Heroines and Hellions: a Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Margo Bond Collins

  The worst thing was all she could think about was what had happened in that pool of water.

  And how... happy – no, that wasn’t the word – how right it had felt compared to the rest of her shitty life.

  And how much that scared her.

  Her eyes fell on the tiny carved doll Wade had discarded and she picked it up, curving her fingers around it. “Stupid,” she whispered harshly, but she tucked it in her pocket all the same.

  7

  His face ached like a bitch.

  Luc leaned back against the cage bars, his shirt protecting him from the silver’s burn. Wind whipped through his hair, stinging the harsh cuts and bruises on his face. He’d been bested by a kid. The thought disgusted him. But worse was the fact that McClain – the man he’d spent the last six years hunting – was sitting two seats away, leaning casually against the seatback as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

  Luc glared at the back of the bastard’s hat. A pretty turn of events. This was what happened when he went soft. When he helped people. He forgot what he was for a moment, but they didn’t. The kid had done a number on him, to be sure.

  He glanced at the red curls whipping back in the wind in front of him. He couldn’t even find it in him to be pissed at the boy. Luc would have done the same in that situation. But then he knew he was a shifty bastard. The boy who’d nearly pissed his pants when Luc had kidnapped Riley had grown up a hell of a lot in the last few days.

  Blonde hair swam into view and, as if she’d ensorcelled him by that pool, his gaze ran over Riley hungrily. The scent of her grief stained the air, forcing a heavy silence on the occupants of the jeep. A young woman, who had to be McClain’s sister, sat beside her and kept looking at her guiltily, but Riley never noticed. She was exhausted. Luc had watched them carry her out of the cave. She’d hadn’t looked at them, not even when McClain tried to talk to her.

  If it wasn’t for her, he wouldn’t be in this cage.

  Luc bit off a curse and looked away, out into the desert. Tough words. He couldn’t even summon up any anger for her either. Her pain itched along his skin, made him edgy. He wanted to touch her but he couldn’t, and no one would even look at him.

  Caged. He reached out with his bound hands, ran a finger along the bars, and hissed. Movement shifted in front of him. Riley. Stilling, her head half-turning toward him as if she were just as aware of him too.

  A taunt leapt to his tongue, but he ground his teeth over it. He didn’t want to hurt her, strangely enough. Reaching through the bars, he caught a strand of that flyaway blonde hair and rubbed it gently between his fingers.

  McClain looked up in the rearview mirror. Grey-green eyes met his own. Luc stilled, fury pumping through his blood. There was his anger, right there.

  McClain’s eyes narrowed, and Luc realized the man was staring at his hand, and the tendril of blonde hair Luc held.

  Smiling lazily, he stroked his fingers over it and laughed. You want it?

  McClain snapped at the driver, and the jeep screamed to a halt. Hurdling over the door, he strode toward the back of the jeep and slammed a fist through the bars.

  Lucius was waiting for it. He twisted fluidly, grabbing McClain’s hand in a wrist-lock and shoving his bare arm against the silver bars. McClain’s eyes widened, and he hissed as his skin touched the silver.

  “Don’t ever presume that I’m helpless,” Lucius snarled, and heat flashed through his arm. His claws sprang out, and he dug them into the tender flesh of McClain’s soft forearm. Aiming for the vein.

  It wouldn’t kill him, but he’d take what he could get.

  People were screaming. The sister was standing on the seat, her hands on her cheeks as she yelled her brother’s name. He’d heard McClain speak of her years ago, but the only time he’d ever seen her had been from a distance. They’d ridden together as bounty hunters, shared water and more out there on the Rim, watched each other’s backs. But by silent agreement, they’d never brought each other home to their families. That was like bringing the darkness, death, and destruction of the Rim home with them. When Lucius had been at the settlement, all he’d wanted to do was kiss his wife and forget about the things he’d done.

  Riley watched with an emotionless face. She reached for something, coming up with a dart gun in her hand.

  Lucius’s eyes widened as it swung toward him. “Don't!"

  Her eyes narrowed. The gun went off, and something bit into his chest. He looked down at the dart, warmth spreading out through the entry site, washing through his veins like molten honey. With a wordless gurgle, he slumped back against the bars, the back of his neck burning as he collapsed.

  The last thing he saw brought a smile to his lips as he went under.

  She’d turned the dart gun on McClain.

  Absolution reared over the plain like an ugly, squat fortress.

  Riley hated it on sight.

  McClain was snoring in the front seat, his hat over his face and his arm bandaged by Eden. Similar snores came from behind. She’d dragged Wade’s bare skin off the cage bars and jammed a spare shirt under his head as Eden tended her brother. Nobody had said a word.

  In fact, nobody had said anything since she’d shot McClain with his own dart gun.

  “Here we are,” Eden murmured, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “Home swe–”

  “Don’t say it,” Riley interjected. Home was a word that made her heart ache. She was so tired she just wanted to curl up under her mother’s old quilt in her bed and wish this was all a dream. But that would never happen again. Eden had told her that Madi had thought to bring her things from home, but it wasn’t the same. Here at Absolution, she’d be assigned a cell to sleep in, at least until she could sort out her sleeping arrangements.

  Or until McClain tried to do it for her. Her eyes narrowed.

  The gates started to open as they crossed the barren wasteland in front of the walls. Barbed wire curled into the distance, and the ground was pitted from gunfire. A pang filled her chest. That, more than anything, reminded her of Haven.

  But Absolution was nearly three times the size of her little settlement. At Haven, cattle and livestock roamed the dirt streets, and some of the women had coaxed lush little gardens to life in the walled-off yards behind their homes. Here, some of the streets were cobbled, the jeep bouncing under the shadow of the gates. And they were swept clean. There were no goats, no cats, not even a dog. Men moved with military efficiency along the walls, dressed in matching black and carrying ancient AK-47’s. Every house was roofed in tile – a virtual luxury – and the walls were solid white adobe.

  There was a square, squat building at the very heart of the settlement. The jeep roared up the hill toward it, curving around the roads. People lifted their heads, smiled and waved. McClain’s name was on everyone’s lips. As they saw the warg cage in the back, the smiles died, and the calls turned harsh.

  “Kill it!” one old lady yelled.

  Riley flinched back into the seat. The world had changed, and she couldn’t find her feet. Sleep was a luxury she didn’t think she would have time for. She had to get to Wade, had to talk to him, tell him she’d never meant for any of this to happen.

  Find a way out of this mess.

  Driving between a pair of rough-hewn barracks, the driver yanked the jeep to a halt. Jimmy winced as he tried to get out, but Riley just sat there, staring up at the main building. It was two stories high, the walls white stucco. Arrow slits lined the walls, places were a man could fire from if he needed, and the covered walkway along the top of the barracks overlooked the yard. Absolution had been designed for defense. A grudging part of her had to admit that McClain had done a good job; it would take a miracle for the reivers to take this place.

  “Are you coming?” Eden asked in a quiet murmur.

  Riley looked up. She didn’t want to get out of the jeep. Getting out meant accepting what had happened. Accepting that Haven was gone for good.

  But she was a big girl now. Throwing a t
antrum would gain her nothing, and the fury that had burned through her back at the cave was gone.

  Shooting McClain had been damned therapeutic.

  Without a word, she opened the jeep door and stepped out. She knew it wasn’t fair, but she couldn’t help feeling as though Eden had taken her brother’s side. As she would. He was her brother; Eden was bound to defend him.

  “Is there a room I can use until I decide what I’m going to do?” Riley asked. Her voice came out cool and neutral.

  “You’re not staying here?”

  “No.” The answer was short but definite. “There’s nothing here for me.” She’d been part of the council at Haven, respected, her choices helping to define the colony. McClain had his own council, his own systems in place. She knew the way he worked. The men-folk at Absolution formed the military, regardless of desire. The women tended the homes.

  If he gave her a needle and thread, she’d jam it in his arm. Or worse.

  Behind her, a scuffle broke out. Three men were trying to drag the warg cage off the back of the jeep. Wade caught her eye through the bars as she turned, then made a swiping gesture at one of the guards. His claws were out, but the action was lazy. The guard leapt back with a yell, as if he thought Wade truly intended to claw him up, then lifted his shotgun and jammed it through the bars. It landed with a meaty thump.

  “Come,” Eden murmured, taking her by the upper arm. “Let’s go inside.”

  Riley forced herself to walk away, gritting her teeth against the harsh grunts and curses behind her. Wade could have kept his claws to himself. The action had been designed to inflame, like most of his actions.

  Still....

  She made it almost to the lintel before a rough cry caught her ear. He’d never have cried out. Not Wade. Not unless they’d hurt him bad.

  Ripping out of Eden’s grip, she stormed back down toward the jeep. It shouldn’t matter – she wasn’t responsible for this – but she couldn’t stop herself from reacting. Wade trembled in a heap in the cage, on his hands and knees and spitting blood. Bruises darkened his eyes, and he’d managed to get free of his bonds. Those bloody claws, she suspected. Sharp as knives.

  The guard lifted the shotgun high.

  Riley grabbed the end. “For God’s sake! That’s enough! He’s down.”

  He turned on her with his arm raised, and she saw the blank look of fury in his eyes. Whoever the guard was, he’d lost someone to the wargs, she was sure of it. Hate didn’t burn that hot for no reason. She flinched, wrestling for the gun.

  “Walker,” McClain’s voice cut the air. “You hit the lady, and I’ll strip you down and whip you myself.”

  The hand froze in mid-air.

  Riley slowly let the barrel of the gun go. She didn’t want to turn, to look, but her gaze was drawn regardless of her feelings.

  McClain leaned against the jeep, his voice steady despite the fact his knees threatened to give out. His gaze ran over her, and she saw something there that made her uneasy. Emotions she didn’t think she could name. Emotions he probably couldn’t name right then.

  “Besides, she’s got a mean right hook,” McClain said. “And if she gets that gun, she’ll shoot you right where it hurts.”

  Riley arched a brow, a sweet little smile curling over her lips. “How’s your ass, McClain?”

  “Want to kiss it better?” His voice was cool. The look in his eyes wasn’t.

  “You bend over and I’ll shoot you again.”

  He smiled. Took a wobbly step forward. The smile died. “That’s the last time I leave a loaded gun near you.”

  Each step brought him closer. Tension grew, spreading down her spine with tingling fingers. She didn’t miss the glance he gave the cage behind her. Subconsciously, she took a step back, between him and Wade.

  “Riley, don’t turn your back on him,” McClain snapped. “The bastard’s got his claws out.”

  “He’s had three days to claw me up if he wanted,” she replied. “And I’m not sure you’re in the right state of mind to be dealing with him right now.”

  “Is there a right state of mind to deal with Wade?”

  “With plenty of sleep, and a good slug of alcohol, I’d imagine,” she shot back.

  “A good slug, all right. I’ve got a fucking silver bullet with his name on it.” McClain glared at her. “Get out of the way, Riley. I won’t ask you again.”

  “That’s the problem. You never do ask.”

  McClain sucked in a deep breath. “When you’re in my settlement, you obey my rules. Wade’s dangerous.”

  She took a deep breath. “He helped me get Jimmy out. That’s got to count for something, doesn’t it?”

  If anything, McClain’s gaze flattened. “And what about you, Riley? What’d he do to you?”

  “As fascinating as this conversation is,” Wade drawled behind her, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut it short.”

  A hand curled in the back of her shirt and wrenched her backward. Riley yelped as she lost her balance, hitting the bars. A second later, warm arms curled around her, one at her waist, the other settling its claws against her throat.

  Déjà vu.

  “Let me go,” she snapped.

  “You should have listened to the man,” Wade murmured. “I let my guard down once, and got my fingers burned. I don’t plan on doing it again. Humanity’s for the humans.”

  “I’ve got shooters at your back,” McClain said, drawing his gun.

  “What are they packin’?” Wade asked lazily. “Better be careful it don’t travel straight through me.” His hand stroked down over her breasts, her stomach. “She’s not as indestructible as I am.”

  Riley clamped a hand over his. “Damn it, Wade,” she muttered through clenched teeth. “Let me go.”

  “This is my only chance out of here.” The whisper steamed her skin.

  “No, it’s not.” She twisted her neck, caught a glance of him out of the corner of her eye. “I made a promise,” she whispered, barely audible. “I’ll get you out.”

  Wade slowly smiled, looked up. “He’s not going to let me out,” he replied in a satisfied murmur. “Not now.”

  McClain’s face had gone hard as steel. He stepped closer. “Let her go.”

  The silence thickened as the two men stared at each other. Wade tapped his claws against her throat in warning as McClain took another step. “How much do you want her?” Wade asked. “How much would it hurt if I dug these a little deeper?” The pressure of his claws hardened, almost pricking the skin of her throat. “To lose her the way I lost everything I gave a damn about? How much, McClain?” The last question was a snarl, his claws digging dangerously deep.

  Riley froze. “Wade?”

  His attention was no longer on her. She might not have even existed. Only McClain was there in his eyes.

  She could smell the stink of his burning flesh as it brushed against the silver bars. “It’s not worth it. He’ll never let you live,” she said.

  “He never intended to.” His voice rose. “Did you, McClain? That would mess with the little plan he’s got going on here.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” she asked.

  A hard laugh. “Ask him. Or better yet, ask where your room is, darlin’. And then ask him why he wants to kill me so bad.”

  “That last one’s fairly self-explanatory.”

  “Mmm.” The hum shivered over her ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder. “McClain’s never wanted to kill me before, have you? He wanted to save me from my evil self.”

  McClain had his gun trained on them. “Let her go.”

  “Why don’t you tell her what’s got you so worked up?” Wade laughed. “Or better yet, tell her why I’ve got such a hard-on to kill you. To hurt you.” His hand stroked over Riley’s stomach.

  McClain shifted his stance slightly and squeezed the trigger.

  Wade jerked away, and Riley screamed as the bullet whizzed past her face, burying itself in the wall behind the cage. Wa
de settled behind her again, on the other side.

  “You asshole!” she yelled. “That could have hit me.”

  “I have excellent aim,” McClain replied coldly.

  “Yet this is the third chance you’ve had at me,” Wade said. “And you missed again.”

  McClain’s eyes narrowed. “This goes too far, even for you, Wade. You had your chances. I won’t cry any tears this time. Sometimes, there’s nothing left to save.”

  “I bet you I can make you cry. Tears of blood,” Wade replied. “I just have to find the right buttons to push.”

  Claws rippled over her tank, sliding it up. Riley held her breath, looking down as the razor-sharp edge of them revealed her midriff to the world. “What are you doing?” she whispered, true fear starting to slide through her veins. What did she know about him? Really know? “Let me go. Please. Please, don’t do this.”

  “Sorry, darlin’.” His fingers slid over her smooth skin, claws skittering light enough to send a shiver down her spine. “Truly, I am.”

  Riley clamped a hand over his, looking down, her throat tightening. “Please, don’t. Please.” She turned her head, glanced over her shoulder. His face was close to hers, so close she could feel his breath on her lips. His gaze slowly left McClain, locked on hers, and Riley willed him to see her. “I trusted you,” she whispered.

  Thought flickered in his blue eyes. “Then you put your trust in the wrong person.”

  “Did I?” she pressed. A tiny hint of doubt made his lashes shutter, and she leapt after it, tried to chase it. “My daddy got clawed up. Put a gun in his mouth before he could turn.” Ruthlessly, she captured his gaze. “I’ll do the same, Wade. I swear I will. I won’t let you make me into that.”

  “A monster?” He smiled bitterly. “Like me?”

  And there was her opening. “A monster. Like that warg at the gates to Black River. Like all the wargs out there on the plains, howling for flesh. You’re not like them, Wade. You have a choice,” she said harshly. “Do this and you’re no better than they are. You may as well take off that charm and just tear us all to shreds. Humanity’s for the humans, Wade, but you still want it, I know you do. Otherwise, you would have taken that charm off long ago.”