growled, coming into the room with a pitcher of what looked like lemonade. “Don’t even look at him. He’s mine, ours, not yours.”

He glanced at me, and I felt so much more than his fury at Goode and his protectiveness of Gideon. He pulsed with energy, like he had figured out a plan and was eager to execute it.

“I’ll help you two with the rest of the food,” I said, moving away from the fireplace. Goode started moving, too, but I whipped back, pointing at him, and said, “You stay right where you are.”

Goode held up his hands, like he was gracious for obeying my request. “I’ll just slip back into my shirt, if you don’t mind,” he said, reaching for his shirt, which was draped over the back of the chair nearest the fire.

I didn’t care one way or another whether he was dressed or not, but there wasn’t a lot of time to think about it. Fletcher and Gideon had already moved back into the kitchen, and I was eager to go with them.

“What are we going to do about him?” I asked once the three of us were alone in the kitchen.

“We need to keep him here,” Fletcher whispered as we gathered around the sink. “I got your phone working earlier and I called your friend Victor.”

I bristled with relief, even though I wasn’t sure what Victor could do about anything.

“He said he’ll be here as soon as he can,” Fletcher went on.

I rubbed a hand over my face. “I wish I was convinced that bringing Victor up here would solve things,” I said. “Goode hasn’t done anything yet that we could use to have him arrested.”

“He’s good at pretending he’s doing everything right,” Gideon whispered, shifting over to the table to put the finishing touches on a charcuterie board. “Everyone who belongs to The People is taught how to say and do the right thing to look innocent and to stop the police from having any reason to take action. We learn that when we’re young.”

I had been worried about that much. Goode was probably five steps ahead of us without us even knowing it.

“What do we do, then?” I asked, letting my frustration show.

“We don’t give up, that’s what we do,” Fletcher said.

The rain and wind suddenly picked up, which felt like a reflection of the complete powerlessness I was feeling.

“Hey,” Fletcher said, grabbing my arms and turning me to face him. He stared hard into my eyes and repeated, “We don’t give up. There is a way out of this, we just have to find it.”

I nodded, wishing I felt as confident as my amazing omega. “I keep thinking that the only way to end this whole thing and keep Gideon safe for good is if Goode is eliminated .” I didn’t want to say “killed”. I didn’t want to believe we would have to resort to that extremity just to free Gideon of the specter that had been following him for too long.

Fletcher moved his hands from my arms to hold my face. “We’ll do what we have to do,” he said, his strength unwavering. “The longer we keep Goode here, on his own, without backup, the more time we have to figure out how to keep Gideon safe. It’s just a matter of figuring out what he values more than an omega who doesn’t want him.”

“His business,” I said, heart beating with hope. “I’m sure there’s a way we can target his business, threaten to expose him for the abuser he is to the public. Men like that care more about money and their reputations than they do about a single omega. If we can make him believe that the world will revile him and his business will flounder if he continues to pursue Gideon, then he might let Gideon go.”

“That’s a great place to start,” Fletcher said. “I wonder if revealing Gideon’s identity as Tristan Freehold would help. If all those legion of fans find out that Gideon has been on the run from a forced cult marriage, that could sway the situation as well.”

“I think it would work,” I said, breathless with hope. I smiled. “I love you.”

A moment later, I blinked. That wasn’t what I’d thought would come out of my mouth. I had just intended to compliment Fletcher for being brilliant. But I did love him. I loved him so much that I couldn’t contain myself for a moment longer.

Fletcher’s eyes suddenly brimmed with joy and affection as well. “I love you, too,” he said, then laughed. “That totally snuck up on me.”

“What, you mean you didn’t realize that you loved me when you had me bunched up over the back of the chair earlier while you pounded my prostate into oblivion?”

Fletcher laughed even louder. “Maybe,” he said. “We can give it another go sometime and see if fucking you senseless inspires me with more feelings of love.”

“I’m pretty sure it would,” I said, heating from the inside out.

Fletcher growled low in his throat then pulled me closer, slamming his mouth over mine. I loved the way he kissed, like he would force me to submit with the power of his mouth alone. And I wanted to submit to him. I loved the crazy, unusual dynamic between us. I wanted more of it, all of it. And I wanted Gideon to play a part in our hot lovemaking as well.

Gideon.

I gasped and pulled back, suddenly remembering Fletcher and I weren’t alone. I twisted to check on Gideon at the kitchen table, but he was gone.

“Shit, Gideon!” I called out, peeling away from Fletcher.

We dashed into the living room, but that, too, was empty, and the front door was wide open.

“Gideon! No!” Fletcher cried out, staring at the dining table. “The keys are gone.”

Dread like nothing I’d ever felt before filled me as the two of us raced through the room and out onto the porch. The rain and wind had picked up to a fevered pitch, making everything outside black and confusing, but it wasn’t loud or raging enough to hide Gideon’s panicked, high-pitched scream somewhere in the night.

“No, no!” Fletcher shouted. I could feel the anguish in his soul and the sense that he’d failed at the one thing he’d worked for years to accomplish.

I wasn’t going to let him fail. I wasn’t going to let Goode take Gideon.

“Come on,” I said, grabbing Fletcher’s hand and dashing off the porch into the storm.