by A J Manney
“Both,” Emma whispered again.
“Well, now that I know you’re with Garrett, I can find you using this phone. I’ll take the choice out of your hands. I’ll get you to safety; then we can talk and figure out what’s going on. Okay?” Emma nodded before she realized he couldn't see that.
“Okay,” she agreed. “I don’t know if they’ll let me go.”
“Oh, you let me worry about that, honey. I’m a police officer. They’ll let you go.” Kevin sure seemed confident, but Emma wasn’t really sure. “You be ready,” he said.
“Okay,” Emma said. She still wasn’t sure if this was the best thing to do. She was so confused; she didn’t know what to do anymore. She had just hung up when the door opened and Max walked in. She still had Garrett’s phone in her hand. “Somebody called for him. I’ll take it to him,” she said, thinking fast.
Max just nodded and moved into the living room. With her heart pounding, Emma began walking down the hallway. She quickly deleted the call from Kevin so Garrett wouldn’t see it. She was trying to figure out what in the world she was going to do with the phone when it rang in her hand. She jumped at first but then realized this would work to her advantage. It would give her an excuse to take Garrett’s phone to him. She stopped just outside of Garrett’s room and tapped lightly on the door.
Garrett opened the door, wearing just a towel around his lower half. Emma's mouth went dry. She made herself focus on his injuries, so she wouldn’t be distracted by the rest of him. “Your injuries look a little better,” she said breathlessly.
“Shifter healing. I heal fast,” he said in a low voice.
“Oh, your phone’s ringing,” she said handing it to him. As soon as he took it, she turned and walked away from him. She walked into her room and grabbed her purse and a pair of soft grey boots and warm socks. Once she had her boots on, she slipped from her room and made her way into the kitchen. She slid her purse onto a chair that was pushed into the table, so hopefully nobody would notice. If anybody asked about the boots, she would just say she was cold. Emma sat at the table and watched out the window. She hoped she was making the right decision. After a few minutes, she grew antsy. She was nervous; she stood up to pace. She walked towards the front door. Immediately, Max stood up.
“You can’t leave,” he said.
Emma sighed. “Yes, I know. Thanks for the reminder. I’m just walking.” Well, I guess that’s my sign, she thought to herself. If they were going to keep all their secrets and not let her in on anything, then they could go right on ahead. She didn’t have to be a part of it.
Another twenty minutes passed, and Emma started to sweat. She was really nervous now. What if she only made a bigger mess of things? Maybe she should just tell Garrett. She was debating this thought when a police cruiser pulled into the yard. Emma swallowed hard. Max came over to the window from the living room. When he saw Kevin, he cursed.
“Boss,” he yelled towards the hallway. “We got a problem.”
Emma stayed in her chair, unsure what to do. Garrett appeared a moment later. Emma gaped at him. He looked dangerous in a black t-shirt, black cargo pants, and black boots. You couldn’t see any of the injuries on his chest and back, but his face looked so much better already. The deep scratch on his face had mostly faded, and even his eye was no longer swollen. If you looked closely, you could see the bruising; but other than that, he looked fine. He strode towards the door with an angry look on his face.
“Stay here,” he ordered before stepping out the front door. Emma had no intention of doing that. She calmly stood up, picked up her purse, and moved towards the front door. She took a deep breath and opened the front door.
Four heads turned to look at her. “Emma, go back in the house,” Garrett ordered without taking his eyes off of Kevin.
Emma looked away from him towards Kevin. Kevin grinned at them. “She’s with me. Come on, beautiful.” Emma paused for a moment, unsure. But then she started moving forward again.
She heard Garrett’s intake of breath. She didn’t meet his eyes. “Emma,” he said in a deep voice, stepping in front of her.
Emma heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked, and she froze. So did Garrett. “Let her come to me,” Kevin’s voice rang out steady and clear.
“Then put the gun away,” Garrett said, not moving from in front of Emma. His back was to Kevin, but his head was turned, looking over his shoulder.
“Let her come, or I will be forced to use this,” Kevin said.
While Garrett’s attention was on Kevin, Emma slipped around him. “Don’t hurt them. I’m coming,” Emma said as she quickly ran down the steps.
“Emma,” Liam said painfully. He took a step towards her.
“No,” Garrett said sharply. “Don’t move. Let her go.” Those few words hit Emma hard. Tears sprang to her eyes before she willed them away. It’s okay, she told herself. It just confirms that I’m doing the right thing. Without looking back, she opened the door and slid into the front seat of the police cruiser, keeping her eyes down. A few more words were exchanged before Kevin climbed in the car.
“You okay, beautiful?” he asked Emma loudly before shutting the door.
Emma just nodded. Kevin put the car in reverse and started backing down the driveway. At the last second before they turned, Emma looked up. Garrett’s eyes were trained on her. Emma looked away quickly and took a deep breath.
They drove in silence for a little while. “Thanks for coming to get me,” Emma said.
Kevin didn’t say anything. Emma glanced at him, but he didn’t respond.. She went back to looking out the window. They drove for another twenty minutes or so, and Emma realized she still didn’t recognize where they were. “Are we driving into town?” she asked.
“No,” Kevin said.
Emma looked at him startled. “I thought we were going to the police station.”
Kevin chuckled. It was an odd sound, and Emma shivered at the sound of it. It didn’t sound like him. “Oh, Emma,” he said dramatically. “Or should I say, Emersyn.” Emma froze. Kevin glanced at her. “Yeah, I know your real name. I know all about you,” he said.
Emma felt fear grip her. What was going on? “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said in a shaky voice.
Kevin laughed again. “I think you do,” Kevin said in a cold voice.
“What’s going on? Where are we going?” Emma asked.
“It’s a little too late to be asking those questions, isn’t it, Emersyn?” he asked.
“Don’t call me that,” Emma snapped at him.
“Why? Does that bring back bad memories? Memories of your family?” he asked.
“Who are you?” Emma asked, trying to keep the fear from her voice. Emma couldn’t breathe. Her fear was keeping her from getting the oxygen she desperately needed.
Ignoring her question, he said, “You have a very rare talent. I hear you can see wolves’ mates just by touching them. Is that true?” he asked.
Emma sat quietly; her mind barraged with thoughts. Is that what’s happening when I touch the guys? Immediately, thought after thought slammed through her mind. The fact that nothing happened when she touched Garrett or Kyle. The images she saw when she touched Max’s hand, Liam’s hand, and Paul’s. They were all wolves. But why hadn’t it worked with Garrett and Kyle? Maybe because Kyle was married?
“I can tell you’re thinking. So, it’s true then?” Kevin didn’t wait for an answer; he just pushed on. “Do you even know how valuable a skill that is? Every alpha in the world would pay top dollar to get you to come to their pack just for a few days. Can you imagine? You are going to make me a massive amount of money, Emersyn,” Kevin said gleefully.
Emma had no response to any of that. It was too much to take in. Emma put her head back against the seat and squeezed her eyes shut. How had she been so wrong about this man? How had she ever gotten into this predicament? A tear leaked out from the corner of her eye. Her impulsiveness was going to get her killed. She didn’t ask any
more questions. It was quiet as they drove. The only sound in the car was the loud beating of Emma’s heart. She couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation. All she knew right now was that she had to figure out a way to escape. She glanced at Kevin from the corner of her eye. Was he a wolf? Would he be incredibly fast? She wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter. She’d escaped before, and it was time to do it again. Emma stayed perfectly still, hoping Kevin would think she was asleep as she thought through her escape. She would have to get it just right. Once again, there was no room for error. She would only get one chance at this.
Chapter 34
Emma looked out the window trying to figure out when she could escape. They were on a semi-busy two-lane road. Before she could decide what to do, the car suddenly started slowing down. Emma looked at Kevin, panicked. He pulled the car over to the shoulder and parked. Without looking at her, he climbed out of the car.
Emma froze for a moment, trying to decide if she could get out and make a run for it. Before she could decide, her door opened. Kevin reached in, unbuckled her, and yanked her from the car. Emma fought against him, trying to get away. He yanked both hands behind her and put handcuffs on her wrists. His hold on her arms was so tight, she knew it would leave bruises. He opened the back seat of the car and tried to push her in. She fought against him with everything she had. He cursed and slammed her head against the side of the car. Black spots swam before her eyes.
“Get in the car!” he yelled at her and shoved her in, closing the door behind her.
Emma righted herself on the seat and blinked her eyes, trying to get her vision to clear. A moment later, she blinked as wetness dripped into her eyes. She closed her eyes, trying to keep the blood from her cut out of her eyes. The front door opened, and Kevin climbed in cursing her name. A moment later, the passenger front door opened. Emma squinted and was shocked to see Levi. She felt hope for the first time since she had gotten in the car.
Levi turned to look at her. He smirked when he saw the cut on her forehead. “You already having problems with her?” he asked. “You should have just knocked her out,” he mumbled before putting his seat belt on.
Any hope Emma had felt upon seeing Levi died inside her. She felt sick. Levi had betrayed them. Of course, she wasn’t much better. She had pretty much just done the same thing. Nausea churned in her belly.
Emma put all her efforts into trying to escape the back seat. Kevin looked back and laughed. “You do realize you’re in the backseat of a police cruiser?” He smirked. “There’s no escaping. Believe me, smarter, tougher criminals than you have tried and failed.” Emma glared at the back of his head.
They drove for several hours before stopping. Emma had no idea where they were; she had gotten lost a long time ago. She peered out the window now but didn’t see anything. “This is where he said he’d meet us?” Levi asked.
Kevin nodded. He parked the car and climbed out. Levi climbed out a moment later. Kevin opened the door and yanked her from the car with a bruising grip on her arm. She stumbled as Kevin jerked her around. The handcuffs were throwing off her equilibrium. Kevin jerked her to stand next to him against the car. “Now what?” Levi asked.
“Now, we wait,” Kevin said. Emma shivered out in the cold, night air.
Emma looked around her, trying to figure out how she could escape. She wasn’t going to wait around to find out who was coming for her. A howl sounded in the distance, shaking Emma to her core. She would wait until the best possible moment, and then she would run for her life. If they caught her and killed her, well it would be better than whatever else was going to happen to her.
She made herself patiently wait for the best opportunity. Her opportunity finally came when Levi ducked into the car to grab something. She turned quickly and kneed Kevin hard and sent Levi into the car with a harsh kick. She couldn’t do anything more than that. Her hands were tied behind her back. She ran as fast as she could towards the woods. She heard shouts behind her and knew she had to do something or they would catch her quickly. There was no chance she could outrun them or hide from them. She pushed herself to run faster, but she could hear them gaining on her.
She tripped over something and fell hard, unable to catch herself. She heard an angry growl and rolled over. She screamed as a wolf leaped towards her. The wolf never touched her. A magnificent, huge black wolf collided with it mid-air. Emma turned her head at the fight going on between the two of them, but it was over almost before it started. The black wolf turned its head and stalked towards her. “Garrett?” Emma whispered.
The wolf moved closer to her, staring intensely. Emma sat up awkwardly, and the wolf settled next to her side. “Th-thank you,” she said in between shivering. The wolf moved even closer to her, and Emma let herself lean against his warm body. He didn’t move; but his ears were up and alert, his body tense. A few minutes later, a howl rent the air; Emma shivered in fear. Soon after that, she heard loud noises coming towards them. Emma glanced quickly at the wolf. His head was turned that way, but he didn’t seem worried about it.
A moment later, Liam stepped into view. He was barefoot and bare-chested, wearing only a pair of black sweatpants. He tossed another pair of pants towards the wolf at Emma’s side. The wolf caught them in its teeth and left. Emma immediately missed his warmth. Liam came close and knelt in front of her. “You okay, Emma?” he asked.
“We need keys for the handcuffs,” Garrett said striding towards them. He was dressed now just like Liam—in black sweatpants.
“You don’t want to just break them?” Liam asked.
Garrett shook his head. “Don’t want to chance hurting her wrists.”
Liam nodded. “I’ll find them. Max is taking care of the, uh…” He glanced down at Emma. Garrett just nodded, and Liam disappeared.
Garrett knelt in front of her. His eyes narrowed at the cut on her forehead. “What other injuries do you have?” he asked in a gruff voice.
Emma closed her eyes for a moment, blinking back tears. When she opened them, she looked Garrett in the eye. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I, I thought I was doing the right thing.” She paused. “I was wrong, and I’m really sorry.”
“It’s my fault,” Garrett said in a low voice. “You should have never felt that you had to run from me. It’s my job to make you feel safe, and I’m sorry I failed at that. Will you return with me, to my house?”
Emma paused before deciding to be totally honest with him. “I’m scared, Garrett. I don’t want to be locked up, left in the dark with things. You-you took my ph-phone away and locked me in the-the house; then you got beat up and wouldn’t t-tell me wh-what h-hap-pened,” Emma said, trying to control her shivering and her confusion.
“I messed up, and I’m sorry. I promise to explain everything to you. Can I please take you to the house and get you warm and get your injuries checked out?” Garrett almost pleaded with her.
Emma was too tired to argue; she simply nodded, hoping she wasn’t making a decision she was going to regret. As soon as she nodded, Garrett swooped in and picked her up. It was awkward because of her hands being trapped behind her back, but he managed. He easily jogged over the rough terrain. “Please tell me you brought a car,” Emma said. Emma really hoped they hadn’t come in wolf form.
Garrett nodded. They came out of the trees, and Emma was relieved to see a Land Rover idling. Liam jogged towards them, holding out a key. Garrett shifted her. “Put your legs around my waist,” he said. Emma did as he said with his assistance. He locked one arm around her for support. Liam used the key and unlocked the cuffs. Emma let her arms drop, wincing when her arms fell forward. “It will probably hurt as the blood starts moving again,” Garrett said. He reached up and rubbed one arm at a time with his free arm. Pain radiated in her upper arms, but it was better than having them cuffed behind her. When the pain started to lessen, she looked up at Garrett. “Thank you,” she said. He frowned at the cut on her head. “The bleeding’s stopped. We’ll get it checked out as soon as
we get home.” He turned her so she was sideways in his arms again and carried her to the car.
Garrett opened the back door and set her inside, closing the door behind her. Emma put her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. A moment later, three doors opened. Max climbed in the driver’s seat and Liam in the passenger seat. Garrett slid in next to her. All three men were still shirtless. Emma looked out the window as it suddenly felt like there wasn’t enough oxygen in the car for all of them. Emma turned to Garrett. “Is Kevin dead?” she asked simply. Garrett nodded.
“What about Levi?” she asked in a whisper.
“He’s dead,” Max said. Those two words held no emotion, but Emma couldn’t imagine what the three men sitting next to her were feeling right now.
“There was somebody else. I don’t know who. They were waiting for someone,” Emma said.
“I killed him,” Garrett said without any emotion.
Liam looked back. “Any idea who he was?”
"No.” Garrett’s response was clipped with an edge to it.
"You should have kept him alive for questioning. Now we don’t know anything more than we did,” Liam said.
Garrett let loose a growl. Emma jumped. “He was there for my mate,” Garret ground out. “Of course I killed him.”
Liam sighed. “Yeah, I would have done the same thing.”
After Garrett said mate, Emma’s mind started whirling. Mate. He called me his mate. I mean I thought he almost said it before, but now he admitted it. What does that mean? Does that mean he owns me? Fear started stirring in her, and her thoughts started taking her down a scary path.
Garrett leaned towards her. “I can smell your fear and can tell you are panicking. You have nothing to fear from me, mate. I will explain everything as soon as we get back to the house and are alone,” he said quietly.
His words, meant to calm her down, only made her more nervous—particularly the word alone. But she took several deep breaths and tried to relax. “Just rest now. It’s going to be several hours before we get back home,” Garrett said quietly.