Taken
Janet MacDonald
Edited by Marisa Chenery
Cover design by April Martinez
Copyright 2013 Janet MacDonald. Published by Forever More Publishing, 31 Wycliffe Place, Kitchener, Ontario, N2M 5J6, Canada. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.
ISBN: 978-1-92785-914-8
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Blurb
Mercenary lycan outcast, Caleb Lazerath, was given the same ultimatum as his brother, which led to Kaiden being framed and put in the federal pen on trumpeted up charges. But once Caleb takes on the job it unravels at an incredible speed. He soon finds the one thing he’d been yearning for all his life is his captive, and he has to risk everything to keep her from being rescued.
A jail cell is no place for a lycan. As Kaiden Lazerath sits in one, he looks at the possibility of rotting away on false drug and weapons smuggling charges. He knows his twin brother is fighting to get him out. In doing so it might cost more than either one of them had bargained for. The cause of all the trouble is a small delicate woman, whom he has waited all his life for.
Katarina “Kitty” Callaghan is about to become the sole benefactor of her family’s entire fortune, which she plans on giving away—every last penny of it. Money has never made her happy, has never filled the empty void inside her. It only added to her loneliness. Just before her twenty-first birthday she has nearly everything, except for the one thing money can’t buy. Then in a strange twist of events, that last missing part of her life shows up and he’s far from what she’d expected. The only thing is he’s not alone.
Chapter One
With a brutal slam, the two cops pushed Kaiden facedown on the hard, damp asphalt. The solid, cold barrel of one of their handguns pressed to the back of his head. Bullets didn’t need to be silver to kill a werewolf. There just needed to be more of them. He was no fool, there were at least six cops there, and that made for a lot of bullets.
“You should have stopped when we said freeze!” the officer jabbing him with the gun snarled. His chubbier partner cuffed Kaiden’s wrist behind his back.
Kaiden had tried to run as soon as he saw what the officers had uncovered in the van. It’d been a stupid thing to do, but he knew what would happen if they caught him. This was his third strike, which meant twenty years in the federal pen.
His first two crimes had been nothing like this. A fistfight that got out of control, and the second, he’d punched an off-duty cop in the mouth for getting lippy with his mother. No one talked to his mama like that behind her back—or to her face, for that matter.
He was dragged to his feet and Kaiden looked at the officers. He stood a good six inches taller than both the burly men. He growled as he was shoved into the backseat of the cruiser.
“Can you believe this one,” the officer with the busted lip said, wiping the blood away.
“How much do you think this is worth?” the second one asked. He tossed the duffle bag of drugs on the hood as he glanced at Kaiden. A little hostile glint was reflected in his eyes.
“Christ, there has to be at least five kilos of cocaine in there. That’s a lot of money!” He whistled low. Several other officers carried more planted evidence from Kaiden’s small van.
There was no way in hell he’d be able to get out of this one. It was his van, his duffle bags, and he’d been behind the wheel when they’d pulled him over. As they drove away, Kaiden caught sight of Trites. He stood there with a smirk on his face as he watched from the sidelines. The last words he’d said yesterday evening at the bar drifted through Kaiden’s thoughts.
“You should take this deal. She’s worth more money than you’ll ever see.” Trites had snarled after Kaiden had refused the job.
“I told you I’m a soldier for hire, not a kidnapper. Now get the fuck out of my mother’s bar!” he’d ordered just before he’d tossed the pompous ass out. Apparently, he’d given Trites the wrong answer.
* * * *
Seven days later.
The man fidgeted and looked the place over with a slight cast of fear reflecting on his face. People in Mr. Henderson’s social standing didn’t come into this area of New York City known as the Barrens. Not unless they were up to something illegal. The folks there consisted of bikers, ex-cons, hardened criminals and mercenaries just like him and most of them were Denizens. They were the creatures from fairytales and monster movies. They all existed, just not out in the open, and the Barrens seemed to have more than its fair share of them.
Mr. Henderson stood out in this crowd with his finely-tailor suit, nice clean-shaven face and proper English. He shook as he stood clutching a large yellow envelope. Caleb held his chuckle in check. If he wasn’t there to do business with him this crew would have done a number on Henderson.
The older man slid the package across the table. He uneasily looked around at the other patron’s in The Broken Cue bar. Caleb picked it up and nodded for Mr. Henderson to follow him into the back office. He didn’t want everyone in there knowing what was going on. Even though half the patrons were supernaturals, he was sure Henderson had no clue.
Caleb went through the contents. He eyed the pretty girl in the photos. This wasn’t his usual kind of job. “Who is she?” he asked, looking at the short, frail man.
“The biggest payout you’ll ever see,” Henderson explained. “Miss Callaghan is the richest lady in the States.”
“How big a payout are we looking at?” he asked with faked keen interest.
“Right now, she’s worth just over twenty billion dollars, but we’re only going after three hundred million. Split three ways, of course.” He watched his face carefully, and Caleb tried not to let shock show on his face at the astronomical amount.
It was more than he’d thought of ever having. But both Trites and Henderson would make sure to cut him and his brother out. No doubt setting things up so Kaiden and himself would take the fall for the whole fiasco. Then they could just disappear with the money.
“You’re sure there’ll be easy access to that kinda cash?” he asked pointedly. Most wealthy folks had their money tied up in stocks and bonds.
“Oh yes. The funds have already been liquidated into an account set up for transfer. I made sure it’s accessible via a clause in her trust fund.”
“Okay, it’s a deal. Tell your boss it goes down my way or the deal is off.” He growled. Caleb had no other choice but to take this job.
“You’re sure you can do this?”
“Of course I can. Here, this is for you. You’re going to need to wear it.” He tossed the large brown paper bag to Henderson. He looked inside, his face blanched, then he stared at Caleb with a look of disgust.
“Can’t you find someone else?” he asked with a croak.
“The fewer people involved, the less likely we are to get caught.” Caleb smiled cruelly. He wished his brother was there to see this.
His twin, Kaiden, was in the Big House. Securely locked away from all the nice civil people in the world. Henderson and Trites had made
sure there was no way Caleb could refuse this job. His brother’s freedom depended on it.
After Henderson left, Caleb sat in the office and thumbed through the pictures. He carefully studied each and every one of them. These were personal photos. Taken by someone the heiress knew, as she was always looking directly at the camera. How the hell did Henderson get his hands on them, he thought. She was extremely pretty, young, and most of the images caught her with a smile. It didn’t seem to reach her eyes. They looked sad, empty almost. They reminded him so much of his own. He had to wonder how anyone with so much money could look so lost.
As he read the information his unwanted partner had left him, Caleb smiled to himself. Surprisingly, she’d be an easy target. There was no bodyguard to deal with and she apparently didn’t carry a gun. The takedown spot he’d chosen was in an isolated stretch of road leading up into the Catskills Mountains. He had full intention of releasing the girl after the money was dropped off via her uncle to Henderson. His partner said he had no problems with that either, which made this job simpler.
If by some fluke of luck they actually pulled this off and Caleb and Kaiden did get that kind of money, they and their mother would be set. The two had never had much in their adult life other than this bar. Thrown a bone now and again by his uncle’s pack, but otherwise they were outcasts left to fend for themselves. That’s what happened when a lycan female bred with a human. They were exiled. And that fate befell their mother. She’d been forced to raise her pups outside the protection of the pack.
Males had the right to breed with human women. As only they had the glands connected to their fangs to turn someone into a werewolf. Even then the chance of the change killing the person who was bitten was so great it was only used in desperate measures. Therefore, they tended to only find mates within their own kind, which wasn’t easy.
Females weren’t as frequently born. So when his mother had chosen a human male, it’d sent a shock wave through the lycan pack. His Uncle Tim had hated throwing his sister to the curb, but it was the law of their kind. And even he’d had to obey it. Tim at least made sure the bar was protected by the pack and had made it their favorite watering hole. It kept the place running.
* * * *
It was such a glorious morning, Kitty thought. So many exciting things would be happening today. Later this afternoon, she was to meet with the party planner for the preparations for both her twenty-first birthday and the big fundraiser bash. There was still the matter of her picking up her new Lamborghini before she left for the ski lodge, but it would be a short appointment. She was already packed and ready to go for a two-day excursion. Life was great, she thought as she slipped on her slippers and wrapped her robe around herself. She then headed down the grand marble stairs to go eat breakfast.
As she walked into the solarium, Kitty saw Nigel had brought her favorite Belgian waffles with fresh Mexican strawberries and a tall glass of milk.
“Good Morning, miss, your breakfast is ready. Your uncle will be with you shortly.” He poured coffee for her Step-Uncle Gregory in his favorite cup, which sat at the place set for him right across from her. Nigel had been there as long as Kitty could remember. He was more like family than Gregory ever would be.
“Thank you, Nigel.” She smiled. “Is the paper in yet?”
“No, miss.”
“Oh, I see,” she said. It was a little bit disappointing. The interview she’d had with her friend, Vivian Felps, about the upcoming Callaghan Charity’s fundraiser was supposed to be in today’s social column. She wanted to read it before she headed for the ski lodge this afternoon.
The heavy steps on the mosaic stone tiles drew her attention to the man walking toward her. Her heart pounded as Nigel left and she was alone with Gregory. The anxiety built as he pulled his seat out across from her and smiled. It almost looked evil.
“All ready for our trip?” Gregory asked.
“Our trip?” She cringed.
“Yes, I’ve decided I’m going with you. Get a drive in that fancy new car of yours and enjoy a weekend at the lodge.” He smiled like a snake and his gaze drifted to her chest and then back up to her face.
“But…I…”
“It’s already settled. Come on, don’t look so glum. It’ll be fun,” he said, his eyes growing a deeper green.
“Yes, Gregory,” she whispered as she played with her food. Her appetite was gone now, and the brightness of the day seemed clouded.
“I need to call Vivian,” she whispered. “May I be excused please?”
“Yes, of course, Kitty,” he said.
She felt his gaze on her as she headed inside. Gregory had never touched her, but he watched her. His gaze traveling over her as if she were something he wanted in an intimate way. It’d started when she was sixteen and had gotten worse over the years. It was to the point she felt the need to lock her bedroom door.
Kitty grew up not being allowed many close friends, other than the girls at the Catholic private school for young ladies. She hadn’t been allowed sleepovers, no weekends at another family’s home and definitely no boys. Gregory had kept her on a short leash. That was why she’d looked forward to this weekend alone. Now it was all ruined.
Her social life consisted of pretend friends, who milked her social standing to increase their own, and her financial advisor, Anthony Henderson. He was constantly asking her out. Nigel, however, had been true in his personage with her and the only family she’d ever really known. She looked over the vast yard of the back lawns and longed for something more. Sure she had a nice home, fancy clothes, expensive jewelry and anything money could ever buy. For everything Kitty had, the one basic emotional need in her life was missing.
All of that was about to change, though. She smiled, picturing Gregory’s face when she told him on her twenty-first birthday that her present to herself was to give three quarters of the family fortune to the Callaghan Charity Group. The other quarter she planned on giving to third-world country charities for children. Twenty billion dollars would be allocated to so many worthy causes. In less than a month, she’d be of age and free of Gregory and his control. Free to find someone, to live and be happy.
Of course she’d set Gregory up with a nice compensation package for his years as her guardian. Then she’d wash her hands of him completely. Mr. Henderson had thought all of it to be a terrible idea. Even her getting Gregory out of her life, but then again, Gregory thought Mr. Henderson would be suitable for her to date.
* * * *
Kaiden looked at his brother as he sat in the small visiting room of the jail. Their mother had just left almost in tears less than half an hour ago. She’d wanted to call their father for help, but owing his father anything could be far worse than sitting in jail. After they’d left their father, things had been different. They were much poorer, but at least they didn’t have to play guard dog to his shipments anymore.
Although they’d had to leave, their dad had taken it hard and had washed his hands of their mother completely for many years. She was virtually penniless and had to struggle to keep her bar open. Now she struggled to find a way to get him out of jail, and by the look on his twin’s face, he too was cooking up something. Kaiden just hoped it wouldn’t land his baby brother’s ass right next to him in a jail cell.
Caleb sat, looking uncomfortable. None of their kind liked to feel trapped, and Kaiden was already half-nuts with being locked up.
“I met with your friend from the bar,” Caleb said, getting right to the point.
“Please tell me you told him the same thing I did.” Kaiden growled.
“Well, yeah, I did, but then he said it would also be a ticket out for you,” he told him in a whisper. One of the guards eyed them from about fifteen feet away, but he seemed not to care about what they were talking about.
Kaiden shook his head. The last thing he’d wanted was for Caleb to get mixed up in all this. “You can’t do it,” he whispered.
“Look, if I don’t, I end up in here
with you. If I do, you end up free.”
“You know they’re not going to make it easy.”
“I know. I’m already working on a plan for that.”
“Please tell me it doesn’t include our father.” He growled low.
“No…Uncle Tim and the boys,” he told him with a weak smile.
Kaiden raised an eyebrow. Their Uncle Tim was not only the alpha lycan to the pack in the Barrens, but also the leader to a group of bikers, who all happened to be werewolves as well. The bikers were a bit rough and tumble, but unlike most, they weren’t into the criminal aspects of it. Well, for the most part, anyway.
“You’re going to set the Road Demons on them?” he asked, hoping that wasn’t Caleb’s plan.
“No, but they’re going to be a distraction for when Trites and Henderson try to twist this back on us.”
“Oh great.” Kaiden let out a low huff.
“It’s that or I call Dad.”
“No, don’t call him. We don’t need to be indebted to him again,” he stated.
Kaiden listened while Caleb explained the plan in a low voice. It might work, but his gut told him Caleb was in over his head. His little brother wasn’t like him, and although a mercenary like himself, he was neither as aggressive nor as quick to anger. Caleb’s heart was a bit on the soft side. For his twin brother to get mixed up in something that could get an innocent girl killed might very well destroy him.
Chapter Two
The meeting with her party planner went off without a hitch. Her birthday party was to be a small function of maybe fifty people. Only those close to her uncle and herself were invited. Kitty hadn’t wanted a party at all, however, Gregory had insisted on the birthday bash. He’d said it would be good for their image. The individuals he’d invited included investors, brokers and business people. Anything to give him his next big investment edge. It was embarrassing. Out of the fifty people invited she’d only personally asked six.
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