In His Keeping (Slow Burn #2)(75)

She set a brisk pace, even keeping up with Dane’s long, determined stride, leaving the others to follow. Beau didn’t bother issuing a protest, because he had to know how important this was to her. To finally take a proactive step in finding her parents.

Excitement burst over her when she saw Ramie and Caleb in the living room, obviously waiting, and they’d likely received a call to let them know they were on their way back. Caleb looked ill, sick with worry, and while Ari sympathized with him, understood his reluctance and even shared it to a degree, she wasn’t hypocritical enough to be truly regretful over what this could well do to Ramie.

She prayed that it wouldn’t be horrifying for her because that meant her parents were undergoing the same horror. She hoped with all her heart that they’d incurred no injury since they were essentially bargaining tools for a higher purpose.

Ari walked over to Ramie, standing back a short distance to give the other woman space. Then she held up the stuffed animals that had been lovingly cradled in her arms.

“These have been handled by both my parents for many years. Their imprint, aura, or whatever you want to call it, should be all over it, as well as mine. What do you need me to do? Is there any way I can help?”

When it looked as though Caleb would respond, Ramie silenced him with a mere look. His lips settled into a grim line but he sat back and remained quiet.

“I usually prefer to do this away from others,” Ramie said softly. “It can be bad. Horrifying even. But in this case, I think everyone needs to be present. Sometimes I say things that come from the victims, things I don’t always remember. Or perhaps there is an action that I mimic that you would recognize. The things I may say may make more sense to you than to anyone else. All I ask for is space. Don’t crowd me. And above all else, do not interfere in any way, no matter what happens. It can be very dangerous to me if anyone does anything other than observe.”

Ari nodded vigorously. “Whatever you want. Whatever you need. I won’t interfere. I swear.”

Ramie looked to the others, her gaze bypassing Dane and Eliza as though they were well acquainted with the process, but it settled on Beau and then Zack, lingering as though she were gaining their promise as well.

“I’ll stay with Ari,” Beau said quietly.

Zack merely acknowledged Ramie’s request with a nod and then took position on the far side of the room where he had a clear line of sight and was still within hearing distance but was well enough away that there was no way he would be a nuisance.

Ramie took a deep breath. “Okay then. Please give the toys to Caleb. I prefer for him to be the one who gives them to me. Then back away to give me several feet of space, and again, remain completely silent and don’t do anything that could possibly distract me.”

Ari nervously held out the animals to Caleb, her hands shaking slightly, her gaze refusing to meet his.

To her surprise, Caleb didn’t merely pluck the animals from her grasp. Instead he curled his hand around hers and gave her a gentle squeeze. “I hate that I’ve made you afraid of me,” he said in a low, regret-filled tone. “I swear to you I’m not the person I showed you that day. I fully admit that I tend to get irrational when it comes to my wife.”

Ramie issued a snort that caused Caleb to shoot her a dark scowl. She merely laughed in response.

“I hope you’ll accept my apology, Ari. And for what it’s worth, I hope that Ramie will be able to help you find your parents.”

“Thank you,” Ari said sincerely. “I hope so too.”

He let go of her hand and she backed away several feet to give Ramie the space she’d requested. Beau’s arm immediately went around her for support, giving her shoulders a squeeze.

Ramie took a deep breath and then reached for the toys Caleb held in his hands. He slowly extended them, placing one in each of her hands at the exact same time. For a moment she simply stared down at them, and then her eyelids flickered erratically and when she reopened her eyes, it was an eerie thing indeed.

It was almost as if her eyes changed color. Her pupils were enormous and her stare was vacant as if she had no knowledge of her current surroundings. She immediately began to rock back and forth as if in great distress. Caleb looked as though it were killing him not to be able to pull his wife into his arms and comfort her. But he adhered to the “rules” and sat there, his jaw rigid.

“How can we do this?” Ramie asked, a tearful voice that wasn’t her own.

“How can we not,” she said, this time clearly speaking from a different person’s point of view.

“Look at her. She’s beautiful. So innocent. How can we simply abandon her?”

“Because we don’t have the means to protect her. Franklin Devereaux has promised to help us. He knows someone. Someone who can protect our baby. It’s our only choice to have a normal life. You know if they take her back, she’ll be treated like an animal. Caged, poked at, prodded, forced to do God only knows what. We can’t allow that to happen.”

At the mention of Franklin Devereaux both Caleb and Beau froze. They stared at one another, their eyes glittering. Beau had even dropped his arm from Ari, seeming to forget all about her for one brief moment.

“What did she say?” Caleb whispered in a choked voice.

Beau held a finger to his lips. He hadn’t wanted this to come out, damn it. Hadn’t wanted to give Caleb even more reason to despise or disdain Ari. He raked a hand through his hair, wishing to hell that that particular piece of information hadn’t come through Ramie’s connection. A connection that evidently extended beyond Ari’s adopted parents. But it made sense if the stuffed animals were left with Ari, items her birth parents had provided for her.