by Nowlan,Anya
Men like Stone Calloway were few and far between. Though he had been working for himself prior to retiring, powerful organizations had come knocking on his door more than once. He’d even done a few odd jobs for The Firm, a well-known enterprise bringing together clean and dirty money, and shapeshifter operatives with military training.
In their ranks, he had come to know intimately of the likes of the Crimson Claws and The Arctics. Shifter terror and crime organizations were a dime a dozen, but every now and then, one or two would rise to the top in any given area and decimate anyone that got in their way.
Without even knowing who the Crimson Claws were exactly, Stone could guess well enough.
No one good.
“Right. They’re new players in town and let me tell you, it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before. Even the other criminals are scared of them. They’re all shifters, mostly tigers, or so I’ve heard,” Joe explained, seeming a bit calmer now that he got talking.
“They’ve been expanding quickly. Our neighborhood is only the latest on a long list of areas they control. Last month, a couple of goons came by, saying we need to start making monthly payments. For the privilege of being allowed to do business on Crimson lands, as if they can make those decisions for us,” Joe scoffed, face twisting bitterly.
“We said no. We’ve been shaken down for protection money before. I may not be what I once was,” Joe said, tapping his plastic shin, “But I’m still a marine and you already know about my gun habit,” he continued with a small smile, which fell as quickly as it had appeared.
“I didn’t know they’d take her. If I would’ve known…” he trailed off, staring at the table.
“It’s not your fault, Joe. How long has she been missing?” Stone asked, hating to see his friend in so much pain.
His mind was already hard at work, considering their options. Not that there seemed to be many.
“I walked her to her car the night before last. When she didn’t show up for work in the morning, I knew something was wrong. I went to her apartment. Her keys were on the ground, the door was locked. She never made it inside.”
His friend’s voice was trembling now, he was probably imagining every possible worst case scenario.
“And you called the cops?”
“Of course. But there are no leads. And even if there were, how do I know the Crimson Claws don’t have someone bought off inside the department to make sure the investigation goes nowhere? Besides, it’s not like the cops are equipped to take on shifters,” Joe said, running a hand down the back of his neck in frustration.
“What exactly do you want me to do?” Stone asked.
“I want to hire you,” he answered, eyes burning.
“I don’t do that anymore,” Stone got out, despite his lion already raging against that answer, before being interrupted.
“I want to hire you to find my sister and kill whoever gets in the way,” Joe continued, his face tightening to a mask of rage.
“You’re the only shot I’ve got, Stone. You know the underworld, you’re a shifter, and oh, you’re a goddamn navy SEAL!” Joe continued.
“I used to be a navy SEAL,” Stone amended.
“That’s bull and you know it. Once a SEAL, always a SEAL,” Joe countered, voice turning to steel.
Joe was right. He as uniquely equipped to help. And who was he kidding, as soon as Joe had called saying he needed help, he knew he would do anything his friend asked. It sure beat doing the daily scramble in the back of the newspaper and praying that something would break around the house so he’d have something to do.
“Okay. I’ll do what I can. But you have to realize… I can’t guarantee a happy ending.”
The look Joe gave him told Stone that his friend was well-aware of what was at stake here and what the consequences might be.
If she’s alive at all anymore.
“You don’t need to be gentle with me. I know she could already be dead,” Joe said, as if reading Stone’s thoughts, his mouth a thin line.
“They took her to teach a lesson, to show what happens if you don’t do what they want. That means if they had killed her, you would have found the body by now,” Stone rationalized.
“Then what are they doing with her?” Joe asked, not really wanting an answer.
Stone’s expression turned glum.
What indeed.
Three
Selina
The “safehouse” Parker mentioned turned out to be a lavish penthouse apartment in the heart of Chicago. A private elevator was the only way to get to the top floor and armed guards milled around every exit and entrance, both inside and outside the building.
Parker’s men carefully took off their shoes before entering. They got rid of Selina’s muddy sneakers as well, but it didn’t do much good. Her feet were still covered in wet dirt and she took great satisfaction in tracking it on the beige marble floors. She only wished she could find a nice, fluffy white rug to really do some damage on.
The apartment was opulent in a tasteless kind of way. Everything screamed money, from the floors to the excessive use of gold, from the top-of-the-line electronics to the gaudy chandelier in the foyer.
Selina sat down on one of the antique-looking couches before anyone could stop her. Her guards looked horrified as they shooed her off the red velvet. She suppressed the smirk dancing on the edges of her lips. They didn’t seem half as scary surrounded by their boss’s belongings as they had when she was being marched into the dark woods by them.
So Parker has a weakness for the finer things, she mused, thinking of ways she could use that against him.
Speak of the devil, Parker chose that moment to stride in. He frowned at the dirty footprints on the floor before turning to smile at Selina.
“What do you think?” he asked, sweeping a hand over the huge living area.
“I think you should fire your decorator,” she replied, savoring the way Parker’s grin faded.
“Don’t be rude,” he snapped as he came to a stop before her, grabbing her face, his fingers digging painfully into her jaw.
Irritating the man who kidnapped you and almost killed you – I’ve had better ideas, Selina thought, regretting letting her temper get the better of her.
“I’m sorry,” she managed, despite the awkward position her lips were in due to Parker’s grip.
He let go, the smile back on his face. Selina’s face stung, but that was the least of her problems right now.
“Good. Now go get cleaned up.”
He was pointing at one of the doors near the entrance and looking at her expectantly.
Selina stood, unsure of how to proceed. She raised her hands, still in zip-ties, her wrists red and swollen from where the plastic cut into her skin.
“Oh, right. Tom?” Parker said, nodding at the red-haired man who had threatened her outside her apartment.
Tom produced a knife from somewhere on his body and cut the ties. Selina rubbed her wrists, feeling the blood flow returning to her hands. Watching him return the knife, she got the feeling that it might not be the only one he was hiding on him.
“There’s a robe in the bathroom. Put your clothes in the basket,” Parker added offhandedly, already strolling towards some other room.
“Why am I here?” Selina asked, not at all thrilled by the idea of taking off her clothes, no matter how dirty they were.
“You don’t ask the questions here, sweetheart. Now get in the bathroom, or would you like someone to accompany you?” Parker queried, raising a challenging brow.
“I’m fine,” Selina huffed, already moving towards the door.
The bathroom was just as garish as the rest of the penthouse.
What’s this dude’s obsession with gold? she wondered, looking around after locking the door behind her.
Selina knew the flimsy bathroom lock would do little to protect her if any of the men outside decided to barge in, but it was the principle of the thing, really. She let out a breath she hadn�
��t known she was holding in. Even the illusion of momentary safety was better than nothing.
She quickly peeled off her clothes and jumped in the shower, which was stocked with all sorts of fancy bottles, mostly catered towards men.
She didn’t dawdle while scrubbing herself clean, keeping her eyes on the door the whole time. Putting her underwear in the laundry basket seemed all sorts of icky, but Selina got a feeling she had better follow the rules.
Got to play along. For now.
The robe hanging near the door was very fluffy and comfortable, but most importantly, it was large enough to cover her from head to toe. She had to take some deep breaths before she got up the courage to open the door again and step out of the bathroom.
The floor had already been cleaned. No dirty footprints, only shining marble. Selina hoped with all her might the shower was about Parker’s penchant for cleanliness and nothing else. She yanked the robe’s belt even tighter around her. Two guards still stood at the entrance to the apartment, dressed in matching black suits, but everyone else seemed to have cleared out or at least gotten out of sight. Parker was standing at the small bar, tucked away near one of the large windows.
“What would you like to drink?” he asked, turning to her with a smile.
Selina slowly padded towards him, the floors cold under her bare feet.
What is this, a date? she scoffed to herself.
“None for me, thank you,” she said, trying her best to stay calm and polite.
Who knows what he’ll slip in there.
Parker’s eyes bore into her, the usual blue starting to swirl with gold.
“What would you like to drink?” he asked again, more forcefully this time.
Selina glanced at the bottles, spotting an unopened one.
“White wine, please.”
She kept an eye on Parker as he opened the bottle and poured her a glass.
Okay, so it’s probably not drugged, she thought, trying to find a silver lining amidst this madness.
Parker guided her towards one of the sofas, holding a glass of what looked like whiskey.
“How’s the wine?” he asked, prompting Selina to take a rushed sip.
“Very good,” she answered, hoping she sounded like she knew what she was talking about.
“You’re probably wondering why I didn’t kill you.”
Finally to the point then.
“I find you very attractive and as you can see, I like having nice things around. You’ll stay here with me and when the time comes, you’ll become my mate and give me a nice litter of cubs,” he continued, as if they were discussing little more than dinner options or what show to watch on Netflix.
“I’ll what?” Selina exclaimed, shooting up from her seat, making the wine slosh on the floor. “I don’t think so!”
“I will treat you well, don’t worry. Anything you want,” he continued, but Selina could barely hear what he was saying over the sound of her heart thumping in panic.
“I’d rather die,” she spat out from behind gritted teeth.
Parker considered her impassively. He was a handsome man, in a scary, rip your throat out kind of way, but that really wasn’t enough for Selina. Not by a longshot.
“Is that really what you want? You never know, I might grow on you,” Parker said coolly. “We tigers have needs… and I believe you will fit well to appease mine.”
Grow on me like a fungus, Selina thought, disgusted.
“You’re insane,” was all she ended up saying, shocked.
“I could track down your whole family and paint these walls with their blood. Is that insane enough for you?” Parker inquired in between sips of his drink.
His tone of voice was perfectly conversational as he leaned back in his seat.
Not this again.
But the threat was still just as effective as when Tom said it.
Selina would do anything to keep her loved ones safe. So she would play along, be the compliant little prisoner.
Just long enough for Parker to let his guard down.
If he ever does.
Quietly, she sat back down, trying to still the shivers that seemed to be wracking her whole body.
Four
Stone
“Hey, Mike, where you going?” Stone asked as he crossed over the man’s apartment door, lying in splintered pieces on the floor.
Stone shrugged back his shoulders slightly. He might not want to admit it, but it felt good to knock down doors and put the fear of… well, him, back in the local scumbags.
Mike stopped, one foot out the window, to stare at Stone like a deer in headlights. He was a wiry little man with curly, sandy hair.
“Stone, buddy, about that money…” Mike started nervously.
“I know you don’t have any money. You wouldn’t still be living in this shithole if you did,” Stone said, cutting him off.
Mike looked genuinely scared now.
“What do you want then?” he asked, pulling himself back inside.
There was no way he was going to outrun Stone and they both knew it.
“I need to track a phone. You help me and maybe I’ll consider us even.”
Mike visibly relaxed.
“Sure, of course, just give me the number,” he said, fishing a laptop out of the bag around his neck.
Stone had to hand it to the little guy. He’d gotten his stuff together fast.
Guess I’m not the only one breaking in as of late, he thought, considering the destroyed door with some newfound interest.
Perhaps Mike got bulk rates on those things.
Mike was very good at what he did. If only he didn’t like to play cards as much as he did, he might be reliable enough for people to actually hire him without fearing he’d skip out with their money. Which he did, often enough.
Stone had gotten Selina’s number from Joe. Police had only found her keys, her phone was still missing. Most probably her kidnappers had tossed it, but you never knew. The cops had already tried tracking it, but it was shut off. Didn’t hurt to give it another shot, though.
Plus, Stone had learned over the years that sometimes, wanting something enough would be just what was missing. The cops rarely gave a crap and would miss things all the time.
Stone desperately needed a lead, as Joe wasn’t able to give him more than a generic description of the guys that shook them up for money. Thugs like that were a dime a dozen in Chicago.
“So, how you been? You back in the biz?” Mike asked while typing away, throwing wary looks at Stone.
Stone just growled at him.
“Okay, fine, be that way,” Mike huffed with a roll of his eyes.
After a couple more minutes of typing, he motioned Stone closer and turned the screen to face him.
“It’s turned off now, but it was on for about 30 seconds today, in this region,” he said, pointing at the map on his screen.
Stone stared at the red circle blinking on the screen, encompassing an area that was about a couple of hundred yards in diameter. There would be dozens of buildings to look through, and the residents would definitely object to him searching their apartments. Even if he behaved himself better than he had with Mike’s door.
Stone grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled down the number of one of his burner phones, giving it to Mike.
“Call me if it comes online again,” he instructed.
“Will do,” Mike replied, smiling at him nervously.
Stone mumbled a quick ‘thanks’ before rushing off.
“Nice seeing you too!” Mike called after him.
Stone called Joe to get him some personal items of Selina’s so he could pick up a scent. They met back at the bakery, with Joe carrying a whole armful of clothes.
“I didn’t know how much you’d need so I basically raided her laundry hamper,” he shrugged.
Joe also handed him the most recent picture of Selina he could find. It was a close-up of her face. She had pale, creamy skin, starkly contrasting her lar
ge, dark hazel eyes and long black hair. The smile she was wearing was genuine and warm.
Stone found himself looking at it a moment too long, before tucking it away in his pocket. He frowned, feeling his lion stir expectantly within him.
Stone took the pile of clothes from Joe, holding it up to his face and taking a deep breath. Selina’s scent was very distinct, sweet but sharp at the same time, with hints of something earthy. One of the items, a beige silk scarf with orange and blue accents, smelled especially strong.
“This was her favorite?” Stone asked, holding it up.
“Yes, how did you… Our parents gave it to her,” Joe said, growing somber.
“I’ve got a pretty solid grasp on her scent, but I’ll take this with me just in case.” Stone looked at Joe for permission.
“Of course, whatever you need,” he responded, staring into space.
“You need to leave now. Wherever you sent the rest of your family, go there.”
“What? No, I’m going with you,” Joe argued.
“I can’t do the job you hired me to do if I have to worry about you. Your family needs you and you need to keep them safe. We don’t know what these guys are up to. Just trust me on this, okay?”
Stone placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder, squeezing. His head still swam with Selina’s scent, seeming to permeate his pores in the most delicious way.
Joe was obviously struggling with the idea of staying behind. It could be read clearly on his expression. Finally, he gave Stone a reluctant nod.
“I will call you the second I have something, I promise,” Stone said, pulling Joe with him as they exited the bakery.
“Now, about that gun collection of yours…” he continued, finally earning a genuine grin from Joe.
Stone parked his rental at the edge of the circle where Selina’s phone had pinged earlier that day.
Riverdale was not a nice neighborhood. High in crime and low on jobs, this seemed as likely of an area as any to keep a kidnapped woman hostage. Stone pulled the scarf out of his pocket and took a quick whiff before starting his prowl. Again, it seemed to go through him like a flash of lightning, shocking him for a moment.