by Faith Gibson
Now, she was running from the one she was supposed to trust. From one who was supposed to protect his flock from the sinners of the world. From one who touted God like he was on a first-name basis with Him. Kerrigan didn’t dare pray. Not if Gideon was on God’s payroll. She’d beg Satan himself for help before she trusted God again.
And where had a dog come from? She’d never seen a domestic animal at the compound. The barking grew louder, and her body shivered. Not from the rain, but from the thought of what those sharp teeth would do to her. At some point since she hit the woods, the rain had stopped, and she was better able to hear the voices, which were getting closer by the second.
Kerrigan scrambled toward the sound of running water. When her feet went numb earlier, she’d been grateful, but now it was hindering her progress as she tried stepping on stones on the slimy creek bed. More than once, Kerrigan landed on her ass or her knees. Frozen on her hands and shins, she tried to get her body to move. She had to move, or all the pain would be for nothing. It would get worse if she was caught. Her hair plastered to her face, stuck from the blood and tears mixing to form an adhesive the rain couldn’t wash away.
As Kerrigan lay there night after night on the hard mattress in the small room she shared with three other women, she thought about how the world was desensitized to things like cults and psychopaths. Rarely did she watch documentaries regarding men like Gideon. It didn’t pertain to her, so why bother? If she had bothered, maybe she would have been given a clue as to how to escape without him unleashing the dog. Thinking of dogs, the barking was getting louder.
The water rushing across her legs hypnotized her. It was too dark to see what lurked beneath. That should have scared her. It didn’t. It was the dog and the men chasing behind her that gripped her heart and lungs and twisted both until she couldn’t breathe. God, she was tired. So tired. If she let her arms collapse, she could succumb to the rushing water. She wouldn’t have to worry about what he would do to her when she was dragged back to the place that was supposed to be a sanctuary. A haven. What a joke. Her freedom had been stolen. All because of a man. A sob tore through her chest, and in that moment, Kerrigan saw the faces of her parents. God, her parents. She wouldn’t do that to them.
After what felt like hours, she dragged herself across the shallow depths, digging into the silt beneath the water for leverage. Her fingernails were being torn and her knees cut with each rock she used for leverage. By the time she made it the short distance to the other side, her clothes were soaking wet, which made climbing from the embankment all the more difficult. Her bare feet did little to help, so she had no choice but to claw at the grass embankment until she was out of the water. Pushing her hair off her face with muddy, blood-soaked fingers, she staggered to her feet and stumbled a few steps before she was able to move more steadily. A wide trail cut through the woods, and she decided moving along the path would be easier even if it gave those chasing her the same advantage.
Pain thrummed through her body, a steady beat clogging her ears. She was walking too slowly, but she couldn’t see far enough ahead to move swiftly. Even if it had been daytime, she couldn’t have moved any faster. She’d heard of adrenaline kicking in at times of dire need. Her situation was pretty damn dire, but her adrenaline had taken a pitstop somewhere along the way. Kerrigan couldn’t give up, though. She was in this mess because of a damn man, and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her defeated. Her toe caught on a tree root, and she pitched forward, hitting the ground so hard her jaws clacked together. A growl cut through the darkness, and she scrambled to her feet. Sharp teeth snapped close to her ear.
“NO!” Her throat closed on her, refusing to take in the needed air to scream. She wasn’t ready to die. Not like this. She hadn’t heard the dog closing in on her. Her ankle twisted, and she fell, face first, sucking the muddy water of a puddle into her lungs. Coughing and sputtering, she turned as the growl snarled in her ear. It was too late. Kerrigan closed her eyes and waited for the pain to come.
Chapter Seventeen
War
BY the time War hit the entrance to the park, his Gryphon was pushing him to set up camp. Thankfully, the rain had stopped, but the area was a muddy mess. When the last stake was driven into the ground, he was urged to get his bag unrolled inside.
“Now what?” War was agitated at not knowing what was so fucking urgent.
Take off toward the creek in our eagle. You need to find her.
War shook his head but did as instructed. “Her who?” He stripped out of his clothes, tossing them inside the tent in case the rain started again.
You need to hurry.
War let the change take over as he shifted from human to bird. As bones reformed and feathers replaced skin, he breathed through the pain. It hurt less since he’d been shifting lately. Once he was transformed, he gave over to his animal’s senses. The sound of a dog barking mixed with human voices yelling. He homed in on the sounds and flew faster until he saw the scene playing out below. The trees were dense, but his eagle’s vision allowed him to cut through the branches. There below, a woman was being tracked by beast and man.
Hurry!
War didn’t need any further encouragement. The dog was too close to the woman. She stumbled, and the large hound was almost on her. With seconds to spare, Warryck swooped down, clasping the woman’s clothing in his talons, lifting her off the ground right before the dog’s jaws latched onto her neck. The dog growled, jumping into the air, trying to get hold of its prey. His barks continued as War flew higher, doing his level best not to cause any more damage to the female than had already been done.
Take her back to camp.
Why the hell would they do that? His tent was too close to where they were.
She’s injured, wet, and probably going into shock. Get her into the tent and deal with the men.
Fuck! War’s grip on the woman was slipping, as the tattered clothing started ripping. He found an open spot in the trees and set her down before shifting back to his human form. He lifted the woman as gently as possible and took off running. When he got to his tent, he placed her on the sleeping bag, giving a cursory glance to her body, checking for wounds. When he pushed back a clump of muddy hair, his breath caught in his chest. “Kerrigan.”
Get dressed. They’re coming.
Warryck scrambled to put his clothes on and get outside before the men chasing Kerrigan reached his campsite. He had just opened his bottle of whiskey and sat down on an overturned log when two large men dressed in military gear burst through the wood, led by the hound that almost got his jaws on Kerrigan. War opened his mind and glared at the animal. As soon as it got its eyes on War, the dog dropped to its haunches, whining. “That’s right, fucker. I’m the Alpha Hound here.”
The men stopped short when they caught sight of War, sitting on a log, drinking whiskey. He raised the bottle to them and took a swig. “Can I help you fellas with somethin’?” War called on his Texas roots and drawled out the words.
They looked at one another, then one of them stepped forward. “This park is closed. You’re trespassing.” War sensed something malevolent coming from the man.
“I’ve been campin’ here for the last ten years, and I ain’t seen another soul until you two. You gonna arrest me?” Warryck wished he’d had time to talk to Kerrigan and find out where she’d been and who’d taken her, but he knew by looking at the two men standing before him, they weren’t law enforcement.
The one who was obviously the leader cocked his head to the side. “Ten years, you say?”
“Yep. What I said.” War was deliberately obtuse. He didn’t see a gun on either of them, and he knew he could easily take both of them in a fight. Rising from the log, he pulled to his full height. He wasn’t much taller than either man, but they both looked him over, assessing his threat level. He wasn’t dressed like someone who would be camping in the woods. He looked like someone who’d just gotten off a motorcycle and walked into a bar to get
out of the rain. Before the man could respond, Kerrigan moaned from inside the tent.
Both men narrowed their eyes, and the leader pointed toward the tent. “Who’s in there?”
“Just my girlfriend. I wore that ass out good.” War grabbed his crotch, giving it a good squeeze. He hated saying anything crass about any woman, but he was playing a part. “You fellas out doin’ trainin’ missions or somethin’?” He pointed at their clothes.
“Something like that.” Kerrigan moaned again, and the one doing the talking took a step toward the tent. “You sure your girlfriend’s okay in there? She doesn’t sound too good.”
War stepped toward the tent, putting himself between it and the men. “Yeah, she’s probably just takin’ care of business since my dick’s out here. You know how they get when they’re on the rag. Horny as a dog with two peckers. If you don’t mind, I need to get back in there before she pulls out Big John.”
“Big John?” the man who’d yet to do any talking asked.
“Yeah. It’s the biggest dildo I ever saw. Bigger’n my fist. I’m all for a woman tendin’ to their needs if they ain’t got a dick around, but I’d rather be fillin’ her up and gettin’ somethin’ out of it instead of just watchin’.” War rubbed his hand over his crotch again, hoping the men would get the message. He prayed they weren’t the kind of men who’d like a show, because even if what he was saying was the truth and it was his woman in the tent, he wasn’t into exhibitionism.
The leader scowled and took a step back. “We’ll let you tend to your woman’s needs, but you should probably head out in the morning. It’s not safe in these woods for civilians. You never know when training bullets will start flying. Come on, Lewis.”
“Good ta know. I’ll just go give her another poundin’, and after a good night’s sleep, we’ll head out. You fellas take care now. Ya hear?” War put the bottle to his lips and took a long pull of alcohol, never taking his eyes off either man. They turned and headed back the way they came, but the dog ambled over to War and plopped down at his feet. Warryck leaned over, scratching the dog between the ears, giving him a mental pep talk. He hated when humans used animals to do their dirty work.
“What the fuck?” Lewis scowled at the dog.
“Language.” The leader scowled, and the other man bowed his head. “Duke, heel,” the man commanded the dog. It looked up at War for permission, which he silently gave. If he’d had his car instead of his bike, he’d have taken the dog with him. After silent persuasion, the hound rose to his feet and trotted to his master and followed along at his side. Both men turned back to look at War before disappearing into the woods.
War waited until they were out of earshot before slipping into the tent. He didn’t trust them not to return since they’d been following Kerrigan and she’d disappeared into thin air. When he got a look at Kerrigan, his heart broke.
“P-Please, don’t hurt me,” she stuttered quietly.
“I promise I won’t, Kerrigan.”
“B-but, I heard what you said to Lewis.” Her eyes were wide and filled with tears. “Wait. How do you know my name?”
“I had to make them believe I had someone besides you in here. My name is Warryck, and I’m here because your parents miss you.”
“My parents? They sent you after me?”
War figured the truth, at least most of it, was for the better. “I overheard them asking about you when my brother and I were eating at Harper’s Point. You have some special people back home who care about you. How bad are your injuries? I didn’t get a chance to look before those men showed up.”
“Just some scrapes and bruises. I’ll be okay.”
“Do you think you can ride a motorcycle? We need to get out of here before they come back.”
“I...” Kerrigan swallowed hard, her eyes taking in War’s large frame.
“I promise I’m not going to hurt you. You have no reason to believe me, but here.” War pulled the phone out of his pocket. “Why don’t you call your parents and let them know you’re alive. Tell them we’re in the Green Mountain state park, and I’ll take you to the Twin Ridges Inn about twenty miles south in New Woodland. They can come get you there if you don’t feel comfortable with me. I’ll either need to take you there on my bike, or we can call the police to come get you. Whichever way you feel safest.”
“I’ve never been on a motorcycle, but I could probably hold on long enough to get to the hotel.”
“Good. Now...”
They’re back. Do something.
War put his fingers to Kerrigan’s lips and leaned close. “Please trust me, Sweetheart.” He pushed her down onto her back and covered her body with his. Kerrigan trembled beneath him, and not in a good way. He kissed her forehead then winked at her, hoping to convey how sorry he was for his next words. “Oh, yeah, baby. That’s it. You suck my cock so good. Just like that. Fuck, your mouth. Fuck yeahhhhh. God, Donna. You could suck a tennis ball through a tail pipe. Damn, baby. Uh...” War had never talked dirty in his life, and he felt like an idiot, but he kept it up until his Gryphon nudged him.
Okay, they’re gone. That was close. Too close.
“Sorry about that. The men came back, and I had to make it sound legitimate. They’re gone now.”
When he rose off Kerrigan’s chest, her eyes were wide, but the crinkles at the edges let him know she wasn’t scared. “A tennis ball? Seriously? Damn, I’ve got mad skills.”
Warryck barked out a laugh. “Too much?”
“Hell no. That was brilliant. And what’s up with that southern twang?”
“My family is originally from Texas. It just popped out when those jokers came sniffing around. I want to hear all about them and where they’ve been keeping you, but for now, I need to make sure they’re really gone this time so we can pack up and get out of here.
“How did you know they were back?”
“I heard the branches snapping underneath their boots. My family, we’re... trackers of a fashion, and we’re trained to notice things like that.” It was a terrible lie, but a necessary one. Granted, his brothers’ business was all about tracking and finding people, but he wasn’t part of it. Not yet, at least. And there was no way he could tell this stranger about his shifter, no matter how badly he wanted to. And wasn’t that just fucked up?
“What can I do to help?”
Warryck took a good look at the beautiful woman who’d been chased through Hell but was now joking with him and offering to help. “Just relax. You’ve been through enough by the looks of it. Here.” War grabbed his bag and handed it to her. “I’ve got clean clothes in there. They’ll be way too big, but at least they’re dry. Help yourself to whatever you want.” War balled his hands into fists to keep from reaching out and touching her. He already knew she was stunning from seeing her pictures, but seeing her up close was a temptation he was having a hard time ignoring. He couldn’t put his finger on why he was so drawn to her. She smelled like dirt and rain, and she looked like hell. Her spirit was strong, that he knew. Maybe it was the reason he felt the need to protect her with his life. “Stay in here until I tell you it’s safe to come out.”
“Okay. And Warryck? Thank you. If you... Wait. Last thing I remember, the dog was closing in on me. How did you get me away from it?”
War doubted she remembered what happened, but while he’d been bringing her back, he’d used his powers to alter her memory of being saved by an eagle. He pushed an image of him carrying her in human form into her mind. That was all he changed, though. He didn’t want to mess with too much of what she remembered. He needed to find out who was after her and where they’d kept her so he and Mav could go back and take care of the men.
“The dog wasn’t as close as you probably thought it was. I heard the barking and men shouting after you, so I went to investigate. I was able to pick you up and get you away before they got too close. I need to check to make sure we’re alone. Change clothes and call your parents.” War crawled out of the tent before he could do
something stupid like kiss her, or before she could ask any more questions. He hated lying to her, but he didn’t know her.
You want to know her.
His Gryphon wasn’t wrong. He wanted nothing more than to keep her there in the woods in his tent and get to know everything about the strong woman, but he didn’t understand why. Why was he so drawn to her? It wasn’t like Gryphons had fated mates. Zeus had given them free will when it came to who they loved and let into their lives. So why did Kerrigan O’Shea have War wanting to whisk her off and hide her out until he knew everything about her, both inside and out? Shaking his head, he searched the area. If she wasn’t there, War would take to the sky once again and follow the men. But he couldn’t risk her seeing him that way. Couldn’t risk losing her to the truth. Losing her? You don’t get to keep her. And the truth of that made his heart ache. No, he didn’t get to keep her. He had to get her safely back to her parents and get on with his life.
Chapter Eighteen
Kerrigan
AS Kerrigan dug around in Warryck’s bag, she was mentally chastising herself. She knew better than to trust a stranger, but there was something about the man that called to her on a level she’d never felt before. Not even with Ambrose. She’d admired the man from afar, knowing she could never have anything long-term with him. She still adored him, and always would. He’d been hurt when she moved in with Dalton, but he told her he understood. Then Dalton had turned on her. She’d given in to his constant badgering more from him finally wearing her down than being in love with him. She had settled. Now, here she was, her body aching and her mind foggy all because she’d given in. She couldn’t do that again, no matter how her heart beat a little faster when he was near.