Tomas’s Trials Read online

  “Interesting.” He wondered what he had gotten himself into.

  “Some of these guys are pretty … rough.” She stopped to collect herself, then continued. “Let’s just say I’m willing to take all the help I can get in order to get out.”

  “Why is it that you’re going back if you’re not comfortable?” Tomas asked, confused.

  “Because someone else is still on the inside, so I need to be there,” she murmured. “And I know Saul and Dezi don’t understand that, and they don’t like that I’m going back, but, until you can get all the women out safely—those who want to leave, me included—I have to be there. That’s non-negotiable.” She had already made up her mind, and there was no way out of it. “It’s just the way it needs to be.”

  “So, Amber,” Tomas said, yet looking at Saul, who smiled and shrugged, “is this other person willing to be there?” He needed to ensure they were talking about a rescue, rather than a kidnapping.

  “No,” she confirmed. “She wants out, but getting her out, and everyone else, will be tricky.”

  “Everyone else? Great,” Tomas noted. “I always like a challenge.”

  “My kind of man.” She flashed him a smile. “When you see me, and I throw my arms around you and give you a big smacking kiss,” she explained, “know that things have gotten a little bit uglier, and I needed the excuse to go a little further.”

  “Got it.” Tomas nodded, and, with that, she was gone. “Wow. She’s intense.” Surprised and confused, he turned and looked at the others. “Interesting life you guys have.”

  “She and my wife are friends.” Saul shrugged. “She’s good people. I’m not terribly happy that she went into this on her own or that she keeps ignoring our warnings and going back.”

  Tomas snorted at that. “That’s not exactly a surprise,” he murmured. “Most people don’t respond well to orders, and my sense is that she is a freaking force of nature. You know? Like a thunderbolt.”

  Saul chuckled and nodded. “But everybody needs to listen to sage experienced advice sometimes,” he added. “It might keep them alive.”

  “I hear you there. So who is this other person she wants to get out so badly?”

  “We’re trying to track down information on her now,” Dezi shared. “But we don’t really have anything much to go on so far.” Saul remained silent, lost in his thoughts.

  Tomas knew too well that scenario could be deadly. Things tended to go sideways when you didn’t have enough intel. He worried about that, but not a whole lot he could say. As he looked around, he asked, “What is your take on this then? Are you guys in or out?”

  “I’ve been in already. I came from one of their other bands,” Dezi explained, with an eye roll. “Saul is keeping an eye on the outside.”

  “Good enough.”

  “So let’s get our stories straight. You and I are friends.” Dezi pointed at Tomas, then turned toward Saul. “And you, I don’t see.”

  Saul chuckled. “Exactly.”

  “Simple, I like it.” Tomas laughed too.

  Then Saul added, “I’ll head out back to avoid anyone. Plus, I need to send in some reports and pick up a few supplies. I’ll see you on the ground.” And, with that, he just walked out. Tomas wasn’t surprised, as many people in this line of work weren’t big on formalities; their focus was purely business.

  Tomas waited until the door closed, before he turned and looked at Dezi and asked, “And what is my relationship with you?”

  “We’re friends,” he repeated, adding, “from the same division that I’m from.”

  “Has anybody checked into your background?”

  “They sure have,” he said cheerfully. “You can bet that, when it comes to these things, we set them up perfectly.”

  “I’m sure you did. The story has to be solid with guys like this. They are always suspicious as hell.”

  “That’s also why Amber has to watch her every step. She’ pretty stubborn and won’t leave until she gets her answers.”

  “That’s not good.”

  “Nope, it sure isn’t, but she’s a little more obstinate than most,” he stated, with half a smile.

  “Got it. Okay, so what’s our plan of action?”

  And Dezi laid out the plan as he had it. “Remember. We’re just gathering information, while trying to get Amber out, collecting as much evidence as we can for the cops,” he reminded Tomas. “We’re not there to take down the group or to start World War III.”

  “Sounds like they’re already pretty edgy about starting a war to begin with,” he murmured.

  “I think they’re dying to start it, and I’m pretty sure that’s what the girlfriend’s murder was about. It also sounds like maybe it’s similar to what your brother went through, but that group of men wanted to be warriors, and, of course, … the ultimate warrior is the one who takes a life.”

  “Sure, but a real warrior isn’t just somebody who takes lives,” Tomas protested. “It should be somebody who understands the value of life and only takes one when there’s no other way.”

  At that, Dezi looked at him and nodded appreciatively. “Glad to hear you say that,” he noted, “because, in this place, sometimes people don’t know the difference. Now you need to understand these people. Stop thinking about yourself as a warrior and be the spy this time.”

  *

  The whole purpose of getting free of her guard was to see who Tomas was. Having accomplished that, Amber also knew that absolutely no way could she stay gone much longer. She returned to the mall, breathless, bolted downstairs, taking the steps two at a time, until she slipped into the ladies’ room. She needed to go badly and then stepped out, all in record time. As she did, her handler, as she liked to call him, stepped out and glared at her.

  “Will you stop taking so damn long?” Brutus spat.

  “Hey, when Mother Nature calls,” she snapped, with a shrug, “what am I supposed to do?”

  The fact of the matter was, he didn’t give a shit. He’d prefer it if Mother Nature didn’t call at all. Then he could keep her under watch all the time. She wasn’t exactly sure how she’d become somebody who had to be under guard all the time, but somehow she had.

  It was also a very strange feeling, having somebody always looking after her—or spying on her. It might be because of her dead friend Annette or because Amber was a single female. It was hard to know. Annette had supposedly died under natural circumstances, but Amber had yet to see any proof of that.

  In Amber’s mind, no doubt this group had done this a time or two before, and it really made Amber mad to think of somebody like Annette falling in with this group. Early on, she may have had a chance to get out, but she’d stayed too long. Nobody had been there for Annette, and that was something that Amber would always regret.

  Annette had written her a letter, saying that she was in deep trouble. Amber had come running but had been too late. And that was the only reason she was still with this group. She wanted to make sure that these assholes paid, but, to do that, she needed to get as much information as she could. And now she needed to help the other women, as needed.

  To help her, she’d called Saul, and Saul had a perfect solution, or at least she hoped it was. Only time would tell. She quickly hustled to keep up with her guard, Brutus. The name was most apt. The males all had a chance to change their names when initiated. They picked the names that they liked and wanted to be associated with.

  So Brutus was it. He was rough, uncivilized, and didn’t give a shit about anyone or anything. He loved his guns a little too much for her comfort. He even slept with them. He liked his booze about the same.

  He’d held one of his pretty beauties, as he so lovingly called his handguns, against her throat multiple times, reminding her who was boss in this dynamic. But, so far, he hadn’t crossed the line, and she wasn’t sure why, but that’s what bothered her the most. It was like walking a double-edged sword, and she didn’t know when she would fall and be cut in half.

 
She’d always expected this shit to blow up in her face; she just didn’t know when. She could only hope that she would survive whatever the hell was coming her way, but the more help she could get on her side, the better her chances were.

  And having Saul out there was a huge help. She almost never got a chance to get into town. The group bought all their supplies in bulk, and usually one of the guys did the errands. But today was a different story, and she’d asked, pleaded really, just for a chance to get out. And having done that had given her a chance to meet up with Saul and to get a visual on Tomas.

  She couldn’t let Annette down. Not now. The fact that Peaches was desperately trying to get out herself was another hard reality. These women didn’t have anywhere to go and nobody to help them, and that made it almost impossible for them to leave.

  When Amber was cuffed a little heavily on the side of her head, she cried out and turned to glare at Brutus.

  Brutus glared back. “Come on! I called you twice.” He shook his head. “Remind me why the hell we even have women in the group?”

  As a woman hater, that made him even more dangerous.

  He just wanted an excuse to pop one on her head or to smack her. At the same time, she’d already figured out that he wasn’t interested in her sexually, and she was damn grateful for that. But it also made him something of an anomaly in the world of wannabe-warriors and frustrated men. It was like he didn’t want any women around, unless he could beat on them. She was sure that the world would be a much better place without him.

  Chapter 2

  When Amber exited the vehicle at the compound, she quickly helped unload the groceries. The protocol was clear: pick up and carry them into the kitchen. As she walked inside, her gaze quickly flickered to Peaches. Her anguished eyes flared with relief, as soon as she saw Amber.

  Amber quickly dropped the bag of groceries she was carrying on the counter.

  “How was town?” Mary asked her curiously. Mary was always upbeat and totally okay with anything that went on in this place. It’s almost like she didn’t have a brain in her head. But she did, and anybody who misjudged her would surely pay the price.

  “Busy,” Amber replied. “The traffic was a mess.”

  “Houston traffic is the worst. One of the reasons I won’t go into town anymore,” she said calmly. “Who the hell needs that?”

  Amber nodded. “Still, it was nice just to get out for a moment.”

  “I don’t know about that.” Mary studied Amber carefully. “I wouldn’t have thought getting out was anything you’d enjoy. Why would you?”

  She turned in surprise. “Just a change.” She shrugged. “Nothing wrong with that.”

  “No, nothing wrong with that,” Mary repeated, but an odd note filled her voice.

  Enough to remind Amber that she could never discount this woman, the head guy’s wife or girlfriend or whatever. She was dangerous and difficult at the best of times. And, at the worst of the times, she was totally amiable, which made it easy to forget that she had another side. Sometimes Amber worried that the damn woman had a split-personality disorder.

  Under everyone’s watchful eye, Amber quickly put away the groceries, knowing the chance of ever being accepted in a place like this was nonexistent. While that was a good thing, as far as she was concerned, it also made her job to get more info more difficult, more complex, with too many moving pieces.

  When she had put up all the food, she walked over to the coffeepot and poured herself one.

  “Now you can help Peaches with the potatoes,” Mary stated calmly.

  Maybe calmly and in a decent tone of voice but it meant Do it, and do it now.

  Amber nodded, walked over, picked up a paring knife, and got to work. She didn’t say anything to Peaches but casually asked Mary, “How were things while we were gone?”

  “Peaceful as always,” she replied. “That’s the nice part of coming back to a refuge.”

  “Exactly,” Amber murmured.

  And, with that, Mary walked to the other room.

  Peaches kicked Amber ever-so-slightly, as if warning her of something she had missed. She looked at her friend and raised an eyebrow. Peaches just gave her a quick head shake.

  Amber realized that maybe things hadn’t gone quite as smoothly as Mary had described. Amber frowned at that but kept quiet. She was pretty darn sure that these guys and gals, with their extra paranoid personalities, had every room bugged.

  So Amber spoke as if everything were normal. “We caught a couple sales today. I picked up a few extra bananas. I wasn’t sure if banana breads were wanted,” she added, carrying out a quiet conversation, until Mary walked back in again.

  They had done a pretty good job on the potatoes. As she looked around, Amber asked, “What else can I do?”

  Mary looked at her in surprise. “We need a dessert.”

  She picked up the bananas, and she asked eagerly, “How about a banana bread?”

  Mary smiled, a first real smile at that. “Sure, that sounds great.”

  With that feedback, Amber mixed up ingredients for the banana bread. She knew that the only way to get along in this place was to work her ass off.

  It truly seemed like the only thing appreciated around here was working yourself to death. Multiple houses were here on the acreage, and not everybody came to this communal area, but those who did were expected to be fed. Mary always made sure that they were.

  Something was so very strange about the way this society functioned, and Amber had never gotten any explanation on the policies this group was founded upon. The only way to succeed here was to fake it till you make it, and that was all Amber could sort out.

  Mary added, “Make sure you do lots.”

  “Sure,” Amber replied, with a casual shrug, because to show any refusal or argument would get her smacked. “Banana bread is always good to eat the next day.”

  “There won’t be any leftovers,” Mary stated. “Got a couple new guys coming in tonight,” she murmured.

  “Sounds fun. We haven’t had anyone new around in a while.”

  “Don’t assume anything. We keep to ourselves as a rule. New people aren’t always welcome.”

  Amber looked at her in surprise. “And here I thought you were the social one.”

  “I’d prefer we stick to ourselves and keep everyone else out, but always somebody from another group wants to join us and see how we run things,” she muttered. “And that’s what’s happening tonight. So I certainly won’t be socializing with them,” she snapped. “They should learn from others.”

  That isolation mentality was something Amber had seen before with others here, but, at the same time, she presumed the visitors would be Dezi and his friend Tomas coming in. “Hey, new blood is always fun,” she said, with a casual note.

  “You say that now,” Mary muttered. “I’d just rather not have any new blood. We have more than enough people for us to deal with now. The bigger you get, the more problems come up.”

  “I guess,” Amber agreed, with an unconcerned shrug. “But it’s also fun to get to know other people. I hadn’t realized I was as social as I am, until I got here.”

  “Yet you’re keeping all the men at arm’s length,” Mary stated, as she eyed Amber intently.

  “And I told you why too,” she said cheerfully.

  “No point in saving yourself for somebody who’ll never show,” Mary snorted. “And it’s pretty damn lonely if you’re sleeping by yourself at night.”

  “I’m fine.” Amber knew that Mary’s insistence was getting louder and more obnoxious as time went on. At some point, Amber understood that she must come up with a better excuse. Since she didn’t have a whole lot of choice as to her timing of these things, it would be now or never. “Besides I haven’t even heard from him in a while, but, the last time I did, he was planning a surprise for me.”

  “He better not just show up here out of the blue,” Mary replied. “You know the men don’t take to that very well.”

&nb
sp; “Not surprising,” Amber agreed. “I don’t know what he’s up to.” And she really didn’t, but she truly hoped that this Tomas guy could handle himself. Otherwise they were all in deep shit.

  She just barely got the banana bread pans in the oven before Mary called everybody for dinner. As Amber walked out to the other room, she was surprised at how fast the time had gone by. It was already going on six.

  As the men gathered, one guy walked over and slung an arm around her neck and said, “See? I told you to stick around with us. You’ll always do well here.”

  She smiled, slipped out from under his arm, and scolded him, “And I told you not to hang on to me like that.”

  He gave a raucous laugh. “One of these days you won’t be playing quite so hard to get.”

  She rolled her eyes at him and quickly moved out of his reach. That would be the day that she ran into the woods, looking for Saul to get her ass out of here. But no way she could tell these guys about that. As she quickly took her seat, she noted more chairs were around the table.

  Her gaze quickly swept the room, and then she saw the men, standing off to the corner. She gasped because, sure enough, there was Dezi, with Tomas right beside him. She bounded to her feet and raced toward them.

  When he caught sight of her, a grin lit his face. He opened his arms, and she bolted right into them.

  As they closed around her, he whispered, “Looks like good timing.”

  “The best,” she murmured quietly, as she hugged him close. There was a deafening silence for a few moments, then immediately everyone started talking around them. While she tried to step back, he kept his arms wrapped around her and kissed her. A kiss that was hard, fast, and incredibly possessive.

  As much as it caught her off guard, it also gave her confidence that he knew what this scenario was like, and maybe, just maybe, they would get out of this alive.

  She stepped back, then turned and looked at Dezi and grinned. “I didn’t know you were bringing him,” she said in delight.