by Vella Day
The doctor twisted his fingers together. “That will be difficult. It’s extremely rare. It’s encoded in a person’s genes.”
If he didn’t need this man, Statler would have killed him on the spot. “What are the odds of finding someone with this gene?” Statler was fast losing his patience, shrinking the man’s lifeline by the minute.
“I don’t have the facts at my fingertips, but maybe one in a million. Or more.” The last two words were said on a whisper.
“Fuck.”
The doctor sat up. “However, one of the new women you brought in looks promising for this gene. I ran her blood this morning. We don’t have the equipment here to do a thorough test, though. Only the lab in Ogden can do that.”
A hint of excitement rushed through him. “If she does have this special gene, what will it mean in regards to the serum?”
“I can only hope that if I add her antigens to the serum then anyone without the protein will be provided with it.”
“Then do it.”
“We can’t rush this. It could be more deadly for the men. Something like this will require a lot of trials.”
“Cut the bullshit.” Statler slammed his palm on the desk. “We don’t have time. Who knows how many more will die.”
The man’s chin trembled. Good. “I understand the urgency, but we first have to make sure this woman has what we need.”
“Then test her. Now!”
Takemoto pushed back his chair and it toppled over. His face whitened as he leaned over to pick up the seat. Fucking idiot. “Leave it. Just get out of my sight. I’ll set this woman up for transport today. Will you be doing the work?” He hoped not.
“No, sir. Dr. Christian Sanchez is the leading specialist in blood antigens.”
“You’re dismissed.” Christ. His frustration had short-circuited his mind. “Hold up. What is this woman’s name?”
“Bailey Nash.”
Chapter Five
Just as he and Ford reached the main level, both of their pagers went off. Ty checked his first. “Oh, fuck.”
“What is it?” Ford then looked at his. “Shit. Statler.”
Ty leaned close. “Why would the boss want to see us? Do you think George said something?”
“What the hell could he say? That we were doing our job?”
This didn’t look good. “Come on. I don’t think Statler likes to be kept waiting.”
They jogged toward the east end of the building, and after swiping their cards three times and undergoing two retinal checks, they reached Statler’s office. Paranoid much?
The secretary announced them before leading them inside. Ty never could understand why the man still dressed as if he practiced law. Maybe it was because his brown suit, cream-colored shirt, and red striped tie gave off an aura of power.
Their boss finally set down his pen and looked up. While there were a few seats facing his desk, Statler didn’t ask them to sit.
“I have an extremely important mission for you two. I have a young lady who needs to be transported to another one of our facilities.”
Ty’s heart nearly stopped. He thought this was the only lab. “Where might that be?”
“It’s in Ogden, about two hours west of here. My secretary will provide you with directions.”
This sounded serious. “Is she that ill?” If so, shouldn’t she be taken to a hospital? Or did Statler believe she’d tell about her kidnapping?
“No. This young lady has a very rare blood type and we need more information about it. The only lab capable of handling the chore is in Ogden.”
Ford stepped forward. “When would you like us to deliver this woman?”
“Now. She should be in the garage as we speak. You may go.”
The dismissal was expected. Statler never was one for pleasantries—at least not after they were hired. Ty was excited they’d be able to question a captive. They might learn how these women were abducted. Had they’d been tricked? Were they in the wrong place in town? Or had they trusted the men who took them?
As soon as they cleared the suite of offices, they headed to their lodging to pick up their gear. Not only would they need jackets, they wanted their weapons. While Ogden was a short drive, no telling what resistance they’d meet along the way. They both understood there was a possibility that if they posed as Colters, they might face good shifters, as his father called them, but that unfortunate situation couldn’t be helped. They had to maintain their cover. They’d discussed that Statler might even test them to see if they were true to his cause.
Once they collected their gear, they rushed to the garage not wanting the scared girl to wait longer than necessary. He bet they’d told her nothing about why she was being escorted out of the building.
The moment Ty pushed open the door to the underground garage, his vision blurred. “Hold on a sec.” He inhaled to gather his senses. Something wasn’t right.
“What’s wrong?”
“Got a little light-headed. It must be the gas fumes or something.” Werewolves had an extra sharp sense of smell, but this was ridiculous.
Ford grimaced. “Me, too. Something must be down here. Let’s get the girl and scram.”
Ty didn’t remember this place being so insufferable. Clare, two other nurses, and another guard, surrounded a woman in a wheelchair. Tyson couldn’t see her, but the closer he drew, the more convinced he became this was Bailey. His bones cracked and his nails punched through the tips his fingers. Fuck. This was bad.
Glancing over at Ford, Ty noticed his brother’s fangs had started to grow, and the hair on his face was becoming increasingly denser. He grabbed Ford’s arm. “Wait.” Think of Statler and what he’s doing to these girls. He didn’t have time to explain.
Ford twisted toward him. “Why?”
“Just do it.” Ty did the same, and his body calmed. Only horrible thoughts seemed to take the edge off his sexual desires. We can’t let anyone know that Bailey is our mate.
What?
I’ll tell you later. All four of Bailey’s guards glanced up and actually looked relieved they could get back to business. Ty doubted they’d ever escorted a woman out of the facility before.
“Thanks,” Ty said. “We’ll take it from here.”
He purposefully kept his gaze away from Bailey. One look and he might weaken. Clare helped Bailey stand and handed off the wheelchair to another nurse. Only then did he notice the cuffs connecting her ankles. Was that necessary?
“You have the key? Or does Statler expect us to carry her? That might draw attention.”
“Sorry.” She dug a hand into her pocket and handed it to him.
“Thanks.” He waited until the team turned away before placing Bailey in the front seat of their SUV.
Once the foursome reached the elevator, he placed a hand on Bailey’s shoulder, hoping it would calm her. She stiffened instead. Fuck. There would be time later to tell her she had nothing to fear from them. Whether she believed them was another story.
“Give me a sec.” Ford ran a hand under both bumpers, and then checked the engine. “It’s clean.”
Smart thinking. Statler was the type to install a GPS or some kind of tracking device to make sure they headed in the right direction. If he were Statler, he wouldn’t trust the new hires either, especially with something so important as Bailey.
Ty placed her in the front seat of the car. “If I unlock these leg chains, do you promise not to run?”
She gave him a hauntingly eerie laugh. “If I thought I could get away, I most certainly would try to escape.”
Ty had to swallow a smile. He liked her feisty attitude despite her desperate situation. As it was, it took all of his willpower not to shift in front of her. His cock was pressing hard against his fly, and there seemed little he could do about it. Her scent was driving him mad, but he needed to figure something out quick before he embarrassed himself.
It would be best if he let Ford drive and have Bailey sit in the front seat. Leaving her al
one in the back wouldn’t help either of them.
“Are these your clothes?” The last time he’d seen her, she was wearing a hospital gown. These didn’t seem to fit. The sneakers were new but appeared to be too wide and maybe too long. Her jeans hung on her hips, and the jacket didn’t look warm enough for the Canadian spring.
She sniffled and shook her head, her eyes watering. Her composure was cracking. Ty wanted nothing more than to tell her everything would be okay, but even he didn’t want to lie.
“Where are you taking me?” The worry in her voice cut straight through him.
Ty and Ford should have discussed how they wanted to handle this. Should they admit right now that they wanted to help? Or keep up the pretense? Fuck, he wasn’t even sure that Ford wouldn’t drive this poor woman straight to Ogden and drop her off. This was their mate they were talking about, and Ty couldn’t let that happen.
“To another facility.”
“Why?”
“To do more blood testing.” He leaned over to snap her seatbelt, and the sexual draw shocked him. This wasn’t good. Ty jerked back.
Her face paled even more. “Is something wrong with me?”
Fuck, he was messing this up. Ford slid in and glanced over at her. “Nothing’s wrong with you.”
“Then why am I—”
“I don’t have the answers to your questions.” His brother cranked up the engine and Ty slipped in back.
“Oh.”
Don’t be such a prick, Ford. She’s scared.
So am I.
* * *
Ty was right. Bailey was their mate. Shit. That complicated things. Part of him had hoped he wouldn’t feel anything when he met her so he could be the rational one, but the moment Ford slid in next to her, he had to fight the arousal and the loss of control. Only when confronted with danger did his body go into wolf mode. Now the animal in him was pummeling his body from the inside, and he was helpless to fight the urge.
As soon as he exited the underground garage, the relief at being away from these pond scum relieved some of the tightness in his chest. What he wouldn’t give to drive right to the border and keep on going to North Carolina where his life had been simple. But he couldn’t. All those women depended on him and Ty.
“Can you tell us what happened?” He glanced over at her, working to keep his voice under control.
“I’m not telling you crap.”
He couldn’t blame her. “Bailey. Listen. Whether you believe us or not, we want to help you.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Help? Like your kind helped me into this clinic where they strapped me down, drugged me, and took my blood? I don’t need any more of your assistance.”
What should we tell her? We don’t know if we can trust her, Ford telepathed. He’d never folded when he’d worked his way into the good graces of the Colter organization in North Carolina. Why was he at a loss for words now?
She’s our mate. We’ll have to convince her somehow.
Ford had to make her see reason. “Here are the facts. Ty and I have been assigned to drive you two hours to another clinic. What happens when we drop you off is anyone’s guess, but from the scant information we were given, they want to test your blood. I suspect they’ll be taking a lot of your blood for a very long time. Personally, I don’t see you ever leaving.” He hated that she clenched her fists and her face paled. The truth seemed to be the only way to satisfy her though. “Your best hope of getting your life back is to tell us what happened. I can’t imagine you could say anything that would make your situation worse. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.”
“Do you know anything about my sister?” she asked.
Ford nearly swerved off the road. “Sister?”
Forgot to mention it, bro. Sorry.
“Yes. Two men drugged Tatum and me. The next thing I knew, I was here, tied down, and…”
God. Ford glanced over at her and his heart nearly broke. Her head was in her hands and silent sobs wracked her body. He wanted to reach out and rub her back but he sucked at consoling women. “It’ll be okay.”
Way to lie. Ford lifted his middle finger. He didn’t need Ty adding to his guilt.
“No, it won’t.” Bailey sniffled, sat up, and looked around. “If you want to help me, tell me where we are.”
“Canada.” He figured it was safe to tell her that much.
“Canada? For real?” She bolted upright in her seat. “I thought I was in North Carolina.”
That confirmed what his dad had told them—that women were being abducted then transported to this facility.
Ty handed her a clean handkerchief, but she waved it away. She twisted toward the window and stared out. It seemed liked ten minutes before she turned back to him. “My sister graduated from college last week and begged me to do the Appalachian Trail with her.”
That was a start. He said nothing, not wanting to stop the flow of information. He’d let her tell them in her own way. She turned her head away from him as if she couldn’t stand to look at him. That hurt. When she remained silent, he tried to urge her on. “Sounds nice.” That was a stupid comment, but it was all he could come up with. Her scent was driving him crazy.
“I love the outdoors, but I’m not really the peeing and pooping in the woods type of girl, if you know what I mean.”
He did understand, though her willingness to tackle something as strenuous as the AT spoke volumes about her love for her sister. “Go on.”
She sniffled. “We were about four days into our three-week journey when I stopped to photograph this animal. I’m a photographer—mostly nature and landscape shots.”
“Nice,” Ty chimed from the back seat.
Ford had checked the directions to the facility. Given the two-lane road they were on, this would take a while to get there. “Then what?”
She told them about the wolf sighting and the gunshot that came out of nowhere. “A second man appeared a moment later. I have to admit that if they hadn’t come by at that moment, the wolf might have attacked me. I might have died.”
He wondered if the second man hadn’t been the wolf. Telling her about werewolves wouldn’t be smart. “Did you catch their names?”
“Brad and Tom. I really can’t remember their last names.”
You know of a Brad and Tom who hang out together? Ford looked in the rearview mirror at his brother.
No, Ty answered.
“What did they look like?” Ford asked Bailey.
“Tall, dark hair. You know, the typical male in his late twenties.” She slapped her thigh. “I took a picture of them with Tatum.”
“You did?” If he could identify these men, he might just have to take them out himself.
“Yes, but I don’t know where my camera is. Or any of my stuff.” She glanced away and slumped against the seat.
When Ty reached over the back seat and placed a hand on her shoulder, she flinched. Damn. Both he and Ty were mentally and physically in turmoil when they were around her, and here she was afraid of them. Understandable, he supposed. The last two men she’d met had drugged and kidnapped her and her sister.
“What happened then?” Ford really wanted to understand how the Colters were able to transport her and her sister to Canada without the authorities discovering them. If he learned the answers to that question, it might help others from being exploited.
She explained how these two men dropped them off at a hotel then returned a few hours later. “I saw the needle, felt the stab, and then woke up where Tyson found me.” She twisted around to look at him.
“I’m sorry,” Ty said.
“You wouldn’t consider letting me call my dad, would you? Just to tell him Tatum and I are okay?”
“No can do, darlin’,” Ford interjected. Knowing his brother, he might agree.
“Pretty please?”
Chapter Six
Damn stubborn men. Bailey slid down in her seat. Getting angry wouldn’t do her any good since these men didn’t seem li
ke the type to change their minds. Her father always said that if you run into a brick wall, move to another spot and try again.
If she couldn’t coax them into letting her make contact, she’d have to think of another way to escape. She had no money and no identification, but all she needed was to find one person who would let her make that call. The most important thing right now was to figure out exactly where the hell she was. Canada was a big country.
She kept her eyes peeled on the roadway, searching for a sign with the name of a town on it, but all she saw were tiny dirt pathways with names like Red Bow Road, Deer Ridge, and Tree Hawk Drive. What happened to the good old Interstate?
“What part of Canada did you say we’re in?” She twisted around and looked at Ty. He seemed like the nicer of the two.
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Jerk. She faced the driver again. “I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name. Are you and Tyson brothers?” They looked a lot alike. Both were big, built, and good-looking.
The odd thing was that when she’d first met Tyson, she actually thought she saw long nails and hairy hands. Now, all that strangeness was gone. Drugs definitely had messed with her brain.
“Name’s Ford. Like the car. And yes, we’re brothers—fraternal twins, in fact.”
Interesting. She might be able to use that against them. She turned back to Tyson. “I bet you’re thankful they didn’t name you Edsel or Diesel.” Bailey thought that if she tried to connect on a personal level, they might give into her demands.
He laughed—the sound rather nice but also unexpected. “Wouldn’t have minded Dodge. Or better yet—Mustang.”
Cute.
Stop it. Don’t like them. These are evil men.
She studied the driver. When—not if—she escaped, she wanted to be able to give a good description to the cops. He had a slightly crooked nose along with a scar under his left eye, but those markings didn’t affect his good looks. He needed a shave for sure. The five o’clock shadow made him appear dangerous, but maybe that was the look he was aiming for. Still, Bailey couldn’t deny he was handsome, but she’d trade him in a heartbeat for a beta man. Him, she might be able to persuade to drive her to safety. With these two, she didn’t dare suggest they go to the police. They’d just laugh at her.