THEMAFIA’SDESIRE
Maclean Mafia Men, 7
LilaFox
Copyright ©2023
ChapterOne
Ethan walked into the back door of one of his family’s restaurants and was pissed. No one stole fromthe familyand got awaywithit. It was pathetic whentheydid tryto betraythembecause theyknew whatwouldhappenwhen,not if,theygotcaught
He didn’tmind this assignment. The good partoftendingto this robbingbastard thatAlastair senthimwasthathewouldbeabletohurtandkill someone.Itmighthelpthebuilt-upfuryandpainin him.
Fuck, he hated what he was turninginto. But ever since he found out his sweet mother was a sociopathand serial killer, and had beenhis whole life, it fucked up his brain. He knew blamingall womenfor the actions ofone was wrong,buthe hadyettofigure outhow togetpastthis.Fortunately, hisbrothersweredoingbetter thanhewas.
His brother, Drew, had brought up getting counseling, but he’d have to be half-dead and chainedtoabedbeforehe’dtalkabouthisfeelingstoastranger.Hell,hehadahardenoughtimewith peopleheknew,loved,andrespected.
Afew ofhis menwalked infrontofhim, buthe could tell whenHarveyOwens, the restaurant manager he had hired three years before, saw him, and by the way the man turned pale-white, the fucker knew what was coming. His men made a perimeter around the room, just in case the bastard triedtorun,whilehestoodinfrontoftheweasel.
“Sharp,checkthefront,”Ethansaid.
Ethanwaitedbutstaredintentlyatthemanager.Hewas pleasedtoseethefucker getmoreand more anxious, and sweat dripped down his face. The guy deserved every bit of discomfort Ethan couldgivehim.
“Everythingisclear,Boss,”Sharpsaid.
“Good. Now we can talk,” Ethan said. “I don’t have much time, so let’s get to it. We both know what you did, and you know it’s not a good thing to steal from the family. I’ll give you one chance. Now, if youtell me the truth, I’ll be merciful and just put a bullet inyour head. If youlie to me,you’ll befeelingsomepainbeforeyoudie.Either way,you’redyingtonight.Whichisit?” Owenssputteredandheldhishandsoutinfrontofhim.“Ethan,please.I’vealwaysbeenloyal toyou.”
Ethansighed. “Fuck, youcan’tdo anythingright?” He pulled outa gunand shotthe manager’s knee.
The guy screamed and dropped to the floor, making Ethan smile. Most of the time, he hated hurtingpeople, but latelyhe was gettingwaytoo muchenjoyment out of it. He kept askinghimself if hewasassickashismother andhadn’tknownit.Itwasathoughthehadn’tbeenabletovanquishand hegrew moredisturbedaboutiteveryday.
“Oneofyougaghim,andthenafew ofyouputhiminthetrunkofmycar.”
“Yougotit,Boss.”
Ethanwaiteduntil thescreamingmanwastakenout,anditwasfinallyquietagain.
“Sharp,canyoutell ifhehadtalliedtonight’ssales?”Ethanasked.
“I’ll golook.Doyouwantmetobringeverythinginhere?”Sharpasked.
Ethan wiped a hand down his face. “Yeah. We can always deal with it later. Who’s the assistantmanager?”
“RayBishop,”Sharpsaid.
“Call him and explain that Owens had to leave town, and we need him to step up and take
over.Doyouthinkhe’ll begood?”
“Hell,yeah.Iwasshockedwhenyoudidn’tpickhimthefirsttime.”
“Ihadareason,or Iwouldn’thavedoneit,”Ethansaid.Atthemoment,hecouldn’tremember whatthatwas.
Sharpsnorted.“You’ll bepleasedwithhim.”
“Good.Gogetthetill for thenight.”
He watched Sharp leave, and he wanted desperatelyto sitdownand close his eyes, butthere werestill afew ofhisguysinthekitchenwithhim,andheknew better thantoshow anyweakness.
He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. He straightened immediatelywhenhe heard somethingdrop inthe backpantry. The roomwas dark, and the door was half closed. Ethanpulled out his gun, walked over, and yanked the door all the wayopen. He didn’t see anythingat first because the light wasn’t on, but whenhe turned it on, he saw a youngwomanin thecorner tryingtomakeherselfassmall aspossible.
Fuck.Heneededsleepbecausehewouldhavenever madethismistakeotherwise.
“Whothefuckareyou?”Ethanasked.Thewomanwassmall andincrediblybeautiful withher longbrownhair andlightblueeyes.
“S-Sara.”
“Whyareyouinhereinthedark?”
“I was just puttingawaya few cans we didn’t use tonight, so I didn’t turnonthe light,” Sara said.
Jesus,whatthefuckwashegoingtodowithher?
“Fuck,Iwantsomeofthat,”Perkinswhispered.
Ethanglared at the manwhenhe heard Sharp behind him. “Sharp, Mike, and Perkins, you’re withme.Therestofyoutakeour friendaway.I’ll deal withhiminanhour or so.”
“Yougotit,Boss,”Bryan,oneofhismen,said.
Ethanturnedbacktoher.“Whatisyour job?”
“Iwaitressmostly,butMr.Owenshasaskedmetodoother thingsaroundherelately.”
“Oh,Ibethedoes,”Perkinssaidbehindhim.
“No,it’snotlikethat,really,”shesaid.
“Whatdoesthatmean?’Ethanasked.
“Whatdoesitmatter ifI’mgoingtobedeadsoon?”shesaid.
Hewasshockedthatshesaiditsocalmly,andtherewerenotearsor pleading.
“You’renotgoingtopleadfor your life?”
She shookher head. “EvenI know it won’t help, and the last thingI want is to give youguys entertainmentofanykind.”
Ethan’seyebrowsrose.“Entertainment?”
“Yeah,don’tmenlikeyoulikewatchingsomeoneinpainandbegging?”
He had to admit she was right, but only men that fucked with the family. Not women or children.
“Answer meaboutOwens,”Ethansaid.
“Itwasn’tsexual yet,buthetriedtogropeme,andIknew he’dtrysomethingsoon.”
“Whatwouldyouhavedone?”Ethanasked.
Thewomanpulledoutasmall knife.
“Iwouldhavecuthimandthenleft.”
Whyinthehell didsheshow themtheknife?Itwasher onlydefenseagainstthem.
It also amazed himhow pissed he was that Owens was sexuallyharassingher, and he didn’t know anythingaboutit. He had meneverywhere, so he goteverybitofinformationpertainingto him or thefamily.
Ethanstudiedher.“Whydidn’tyougotothecops?”
“For what? They’re not going to do anything about it. I already know that if I want to live, I havetofightfor iteverydayofmylife.I’vedealtwithmenlikeOwensbefore.”
Jesus, her life sounded horrible. She could be making it up, but for some reason, he didn’t thinkso.“Whathappenedlasttime?”
“Ihithimover theheadwithapotandleft,”Sarasaid. Ethanheldhishandout.“Givemetheknife,”hedemanded. Sarashookher head.
He tilted his head to the side. “Why? Whywould youwantto keep itifyouthinkyou’re dying tonightandknow thatlittleknifeisnodefenseagainstme?”
“Idon’tminddying.Iexpectit…butI’ll cutmywristsbeforeyougettotrytor-rapeme.” Thatshockedtheshitoutofhim.“Youactlikedeathisnotabigdeal.”
Thewoman’slipspressedtogether,andanysignoflifeinher eyesfadedtoshadows. “Idon’twantto talkanymore. All Iaskis ifyouhave anydecency, youwon’trape me or put meinwater.Iprefer abulletifpossible.”
Ethan’sheadsnappedback.Jesus,shewastellinghimhow tokill her now? “We’ll deal withthatlater.Now givemetheknife,”Ethansaidandheldhishandout. “YoupromiseIwon’tgetraped?”sheasked.
He nodded. He hated when women and sometimes children or even men went through that, andhenever intendedtodothattoanyone.
ChapterTwo
Sara was justputtingthe lastcanonthe shelfwhenshe heard the backdoor open, and a group ofmencamein.Shecouldn’tcounthow many,shejustknew itwasover six.
Shepressedherselfintothecorner becausethedoor washalfwayopen,andanyonewouldsee her iftheylookednow.Fortunately,thelightwasoff,soshehadachancetoconceal herself.
Shepressedher handstoher mouthwhensheheardtheshot,andthenOwensfell totheground screaming. God, the mantalkingsounded so cold, like itwas nothingto hurtanother human. Butthen, she reallyhadn’tmeta manthatdidn’tlike to hurtpeople. She knew the nice ones existed, she’d just never metone.
They dragged Owens out the back door, and she waited for the others to go. A few minutes passed,andshefeltthetensionrising.Whatweretheydoing?Whyweren’ttheyleaving?
Sara wanted to peekand see. Maybe theywere gone because she didn’thear anything, butshe hadn’t heard the last few menleave either. She snuckout of the small space she’d beencrouchingin and grabbed the shelves to steadyherself. Itwas like slow-motionwhenthe canofvegetables started tofall,andthenwhenithitthefloor,thesoundwasexplosive.
Just that little thing, that little bitty mistake, was going to get her killed because those men would definitely find her now. She crouched down, not really trying to hide because that was pointless.Shewantedtopraythathekilledher quickly.That’sall sheasked.
She tried not to flinchwhenthe manreached for her but stood quicklyand tooka step to the side. He was verytall and either muscular or had some extra weight onhimthe wayhe filed out the suit he was wearing. Under normal circumstances, she would think he was handsome with his dark hair andeyes.
She tried keepingher attentiononone man. It helped to keep her fear fromsoaring. The man seemed to be incharge, but she could see that without himtalking. His persona was that of analpha that had to control everything and everyone. She knew the type, she just hadn’t seen one to this extreme.
All the questions were makingher more nervous. She didn’twanthimto know anythingabout her before he killed her. No one would ever come lookingfor her or wonder what happened to her. She was as alone inthe world as anyone could possiblybe. Mostofthe time, itdidn’tbother her, but shesometimeswishedatleastonepersoncaredabouther andwouldmournher passingifshedied.
Heheldhishandoutagain.“Givemetheknife.”
She turned it so he could grab the handle and not get cut. She saw that he was surprised, but shedidn’tcare.
“I’ll put you somewhere for the night while I deal with other things. I’ll leave Sharp and Perkinswithyou,andMikewill bewithme.”
She was docile whenhe grabbedontoher upper armandstartedleadingher outthe backdoor andintoalargeblackcar.
Sara scooted over as muchand as tightlyas she could at the end of the seat. The boss got in next and sat across from her, and the man named Sharp sat next to him. She guessed the other two wereupfront,butshedidn’twanttoturnaroundtolookbecauseshesatfacingthebackwindow.
She didn’ttake her attentionoffthe boss.She knew he was the more dangerous ofthe two,but shedidn’tlikehow hestudiedher intentlythewholetime.
She breathed a sighofreliefwhentheypulled up somewhere, butthenshe saw thatitwas the backofahotel,andshestartedtoshake.Shedidn’twanttobeinabedroomwithanyofthem.
“Whycan’tyoujustkill menow?”
“Why?”
“BecauseIdon’twanttobeinabedroomwithanyofyou.”
“Why?”
She gritted her teethtogether. “Because Idon’t want myfirst and onlyexperience withsexto be rape.” She knew she sounded defensive and probablyshouldn’thave told himthat, butshe was so tiredoffighting.
Shecouldtell sheshockedhimagain,buthehiditquickly.
The side door opened, and the boss got out, leaned in, and held his hand out to her. She blinked several times to dispel the tears thatstungher eyes. She would die withpride thatshe hadn’t fallen apart. Sara ignored his hand, scooted out, and took a step away from him. He seemed angry whensheflinchedfromhim,butwhatdidheexpect?
The boss latched onto her arm and led her in the back door. They rode up an elevator and walked downto the end of the hall, where the guynamed Mike stood withthe door open. He let her go once inside the room, and she moved as far awayas she could, pushingone of the chairs into the corner andsitting.
The men talked softly at the doorway, and then the boss looked at her one more time before turning and leaving Sharp and Perkins alone with her. She didn’t mind Sharp too much because he mainly ignored her, but the other man wouldn’t take his slimy gaze off of her, and the way he kept lickinghislipsandrubbinghimselfwhentheother guy’sbackwasturnedmadeher wanttoscream.
She had no idea how muchtime had passed. Eachguytookone ofthe queenbeds inthe room andwatchedsports.Sarastayedinthecorner assilentandunmovingaspossible.
ThemannamedSharpstoodandstretched,butshekepther eyesdown.
“I’mgoingfor burgersdownthestreet.Whatdoyouwant?”
Shedidn’tknow hewastalkingtoher until shesaw hislower legs.Sheraisedher face. “What?”sheasked.
“Whatkindofburger doyouwant?”
For somereason,thattookher bysurprise.“Whywouldyoufeedme?”
Sharpsighed.“I’ll letEthandeal withyouandanswer your questions,butIknow hewants me tofeedyou.”
Sheshookher head.“No,thankyou.”
“When’sthelasttimeyouate?”
Shewasgettingmoreandmoreconfused.“Idon’tknow.Maybelastnight.”
Sharpshookhishead.“I’ll getyouacheeseburger.”
“Iwon’teatit.It’sawasteofmoney,”shesaid.“Idon’tneedafull stomachtogotoHell.”
Sharp’seyebrowssnappedtogether.“How doyouknow you’dgotoHell?”
“Whywould I get a breakand go to Heaven? I haven’t done anythingworthwhile but take up space.IreallydoubtGodneedsmeonhislap.”
Sharpcursed,turned,andwalkedaway.
Withone glance atPerkins and the malicious intentinhis eyes, she desperatelywanted to call Sharpback.Saratookcalmingbreaths andstareddownather hands,countingeachsecondSharpwas away.How longwouldittaketogethamburgers?Fifteen,maybetwentyminutes?
“Hey,how areyoudoing?”Perkinssaid.
Keepitsimple andbe quiet.Maybe he’djustleave her alone.“Fine,thankyou.” The problem wasshewasgoodaboutsensingwhenthingswereabouttogowrong,andher radar wasgoingwild.
“So,Iheardwhatyousaidabouthavingyour cherry,andIcantakecareofthatfor you.” “No,thankyou.”
He stoodandtooka few steps towardher.“But,cunt,Icanmake sure the boss justshoots you intheheadinsteadofall thethingshe’splanningfor you.”
Oh, God. Was Ethan planning to do things to her? When she talked to him, she didn’t see a psychopath, crude, sleazymanlike the one standinginfront of her. Ethan’s eyes were cold and hard butnotcruel.
“Igettheimpressionthatifyoutouchedmeandyour bossdidn’ttell youto,he’dbepissed.”
Perkins grinned. “Well, yousee, he might if he gave a shit about women, but I thinkhe hates youmorethanIdo.”
“Iunderstandthat,buthemightbetheonethattouchesmefirst.”
That stopped himin his tracks. She watched himthink about it a moment, and then the smile wasbackandher heartdropped.
“I won’t fuck you right now, but I can beat on you a bit. He can still fuck you with a few bruises.”
He was on her before she could blink. His first hit was to her face, and slammed her head backagainstthe wall. She could see blackdots inher visionuntil his nexthit. She curled up as much aspossible,buthewentather ashardashecouldandlaughedthewholetime.
Thechair shewassittingontippedover,andshetriedtoscrambleintothecorner,buthegota kickinthattookher breath.
Thebeatingseemedtogoonforever until sheheardsomeoneyell.
“What the fuck are you doing, Perkins?” Sharp said and threw the sack of food on the dresser.Hepulledhimawayandthendeckedtheguyhardenoughtosendhimflying.
“Oh,Jesus,”Sharpsaid.
Shecringedfromhimwhenhereachedfor her.
“Oh,honey,I’msorry.IfIhad knownhe’d dosomethinglike this,Iwouldhave never left.Let mehelpyouuptothebed.”
She cried out and shied awayfromhim. She wanted to yell, “Don’t touch me, ” but no words cameoutofher mouth,justsounds.Horriblesoundsshecouldn’tstop.
“Fuck,okay,”Sharpsaid.“I’ll leaveyoualoneandgetyousomehelp.”
Shedidn’twanthelp.Shewantedtobeleftalone.
Sara wipedthe bloodthattrickleddownher face andsaw SharpkickPerkins hardinthe guta few timesashedialedhisphone.
“Hey,Boss.Youneedtogetbackhere.”
She couldn’t hear what Ethansaid, and she didn’t care. This was her onlychance to get past Sharpandintothebathroom.
“Hey!” Sharp yelled as she scrambled, part-ranand part-crawled, toward the
couldsee.Ithurtlikehell tomove,butshe’dhadenough.
Shelockedthedoor andthenstruggledover totheplacebetweenthetoiletandthebathtuband squirmed her way in between. She rested her head against the tub and noticed liquid still dripping down her face. She didn’t know if it was tears or blood, and at that moment she didn’t care. She needed to concentrate on breathing through the pain that radiated within her body. Her body jerked, andshegroanedwhentherewasaknockonthedoor.
“Hey,Sara,it’sme,Ethan.Openthedoor,soIcantakecareofyou.”
Ifshe could have laughed rightthen, she would have. The onlywayhe could take care ofher was ifhe puther outofher miseryonce and for all. She heard themtalkingbutcouldn’tmake outthe words.
“Sara,comeon,baby.Openup.”
She opened her mouth to yell at him, but the horrible sounds came out again, and no words. MaybePerkinshaddonemoredamagethanshethought.
“Areyouawayfromthedoor?”Ethanasked.
Sherestedagainstthetubandclosedher eyes.Shedidn’thavetheenergyfor anythingelse. Therewasacrash,andthenEthanwasintheroom.
“Oh,JesusChrist!”Ethanyelled.“Sharp,call Dr.Peters.I’mafraidtomoveher.”
Sheflinchedawayfromhimwhenhekneltdownandreachedfor her.Her movements wereso abruptandviolentthatsheslammedthebackofher headagainstthewall.
“Fuck. Stop. I’msorry, Sara. Just relax.” He picked up a few towels. “I’mjust going to put thesearoundyoutomakeyoumorecomfortable,okay?”
She opened her mouth and still couldn’t talk, so she waited until he moved back before she restedagainstthepaddingheputover thetub.
She jerked awake whenthere was another commotion. Botheyes were swollen, butshe could still see a bitoutofone thatwasn’tcovered inblood. Whenshe looked up, she saw a gentle-looking older manwithablackbag.Ifshecouldhavechosenher grandfather,hewouldhavelookedlikehim. Her gazeturnedtoEthanwhenheclearedhisthroat.
“Baby,thisisDr.Peters,butIalwayscalledhimDr.Ben.He’sgoingtolookatyou.”
She tried pushingherselftighter againstthe wall and awayfromthe men, and the whimpering andslurredscreamingcameoutagain.
Thedoctor sighed.“Sheneedstobesedated.”
She broughtone ofthe towels infrontofher as a barrier againstthem. She knew she probably actedlikeacorneredanimal,butshefeltlikeoneatthemoment.
Ethancrouchedbyher again.“Babe,listentome.Doyouwanttogotothehospital?” God,thethoughtmadeher starttopanic.
“Keepdistractingher,”Dr.Bensaid,buther attentionwasonEthan.
“Icantell bythe wayyou’re shakingthatyoudon’twantto go, so do youthinkyoucanrelax for thedoctor?”
She vaguely felt a sting on her arm, but it was nothing compared to her other aches, so she hardly noticed. Within a minute, she started to feel very tired and fought to keep her eyes open. She couldn’tprotectherselfifshepassedout.
She thought someone had picked her up, but she had no strength to fight. Maybe she could finallybefree.Itwassomethingshedreamedabout.Maybenotinthisway,butsheseemedtohaveno other option.
ChapterFour
Ethan was leaning against the wall at the warehouse while one of his guys played with Owens. He wouldn’t let it go ontoo long, but he had to always follow throughonhis words infront ofanyone evenhisguys.
Hereachedintohispocketfor hisphoneandanswered. “Fuck,Boss,youneedtogetbackhere,”Sharpsaid.
EthanhadknownSharphis whole life andhadnever heardhimsoundlike this.“What’s going on?”
“Justcome.”
Ethan heard Sharp yell, “Hey,” and then nothing. “Mike, we need to go back. Tony and you other guystakecareofhimandthenmeetatthehotel room.”
“What’sup,Boss?”Bryansaid.
“Ihavenoidea,butitrattledSharp.”
“Oh,fuck,”afew oftheguyssaidbecausetheyhadnever seenthemannotincontrol.
EthanandMikemadeitbacktothehotel,andSharpwaswaitingwiththedoor open.
“Tell me,”Ethansaidastheyclosedthedoor behindhim.
Sharp wiped a hand down his face. “I went to get hamburgers for us. When I came back, PerkinswasbeatingonSara.”
Ethan’seyeswidened.“Whereisshe?”
“She’slockedherselfupinthebathroom.Boss,shelooksbad.” “Where’sPerkins?”
Sharp pointed to the space betweenthe beds. It looked like Sharp had beatenthe fucker, tied his arms and legs, and put a gag in his mouth. The guy mumbled and fought to get loose, but Ethan ignoredit.
“Whentheother guysgethere,Iwanthimtakentothebasementatour placeon54th Street.” “Itwill bedone,”Sharpsaid.
Ethanwalked over to the door and tried the knob to find it locked. He knocked. “Babe, open thedoor.Iwanttotakecareofyou.”
He cringed whenshe made sounds, butitsounded more like a dyinganimal. He needed to get to her quickly but didn’t want to do more damage. He tried a few more times to get her to open the door, thenstepped backand kicked the door open. His firstglance ather made himwantto howl ina fury.Noteventheshitthathappenedwithhismother hadmadehimfeel thisdeeply.
There was bloodall over her,andher eyes,althoughswollenfromthe abuse,he couldsee the pupils were wide and dilated. Her lip was split in a few places, and he could see a cut-up by her hairline thatcontinuedtodripblood.Itneededtohave some pressure onit.She startedtopanic when hetookasteptowardher,sohebackedoff.
“Call Dr. Benjamin Peters and get him here.” He thought about taking her to the ER, but he knew she’dfreakoutifhetouchedher or triedtocarryher.
Withinthirtyminutes, the doctor was there. Ethanrelaxed. If anyone could take care of Sara, thismancould.“Hey,Doc,I’mgladyoucouldcomesoquickly.”
“The way Sharp made it sound, it was urgent, and one look at her and I agree. What happened?”
“Oneofmymenbeather up,”Ethansaid.
“Ican’tbelieveyougavehimpermission.”
“Oh, hell no. He’ll be takencare of,” Ethansaid. He didn’tneed to go into specifics withDr. BenbecausehewasoneofhisuncleAngus’sbestfriendsandhadknownhimhiswholelife.
Since the night of the killings that happened with his mother, Angus hadn’t been the same. A few months after the incidentwithhis mother, Benhad come over, takena bottle ofgood scotchup to his uncle’s room, and closed and locked the door. They stayed in the room until the middle of the night.
Fromwhat Ethanwas told, theyboth got drunk, and his uncle poured out his heart to his old friend. Ithelped. His uncle had seemed listless inthe days after the shootings and never smiled. Even his cousin Alastair’s woman, Beth, couldn’t get himto smile, which made his concern for his uncle grow.
Doc sedated Sara, and Ethanlifted her up and gentlylaid her onthe bed. He satdownbyher head and pressed one ofthe towels againsther forehead to stop the bleedingand watched as Dr. Ben wentover her andcleanedher up.
He made halfofhis mentake Perkins out,andthe others stayedinthe hallway.He didn’twant theminthe roomwhile he helped Bentake her clothes off. His anger grew at the contusions all over her body.
“Isanythingbroken?”Ethanasked.
“I don’t think so. She has a lot of bruised muscles that will take time to heal. I can fix the physical, butI’mmore concerned abouther mental health. The sounds she was making, and her eyes, tell me thatshe’s notaware ofthings happeningaround her and is kind ofburied inside herself. It’s a copingmechanism.She’sprotectingherselftheonlywayshecan.”
“She’ll always be like this?” He’d been afraid to ask but needed to know to make plans to takecareofher.
“Not necessarily. If she’s taken care of the right way, meaning she’ll need quiet, and supportivepeoplearoundher,andshegetsenoughfoodandrest,Ithinkshe’ll befine.”
He alreadyknew he would call Alastair and askto have her there. He thoughtthe girls would begreat,helpingher morethananyone.
“I’ll takethemtomycousin’shouse,”Ethansaid.
Bennodded.“Iagree.TheMacleanhomewill beperfect,andshe’ll besafe.”
Ethanpulled the blanketup over her naked body. He had no idea whatshe would wear outof there,buthecouldn’tputher backinher torn,bloodyclothes.HeshookBen’shand.
“I’ll be bytomorrow tocheckonher.The sedative Igave her will keepher asleepfor several hours or longer.Don’tpanic ifsix,seven,or eveneighthours pass,andshe still isn’tawake.Shewas very small, in pain, underweight, and tired. I can tell fromthe dark circles under her eyes. They’re swollen, but I canstill see some of the fatigue. I’ll come bytomorrow, but if yousee somethingthat concernsyou,call me.”
“All right.Thankyoufor comingsoquickly.”
“Son,you’reall myfamily.Iwill alwayscomewhenyouneedme.”
Ethannoddedbecausehedidn’tknow whattosay.
Ethanstopped the doctor atthe door. “Ihave a questionbefore youleave, and youcantell me it’snoneofmybusiness,butwhatdidyoudotomyUncleAngustomakehimfeel better?”
Benlaughed. “Besides gethimdrunkwithdamngood scotch? Ihad to remind himthathe was alowlymanliketherestofus,notGod.”
“Whatdoesthatmean?”Ethanasked.
“He’s taking responsibility for everything, and I had to remind him he can’t read minds or
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“Hail, Sulpicius and Sabinus! Hail to thee, Merope, and thee, Elea!” said Gyges. “Whence these fair flowers?”
“The violets are the eyes of Merope,” said Sabinus.
“The roses are the lips of Elea,” added Sulpicius.
“Our minds have been fed on the words of a poet, O Psyche,” said Merope, laughing.
“’Tis sweet food for the mind, O Merope. What a beautiful evening draws near!” said Psyche.
“Ay; the sky is cloudless,” replied Merope.
“How clear are yonder Alban Mountains!” said Gyges.
“Ay; like a crown, with the villas sparkling among the trees like jewels,” said Sulpicius.
“Sit ye down and drink a cup of wine,” invited Sabinus.
“We dare not tarry long, O friends,” said Gyges, as he and Psyche seated themselves. “But,” he added, “a cup of wine will refresh us.”
Laughing and talking with their happy friends, the depression of Psyche and Gyges soon vanished. After they had drunk the wine they rose to depart.
“What a handsome chain, O Psyche!” said Elea.
“’Tis a gift of Gyges,” said Psyche.
“Truly, ’tis a perfect gift!” exclaimed Merope.
“Can ye not stay and eat with us?” asked Sulpicius.
“Nay, we must away. Fare ye well, O happy friends! May smiles be always on thy lips!” said Gyges, as he and Psyche went on their way.
“Are they not lovely maidens, O Gyges?” asked Psyche, when they were out upon the Via Appia, walking towards home.
“Ay, my Psyche,” he assented.
“They dance well too,” she added.
“Elea dances the better,” said Gyges. “She makes a good Chloris to thy Niobe.”
“Are we not late? See, the sun has set long since! Wilt thou not dine with us this night, O Gyges?” she asked.
“Ay; ’tis Gannon’s night at home,” he replied.
“What new story will he have to tell us, I wonder?” she asked. “He always brings cheer when he comes home. Last week he told us of Livilla.”
“Ay, he is truly a happy youth.”
“His large eyes will open wider when he sees his sister’s new home,” said Psyche.
Their conversation was still running on Gannon when they turned down the street that led to Alcmaeon’s home. Noticing the soldiers stationed before the house, the lovers quickened their steps. When they arrived at the door, Gyges asked one of the soldiers, “What dost thou wish?”
“Alcmaeon and his family are under arrest,” replied the soldier. “He and his wife have gone to the camp. We await the daughter.”
At this announcement Psyche excitedly inquired: “What have they done? I am their daughter.”
“I know not. Long enough have we waited for thee,” said the soldier, angrily. “Come, thou must go at once!”
“But give me leave to go to my room,” said Psyche, trembling, as she opened the door.
While she was gone, Gyges asked for more information. He learned that Gannon had fallen and was dead, and that the lad’s body had been sent to be cremated. With a heavy heart he entered the house and called Psyche. She ran to him; and reading in his face that something horrible had occurred, she cried, “O Gyges, what has happened?”
“O my love, the little dead fish was a true omen.”
“But no one is dead?” asked Psyche, excitedly. He drew her towards him as he said: “Be brave, O love! A great calamity has befallen thee and thy parents.”
“Tell me the truth, O Gyges.”
“Gannon is dead,” he quietly whispered.
Psyche, overwhelmed with grief, buried her face on her lover’s shoulder. Through her sobs she asked, “How did he die?”
“He fell from the roof of the camp.”
“May I not see him?” she asked.
“’Tis best thou shouldst not,” replied her lover.
“But what means the arrest, O Gyges?”
“I know not, O love,—but we must go. Soldiers have no hearts. Be brave, my Psyche! Pray to the gods for strength.”
“But there,” he suddenly exclaimed, “is a tunic!”
Hastily taking up the garment from which Hera had begun to remove the cloth that held Gannon’s message, Gyges gave the tunic to Psyche, saying, “’Tis Gannon’s.”
“Ah, ’tis poor comfort to see only his tunic,” she said, as she kissed it. “But look!” she quickly added, “here is some writing! Come to the light and read the words.” When they reached the small courtyard, she read: “Have done wrong. Read a letter from L to S about Lygdus.”
“Come, you must go!” roughly commanded the soldier, opening the door.
Gyges received permission to accompany Psyche, and the sorrowful lovers left the house. The walk to the camp was a painfully sad one. They both recalled their happy afternoon in their future home. Fresh tears gushed from Psyche’s eyes when they passed the street on
which the house stood. As they went along, Gyges, who had been trying to unravel the mystery of Gannon’s message, suddenly whispered to Psyche, “Oh that we had not seen that writing!”
“Why, what harm can those words do? They were the last we shall ever hear from him,” whispered Psyche through her sobs.
“Nay, my love; I fear they are dangerous.” Then he added apprehensively, “I know Lygdus.”
“But I do not understand thee.”
“Speak not so loud, O Psyche, the soldiers may hear us. Thy dear brother wrote, ‘Have done wrong.’ I fear he had learned some terrible secret, and that we, in reading these words, have gained a clue to that secret. Oh that we had not seen that writing!” he repeated.
“There can be no harm in knowing about Lygdus.”
“Ay, my love, there is harm,” he insisted. “Never acknowledge having read that message. If thou art asked about it in the camp, deny all knowledge concerning it. Promise me this, O my love.”
“I promise thee, O my Gyges.”
At the Praetorian Camp Gyges repeated this warning, and then the lovers parted. Feeling assured that she would see Gyges the next day, Psyche said farewell with no great misgivings. Oppressed with anguish at the terrible death of Gannon, but as yet unconscious of the approach of new misfortune, she was led into the office of Sejanus. The minister had just returned from his visit to the palace on the Palatine Hill. A dim light revealed him seated on a curule chair surrounded by a few soldiers, to whom he was issuing orders. When Psyche was announced, he dismissed his attendants. When they were left alone, he said, “Truly, art thou the dancing-girl?”
“Ay, my lord Sejanus,” said Psyche, in a plaintive tone.
“Art thou Gannon’s sister?”
“Ay; and—”
“Thou wast not at home when thy parents were brought here?” Sejanus roughly interrupted her.
“Nay, my lord Sejanus.”
“Where wert thou?”
“With Gyges, walking upon the Via Appia.”
“Who is Gyges?”
“A charioteer—”
“Ah! I remember. He wears the green color. I know him. Is he a relative?”
“He is my lover,” she shyly responded.
“True. All dancing-girls have their lovers,” he sneered. “But didst thou return home?”
“Ay,” answered Psyche, drawing herself up with dignity.
“Whom didst thou see at home?”
“No one.”
“There was a tunic there. Didst thou see it?”
“Ay, my lord Sejanus.”
“Thou didst have it in thy hands?”
“Ay.”
“Thou didst read a message from Gannon sewed upon it?”
“Nay, O Sejanus,” calmly replied the unfortunate maid.
“I say thou didst read it.”
“I repeat I did not read it.”
“Was Gyges with thee when thou didst have the tunic?”
“Ay, my lord.”
Sejanus called a soldier, who promptly appeared.
“Search immediately for Gyges the charioteer! Arrest him!”
“What have I said that makes thee arrest him?” asked Psyche, in a tone of fear.
“Nothing.”
“What have I done, O Sejanus, that I should be here? Where are my parents?” she plaintively pleaded.
“Thy brother read a letter,” replied Sejanus. “He sewed into his tunic a message about that letter. Thy parents read the message. Thou didst hold the tunic in thy hands, thou sayest, and therefore thou also must have read the message.”
“Nay, ’tis not true, O Sejanus. I saw no message.”
“I do not believe thee. Thy brother lied to me. Thy parents lied to me. Now the sister lies to me.”
“I lie not, O Sejanus.”
“We sometimes press the thumbs until they are flat, in order to learn the truth. ’Twould be a pity to press thy pretty thumbs—”
“Oh! Sejanus,” she cried in terror, “thou wilt not torture me?”
“Ay. A soldier will do anything to learn the truth,” he cruelly replied.
“But I tell thee the truth.”
“And I believe thee not.”
“Thou wilt not torture me!” she cried, now thoroughly alarmed. “Nay, nay, nay, O Sejanus! Where are my parents?”
“Thou wilt never see them again.”
“Never see them again!” screamed Psyche. “Are they dead too?”
“Nay; calm thyself. They are in prison. Now tell me, didst thou read the message?”
“I have already answered thee.”
“Then prepare for torture.”
“O Gyges, Gyges!” cried Psyche. “Would that thou wert here to help me!”
“No one can help thee,” said the implacable tyrant.
“But have I not suffered enough?” she said, breathing quickly and stamping nervously with her foot on the marble floor. “Do not press my thumbs! I have told thee the truth! I know nothing! Ah!” she screamed suddenly, as a new thought surged in her mind. “I understand. Gannon did not fall. He was killed, ay, killed!”
“Come, O pretty maid; not so loud. Pray be calm.”
“Ay, killed, for knowing what? My parents are in prison for the same cause—what? And I am to be tortured to confess—what?”
“Time will show,” said Sejanus, grimly, as he noticed the hysterical condition of Psyche. He called a soldier and said: “Place this prisoner in a private cell. Go!”
“May I not see my parents?” cried Psyche, beseechingly.
“No,” he abruptly replied. As she left the office, moaning and crying, he said to himself, “A very fair maiden, and perchance—” A smile passed over his evil face as he thought of Psyche alone and in his power.
Shortly after, the soldier who had been despatched for Gannon’s tunic returned and handed it to his master. After reading Gannon’s writing, Sejanus craftily said, “Art thou content with thy position?”
“Ay, O noble lord,” replied the soldier.
“Thou canst be advanced. Write me a sentence in Greek.”
“I know not Greek, my lord.”
“Surely thou knowest the letters. Write a few of them.”
“Neither do I know the letters, O Sejanus.”
“For knowing how to write one sentence I would promote thee.”
“Truly, O master, I know nothing of the language.”
“Where wert thou born?”
“At the Etruscan town of Nepete.”
“When didst thou leave thy native town?”
“Two years since.”
“How long hast thou been a soldier in the camp?”
“Two years, my lord.”
“Thou art dismissed,” commanded Sejanus, satisfied with the soldier’s answers.
Tearing the message from Gannon’s tunic, Sejanus exultantly burned in a lamp all traces of the lad’s knowledge concerning Lygdus.
