Page 2 of Unholy Cross

He hadn’t meant to ask the question, but it rolled out of him without conscious thought.Mouse Man visibly relaxed, thinking Cross accepted the mission.

“Noble Vale Sanatorium.”

Cross frowned.“She’s crazy?”

“No.”Mouse Man looked around then leaned in close.“She’s special.”

“Special as in crazy?”

“Special as in ...g-gifted.”

Everything inside Cross froze.Vivi Wence flashed through his head, and how blissful it was having all the rage in his head cease even for a moment.He had tried to take her back, but messed it all up.After that, his life imploded.First, he’d lost his Heart of Darkness MC President patch.Second, he had almost fallen in the gauntlet he’d been forced to walk when the club kicked him to the curb.Had almost lost his life, and the demons in his head taunted that he’d be better off dead.The thought of suicide haunted him.

So, once he had recuperated, he ran.Trying hard to outrun his thoughts, he hopped on his bike and headed to parts unknown.Moving on when he felt it was time.And here he was, in another dive bar, drinking his way to an early grave.Maybe this woman was the salvation he desperately hoped for.Cross didn’t believe for one damn minute she was this man’s daughter, but now he was curious.

“Gifted?”

“A doctor by the name of Costello Birsha has her.He runs the sanatorium and he’s going to pick her apart trying to unlock her gift, but she’s too fragile to handle that.It’s going to destroy her.Please ...pleasehelp her.”

“What type of gift?”Mouse Man shook his head, but Cross grabbed his shirt and yanked him close.“What.Type.Of.Gift?”

Mouse Man shrank back as far as he could go.“Lorelei can h-heal people.”

He had a name.Lorelei.

Wasn’t Lorelei a siren who lured men to their deaths?Damn, if he wasn’t going to follow those poor assholes.He should probably walk away.He’d gone toe to toe with the fucking X-Men already and hadn’t come out the better.Yet one look into Lorelei’s eyes, and he knew he was going to find her.However, she wouldn’t be reunited with Mouse Man here because he intended to keep her.Call it divine intervention, or a moment of good luck.This was his second chance to claim a woman who could quiet the voices in his head, and this time he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him.

“I’ll find her,” he said, scooping up the envelope.Peeking inside, he saw a stack of hundred-dollar bills, and placed that with the photo on the inside pocket of his leather jacket.

Mistaken identity might have just delivered his salvation.

Chapter Two

Lorelei cowered inher cell, with her arms wrapped around her knees as she stared fearfully at the door.Even though the walls, floor, and ceiling were white, and not a speck of dust lay in the sterile environment, it was still a cell.The monster could walk in any moment and order his men to continue the torture.Hitting her.Hurting her.Drawing blood after every test.The age of every beating documented from the color of the bruises decorating her body.

They wanted something from her and they didn’t care how they got it.If this was to be her life, she didn’t know if she wanted to stay in it.She missed feeling safe.Missed living without someone watching every damn thing she did.

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