“I don’t care.”

“Well, start caring. I’ll be in touch.”

O’Keefe stood, but before he could open the door, it opened from the other side and a uniformed officer entered.

“Steel,” he said, “your bail’s been posted. You’re free to go.”

Great. Free to go. Free as the birds in the sky. Free to enjoy life.

What a fucking crock. I would never be free.

I followed the officer to a locker room.

He handed me a paper bag. “Here are your personals. Go ahead and get changed. I’ll meet you up front, and we’ll process you on out of here.”

I took the bag without saying a word. What was there to say? Thank you? He didn’t stay to watch me dress this time. I threw the bag down on the bench and sat, the white concrete walls beating in time with my heart.

The walls advanced again…

Won’t go there. Can’t go there.

But the monstrous walls lurched forward. The floor tilted, and I slid off the bench, my skin clammy, my heart thundering. I stared at the stark ceiling, the fluorescent lights blinding me. My bowels churned, and bile inched up my throat.

Needed to breathe. Couldn’t…fucking…breathe…

Help! The words stuck in my throat. I climbed back to the bench, back to safety. Breathe, Talon. Breathe. If you lose consciousness again, they’ll never leave you alone.

 

* * *

 

The boy’s voice had grown hoarse from screaming. His fingernails were filed down and his fingertips scabbed over from clawing at the concrete walls.

After a while, he no longer screamed, and eventually his voice repaired itself and his fingers healed. He sat, his arms around his legs, his chin resting in the indent formed by his two knees.

He had gotten used to his circumstances. A bucket sat in the corner of the room where he took care of his needs. His captors only changed it when they came for him. The days grew together. Had they been there yesterday? Or had it been longer? Sometimes he got three meals a day. Sometimes he got nothing. His stomach had long ago stopped growling for food. Sometimes they brought him water. More often they taunted him with the full icy glass.

The nights were the worst. The concrete floor was often chilly, even though it was summer. Was it still summer? The days had rolled together. How long had he been here? At first, he’d kept track of each time they came to him, but he stopped doing that. He didn’t want to think about those times.

The door to the small room opened, and one of them came down the stairs, wearing a mask, of course. They always wore masks.

He didn’t speak to the boy, just set out a tray of food. The boy didn’t dare move until the man had ascended and closed and locked the door. Then he scrambled to the tray and gobbled up every bit of tasteless food. Maybe it was poisoned.

 

* * *

 

I stood abruptly when the officer walked back in. The walls flew back to their normal places.

“Ready, Mr. Steel?”

I nodded. I was okay. Everything was okay. Needed to get home. Needed to see Jade. She’d make it all right.

Marjorie and Jade sat in the waiting area. Marj ran up to me and flew into my arms.

“Talon. I was so worried. Are you okay?”

I couldn’t tell her I’d just had a panic attack. “I’m fine.”

Jade said nothing, but she stood, her blue-gray eyes piercing into me like two spears.

“Let’s get you home,” Marj said.

Home. Where was home, anyway? I hadn’t felt like I’d been home for twenty-five years. We walked out together. Marj’s car was parked nearby on the street. Jade still hadn’t said anything.

“Are you hungry?” Marj asked. “We can stop and get something. Jade and I already ate.”

I shook my head. No, I wasn’t hungry. I was rarely hungry. I ate for sustenance. Fuck. I’d missed Marj’s steak dinner last night. I’d have to apologize. God… I hated hurting my sister. Hated hurting my brothers.

“I’m so sorry all this happened, Talon.” Marj’s eyes misted up.

I could stand anything but her tears. So many tears had been shed over me during my life. I was damned sick of it.

After that, Marj stopped talking, and we were all silent during the half-hour ride out to the ranch. I sat in the front seat next to Marj, and Jade sat in the back. I couldn’t see her, but her presence surrounded me, enveloped me, permeated me. She was inside me, and I was being pulled in different directions. One part of me wanted her more than anything, but the other part pushed her away. I couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her, and if she stayed near me, she would get hurt. I was a mess—a mess she, or anyone else, shouldn’t have to deal with.

We pulled into the ranch, and Jade went into her room without another word. I watched her walk down the hallway. Only she could make a navy-blue conservative suit look hotter than hell. I wanted to rip that tweed off of her and fuck her good right there.

But that would have to wait. Marj was coddling me, fawning all over me. Guilt raced through me. I’d missed her dinner, but she didn’t mention it. Instead, she made me a pot of tea and told me to go to my room and rest. Rest was the last thing I needed. Yes, I was perpetually tired, but right now, my body was agitated. I needed to keep moving, needed to work off some steam. Needed to release…

And I knew just where I could find one. How to get past Marj was the problem.

After I had waited a while, I sneaked out of my bedroom and down the hallway toward Jade’s room. I knocked lightly on the door.

“Come in.”

She had changed out of her stuffy suit, and she sat on her bed in a pair of denim cutoffs and a hot-pink tank top. My cock reacted at the sight. On the bed was a manila folder, and several documents were splayed out.

She looked up at me. “Hey, I was just looking over your case file.”

“So you’re really going to prosecute me, huh?”

She shook her head. “Not if I can help it. But I need you to cooperate.”

“You think you can get pretty boy to drop the charges?”

“I will try. Even if he doesn’t, you have a great chance to get a good plea bargain. But honestly, we’re putting the cart before the horse. Formal charges haven’t even come in yet.”

“Well, you’re the city attorney. You file the charges, right?”