Patchwork pixie, p.6
Patchwork Pixie, page 6
Time to clear her mind and make some chocolate.
Chapter Five
Mark looked relieved when she came in. Ruby changed, got into all black, put on the hairnet and booties, and got to work.
Her body ached, but she had plowed through most of the chocolate list and started cleaning marble for the hard candy was heating up in the copper pot. She laid out the dyes and measured out the flavourings. When the temperature was right and the marble was ready, she and Mark poured the devastating liquid onto the oiled stone.
The scrapers were used to flip it to cool, and when it wasn’t going to cause traumatic injury, she clipped sections, added the dye, and then the flavouring, folding them in and then setting them near the heating element. The hook was waiting, and she took the largest section of classic mint, looped the candy around, and started stretching it.
Watchers crowded the window, and she kept going until the golden mass had turned shining white, and then she thudded it down and applied the coloured sugar, one by one.
It took a lot of muscle to make the candy canes, and it was hot, but it was rewarding as she worked the candy into a twist, and it began to be formed into canes by Tina. The candy was arranged onto trays, and it was set to cool. She felt her stomach growling, and she checked the time. “Oh, dang. Missed lunch again.”
Mark nodded. “Go. You are my hero.”
She nodded and removed all of her protective gear, heading outside and stretching with her coat open. Ruby got to her car and checked her messages. No dinner at home today. She smiled until she saw the message from Rayden asking her out for dinner. Dang.
A note from Mr. Kensington asking for a call was staring at her. She returned the call. “Hello?”
“Ah, Ruby. Can you come down to my office so that you can sign a client agreement?”
“Sure. I am just leaving work.”
“That’s early.”
“I skipped lunch. Where am I going?”
She got the address and hung up.
Twenty-two minutes later, she parked and paid the meter for an hour. She walked into the building and checked in at security.
She still had sugar all over her. She smelled like candy, chocolate, fruit, and mint. It was pretty close to her normal scent, so she didn’t pay much attention.
Ruby exited the elevator, and the busy floor plan was all around her. It was very discreet but large at the same time. She found the receptionist’s desk and smiled. “Hi.”
The woman glanced at her and kept typing. Ruby pulled out her phone and called Mr. Kensington. “Hello. I am at the front desk. Your receptionist is busy, so I thought I would speed things up.”
“I will be there in a moment.”
Ruby put her phone away, and when Mr. Kensington arrived, he wrapped her in a hug.
The receptionist’s jaw dropped. “Mr. Kensington, your guest just arrived.”
“Yes, Thalia. I know.” He pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “You do smell like candy.”
Ruby snorted. “Let’s sign the agreement.”
“Just a minute. This is nice.”
“The office staff is staring.”
“Just wait until they see the real you.”
“Do they know what you look like?”
He chuckled. “Some of them.”
“Can you stop hugging me?”
“You smell really good.”
“I think you are ruining your reputation.”
“It can take a few hits.” He sighed and straightened, took her hand, and walked with her to some very large offices with very impressive doors.
He knocked at one that had another name. Arkturus Mayfield.
Ruby was pulled into the office, and Mr. Kensington stood with his hand at her back. There was a surprised man with brown hair and weirdly golden eyes sitting behind the desk.
“Ark, this is the client I was discussing.”
“I thought you said she was an Elite omega.”
Ruby sighed and was pale and tall in a few moments. “Anything else?”
Ark turned into a dark Elite behind the polished desk. “How tall are you?”
“Six-six. My uncle measured me like this last night.” She put a hand flat on her head. “Is that it?”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Occupation?”
“Candy maker, security system installer. It depends on the day.”
“Skater?”
“That’s more of a lifelong hobby.”
“Your link to Marshall?”
“My Uncle Grey hired him. I don’t know how he knows him. He is only my uncle via my blood relative, Uncle Leon, the omega of their pack, but I lived with them for seven years until I went to college.”
Mr. Mayfield looked at her. “I thought there was only the one.”
“Wait. You have seen another omega?”
He smiled. “That is how we escaped. The child ripped a hole through space and took us with her. Law is something several of us were good at.”
“Why?”
“We accumulated knowledge from around the world. It was the one thing they couldn’t stop coming in.” He chuckled. “You aren’t reacting to me. Why is that?”
Mr. Kensington said, “To quote her, she is on enough hormones to choke a goat.”
She nodded. “That is what I said.”
“So, you are willing to pay Marshall’s bill in full?”
“Yes. I don’t like owing alphas.”
The bill was passed to her, and she looked over the services that had been provided and nodded, taking out her phone and sending the funds to their receivables department.
She put her phone down, and Mr. Mayfield’s phone rang. “Yes? Thank you.”
He hung up. “Well, that is paid.”
Mr. Kensington said, “Really? Grey said you were destitute.”
“He’s mistaken. Long story.”
Mr. Mayfield smiled. “I like a good story.”
“Basically, they gave me the same talk they gave their other two kids. That I shouldn’t run home if things went bad. I should learn to tough it out. So, when financing for the second semester fell through, I wrote an app and sold it, and then I repeated it again and again. I bought and paid off my condo, and the issue with Tanner means that I don’t feel safe in my home anymore.”
“What about your uncles’ place?” Mr. Kensington asked.
“The pack house is the pack house. I am neither blood to most of them, nor a member of the pack. It was made clear that it was not a place I should get comfortable. So, that is where you find me now, trying to get comfortable.” She snorted. “Again.”
He stared at her. “Grey doesn’t seem the type to say that, but Dane does.”
She blushed. “Gerald is a sweetie, but his half-brother is confident in his place, I guess, is a good way to say it.”
“What did Tanner offer you?” Kensington scowled.
“Stability. Good family. His own funds. The business he was at fit me very well. The work was interesting, and someone else was always there to deal with people. I am not that fond of people.”
Mr. Mayfield handed her a client contract. She looked it over and smiled at the hourly pay. She signed the contract and lifted her phone to send the retainer.
The phone rang again, and it was confirmed again.
“Right, so Tanner is charging you with common assault, but the videos provided indicate that he attacked first. It is a non-event. Now, as for his assaults on you, there were twelve on your phone?”
“Yes. I only got the new tech six months ago, and then I managed to get all the overtime shifts, so it kept me out far into the night. You know, after a while, you get used to pain, but the humiliation lingers.”
Mr. Mayfield’s eyes gleamed. “Right. Have you ever invited an encounter with him?”
“The first time. I had heard from friends in the dorm that it could be uncomfortable, but the dehumanization was a shock. I stayed in shock from then onward.”
“How long were you with him?”
“Eighteen months and a bit.”
He blinked. “Why?”
“The devil you know?” She shrugged. “Other guys didn’t hit on me with him around. He never stayed the night, so I always had time to get myself together, and he didn’t hit me. I got to work and had most time to myself. Oh, and I was under a compulsion to obey someone in a position of power over me. That isn’t admissible in court though.”
Mr. Kensington said, “Rayden has removed that particular block.”
“So, every person in your life who was a supervisor, manager...”
“Uncles, older cousins, yeah, I had to acquiesce. I didn’t have to agree, but something forced me to give in. My head still kind of aches.” Ruby rubbed her forehead.
“Well, your friend Elizabeth is trying to sue you.”
“Because she wouldn’t listen to what I told her about Tanner. Fuck!”
“So, you warned her?”
“Of course. She laughed and said I was just trying to keep him to myself. I told her to do whatever she wanted but be careful what she wished for.” She paused. “Can I countersue for the gown? It got all bloody and semeny.”
His eyes went wide. “We could do that. How much was the dress?”
“Sixty-five thousand.”
He whistled softly. “You have proof?”
She got his email and sent him a copy of the invoice.
“It’s covered in diamonds?”
“Yeah. Little ones, but still, there was a whole bunch of them. Tanner picked it to show off. Don’t worry. The money was mine.”
She was urged to sit, and Mr. Kensington sat behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She was tired enough that the heat of his hands felt nice.
She tilted her head back and asked, “Am I paying your hourly for the backrub? I am willing to pay it, but I just want to know.”
He grinned. “No charge. One of ours is in the contract department. If you need it put in writing, I am sure that Dante can oblige.”
“No. I am good. I just wanted things in the open.”
Mr. Mayfield asked, “Can you tell me about your life before you got the compulsion?”
“I was a normal eleven-year-old until my appearance changed. It wasn’t gradual, you know. I was just playing at recess at school, and then my friends were screaming and calling for the teacher. My parents were called to the school, but someone had also called the Stronghold. One of them grabbed me, and I bit him. I tore a chunk out of his hand and screamed bloody murder when they tried to confine me. That is when three grown alpha Elite grabbed me and held me still so the fourth could put that obedience block in place. My mom made them agree to pick me up the following day, and she took me home to get my favourite stuffed animals and clothes, and my dad took the car out without us in it. He parked it a few blocks away while telling the Elite watching that he had to take it to the shop. My baby sister was at home, and I sat on the bed and hugged her. That was when I learned I could reverse my appearance.” She smiled. “I copied Emmy.”
She inhaled. “Well, Mom was super excited, and she took me by the hand, telling me not to speak. She took me out the back door, and we walked across the field and to the car that my dad had stashed. We got in, and she called Leon and begged him to take me in. He talked to his pack, and they agreed as long as I was minimally invasive to their lifestyles.”
She looked at the lawyer, who was recording her statement. “I learned later that Leon had just miscarried a baby girl. He had been devastated, and my asshole cousin told me that I could never replace his lost sister.” She sighed again. “I just didn’t want to be hunted. So, I spent hours the first few months begging my mom to take me home, begging my dad to come get me, and they couldn’t. The Elite were looking for me in every town and city between home and here. So, I went to school, caused as little trouble as I could, and didn’t ask for anything that wasn’t completely necessary. Finally, I left the pack house and went to school, and from there, I was on my own. Then I got the job, and Dane came up to me at a work party and introduced me to Tanner.”
Mr. Kensington growled. “I would like to chat with your cousin.”
“What is that growling thing? It happened on the ice while dancing with one of the pixies.”
Mr. Mayfield smiled. “When the dark Elite find their mates, they get very protective and aggressive to other males until she acknowledges them.”
“Ah. What constitutes acknowledgement?” She looked up at the man looming over her.
Mr. Kensington chuckled. “A kiss will do in your case.”
She nodded. “Understood.”
She looked back at Mr. Mayfield. “Anything else?”
“Did you ever encourage him? I am sorry, I have to ask.”
“Just the first time. I wanted to get sex over with, so when he was done, I focused on healing. Every time. Predominantly, he engaged on Fridays, so I had the weekend to heal. I can only prove the last twelve when I had the recordings. The other ones I just detailed in my journal.”
“Do you have your journal?”
“It’s at my condo.”
“Can you give me your key?”
“Currently, it’s the only key. I rekeyed the electric lock when I left that night. They could leave, but they couldn’t return.”
He nodded. “I understand. I will have one of our investigators go and gather anything useful. Do you mind?”
“No. I am an open book. Folks could learn all kinds of stuff, but no one asks the questions.” She got the electronic key and handed it to him.
Mr. Mayfield grinned. “How much are you worth?”
“Twelve million, eight hundred thousand, seven hundred, fifty-two dollars, plus my car and condo.”
Mayfield’s eyes were wide. “Well, right. I will be in touch when things cease circling. What do you want from your ex?”
“The cost of the dress and everything he owns. I will settle for five years in jail.”
“I believe we can do better than that.”
“Good. Do better.” She smiled. “I have to grab a nap and then pull on some uncomfortable clothes to play hostess at a sweets table at a gallery opening. Two hours of sleep should be enough, right?”
“I thought you said you couldn’t nap.” Mr. Kensington helped her to her feet.
“I can at the pack house, but it is an elaborate setup.”
“Elaborate how?”
She stood close to him and looked up. “I hide under the bed so the monsters can’t get me.”
He flinched and reached out to touch her cheek. She accepted the touch so gentle that her heart ached.
“Right. I only paid for an hour of parking, so I have to go.” She turned her head to the side.
He nodded. “Would you like me to see you to the elevator?”
“No, thanks. I like freaking out your receptionist. Mr. Mayfield, I look forward to hearing from you.” She nodded and inclined her head to Mr. Kensington. She left, oriented herself, and made a beeline for the exit.
* * * *
Marshall looked at Ark and sighed. “She’s something.”
“She’s very damaged.”
“You will be hard-pressed to find a woman the Elite touched that didn’t suffer some form of devastation.”
“You are sure Rayden is her second?”
“I am sure.”
“Well, you are very good at that sort of thing. Have you heard that Achilles and Dante have found their lady?”
“Yeah. Dante has been crowing about it. But they have known about her since our escape. I have found Ruby by accident.” He smiled. “I have to speak with Grey. I am fairly sure he wasn’t aware of what Dane was saying to her.”
“I would not be so sure of that. If the household lost a pregnancy, they may have been numb to the needs of the newcomer.”
“It will be rough to get through those years of neglect.”
“I will spend years on it. It isn’t like I don’t have time. It is more devastating that her first heat will have to be spent on her own.”
“Why?”
“To reset her body. Her getting pregnant would be emotionally damaging.” He sighed. “No matter how fun trying would be.”
“Did you see all the videos?”
“I did. While I want him dead, I also want her to feel like she got justice. What happens after that is up to fate.”
“Diplomatic answer.”
“Yeah, I am proud of myself.” He chuckled. “You sending Samsor or Yarin?”
“Yarin. He’s the best.”
“Right. I have to prepare for court Friday.”
“Enjoy, and congratulations. She’s stunning and a survivor.”
“And I also have to find a gallery opening.” Marshall sighed. “She has an early practice tomorrow. I hope it doesn’t go too late.”
He left his business partner’s office and headed back to his own. It took him four minutes to find the gallery opening, and he laughed. Achilles and his mates were going to be at that event, and things couldn’t be better. It would be nice to introduce her to another Elite omega.
* * * *
Ruby returned to the pack house, showered, and set her alarms for two hours. She grabbed her blankets and a pillow and went to sleep under her bed.
* * * *
Leon was finishing dinner when Grey came in. “Where’s Ruby?”
“She’s napping. She’s been taken on for the performance, working full-time at the candy shop, and tonight, she has to go to a gallery opening and run the chocolate table.”
“Damn. I wanted to talk to her.”
“Tough. She wants to leave. I can feel it. My little girl doesn’t feel like this is home.”
Grey rubbed Leon’s arms. “She’s not our daughter. Our daughter died.”
“I know. I grieved for her. Ruby helped me make things for her headstone. She held my hand when I broke down. No matter how mean Dane was, she remained sweet to Gerald. She’s my niece. My blood. My little lost girl.”
