Grizzly's Bear (The Holloways Book 5)

by Lacey Thorn

  Several people left while Slade and Rissa ate, until only a handful remained at the table. Tah and Abby, Ariel and Daniel, Reno and Amia, Kenzie and Gabriel, and Jensen, Slade and Rissa. She knew what they were waiting for and instead of forcing someone to take the lead, she took it herself.

  “I lost my memory.” She briefly closed her eyes as she felt the weight of every gaze in the room on her.

  Ariel stood and moved so she sat directly across from Rissa. Daniel followed, and Ariel spoke as soon as they were seated.

  “We were laughing and joking in the clearing,” Ariel said. “I was reaching for the hem of my shirt, ready to strip and shift, when the first dart hit me. You were already on the ground. I saw three darts. They hit you all at once as if they were afraid of you.”

  Rissa blew out a breath as she processed that, letting the memory come and not fighting it. “They tossed us in the truck. I passed out at some point. When I came to, they were dragging me into a room. My head…” She reached up to cup the back of her head, though the pain there was nothing but phantom now. “It kept banging on the floor as we went down the hall.” Her gaze went to Ariel. “One of them was carrying you over his shoulder. He was in charge. I remember him giving the order for us to be tossed in the truck.”

  Daniel growled, and Ariel leaned into her mate, rubbing her hand over his chest. Rissa understood. Her hand rested on Slade’s thigh under the table. A thigh that was rock-hard with tension.

  “He’s dead,” Daniel snapped.

  “Good.” Rissa had no concern for the lives of the men who’d taken her and Ariel. “They separated us. You were put in one room, and I was dragged into another. My memories aren’t all back yet. I have images. Snippets of things.”

  “I don’t remember arriving there,” Ariel offered. “When I came to, I was alone. I think they were all with you. I… I heard you scream. Then Talbot told someone to shut you up. I heard…” She stopped, shaking her head as Daniel wrapped her tighter against him. “You stopped mid-scream. One minute, I heard you, then there was silence.”

  “They hit me with a metal club. One of the hunters said he’d been wanting to try it out.”

  “When we got her back, they’d broken her thigh in two places. She had several ribs that were pretty much shattered and her skull was collapsed on the right side.” Jensen’s voice was rife with anger as he spoke, and every male shifter at the table growled.

  “They’re all dead,” Slade assured everyone. “Every hunter there, except for the one you all have here.”

  Rissa edged closer to Slade, but she had a hand on Jensen, as well. Both Holloways were vibrating with fury. She’d expected it from Slade. He was her mate, after all. But Jensen surprised her. He always seemed calm and collected.

  “Were you injured?” Rissa asked Ariel.

  Ariel tensed but shook it off quickly. “Not really. They must have started with you while they waited for me to come around.”

  Rissa shook her head at the guilty expression on Ariel’s face. “I’m glad they didn’t get a chance to get to you. If I could have held them off longer, I would have.” She absently patted Slade’s chest when he growled. “They have other shifters. Talbot has them, and we need to find out where.”

  “Do you remember something about others?” Tah asked, sitting forward, elbows braced on the table as he leaned toward them.

  “He said he didn’t need another female bear. He had plenty of them.” She glanced toward Slade then continued when he didn’t say anything to stop her. “I think it might be some of the missing females from the Holloway den. The Holloways thought they were dead, but it looks like some may have been taken by hunters and given to Talbot for his sick experiments. We need to find them, and Talbot knows where they are.”

  “He’s not talking,” Reno said softly. It was the first time the other man had spoken aloud since they’d sat down. “Not yet.”

  “Maybe, he doesn’t have the right incentive,” Slade snarled.

  “Trust me, we’ve given him plenty of incentive. He’s the one who created the damn torture chamber they used to terrify my wife.”

  “Reno.” His mate touched his arm, drawing his attention to her and giving a slight shake of her head.

  He paused briefly as he met his mate’s gaze then slowly turned back to the rest of them. “No one wants that bastard dead more than I do. No one.”

  Then he turned and left the room, Amia moving quickly after him.

  “We need him alive, for now,” Rissa said softly into the silence. “Until we find the others.”

  “We have someone missing also. Someone we believe might have been captured and hidden somewhere by Talbot. He’s not admitting anything yet. Yet,” Tah emphasized. “We’re not giving up.”

  “We’d like the opportunity to speak with him, as well,” Jensen stated, and Rissa wasn’t surprised when Tah nodded.

  “I expected that when Laramie said you were coming.”

  Rissa doubted much got past the alpha of the cat pride.

  “We appreciate you agreeing to our visit, knowing we’d want to see him,” Slade said, surprising Rissa.

  “Truth is, I don’t mind someone else trying to get him to tell us what he knows. I don’t care who makes him talk, as long as he talks.” Frustration rolled off Tah as he spoke, and Rissa bet some of it had to do with Reno’s earlier explosion before he’d left the room. She’d heard the two men were as close as brothers.

  “It’s hard for a lot of people here that he’s alive.” Abby sighed as Tah ran his hand down her back. “So many have been hurt by Talbot, directly or indirectly. Or one of their family or friends. The list is never ending. The man is a monster. I shudder to think of what he’d do to my daughter or any of the children here if he could get his hands on them. I know the evil he’s capable of. But like it or not, we need him alive. Until we find Murphy. Until we get the location of the missing members of your den. Until we find everyone he’s held hostage. We need him alive.”

  “And then?” Rissa asked softly and almost flinched at the pain she saw in Abby’s gaze.

  “Then I don’t care what happens to the son-of-a-bitch.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Slade wasn’t completely comfortable leaving Rissa, but when Adam called and said he needed to meet him, Rissa had been the one to shove him out the door, saying she liked the idea of spending time with Ariel and a few of the other mates.

  After gaining her promise not to leave the main house until he got back, he’d kissed her until they were both panting then headed out with Jensen to find out what Adam had discovered. They both figured it was something to do with Talbot. Adam didn’t mince words when they found him. He was talking as soon as they shut off the ATVs they’d borrowed.

  “They have more than Talbot. I’ve been hanging out with some of the guys around Tony’s house. They’re mostly humans who work to infiltrate hunter groups and rescue any shifters they have. Great guys, “Adam added.

  “Who else do they have?” Jensen asked before Slade could.

  “I’m not sure on number, but I overheard a few of them talking about capturing a couple of hunters, who tried to rescue Talbot.”

  “What else did you hear?” Slade prompted.

  “I hear the alpha here took a swipe at Talbot. Raked his claws down one side of his face before they could finish pulling him back. Said it took six of them, and Tah still managed to get close enough to do some damage.”

  “Talbot said something about his daughter, didn’t he?” Jensen questioned, and Slade knew he was right before Adam nodded. All he had to do was remember Abby’s words earlier, about her fear of what Talbot would do if he got his hands on her daughter or any of the other shifter children on the ranch.

  “I guess the bastard went into some detail about what he’d done to Kenzie Marshall and what he’d like to do to Tah’s daughter, Regan,” Adam informed them, confirming what Slade had been thinking.

  “Tah’s agreed to let us in to speak with Talbo
t. They’ve got a shifter missing, and from what Rissa overheard, he’s stashed several female bear shifters away, as well. I want to know where they are.”

  Something in Jensen’s tone gave Slade pause. It had him thinking back to the years before the attacks and wondering if there was something he’d missed. Something they’d all missed. Had Jensen been seeing one of the females in their den? Maybe, one he’d thought dead and now, hoped might still be alive? Would his brother have kept something like that to himself?

  “Jensen?” he asked.

  “I’m fine.”

  Yet, his brother’s tone didn’t match his words. Neither did his expression.

  “There’s also a woman here. The one who was rescued before the Erikson brothers and their mates came to Holloway territory. I guess Talbot had her for years. She’s pregnant, and there’s speculation he killed her mate. She’s human, and one of the guys said she’s taken up with one of them, a guy named Mitch. They all speak highly of him. Anyway, I guess one of the hunters who came after Talbot got his hands on her first. Tried to use her as a shield to get to the doctor. Mitch went nuts.”

  “Did he kill the guy or take him prisoner?” Jensen demanded. Adam certainly seemed to have a flair for drawing things out. It wasn’t a skill Slade and his brother enjoyed at present.

  “He didn’t have to. I guess she gutted the guy. By the time they got her to the medical facility afterwards, she was in shock. Pupils dominated her eyes. Didn’t speak and hasn’t said much since. Sounds like they’re all worried about her.”

  “Sounds like you’ve picked up on a lot while you’ve been gone,” Slade concluded. His mate’s brother might be a good guy to have around.

  “I’m actually planning to stay over here until we leave. Might go on a few rescues with them. It’ll feel good to get out and do something. I’ve been restless for too long.”

  “Rissa won’t like it,” Slade felt pressed to remind him.

  “My sister has you, now. Her focus will be on her mate. I’m glad she chose as wisely as she did. I know she’ll be safe with you,” Adam stated.

  Slade snorted. “You do realize she was taken off Holloway land, right?”

  Adam nodded. “I also know you found her and brought her back. I know you killed the fuckers who took her. And I know you’d do it again.”

  “She won’t be taken again.” Slade’s voice was hard and cold. He wouldn’t allow it to happen again.

  “Like I said,” Adam continued, “she has you.”

  “You have us, too.” Jensen reached out and gripped Adam’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “You’re family now. Slade’s brother through Rissa and all of the rest of us through Slade. Remember that.”

  Adam nodded. “I’m not planning to leave the den. Not permanently. I do want to go back to Washington, though. See if I can persuade some of the others to head to Wyoming with me.”

  “They’d be welcome,” Slade assured him, and his brother nodded in agreement. Slade had no doubt Laramie would welcome any member of his mate’s former den. Hell, there were already members of the Langston den showing up to pledge loyalty to Laramie and Em.

  “Anyway, I wanted to tell you I’m heading out with a group later today. Tony’s buddy, Aleksy, is heading it. Well, he and his mate, Lyra.”

  “Where you headed?” Slade figured Rissa would want to know where Adam was once she found out he was gone.

  “Not sure. They brief in flight. One of Tony’s rules. I’d say he’s paranoid, but then most people I know are. Most with good reason,” Adam admitted.

  “Be safe,” Jensen ordered, and Adam laughed.

  “I always am. Are you planning to get in and see Talbot today?”

  Slade nodded as he shared a glance with his brother.

  “We are,” Jensen agreed. “The sooner the better. Might as well search out Tony while we’re here. You know where he’s at?”

  “His house, probably,” Adam offered. “It’s a farmhouse in the middle of his property. Doesn’t fit him at all on the outside. Inside’s a whole different story.”

  Meaning Tony had all the bells and whistles on the inside. Slade wondered if that was where they were keeping Talbot.

  Adam’s phone chimed, and he glanced down. “Gotta go. Aleksy wants me suited up and ready to go. I’m meeting him at the armory.”

  “Tony has an armory?” Jensen shook his head, even as he voiced his disbelief. “Of course, he has an armory. Man’s probably got more gadgets than the military.”

  “House is that way.” Adam pointed. “I’ll see you guys when we get back.” Then with a wave he was off and moving.

  “Rissa’s going to be pissed,” Jensen murmured, and Slade snorted. Pissed was probably an understatement. Then he thought of what she’d said about the people being held by hunters.

  “Maybe not,” he speculated. She’d been willing to risk her health to remember anything and everything she could that might give them a direction to go in. He didn’t doubt she’d want to help rescue the prisoners when they had a location.

  “Let’s go see this farmhouse,” Jensen muttered as they fired up the all terrains and headed in the direction Adam had directed them, earlier.

  Tony met them on the porch. “Tah said I’d be seeing you. Also said you wanted to pay my guest a visit.”

  Slade nodded. “Heard he’s not saying much about where he’s set up his torture labs. According to what my mate remembers, he said he has plenty of female bear shifters.”

  And fuck, if he didn’t feel guilty about that, too. If they were members of the Holloway den, Slade wondered how long they’d clung to hope someone would come rescue them and when they’d finally given up. All this time, and up until a year ago, they’d never known any of the females in their den had survived the attacks. They’d believed the lies perpetrated by their elders, even as females had been hidden away from them under the pretext of being kept safe in case of another attack. Rissa’s overhearing Talbot make a comment along the same lines gave validity to it. Now, they needed to find them and bring them home.

  “Come inside, then.” Tony held open the door then stepped in behind Jensen and Slade. “Follow me.”

  He led them through the living room then down a hallway toward the back of the house. Midway through, he paused and placed his hand against a panel. Part of the wall shifted, and he opened it wide, waving for them to enter before he stepped in behind them. Motion lights flared to life as they moved along a corridor that pitched downward, taking them under the house.

  “House was here. I’m building another one, but it seemed stupid to waste this one. Then I found out it had hidden rooms. Not sure what it was originally used for, but with a few renovations, I use it as my guest room. Talbot has a little wear and tear to him, but his mouth is still functional. He can tell you anything you want to know. It’s motivating him to share that information that’s the issue.”

  “Glad to see if we can help,” Jensen said, though Slade wondered what they might be able to add that the others hadn’t.

  Tony stopped abruptly, and Slade blinked as he took in the area in front of him. Talbot had been stripped to the skin and was currently locked in a cage that barely fit him. It was poetic justice as far as Slade was concerned. How many shifters had Talbot imprisoned similarly? How many more were being taken every day by groups of hunters? Hunted, tortured, and murdered for the simple reason of existing.

  “Tsk, tsk, Tony,” Talbot called as they entered. “You should know the danger of mixing company by now. Humans with shifters is bad enough. But bringing bears into a pride of cats? Not wise at all. They don’t mix well, but they have the bloodiest fights. Vicious when fighting for survival.”

  “Funny you should mention survival,” Jensen murmured as he moved confidently into the room, heading straight for the cage holding Talbot. “As I was just questioning yours. Wondering how much of the torture you dish out that you might be able to survive.”

  Talbot laughed, but Slade noted his eyes were watc
hful. He darted his gaze between Jensen and Tony, seeming unsure which one to fear more. Slade found it very interesting.

  “Just remember we need him alive,” Tony warned as he walked over to a table. “Everything you asked for is right here.”

  “Do you really think you can do anything they haven’t already tried?” Talbot sneered.

  “Maybe,” Slade said as he joined Jensen. “Maybe not. But we’ll enjoy it, either way.”

  Talbot paled even as he glared at Slade.

  “Remember me, do you?” Slade squatted by the cage. “Should I shift and see if that helps?”

  “I warned that bastard not to go on Holloway land. Stupid, arrogant hunter.”

  Slade knew he was referring to the hunter who’d been in charge when Rissa and Ariel were taken. Daniel had ripped out the man’s throat since he’d been in the room with Ariel and attempted to slit her throat before Daniel made it inside.

  “Dead hunter,” Jensen corrected. “I believe he was mauled by a lion.”

  “Something like that,” Slade agreed.

  “Hughes was an idiot. I don’t know what Blaine ever saw in him. That boy was nothing but trouble from the start.”

  Tony stepped forward when Talbot spoke. “Really pissed you off when he let one of your captives go, didn’t it?”

  Talbot laughed. “One of the most important skills a person can have is simply to watch and take note of what motivates people. Do they do what you say not to do or do they follow your orders to the letter? Do they respond better to fear or to praise? Once you learn their secrets, it’s a simple matter of behaving in the way guaranteed to sway them to your agenda.”

  “You wanted her released,” Jensen murmured, and Slade completely agreed. For whatever reason, Talbot had wanted the pregnant human released. Why? What was his agenda in all this?

  “How is our little mother-to-be?” Talbot asked as he glanced toward Tony.