Stealing Joy Read online

I didn’t like that they were here and I had no one as back up. I guess I’d gotten used to constantly having someone around.

  “Special Agents Smith. Or is that Smiths, since there are two of you? You know, one of you really should consider changing your name to something more remarkable. Someone might mistake you for CIA or something.”

  Smith-one laughed, Smith-two glowered at me.

  “What do you know about the CIA?” he asked.

  “Seriously? I read. I watch movies. They always use some name like Smith or Jones, and everyone knows it’s a fake name, but they do it anyway.”

  “Trust me, our higher ups got a good giggle and did this to us on purpose.” Smith-one was younger, slighter build. He wasn’t unattractive in his hyper clean-cut ways, but after being surrounded by model quality beauty and the raw sexual appeal of Gage, this guy was blander than bland.

  Smith-two had zero sense of humor. I guessed him to be middle-aged, divorced, and bled dry of any joy.

  “We wanted to get some clarification on parts of your story.” Smith-two pulled over a chair.

  I shrugged. “Sure.”

  Wait. Don’t talk to them before Gage gets back.

  I stared at Doggo. I don’t know if this mind talk went both ways but I projected back at him— Gage left, walked out, isn’t coming back any time soon.

  All I got was, Wait for Gage.

  Fine. Maybe this whole monsters and magic thing was real, and Doggo had some insight and communications with Gage. Whatever. I could stall these guys for twenty minutes. If Gage didn’t make an appearance, I’d get chatty.

  “Don’t get too comfortable. I was about to call the nurse for a bathroom break.”

  “We can wait,” Smith-one said.

  I buzzed in my request, and Tracey said she would be with me in a minute.

  I didn’t exactly know how to tell them to leave. I didn’t want them around when I got out of bed, flashing my goodies, hobbling across the room, and then peeing with the door wide open. I had no humility when it came to using the toilet this week. I wasn’t afraid to ask for and accept the help I required.

  Most of the time, one of the guys would scoop me up and carry me the ten feet across my room. That could get a little humiliating, especially if I really had to pee. But the bottoms of my feet had been shredded on my trek down the side of a mountain.

  Tracey swept in and began unhooking me from assorted monitors. “Fellas, I think now would be a good time to wait in the hallway.”

  Thank you, Tracey!

  “Bedpan?”

  I shook my head. I really hated that thing.

  Getting out of bed wasn’t pretty. I thought I was doing well with general complaints instead of actual cussing. I must have upset Doggo because he’d growl every time I said ouch. Which was every time I put a foot down.

  “Seriously, Doggo, this hurts, and you aren’t helping.”

  “We’ll get those walking boots on you later, and that will make all of this easier.” Tracey stepped out of the small bathroom to let me do my business.

  I wiped. Well, fuck a duck.

  “Hey, Gage isn’t out there yet is he?”

  “He hasn’t come back in. You want me to check?” she asked.

  “Would you, please?” Damn that man and his monsters and magic nose. I certainly hoped he was coming back and with supplies.

  I only had to hang out in the bathroom for something like five minutes before Gage showed up and rescued me again.

  Tracey handed me a small paper bag. “When I told Gage you were asking about him, he said you were waiting for this. He then crossed his arms and set in to wait with the FBI guys.”

  I tried not to be too enthusiastic, but yay for feminine hygiene products.

  I wasn’t as circumspect upon leaving the bathroom, and this time I cussed. Gage was in the room in a hot second and sweeping me into his arms. I didn’t want to complain. I mean hot guy lifting me with ease, all kinds of wowza.

  “Really Gage? I won’t take sass from Doggo, same goes for you. I say ow and you rush in to save the day?”

  The glare he gave me was the best one yet. It was some sexy combination of a smolder and glare mixed with concern.

  “Thanks for rescuing me,” I whispered before he eased his arms out from under me. He straightened my hospital gown as Tracey got me plugged back in.

  I adjusted my foot, and its pillows, as Gage opened the door for the Smiths to come back in.

  I had no extra details. I had left nothing out. Okay, maybe I didn’t elaborate on ‘we made love’ at the fairy house. They didn’t need to know those details. Doggo and Gage stiffened when I went back over that first night.

  Could Gordon have dyed his hair? Of course, but if he did, he had it professionally done. It never smelled like dye, and he never left any residue on pillows or towels.

  “But you also said you didn’t smell any chemical dyes on your own hair, could maybe he have used the same product?”

  I nodded. “Yes, that’s a possibility. But his scruff was dark, so were the other hairs on his body, so I didn’t think anything was off with him having dark hair.”

  “What do you mean ‘hairs on his body?’” Smith-two asked.

  “Really? What do I mean by body hair? Specifics? Okay, pit hair, chest hair, pubes, the little hairs on his ass. Hair on his body. Maybe he bleached his hair for the other incidences.”

  I wished I had my phone. I had pictures of him on my phone. He didn’t like me sharing pictures of him online, so anytime I wanted to, he always covered his face with hands or behind his jacket. So while I had pictures proving I had a boyfriend, no one would be able to identify him from any of them. Unless…

  “Hey, do you have a laptop I can borrow? I want to get online. I had a thought.”

  Yuki documented her life incessantly. There was a good chance I might be able to find something from her birthday.

  Smith-one went back out to their car to get a laptop. I logged on and began searching. Damn, Yuki takes a lot of pictures, and scanning back over six months looking for a chance glimpse of someone was taking time.

  My first choice of social media outlet provided nothing. I did find his eyebrow in a picture, but a shoulder blocked the rest of his face. Nothing.

  I sighed, dejected. I know I didn’t have pictures because when I tried to take a selfie with him, he told me no. It had to do with his job, and he found it easier to have a limited online presence. Color me surprised, someone who didn’t spend half of their social life online.

  Okay, until all of this happened, I wouldn’t have thought it possible. I was attached by the retinas to my screens. Now, not so much. I had my mom post that everything was fine and due to technological reasons, I was phone free for a bit.

  The FBI wouldn’t let me get a new phone. They were trying to use their not so secret spying tricks to track my phone, hoping it was still in Gordon’s car. Even I thought that it was a pretty good shot that Gordon switched cars by now. It was possible he was that dumb. But he had masterfully manipulated me and my affections.

  I closed the lid to the computer. “Nope, sorry. I thought maybe my friends might have gotten a pic of him at Yuki’s birthday party. The best I got was his out of focus eyebrow.”

  “It’s okay. Thank you for trying.” Gage caressed my hand as he picked up the computer.

  I didn’t know how I felt anymore. He claimed to be something not normal. He definitely had a connection to a full moon. And there was a large wolf in my bed, putting words in my head.

  I directed my focus to FBI-dee and FBI-dum. “I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize him. But let’s get real; I probably wouldn’t recognize myself right now. I’m covered in bruises from everything—from the beatings, to running down the side of a mountain, to the heparin shots they are giving me. I’m not the same color I’m used to being. Would I even know myself? So I don’t know if I would recognize my ex in different clothes, with a different hairstyle.”

  “What do you mean you don
’t think you would recognize yourself?” Smith-two asked.

  “Have you seen what I normally look like?”

  They looked at each other, and then to Gage. He gave them a shrug. “Apparently, we do not.”

  “What, you didn’t look me up online? I thought that’s what you did. You know profile the victims in order to track patterns and shit like that.”

  Gage snickered. The FBI guys looked sort of blank.

  “Am I the only one who reads books and watches movies or TV? Come on.”

  “I thought you read romance.”

  I pointed at Mr. Sassy-pants Masterson. “Romance novels include a lot of cool stuff like suspense, and intrigue and mystery, and—”

  “Schmaltzy love stories,” Gage interjected.

  “I thought they were all, you know Mommy-Porn,” Smith-one did the air quote thing around Mommy-Porn.

  “Damn skippy, there is some grade-A melt your toenails sex in some of those books. You might want to pick one up and get a few pointers.” I sneered back at Smith-one and Gage.

  Smith-two had opened some image files on the laptop. He twisted it to face me. There was a patchwork of photos too small for me to see clearly from the bed. “Look, Miss Hastings, all of the victims matched the same profile. All about the same height, weight, and coloring.”

  “How many of them had dyed hair?”

  He flipped the computer back around and tapped on the keyboard. “Looks like two of these first three dyed their hair.”

  “And I match the description, but that’s not me. Go to my friend Yuki’s social media photogram.”

  Smith-two grunted as he typed in the location I gave him.

  “Now search on my name, Bailey, or Bails.”

  He flipped the laptop around and there I was. Bright as daylight. My hair was down and I had a purple undercut of color. I had obviously curled it that morning since it lay in half exhausted coils. I wore a kitty-ear headband. The image was a selfie with Yuki, so only the neck of my shirt was visible.

  Gage chuckled and kept smirking at me. I don’t think he had bothered to look me up either.

  “Look, I’m a fucking majestic unicorn of color. I embrace the shit out of it too. The only black I wear is jeans. I like things cutsie and sparkly. The only dull grey sweats I own are the ones Gordon bought after he sabotaged my clothes. And trust me, I didn’t pick them out. I picked out the pink ones.”

  “Fellows, this isn’t your case is it?” Gage asked.

  “No, we aren’t working the case, we are here to gather as much information from Miss Hastings and pass it along.”

  Smith-two gave Smith-one a death glare. He shot one right back and continued. “We don’t have any back information on these victims beyond a basic description. I’m sure there is another connection, but we don’t have it. We were in the area and sent to collect enough to determine if the agents who are working this case need to be sent.”

  I raised my eyebrows at him. “Well, they need to be sent.”

  “I agree.” Smith-one stood and stepped up to the bed. Doggo growled.

  “He’s a good guy. Hush.”

  Smith-one nodded to the wolf. “You keep this one around. He’ll keep you safe.” He extended his hand for a shake. I took it. “Miss Hastings, I’m sure you’ll get a visit from another set of FBI agents in the next day or two. I’m definitely letting them know this is a related case.” He turned to Gage and shook his hand.

  Smith-two packed up the laptop and nodded at us.

  Their exit didn’t go smoothly as they sort of crashed as my mother came in. “How are you today, baby?”

  Smith-one nodded and said, “Mrs. Hastings, Mr. Hastings.” Smith-two wormed his way out the door.

  “Bailey has already told you everything, you gentlemen need to leave her alone,” Mom chastised the man.

  “Unfortunately, I can’t say that’s going to happen. More agents are going to be in within the next day or so. There will be more questions. Are you staying in the area?” he asked her.

  “Why would they need to question me again? I told you everything I knew about that man. I thought he was one of the good ones. If I hadn’t, do you think I would’ve sent my baby off with him? I waved goodbye to my little girl, and instead of coming home a woman, I had to drive over two states to come rescue her from God-knows-what atrocities.”

  I blushed and tried really hard not to laugh. It was the perfect combination of embarrassing as fuck and hysterical. So, Mom did think I was a virgin. Yeah, I wasn’t planning on telling her otherwise.

  “No, Mr. Smith, I don’t think I will make myself available for your colleagues,” she continued.

  “I’ll be sure to make a note of that, Mrs. Hastings.” He stepped past her and out the door.

  “Bailey, sweetie, I brought you some makeup. I thought it might make you feel better.”

  I liked makeup. So I sat up a little and squirmed with excitement. Okay, Mom and I had to have a little discussion on what makeup meant. It meant fun and colors; it didn’t mean foundation and contouring nudes. I let out a bit of a dejected sigh.

  “I thought you might want to cover up those bruises so no one can see them. And then give your face a little shape.” She loved me and was well meaning. “You don’t want to have to face those FBI agents all exposed? Or what about all those young men that seem to be in and out of here?”

  “Thanks, Mom, but I think its best that the hospital staff sees how the bruising is healing day-to-day. And the police and FBI need to be completely aware of my damage. I’ll hold on to this for when I get released.”

  “Did they say anything about letting you go yet?”

  “Bailey isn’t getting out for a while. Ten days at the earliest. The doctor wants her here for continued treatment,” Gage answered.

  “She can get care at home,” Mom huffed.

  “Mother.” She was on a tear; I doubt I could derail her.

  “I’m sure she can, but this hospital is one of the best for treating this kind of injury.”

  “Ha! This little county hospital in the wilds of Wyoming?” Mom laughed, it wasn’t a happy laugh.

  Doggo growled, I felt it more than heard anything. I doubt anyone else heard it.

  Tension rolled off Gage. Somehow, he seemed taller as he took on an authoritative role. Maybe Mom wouldn’t have laughed at him if he had been in uniform.

  “This little hospital treats more frostbite on stupid city hikers, or skiers who go off course for a little adventure in a month than your fancy state-of-the-art city hospital back home does in a year. They don’t specialize in it because they want to, but because they need to. Let them do their job and get your daughter healthy.”

  “I just…” she started.

  “I understand. You want her home, you want her safe. Why do you think me and my guys are here? Is your hospital back home going to let Max stay with her?”

  “This isn’t home, how can she be comfortable and rest?”

  “Mom, it’s a hospital. I’m more comfortable here than I will be on a long car ride. You’re staying at Gage’s lodge, right? Is it not working out?”

  “The suite we have is fine,” she said with a bit of a huff.

  Dad stepped in, to clarify the ‘fine.’ “Mr. Masterson has provided us with a very nice suite. It’s large, it is comfortable. But it’s not home, so your mom worries. We’re going to have to go back for work before you’re released it looks like. She doesn’t want you to be kicked out of the hospital and stranded.”

  “That would never happen. Bailey has a place to stay at the lodge if it comes to that. Or if she needs to stay in the area for a follow up with the surgeons here. If you do need to go home for a few days for responsibilities, next time you come back, you’re more than welcome at the lodge.”

  Mom patted under her eyes—she never wiped away tears. I think she shocked Gage when she pulled him in for a mom squeezing hug.

  He patted her on the back. “We all want what’s best for Bailey. She’
s special.”

  8

  I really couldn’t tell how many days I’d been in the hospital. Nurse Tracey was replaced by someone else for the day and someone different at night. I felt like I used to be able to remember things better, like names. I feel sort of bad not remembering their names.

  I blamed my lack of ability to remember things on the antibiotics. And to be honest, there were times I felt fuzzy, that Gage said could be from the anesthesia.

  So day X in the hospital, okay under a full week, but more than four days, I managed to finish that Amish romance, and the movie selection the hospital offered changed.

  Two people I expected the least to see here peeked in and crept through my door.

  “Jade! Yuki!”

  Yuki did her adorable little step-walk to me and gave me the biggest hug, and then without hesitation grabbed Doggo by the fur at his neck, sort of ruffled-slash-shook him, and got her face right up next to his and talked baby talk.

  Doggo clearly had no problems with this and his tail beat my healthy ankle.

  “We came as soon as your mom mentioned you were here,” Jade said.

  “Did you call her?”

  Yuki popped up from canoodling with the wolf. “She put it on her social media wall.”

  I sighed. I wasn’t exactly thrilled that she’d done that. “Please tell me she didn’t post a picture.”

  “Oh no, she only checked in here. Yuki and I knew she wouldn’t be someplace like here if you weren’t in trouble. So here we are,” Jade explained.

  I still hadn’t gotten a chance to hug her because Yuki was half laying over me adoring on Doggo. I got that she never met a dog she didn’t like, but what was I, chopped liver? Must be, completely ignored.

  Jade and I exchanged looks.

  “I guess she has a new devotee,” Jade said and flopped in the chair Gage had vacated a few moments earlier.

  He was my “guard” for this shift. At least that’s how I thought of it. In a few hours, Travis, Zeke, or Mark, or some combination of the three, would come strolling in, and it’d be their turn to guard me. He had abandoned post because I was thirsty, and instead of letting me ring for the nurse or a CRN, he volunteered to get me a soda.