The Devil's Mercy

Chapter 6

The last thing she remembered was begging someone to save her sister. Otherwise what was the point of her death? She had welcomed the sweet surrender of this painful existence. But Hope. Hope was innocent. All her lies, all her carefully orchestrated plans couldn't go down like that. So she had drawn on the last person she thought would help her.

Hard grey eyes filled her mind. Softened slightly by confusion when she had yelled at him. The faint warmth of his skin over hard muscle lingered on her fingertips.

Slowly consciousness pulled her out of the darkness that she had thought had been death. With a harsh gasp her lungs filled with air. With it came the scents of cedar, bergamot, and something distinctly male.

The man cursed from somewhere to her right. "No. No. Dammit, Mercia, you weren't supposed to wake up yet, sweetheart." His voice was tinged with anxiety and...delight?

Of course. Difficult to torture the unconscious. Takes away from the thrill if the victim doesn't scream.

With effort she forced an eye open to look at the man. He was standing in front of a wall. The predawn light set off the red in his hair. He was leaning back against the wall, ankles crossed, arms crossed.

Okay one eye open now the other one, Mercy.

His eyes remained steady as he watched her. A concerned expression on his face. Yet he remained against the wall. Tense and alert.

"Why can't I move?" She asked in a accusatory tone after testing her arms and finding them to be lead not limbs.

Silence stretched for several beats before he answered, "You've been sedated for three weeks. We wanted to give you time to heal as much as possible before releasing you back into the wild."

"How cute, he has jokes." She retorted raising an eyebrow at him. "How do you know my name? No one cares to know my name."

"Yeah, that's a common theme for you. No one cares. I'm not no one. My men call me Major, the underground calls me The Devil of New York."

"That didn't answer my question, soldier." She replied tersely. Her brows rose when she faced him again.

A small smile lifted the corner of his wide mouth. His chiseled cheekbones moved to crinkle at the corners of his eyes slightly. "Damn you are feisty. I'm not tell you that yet. You woke up half an hour earlier than we planned for."

His evasiveness was not what she was expecting. By this point he should be over here doing whatever perverse thing he wanted to her prone body. Yet he remained against the wall. Not relaxed. But like he was waiting for something.

She considered what he had revealed so far. If he really was who he said he was, then she was finally free. If this was a joke to get her to let down her defenses then he was sadly mistaken about her.

"What is The Devil doing in Chicago? He doesn't venture this far west." She rested her head back on the thin pillow and closed her eyes. Needing to conserve her energy.

"I was here for Varcus." He answered without missing a beat.

She allowed that to hang between them for several more beats. The silence enveloping her as she meditated a little to keep her emotions under control.

Calm.

Control.

Discipline.

Oskar watched her chest rise and fall. He wasn't fooled. He knew what she was doing. Adding only to the intrigue that was her. She hadn't gotten angry. Irritated when he didn't answer her questions like she wanted him to. He had envisioned this beginning a thousand times over the past weeks. This isn't what he had anticipated.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket a little to check the time. Barely five thirty. Hope came down at six, followed by Mike to start breakfast. Jace would be in at six thirty to check on Mercia.

Her voice paused his calculations, "Why Varcus?"

"He was involved in something seven years ago. Something personal." Oskar answered evenly. "Thought you were asleep again."

Her eyes snapped open as her face dropped to look at him from the bed, "You were doing really good until then. Don't lie to me, marine. I can scent that like blood to a shark."

"Which part?" He asked curiously.

"You knew I wasn't asleep. Hence you are still against that wall instead over here," she settled back against the bed again. "What are you waiting for?"

"If I told you then it would ruin the surprise," he answered.

Her right eye cracked open just a little to glare at him, "Would this present be associated with how you know my name?"

His head moved in a small nod, "The very reason. What do you remember of that night?"

"Other than three pricks, two knives, and my back getting skinned." She shrugged. "A man," both eyes opened to pierce him with clarity, "you?"

His head tilted again in a nod, "You are stronger than you look."

The sun had broken over the horizon, spreading an orange glow through the room. Heating her through the blanket as it poured through the glass ceiling.

"Not strong enough," she remarked watching the sun finish its ascent into the clear blue sky. A lump of emotion constricted her throat as her mind turned over his words. Fitting the pieces together in a puzzle that looked like Hope. "You made it in time."

"We did." Her head turned fast on the pillow. The emotion gone replaced with curiosity. "I have excellent hearing."

She was about to say more when the door to the room opened slightly. "Come and see your sister, baby girl. She woke up early." He called softly.

The door burst open and Hope flew across the room, her slippers flapping against the floor, "Mercy."

Oskar pushed off the wall as Hope reached the bed to lift her up and seat her at her sister's hip. "Be gentle, baby girl. Your sister is still healing, remember."

"I remember, Major." Hope answered in her sweet voice and leaned forward to embrace her sister gently. "I missed you, Mercy."

Mercy's head tilted down to kiss the top of Hope's head. The child's weight on her chest was constricting but she didn't care. It was good to feel those tiny arms around her again.

It took everything in her to lift her arms and put them around her sister. Holding the most precious thing in her life to her chest. Her eyes sought the man over Hope's head. "Thank you." She mouthed.

The hug only lasted for a couple beats. Hope moved back on mattress. Her little hands holding Mercy's cheeks. "I have so much to tell you, big sis."

Her little hands squished Mercy's cheeks together making it difficult for her to answer, "I'm looking forward to hearing it, imp. But can you release my cheeks?"

Hope giggled and leaned down to kiss her sister's nose before leaning back and looking at Major to be set down. "Why didn't you come get me when she woke up?" She chastised him.

The seriousness in such a small face made Oskar grin as he approached to help her back down if she chose. "Because I have a strict rule about waking sleeping beauties." He held out his arms for her. "Let's get you and your sister something to drink."

"Coffee?" Mercia asked.

"Not a chance. Water. Until my doctor says otherwise." He answered. "You still have a catheter so don't think about trying to get out of that bed before we return."

Her mumbling brought another smile to his lips. Between the two, he knew that he would have a perpetual smirk. The excess of personality was too adorable. With Hope's hand in his, her skipping happily next to him, he crossed to the door. Started to close it behind and thought better of it. Leaving it wide open.