Page 90 of Touched By Destiny

“I want to know if he can find our father’s ghost,” the shorter man whined. “Think about it. We could finally tell the old man to fuck himself.”

“Shut up,” Seamor demanded.

It wasn’t much, but at least Eric had learned since they’d stopped and switched cars that the pair were related. Why that was important wasn’t immediately clear. However, Eric was grasping at any straw to help him out of his nightmare. He wondered how long it would take them to get to their destination and what horrors awaited him there. Trembling with a renewedsense of fear, Eric closed his eyes and concentrated on holding himself together. It was necessary for his survival. He could do this. Hewoulddo this.

Chapter 36

For hours, Eric sat in the back of the car, trying to ignore his aching shoulders and his numb arms. He kept flexing his hands—which were still smashed into the seat behind him—to keep the blood flowing, but it did little to help his predicament. In the front seats, the men he’d learned were brothers bickered and ate from a bag of snacks they’d brought with them. They offered no food to Eric, and he wouldn’t have taken it anyway. His captors couldn’t be trusted, and he wouldn’t allow himself to be so easily drugged or poisoned.

Their destination was no longer much of a mystery. They’d entered the city limits of Los Angeles and were cruising through a large upscale neighborhood. Although the men had insisted Arwynn had nothing to do with Eric’s abduction, he didn’t know who else would want him kidnapped. Scared, tired, and anxious, Eric forced himself to remain calm and think as clearly as he could.

But it was getting him nowhere. Outside of his family, Eric knew few people. It was for his protection. And anytime Eric thought of his family, he grew weepy. How were they handling Eric’s disappearance? Had they already learned thearrest warrant was fake? Eric dearly hoped his mother and David weren’t blaming themselves. And Gabriel.

Would Gabriel be filled with guilt that he had been far from the house when Eric was taken? It was not the fault of anyone in his family, nor was it the fault of his beloved soulmate. Eric missed him. And he kept his spirits up by recalling each beautiful moment they’d shared. He yearned to be near everyone he loved despite the brief passage of time since he’d left the mansion. And he was so fucking terrified.

The car finally rolled to a stop in front of a stately Spanish-style two-story home, and Eric’s fear grew. What waited for him inside? Biting his lip to hold back his tears, Eric swallowed thickly as Seamor opened the car door.

“We need to take those cuffs off of you in case any of these nosy neighbors see us bringing you inside,” Seamor explained. “Don’t do anything fucking stupid. Walk into the house without making a scene and I won’t shoot your ass.”

Despite the man’s worry, the large house was perched on a wide swath of land. Someone with an eye for both beauty and privacy had planted tall shrubbery to effectively cocoon the building from the curious. It was too far to run, and Eric wasn’t sure where to find some brave soul willing to aid him.

He shifted and allowed Seamor to undo the cuffs. Then he bit back a scream as the traumatized nerves of his arms roared to life. His fingers curled into fists, and he bent forward as the pain consumed him.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Seamor demanded. “Get out of the car.”

“I-I need a m-moment,” Eric gritted out as the agony receded only enough to allow him to catch his breath.

“I told you not to do anything stupid,” Seamor growled, grabbing Eric’s arm and hauling him off the seat.

“Don’t let his ass go—he’s probably going to run next,” Seamor’s brother ordered. The sandy-blond man took hold of Eric’s other arm, and Eric had no choice but to fall into step between them. Eric could do nothing but wait for his trembling to stop as the abused nerves of his arms continued to protest their long confinement. It was agony, but what choice did he have but to persevere?

“Weave a little,” Seamor said. “That way, it looks like he’s drunk and we’re helping him into the house.”

“Oh, good idea,” Seamor’s brother responded.

Eric added nothing to the conversation. Inside him was a war of pain and terror. What waited for him on the other side of the front door? Far too soon, they were on the porch and Seamor released Eric to unlock the door and let them inside.

Terracotta tiles gleamed in the bright light of the foyer, and a staircase with a wrought-iron railing curled up to the second floor, but there was little in the way of furniture or personal effects. It gave Eric no hint about the occupants. Did these kidnapping brothers live here? Or were they henchmen for someone else? Despite their insistence that Arwynn wasn’t involved, Eric couldn’t trust that the criminals had told him the truth.

A door closed somewhere upstairs, and a woman appeared at the top of the staircase. There was a strong family resemblance between her and the two blonds standing on either side of Eric.

“He’ll be pleased you three are finally here,” the woman said as her slick red lips curved. “Get him tied up in the room before she sees him.”

Eric wanted to rub his arms to stop the tingling, but it was impossible. With no further discussion, Eric was hauled through a living room with a big sectional and large television, and downa long hallway. Seamor opened a door, and Eric found himself in a bedroom suite.

It had two twin beds inside and an ominous, sturdily built wooden chair with chains dangling from it. Eric was pushed onto the smooth seat, and Seamor secured his wrists to the armrests with manacles. His legs were similarly shackled, and the chains were anchored to the floor. There would be little chance of a simple escape.

“I ain’t cleaning up your piss or shit, so fucking say something when you gotta go,” Seamor ordered.

“I just spent four hours in a car, I already have to piss,” Eric retorted.

“Fuck’s sake,” Seamor growled, unlocking Eric’s restraints and hauling him out of the chair. “Why didn’t you say something before I had you in the chair?”

Eric didn’t bother to inform the idiot that he hadn’t mentioned a bathroom break until he was already seated. Instead, he was shoved into a small bathroom, and the door locked behind him. There was no window, which effectively cut off any means of escape. With a forlorn sigh, Eric emptied his bladder and washed his hands. They were still stinging from the mistreatment in the car, but there was nothing Eric could do about it.

He remained trapped at the mercy of whoever had orchestrated his abduction. How long would it be before Eric met the stranger? And what could he do about his predicament? He had to do something. The crystal idea still had merit, and so did opening a portal to see if any spirit could aid him.

“You taking a shit or what? I’m not standing here all fucking day,” Seamor complained.

---