by Becca Van
Tatum turned to pick up the discarded clothes and shoes, but Brooks ignored their king for the first time since they’d settled in Ambrose. He was fast on the heels of Zayn and Rex.
The lion and wolf shifter’s sense of smell rivaled a polar bear’s any day, and Brooks was glad as hell they were his friends. If they hadn’t been, then he wasn’t sure they’d have been able to find and rescue Emmy. Brooks was going rip the fucker who’d taken his mate to shreds with his bear claws and smile maliciously while he was doing it.
* * * *
Murphy hadn’t been able to sit still for long. He’d been waiting for what felt like forever for the slut to wake up, but she hadn’t so much as sighed or twitched.
He paced back and forth glanced over at her every time he turned, but she looked as if she was out for the count. Had he hit the cunt too hard? If that was the case he might not be able to use her body the way he planned to. If she didn’t wake up in the next fifteen to thirty minutes he’d just have to be satisfied with slitting her throat.
He cursed under his breath when his cell phone vibrated and pulled it from his pocket. A sigh of frustration parted his lips when he saw the smarmy politician was calling. Murphy wished he could ignore the prick, but that wouldn’t be conducive to getting his five million dollars.
After swiping a finger over the screen of his smartphone, he answered the call and put the phone to his ear. He went to look out the grimy living room window to check there was no one about.
“What?” he asked abruptly.
“Do you have the girl?”
“I have her.” Murphy smirked when he heard the congressman’s sigh of relief.
“About fucking time. Have you killed her yet?” Congressman Andrew Seaton asked.
“No.”
“Why the fuck not? That’s what I’m paying you to do.”
“I’ll top her once you pay me the five mill.”
“Our deal was that you’d get paid after the job was done,” Seaton snarled.
“Change of plans,” Murphy said calmly. “If you want the slut taken out, you need to pay me now.”
“That wasn’t—”
“I don’t give a fuck what you want. I have recorded and documented all of our phone conversations and texts, Congressman Seaton. If you don’t want that information landing in the wrong hands, I suggest you do as I tell you.”
“What?” Seaton hissed out through clenched teeth.
Murphy could just imagine the pompous fuck sitting behind his large, executive-style mahogany desk sweating like a pig. He had the fucker over a barrel and Seaton knew it.
“You’re going to transfer the money into this account right now. If it isn’t there in the next ten minutes, the deal is off.”
“I can have you killed, you bastard.”
“You could, but that would be hard to organize when you’re behind bars.”
“Asshole,” Seaton yelled before disconnecting the call.
Murphy wasn’t that surprised when he got a text message from Seaton thirty seconds later saying, “It’s done.” He hurried into what was left of the kitchen where he’d set up his laptop last night. Bending over he brought up his bank account to see if Seaton was lying. He tensed with fury when he didn’t see the deposit he was expecting. Just as he turned to go check on the woman again, his laptop dinged. He was back in front of his laptop in seconds and laughed with jubilation when he saw all those wonderful zeros. Seaton had handed over the money.
He logged out of his bank account, closed down the site, and brought up the perimeter sensors he’d spent yesterday afternoon setting up. All was quiet, just the way it should be.
However, if someone had seen him and managed to follow him without him knowing, they were in for an explosive surprise.
Murphy grabbed the bottle of water from the table and headed back to the living room. It was time to wake up his captee.
* * * *
Jett’s heart was racing a mile a minute, but it had nothing to do with how fast he was running. He was scared out of his mind, but not for himself. He couldn’t believe that some asshole had managed to kidnap Emmy from practically under their noses. As soon as he’d heard Declan’s panicked call, Jett had tried to connect with his mate, but she hadn’t been there. He cursed himself for missing the emptiness in his heart and soul. He’d been so caught up with the tourists he hadn’t taken time to evaluate his feelings. If anything happened to her, it would be his, Declan’s, and Brooks’ fault.
Jett almost ran into Rex when he stopped abruptly. He just managed to side step the huge lion and avoided a collision. He’d been so intent on his worry for Emmy he hadn’t noticed that Zayn had stopped a few yards ahead of Rex.
Both animals shifted into their human form.
Jett glanced around, but the only thing he could see was a neglected abandoned house a couple of hundred yards away. He inhaled deeply and almost let a growl loose when he caught Emmy’s scent drifting toward him on the breeze.
“There’s no fucking cover until we get near the house,” Zayn said.
“That’s not our only problem.” Rex frowned as he sucked in a deep breath through his nose. He met Zayn’s gaze. “Explosives?”
“Smells like landmines,” Zayn growled.
“Whoever has Emmy was probably military trained like the men she put behind bars,” Declan said.
Brooks nodded.
“So how do we get to her without her getting hurt?” Jett asked.
“Zayn and I will change back to our animals. Seeing a huge ass wolf and a lion isn’t something he’s going to expect. We can also ferret out where he’s set up the mines and any other alerts,” Rex explained.
“I’ll mark where the mines are so you can avoid them. You can worry about the sensors,” Zayn said to Rex.
“We’re in on this,” Jett stated in a firm voice. “That’s our mate in there and she’s hurt.”
“Calm down, Jett.” Declan clasped Jett’s shoulder.
“I won’t fucking calm down until we have Emmy back.” Jett blinked back the tears burning his eyes and swallowed around the lump of emotion constricting his throat.
Tatum dropped the clothes and shoes he was carrying into the dirt on the side of the road and moved to stand in front of Jett. He locked gazes with him. “You need to push your emotions aside, soldier. We’re on a mission and we aren’t going to fail.”
Jett sucked in a ragged breath and as he released it, he called on his military training as he shoved his emotions down deep. He couldn’t believe how hard it was to control the fear for his mate, and his polar bear wasn’t helping. When he had himself under control he nodded and glanced over toward Declan and Brooks. Their eyes were cold and hard, and their jaws were set with determination. He had no doubt that he looked as resolute as they did.
It was time to rescue his mate.
Chapter Twenty
Consciousness returned abruptly when water splashed onto her face. Emmy tried to surge upright as she coughed and spluttered, and immediately wished she hadn’t. Pain exploded behind her eyes. It was so bad her stomach roiled, and she had to concentrate on breathing deeply and evenly so she wouldn’t throw up. Her ankles and wrists were bound, and it took her a few moments to realize she was lying on something hard and lumpy on her side.
“Glad you finally decided to wake up.”
Emmy would have laughed hysterically if she hadn’t been in so much pain. She forced her heavy lids up and instantly closed them when the sunlight pierced into them and shot up into her painfully thumping brain. Bile rose but she swallowed trying to quell the urge to vomit.
When the pain in her head receded to a dull roar, she cautiously opened her eyes again. The man squatting down next to her wasn’t familiar to her, but she had a feeling she knew exactly who he was.
“W-who…” She paused to moisten her dry lips. “Who are you? What do you want?”
His lips curved up with a smile, but the humor never reached his cold brown eyes. “I can
’t believe after all this time you don’t know who I am.” He chuckled and studied her face intently. “You didn’t see me in the back of the courtroom?”
Emmy’s insides began to quake. The bastard had just confirmed her suspicions. If she’d been able to she would have backed away from him, but she was trussed up tight and there was nowhere to go. She glanced around the ramshackle dirty room, and while she had no idea where she was, that didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that she stayed alive.
Declan’s, Brooks’, and Jett’s handsome faces flashed in her mind’s eyes. She’d only just found the loves of her life. She wasn’t about to give up now that she had everything to live for.
And then she remembered that her mates had told her how she’d taken on some of their DNA as well as their strengths. Was she strong enough to break the tethers around her ankles and wrists? There was only one way to find out, but she’d have to wait until the time was right. Because if she moved too soon, she might just end up dead.
“No,” she finally answered. It was hard to concentrate when her head was hurting so much. She was sleepy and felt as if she was shrouded in a fog. Emmy thought she may have a concussion. She definitely had a cut on the side of her head. She could feel the stickiness of blood on her skin as it dried. That had to be a good sign, didn’t it? If her head had stopped bleeding, she couldn’t be hurt that badly. However, she couldn’t know for sure because she had no idea how long she’d been out.
“I was there when you testified against Dwayne Reeve and his comrade, Paul Ryan.”
Emmy shrank away from him when he scowled at her. “You ruined all of our plans. I’ve been searching for you for a long time.”
“Why?” Emmy asked. “Why would you all target innocent people?”
He shrugged. She still had no idea who he was, but she didn’t really care.
“Collateral damage is unavoidable when fighting a war.”
“You’re not fighting a war. Do you have PTSD? Are you angry at the government for how they treated you after you served in the military?”
“Don’t tell me you’re another of those bleeding-heart types of people?”
“I—”
“Shut up,” he ordered in a calm voice.
Emmy frowned. If he was insane he would have been ranting and raving at her, not talking to her as if they were discussing the weather. “This is more than a grudge, isn’t it?”
He eyed her body over and licked his lips. “So, you’re smart as well as beautiful.”
Emmy tried not to cringe when he cupped her cheek, but she couldn’t help sighing with relief when he stood and moved away from her.
He started pacing back and forth as if he was thinking. When he spun on his heels and turned to meet her gaze again, her heart slammed inside her chest and cold sweat broke out over her skin. She’d never seen eyes as cold as his, and as she looked into his indomitable gaze, she saw her own death.
She held her breath when he came back over and sat on the edge of the lumpy, torn sofa near her hip.
“I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. You’re not going to be around for the grand finale anyway. Maybe you’ll find peace in the afterlife knowing that the man pulling all the strings is going to end up behind bars, too.” He lifted the half-empty bottle of water to his lips and sipped. When he noticed her watching him, he placed the rim of the bottle to her lips and tipped it up. Emmy drank deeply, slaking her thirst and easing the dryness in her throat and mouth.
“There’s a congressman in Washington who decided he wanted a clear run for the next presidential election. The only way he was going to get the chance at winning was by taking out all the other political delegates. When he read an angry email from a grieving soldier, he decided to put his plans into action.”
“Who?”
“Congressman Arthur Seaton.”
“I’ve never heard of him.”
“Not many people have. He’s fairly new to the political world.”
“Who are you and what do you get out of all this?” Emmy asked. She couldn’t believe she was conversing with her captor so calmly. Inside she was screaming and crying at the situation, but her mind was racing. She was biding her time, and hopefully, when the time was right, she’d be able to snap those ties and escape her kidnapper.
* * * *
As soon as Rex and Zayn had given the all clear, after marking the ground where the mines were buried and taking out the sensors, Declan, Brooks, and Jett moved in. They crept through the trees around the rundown house, making sure to keep their movements soundless. Declan had barely been able to breathe from the second he’d realized Emmy was missing, and if he hadn’t been crouching under the window where he could hear his mate and that fucker talking he would have sighed with relief. He’d never been happier to hear his woman’s voice and now that she was awake he could feel her emotions. She was scared, but she was holding her fear in check.
He pushed his love out toward her and knew she felt it when he heard her breath hitch. For a moment, he was worried that the bastard holding her against her will had picked up on the change, but when the asshole continued talking, Declan relaxed slightly and listened.
“I was at the St. Regis when everything went to shit. Who I am isn’t important.”
“You haven’t told me what you’re getting out of this,” Emmy said.
“Five million dollars.”
Emmy gasped. “So, this is all about money and power?”
“Isn’t it always?”
“Congressman Arthur Seaton is going to get away with murder just so he can run for the presidency?”
“That’s the gist of it. By the way, he’s already gotten away with two murders. He had Dwayne and Paul murdered in jail.”
“How are you going to prove to Seaton you’ve killed me so you get paid?” Emmy asked.
The fucker laughed. Declan clenched his fists so tight, his knuckles ached.
“Oh, I don’t need to.”
“Why? Surely the congressman isn’t going to take your word that the job is done?”
“He already has.”
“You blackmailed him somehow,” Emmy said hoarsely.
“Right on the money.”
“Then why can’t you let me go? I promise I won’t tell anyone who you are. Not that I know your name, but I’ve…”
Declan winced as he finished the rest of Emmy’s sentence in his head, “seen your face.” He glanced over at Jett and Brooks. They were crouched under the windows on either side of him. It was almost time to make their move.
* * * *
While Emmy was still scared, her fear was easier to handle. She could feel Jett, Brooks, and Declan in her heart not long after she’d woken up. At first they’d been faint, but now if felt as if they were standing right beside her. She’d kept the man talking, hoping to give her mates time to get to her, but when he finished explaining everything, she knew her time was up.
When he grabbed one of her breasts and squeezed, Emmy screamed and tugged as hard as she could against her restraints. The zip-lock ties cut into her skin, and while she was able to loosen the tightness, she wasn’t able to break free.
He grabbed a handful of her hair, the other hand still kneading her breast, and he turned her face toward his. Just as he was about to kiss her, an almighty lion’s roar broke the quiet.
Inside Emmy was cheering that the other shifters were helping her mates, but on the outside, she hoped she portrayed fear. “What was that?” she asked in a shaky voice. “Was that a lion?”
“Don’t be stupid. We only have cougars.”
Emmy turned her head just before his lips connected with hers, uncaring of the pain it caused in her already aching head when strands of hair ripped from her scalp. She gagged when he licked her cheek.
She screamed as glass shattered from all sides of the house. Snarls, growls, howls, and roars rent the air. The bastard released her and shoved to his feet as he reached up under the back of his T-shirt and pulled
a Glock from the waistband of his jeans.
She almost started laughing when she saw the incredulous expression on her kidnapper’s face when three lions, three wolves, three Kodiak bears, and two polar bears burst into the room.
However, in the next instant she was shaking in her boots.
Her abductor had pulled her to her feet and was using her body as a shield. Since her arms and legs were still tethered, she couldn’t even fight him off. She froze when he held the muzzle of the gun to her temple.
Did he know about shifters? Or was he going to kill her and toss her carcass to the animals to hopefully fight over so he could make his escape?
Please, throw me.
* * * *
Brooks signaled to Declan, and when he nodded in acknowledgment he crawled along the house on all fours and around the corner until he was outside the back door which led directly into the kitchen. He inhaled deeply through his nose, making sure the door wasn’t rigged with explosives or sensors, and then turned the handle.
“I’m in position,” he said through the common link.
“Now!”
As soon as Declan gave the signal everyone moved at once. Glass exploded as the other shifters dove through windows from all directions.
Brooks entered the kitchen, shucked his clothes quickly, and embraced his animal side. Once he’d fully changed into his polar bear, he lumbered forward lightly on padded paws into the living room. The sight that met his eyes had a rumble of anger grumbling up from his chest, but he swallowed it back down. The only way he was going to rescue Emmy was by surprising the fucker who was holding a gun to his mate’s head.
He kept his gaze on the bastard’s back, trusting all his friends to keep the bastard’s attention off of him as he crept forward.
“What the fuck? I knew there was something strange about the people in this town. Call them off, bitch, or I’ll put a bullet in your head.”