The Masters Brothers - Nowhere to Hide (Completed)

9. Secrets and Lies

POV Kade
I lead August back to her room and urge her into bed, sitting next to her and stroking her hair till she fell asleep, her fingers finally coming away from the collar she had been fidgeting with.
My heart tightened as I remembered the fear she showed when we first collared her, but she was ours and we needed to show her that and to have peace of mind that we could find her if she ran again, today we had been lucky that the camera had caught her and we could get a delivery schedule, if the company didn't have an online list we could have lost her, we still could lose her if her uncle finds out she got away.
I push the hair back from her face and look down at her, it would hurt us all to lose her now.
POV Knox
Kade looked pensive as he came back to the study.
"What's up with you"
He frowned "don't you think it's odd that after all this time she's allowed back to England and is with us not at home with her uncle"
Kier leaned forward "you think there's something up?"
"He has always been overly cautious about her every move, she's been watched, hidden and tracked for most of her life and now he's just passed her to us, it's just something is telling me there is another reason he is not sharing with us?"
"So what do you want to do?" I asked him.
Kade ran his hands through his hair "I don't know, am I overthinking it?" He looked between us.
I sighed "no I think you're right, it's always been a bit strange his change of behaviour, Kier can you check with Janet, he'll be in a Cobra meeting this evening so he's out of the office, see if she's got any gossip"
"Okay" Kier agreed pulling out his mobile.
"Kade, can you check the two locations we know she went through without us, Oxford and Southampton, see if there's been any thing flagged as suspicious around her visit dates" he nodded to me and moved to the desk, pulling open the laptop.
"I'll use the control room and see if I can find any chatter we are not aware of"
I checked in on August who was still sleeping before settling into the control room, leaving the door ajar so I could hear if she woke.
XxX
August slept for two hours, hearing her move about I switched off the screen leaving the search program running and leading her downstairs to the kitchen to help me prepare dinner. She had shyly allowed me to lead her by hand, the other fiddling with the collar, till I set her making the salad, gradually she relaxed and we worked on quietly, jumping slightly when Kier appeared to set the table.
"Are you always together?" She asked quietly focussed on chopping the tomatoes.
"Yeah, well we are triplets" I tell her.
She laughs softly "you're good at sharing?" She mutters, then gasps and blushes as she realises what she has just said.
"August look at me"
She puts the knife down and turns my way, her eyes still not meeting mine.
"August"
Our gazes lock "we share everything that's important to us"
She shivers and her pupils dilate making me smile, she likes the idea of all of us together.
My hand cups her cheek and she leans into the touch slightly "we will take it slowly baby, trust us" I tell her softly.
She tenses as Kier's arms come around her from behind "relax princess" he whispers in her ear pulling her body back against him.
Kade's voice makes her jump again as he enters the kitchen "hey I want a hug too"
August grins at us "Knox hug your brother he's feeling left out" she giggles remaining within Kier's hold.
I turn and pull Kade into a hug before we all crowd round August, her body caught between ours "group hug" Kade crows dropping his head into August's neck and sniffing "umm something smells good" he says.
August giggles again, making all of us happy "Knox is cooking steaks" she tells him, missing the fact he meant she smelt good.
I smiled at my brothers who watched her twist with our arms, a natural fit for us all.
"Come on princess, come and sit down" Kier steered her towards the table whilst Kade helped load plates setting one before August before sitting down with his.
"Tell us about school, what was it like?" Kade prompted starting the conversation.
XxX
POV August
Dinner was lovely, relaxed and informative, each told me about growing up sharing stories to embarrass each other, I pushed away the sadness at not having that close bond with anyone and allowed them to draw me into their world.
I had forgotten about the collar until I returned to my room to sleep, twisting it in my hands I tried to undo it but couldn't see a way, I had no doubt only one of them could unlock it, as I twisted it round my neck I thought about what they had told me, their interest in me, I wasn't convinced they really meant it and my head was warning me to guard my heart from hurt when they leave after the 28 days are up, but the collar made me feel safer, made me want to believe their words, touches and actions meant more.
Stripping off I slid into bed and try to sleep.
A shift in the air woke me and I froze listening, a soft footfall made me reach for the light switch, light flooded the room and I screamed as a dark figure loomed over the bed.
A hand cut me off and a knife against my neck made me freeze "shut up and get up" he ordered, I felt the prick of the blade and a small trickle of blood.
I didn't move, I knew if I got up he could manoeuvre me easily, I pressed back into the bed. My eyes catching the turn of my doorknob.
He leaned over me one hand gripping my hair painfully, pulling my head up, the knife still against my neck.
"No" I told him pulling back, my hand swinging and pushing the lamp of the bedside table.
He reared back a little as it fell and I saw a dark figure behind him before he crumpled to the floor.
Warm hands lifted my shaking body up out of the bed and carried me out of the room, I tucked my head into the naked chest that rumbled with instructions before I was placed into another warm bed and arms circled me tightly.
"I've got you, you're safe now" he repeated again and again till I stopped shaking.
"What happened?" I croaked.
Kade eased me up to a sitting position still in his arms he reached for a bottle of water on the nightstand.
"Drink this princess, it will help"
"Kade, who was that?" I tried again.
I heard a scuffle and bump outside the room but Kade soothed me.
"Don't worry they've got him, he won't come near you now" he pulled me back down and spooned behind me "try to sleep, you need to rest, we can deal with the rest in the morning"
"You'll be here?"
"Yeah, I'm not leaving you alone, trust me" he promised.
"I do" I whispered.
XxX
POV Knox
We dragged the intruder down to the cellar and chained him to the wall, searching him and removing his clothes, before settling to wait for him to wake up, just out of reach and out of the pool of light he was restrained within.
He came to cursing and pulling at the restraints.
"Who are you?" Kier asked politely.
"Fuck off" he growled.
"Are you alone?"
"Fuck you" he replies boldly.
"What are you doing here?"
"Starting a party" he joked crudely spitting at us.
"What was your plan?
"Take the girl" he laughed.
"Finally the truth" Kier says leaning forward "and what did you plan to do with her"
"Why should I tell you?" He blusters finally recognising he is out of his depth.
Kier steps forward and swings his fist, I hear the thud as the guy falls back against the wall groaning.
"Tell me" Kier demands raising his fist again.
"Fu..." thud, he slumps down the wall and chains supporting him. Watching as Kier pulls a knife out of his pocket and spins it in his hand.
"You're an amateur, what good would it do you to take her?" Kier muses insulting him, pushing him to reveal more, his fists flexing as the guy cowers away.
"Fuck you man, I ain't an amateur, that girls worth money, good money and they don't care what state she's in when delivered, just has to be alive"
"To who" Kier demands lifting the man up by his threat.
"I don't know, contracts anonymous, there's a number to send photo evidence to for more instructions" he whines.
"How did you know she was here?" I ask coldly.
"Saw you at the depot, followed you here and watched, I saw her at the window and waited till it was all dark" he cries.
Kier and I exchange looks.
"Make yourself comfortable but you won't be here long" we tell him, leaving him in the dark.
Muted yelling following us as we closed and locked the cellar door behind us.
"Looks like Kade's concerns are real, why wouldn't he warn us, she wasn't safe?" Kier asked watching me.
"I don't know, perhaps we had better give him a call and ask?"
We move up to Kade's room and knock softly before entering, he is spooned round August but neither are sleeping.
Her eyes watch us enter and Kade strokes her side in support.
"Well" she asks watching as we sit on the edge of the bed.
"We need to phone your uncle, I want us all to hear, but baby you need to remain silent, something is going on, we don't think your uncles told us everything, can you do that, stay silent"
"Yes" she whispers.
I glance at the clock as I make the call 3am, he's not going to be happy.
POV Kier
Ring ring ring "what's happened!" He barks down the phone.
"Sir, we have had a break in" I report.
"August is she okay?" He questions rapidly.
"Yes sir, a little shaken and a small cut on her neck where he held a knife on her but okay" my eyes watched her as I said the words.
"He was in her room?" He shouts.
"Yes sir, we have him locked up, he's alone"
I could hear him pacing and muttering "August's okay?" He asks again.
"Yes sir" I reply tightly. "But it could have been different" I growl.
"Kier?" He questions at my tone.
"Sir, what's going on, what are you not telling"
"It's being dealt with" he replies cutting me off.
"we need to know what's going on to keep her safe" I argue.
"You" he starts but I cut him off this time.
"The man tonight says there is a contract out for her alive but in any condition, he was planning more than just handing her over, you will have a whole bunch of crazy, psychopaths after her, the contracts anonymous. What is going on" I am almost shouting at this point.
August whimpers in Kade's arms
"My god, is she there?" He questions weakly in my ear.
"Yes sir, we are all with her and will not leave her alone, we need to know, she needs to know what's happening" I tell him.
"Put me on speaker" he orders.
"Yes sir" I press the button and his voice fills the room.
"August?"
"Uncle, please tell them" she asks, her voice cracking.
"Oh child, I'm so sorry, I didn't want this to happen, I thought it was all contained," he tells her softly.
"Please" she repeats.
"Ten years ago, I helped catch and lock up the terrorist who was responsible for your parents death, he was caught in America and has been in prisoner there until two months ago, he was freed as part of a deal, I didn't support the deal but was overruled and excluded from the process until he was out, they didn't tell me till it was done and they had lost him, he should have been tracked, he should have been monitored by it didn't happen and he has gone to ground. 6 weeks ago he was spotted in Switzerland near your old school so I thought bringing you home would be safer, well we know that didn't quite go as planned but you were safe and I was sure with the boys they would be able to protect you. I was looking for him and didn't want to worry you if Switzerland was just a coincidence, But now with this news I think we should rethink"
"No" she whispered.
"Sorry" her uncle asked.
"No i am staying with them, I feel safe with them" she explains and we all look at her.
"August.." he starts.
"No uncle, I'm staying, you should have warned me, and you defineatly should have warned them," she sat up "send clean up here, make sure they have access to the information they need and keep us informed, we will be going off grid until you sort this" she instructed him.
He chuckled down the line "you are your mothers daughter, I am proud of you August"
"Don't be so soppy old man, just get it fixed and remember no more lies and no more secrets" she replies sassily.
"I will do as you ask August, please stay safe and Boys, Look after her" he tells us.
"Yes sir" we all reply.