He heard the click of her heels before he felt the chill of her hands. He raised his head and watched Suzette’s lithe form slide into view. She regarded him coldly. “I’ve been thinking,” she began and Brett resisted the urge to reply. “There’s something different about you.” She ran her hands over his chest and arms, her brows together thoughtfully.
“You seem…stronger.” She leaned over him and sniffed. The straightened with a frown. “When I tore open your throat that night in the motel, you should have died.” She sniffed the air again. “How is it that you still live?” She walked around him, curiosity in her gaze. “You are not a Were and you do not carry the gene. My bite alone should have destroyed you.” She looked at him in amazement.
“And yet you live, working with the bitch that killed my family and you look quite healthy for a human in your position.” She touched her nose. “I happen to have a very good nose. I can smell the bitch all over you. But there is something else. Something I am not familiar with.” She leaned over him again and took another sniff. “Something in your blood perhaps?” she asked.
Brett kept quiet. The more he ignored her, the more frustrated she became. Her agitation at his lack of response became noticed by the other Weres in the room and they slowly quieted. Suzette looked him over carefully. She extended a hand towards his throat, laughing as his eyes widened. She casually flicked her nail against the artery in his neck and drew back a finger covered in blood. She put the finger in her mouth, her eyes rolling in ecstasy.
“It is your blood. Something is definitely different. It is intriguing.” She smiled at him. “You taste like her, but there is no way you can have her blood.” She savored the taste of him, rolling it around on her tongue and then her eyes grew larger. “Unless,” she breathed. “No. That’s impossible.” She looked at him in shock. “That is fucking impossible.” She backed away from him, and slowly shook her head. “That is fucking impossible,” she repeated. “He doesn’t exist. They are fairy tales told to children.” The other Weres stared at her as she turned her glare out the window.
Brett held his breath. He would neither confirm nor deny her suspicions. She was old, but she wasn’t as old or as knowledgeable about her own heritage as she should be. He feigned ignorance, knowing that it would save his life. He felt the blood drip from his neck with every beat of his heart and saw that some of the other Weres eyed his throat.
She seemed to realize that she had become undone and struggled to get her emotions under control. She whirled and faced the group, a snarl on her face. “Bring me a cup,” She demanded. Her second-in-command snapped to attention, grabbing an empty cup from the table and thrust it into Suzette’s hand. She held the cup and watched the slow drip of Brett’s life blood. She licked her lips and impatiently dipped another finger in the warm liquid. “So good,” She moaned as the others watched her with envy. She pulled the cup away.
“Untie him and bring him with me,” she ordered. The second-in-command bowed to her and with a casual flick of his claws, he cut Brett’s bonds, intentionally taking a gouge out of his Brett’s wrist and caught a drop of blood onto his finger.
Brett refrained from lashing out at the Were. He could feel the sting in his arms as blood circulated back into his extremities. He slapped a hand to his throat to staunch the flow and stumbled as the Were pushed him behind Suzette. Brett had no choice but to follow. For now.
*
Layla walked the few steps to her apartment. She didn’t know what she was looking for, but she was sure she would know it when she saw it. Suzette was too calculating to simply kill associates of Layla. There was an ulterior motive. She picked her way around the candles and flowers strewn around the makeshift memorial near the front steps of the apartment building. She stared at the pictures of Tami and Derek and said a quick prayer before she looked at the almost empty building. There were few cars in the lot outside as if the residents had been afraid to return.
She entered her apartment. It had been cleaned up and the police tape removed. Now the yellow tape covered the door next to hers. She surveyed the repaired walls and countertops, the new mirror and new coat of paint. It even smelled new. She had never heard from her landlords so she knew they had taken her absence as abandonment and had taken her security deposit. Her eclectic mix of furniture had been removed and a simple arrangement stood in its place.
She frowned as she noticed the slim cell phone on the countertop. It was brand new; one of those disposable phones. It sat next to a notepad with her name on it. It didn’t belong to her, she thought. She picked it up and noticed it had a waiting text message. Curious, she flipped it open and read the message. It was addressed to her and contained a number with instructions to call. She grabbed the pen and wrote the number on the notepad. Finally she dialed the number, feeling a trickle of apprehension. It answered on the first ring.
“Hello?”
“Hold on,” a brusque voice told her. She heard voices in the background as the phone was handed to someone else.
“Layla, so good of you to finally call. I was beginning to wonder where you were.”
Layla shivered at the voice. Suzette. “It’s good to hear from you as well,” she lied.
Suzette laughed and Layla could picture her tossing her long blonde main back. “I’m sure.” She laughed again and Layla shuddered at the mirth she heard in Suzette’s voice. “You have been a bad dog, Layla,” she said mockingly.
Layla ignored her, waiting for her to continue.
“You took something that belongs to me and I want it back.”
Layla rolled her shoulders. Suzette sounded like she wanted a fight. Good. She was looking forward to it. “I don’t know what you mean,” She forced the sugary sweetness into her voice.
Suzette laughed again. “You are too cute! However, you fuck with me and I will fuck you up.” She paused, all trace of humor gone from her voice. “You took five of mine and I will take five of yours. An eye for an eye and all that. I already have three. Two more must die.”
Layla felt her body tense as she listened to Suzette’s words.
“You will bring the young Were you took from me to the Port of Tampa. Pier 25. Midnight tomorrow.”
Layla laughed. A short sound that burst out of her throat. “I’m not going to sacrifice Nali and myself out of some twisted sense of honor. You fucked up my life, Suzette. All of you should have died!” She could hear Suzette’s heavy breathing after her outburst and knew that the other Were had transformed.
“You misunderstand me,” Suzette said, her voice deep and guttural. “You aren’t part of this trade. I will kill you slowly and I will kill you myself.” Layla felt the apprehension return. “The trade is for my pack to avenge their fallen brothers. The little girl makes five. I already have the fourth.”
Layla’s mouth felt dry as she heard Suzette’s voice. Oh, God, she thought wildly, wondering who else was going to suffer for her. She could feel her throat start to constrict as the fear coursed through her. Martin had promised to keep her aunt safe, so that meant Shawna or—“Who?” she ground out in anger.
Suzette laughed again. “Brett, of course.”
*
Layla stood with Martin at the entrance to Pier 25. The dark was broken by evenly spaced pockets of light cast from the streetlamps that dotted the walkway. The pier was deserted. The surrounding areas were cleared of people as well. She had a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, not quite fear but part excitement. Even though she was worried about Brett. She knew Suzette would probably be pissed if she killed him too quickly and he was probably being tortured right now. Even if he was a cheating bastard, he didn’t deserve what she knew Suzette would have no problems doing to him. She really hoped he was still alive. Suzette was just mean enough to kill him and force Layla to see his dead body. She swallowed. She couldn’t think like that right now. She needed to clear her mind and concentrate.
She looked at her watch and noticed it was not quite midnight. She also kne
w it was a trap. She had learned a lot about Weres, life and Suzette in a short period of time and she knew that one did not name the time and place if one did not have control of the area. She looked back at Martin’s truck. The dummy lay propped up in the backseat of the cab clothed in Nali’s T-shirt and jeans with a hoodie covering the head, but she knew it would not fool Suzette. Even if the smell was enough to get past the dumber Weres, Suzette knew Martin nor Layla would risk bringing the child. She chewed her lip and wondered if they had covered their trail well enough. Her aunt and Nali had left that morning for California and were in protective housing by a few Were friends of Martin’s. These Weres were part of the Were Council and included some of the oldest Weres alive. They had promised to keep them safe and Layla knew they were in good hands, she just didn’t trust Suzette’s goons to be smart enough not to attack.
The wind blew off the water and the November chill was enough to pull Layla back from her musings. She fidgeted as she waited, the seconds drawn out and slowed down as time seemed to crawl by. Martin’s head jerked up as he looked off in the distance. Layla could see a vehicle making its way slowly towards them. The black SUV stopped with a slight screech, and it rocked slightly as the doors opened. Four men exited the truck and in a snap transformed into four vicious looking Weres. They stalked over to Layla and Martin, and stopped a safe distance away as they waited.
Layla looked at Martin. He coolly stared at the four Weres, his eyes unreadable. She looked around for Suzette, and then glanced at her watch with a frown. It was midnight. Where was Suzette and where was Brett?
The Weres glanced at each other. One stepped forward and gestured to Martin before he turned to the others. “Follow us. We are meeting Suzette at another location.”
Layla raised her eyebrows at Martin’s curt nod. She followed him back to his truck and hopped in. Suzette was good. Giving them a secondary location meant that any backup or weapons they had stashed here was going to stay here. They were going to an area strictly controlled by Suzette, nothing got in and nothing got out. At least, not without Suzette’s say-so. The black SUV peeled out of the lot and Martin followed.
Layla saw they were heading toward Suzette’s house. It was definitely a trap. But it also meant Suzette was cocky. She was so confident, she didn’t care that they were in her lair. That meant she knew they were not leaving and wouldn’t survive to tell anyone where she was located. Layla felt proud of herself for a moment. That freshman psychology course was coming in handy after all. However, Suzette’s arrogance meant she thought she had an ace up her sleeve. Layla wondered if she would use Brett against her. Force her to surrender by using the man who had her heart. She knew she wasn’t over him and she knew she would probably have a weak moment if he was hurt.
“You okay?” Martin asked gruffly.
Layla nodded, scared as her stomach twisted. She was fine at the pier. She’d had enough time to relax somewhat while they waited. Now going to this new location was bringing up all kinds of new questions that put her on edge. She squirmed a bit.
“Try to relax,” Martin instructed. “This is what she wants.” He looked over at her. “She wants you on edge. She knows that you will be useless unless you relax.” He focused his gaze back on the road. “You have to remember to stay calm. I have known Suzette for a long time and I know how she thinks.”
Layla nodded. Finding calm was going to be difficult. She had a million thoughts running through her head and she could not concentrate enough to relax. Even her internal organs sensed her distress and her stomach knotted even tighter. Her heart pounded and her heart started to hurt. She was on the verge of a panic attack. She looked over at Martin and saw him frown.
“Layla?”
His voice sounded far away, as if he were calling to her through a thick sea of fog.
“Layla?”
She could feel her breaths coming in short burst and she turned fearful eyes on him. She felt the blood rush to her ears and she no longer heard him.
Martin saw the panic in her eyes. He had tried to delay as long as possible before they arrived at the pier, knowing it wouldn’t give her time to think about the situation. But Suzette changing the location allowed Layla time to understand what was going to happen. He could hear her heart hammering in her chest and could see the blood vessel start to constrict. Her hand went to her chest and her breathing was labored. She would pass out at any moment. He tried to keep up with the pace set by the SUV and looked at the Speedometer. Sixty miles per hour. He couldn’t stop and allow her time to relax. It was something they did not have. He reached over and apologized to her before he pulled his hand back and whacked her across the face.
The sting of the slap gave Layla pause. Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her face she looked at Martin.
“Sorry,” he said, as he glanced at her. “I need you back.” He looked out at the landscape. The concrete and metal of the industrial section of Tampa had given way to the landscaped, tree lined mansions of the more affluent areas. “I think we are almost there,” he said, as he gestured with one hand. “I need you.”
Layla swallowed thickly and nodded as she looked out the window. She spotted the large mansion that Suzette had claimed and watched the SUV drive to the rear of the building. She spotted her car still sitting parked to the side and with a quick glance she saw her bags were no longer inside. She breathed deep and closed her eyes briefly as she willed the nervousness away.
“Remember mom,” she whispered to herself and saw Martin nod with approval.
She and Martin were Brett’s only chance to get away and she knew that one mistake would get them all killed.
They stopped inside the gate and Layla looked back at the dummy. That ruse was up. She and Martin couldn’t walk in with a dummy dressed like a little girl swinging between them. Even Suzette’s goons wouldn’t fall for that one. That meant plan B. The dummy was stuffed to high heaven with homemade explosives and if they parked strategically enough and things got too heated, they could always blow up the truck, hopefully take out a few Weres and cause enough of a distraction to get away. And if they hadn’t messed with her car, she still had the keys to her baby. She watched as Martin parked close to a tank of propane gas. Perfect, she thought, and they hopped out.
Two Weres grabbed them as soon as they stepped out of the truck. They were marched along the same corridor Layla had been in slightly over two weeks ago. She passed by the little room that was hers for one day and headed towards the downstairs conference room. The Were holding onto her was a bit rough with his handling and by the time Layla made it to the room, she was bleeding a bit from a slap to the face. Martin had fared no better; he’d been punched a few times and when he’d fallen, he’d been kicked. It was all part of his plan and she tolerated the abuse. Lull them into a false sense of security, she thought.
Layla looked through the open door and her steps faltered for a moment. Brett sat bound to a chair, the ropes crisscrossing his body so tightly that he barely had room to take a breath. She could see the rainbow of colors on his face. The reds and pinks from the fresh and recently healed wounds and bruises, to the purples and blacks of the more advanced repair. He raised his head slightly and gave her a tired smile.
She heard Suzette’s chuckle and her gaze flew to the other woman. Suzette sat on the desk, clad in a white pantsuit that made her legs look even longer and her hair even more blonde. She snapped her fingers and the two Weres dumped Layla and Martin into two chairs before quickly securing them with rope. One Were stooped in front of Martin and ran his hands along the older man’s legs, arms and torso checking for weapons. He unsheathed Martin’s knife and handed it to Suzette, who raised a sardonic brow. He moved to Layla and took his time as he ran his hands across her breasts multiple times. Layla gritted her teeth and she lowered her head. False security, she chanted, trying to stay focused. Finally he was done and he moved away, indicating to Suzette that she was clean.
She looked around at the other Weres
present in the room. The twins were still there, so was Suzette’s second-in-command, the Were named Wattan. The two older males and about ten new Weres she’d never seen. Her eyes widened as she saw the blonde woman from the apartment Brett had walked out of two weeks ago. She had the same straight blonde hair as Suzette and instantly Layla could see the family resemblance.
Suzette chuckled again and walked over to her.
“Pretty isn’t she?” She moved towards Brett. “He seemed to think so. I guess I’m not the only one in the family that’s gotten the opportunity to taste a piece of Brett.” She laughed as Layla flinched. She spread her arms wide. “We are just one big happy family. Layla, welcome back and thank you for bringing Martin. He makes a great fifth for my boys.” She walked back towards the desk and Layla saw a cup resting on the center. Suzette picked it up. “I want to propose a toast.” She raised the glass and Layla saw the other Weres do the same. The Styrofoam cups held a thick, red liquid and Layla could tell from the smell what it was.
“I want to propose a toast.” She walked over to Martin. “To Martin, thank you for delaying Layla’s death; it will only make it sweeter and for becoming our fifth wheel, so to speak.” The Weres chucked as she moved over to Brett, “To Brett for the lovely gift he has bestowed on us tonight, which has some surprising effects.” She winked at Layla. “All good, I assure you,” she said before she walked over to Layla. She stood next to Layla’s tied body and stroked her hair. “To Layla, the one that made all this possible. Tonight we have a fight, a feast and a hunt!” The Weres roared.
“Life is grand!” Suzette held her cup high and in one swallow, downed the blood. The other Weres did the same. She could see the strings of red in Suzette’s mouth and held her breath as she tried not to gag. Suzette bent low and faced Layla. “Don’t think we don’t know where you stashed your aunt and the little girl. That’s the hunt part. The fight? Martin and Brett,” she chuckled, “Against my army.” She smiled evilly. “And of course, you against me.” She stood and walked over to the desk again to place her empty cup on its surface. “The feast, well that comes right after the fight, when we rip you from limb to limb and devour your flesh. It’s the only way to deal with an enemy.” She smiled coldly.
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