by Tl Reeve
Kalkin waited until they were all in the Enforcer. Rapier up front, Nico behind him and surprisingly Mackenzie had returned, minus Holly. He slipped into the backseat without saying a word.
Rapier had remained eerily quiet during the whole interaction with Mackenzie and Holly, when they discussed the mission. Technically Kalkin outranked Rapier in the chain of command within the combined pack/pride. Nico knew, though, when it came to family shit, neither of them tried to get involved in pack or pride bullshit unless absolutely necessary.
“Lest you forget, she also mated a lion, who also mated the dragon,” Kalkin added.
Rapier glared at Kalkin and growled. “Fuck you.”
Kalkin laughed, starting the Enforcer. It roared to life and before Kalkin put it into gear he turned to Rapier. “Why does everyone keep telling me that? It ain’t my thing, it’s Jace’s.”
Mackenzie chuckled beside Nico.
An outsider might wonder about the inappropriate humor in such a dire situation, and yeah it was fucking odd as hell to be cracking jokes at a time like this. Nico had learned over the years working with the brothers and family that nothing broke the tension or loosened them up more than a good laugh.
He didn’t laugh today though. He had in the past, however. Nico chose to spend the ten-minute drive focusing on the hand-held computer with the layout of the warehouse. His goal, get in, find his mate and son, and get them the fuck out. In his mind, it’d be an added bonus to come across Worthington. Now, they’d have a clean, fair fight. When Nico was done toying with the bastard, he’d blow his brains out. Or, better yet, he’d let Hayden do it. Nico would like nothing better than watching the life leave the son of a bitch’s gaze while he choked the shit out of the bastard. If luck was really on his side, the slime ass margay would be hanging around and Nico would do the same to thing to him. Maybe after he introduced him to the Rafertys and watched them play with him before they ripped him apart. Limb from fucking limb.
Then he’d fuck his mate, because fuck all, his wolf demanded it.
Hold on, little wolf, I’m coming for you.
Chapter Seven
New Mexico
Hayden came awake. Her head felt like it’d been split in two. Even the hairs on her arms hurt. She cracked her eyes open then shut them tight. What little light she allowed in only made the pounding at her temples worse. Her stomach gave a sickening roll, and bile bit at the back of her throat.
She turned her head to the side, afraid she’d puke. What happened... She swallowed hard, willing herself to not get sick. The room spun when she cracked her eyes open, causing her stomach to give a heavy roll. Oh God. No more punch for me. Never again. She moaned, lifting her arm to cover her eyes from the glaring sun.
Her arm didn’t move. Hayden tried again, this time giving a good tug. The rattle of a chain and sound of metal hitting metal shocked her. Her eyes flew open. She fought through the searing pain lancing her brain at the bright lights. Chained...I’m chained? She fought against the restraints, yanking and pulling, desperately trying to free herself. Hayden’s heart hammered. Her blood boiled. Yet, for all of her bluster, nothing gave and her energy waned.
She closed her eyes. Focus. What was the last thing she could remember? The auction. All those shifter kids. The wolf outside. Drones. Hauser. She grimaced as the pounding in her head grew more excruciating. Hayden bit her lip so as not to alert anyone of her awakened status. She wouldn’t be chained up if she were home with her mate. At least the restraints Nico used on her had a quick release tab.
Nico...
They played the dutiful couple. Smiled at all the right times. Said all the right words. Acted like a couple of rich pieces of shit to get the one thing no one should ever own, a shifter child. They weren’t property. They weren’t slaves to be used sexually or to clean houses. They were people.
Her eyes flashed open. The cub. Where was her cub? She twisted her head to the side and instantly regretted it. She’d done so well keeping the sickness away. Saliva pooled in her mouth. She gurgled seconds before a river of bile spewed forth. She heaved the meager contents of her stomach off the metal slab she lay on. The ensuing splat on the floor made her cringe. Whoever had her would know she was awake now.
The door off to the side opened, and a man about her height, fat and balding, stepped into the room. The malicious look on his face along with the way he licked his lips while grabbing his crotch had her stomach threatening to empty again. She could smell the stench of lust permeating from his pores. It mingled in the moldy air of the musty room.
Another man appeared behind the heavy-set man. This one had been at least a good six inches taller and built to hurt people. Hayden tried to recoil from his gaze, but she couldn’t move. Even her legs had been chained to the steel slab. He narrowed his eyes then smirked. The devious way he eyed her up and down had her feeling self-conscious.
Hayden glanced down at herself. Naked. Her heart sank. How had she become naked? Better yet when, and where was her son? Her bottom lip trembled as she chewed on the inside of her cheek trying to hold back the sob wanting to break free. Of everything she and Nico had prepared for, being kidnapped—again—hadn’t been one of them. They’d both been so sure she’d never have to worry about PBH finding her or Hazel coming back to haunt them. Obviously she’d...they’d been wrong.
The man built like a brick shit house pushed the smaller guy out of the way and stepped forward. “Good, you’re awake.” He walked past her, making sure to bypass her vomit. “Boss says we should bathe you.”
The way he said ‘bathe you’ sent a bolt of dread through her. “Rather not.”
“Too bad.” He disappeared to where she couldn’t see him. “Xavier, lift her up.”
The table lurched to life, adjusting her to a vertical position. The world spun. Hayden closed her eyes and whimpered. She couldn’t help it. Whatever she’d been given was slow acting. As corny as it sounded, even an elephant tranquilizer would be out of her system by now. Her wolf metabolism would have shoved it through her blood stream, and the effects she experienced at the moment wouldn’t have materialized as badly as they were.
This...drug must have been specifically concocted for shifters. It seemed to act like a lubricant, coating her veins, her brain, and her gut. It relaxed her muscles to the point any extra exertion made them weak and left her tired, like she hadn’t slept in weeks. She hated it. Hated feeling vulnerable.
Cold water splashed against her face, and she sucked in a breath. The shock of the water had her lungs seizing up. She curled her hands into fists while gasping for air. She hadn’t even heard the second man approach. Even though it was the middle of summer, her teeth chattered. Her body began to shake. She knew the signs of shock, but it was more. No...don’t freak out now. Hayden couldn’t help it. Her mind went on overload. She couldn’t process the scene. She couldn’t process her state of undress.
A second bucket of water hit her square in the chest, and she yelped. The men laughed. “Look at her nipples. So juicy.”
“No touching the merch,” the burly man said. “Boss’s orders.”
“Pity,” Xavier said.
“Don’t worry. When Mr. Worthington is done with her, whatever is left of her, I’m sure we can play with it.”
The talked about her as though she were a toy, not a person. She growled at them. “He’ll have to kill me.”
The second man chuckled. “Maybe after you whelp a few litters of mutant pups.”
Fear spiked inside her. Is that what Worthington wanted from her? Babies? Why? She tried to remember what happened at the auction, but it all blurred together. The last thing she recalled happening was... No. Worthington put a needle to her neck. He forced her to shift. He took away her free will.
“Not happening.” She snatched at the restraints again, hoping to at least get one hand free so she could go after the bastards standing in front her. “I’d rather die fighting than ever allow that asshole near me.”
T
he big guy grinned. “Mr. Worthington loves it when his women struggle. He gets off on it.” He stepped to her. “Gets both of our dicks hard having a strong female under us, pinned to a table.” The man licked her cheek and groaned. “Frightened wolf bitch. My favorite.”
Hayden reacted. She grabbed his crotch and squeezed as hard as she could muster. The man grunted then gave a harsh cry. He pumped his hips into her grasped before laughing at her. “I love pain, sweetheart. I get off on it.”
She inhaled. The smell of wet feline and lust disgusted her. “Of course you do.”
He backhanded her. Blood pooled in her mouth, and she spat it out in his face. He chuckled again. “We are going to have fun with you. Go to sleep.” He hit her again, this time with a closed fist.
Pain bloomed in her cheek and radiated toward her eye. She could feel her pulse throb through the side of her face. Heat seared her face from her jaw to her temple and onto her nose. Her jaw slacked of its own volition. A glob of blood splatted against her thigh. Her vision narrowed to only what she could see out of her left eye. She wished in those scant seconds that she could pass out. It would save her the humiliation of whatever they planned for her.
Hayden?
She recognized Keeley inside her head.
I can’t do this, she replied. They’re going to kill me.
Nico is on his way. Stay with me.
She didn’t want to. She wanted to float away and never have to face what stood in front of her. They’re going to kill me.
Nothing. No answer. Sure, Worthington would get his fill of her, but when he figured out she couldn’t get pregnant, he’d dissect her. He’d treat her like another science experiment, just like what her aunt said her mother would do to her, if she got her hands on Hayden. It’d been why they ran all those years ago. It’d been how they ended up in Window Rock.
Hayden, stay strong. Nico will find you. Is your son with you? Keeley stated. The gentle quality of her voice lulled her into a false sense of security.
Her son. The cub. She screamed internally. No. He wasn’t there. No. I’m in a room with two men.
Nothing again.
“Look at color of your cheek.” The man traced the line of a particularly painful spot then dug his finger into it. Hayden screamed, finally unable to keep herself from doing so. “Yes. Scream for me.” He pinched her nipple and gave a hard tug. He held the sensitive flesh between his fingers until she began to squirm. The burning sting morphed into stabbing agony.
Keeley, please!
The door to the room opened once more, and Worthington entered the room. He’d been naked from the waist up. He still wore the same tuxedo slacks from the auction. On his hands were a pair of black gloves. He cracked the knuckles of each of his hands. “Knock it off. I told you to bathe her, not batter her.” He hissed. “What the fuck did you do?”
She could only assume he meant her face. “What you get when you hire shoddy help.” Her words were slurred, and it hurt like a bitch to talk. Already, her eye was swollen shut, and if she had to guess, her cheekbone was busted. Maybe the orbital bone as well.
Worthington wasted no time. He snapped the neck of the feline standing to her side. The vicious ruthlessness with which the man acted left Hayden stunned. She stared down at the lifeless body of the man who enjoyed pain. Wonder if it felt good when Worthington snapped your neck, asshole.
Who’s dead, Hayden?
Feline. Asshole got what he deserved too, Hayden answered.
Danielle says you’re in pain.
Of course she did. He hit me. The dead guy. I think my cheek and jaw are broken, maybe the orbital bone. I don’t know.
Worthington tilted his head to the side as she continued to have her silent conversation. He clucked his tongue and reached into his pocket. “We don’t need you talking to anyone.” He produced a small box. Two small, circular Band-Aid-like disks sat on a hard-plastic sheet the same size as the box. He stuck one to her left temple then the other to her right. “There, that’s better. Now, we can talk.”
Her mind went quiet. No matter how hard she tried to reach her aunt, she found herself alone. “What did you do?”
Realization filled his features. “You could talk to them, couldn’t you?” An almost gleeful glint filled his eyes.
“Whatever.” She turned her face away from him. If he thought taking her ability to communicate with her aunt would cause her to participate in whatever game he was playing, he had another think coming.
He tsked her. “Now, now. Don’t act put out.” He ran the back of his finger down her arm. “I must apologize for my ex-associate.” She heard the rustle of fabric, then the retort of gunfire seconds later.
She opened her good eye. The other man jerked backwards, before falling to the ground. It happened in slow motion. Hayden couldn’t believe what she saw. Blood and brain matter dripped from the door Worthington and both men had used to enter the room. Whatever was left of the man’s head leaked copious amounts of blood, causing it to pool around his body.
The metallic smell of blood filled her senses. Her wolf snarled to life, pushing against the invisible chains holding her in place. Hayden let go. If she could act—catch Worthington off guard—maybe she’d have a chance. A small one, no doubt. However, she only needed one to get out of there alive.
Nothing happened. Her wolf agreed with her assessment, but when the time came to pass through the door, allowing the wolf to take over, another wall prevented it. Hayden tried again and the same happened. She looked up at the man standing in front of her, baring her teeth. “What did you do?”
“Now, now. Don’t be upset. I can’t have you shifting all willy-nilly,” he said so matter-of-factly. “It’ll wear off.”
“When it does, I’ll kill you,” she whispered.
“No, you won’t, Miss Raferty,” he replied. “You want the truth about who you are.”
Even if she did, she didn’t trust him to tell the truth. In fact, the only people she trusted were her father, her mate, and her Raferty family. “I know all I need to know about myself, asshole.”
He tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at him. “You need this information.”
“Don’t act like you’re saving my life here,” Hayden snapped. “You want to breed me. That’s the only reason why you’re going for the nice tactics.”
He made a noise of disgust. “You’re not playing this game very well.”
“I don’t play games. I guess you didn’t do enough research on me.” A small smile tugged at the good side of her face. She struck a blow to his ego, not once but twice.
“You were born after your father was forced into a false full moon mating. Your aunt Hazel used a pheromone, a strong aphrodisiac to cause your father great pain if he didn’t perform. For hours he was stuck, knotted to Hazel until he finally passed out.” Worthington bent his head. His lips brushed the shell of her ear. “Do you know your father has the ability to see the future and the past? They’re called premonitions.” Worthington lowered his voice. “He knew Hazel would carry his seed. You’d be his get. Two lives created out of a forced copulation.”
Tears blurred her vision. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Oh my sweet girl, I’m not doing anything to you. I’m setting you free. I’m giving you the truth no one else wanted to give you.” Pity filled his gaze. “Hazel also knew if she could conceive with someone like your father, the end result might potentially be the strongest shifter-psychic ever, minus your aunts.”
She shook her head. “No, you’re wrong.”
“You have a great gift inside you. I intend to exploit it. I want to build an army.” He stepped closer to her. “I want to rebuild the forces we lost when your fucking uncle and that bastard Winters exposed the Paranormal Bounty Hunters.”
“Why?” She didn’t understand.
He cupped her cheek gently so not to hurt her, which seemed out of character for the monster standing in front of her. “The person with the strongest army
can take over anything he wants. When he wants.”
“What do you want from me?” She couldn’t believe he spoke to her so freely. Maybe if she could keep him going, Nico and the others could get there. Her heart chugged to life in her chest.
“Power. Raw, unadulterated power. You can give it to me. I know it.”
She didn’t understand. “How?”
He laughed. “Don’t you remember throwing me against the wall without hesitation?” He turned from her, exposing the massive red and purple bruise encompassing his back. “Hurt like a son of a bitch until my wife healed the worst amount of damage. Had she not been nearby, you’d have killed me.”
“Damn, guess I’ll have to try harder next time,” she snarled.
His shoulder shook as he faced her again. The amusement sparkling in his gaze revolted her. How could the deranged man get off on this shit? She stared up at him, trying to figure out what made the man tick, but all she saw was crazy. Bat shit. Slap a straightjacket on his ass, because there’d be no coming back to the realm of reality for him.
“I like you, Miss Raferty. You remind me of Hazel.”
“I’m nothing like the psycho bitch. I’ll never be like her either,” she replied, clenching her hands at her side. If grabbing the feline by the balls hadn’t worked, she doubted it would with Worthington.
“I don’t want you to be anything other than you.” He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I want you to be this.”
He confused her. “Huh?”
“When Hazel was younger, she had a strong sense of right and wrong. She used her abilities for good. She helped people. Then she met Simon and shit went down—”
“Sorry, I don’t need a trip down memory lane,” she said.
“But you do,” he answered. “To understand everything.”
“I understand enough,” she bit out.
He shook his head and sighed. “Stubborn just like her too.”
“I am nothing like her. I am Raferty through and through.” She clenched her teeth then hissed when pain bloomed and spread from the hinge of her jaw.