Chapter 16

"I don't know!" squealed Gertrude.

She cowered against the broken shed.

"I don't know how she escaped!"

Gertrude looked around, anywhere, but in front of her. Her husband lay in a bloody heap to her far right. The stupid idiot had thought he could fight this man. Of course, she had hit him around for the girls escaping, so he wasn't up to his full potential.

Gertrude shook in pain. A couple of her fingers were broken, and her cheek bone was killing her. Sick, soft laughter drifted through the air. Gritting her teeth, she hated his laugh.

"How do you not know? Was the task that difficult for you?" another man snarled.

His accent was Alᵫmdaun. He stood next to the laughing brute, cracking his knuckles for the tenth time.

"No…"

"Then please explain."

"She was disobedient, so I put her in the shed as my mother did to me, Master Jᴔnsa."

"Did you hurt her?"

Cahan's fists tightened as he looked at the low-life woman in front of him.

"I would never hurt Aless! I slapped her twice, but I never hurt her!

"Cain…"

The brute next to Cahan started to advance and Gertrude shrieked, covering her head. Cahan would never personally lay a finger on a woman, but Cain had no problem with it.

"Please! No!"

Cain didn't listen, but Cahan did hold up his hand to stop Cain. Looking back at Cahan, Cain growled softly as he stopped mid-step. He despised such tenderness towards a deserving victim.

"You disappoint me, Gertrude. I thought you of all people would be able to perform the simple task of detaining a young girl."

"I did…it's just…"

"What? It's just what?"

"Jᴔnsa, she looked like my baby…."

Looking at the pathetic woman, Jᴔnsa crinkled his nose. Aless looked like this psychotic woman's child. Tears started pouring down the woman's cheeks as her eyes became glazed.

"Her beautiful blonde hair and moon eyes…she was just like my beautiful baby…she is my baby…"

The woman paused and looked up angrily.

"You can't have her! She is my baby!"

Gertrude lunged at Jᴔnsa, letting out a horrible scream. Cain moved so fast that Jᴔnsa didn't even have time to blink before Cain was in front of him. His massive hand surrounded the woman's neck, and she only managed half a gasp before he clenched his fist. Dropping her, Cain wiped his hand on the grass underneath him. She smelled sickly sweet, and he didn't want that smell clinging to him.

Exhaling slowly, Cahan shook his head. It was not what he would have done, yet it was too late now. Cain was good at what he did, but sometimes he was too eager to do it. Gertrude's husband was stirring and Cahan shook his head. Now they would have to deal with him. Deity, what a day it was turning into. His head still hurt from the damn drugs Dominic had given him and now he had to find Alessandra.

He had been sure that this would have worked. He should have known not to trust the mentally unstable. The only good thing was that he always had back-ups. Despite his confidence in Gertrude, Cahan Jᴔnsa had taken some steps to ensure that he could track Aless. He would have to get in contact with some people after they finished dealing with this situation. Inside his pants' pocket, the crescent necklace Aless had worn felt warm and heavy.

"Master Jᴔnsa," Cain's rough, baritone voice spoke softly.

Cahan looked at Cain and raised his eyebrow. Cain's different colored eyes stared back at him.

"What?"

Cain nodded at Gertrude's husband, who was starting to twitch.

"Do whatever you want, Cain. Just leave the slaves alone. They have no business with this. In fact, makes sure to free them before you leave, but do not cause them any harm."

Cain smiled softly. Everything he did was soft when it came to expressions and speaking. He always spoke as if he was afraid of being heard or as if he was so angry that he couldn't even yell. It gave the large rough man a chilling tone.

Cahan walked away as Cain headed towards the doomed man. Cahan didn't mind killing people but watching Cain work made him a little sick. This placed made him too. The store felt as if he had been sucked into an old movie. It creeped him out. He couldn't understand people who lived stuck in the past. Only the future mattered.

Exploring the store and all the rooms, Cahan searched for some sign of Aless. He had earlier discovered the bloody clothe and instantly knew that Aless had been hurt. It was why he had no qualms with Gertrude or her husband dying. Honestly, it was a favor to the woman, who clearly had never gotten over the loss of her child. Now at least the woman could be with her child.

Thinking about the woman's last words, Cahan shivered. How could that crazy woman ever think Aless was her child? Aless belonged to no one, well except for him. Soon Aless would belong to him. Stopping in the small kitchen, he saw those two teacups that Aless and Gertrude had drunk from. He could almost see Aless sitting there drinking tea so naively unaware of the drugs that had to be in the tea. How could a girl be so stupidly trusting? And how could he, Cahan Jᴔnsa, be okay with that? He hated stupid and naïve people. They were liabilities. And yet, Aless…

Shaking it off, Cahan picked up the cup that had been Aless's. It was pure luck that he had grabbed the right cup but looking at it he could tell it was hers. The other, upon closer inspection, had lipstick, meaning it had to be Gertrude's. The cup was delicate and pretty. Aless must have liked it. Smiling, Cahan pocketed the cup. He would save it for Aless. He was sure she would like having it when they were back at his home.