Love in the Land of Fire, Brochu, Rebecca [best free novels .txt] 📗

5Chapter Fourteen

Josiah’s shower is cut short by the chiming of his oricula and the automated notice that Marcel is requesting an open channel echoing in his ear. Cursing softly he cuts the spray with a twist of his wrist and climbs out.

Toweling off violently he stomps out of the bathroom only to be brought up short by the sight of Rafe still sleeping peacefully. The sight of him, arm stretching out across the empty bed like he’s reaching for Josiah, takes the majority of his anger from him in an instance. Marcel’s request pings in his ear again and he rolls his eyes in irritation. With a sigh he pulls his eyes away from Rafe, grabs a change of clothes from the dresser, and slips silently out of the room, careful not to disturb the still sleeping submissive. Rafe’s had a hard few days, preceded by a hard few years, and right now Josiah’s happy to make sure he gets plenty of sleep.

He presses down on the center of the implant and signals his acceptance of Marcel’s ping. He starts pulling his clothes on slowly as her voice, edgy and restless, fills his ears. Josiah instantly knows something is wrong.

“Josie, I’m afraid we’ve got a bit of a problem here.”

Josiah tenses, his muscles clenching tight as he’s put immediately on alert.

“What is it?” He barks the question out.

Marcel doesn’t call him on his tone, doesn’t even seem to notice it, which does nothing to ease the tension that’s running rampant through his body.

“It’s Frisch and Jean Zweil. They’re both saying that we have no right to interfere with what was a legitimate and legal contract and that if Rafe’s not returned to them they’ll file a suit.”

Josiah barks out a laugh, no humor in his tone, just biting disbelief.

“That’s the angle they’re playing? As an institute charged with the protection of the citizens of the country we have full right to separate any submissive and dominant pair if there is ample proof of abuse.”

“And that, my dear, would be the problem. Frisch and the bitch that runs Rafe’s family are saying that the enforcer office doesn’t have ample proof. They’re claiming that Rafe’s injuries were due to a routine punishment and that Rafe is the one in the wrong as he attacked the guards without provocation. They’re willing to take him back of course since all Frisch wants to do is care for his submissive after this misunderstanding.”

Josiah’s hands curl into tight fists and his teeth grind together at Marcel’s words.

“Rafe is mine. If Frisch thinks I’ll let him lay a hand on my submissive he’s an idiot. I’ll feed him his own heart before I let him get away with that.”

There’s a beat of silence and then Marcel’s voice comes across the channel between them, low and serious.

“You’ve claimed him then? He’s agreed to a contract between the two of you?”

“He offered one to me and I accepted.”

Josiah can hear her indrawn breath as his words sink in and then she’s asking him questions in a tone laced 5with urgency.

“Josiah, you didn’t notify anyone about your intent to form a contract, did you? That would give Frisch grounds to have his case dismissed.”

Josiah closes his eyes and inhales a deep breath, thankful all over again for Gar’s interference and quick thinking. He’d saved Josiah when Josiah had been too distracted to save himself.

“No, no I didn’t. I was about to but Gar stopped me. If it’s evidence you need, Marcel, Gar gave me plenty.

There are things on that chip…well, let’s just say that no tribunal in their right mind would send him back to that. And I’ll kill any who tried.”

Marcel chuckles low and dark, a sort of pleased violence underlining her tone, a true viciousness that’s rare in her.

“I’d do the same to anyone that tried to take Isaac from me. Now there’s a data chip you say?”

“Yes, a gift from Gar. I’m not sure how he got ahold of the information on there, and I probably don’t want to know, but there are things that you need to see. Marcel, this goes way beyond what’s happened to Rafe.

From the way these files tell it we’re looking at two possible murders.”

“Fuck. That changes the game a bit. Gar gave you this chip so we both know it’s secure. I’m going to need that chip, Josiah. You can’t risk forwarding the material to me now in case someone tries to intercept it or the information gets leaked. We need to blindside these fuckers before they get the chance to throw more money at their problems.”

“We’re at my apartment right now. Come and get the data chip if you need it that badly.”

“There’s not enough time for me to make it to your place and then back here. I’ve got less than half an hour before I have to do my best to persuade a tribunal not to turn Rafe over to one of the most influential houses in the area. I need that chip, Josiah, and I need you to bring it to me.”

Josiah’s torn for a moment. He knows that Marcel needs the chip, that him taking it to her is the only way to make this work, but at the same time he can’t take Rafe with him and he doesn’t want to leave him alone. He struggles with the dilemma, weighs his options and then sighs heavily when he realizes that he doesn’t have much of a choice.

“I’ll be there as soon as possible, Marcel, and I’ll contact you when I’m close. Stall if you have to just don’t go into this without this data chip. I’ve got to wake Rafe up and bring him up to speed and then I’m gone.”

“Hurry.” Marcel disconnects then, ending the conversation in her typical style, and Josiah’s up