Control

by Crissy Smith

  “From everything I’ve heard and seen, she’s a very capable agent.”

  Kieran shrugged. “I guess I just don’t want her to see me in that environment.”

  “I can understand that. That kid tonight, Mitch, the one who works in my IT.”

  “Yeah?”

  “He has to be the most innocent kid I’ve ever met,” Jackson said. “He’d been kicked around the foster system. Dragged from one group home to another. Never in one spot for long, and no family would take a teenager.”

  “How’d you come across him?”

  “He hacked into one of my arcade games in the kids’ area.” Jackson laughed. “Fixed it up so he could stay inside all night and play. It’d been snowing for days and he didn’t have anywhere to sleep.”

  Kieran smiled. “So you found him a job.”

  “Some food, a shower and a soft bed. He’d been feeding on small animals. Thought he’d lose control and kill a human if he bit them.”

  “No one ever showed him how to feed?” Kieran asked, shocked.

  “No,” Jackson answered. “He actually thought he was a vampire. His fangs would drop down and he’d find a stray cat or dog. He said he never killed them and would nurse them back to health when he could. At one of the group homes, he’d refused to go outside because he thought he’d burst into flames. They beat him and threw him into the yard. Mitch found out the sun didn’t hurt him, but it confused him even more.”

  “Fuck, that had to be rough.”

  “Yeah, but I come across him playing vintage Pac Man and he didn’t try to attack or anything. Just dropped his head and apologized. When I offered him food and a bed, he thought I was trying to buy him,” Jackson shared. “It took me hours to convince him I didn’t want sex in trade. He hadn’t done that yet, but knew boys who had. With the weather so bad, it was a thought he’d been having.”

  “Good thing you found him when you did,” Kieran said and meant it. It sounded like Mitch had had as bad a childhood as Kieran’s adult life. At least he’d had his family until he was eighteen.

  “As soon as I showed him I was a Walker too, he asked about a thousand questions. I had to bring in Alex just so I could get a break,” Jackson continued. “He hasn’t left our side since. Alex found out he was a genius, a real one, and we put him in school.”

  “I’d say it worked out for all involved. If Dean was impressed, then the kid knows his shit.”

  “And still he is innocent. He asked me if we were going to kill Bradley and the others that took Alex.”

  “If luck is on our side,” Kieran commented.

  “That’s what I said,” Jackson replied. “I thought he’d want to hear that the people responsible for taking Alex would be punished.”

  “He doesn’t?” Kieran asked surprised.

  “Oh he wants them caught, but he asked me if we could just hurt them a little.”

  “He said that?” Kieran was now amused.

  “Yeah,” Jackson replied. “We want them to pay but…” He shook his head. “Christ, man, I didn’t know what to tell him. If I get my hands on Bradley or the doctor, or anyone really, I don’t know if I’ll be able to hold back.”

  “I know,” Kieran agreed. He’d had the same thought earlier. He didn’t think Dakota or Remy would try to stop him. They knew what he’d suffered, but that didn’t mean he wanted them to see how he would handle them.

  “The kid…” Jackson laughed. “He’s a good guy.”

  “You’ve done right by him. Got him educated and given him a family. You’re like a father to him.”

  “Oh please,” Jackson griped. “Now you sound like Alex.”

  Kieran laughed but stopped when a scream filled the air.

  They both turned toward the west, where the sound had come from.

  “It looks like it’s dinner time,” Kieran observed.

  “Yep,” Jackson agreed. “Let’s go.”

  They raced off toward what sounded like a scuffle. As they got closer, Kieran could almost hear the entire conversation. The woman begging for whoever had cornered her to just take her money and let her go. She had a son she needed to get home to.

  Kieran made it into the alley just as one of the guys threw her down. She cried out as another, a tall skinny blond, stalked toward her.

  “Please,” she begged.

  “Well, what do we have here?” Kieran asked

  The woman gasped and started to cry harder as the blond kid and the dark-haired guy took up defensive stances.

  “She’s ours,” the blond said. “Go find your own fun.”

  “Oh no,” Jackson replied. “This looks like something we’ll want a part of.” He strolled forward and Kieran wasn’t surprised when the younger guys backed off.

  They were human and might not recognize them as being Walkers, but their build was much larger than the attackers’.

  “Let me help you, ma’am,” Jackson reached down and lifted the woman to her feet. “Now I want you to run as fast and far away from here as you can. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes.” She wiped her face. “Yes.”

  “Go now,” Jackson ordered.

  Kieran stalked forward, ignoring the woman and keeping his eyes on the two guys. They’d picked a good spot for their attempted assault. There was no way out of the alley.

  “So you like to pick on women?” Kieran asked the blond.

  “It was none of your business,” Blondie replied.

  “Maybe not,” Kieran said. “But I made it mine.” He lunged at the blond and had him off his feet in a matter of seconds. Beside him, he heard Jackson punch the dark-haired guy.

  “Hey, man, it’s cool,” the blond told him. “We didn’t mean any harm.”

  “And what would you have done to her if we hadn’t come by?” Kieran asked.

  “Nothing,” Blondie said. “Really.”

  He was lying and they both knew it. Kieran slammed Blondie against the old brick building, twice. “What’s your name?”

  “What?”

  “I asked what your name is,” Kieran repeated. “And if you lie to me, I’ll know.”

  “Du…Dustin,” Blondie responded shakily.

  Kieran reached around and pulled the wallet from Blondie’s back pocket. He flipped it open. Dustin Evers. Kieran memorized his address.

  “Now I know your name, face and address,” Kieran told him. “If you even think about doing something like this again, I will find you and you won’t get off so easy next time.”

  Dustin nodded. “Promise!”

  “Good,” Kieran praised. “Not that you’re going to get off too easy this time.”

  Dustin’s eyes widened before Kieran threw him across the alley. Dustin hit the sidewalk and rolled. Kieran leapt after him and by the time Dustin stopped, he had his hand back around Dustin’s thick neck.

  “You’ll learn your lesson,” Kieran told him.

  “Yes! Yes!” Dustin yelled.

  Kieran drew his hand back and delivered three hard punches to the side of Dustin’s face. Once he was unconscious, Kieran picked up Dustin’s limp wrist and bit down.

  The blood flooded his mouth and he swallowed. Immediately his body warmed. That was the danger when he drank. Not that he would lose control, but that he wouldn’t stop, because there was never a time when he was as warm as when he drank blood.

  He kept his eyes open and on Dustin. The kid might be a creep, but he wasn’t going to die that night.

  After half a dozen gulps of blood, Kieran dropped Dustin’s wrist back down to the ground.

  Not only would Dustin wake up with several bruises and possibly a fractured jaw, but he would be sick for the next several days from Kieran’s bite. He straightened up and glanced to the side, where the dark-haired kid was braced against the wall. Jackson finished his phone call then turned to Kieran.

  “A couple of my guys are going to come down here and wait until they wake up,” Jackson told him. “Scare them a little more before taking them home.”


  “I usually just leave them.”

  “I figured,” Jackson said. “But I don’t want them back in this neighborhood. We both know what they would have done to that woman. She had a uniform on, cleaning outfit for one of the other hotels around here. She should be able to walk to and from work without being bothered.”

  Kieran just grinned. Jackson couldn’t help but to try to save everyone. Even when Kieran had been giving up after living years in captivity, Jackson had managed to make him care again, make him want to survive.

  “So how did it feel?” Kieran asked him.

  Jackson grinned. “Better than I remembered.”

  With a laugh, they started out of the alley. Kieran would trust Jackson’s guys to take care of the two humans and they had only a few hours before the sun would come up.

  “We should get back to the hotel,” Jackson commented.

  Kieran paused at the mouth of the alley. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and the feeling of darkness surrounded him. “Jackson,” he whispered.

  “I sense it too.” Jackson moved until they were back to back.

  Kieran scanned the surrounding area but didn’t pick up anyone or anything. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know,” Jackson admitted.

  The sudden cackle was loud and almost brought Kieran to his knees. He knew that sound.

  “Well, well, well.” Bradley stepped out of the shadows. He had his arm around the neck of the woman they’d saved earlier. “My two favorite pets together again.”

  Looking at the man who was responsible for their years of torment, Kieran felt like that scared eighteen-year-old kid again. He began to shake, but Jackson was there, pressing the back of his hand to Kieran’s.

  “Now, Kieran,” Bradley said silkily. “I thought I taught you not to feed in public. Wasn’t that how I found you the first time?”

  Kieran refused to let his mind wander back into memories.

  “Pretty ballsy, coming out here by yourself,” Kieran taunted. “I also remember you being quite the coward. Never getting your own hands dirty.”

  Bradley snarled at him. “Am I supposed to fear you?” he asked Kieran. “I’m surprised you’re not pissing yourself.”

  So was Kieran, but Bradley didn’t need to know that. He snorted in response.

  “Why don’t you let the woman go and we’ll talk this out, just the three of us,” Jackson suggested.

  Bradley glanced at the woman he held and blinked in surprise. Like he’d forgotten she was even there. Her quiet pleading wasn’t doing anything to persuade him to release her. “This thing?” Bradley asked, shaking her roughly. “I couldn’t care less about her. But it seems you still see yourself as a hero.” Bradley laughed before he threw the woman down the street. With his shifter strength, she flew through the air before landing with a hard thud.

  “What do you want?” Kieran asked.

  Bradley turned his attention back to Kieran. “You, of course.”

  “I don’t think so,” Kieran snapped. “You must be even crazier than you used to be.”

  “Not even to save your friend’s boy?” Bradley asked glancing between them. “He doesn’t take to pain like you did. I don’t think he’ll make it another twenty-four hours.”

  “I’m going to kill you,” Jackson spat.

  “You’ll try,” Bradley said. “But, like all the others, you’ll fail. Now if you don’t mind, I’m trying to talk to Kieran. It’s rude to interrupt.”

  Kieran couldn’t believe this was happening. “And if I agree to go with you, you’ll let Alex and the shifters go?” He had no intention of giving into this madman, but he wanted to know Bradley’s plan.

  “Wouldn’t you rather I kept the shifters and let you play with them?” Bradley asked sweetly. “Oh no! That’s right, you’ve taken a liking to a shifter. I could always bring her with you.”

  Kieran saw red, rage filling him. He took a step forward with his hands clenched. Jackson grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back.

  Bradley let his amusement show by clapping.

  “Oh my! What a reaction,” Bradley taunted. “Maybe you’ve taken more than just a liking to the jaguar. That could prove very entertaining.”

  “You won’t get your hands on her,” Jackson declared.

  “I could also take the wolf you like to hang out with,” Bradley told him. “I’ve been watching you for a very long time. It seems you made yourself a little family. I would hate to break it up.”

  “You’re messing with a whole lot more than just some terrified kid this time,” Kieran warned.

  “Oh, pish posh,” Bradley waved his hand around. “The Organization? I’ve been outwitting them for years. You think Caspar is going to come to your rescue again? Trust me, he won’t even make it here.”

  Cold dread traveled up Kieran’s spine. “What did you do?”

  Bradley’s smiled was predatory. “Let’s just say not everyone on his team is loyal to him. He’ll be finding that out very shortly.”

  Kieran had had enough. He growled and crouched.

  “Let’s not fight,” Bradley held up his hands. “Come with me and all your little friends will be safe. I can’t say the same about Caspar, though. He’s been a thorn in my side for way too long. He’s the reason I lost you in the first place.”

  “Sure,” Kieran said. “I’ll come with you. I’ll deliver your dead body to your men.”

  Kieran launched himself through the air and closed the distance between them. Bradley scrambled back and whistled.

  Snarling, growling and snapping sounds came all around him. In the time Bradley had distracted them, he’d been able to move his shifters in close. Kieran couldn’t worry about him though. He only had eyes for Bradley. He was going to tear out his throat.

  Before Kieran could tackle Bradley like he had planned, a large weight knocked him out of the air. Kieran landed and rolled and was immediately back on his feet. In front of him was a huge black bear. The bear stood up on his hind legs and roared.

  If Bradley didn’t think he and Jackson could take care of six shifters, Kieran was going to have to believe the man had gotten crazier over time. Kieran darted forward and punched the bear in the stomach as hard as he could. The bear shifter tumbled away, only to be replaced by a tiger and coyote shifter. Kieran didn’t waste any time going after them.

  The shifters were good fighters, better than Kieran was used to, but still no match for a Walker. Once all his opponents were laid out, he turned and checked in on Jackson, who was laying the last of his adversaries flat.

  Kieran turned back toward where Bradley had been, but he wasn’t there any longer.

  “Over here!”

  He whirled around and saw Bradley two blocks away. He’d undressed and Kieran couldn’t believe he was about to lose this fucker. He took off in a sprint, but before he’d even closed half the distance, Bradley had shifted.

  Kieran leapt up and reached out as Bradley took flight, but there was no catching the eagle shifter.

  “Fuck!” Kieran yelled out his frustration.

  Chapter Seven

  Kieran led the way into his suite and stopped short. Dakota and Remy were both sitting in the living room, staring at the door.

  “Morning,” Kieran greeted. He could tell from the looks on their faces that they’d been worried and were relieved to see them. The anger radiating from both their scents told a different story. Damn, what did they know?

  Dakota stood and looked him up and down. “You okay?” she asked. Then she leaned in and sniffed him, actually sniffed him. Other than his clothes, he wouldn’t smell like anything else. She nodded. Oh, fuck, she was checking for blood.

  “Yeah, sure,” he replied. “Fine.”

  She nodded again before spinning on her heel and stomping off.

  “Dakota?” he called after her, but she didn’t stop. Instead, after she’d crossed the threshold to the bedroom, she slammed the door once inside. Kieran turned to his partner. “What th
e hell?”

  “What the hell?” Remy repeated. “What the hell? You find out Bradley is back in town and looking for you and you disappear?”

  Oh, well, fuck. He hadn’t counted on anyone knowing that yet. “How’d you know?”

  “Seriously!” Remy yelled as he threw up his hands. “I was CC’d on the fucking email. Do you really think Caspar would have only sent it to you? Didn’t you see the others?”

  No, he hadn’t, but he’d been tired and hungry.

  “So your girlfriend and I have been sitting here for over an hour waiting for you,” Remy finished.

  “Oh,” Kieran said lamely.

  “What the fuck, man!” Remy shoved his shoulder as he passed.

  “What are you doing?” Kieran asked. He didn’t want Remy leaving, out on the streets alone. Bradley had already made a threat against him.

  “I’m ordering some breakfast for us all,” Remy replied angrily.

  Kieran glanced at Jackson and saw him staring back. They hadn’t quite figured out what to do about telling the others of their run-in with Bradley. They needed to get a warning out to Caspar if possible. Kieran had already tried Caspar’s cell phone, but it kept going to voicemail.

  Jackson gave him a small nod. Looked like they were going to have to come clean about everything.

  “Let me go talk to Dakota,” Kieran told Remy. “After you order us some breakfast, Jackson will fill you in.”

  “Fine.” Remy waved him off.

  At least his partner’s scent had lessened to a more manageable irritated one. He’d probably still have to hear about it later from Remy, but he wanted to handle only one fight at a time.

  Kieran shuffled his feet on the way to the bedroom. He’d heard the shower turn on already and knew Dakota was in the bathroom and he really wanted to avoid this confrontation.

  “Stop acting like a baby,” Remy hollered at him.

  Kieran flipped him off before he turned the knob on the bedroom door. At least it wasn’t locked. He strolled into the bedroom as the shower turned off.

  Instead of meeting her in the bathroom, he walked over to the bed and sat down.