by Amelia Jade
“Vincent is going to have a lot of fun with you once he gets you back,” the other woman taunted, darting inside Karlie’s reach.
“Fuck you,” she spat, her saliva blinding the other woman and throwing her off for a split second.
It was just enough for Karlie to hook her leg around her attacker’s calf and twist harshly. The pair fell to the floor, with Karlie landing on top. She drove her other knee into the midsection of the shifter, putting as much weight behind it as she could.
“Oof!” The woman gasped as air fled her system, and Karlie used her momentum to drop an elbow square on her nose.
She wasn’t playing fair, but she didn’t care. Right now, she was pissed. After the car chase, she and Raphael were supposed to be done. This bullshit was in the past, and she wasn’t having any more of it.
The woman cried as her nose broke under the blow, but Karlie grabbed her hair and pulled her head off the ground slightly before slamming it back down viciously. She repeated that several times until the other woman went limp. Not staying around to see if she was dead or just unconscious, Karlie grabbed a paper towel, wiped the blood from her elbow, and ran from the restroom. She needed to warn Raphael.
The door swung open under her push, the brighter lights of the airport taking over. Just as she saw freedom, two hands clamped over her shoulder, bringing her to an abrupt halt.
“What the—” she started to say, before a sharp pain erupted on her neck. “Oh,” she got out, suddenly feeling woozy.
The last thing she remembered as the world faded to black were the hands settling her into a wheelchair.
But I can walk…
***
“I say we just kill her now. Tell him it happened by accident.” The voice that was speaking laughed nastily.
“No.” This was a woman’s voice now. “We stick to the plan as ordered. Understood? Or do you want to end up like the two in the car did?”
“Okay, okay,” the first voice said, relenting. “I was just joking anyway.”
“You’re an idiot,” the woman said.
A third voice snickered at her insult.
“Watch yourself,” the first man said, clearly threatening the third.
“What do we do now?” the third said, speaking for the first time as he tried to change the subject.
“We follow the plan,” the woman said, exasperated.
Karlie couldn’t see. Something was wrapped tightly around her head, obscuring her vision. She didn’t move, hoping that her captors wouldn’t realize she’d come to just yet. The cold bite of steel on her wrists told her she was locked down. The sensation went from wrist to elbow, meaning whatever restraints they were using, they were made for someone like her. She doubted she could just break free of them.
Besides, she wasn’t dumb enough to think that she could take on three shifters all on her own. That was fool’s talk, and she was smarter than that. Wasn’t she? After all, she was the one who had told Raphael that she would be okay doing something as simple as going to the restroom in a public airport.
How had they found her so quickly?
The answer was depressing. It meant they either had someone at the airport, watching and waiting for them to show up, or they had tailed them the entire way there without the pair picking up on it.
“The plan didn’t involve Jerry and Victor ending up in the morgue either,” the first voice said angrily.
“No, it didn’t, the woman said. “But that’s what happened. They acted like idiots. They were supposed to get driven off the road to convince them they had gotten away freely, while we tailed them in the dark. But instead they tried to do it themselves and paid the price for it.”
The two men fell silent at the rebuke.
Without warning, Karlie coughed, unable to contain it.
“Well well, she’s awake. That didn’t take long,” the woman said. “Less than fifteen minutes. Make a note to up the dose if we need her out for longer.”
“Why aren’t we moving?” Karlie asked. “If you’re not moving, he’s going to come after me.” She was hoping to push them into doing something rash that might give away their location to Raphael. Fifteen minutes. He would be looking for her by now. If they weren’t moving, it likely meant they were in the parking lot. It was a small airport, so perhaps he had been following their scent to the point where moving the vehicle would alert him to their location.
Now it was time for the woman to laugh.
“Oh trust me darling. We’re counting on it.”
Karlie felt ice enter her veins as she realized they weren’t trying to evade Raphael. They were setting a trap for him, and she was the bait!
Chapter Nine
Raphael
Even as he neared the restroom, the scent filled his nose.
Shifters.
He tried to keep his rage in check. There were three distinct scents he could identify. One of them was different enough that he had to test the air again, making sure he had it right.
Female. So that’s how they got the drop on her. One of them went in and either caught Karlie by surprise, or flushed her out into the waiting arms of the other two.
He looked around for anyone who might have seen them. There was nobody nearby, and he knew they hadn’t gone back down the terminal toward him. That was a dead end eventually. No, they would have headed for the nearest exit, anxious to get out of the public eye.
There was another airline employee waiting at a kiosk between him and the nearest exit from the terminal. Raphael walked up to him, trying not to seem too anxious.
“Excuse me sir, have you seen two really tall men like myself go by recently in the company of two women? One of the women might have been asleep or very angry-looking?”
He was gambling on the description, hoping it would pay off.
The man brightened. “Oh, was the sleeping woman in a wheelchair?” he asked helpfully. “I saw them go out that door maybe ten minutes ago. Not to be rude, but you tend to notice people of your size, especially when there are two of them together.” The man blushed in embarrassment as he admitted to having stared, but Raphael didn’t care. He was used to it, and right then, he was more concerned with finding Karlie.
“That’s them!” he said, already heading toward the door. “Thank you!” he shouted over his shoulder, barging past a startled-looking couple as he flew through the doors. Their scent was still strong, and he followed it out into the parking lot.
The wind was starting to get a hold of it, making it difficult for him to pinpoint exactly where they had gone. His spirits fell the farther from the terminal he got. If they had knocked Karlie out and gotten her this far, odds were they were long gone.
He kept following her scent though, not ready to give up. Not only had Ferro asked him to rescue her, but she had found a place in his heart he hadn’t realized existed. Raphael would go to the ends of the earth to find her. He knew he could find her again with access to the tapes at the other residence he’d visited, but that could take a long time. He didn’t know if Karlie would have that long.
His heart ached. It was his fault, all his fault. He had known something wasn’t right, and yet he’d still let her go off on her own. How hard would it have been for him to wait outside the restroom? It’s what he should have done.
Instead, he’d let himself be lulled into a false sense of security, and now Karlie was going to pay the price for it. He couldn’t bear to imagine what they would do to her.
Ahead of him, a tall shape ducked out of sight as he approached it.
“Hey!” he shouted, darting after whoever it was.
He shot between two vehicles, immediately picking up the fresh scent of one of the shifters.
They were still here! He still had a chance to rescue Karlie and atone for his mistake.
Growling, he poured on the speed, gaining on his quarry. The other shifter looked over his shoulder and swore. He must not have expected Raphael to move so quickly. The shadowy figure began t
o pick up speed, dodging between vehicles as he went, but it was too little, too late.
Raphael dove forward to grab one of the man’s ankles, not letting go until he lost his balance and crashed to the ground. The other foot connected with his face, and Raphael lost his grip while his prey scrambled to his feet and took off once again.
Shaking off the blow, which had only made him angrier, Raphael took up the pursuit once again. They moved deeper and deeper into the parking lot, away from prying eyes. That would be good, because once Raphael got into the open he planned to unleash his bear. He would have the location of Karlie one way or another, and nothing would stop him from getting it.
All of a sudden the cars around them were gone. There was only a sole black SUV that they raced past, and they were into an open section of parking lot. It was what he had been waiting for. Snarling with delight, Raphael called his bear to the surface and began to shift.
Just as a second attacker appeared from behind the SUV, shouldering his entire weight into Raphael.
He went flying, completely off balance as he was still mid-shift. His bear hit the ground heavily, bouncing and rolling as he fought to recover. The concrete barrier at the edge of the parking lot stopped his uncontrollable flight. He growled in pain as his head connected with the concrete, splashing stars across his vision for a second. When they cleared, he shifted back.
Shaking it off he climbed to his feet, only to watch the two shifters disappear back into the mass of cars.
“What the fuck is going on?” he muttered, trying to think.
Why hadn’t they pushed the attack? He had been vulnerable there for a moment as he replayed it in his mind. Not for long though, and neither of them had been fast enough to close with him before he recovered.
So they wanted to play games, did they? Raphael smiled evilly, adjusting his shirt. That was okay with him. He loved to play games.
Keeping his eyes peeled, he moved closer to the nearest row of cars. Motion flickered in his peripheral vision, but by the time he focused it was still. Ducking low he eased his way back in between the metal obstacles. He crept forward, moving deeper and deeper into them, moving quietly, trying to keep his footsteps silent.
Rubber scuffed on pavement to his left. It was too loud to have been an accident. They were trying to bait him. Instead of veering toward it directly, he continued ahead, moving in a slow circle and approaching it from the rear.
If they’re smart, they won’t be there. They’ll be waiting for me.
There were two cars, and on the right of them was a big cargo van. He frowned. Something about the van just didn’t seem right. Carefully he crept across the lane between rows of cars until he was right in front of it. There was nobody in the front, but the rear of it was closed off to the outside. Crouching in down, his back to the grill, he stuck his hand up onto the hood.
Still warm. A big vehicle like that would be perfect for hiding a shifter. Or two.
He wondered—not for the first time—why they were playing games with him. It didn’t seem to be the smart move. Were they under orders to “take care of him” as well as retrieve Karlie? It was possible. That meant Vincent, or whoever was giving orders, was irritated by him. Or possibly even scared that he would try again and succeed this time.
I’m getting under their skin, whoever they are.
That was both good news, and bad news. It was good because he might provoke them into making a careless mistake. But the reverse was if the person in charge would be more prone to overreacting.
Which could get myself, or Karlie, seriously hurt. Or worse.
He took a slow, deep breath, and peeked around the side of the van. The only thing he saw was the onrushing closed fist a moment before it hit his face. Raphael rocked back in surprise, pain, and disorientation.
The hit knocked him down, and his vision cleared just in time to see a figure leap at him from the shadows between vehicles. Gathering his wits about him, he curled his legs up to his stomach, his feet landing in the attacker’s midsection. Raphael flexed his powerful leg muscles and used the shifter’s momentum to fling him up and over Raphael, out into the exposed lane between vehicles.
Raphael jumped to his feet and began to approach his attacker. He was ticked off at being blindsided like that. It was his own fault, but it didn’t quench his anger at all.
But as he neared, he realized something was off. For the first time his foe was standing up, prepared to go toe to toe with him. Slowing his pace he eyed the unknown shifter, trying to figure out why that would be. He had to know that Raphael outclassed him horribly, so why would he risk the punishment?
Unless...
The quick turn to his rear wasn’t in time, and a huge meaty fist hit him from his blind spot. He lost control of his legs for a moment, and the ground approached quickly. Although he was fast to recover, the damage was done. The two shifters had him at a distinct disadvantage. He’d gotten cocky, and now as they landed blow after blow upon him they were taking advantage of it.
The last thing he remembered seeing before darkness claimed him was the van door sliding open. Then a fist connected squarely with his temple and he remembered no more.
***
“Raphael.”
He was at home. Daylight streamed around him, the brilliant sun dazzling enough to make the day perfect, but not so blindingly powerful as to be a nuisance.
The path up to his front door was bordered by perfectly cut grass, and the house had a white picket fence out front. The front door ahead of him opened, and he saw her, standing there.
“Raphael,” she said dreamily, a smile breaking across her face.
He returned the look, always happy to gaze upon her. Karlie was beautiful, and now that she was his, even more so. Behind her, the door opened wider. He knew who was trying to get out it. It was his—
“Raphael!” Pain blossomed on his shin.
He blinked.
The vision disappeared, yellow sunlight giving way to black metal walls. He was inside the van. The rear bounced awkwardly as they went over a bump, confirming his thoughts. The walls around them continued to rattle as they went along. They were traveling at a good clip. Faster than he would have expected.
The first thing he noticed was Karlie.
“You know,” he said with a lopsided smile. “We really need to stop meeting like this.”
“Shut up!”
His facial expression turned to stone as he slowly twisted his head to fix a stare full of fire on the third occupant of the rear of the van. It was one of the two shifters who had gotten a jump on him.
Raphael smiled, but there was no humor in the look. Without saying anything he turned back to look at Karlie once more. Despite the severity of their situation, she looked as beautiful as ever.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Except for... you know.” She shrugged her shoulders, the contraption holding her still making noise as the metal chains holding her to the floor grew taut.
Grimacing, he looked over his shoulder, seeing the same restraint fixed to his arms. He flexed and tried to free himself, but the design was rather ingenious, made to prevent a shifter from doing what he had just attempted.
His arms were pulled behind his back, palms facing each other. A large and rather heavy metal case was placed over them, fitting snuggly. It extended from his back all the way to his wrists, preventing him from getting any leverage, or even being able to bend his arms. The metal was solid except for holes for the arms, designed to keep him immobile. At the wrists were a set of cuffs, preventing the metal from sliding off his arms.
In front of him, Karlie’s long dark brown hair flew wildly as they went over another bump, momentarily obscuring her face. As it fell away, he met her eyes. “You’re gorgeous,” he said softly, knowing the third party would hear, but not caring.
Red crept into her cheeks, which only made him smile even wider. The outcome of their predicament was anything but s
et in stone. They might escape—he had a plan if the opportunity presented itself—but they might not. Even if they did, they still might not make it. It was an extremely inopportune time to be telling her that he was falling for her, but it had to be done. Karlie needed to know that his bear was proclaiming her to be his, regardless of how impossible such a mating was. His human side knew that, but right now he didn’t care.
She didn’t respond, but it didn’t matter. Her nonverbal response had told him more than he’d ever hoped.
“Now we just need to figure a way out of here,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
“Yeah, worst rescue attempt ever,” the shifter guard sneered, laughing at the two of them.
The pair of prisoners were seated on benches along the sides of the cargo van. Their sole guard had a makeshift chair. He was facing forward, between them and the rear exit.
The only exit, he corrected after realizing the side door had been completely blocked off by some welded metal. Perfect.
Raphael shifted in his seat until he was facing their guard.
“What do you want?” the shifter said with disdain.
Raphael smiled, waiting for his moment. It didn’t take too long. The van, traveling at the speeds it was, jumped as it hit another bump in the road. Raphael used that to launch himself forward, driving his head into the other shifter’s nose with impressive force.
Their guard collapsed, blood pouring from his broken nose.
“That looked like fun,” Karlie said.
“Are you jealous?” he teased, getting only a shrug in return.
“Now what?” she asked, amused at what he’d done, but knowing it didn’t help them escape.
“The trick with these things, which I’ve actually seen before, is that they miss one rather important factor in the anatomy of those they’re meant to imprison.”
“They have?”
He looked up at the small window between the front cab and the rear cargo area. Nobody seemed to have noticed the commotion back there yet.
An evil look settled on his face.