“I was going to give it to you—”
“Enough,” he interrupted before she could finish. “Enough.”
He listened to the door close and then let the tension in his shoulders release. He was taking this too hard, he thought, too much to heart. It hurt like nothing else in his life.
Well, like one other thing. Like his mother abandoning them. For what else had it been than an abandonment? She’d gotten her life. She’d beaten cancer. And for what? To leave her children behind.
Ignoring those thoughts, he opened the wallet and stared at the cards there. There had to be some kind of information he could use. A direction. He needed a goddamn direction. Somewhere to go, somewhere to focus his attentions on before he went out of his mind. It was already happening. He could feel the last pieces of his sanity slipping away, leaking through his ears. He couldn’t collect them fast enough.
It had started around the same time Georgia came into his life. Georgia, with her snappy wit and banter, her obvious intelligence and even more obvious beauty. He could understand at once what had made her a leading lady. Her charisma and uniqueness put her into a category all her own. And her magic…or as she would have him think, her curse, it was another facet to her personality. It made her special. He’d waned to explore it and her more in depth.
Now he couldn’t wait to leave the room.
He flipped through credit cards. There was nothing besides a name, and that was probably fake. It gave him absolutely nothing to go on.
In a moment of weakness where he gave into his anger, Oriel took the wallet and heaved it against the far wall. It landed with a satisfying plop.
“You’re throwing things now?” Georgia came out of the bathroom adjusting her shirt.
Oriel turned his face in the opposite direction. “It made me feel better.”
She bent to retrieve the wallet and paused, removing a slim sheet of wrinkled paper from the plastic picture holder. What’s this?”
“I checked everything in there.”
“I’m sure you did. Just maybe you overlooked something?”
He prowled forward and snatched it out of her hand. There was nothing of particular interest written there.
“It’s just a bunch of numbers,” he said with a sneer. “Probably the man’s birthday.”
“Fine. If you’re going to be mean, I’ll be on my way. I don’t need to sit here and listen to your attitude.”
“Says the woman who lied to me from the very beginning.”
She sighed and when he finally glanced over, there was still pity, but more, there was frustration. At him! Like he’d done something she’d repeatedly asked him not to and couldn’t take it anymore. “Oriel! The only thing I can do is tell you how sorry I am. If I were a better person I wouldn’t have done it. But I did, and I’m being honest. You can at least be happy I came clean.”
He was happy she’d been honest, but it paled in comparison to the giant wave of disappointment and frustration washing over him. “Just go.”
She took a moment before nodding. “I’ll catch you later, Oriel. And don’t worry about me.”
“I know better than to worry.”
Georgia was halfway to the door when the lightbulb popped. Not literally, of course. The one inside his brain. Staring at the numbers whatever fog or hangups in his way disappeared. He reached out to grab her arm and halt her progress.
“Hold on. I think…Do you understand what this is?”
“Like you said.” She jerked her arm out of his grasp. “It’s probably a birthday or his kids social or something.”
“Georgia…it’s latitude and longitude. We know where they are.”
Where they were turned out to be a Starbucks coffee shop in Eureka, California. After several more hours of driving through the night, Georgia and Oriel pulled up in front of the brightly lit sign, parking a few spots up from the storefront.
“This can’t be right.” She checked the coordinates on his cell phone for the umpteenth time. “I mean, no. Come on. This isn’t right.”
He studied the familiar logo and felt an anchor settling in his gut. “I think it’s exactly right.” The symbolism didn’t escape him. Which meant these bastards had not only been on his case for a while, but they had an eye for the ironic.
“They’re hiding a base of operations in a coffee shop?” she asked with clear skepticism.
“Why not? We were.”
“We’re not a base of anything. I can’t believe they’d be dumb enough to store something like the nullum fame in a place like this.” Then, realizing what she’d said, she slapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she muttered through her fingers.
“Don’t be sorry. You’re right. And I thought hiding it in plain sight was a good idea at the time.” He spared a glance in her direction. “Obviously I know better for next time.”
They got out of the car and stood in silence. Staring.
“What do we do?”
He leaned against the hood of the car, absorbing the heat and willing the lightbulb in his head to pop on one more tie. He was riding on a wave of exhaustion, desire for retribution, and blue balls. Not exactly a winning combination but it was the bet he had going for him.
Cricking his neck to the side, he tried to formulate a plan. One Jasmine might say was well thought out instead of going with the moment. He came up blank.
“There has to be a side door somewhere. I’m hesitant to go through the front. Seems like it’s inviting yes on us and we can’t afford to make a scene. Something I know you’re good at.” He slipped the last dig in and had the pleasure of watching her eyebrows draw together.
“Sure, take a shot at me if it will make you feel better,” she said, bringing her arms around her midsection. The late-night air was chilled and brought a burst of white through her lips when she spoke. He tried not to let the sight get to him.
“Come on.”
There had to be a separate entrance, one they could use to stay out of sight and get below the building. Odds were good they’d already been sited. But Oriel knew they had to try. If he didn’t get the potion back…it was out of business. It was disappointing people who relied on him. It was inciting negative feelings in a community he’d sworn to help.
Georgia swam in and out of view in the foggy moonlight. He followed the sounds of her footsteps, trying to find his way around without running into anything.
“Hey. Over here.”
He fumbled around until he bumped into something small and warm and curvaceous. “Georgia?”
“If you want to stop feeling me up for a minute,” came her wry response, “then you’ll notice I found a latch to a side door.”
“You pull it?”
“Can’t. It’s locked.”
This was where he came in. She didn’t call him the sasquatch surfer for nothing. Flexing his arms and taking a deep breath, he wrapped his fingers around the lock and pulled. Pulled and waited for something to happen.
“You seriously think you’re going to rip a door right off its hinges?” she asked.
“I’m trying. Now might be a good time for you to slip through the shadows and materialize on the other side.”
“If I could, then don’t you think I’d be over there?”
She made a good point. Oriel flexed again and braced his legs on the asphalt, pulling with whatever strength he had left. The damn thing didn’t budge.
“I’m going to try breaking the lock,” he replied seconds later, embarrassed to notice that sweat beaded his hairline and his lungs were pumping overtime.
“Yes, and announce our presence to the world.”
“Too late, honey. We’ve been expecting you.”
For the second time of the night, Oriel was surprised by an ambush, even when he knew he shouldn’t be.
“Expecting us. What a fabulous welcome.” He turned with a smile, seeing the vague outline of the bear shifter who’d broken into his store and stolen his prize.
And he k
new. They were in trouble.
10
She was about to rush to help Oriel when an arm came around her waist. How can he see me? It was her last thought before her feet popped off the ground and she was dragged backward by another. A second, third, and fourth shifter burst through the door they hadn’t been able to open and within seconds they were surrounded.
Georgia opened her mouth to screech. A heavy hand slapped across her face and covered her lips to stem the sound.
Oh, no. This was unacceptable.
All thoughts of blending into the darkness were gone. She reacted like a wildcat, kicking and punching and scratching before lunging back and slamming her elbow into the soft spot above the man’s hip.
His grip slipped and she let her knees go limp, slipping down to the floor.
“Get out of here!” Oriel yelled. He landed a punch and swirled around like he was trying to find her. “Georgia, go now!”
If she spoke she risked giving away her position. But there was nowhere she could go. And she wasn’t leaving him.
Three shifters leaped on Oriel and he went down. Hard. She stifled a groan when his head slapped against the concrete. Blearily he glanced up and there, in the darkness, his gaze met hers.
“Go—” he cut off on a grunt when the shifters pounced. It took a knock on the head and three of them to keep Oriel down.
No. Way.
The old hunger rose up inside of her accompanied by a burn so deep it seared her down to the bone. She pushed off of her knees and stood, balanced on the balls of her feet. “Let go of him. Now.”
Her body materialized out of the shadows. Static electricity in the air gathered around her until she felt her hair stand on end. When she opened her eyes to stare at the group, she had their full attention. Perfect.
“You really think we’re gonna listen to you?” The one in front pushed up, stared at her, and his smile turned into a leer.
“Yes, I do,” she answered, voice full of bravado.
“Why is that?”
“Because I’m your worst nightmare, baby.”
Then she lunged. She went after the man without seeing him shift into partial animal form, her only concern for Oriel. When he went down, she threw whatever strength she had into bringing the whole lot of them to their knees. She linked her hands into one fist and brought it down right on the back of the blonde’s head.
She waited for the crack of bone. The spurt of blood, as it had come the first time she tried the move when someone tried to attack her. It never came.
The shifter wheeled around and dove for her leg, sinking sharp canines into her skin and tearing through her muscles. Georgia screamed and tried to get out of the way. The man was faster, rolling her to the ground, trying to go for her throat.
Oriel came up out of nowhere and pulled the man off of her, nearly taking a chunk of her leg when his teeth tore free.
“Don’t you ever listen to me?” Oriel called out, running over and falling. He was bleeding from several places.
Fury made Georgia forget whatever shreds of sanity she had left. Whatever thoughts for her own safety. She stalked toward the two were-bears standing over him, took the one’s neck in her hand, and snapped his head around until vertebrae cracked loose.
Then fell to her knees when a piece of wood snapped across her back. She swam in and out of consciousness, aware of being carried inside the building. Down a set of steps. Another. Somewhere deep and dark and dank where the soft scents of the outside breeze were locked out.
“I knew you would come,” a voice murmured in her ear, accompanied by harsh laughter. “It was so easy.”
“Let go of me.” Woozily, she let the shifter drag her through a second door. Listened to it slam behind them.
“Not yet, dear. Not yet.”
He thrust something beneath her nose and the stench brought her fully back to reality. “What the—”
“A little smelling salt. Good to have you back.”
It was the man from the bar. Again. The damn guy kept popping up everywhere. Her eyes narrowed and in seconds she took in the circular room, cinderblock walls, flashing fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling winking in and out. “You have a lot of fucking nerve—”
He cut her off again, swinging forward and taking her in his arms, repositioning her until she stood in front of him. Just enough light to keep her in place, just enough pain to have her scared.
“You need to play nice, Georgia. Otherwise, you’re never getting out of here.” The blond shifter laughed until his chest rumbled. His breath was hot on her face, filling her nose, and she fought against the urge to cringe against the rank stench of beer and rotting meat. “If you scream again then I’ll be forced to cut your throat. And then where would we be?”
Her body went still even though her mind kicked into high gear. She refused to be the victim. If only she’d paid more attention to her stunt doubles when they tried to teach her the basics of self-defense. She’d mocked them and begged the question. When would she ever need to use it? The more fame she achieved, the more money she had to hire bodyguards.
Her breathing was heavy. Now she would have given anything for even the tiniest bit of knowledge on the subject.
“There, now. Isn’t this better?” The shifter stroked the side of her face with his index finger, his hand still covering her mouth.
She nodded slowly.
When he pried his fingers from her mouth she drew in a deep breath. Trying to fill her lungs with air and keep it there before she hyperventilated. His free hand reached down to tug one of her nipples.
“You are going to let go of me,” she said, voice low.
The blond laughed again. “Oh, am I? What a funny thing to say.”
“I’m deadly serious.” She fought off a growl when his hands moved down her body, fondling her. Rough on her.
Her gag reflex went into hyperdrive and it took every bit of her force of will to keep from lashing out. She needed to stay calm. There was no way in hell she could do what she needed to if she was freaking out.
This was just another part. Another lecherous co-star thinking he could sample the goods because he had the might. And might made right. Didn’t it?
His palms pushed into her breasts and a lesser woman would have puked on the spot, surely. Georgia kept still.
“What do you think you’re going to do?” he whispered against her ear. His hips bucked forward, pressing against the softness of her rear. “Hmm?”
Another second and she’d have it. There was enough darkness in the room…one. More. Breath.
She tilted her body against his and he moaned. “You ready for me?”
“Oh, god, baby. Ye—”
His grip loosened and she dematerialized. Her body split apart and for a second terror engulfed her. There was the pain, more pain than she bargained for. More because she didn’t know how to control it.
“You can go fuck yourself, buddy!” she screamed out.
Then she bolted. Out of the room and down a long concrete hallway trying to hold it together. Her hands were shaking. She could barely manage to twist the doorknob. Her eyes burned and when she took a second to check, there were tears winding down her cheeks. The only led to another room. Another in a long maze of labyrinthian corridors leading to nowhere.
Would she ever find her way out?
The place stank of rancid meat and mold. She breathed in the rank odor, wanting to disappear. Her vision blurred until the walls and floor were one, and she had to fight hard against a wave of panic. There was an edge to the night. Threatening to slice her in two.
She focused on what she could hear, isolating the scuff of her own frightened footsteps. The whisper of words from other rooms and the sounds of angry yelling from behind her. She didn’t care if she ran into something. She needed out.
Their footsteps were coming closer. She could almost feel the man’s touch again. Grasping at her, groping her.
Terror turned cold inside of her and, on a last
-minute guess, she moved to duck into the nearest room. The door was solid and old. She tugged at the handle and nearly fell, losing her balance when it refused to give. All her strength and finally there was enough room for her to squeeze her body through.
The door hissed closed behind her. She took a moment to stand with her eyes closed, pulse pounding in her ears, and listen to the footsteps passing by.
Thank God, she decided. Whatever amount of time she’d bought with the maneuver, it was enough. And thank you to whatever power she had inside of her, the power to move through the darkness, to command the shadows. Now she just needed to find a way to make it work when she needed it. She blinked and tried to push the attacker from her mind when she could still feel his fingers groping her breasts.
A groan captured her attention. Her blood ran cold and her back straightened until her spine became iron.
The room was black. Yet there, in the corner, she noticed the chains. Great black links of iron cast deep into the ceiling and floors, leading down to a shifting shadow of black and gold light. No, not a shadow, she thought, cautiously stepping closer. A person. A woman.
Her throat was slender, black trains of blood racing beneath starry black skin, with hair a rich raven wing black-blue falling down to her waist. She was naked except for the chains keeping her upright. A Vetruvian Woman drained of life. Glistening like someone had swiped a hand across the night sky and fashioned it into human form.
“Hello?” Georgia called out in a near whisper.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
A man pushed away from the corner, his arms crossed over his chest. She hadn’t seen him. Hadn’t heard a whisper of sound. The musical lilt of his voice and the rhythm of his speech might have calmed her on a different day. The words spread through her, over her, and brought her spine into rigid alignment.
“What’s going on?” She felt like a starved animal. Bloodied. Hungry. Furious. If she had to, she wouldn’t hesitate to rip the man to shreds. The pain in her stomach increased triple-fold until she felt her vision turning red.
Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels Page 69