Rise of the Jaguar

by Elizabeth Kelly

  “How do you know… you don’t even know him.” Emerson felt like her brain had taken a spin in a washing machine.

  “We do.” Kat glanced at Ronin standing quietly near the window. “He kidnapped me, and he tried to kill Ronin and our friends.”

  “What?” Emerson’s stomach dropped to her ankles. “No, he couldn’t – he wouldn’t do something like that.”

  “He did. I don’t know how the hell you’ve gotten mixed up with this man, but he’s a mercenary who tried to kill us.”

  “That isn’t completely accurate, Kitten,” Ronin said.

  Kat stared at him. “He tortured you!”

  “He didn’t torture me,” Ronin said.

  “Fine, but he is a mercenary who tried to kill you.”

  “Yes, but you’re leaving out some shit,” Ronin pointed out.

  She hissed at him, but he just shrugged. “You know I’m right.”

  Emerson stared at Clay. He was incredibly pale, and his breathing was so shallow it was barely perceptible. “He saved my life. More than once. He’s dying because of me. I can’t let him die, Kat. Please.”

  “Emmy,” Kat stood behind her and put her arms around her, “I know you’re upset, but Clay is not a good -”

  “Are you even listening to me?” Emerson pulled away from Kat. “I know he isn’t a good man, okay? I fucking know!”

  She stared pleadingly at Ronin. “I am begging you to help him, Ronin. Please.”

  She could have cried with relief when Ronin moved toward the bed. Kat caught his hand. “Ronin…”

  “He saved our lives too, Katarina,” Ronin said.

  She dropped his hand. “I know.”

  “Take the towels off his chest,” Ronin said.

  Emerson glanced at her hands, and when the nails turned to razor sharp claws, she sliced through the duct tape holding the towels to Clay’s body. She peeled back the towels, ignoring Ronin’s low whistle and Kat’s gasp of shock.

  The gashes on Clay’s chest were wide open, and she could see muscle and nerves and, she swallowed hard, the edge of a rib peeking out from the lowest gash. Clay’s skin was ice cold to the touch, and his breathing even more shallow. Blood still oozed from the gashes. How the fuck he had any left in him, she didn’t even know. She stood and backed away as Ronin moved closer.

  Her heart racing, Emerson watched as Ronin sat on the edge of the bed next to Clay’s prone body. He bent over Clay’s chest, and Emerson’s fear turned to fascination as tears slid down Ronin’s face.

  The drops of liquid clung to Ronin’s chin for a brief second before splashing onto Clay’s chest. Little puffs of smoke appeared with every drop that landed. The tears fell faster, a steady stream of liquid that landed directly on Clay.

  Clay groaned deep in his throat. Something that smelled a little like burning flesh filled the air. When Clay cried out, Ronin gripped his arms and pinned him to the bed.

  “Kat, his legs!” he said sharply.

  Kat pushed past her and knelt on the bed behind Ronin. She pinned Clay’s left leg down. Emerson hurried to the other side and climbed onto the bed, holding Clay’s right leg down as his body rocked on the bed.

  “Hold tight,” Ronin said grimly. “Even when he screams.”

  Clay’s body arched, and Emerson pushed down on his leg as Kat did the same. She couldn’t see past Ronin’s broad back, but the smell of burning flesh intensified, as did Clay’s struggles.

  When Clay screamed, a loud and drawn-out wail of intense pain, her jaguar screamed with him and fought to get free.

  “Emmy, control your cat!” Kat shouted as Emerson’s body swelled. “You can’t help him if you shift!”

  Shh, sweet one. We’re helping him. Shh.

  Her jaguar snarled with rage. Her cat’s hatred for Ronin was overwhelming in its raw intensity. He is killing our mate!

  No, sweet one. He’s saving him. I promise.

  Her jaguar whimpered and retreated, but Emerson could feel her despair and her fear. Clay repeatedly screamed as they held down his struggling, heaving body.

  Emerson closed her eyes, her tears falling onto his leg. His screaming ended as abruptly as it began, and his body slumped against the bed.

  She released his leg cautiously and wiped her face as a sick-looking Kat stood up. “Ronin, did it work?”

  Ronin nodded and stood. Emerson stared at Clay’s chest, a whine of surprise slipping from her throat. “Oh my God,” she whispered before scrambling up the bed and sitting cross-legged next to Clay.

  Her jaguar purred and trilled as Emerson rested her hand on Clay’s chest. Streaks of blood still covered his skin, but the chest wounds had disappeared, and his broken nose healed. She ran her fingers through the blood-matted hair on his chest before tracing her fingers over the old scars that still marked his skin.

  “It worked,” she whispered. She flattened her hand over his heart, tears sliding down her face again when she felt the steady beat of Clay’s heart below her palm. “Why isn’t he awake?”

  “His body is still healing,” Ronin said. “He’ll probably sleep until at least tomorrow.” Something in his voice dumped fresh adrenaline into Emerson’s system.

  “But he’s healed, right?”

  “Yes,” Ronin said. “But it was fucking close.” He ran a hand through his hair, his face pale. “I’ve never healed someone that close to death before. Another five minutes…”

  Emerson closed her eyes before leaning over and resting her head on Clay’s chest. She listened to his heart beating below her ear, trying not to cry and failing miserably. The reality of just how close Clay came to dying washed over her, and her body shook as the tears flowed faster.

  Kat’s warm hands touched her shoulders, urging her to sit up. Emerson sat up and twisted around, burying her face in her sister’s stomach to muffle her sobs. Kat stroked her hair and rubbed her upper back. She purred to Emerson, her jaguar calling to Em’s. Emerson’s jaguar answered her sister’s call, and the sound of their calls soothed Emerson’s soul and helped ease the worry and the fear from the last ten hours.

  Kat leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “We need to talk, Emmy.”

  “Yeah, I know. But I need a shower first, and a change of clothes, and something to eat,” Emerson said.

  Kat kissed her head again. “I’ll grab you some clothes. Go shower while I make you some food.”

  Emerson hesitated, staring at Clay before reaching out and stroking his arm. “I don’t want to leave him.”

  “He won’t wake up,” Ronin said. “Not until tomorrow.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes,” Ronin said.

  She slid off the bed and hugged Ronin hard. “Thank you for saving his life, Ronin.”

  “You’re welcome, Emerson.”

  Chapter 15

  “Mal? Bishop?” Emerson stared at the wolf shifter and the bear shifter sitting at the table in Kat and Ronin’s kitchen. “What are you doing here?”

  “Hey, Emerson.” Mal smiled at her and stood.

  She hugged him hard before turning to Bishop, who also stood. The big grizzly shifter smiled awkwardly at her, and she blinked back the tears before throwing her arms around him. He lifted her off her feet in a – true to form – bear hug, and she kissed his bearded cheek. “I’m so happy to see you, Bishop.”

  “It’s good to see you too, Em.” Bishop set her down, and Emerson took his hand and squeezed it affectionately.

  Kat had been best friends with a tiger shifter named Bria since they were kittens, but she and Bishop had struck up a friendship when Kat started working at the security firm. Emerson supposed it was a bit of a strange friendship. Bears and cats didn’t normally socialize much, but Emerson knew how important Bishop was to Kat, even living in a different city. Hell, any time she flew in to visit Kat over the last few years, they always ended up having dinner with Bishop at least twice. It hadn’t taken long for Emerson to be as fond of Bishop as Kat was. And she’d grown just as fond
of Bishop’s human wife, Ava, and their baby girl, Lila.

  “Em, sit down and eat,” Kat said.

  Em sat down. Kat had left a new package of underwear along with a bra and a t-shirt, and yoga pants for her in the bathroom. Wearing so many clothes after days of nothing but a shirt annoyed her jaguar.

  She pulled at her shirt as Kat placed a bowl of soup in front of her. “It’s just leftovers from yesterday, but it’ll keep you from passing out.”

  She ate a spoonful of soup. “It’s delicious. Thanks, Kat.”

  Kat smiled at her, but it was strained and jagged. “Ronin made it.”

  “Thanks, Ronin.”

  The bird shifter nodded, sliding his arm around Kat’s waist when she joined him at the counter. He kissed her temple and cupped her hip as she said, “Em, I called Mal and Bishop because they were a part of what went down with Clay. Tell us exactly how you know Clay and what happened, okay?”

  “You first,” Emerson said. “Tell me your story, and then I’ll tell you mine.”

  “Em -”

  “I need to get some food into me before I pass out, so you go first,” Emerson said.

  Kat nodded. “I’ll give you the abridged version. You know that Ronin used to be a cop. His partner was a bear shifter named Lora. Lora became ill, they didn’t know from what, but it turned her into a…” she glanced at Ronin, “monster. Lora’s husband Wyatt was a bear shifter and a scientist. He asked Ronin to heal Lora. Ronin tried, but it didn’t work. Wyatt took him prisoner and experimented on him, gave him the same virus that had infected Lora to try to discover a way to heal her. After a few months, Ronin escaped and went on the run. Wyatt hired Clay to find him.”

  She glanced at Mal and Bishop. “Eventually, Clay found Ronin and kidnapped me to force Ronin to allow Wyatt to experiment on him. It was Clay’s fault that Ronin was tortured.”

  “Kat,” Ronin said.

  “It’s true,” she said. “Clay kidnapped me, knowing that you would let Wyatt torture you if it meant saving me.”

  Emerson swallowed hard. “Clay told me about Wyatt and Lora. He said he and Wyatt used to be friends and that Wyatt held his brother prisoner so Clay would do what he wanted him to do.”

  “He kidnapped me before he found out about his brother,” Kat said. “Because he’s dangerous and a killer, Em.”

  “I know,” she said softly. “Finish your story.”

  “There isn’t much more to tell. Wyatt tortured Ronin and killed him repeatedly while I watched. Mal, Bishop, Fenton, and a human detective named Bren Matthews, broke into the facility and saved us. End of story.”

  “There’s more to it than that, Kat,” Mal said.

  She scowled but didn’t object when he said, “We saved Kat and Ronin because Clay helped us. He told us where to find them in the facility.”

  “That doesn’t make him a hero,” Kat said.

  “No, but he did save yours and Ronin’s life,” Bishop said.

  “Bishop, not you, too.” Kat gave him a wounded look as Ronin squeezed her waist.

  “Kitten, I know you hate the guy, but we only escaped from that facility because of him. He saved both of us from Lora, and he killed her before she could escape and infect every shifter in the damn city.”

  “He only saved us because of his brother,” Kat said. “That’s it, Ronin. Not out of a sense of honour or because it was the right thing to do, but because Wyatt took his brother.”

  Ronin kissed her forehead. “That isn’t true, Kat.”

  “He isn’t a hero,” Kat repeated.

  “Did you find out what the virus was that infected Lora?” Emerson asked.

  Bishop nodded. “It was a failed experimental drug meant to suppress a shifter’s ability to shift. Instead, it turned them into a monster. Unfortunately, we discovered fairly recently that they perfected the suppressant serum. They’ve kept the serum shit quiet in the news – they don’t want a mass panic from the shifter population - but the senator who’s awaiting trial right now? Senator Matthews? He was part of the group that was creating the serum. He was working with -”

  “HAPI,” Emerson said.

  “How do you know that?” Bishop said.

  Emerson pushed her half-eaten bowl of soup away. “I guess it’s my turn for storytime.”

  “So, there is zero indication that your boss is anything other than a legit businessman,” Bishop said.

  Emerson smiled gratefully at Kat when she handed her a glass of water. She’d been talking for nearly two hours, and her throat was bone dry. She swallowed some water. “Nothing. As far as I know anyway.”

  “Fuck.” Ronin looked sick to his stomach. “He starts shipping that serum across the country, and shit is going to get real bad, real quick for shifters.”

  “Not just shifters,” Kat said. “Clay isn’t a shifter, but it suppressed his abilities too.”

  Emerson glanced toward the stairs. After being with Clay non-stop for days, her jaguar was whining and demanding to be with him. She swallowed down the unease she felt at her jaguar’s attachment to the human and ignored her cat’s pleas to check on Clay. He was fine.

  “We need to let Bren know what’s going on,” Mal said.

  “Bren… that’s the human detective Kat mentioned earlier, right?” Emerson said.

  “Yes. He’s mated to one of the dragons dosed with the suppressant serum. The dragonness is a good friend of mine named Kaida,” Bishop said. “Bren knows firsthand how dangerous it can be. He also happens to be the son of Senator Matthews.”

  “Holy shit,” Emerson said. “Is it… I mean, should we involve him? He might be mated to a shifter, but he’s a human and the senator’s son. Can we trust him?”

  “We can trust him. The senator tried to kill Kaida, and even before that, he and Bren didn’t have a good relationship. The senator’s involvement with HAPI and this serum shit, as well as attempting to murder Bren’s mate, has completely severed the relationship,” Bishop said.

  Mal tapped his fingers on the top of the table. “Bishop, can you go to Kaida’s clan tomorrow and speak to her and Bren about what we’ve learned of this Wilson Granger and the serum?”

  Bishop nodded, and Mal glanced at Emerson. “How much does Granger know about your personal life?”

  “Not a lot,” Emerson said. “We didn’t speak about personal stuff.”

  “Does he know you have a sister?” Mal said.

  Her stomach churning, Emerson said, “He could find out with a quick look at my personnel file. When Ira and I divorced, I changed my emergency contact to Katarina, and you had to write down what your relationship is to your emergency contact.”

  The soup she’d eaten threatened to come back up. She hated that she’d put Kat on Granger’s radar, but she’d needed Ronin’s help. Besides, she didn’t plan to be at Kat’s long enough to put her in danger.

  “Okay.” Mal texted rapidly, then set his phone on the table. “I’ve just texted Fenton. He’ll be here in about twenty minutes to keep an eye out for Granger’s men. He’ll text Kat if he sees anything or anyone suspicious.”

  “Thanks, Mal,” Kat said.

  “We’ll pull Davis and Garth from the Wenton job, and the three of them can do eight-hour shifts to keep the house under constant surveillance. Ronin, you’re assigned to Emerson. Make sure you -”

  “No,” Emerson said.

  Kat reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll cover the cost of security, Emmy.”

  “That’s not the problem, Kat. I’m not staying here,” Emerson said.

  “What? Of course, you are,” Kat said.

  “No, I’m not. Clay told me I couldn’t go back to my normal life ever again, and he’s right. Wilson Granger won’t stop until he kills me. I’m not putting you or Ronin or anyone else you care about in danger.”

  “Where exactly are you going to go?” Kat said. “You don’t have the money to go on the run or -”

  “Clay gave me fifty grand,” Emerson said. “It’s more than
enough to get me to the other side of the country.”

  “And then what?” Kat said. “You think you can live off of fifty grand in cash for the rest of your life?”

  “No.” Emerson’s gaze turned to Ronin. “I’ll need new identification – a driver’s license, passport, birth certificate.”

  Ronin’s jaw clenched, and a muscle ticked in his temple as he folded his arms across his chest. “You’re putting me in a hell of a spot, Em.”

  “I know you know people who can make that happen, Ronin,” Emerson said.

  “No,” Kat said. “No fucking way, Em. Ronin is not getting you a new identity like you’re some… some character in a fucking spy novel. You are staying right here where we can keep you safe until this asshole Granger is behind bars.”

  “He’s dangerous,” Emerson said.

  “So am I,” Kat snarled before growling under her breath.

  “Kat, if you… if Wilson hurts you because of me, I can’t live with that. Do you understand?”

  “I can’t live with never seeing you again,” Kat said. She took Em’s hands and squeezed them. “You can’t run from this, Emmy. It won’t work. Your past will always catch up to you.”

  “Listen to your sister, Em,” Ronin said quietly.

  “I don’t want to put any of you in danger.” Emerson blinked back the hot tears as Kat squeezed her hands again.

  “This is what we do, honey. We keep good people safe from the bad guys, and we are very good at it.”

  “It’s true,” Ronin said. “Some of us more than others. I happen to be amazing at it. It’s like my goddamn superpower, am I right, big guy?”

  He held his fist out to Bishop, who bumped it before standing. “I’m gonna go. I’ll head over to Kaida’s first thing in the morning.”

  Mal checked his phone. “I’ll keep an eye on things outside until Fenton arrives and then head home.”

  “Wait,” Emerson said. “What about Clay and his brother?”

  “What about them?” Kat said.

  “Owen needs our help,” Emerson said. “He’s Wilson’s prisoner.”