Soul Broker (4 page)

He had a child. Rage, fear, excitement, all clashed into each other. He tried to sort them out, but now was not the time. He would have plenty of years dreaming about the daughter he’d never know.

“Oh, but I think you will.”

“If I don’t, what are you going to do? Make me your slave in this hell for eternity?” Drew sneered, “I’m already here, so fuck you.”

Olesha sashayed over to the pool in the center of the room. It was dug into the ground, and all of her slaves could view it. She waved her hand across it, and a picture appeared. A little girl giggling, a dimple on her right cheek, blonde curls bound in two pig-tails bouncing as she walked. She climbed up the stairs of the slide. She reached the top and slid down into the arms of the woman who waited at the bottom. Mackenzie scooped her up and twirled her around, the girl’s screeches of laughter echoing in hell.

Drew would never forget the sound of his daughter’s laughter. In that moment, he was prepared to do anything to protect the two beauties whose reflections shone in the pool.

Olesha turned as she moved around the pool, addressing all the slaves. “Who would like to go retrieve this child for me?” The throne room remained silent. “Okay, whoever volunteers to retrieve this child for me, can have the woman to do as he or she pleases.” None of the other Soul Brokers answered her call.

Drew glared at Olesha. Foolish woman, all of the people were not here by their own free will. Nobody would do this unless she offered freedom, and she wouldn’t. Olesha smirked. Christ, no, she was going to do it. If she offered someone their freedom to bring back his daughter, Mackenzie was dead.

“I’ll do it,” Drew called out, pulling against the chains.

“I know you will.” Olesha approached him. “If the woman agrees to sign a contract, you may bring her back as well.”

“I have a few conditions.”

Olesha’s laughter echoed in the room. “What conditions could you possibly have?”

“I need seventy-two hours, and a guarantee you won’t pull me back early.”

“Why should I give you anything?” Olesha moved toward him.

“Because if I can’t convince her mother to let me have her, it’ll attract attention. Non-demonic attention. And I thought we were to avoid that at all cost.”

“Hmmm, you may be right, but how are you going to convince a human to give up her child?”

“I convinced her to sleep with me after a few hours of meeting. Besides, I only need to convince her to let me get to know the child. When I take her, it’ll be by the girl’s free will.”

Drew hoped this would work. He kept his face like granite. If he betrayed his feelings, it would be the end for his daughter and Mackenzie. No, he would not let them down.

“Very well, you have seventy-two hours.”

With a wave of her hand, Drew was dressed and back at the park, where he had made his last deal.

He glanced at the watch on his wrist. The countdown had begun. “Stupid bitch, she could’ve at least told me where to look.”

He stopped in his tracks at a familiar voice, one he’d only heard moments ago from Olesha’s pool. Drew turned his head toward the sweetest sound he’d ever heard, his daughter’s laughter.

Mackenzie sat on a park bench while Sophie played on the playground with the other kids. She brought a book with her, but couldn’t take her eyes off Sophie long enough to read. Her little one ran after the other kids, laughing.

A shadow blocked the sunshine. Startled, she turned to see who or what it was. Her mouth fell open.
It couldn’t be him
. He approached her slowly, like a cat stalking its prey. Tall, muscular, blonde hair tied back in a pony- tail, and piecing gray eyes.

“No. It can’t be!” Mackenzie stood and backed away from him. She wasn’t scared, she was pissed.

“Mackenzie, I don’t have a lot of time, we need to talk now.” Drew strutted towards her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I’m not afraid of you… you idiot! I’m afraid what I’m going to do to
you
.” Mackenzie backed herself against a large oak tree. She tried to edge around the circumference of it, but Drew followed her like a cat stalking a mouse.

“Please stop. I really need to talk to you.” Drew continued to shadow her every move.

“It’s been three years, Drew! Three fucking years without a word from you.” Mackenzie turned to the side, trying to keep her eyes on Sophie.

“I didn’t leave by choice. If you stop I’ll explain everything, but Mackenzie, we’re running out of time.” Drew moved ahead of her and pinned her against the tree.

“Let go of me!” Mackenzie struggled against him.

“Stop! The other parents are staring.”

“Then let me go.” She kicked her feet, but Drew dodged them. His arms were long enough to keep his body safe.
For now.

“Our daughter’s in danger.”

Mackenzie stopped fighting, and her heart sped up. “What do you mean? How do you know Sophie’s your daughter?”

“I’ll tell you everything. If I let you go, will you listen to me?”

“Yes, now let me go.”

Drew removed his hands and took a step backwards.

Mackenzie smoothed out her shirt, brushed her from her hair from her face, and walked up to Drew.

She spoke low.

“What? I can’t hear you,” Drew said.

Mackenzie said it again, a little louder.

“I still can’t you hear you, Mackenzie.”

Mackenzie motioned for him to lower his head, Drew did.

She kneed him in the nuts. “I said you’re a fucking dick!”

Drew fell to the ground, hands pressed to his groin.

“I’ll be over at the bench, When you can walk again, come over and we’ll talk.”

“I… deserved that,” Drew grunted.

“Yeah, you did.” Mackenzie left him on the ground and went over to the bench.

The other parents watched her, faces painted with curiosity.

“He didn’t pay his child support on time.” Mackenzie lifted the book, opened it, and stared at the pages.

Drew came over a few minutes later. Mackenzie wished she could feel sorry for him, but she was drowning
so much in her own rage and feelings of abandonment to feel anything for him.

“Can we talk now?” Drew asked.

“Yup, talk away.” Mackenzie continued to look at the book, turning a page every now and again.

“Is that a good book?” Drew inquired.

“Yeah it’s about a guy who didn’t have a one night stand. This guy-,” she tapped the page with her finger, “-he’s a family man.”

Drew took it from her hands and flipped it over. “It might be easier to read this way.”

Mackenzie slammed the book on the bench. “What do you want, Drew?”

“It’s not what I want.” Drew turned and faced Mackenzie. “My M
aster wants Sophie.”

Mackenzie leaned back on the wooden bench. “Did you say
Master
?”

Drew nodded.

“If I believed for a second that people in this day and age had Masters, what does yours want?” Mackenzie kept an eye on Sophie. She climbed up the wooden platforms of the playground, too small to step from one platform to the next, so she conned the kids into giving her a boost. Her
‘Oh please help me look’
was pathetic
.
Mackenzie laughed as the boys took turns lifting her up to the next level.
That’s my girl.

“She’s beautiful.” Drew smiled as he watched Sophie.

“Yes, she is. Now tell me what your Master wants.” Mackenzie turned to face Drew, while still able to keep an eye on Sophie. Mackenzie didn’t know Drew well, hell she hardly knew him at all, but her gut was telling her he was telling the truth. Her instincts never failed her before, and she knew full well that things weren’t always what they seemed. She wasn’t going to tell him that, though.

“Sophie.”

“What do you mean, Sophie?”

“She wants me to bring Sophie back with me. I have seventy-two, no make that, seventy-one hours to do it.”

Mackenzie stood and started to run toward her daughter, but Drew grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “I didn’t say I would give that bitch our daughter. Now sit down before you scare her, and the other kids.”

Mackenzie squared her shoulders and raised her head. “Neither you nor your Master will ever have Sophie. You may have been there for the conception, but that’s where your claim to her starts and stops. She is not our daughter, she’s mine. Do you understand?”

“Yes, and I’m sorry.”

“Good, now get your hands off me.”

Drew released Mackenzie and she sat back down. She glanced around, and the other parents stared at her like she was crazy.
Guess we’re not getting invited to any more play dates.
She gave them a wave and forced a smile.

Mackenzie took a few deep breaths to try and calm down. So much had happened in the last hour. She needed to clear her head so she could think clearly. “I want you to tell me everything, before I decide if I need to panic.”

Drew lowered his gaze and turned away. She followed his view and took in the golden leaves blowing around the ground. Mackenzie’s frustration reached a new level. He was watching the leaves. What the hell was wrong with him? They had a lot to discuss. Sure, fall was her favorite time of year, and given any other situation she would have admired how beautiful they were too, but now was not the time.

“I’m getting really close to panic mode. Drew? I’ll take some pictures for you, after you tell me what the hell is going on.”

Drew raised his head and met her gaze. “I’m trying to decide where I should start.”

“I would say the beginning, but honestly ,Drew, I need to know why someone wants my baby.” Mackenzie placed a hand on Drew’s shoulder. “Before you say anything else, you need to know I’ll kill anyone who tries to take her from me. I mean anyone, Drew.” She sat back, a watchful eye fastened to Sophie. She took a few slow, deep breaths..

The sound of kids laughing and dogs barking in the distance grounded her. It was difficult to sit there and take this all in, but she had to know what she was up against. And Drew was the only one who had the information she needed.

“I believe you.” Drew remained quiet for a moment. “I’ll start from the beginning, but I’ll keep it short. Okay?”

Mackenzie nodded.

“I was in love with a woman in my village, but she didn’t return those feelings. I wanted to find a way to make her love me.”

“Village?”

Drew didn’t flinch as he responded. “It was a long time ago.”

“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you’re a lot older than me. I’m also going to close my mouth and try very hard to stop interrupting.” Mackenzie had no idea how old Drew was, but from personal experience with other families, she knew that your life span wasn’t necessarily a mortal one. This was something she was not willing to share with Drew… yet.

“That’s all you’re going to say. No questions? No, ‘how old are you’?”

“You told me you have a Master, you disappeared and then reappeared. I want to know why. If you’re full of shit then I’ll have your ass arrested and sent some place where you can get the help you need. If you’re telling the truth I want to know everything. And just so you know, you can’t make someone love you.” Mackenzie’s thoughts drifted to her ex, who cheated on her. He was her first love, and she wanted more than anything to spend forever with him. Her friends told her he was scum, but all she could see was the knight in shining armor.
Some knight he turned out to be, and right now Drew wasn’t turning out to be any better.