Rivals (Book 2 of The Warden series) Read online

  She chuckled at the common hatred of infirmary paperwork as she put her kit down on the end table. She opened it to reveal a plethora of stolen medical supplies. She even had syringes. Yes, she was willing to inject herself with sharp pointy metal to avoid paperwork. Apparently Ethan felt the same way.

  He studied her stash while he crunched on chip debris.

  “Take your shirt off,” she requested and turned to see a rather devious smile on his face.

  “Don’t you want to take it off for me?” He perked his brow. She didn’t rise to his baiting. Instead, she gave him her best maternal stare: the best combination of compassion and do you really want to mess with me. He groaned and sat down on the couch. “Can’t you just leave me the box?”

  “If it’s not that bad, you can do it yourself. Take your shirt off. I do have sedatives in here.”

  With another grumble that turned into a hiss, he removed the black t-shirt, which didn’t appear ripped, but she could tell now that the moisture she had earlier mistaken for sweat was actually blood. A long gash crossed his sternum high on his chest. “Damn it, Ethan.” She couldn’t help but whine. The cut was deep enough that she considered braving the paperwork.

  “What?” he asked with ignorance to her vexation.

  “What?” she mocked. “You need stitches for that.”

  “How can you tell?” He looked down.

  “I can see bone, dipshit.” She shook her head as she gathered her items. After sterilizing her needle and thread, she brought the alcohol to him. He shook his head with the grimace of a child refusing to take his medicine even before the spoon was offered. “Don’t be a baby; sit on your hands so you’re not tempted to defend yourself.”

  He groaned and sat on his hands. She looked around him, trying to figure out how she should position herself to do her work.

  Ethan laughed at her. “Oh, just straddle me. You know it’s easier.”

  “Yeah, yeah, try to keep your comments to yourself.”

  “It won’t be my comments–” He stopped short and shook his head, refusing to say more.

  “Thank you.” She straddled him as he had suggested and used his shirt to catch the excess alcohol so it didn’t get on the couch. “You went through the glass in the airlock doors, didn’t you? That’s how you got ahead of me so fast.”

  “Yeah.”

  “All that just to beat me?”

  His face crinkled with confusion. “No, all that for the job. If I slowed down every time I might get hurt I’d be at a full stop before I started.”

  She poured the liquid pain onto his wound and his head bucked back. His neck muscles contracted as he clenched his jaw. She poured again. He growled, but released his jaw. On the third splash, he was able to bring his head back to face her.

  She proceeded to sew together the biggest part of the laceration to get the tissue aligned. As she focused on her medical work, she felt him watching her with the same intensity. She pressed on his chest each time she needed to suture the cut. She could feel his heart pounding against her fingers. He was warm too. She wasn’t sure why that surprised her, but it did. She could feel his sinewy muscle under smooth soft skin. The muscles that she had been eyeing appreciatively earlier that day.

  He’s dead.

  She shook the harsh reality from her mind.

  “What’s wrong?” Ethan asked softly. “Why do you keep doing that?”

  She looked at him. “It’s nothing, I just have this thought that keeps rattling in my head. I’m trying not to let it interfere with my life, but it just pops in there.”

  “What thought?”

  Cori’s face melted, and she broke eye contact. “Vince,” she whispered, almost ashamed to bring it up to him. She knew Ethan resented everything about Vince and her time with him, so she tried not to broach the subject around him.

  Even Danato tiptoed around the topic. She wasn’t sure if it was for her sake or Ethan’s, but either way, Danato didn’t express sentiment well. He was a teddy bear with the emphasis on bear.

  “That sounds like a reasonable topic to have rattling around in your head. You sound embarrassed by it.”

  Cori scoffed as she motioned to their position. “I’m ashamed because I’m straddling a half-naked man on his couch. I don’t know if I feel guilty because I’m here with you thinking of him, or…” Whatever amusement she found in the situation was lost. “…or because I’m here with you not thinking of him.”

  Ethan pulled his hands free and rubbed her arms. “We’re not doing anything, Cori. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

  She wasn’t sure he would say that if he knew what thoughts had prompted the reminder. “I feel sad when I think about him, and I feel guilty when I don’t think about him, but I feel like a complete jerk when I think about other… futures without him.” Translation: she felt like a tramp when she found herself admiring another man when Vince had only died a few months ago.

  Ethan squeezed her arms. “You will have a future without him. That is inevitable. I know everyone always says that ‘he would want you to be happy,’ but the bottom line is, he is no longer here to induce your happiness.”

  He’s dead.

  Ethan dragged his hands down her arms to rest against her hips. “When my parents died, I shoved a lot of people away, because I thought they were trying to replace them. I didn’t want anyone to replace my parents. Unfortunately, I pushed too hard for too long, and I lost out on a lot of opportunities to be part of a family. I regret it, but I wouldn’t change a single day if it meant losing you.”

  Cori swallowed hard at that declaration.

  “Or Danato,” he added. “This is my home now.”

  She nodded and looked down at the intimate positions of their bodies. “How do we do this?”

  “What?” Ethan’s eyes bulged from his head.

  “We start the day off screaming at each other, then we end up in a pseudo psychiatric session with stitches.”

  He shrugged. “We just haven’t figured out our rhythm yet. Maybe someday we’ll find a better way to release all that pent-up rage.” She smiled, catching his eyes with a meaningful glance.

  He was right. They were family. She had refused to see it while she was still pining for her freedom, but now in the wake of tragedy, it was more evident. Ethan was loyal and gentle, despite what their bickering brought out in him. She cared for him a good deal, but lately she wasn’t sure how to define those feelings.

  Ethan flinched under her examination and broke the connection prematurely. “I’m going to finish up these stitches.” He took the needle from her. “Why don’t you head to bed?”

  “I…” She struggled to counter his dismissal. She wasn’t really ready to be done with the conversation. It was a rare thing for them to converse without arguing. “What did I say?”

  He stood up with her still on his lap. He braced her back with one strong arm and let her slide down his body, until her feet touched the floor.

  “Nothing. It’s fine. You worked hard today, get some rest. Thank you for the medical care.” He gave her a quick, almost jolting kiss on the cheek before breaking away from her. He disappeared into his bedroom with the needle and a bottle of alcohol.

  She wanted to follow him in, to find out what was bothering him, but she decided there could be any number of things bothering him at that point: their almost intimate situation, her ill-timed confession of guilt about her ex. If he had something to say to her, it was unlikely that he would keep it hidden for long.

  Instead, she went to bed, with only one thought rolling around in her head.

  He’s dead.

  3

  The next morning, Danato poured himself a big bowl of muesli at the dining room table. He had missed the memo the night before about dinner being canceled, so he had gone to bed hungry. Ethan and Cori were finding their own breakfasts as well.

  Their arguing was becoming problematic—especially since it was affecting his meals. He knew they needed time to figure
each other out. He wanted to give them the space to do that, but he didn’t like that it was taking so long.

  Ethan was on the defensive for his job, and Cori was on the offensive for her pride. The fact that Ethan was head over heels in love with her was only adding to the tension. If Cori hadn’t just lost her lover, they might have had a shot at an honest flirtation, but as it was now, they were both dancing around their emotions. The result was weeks upon weeks of bitching and bickering about anything and everything other than their true feelings.

  Cori opened the upper cabinet in search of cereal. Ethan came in behind her and grabbed the chocolate puff cereal that was just out of her reach. “Ethan, there’s only enough for one bowl in there.”

  “So, I’ll have some fruit with it.” He grabbed a bowl and spoon.

  “You ate the first five bowls. I want the last bowl.”

  “How does the cereal that I requisition have your name on the last bowl?” He gestured at her with the box.

  “Because you ate the chips I requisitioned last night. I want my peace offering in the form of chocolate, and your cereal will do nicely,” she said with restrained anger.

  “I’ll give you this if you make stroganoff tonight.”

  “Tonight is your night,” she corrected.

  “You didn’t even cook last night!” Ethan yelled.

  “Enough!” Danato slammed the table, knocking his spoon from his bowl. It was enough. He had stayed out of the way long enough. The rent on space to figure things out just went up.

  They both gaped at him, presumably oblivious to the cause of his displeasure. “Breakfast is over. Come with me.” Danato grabbed his coat and opened the door. The cold morning breeze wasn’t nearly as cold as the glare he offered them when they didn’t rush to follow him.

  Ethan put down his box and grabbed his coat. He threw Cori hers.

  Danato led them out of the house, leaving his second meal in twenty-four hours behind.

  Something he never did.

  4

  Cori followed Danato without objection. Ethan seemed irritated by the situation, but he didn’t say anything to object. Inside the prison, they dropped off their coats and went straight to the elevator. Danato pushed the button second from the top.

  Ethan seemed to glean understanding after the selection was made. The worried look that crossed his face was there and gone, replaced by a glower that should have been the herald of swear words, but he didn’t voice his discontentment.

  Cori had never been to the sixth floor, so she had no reason to complain, but she didn’t like that Ethan was so unhappy with the choice. She glanced between the two men, but neither looked her way. The silent argument kept them more than occupied.

  The elevator opened, and they stepped into the vestibule. The only option to proceed was a set of heavy metal doors that gated off the remainder of the floor. Danato pushed through the entrance, and despite Ethan’s silent objection to it all, he followed without delay. She, on the other hand, maintained a comfortable distance behind them.

  She expected to see cells and parallel hallways similar to the other levels when she passed through the doorway, but it wasn’t divided at all. It was one giant room.

  The extensive floor contained a half sphere. The giant foggy snow globe was two stories high, nearly meeting the full expanse of the room’s height. The width extended just short of the building’s exterior walls. She couldn’t see how deep it went, but she assumed that the east elevators would bring her fairly close to the opposing side of the anomaly. Within the depths of the blurry dome, she could make out images that looked like people

  Off to one side was a raised lookout, posted with two guards. The cubicle was covered top to bottom in electrical equipment. The blinking lights, buttons, dials, and doodads were demanding immediate attention. It was the first technology outside of an oven that she had seen in the prison.

  “What is this?” Cori asked.

  “This is the wizard’s den,” Ethan answered blandly as he crossed his arms and looked over the bubble like it was his long-lost enemy. “Why’re we here?” He looked at Danato to answer that question. Danato gave Ethan a hard look and walked away without responding. He called one of the guards down from the booth and had a quiet conversation with him.

  Cori sidestepped to Ethan and whispered, “Seriously, what’s this all about?” She was used to Danato keeping her in the dark for her own protection, but this was the first time his lack of honesty didn’t seem to be favoring her wellbeing.

  Ethan glanced between her and Danato before answering her question. “This is a time bubble. The wizards are ultimately more powerful than any of us. They can do virtually anything to you with their minds.”

  “Like what?”

  Ethan rolled his eyes. “Anything, Cori: blow up your head, throw you into a rock… you’re like a doll in their world.”

  “Why are we here?” She reached out to touch the bubble.

  Ethan pulled her hand down. “I don’t know. I’d like to know myself, especially if it involves going back in there.”

  “You’ve been in there before?”

  Ethan’s brow dipped slightly. “I’ve been on every level of this prison.”

  Her mouth opened slightly. “Even the top level?”

  He nodded.

  “And?” she asked, searching his eyes for a clue about the contents of that world.

  “And what?” Ethan shrugged.

  “What’s up there?” she asked.

  “I want Cori to go in for five hours,” Danato announced behind them.

  “What?” Ethan pushed past Cori and stood face to face, or at least face to chin, with Danato. “She won’t last five minutes in there, let alone five hours.”

  Cori came into the mix, and they formed an arguing triangle of chin to face, neck to face, face to chest. “Give me some credit, Ethan! Danato, I can certainly handle myself for a few hours!”

  “Cori,” Ethan protested, “you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Five hours,” Danato repeated resolutely.

  “No! She’s not ready for that!” Ethan yelled, practically spitting in Danato’s face.

  “Yes!” Cori yelled at him before turning to Danato. She took a step back when Danato’s hand flew up.

  He pointed to the bubble. “Both of you, five hours, and that’s not a concession. If you two could stop arguing for five fucking minutes, and remember who is in charge here, I would have explained that.”

  “Why are you doing this now? She isn’t prepared. I barely survived last time.”

  Cori was about to object to his comment regarding her preparedness, but she didn’t like the sound of “barely survived.”

  “Because I can’t handle any more of the bickering and fighting,” Danato stated.

  Ethan glanced at Cori and shook his head. “This is a punishment?”

  “This is a test for her, an exercise for you, and hopefully a respite for me.” Danato motioned to the bubble.

  “Five hours won’t be much of a respite for you,” Ethan said, stepping toward the bubble.

  “It’s more than enough time for you two to hash out this…” Danato fluttered his fingers in their faces, “…whatever this is.”

  Cori didn’t understand why this little field trip was causing so much friction between the men, but she knew better than to stand between a bear and his cub, so she didn’t bother asking any more questions.

  Ethan presented his hand for Cori. She approached the bubble, but didn’t take his hand. She even pulled away when he tried to hold it. She was about to reach her full fume for his assumptions about her abilities. Granted, she had no idea what was about to happen, but she didn’t need to be coddled like a child. “I think I can handle it without a babysitter,” she sassed.

  Ethan took a deep breath and put his head down.

  Danato stepped close behind her. His breathy voice against her ear made her jump. It was his calm quiet rumble that usually signaled his tr
ue ire, not so much the loud blustering he had offered earlier. It had been a while since he had directed his anger at her. The short-lived benefit of a mourning period, she supposed.

  “He’s been in this bubble before,” he said. “So I strongly advise to follow his lead if you want to survive. Understand?” She nodded. “Good. Now take his fucking hand so you don’t end up three miles apart!” he growled before stomping away.

  She threw her hand out to Ethan. She forced herself to push through the situation, rather than do what she wanted to, which was run home and cry. Ethan took her outstretched hand and gave her a little stroke with his thumb. She didn’t look at him, but she knew he was offering an empathetic expression. He was not unfamiliar with Danato’s wrath, and yet he always managed to hold his own against him.

  Ethan drew her forward, guiding her into the bubble. As they stepped in, Cori felt her body tug into multiple directions and then fall at super speed. She would have screamed if she could figure out where her mouth was.

  5

  As soon as they hit the water, Ethan lost Cori’s hand. They rolled down the river, slamming into rocks and plummeting down miniature waterfalls. He caught a tree branch and pulled himself onto a mossy rock.

  He scanned the river upstream and down for Cori. She was nowhere in sight.

  He cursed and made his way to the bank by hopping rock to rock. He walked down the river calling her name. A quarter mile down, he found her hugging her knees at the edge of the water.

  He ran to her and skidded into a sitting position beside her like she was home plate. “You okay,” he asked, looking over her body for cuts and bruises, of which there were many.

  Her eyes were bloodshot and her lips were blue, but she gave him a thumbs-up. After which she started coughing up more water. Ethan patted her back to help with the effort. When she was finished, she looked back at him and smiled.

  He smiled and shook his head. “Why are you smiling?”

  “Do you think we would still be here if I had given you the cocoa puffs?”

  He laughed. She laughed, but stopped, wincing in pain.