Rourk (Keegan's Chronicles Series Book 4) (11 page)

Think, Keegan!

CHAPTER 16   

Mirko knocked on the door. “Hey, Kavanagh, phone call.” He handed him the satellite phone and walked away.

“Hello?”

“Rourk, it’s Thaddeus.”

Rourk groaned, and gripped the phone tighter. He knew it. He’d known something was going to happen. “Tell me.” He closed his eyes and tried to brace himself for the bad news.

“Keegan’s been taken.”

“Taken?” Rourk locked his knees in fear that his legs were going to buckle under him. “By whom?”

“Someone with a score to settle with you. A d’jinn you pissed off.”

The world tilted beneath him, and Rourk couldn’t speak. His actions had caused his best friend to die and his chosen to be taken. D’jinns were evil, and this one was fueled on revenge. Focus. He scolded himself. Imagining what could happen to Keegan would only cloud his judgement.

“Rourk, you need to get back here. Take emergency leave.”

“Can you get me there faster? I’m about to come out of my skin. I can’t sit through a long flight. We need to act. Fast.”

“I’m already here. Meet me at the airport. I’ll be waiting for you.” The line disconnected.

Rourk’s body was revving into overdrive. He willed his breathing to return to normal, and strode to his team sergeant’s office. He rapped on the door.

“What’s up?”

“I need to leave. My wife is—missing”

“Missing?” He asked, confused. “You’re sure she didn’t just run off with some Joe? You know it happens all the time. Or maybe just hanging out with her friends or something?”

Rourk flexed his jaw. It took all of his self-control not to grab O’Grady and fling him across the room. “I’ve never asked you for anything. I need to go. If you don’t sign the form, I’ll be forced to go AWOL,” Rourk said, his voice was cold as ice.

O’Grady let out a breath. “Anyone else, there is no way in hell I’d approve this. We’re due home in two weeks. But I know you, Rourk, and you wouldn’t ask if you didn’t feel it was warranted. There’s no need to talk crazy.”

He opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out a form. “Just sign here. I’ll fill out the rest.”

“Thank you. You know I hate leaving the team. If I can I’ll return before the rotation is over.”

“Don’t worry about it. You know we’ll just be handing things over to the team rotating in. Go take care of family.”

Family.
One simple word made him want to tear apart anyone in his way. Keegan was carrying his child, and someone had dared take her from him. There would be hell to pay.

“Rourk, are you sure this is not about Stitch? There’s no shame if you need to talk to someone.”

Rourk had to bite back the bitter laughter. Oh yes, this was very much about Stitch. He missed Stitch, and every time he closed his eyes, he saw his haunted eyes, and he  would his death. But right now, his main concern was Keegan.

He took the pen and scrawled his signature. “I really appreciate this. I’m sorry I let my temper show.”

“No problem. Good luck, Rourk.”

Anger seared through him as he strode down the hallway to his room. He looked around the room. The sight of Stitch’s empty bed made him feel ill. He tossed what little he had into his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and knocked on Mirko’s door.

“Hey, man. I need a lift to the airport.”

“Everything okay?”

“No,” Rourk said through clenched teeth. A vein throbbed in his temple.

Mirko searched his face before standing. “Sure, ok, let’s go.”

Rourk was thankful he didn’t push the issue. He was not in the mood to talk, and he was afraid he would fall apart if he had to explain the situation.

They made the drive in silence. Rourk stared out the window and hoped he wasn’t too late. If anything happened to Keegan…

He thanked Mirko and jumped out of the truck. He took long strides, walking as quickly as possible. A sense of urgency coursed through him like he had never felt before. He knew the clock was ticking, and he was on the d’jinn’s time.

Thaddeus was waiting inside the doorway. Rourk didn’t like what he saw in his brother-in-law’s eyes: sadness.

“Is she going to be okay?” Rourk asked as soon as he saw his brother-in-law, steeling himself for the answer.

“I don’t know. I just don’t know.” Thaddeus turned and walked towards the men’s restroom.

“How did it happen? How did he get her?”

“Drugs. He tried once, and she used her gift, but he managed to get her anyway.”

Rourk cursed under his breath.

“Gavin called me. He didn’t see it coming. The d’jinn was disguised as an old woman, and they were gone before he could act.”

“Wherever she is being held is cloaked. I can’t reach her, and she will be unable to use her gift.”

Rourk had figured as much. If Keegan could have disappeared she would have found a way out. Take away magick, and the playing field was uneven. Rourk had tried to reach her through their bond, but it wasn’t possible. It reminded him of when their bond had been severed by the black magick. He had barely survived that.

“He’s going to pay with his life, and he’ll wish he’d never laid eyes on my wife.”

“In here.” Thaddeus pushed the door open, and it slammed behind them

There were a couple of men at the urinals, and one washing his feet in the sink. They needed to be alone, but Rourk didn’t have the time to wait. He strode forward and pushed open one of the bathroom stalls. He left the door ajar and Thaddeus slipped in.

He doubted anyone was paying attention, and if they were, they would have unclean thoughts.

Thaddeus held out his hand, and Rourk clasped it, closing his eyes. He’d only used teleportation a handful of times, but each time it still took him by surprise. He didn’t like the loss of control, but today he saw it as a gift. Without Thaddeus, it would have taken him nearly twenty-four hours to get home.

He shuddered to think what could happen in that time span.

Next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes and they were in the woods near his home. Rourk stood still till the wave of dizziness passed.

“Do we know where she is located? Anything at all?”

“I had a vision of her being taken. They drove for a while; she was drugged up when I went to her with my mind’s eye. It was all black, but I could feel the movement of a vehicle. The bastard was so calm and confident, he didn’t even speed. I left Anna working on a locator spell when I went to get you.”

“Anna is powerful. If she can be found, she will find her,” Thaddeus said. Rourk didn’t know who he was trying to convince, himself or Rourk.

Rourk took a step forward, and Thaddeus grabbed his arm. “Rourk, there is something you need to know.”

He could feel his pulse quicken. “What?”

“Keegan is going to lose the baby. I’m sorry, but it can’t be stopped.”

“No.” His palms were suddenly cold with sweat.

Thaddeus drew a shaky breath. “It’s been determined. The baby will not make it.”

“Damn it, Thaddeus, this is your niece or nephew you are talking about. There must be a way.”

“Niece. The baby is a girl.”

“No. No. No. Don’t do this to me, Thaddeus.” Tears pricked his eyes.

“Rourk, push the pain aside.” Thaddeus cleared his throat to force back his own emotion. “Right now we need to find Keegan. If she makes it through this, she is going to need you more than ever when this is over.”

Rourk yanked his arm away and strode towards his home. The home he shared with Keegan. They had talked about moving. They would need a bigger place once the baby came. Rourk forced his feet to move. Find Keegan. Save the baby. He could do this. He would do this. And he was going to tear that d’jinn limb from limb if it was the last thing he did.

Keep busy, he told himself as he unlocked his front door. Embrace the rage. He felt his head clear, his gray eyes focus as he entered the home, the place the d’jinn had truly sealed is fate.

CHAPTER 17   

The door creaked open, and she could feel the cold breeze that entered the room with him. Keegan’s body tensed, wishing she could run, but she was still tied to the damn chair. The door slammed behind him, nearly causing Keegan to jump out of her skin. She thought the door might come off the hinges, but it didn’t. Every sound echoed through the open stone building. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Please, let me go. I beg of you. Just let me go.” Her voice cracked, partly from fear, but also from thirst. She was so thirsty. Her stomach constricted. She had no idea how long she had been held captive. She had dozed off, but would jerk awake when she leaned forward or to the side, because of being bound to the chair. During the night, she had tried in vain to loosen the ropes.

“Can I at least have something to eat and drink? I’ll be no good to you if I’m not alive. I really need to go to the bathroom too.”

The d’jinn grunted, and left the room, returning with a canteen and a hunk of bread. Her mouth salivated at the sight.

He lifted the canteen to her mouth. A drop of water fell, and she greedily licked at it. More drops came. Her head fell back, slightly parting her chapped lips. He poured too much, and she started to cough.

Once her coughing fit was over, he shoved a piece of bread in her mouth, which she devoured.

“Thank you,” she managed to get out. If she ever wanted to see Rourk again, she had to escape. She had to be strong. Even if it meant she had to try to befriend this beast. Just the thought made her want to vomit. Swallowing hard, she pushed back the fear. She could do this.

“Bathroom? I’m about to soil my pants.”

“Later.” He trailed his finger down the side of her face and caressed her lower lip with his thumb. “You are very beautiful. I can understand why your mate would not want to lose you.” Keegan fought back tears. She would not let him see her cry. She would not!

“Your mate must die, but first he will have to witness me breaking you.”

Keegan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I will not allow you to break me. There is nothing you could do to me that would break me. My body is nothing more than an outer shell. My soul resides deep inside and you cannot touch it.”

“Oh, you will break, little one. You will break. You have to pay for your husband’s sins. Because of your Rourk, I had to leave my brother and comrades when they needed me most.”

“Leave them?”

The d’jinn‘s face twisted in pain. “My brother cried out for me and begged me, but there was nothing I could do besides live another day to seek revenge for his death. I turned into a raven and flew away.”

“So that’s what this is about? You were too much of a coward to face your death and now the guilt has become too much? You are pathetic. You are the one with no honor,” Keegan spat.

“I will show you pathetic,” he roared and back handed her. Her head jerked from the blow, and her eyes blurred from the tears she tried desperately to blink back.

Keegan cried out in pain. Blood trailed down her lip, and she could feel her mouth already begin to swell.

“I think it’s time we had a little fun.” The d’jinn reached around her and cut the rope. Her hands fell free. She flexed her fingers. They tingled, but not from magick— it was from being kept in one position for too long. They were almost useless as she waited for the blood to flow back into her hands. Still, she frantically tried to think of a way out.

“Take off your shirt.”

“Wh-What?” Keegan cried. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. This could not be happening to her. She desperately wished this was a crazy nightmare, but the evil glow in his eyes and the pain in her face told her otherwise.

She wasn’t even wearing a bra, because he had come in when she was asleep. The thought of this creature seeing her naked caused bile to rise in her throat.

“Rourk is going to kill you,” she spat through clenched teeth.

“Take off your shirt.” His cold eyes bored into hers.

“No! If you want it off, you must take it off yourself. I will not help you humiliate me.”

“We’ll see about that.” The d’jinn gave her a humorless smile before taking his knife and slowly cutting from the collar of her pajama top. Her face flushed with humiliation.

He paused the knife and gave her an evil grin as he nicked her skin with the blade. Blood tricked down between her breasts. Swiftly, he ripped the shirt the rest of the way off her.

She trembled with fear. Her instincts told her to head-butt him, but he had a knife, and her feet were still tied. She didn’t stand a chance without the use of her magick. Could there be a worse feeling in the universe than being all alone with a creature that wanted to bring you pain, and there was nothing you could do to stop it? Keegan could think of none.

The creature grabbed her hands and forced them on her lap; his large hand was so strong she couldn’t even move her hands an inch. She tried desperately to pull them away to cover herself.

His other cold meaty hand ran down her throat, and between her breasts. His vicious eyes were full of lust. Her chest heaved up and down from fear.

She wanted to cry out, but she glared back at him with contempt, trying to control the terror that had taken over her body.

Rourk. Save me,
she thought frantically.

Her father’s words came back to her. “Keegan, don’t ever give up. Fight with everything you have. Even down to your last breath.” Fight or die. Those were her choices. She was not ready to die. There was too much to live for.

“Untie my legs,” Keegan said coldly. “I’m no good to you with my legs together.”

The d’jinn stared at her for a moment, trying to decide if she was messing with him. She could see his arousal clearly in his pants.

“What? It’s just sex. Get it over with.” She was disgusted by the words, but it was the only thing she could think of. Maybe once she got her feet free, she could escape.

“You’ll be damaged goods. Your husband won’t want to touch you ever again.”

“I thought you were going to kill me anyway? So what difference does it make? And Rourk loves me— he would never see me that way, no matter what you did to me.” Gods, she hoped that was true.