by J. D. Light
Copyright © 2018 J.D. Light
Cover Art by
Covers By Jess
https://www.facebook.com/Covers-By-Jess-170528563756562/
Edited by
Jenni Lea at LesCourt Author Services
https://www.facebook.com/SupportingYourBoys/
Chapter One
I stood in the bedroom of the missing Carter Benson, shaking with rage. He'd been missing nearly a month. His stuff had long been boxed up, already starting to take on the smell of the cardboard instead of the delicious scent of its owner.
The hyena shifter had buckled easily, his manic laughter giving way to tears and screams of pain just five minutes into our "interrogation."
He'd indeed sold out his roommate. That was the only reason the man hadn't moved all Carter's stuff out and gotten a new roommate. He didn't have to yet. He had money to burn.
The messenger bag that had Carter's name just under the flap in neat, artful writing lay on the bed next to me, where I had plopped myself, planning my next move.
Obviously I was going to save him. He was my mate. And I knew my colleagues would help me in any way I needed. But what would I do once we recovered him? He'd be traumatized for sure, and it was an unspoken rule that I wasn't allowed to be around recovering victims because I always said something inappropriate or insensitive.
How was I supposed to take care of and emotionally heal a mate who'd spent close to a month in the hands of kidnappers?
Sighing, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sat up. Choosing not to bother Kinsey because he had just gotten mated and I wanted to give him a little time to love on his man, I dialed the next best thing and smiled when Foster growled his hello.
"What's going on?" Foster asked by way of answering the phone. "You're on speaker, so be careful what you say."
"Why?" I asked, genuinely perplexed. "Burke is way more offensive than I am, and he does it on purpose."
Several snorts came over the line, telling me Burke wasn't the only person sitting in the room with Foster, and I'd probably already said something to offend someone.
Sighing, Foster mumbled, "What do you need, Harley? I assume you didn't call Kinsey because you didn't want to disturb him since he's newly mated?"
"Yeah. I figured they'd be fucking, and I'd have to end up calling you anyway, so I just skipped the first part. I need you to come help me find my mate. I might need you to bring that bear with the crazy sniffer too."
"Thompsyn can't come on any missions at the moment because he's pregnant." Foster sounded a little agitated, and I wondered what I had said to already have gotten on his nerves. "And what happened to your mate?"
"That big, grumpy-ass bear is pregnant?" I laughed, more than a little surprised. "I bet he's a fucking dick now."
"No more than usual," came the grumbled reply from a voice I thought I recognized as the giant bear's mate, Bennett James. "Ouch! That's a good thing! It means your hormones aren't all crazy!"
"I can't fly right now," Thompsyn said, sounding more patient than just about anybody besides Kinsey and Bentley did with me. "I'd help if I could, though."
"You would?" I couldn't keep the surprise out of my voice. I'd been prepared to pay the man. I knew I wasn't a picnic to hang out with, so I didn't doubt people would have reservations about helping me. "Even if I didn't pay you, and you actually had to talk to me?"
"I'm in a room with Bennett, Burke, and Foster. I have the patience of a fucking saint," the other bear grumbled. "Plus, it's your mate."
"Thank you," I said, genuinely touched. Clearing my throat, I continued. "My mate is one of the kidnapped chosen. His roommate sold him to a man he met a couple months ago named Spade Wilde." Multiple growls came through on the other line. "His is one of the names that came up during the interrogation with Kyle Grange and Bill Dern. We were going to send a team to recover those chosen within the next couple days, but I really need to get him now. I can't stand the thought of my mate being held by that man."
"Where are they?" Foster growled.
Everyone took the kidnapping and selling of chosen personally. They were literally God's gifts to shifters. They were meant to be cherished.
"Tennessee."
"Okay." Foster's voice went professional. "How do you want to handle it?"
"I've already booked a flight." I'd done that as soon as I had left the hyena shifter—naked and duct taped to the exposed rafters in the ceiling, a knife in buried in his thigh.. With the amount of tape wrapped round his dick, he'd be lucky if the thing didn't fall before he was freed.
I smiled. "I'll get there and start working on our entry plan. You call the guys and get everyone headed that way. I'm texting you the exact location now," I said, typing while I was talking. "Full gear. Has to be just like the last time. We can't let them know we're there, or they'll get a warning out to the powers that be."
"Green said they still haven't realized the chosen being held with Bentley are missing. They text Bill's phone occasionally, but he sends the all-clear. They still haven't said anything about the auction locations yet, but they'll have to eventually, so the runners know where to take them." I could hear Foster tapping on his phone, probably sending out a text to the guys. "With any luck, they won't find out we're rescuing chosen and will continue with the auctions as planned. That way we can get them all in one go."
"Exactly," I grunted. "Once we get in, we need all cell phones and computers. See if we can't compare it all with what we already have."
Unfortunately, that wasn't as much as we’d hoped. Bill and Kyle had been the type of shifters who’d had a hard time transitioning as the world changed around them. They’d had little to no information on their phones aside from the occasional communication with someone via text, and neither owned a computer.
"Alright. I'm thinking Parker on that," Foster said. "Obviously, you'll want to go in because it's your mate, so I'll take cover duty. And you can have Carpenter and Boston."
Foster was almost as good with a rifle as I was, so I was more than happy he volunteered for that position. Not to mention he was the only one of the other four that had a mate. He needed to stay safe for his man.
"Do you think they’re going to be pissed?" I asked quietly, knowing I wasn't one anyone loved to drop everything they were doing for, and I'd pissed every single one of them off for one reason or another the past couple days. "They were supposed to have the week off."
"Not when it comes to mates, Har. Everything goes when it comes to mates. Even the unmated understand that."
"Thanks, Fos," I said on a sigh. "I owe you. All of you."
"Of course." Foster's voice sounded offended again, and I tried to figure out what I could have possibly said this time, but nothing came to mind. "We're brothers."
Hanging up, I snatched Carter's bag off the floor, reaching in some boxes for clothes and anything I thought might be important, and headed back out the window. I wasn't in the mood to listen to the hyena's muffled yips as he begged me to let him down. I'd make a call once I had my mate safely in my arms, and as much information as I could possibly get on whoever was in power on this thing. I didn't want the asshole to die, but I didn't want him warning the men who were holding my mate, either.
I'd let Kinsey decide what to do with him.
When I dropped to the ground from the fire exit on the second floor, I again brought the bag up to my nose and took in the amazing scent of my mate.
"Just hang in there a little longer, Carter," I whispered to the dimming sky, hoping he felt it somehow.
***
"What are you going to do, Harley?! Cut your fucking vocal cords out and learn sign language? You're going to have to talk to him sometime. He's your mate. Don't
you think that means he can handle the fact that you’re a bit blunt sometimes?" Boston growled, beyond irritated with me for begging him to be the one to get my mate to safety.
"A bit?" Carpenter snorted, making me glare.
"Just grab him for me, Bos. Please?"
"No." He grabbed my shoulders and spun me, giving me a little shove. "Go get your fucking mate. Don't you think he's been stuck here long enough?"
That got me moving. No matter my reservations about actually meeting my mate, and therefore no doubt saying something that was going to hurt, offend, scare or further traumatize the man, I couldn't let him sit in there, continuing to lose hope with every minute that passed.
I followed my nose, the rest of the team, minus Foster and Parker, on my heels. When we made it to the door my mate's scent was permeating from, I tried the knob, not at all surprised to find it locked. Probably so nobody could get in or out.
Not wanting to just bust the door in, because I had no idea what was on the other side, I twisted the knob and broke it.
I eased the door open, letting my eyes adjust to the near pitch-black stillness. I could make out four figures—three huddled against the headboards on their twin-size beds, and one bundled under the blankets, sleeping.
The scent of my mate was prominent in the room, but as I finally entered, I could tell the delicious smell was coming from the direction of the lone sleeping figure.
Why is he just lying there? What if he's sick?! My fear drove me forward faster than I normally would have entered an unsecure room, and I paid for it when something heavy smashed into the back of my head.
I stayed on my feet, but just barely, stumbling slightly to the left, nearly falling over the figure on the bed.
That I then realized was a wadded-up blanket made to look like someone sleeping.
Turning, I caught the wrist of my attacker just before he stabbed my eye with a fork. So stunned to be looking into the beautiful green eyes of my gorgeous mate, I almost didn't stop the shin to the groin.
"Shit!" I breathed when he caught me in the front of the knee with his foot. The little shit would have bent it backwards too, if I'd had it locked.
"Need some help there, Har? Seems you have your hands full." Carpenter spoke softly, chuckling as he released one of the scared, shaking chosen from their bonds. "This would be a lot easier if Kinsey was here."
Holding up my hands in a placating gesture toward the man who stood in front of me, his face cold and emotionless, I tried to calm him. "I'm not here to hurt you," I whispered. "We're here to get you out."
"Just grab him, Har," Boston grumbled, ushering two of the chosen to the door before glancing into the hallway and leading them out.
"Yeah. Stop fucking around. " Cackling, Carpenter lead the young girl with wide, scared eyes out behind the other two and taking up the rear for protection.
I sighed. "Yeah, easy for you to say. Yours weren't armed." Turning back to my mate, who'd thankfully stopped assaulting me, I begged, "Will you please not try to kill me? We're just trying to make sure you get out of here safely. But we have to do it quietly. We can't let them know we're here."
"I'm not getting in your van. I don't care how much candy you have." His voice was sexy. Rich and soothing.
"Wow," I said stupidly before shaking my head and trying again. "Okay. What about a dark SUV? Would it help if I told you I was FBI?"
"You can tell me you're fucking Santa Claus. Doesn't make it true," he grumbled, and even though I couldn't make out the features of his face at the moment, I knew he was glaring. "Show me your flip card thing."
"Wow, you're not what I expected. You're actually kinda a dick." I cringed. I'm pretty sure you weren't supposed to call your mate a dick. Sighing again, I admitted, "I didn't bring it, and you wouldn't be able to see it anyway. It's too fucking dark."
Maybe you shouldn't cuss at your mate either.
"Hmm. That's convenient." He crossed his arms, clearly ready to stick by his word of not going anywhere with me until I gave him some credentials.
"Not really," I mumbled. When he just continued to stand there, unmoving, I rubbed my chin. "Listen, I don't feel right about knocking you out. It actually kinda makes me feel a little sick to my stomach. But if we don't move out of here—quietly—the people who have been holding you here are going to realize something isn't right and contact their people before we can arrest them. That means the other groups of cho…people they kidnapped and are keeping in other shitholes like this one might get hurt because they'll just shut the whole operation down."
His arms dropped, but I could still read the tension in the way his shoulders didn't relax. "Fine, but you go first. I don't trust you behind me."
Groaning, I rubbed my eyes. "Fuck. Okay. But you have to stay close to me. I need to know you aren't falling behind and getting left. Here," I said, holding out my hand. "This way I know for sure."
"I'm not holding your hand, Santa Claus. I'm not four. I'll be right behind you."
Sighing again—I sure was doing that a lot in the five minutes since I'd met my mate—I nodded, taking comfort in the fact that I'd be able to smell if he drifted away from me. "Let's go, then. Parker should be finishing up right now, and that means Carpenter and Boston will have to go back in while Parker and I sit with you and the other three. I'm so not used to being a babysitter. They usually keep me away from the people we rescue."
"What?" Carter asked dryly. "But you're so charming. You must have all the babysitting gigs."
I frowned in his general direction, still not able to see that well, before slipping out into the hallway, hearing my mate follow behind me quietly.
It was only a matter of a few turns and one really long hallway until we were racing outside in the dead of night, Carter's footsteps lighter and quieter than mine as we worked our way to the hidden SUVs.
When we arrived, Carpenter and Boston headed back to the building, not even pausing as I opened the passenger side door of the SUV I'd driven and waited for Carter to climb in.
The cargo light was turned off so nobody would see a random light in the woods and come looking, so I couldn't see his expression, but the crossed arms and unmoving body language was familiar.
"I'll walk."
Hanging my head, I clicked the button to talk into the walkie-talkie device on my shoulder. "Foster, your mate can be an ass sometimes. What the fuck do you do with him?"
Growling sounded in my ear where the receiver device was located. "Don't call Burke an ass, you dumb shit. But I've found the only way to shut Burke up when he goes off on one of his tangents is to fuck the shit out of him."
"Uh, yeah. I somehow don't see that as being a viable option at the moment. I'm pretty sure he's plotting my death as we speak."
"I have the other three in the back of my car," Parker said, coming around the side of my SUV. "Do you need help with this one? Or should I go ahead and take off?"
"Go ahead and get them back. As soon as I know Boston and Carpenter are clear, I'm going to figure out how to get the little shit moving." Again, I cringed. I really needed to get a handle on my mouth. But we'd all been saying that for years. "Should we burn it, or just leave it?"
"You do realize you shouldn't call your mate a little shit, right?" Parker sounded amused, which was better than annoyed, I guessed.
"But it's so hard when that is exactly what he is." I might have whined a little.
Shaking his head, Parker chuckled. "There wasn't anything in the runners' room but a TV and a couple laptops. I got those in my bag. Carpenter and Boston are supposed to make sure they get the cell phones you saw them using earlier. We can just leave the structure as is." Parker turned and headed toward his car.
"Thanks, Parker. I really owe you one."
Waving me off, Parker disappeared into the darkness. "Good luck. And maybe don't give him anything sharp for a little bit. See you back at the cabin."
"Thanks," I grumbled. I was going to need all the luck I could get. Sighing,
I turned back to my mate. "Okay. What do you need me to do to get you in that car?"
"Are you planning on holding me captive like they did?" Again, I felt a warm tingle skate along my skin at the sound of his voice.
"No. We'll have to question you, to get as much information as possible, but once that's over, you're free to go."
I decided I wouldn't tell him just yet about his roommate, or the fact that I would no doubt stalk him if he decided to leave. For once in my life, I somehow managed to keep my mouth closed.
Chapter Two
Trying to stay cold and shut down had never been harder in my entire life. I still hadn't seen the man's face, but his strong back and ass had definitely made me think inappropriate things while I should have been planning how to get away from him.
For some stupid reason, I just wanted to stay close.
"Where are we headed?" I asked, noticing we didn't seem to be getting any closer to civilization.
Just great. From one fire to the next. At least this group of creeps had a giant with delicious shoulders and a nice ass. Even if that was the only part of him I'd seen in the light, so far.
"We have a cabin rented not far from here," he said, taking the curves in the road at a speed that had me grabbing the "oh shit" handle so I wouldn't be flopping all over. "We're taking the four of you there so you can decompress… Uh, you know, because…you're traumatized."
"Right." I wasn't, though.
Sure, it hadn't been the most fun experience of my life, being held in shitty conditions by idiot men who sometimes forgot to feed us, or that a bath every four days wasn't enough to keep us from smelling, but I was far from traumatized.
"So, your roommate sold you out, huh?" The wheel jerked along with the man's head when he turned to look at me. I was a little surprised he didn't twist his neck off his shoulders, or at least drive us straight into a ditch.
"Shit! I shouldn't have said that," he said when the vehicle and his eyes were safely back on the road.
Looking over, finally facing him head-on in the dim light coming off the radio, I could tell the man was just as fucking gorgeous as I had been worried he would be.