Control

by Crissy Smith

  “Stop!”

  She heard the words, but they didn’t matter. The only important thing was making sure Sparro, Bradley and the others never got the chance to hurt anyone ever again.

  “Stop!”

  She was jerked off Sparro and tossed against the edge of a boulder. Dakota rolled, panting and shaking.

  “You can’t kill him.” Remy stood naked above Sparro, blocking her from ending him.

  She snarled and tried to snap, but her stomach burned. Dakota peered down and saw her own blood coating the ground.

  “Shit!” Remy rushed over to her. “You’re hurt.”

  She tried to shake her head, but her vision blurred.

  “Fuck, Kieran is going to kill me for letting you get hurt,” Remy complained.

  Dakota whined, but when she tried to rise, her shaky legs gave out on her and she fell back down.

  “I’m going to get my bag,” Remy said, crouching over her. “I’ve got to call for backup.”

  She nodded.

  “Sparro’s out,” he said. “So is the cougar. Just stay here.”

  He took off and Dakota looked around the small clearing. There was blood staining the ground. She needed to check on the cougar. Her stomach was still stinging, so Dakota started to crawl toward the cougar. Corey, she needed to remember the young woman’s name. Corey had fought well. She’d stood up to the powerful lion and Dakota was going to make sure she was okay.

  She wouldn’t fail her again.

  It was hard not to rip out Sparro’s throat as she crept past him, but now the adrenaline had ebbed, she was feeling the pain.

  After what seemed like forever, Dakota finally dropped down beside the cougar shifter. Corey blinked open her eyes and watched her as Dakota took in the cougar’s injuries.

  Nothing looked life-threatening and Dakota was beyond relieved. Maybe that was a little less guilt she would carry around, because she knew Corey getting injured was all her fault.

  There was no way Dakota could shift in her current condition so she laid her neck against Corey’s to offer comfort.

  Corey rumbled and nuzzled her back.

  Dakota closed her eyes, hoping Remy hurried.

  Chapter Ten

  Kieran had known Bradley would be tough to get to talk but he was running out of ideas. They’d hung Bradley by his wrists and Jackson and Kieran had taken turns on him, but Bradley still hadn’t told them where Caspar was.

  No one in the Organization had seen or spoken to Caspar or anyone on his team since he’d left for the airport to come to Vegas. Kieran was past getting really worried.

  “Where is Caspar?” Kieran asked Bradley before punching him in the ribs.

  At first all Bradley had done was laugh, but his responses had evolved into grunts and curses. He would be broken eventually, Kieran had no doubt, but didn’t want to wait.

  He howled in pain this time. Kieran was sure they’d broken every rib already but still Bradley didn’t tell them what Kieran needed to know.

  “Where?” Kieran demanded.

  “I don’t know!” Bradley screamed.

  Kieran let his fangs drop and bit down on Bradley’s side. He ravaged the wound, not really wanting to taste the sick fucker’s blood but knowing he would weaken Bradley further. The doctor had told Jackson as long as they didn’t swallow any blood, they wouldn’t get sick. It had been worth the risk to see if the doctor had been lying or not. So far, Kieran wasn’t feeling any side effects. Bradley kicked his legs, but Jackson caught them and held him still.

  “You better talk,” Jackson told him. “We’ll drink you dry if we have to.”

  “I swear I don’t know,” Bradley claimed. “My guys lost him at the airport. The man I had on Caspar’s team hasn’t reported in.”

  Kieran didn’t believe Bradley, although all the signs showed he wasn’t lying. No one could find any sign of Caspar. Kieran poked his fingers into Bradley’s side where he’d bitten. “Why don’t we talk about Marcello Sparro?”

  Bradley jerked, but Kieran didn’t think it was from the pain. He caught the quick burst of surprise in Bradley’s scent.

  “Didn’t think we knew about him, did you?” Kieran asked.

  “I haven’t spoken to Sparro in—”

  Jackson leaned forward and dug his fangs into Bradley’s shoulder.

  “Don’t lie,” Kieran advised.

  “I can’t…” Bradley gasped.

  “He’s going to pass out again,” Jackson observed. “For all his talk back in the cave, he sure does cry like a little baby.”

  “He’s a bitch,” Kieran stated. “I knew that the first time I laid eyes on him.”

  “I can’t take it,” Bradley shrieked.

  “You should have thought about that before you decided to torture people for a living,” Jackson advised him as he scraped a knife down Bradley’s side. “I’m going to make your skin just as pretty as you made ours. Give you some marks that will never fade.”

  “I’m telling you the truth!” Bradley screamed. “I don’t know where he is.”

  Kieran held back his frustration. This was getting them nowhere. He’d thought once he had his hands on Bradley and the doctor, he would somehow be fixed. Instead he was finding out it didn’t matter what he was told. He’d suffered years of abuse and torture for no other reason except Bradley and the doctor were absolutely crazy.

  He was disappointed in more than just them. He shouldn’t have thought revenge would solve all his issues. He knew better than that, really, but some part of him had just expected to feel better.

  With a look of disgust toward Bradley, he strolled across the room and leaned back against the wall. Jackson followed him over.

  “We’ve gotten more information out of him and the doctor than I thought even possible. For two guys who are supposed to be masterminds, they were really easy to break,” Jackson said.

  “They don’t like the pain, although neither had any issues with causing it.”

  “He’s admitted to everything else,” Jackson pointed out. “Or we knew he was lying. What if he doesn’t have Caspar?”

  “Then where the hell is he?” Kieran wouldn’t stop until he’d seen his boss. If it wasn’t for Caspar, then Kieran wouldn’t have been able to survive at all. The thought of Caspar being treated like he had made Kieran want to go on a rampage and kill everyone he suspected of being involved.

  “I don’t know,” Jackson said. “But unless you really do want to kill Bradley, we need to let him rest.”

  Kieran turned his wrist and was shocked to see they’d been questioning Bradley for over five hours. They were well into the evening. “I want to call Dakota anyway. I can’t believe she hasn’t checked in with me.”

  “I’m going to take a break before I go visit the doctor again. Dean needs some more information about what he did to the shifters.”

  “Sounds good.” Kieran pushed himself off the wall. “I’ll have someone secure Bradley for the night. We’ll start fresh with him after we get some sleep.”

  “Okay,” Jackson agreed.

  Kieran pulled open the door and was surprised to see Remy, Gabe, Dare and Mitch waiting in the hall.

  “What happened? Is it the doctor? If he got away, I’ll kill you all.” Kieran stomped forward. “We still need answers from him.”

  “Jackson’s guys are standing guard. The doc is still right where you left him,” Remy said.

  Kieran rolled her shoulders as he prepared for bad news still. “But?”

  “We found Sparro,” Remy told him.

  “Is he alive?”

  “Yes, he’s in the medical wing being looked at.”

  “And the cougar?”

  “She’s fine, with the others being looked after.”

  “Then what—” Fuck, no, no, no! “Where is Dakota?” he asked as calmly as possible. He grabbed Remy by his shirt and lifted his partner off the ground. “What happened to her?”

  Remy wrapped his hands around Kieran’s. “She’s fin
e.”

  There was no scent of deceit in Remy’s words. “Where is she?” Kieran’s demanded.

  “In one of the medical rooms.”

  Kieran didn’t even give Remy a chance to say more. He bolted for the closest stairwell that would take him upstairs. He should have gone with her instead of sending his partner. If he hadn’t been so worried about breaking the doctor or Bradley, then Dakota wouldn’t be hurt.

  There was no reason she should be in medical. She was a shifter and it took a lot for her to be seriously injured. But if Sparro was also being checked out, then that meant Dakota had tried to take him on.

  Holy shit! As well trained as Dakota was, Sparro was one of the strongest shifters that Kieran had ever seen. Even Kieran had struggled with the lion shifter the first time they’d met.

  He practically flew up the steps until he reached the second level. Kieran threw open the door, startling several of the agents around him. They quickly scrambled out of his way as he raced past them.

  There was no one in the halls of the medical wing, but he didn’t need to talk to anyone. He followed the scent of Dakota, her blood, to the fourth door. Just as he was about to tear through the door, it opened and Dean stepped out. They both grunted as they collided, but while Kieran kept on his feet, Dean bounced back into the room.

  “What the hell?” Dakota asked.

  She was leaning against the bed, holding on to it and staring at Dean. When she looked up at him, Kieran lost his breath.

  “You’re okay,” he stated.

  “Yeah.” She frowned at him. “Didn’t Remy tell you that?”

  Well, his partner had tried, but Kieran had freaked out. He stepped into the room and let the door shut behind him. “You’re really okay?” he asked this time.

  “I’m okay too,” Dean muttered as he picked himself up off the ground.

  “Sorry.” Kieran reached down and helped the human onto his feet.

  “Sure.” Dean patted his shoulder. “I’ll give you a minute to talk. I’m going to check on Sparro.”

  As soon as they were alone, Kieran grasped Dakota’s upper arms and looked her over. “What happened?”

  She sighed before lifting up her shirt. There were several gouges on her stomach.

  “I’ll kill him,” Kieran stated firmly.

  “I almost did. I’m fine and I found the cougar shifter before Sparro could kill her.”

  “So he’s involved? You have proof?” he asked.

  “Well, since I have these”—she waved at her body—“I’m going to say he knows he’s screwed.”

  “I should have been there,” Kieran told her as he yanked her into a hug.

  She hissed but wrapped her arms around his back. “This isn’t your fault. So don’t start blaming yourself. I lost control, almost killed him and didn’t notice I was injured until Remy stopped me.”

  Kieran pulled back a little so he could peer down at her. Her words surprised him, since Dakota never lost control.

  “All I could think about was how he was involved in what you went through, what the others are trying to recover from, and I let my jaguar take over.” She shook her head. “I just lost it, Kieran.”

  “I don’t care.” His only concern was that she was in front of him and while she’d been injured, she was in his arms, where she belonged.

  “I do,” she whispered. “I can’t help the others if I can’t rein my jaguar in.”

  “Control? That can be taught. Trust me. What they really need is someone who believes in them, will fight for them and make sure nothing like this ever happens to anyone else.”

  “Is that what helped you?”

  “Yeah,” Kieran answered. “Caspar saved me. I was so grateful to be out of that hellhole I would have done anything for him. And all he wanted was for me to heal.”

  “We’ll help them heal too,” she said.

  Kieran nodded then kissed her forehead. Her sweet scent surrounded him and he simply breathed her in. Even with the sweat and blood, the underlying aroma was pure Dakota.

  Maybe he wasn’t as broken as he’d thought.

  The need for revenge, the last threads, slowly vaporized.

  Dakota loved him the way he was. All his flaws and issues and still she chose to be with him. He didn’t need to change. The acceptance in her touch was enough.

  For the first time since he’d been grabbed on that dark night when he’d been eighteen, he let go of all his worry and fear. He could lean on her and she would catch him.

  He also had Remy and Jackson, their friends—the family he’d made in less than a month.

  “I love you,” he whispered in her ear.

  Dakota laughed before tilting her head back. “I know. I love you too.”

  He kissed her then, deep and wet. He put all his feelings, the relief, the need to comfort, to protect, into his lips as they met hers. Kieran grew lightheaded but didn’t pull back until he had no choice but to breathe.

  They jumped at the knock on the door. Neither of them had been paying attention to their surroundings.

  “You’re not naked, are you?” Dean called through the door.

  Dakota huffed as she dropped her head on his chest. “And I was starting to miss him as a partner.”

  Kieran laughed. “We’re dressed,” he hollered back at Dean.

  The door opened and Dean stuck his head through the gap. “Sorry to interrupt, but Jackson needs you back downstairs.”

  Kieran stiffened. “What happened?” Jeez, would this night ever end? They had to stop going in fucking circles and he was tired.

  “Not sure,” Dean answered. “He said it wasn’t an emergency but as soon as you got a chance you should go back down.”

  What could have happened in the few minutes he’d been gone? Kieran wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

  “Let’s go see what Jackson needs.” Dakota pulled on his hand.

  “You should rest. Lie back down,” Kieran said. Her wounds weren’t bleeding, but he didn’t want to take any chances with her.

  She laughed in response. “I’m not lying around while everyone else figures out what’s going on. Let’s see what Jackson needs and go home.”

  Dean sighed. “You really should take it easy.”

  “Fine,” Dakota snapped. “I’ll sit in the corner and watch Kieran torture someone. That should be a fun date.”

  Kieran barked out a laugh. Fuck, he was rubbing off on Dakota and he loved it.

  “Do you want me to bring you some popcorn?” Dean snarked.

  “I wouldn’t mind a pizza,” she replied with a wink.

  Kieran’s stomach growled.

  “Jesus!” Dean threw his hands up in the air. “I’ll feed you both. It’s like I’m the only responsible person in this place.” He stomped off down the hall.

  Dakota slapped her hand over his mouth and Kieran raised an eyebrow.

  “I don’t even want to know how you would respond to that,” she said.

  Kieran licked her hand.

  “Damn it!” She pulled her palm away and rubbed it on her sweatpants. “I should have seen that coming.”

  “You really should have,” he agreed. Kieran wrapped his arm around her waist as he led her down the hall. “Let’s take the elevator.”

  “You never take the elevator,” she argued.

  “I can kiss you in it,” Kieran whispered in her ear.

  “Security cameras,” she reminded him.

  He snorted. “You put our boss in the medical ward. Who’s going to say anything?”

  “Oh.” Dakota’s amusement fled. “I don’t know who to call. Shouldn’t we let someone know?”

  Well damn. Kieran hadn’t thought about that. He punched the button to call up the elevator and it opened right away.

  “Maybe Dean will know,” she said pulling out her phone from one of her pockets. “I’ll text him.”

  Kieran waited until she was done and had put her cell back before he gently pushed her inside the elevator and against
the wall to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he plunged his tongue into her mouth.

  The sweats were tight around her ass he used the opportunity to run his palms down her back to cup her butt. She moaned and he swallowed the sound while leaning harder into her.

  “That’s hot.”

  Kieran ripped his mouth away and glanced over his shoulder to see Remy and Mitch watching them from the open elevator doors. It had been the young Walker who’d spoken.

  “Don’t make me gouge your eyes out,” he threatened.

  Mitch grinned back.

  “Come on,” he said to Dakota, ushering her out in front of him. The hallway was empty except for Mitch and Remy, so Kieran turned back to his partner. “What’s going on?”

  Remy nodded toward the room Bradley was being held in. “Go ahead.”

  He strained to hear something, but it was quiet. “What?”

  “God, you are so untrusting. Open the door and go inside. There’s a surprise waiting for you,” Remy said.

  “Bradley’s guts are probably strung across the room,” Kieran muttered but walked to the closed door. He didn’t waste time and opened it enough so he could slip through. If Jackson had torn Bradley apart, Kieran didn’t want Dakota to see it.

  Jackson was sitting in a chair smiling and another man was standing in front of Bradley. He turned and Kieran gasped. “Caspar?”

  “Hey, K,” Caspar greeted. “I thought I told you to wait for me.”

  “Uh…” Kieran was at a loss for words.

  “I figured you’d ignore my order, but I thought at least Remy was smart enough—”

  “Where the fuck have you been?” Kieran shouted. He was shaking and he didn’t know how else to show his relief. Caspar was fucking standing in front of him, not stuck in a cage being tortured.

  “It’s a long story,” Caspar told him. “We’ll catch up later.”

  “I’ll take the CliffsNotes version,” Kieran demanded. He folded his arms across his chest and glared.

  Caspar grinned in response. “Really?”

  Okay, he couldn’t intimidate his boss. “What happened?” he asked softly.

  Caspar sighed but walked to him. “I picked up the tail Bradley had on me at the airport. I lost him, but it also meant I missed my flight. I went to rent a car and someone on my own team tried to take me out. I was surprised and even with my guard up I wasn’t prepared for the ambush from my own man. He had help and the other guy managed to knock me out and stuff me in the trunk of my own rental car.” Caspar rubbed the back of his head. “That still pisses me off.”