First Episode

The Cost of Power is set in an alternative universe from the main Martiniere Legacy series. In this book, I take a closer look at the mind control technology and…the relationship between Gabe and his father Philip ends up being different.

Additionally, Gabe tells Ruby who he really is much, much earlier than in the main Martiniere Legacy series.

Most of all, I’m freeforming this story. I somewhat know where it’s going to go, but how it unfolds depend on what happens with Gabe, Philip, Ruby, and Justine once they get on a roll in this particular setting.

The entire series—The Cost of Power: Prodigal’s Return; The Cost of Power: Prodigal’s Crucible; and The Cost of Power: Prodigal’s Redemption—will be available in early 2024. This book is finished and the next two are outlined. It’s going to be quite the ride.

Enjoy! This is part three of Chapter Eight. There will be five parts to this chapter.

July 2033

RUBY

Ruby snuggled against Gabe, falling asleep on the short drive back to the ranch.

He shook her awake. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

“I’m sorry.” She blinked at him, realizing they were parked behind the farmhouse and that security was helping Gramps out of the front.

“Don’t be.” He nuzzled the top of her head. “It’s been a long day. Lots of emotion. The tones you threw at Joey were pretty intense and more focused, so they didn’t bounce back as hard on us. But achieving that degree of focused intensity is gonna take a lot out of you, especially without training.”

“Which is another topic that requires discussion,” Philip said, still sitting next to them.

Ruby startled. She hadn’t realized he was there. “It just made sense to focus on Joey, and channel every bit of emotion I could feel toward him.”

“That is part of how the programming works,” Gabe said.

“A logical conclusion. I’m glad I figured that part of it out.” Ruby exhaled. “Better get things organized. Where people are sleeping.”

“Already arranged, while you slept,” Gabe said. “Security is bringing Philip’s luggage to the house. He and Gerry are spending the night, because there’s a lot I want to know.”

“Oh God, dinner—”

“And breakfast, but not to worry. I’m grilling the steaks for tonight. Anthony and Yuki are pretty darn good cooks as well as security, so they’re handling the rest of the meal. You just need to relax, and participate in this talk we’re gonna have.”

#

Any notion Ruby had of arranging lawn chairs and doing other work in preparation for dinner was squelched quickly. Gabe guided her over to the built-in electric barbecue by the backyard pergola, near the garden, and pointed to one of the redwood chaise lounges.

“Sit,” he ordered, using just enough of a command tone for her to recognize it—and react by automatically obeying.

“Gabe, damn it—”

“My focused tones do work on you now. They didn’t earlier today. Damn it. Rubes, learning this stuff was tiring enough when I was a teen. You’re twenty-five and pregnant, to boot.” Gabe picked up the scraper and began to work on cleaning the grill.

“Pregnancy is not an illness,” she countered.

Justine interrupted from behind them, before Gabe could respond. “No, but it’s pretty damn fatiguing. Learning the nuances of managing mind control tones adds to the fatigue. Gabie’s right. You need to rest. Better than having you collapse on us.” Justine paused. “Third floor bedroom for me and Donald, Gabie?”

“Yes. Right hand side. There’s a connecting door to the bathroom you’ll share with us.”

“Good. I’ll be back down once we’re unpacked.”

Ruby slumped back in the chaise lounge, stewing.

I am not a fragile flower. I’m not breakable. Even if I am carrying a Martiniere heir!

Which—was definitely a big deal, not just for Gabe but the rest of the Family, or so it seemed.

Gabe finished the prep work and came over to kiss Ruby. “You are not to do anything more than just sit there. I’ll be back out soon with the steaks.”

“Gabe.” She couldn’t order him—trying to dredge up that much focused emotion felt like work—but at least she could convey her annoyance through her tones.

“Ruby.” His tones pushed back against her. Then Gabe exhaled. “Justine was serious about your need to rest. All of us had moments when we collapsed during training, and it wasn’t always because we were getting beaten while resisting the process.”

“Wait. The process involved being hit?”

Another heavy sigh. “Yeah. Until someone came up with the notion of using sedatives and psychotropics instead, we were beaten until we stopped resisting. Getting those nanos hurts. I didn’t want them. Neither did Tine. We both fought it, even with meds—and we paid the price. Some of those scars on my back.”

Ruby shook her head, as yet another bout of tears threatened to break loose. “This shit just gets worse and worse. I hope to hell you don’t intend to do this to our children.”

“I have absolutely no intention of subjecting our kids to mind control programming,” Gabe said, a harsh, bitter note in his voice. “And based on what I was hearing five years ago before I left the Family, I’m pretty damn sure that I’m not the only Family member of our generation who feels that way.”

“But what if it’s needed to combat someone like the Brauns? They have mind control, after all.”

“We’ll find other means, and you’ll help us do that,” Gabe said firmly. “Now. Rest. Please, Ruby. It’ll make me feel better, darling.”

“All right,” she conceded. “Because you asked nicely and didn’t compel me with a tone.”

That triggered the slow smile that always made her heart flop, and reminded her of why she loved this man, even when he was being a pushy butthead. He kissed her again, then headed off for the kitchen.

Ruby leaned back in the chaise lounge. She was tired. It was nice to sit back in the chair, admire the sparkling new engagement ring on her finger, listen to the soft late afternoon breeze whisper through the needles of the Jeffreys pine trees overhead, enjoy the sunlight on the Thunder Mountains to the south of the ranch. It would be so easy to slide back into sleep and take a nap right now. So tempting. So difficult to keep her heavy eyelids open.

She succumbed, lulled into drowsing by the comfortable pad on the lounge, the rustling of the wind in the trees, and the distant everyday sounds of the ranch—a dog barking somewhere, a cow calling for her calf, far-off machinery in someone else’s fields.

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