by Emma Nichols
"Where are we going?" he asked as he held the back door open for me.
I shook my head and walked around to the passenger side where I let myself in. At the moment, I seemed completely incapable of uttering more than a few words at a time. "Police station," I grunted. “Hurry.”
Peri
* * *
The detective didn’t move. Instead, he looked back and forth between us. I couldn’t help but wonder if he knew something I should know. I glanced at Spencer, who had popped open his briefcase and now seemed to be going through his own copy of the file. Seeing him here had me thinking, and the ideas formulated in my mind were disturbing.
“How are you here?” I asked. “You called me this morning and told me to turn myself in. In fact, when we spoke, you never mentioned being in Asheville. That was what…a couple of hours ago at most?”
Jeffries hesitated a moment then disappeared while I was trying to get an answer out of Spencer, who seemed determined not to respond to my questions and I had to wonder why. I scanned the room. One wall was a huge mirror. There was a distinct possibility we were being watched.
“So, you’re still mad that Devon changed his will instead of signing the one you provided?” I shook my head. “I had nothing to do with it. I was completely unaware of either will until he sprang them on me right before the party.” I rubbed my hands together. Suddenly, I felt cold, except for the burning in my gut, but I had to press on, keep pushing. “Devon was so young, and given the longevity of his family, I never would’ve even thought to suggest a will, but you did. You’re a lawyer. You’re pretty smart.” In my mind, I wondered if flattery would have any effect. His head was buried in the file. I might as well not have been talking at all. Then I considered someone might be on the other side of the glass. If that were the case, I could talk to them instead.
“Tell me about this pet foundation you wanted Devon’s money to go to…the Reclaim the Kingdom Project. What does that even mean? Why would he leave all his money to some random foundation you suggested anyway?” I stood up and stretched, testing my boundaries. When he didn’t even look at me, I began to stroll around the room, finally coming to rest against the two-way mirror.
“You know, I’m pretty sure I can decline your services and request someone else.” I watched for a reaction, but Spencer didn’t so much as flinch. “I mean, why would I want you to represent me? Your clients have a history of dying. By last count, Devon was thirteen, right? Of course, until last night, you wouldn’t have even bothered with me. Now…because of the inheritance, I’m worth your time, huh?”
Finally he glared at me. “Stop talking,” Spencer growled. He set the file in his briefcase and strode over to me. “As your attorney, I suggest you remain silent. I’m pretty sure I can get you out of here.”
Fuck him, dangling freedom like a carrot in front of my face. I tried to hide my emotions, but this burning in my body had weakened my resolve. I didn’t feel nearly as tough as usual. In fact, I felt downright weak both physically and mentally. I needed Mishal and I sure as hell couldn’t see him in here. The door opened and the detective nodded at me.
“The results I was waiting on finally came back.” Jeffries tried to make Spencer ask, but the man was cold as ice. “Well, none of these tests point to you, Miss Winkler. You’re free to go.”
I wanted to be excited to leave, but I had no vehicle and there was no doubt in my mind that Spencer planned to take me with him. “Detective, can I have my phone back now? I need to call for a ride.”
“Not necessary. I’ll be happy to drive you wherever you want to go.” Spencer’s tone was crisp, professional, but I could feel him seething below the surface. He started toward the door, passing the detective. Spencer had his hand on the knob when he realized I hadn’t moved. “Let’s go.” Then he pushed through the door and exited the room.
I swallowed hard and nodded. Clearly, I had a choice to make. I could run from this, from him, or I could face him head on. I’d never been a runner. Someone needed to stop Spencer. Looked like it was going to be me. I took a deep, bolstering breath. “Coming.” As I walked by the detective, he passed me my phone.
“You can wait if you’d like a different ride.” For the first time, I read sympathy in his eyes.
I forced a laugh. “I’ll be fine. It’s not like he’d do anything now, right?”
“Hard to say,” the detective whispered. “People react differently when you push them into a corner. And you gave him a colossal shove.”
“Go big or go home,” I joked as I walked out of the interrogation room. I turned and gave him a little wave.
“Be safe!” He called after me.
Without responding, I trekked down the hallway and toward the front door, holding the phone in my hand. As I walked, I slid my finger across the screen and was about to hit my last call, Mishal, when Spencer appeared and ripped the phone out of my hand.
“Thought so,” he muttered as he glanced at the screen, then tossed the phone over his shoulder.
I watched it go skidding across the parking lot and slide under a parked car. Wrapping my arms around my body, I sighed. “Well, this feels strangely familiar. What happens next?” I looked around. “We are a little far from the woods for a good chase.”
“Get in the car, Peri,” Spencer ordered as he shoved me down the steps. “I grow tired of your games.”
I stood my ground. “We’re in front of the police station. Why the fuck would I get into a car with you?” Shaking my head, I murmured, “I’ve always wondered why women do that, why they let some asshole get them in a car when they’re better off staying put. Do I look stupid to you?” I frowned.
Spencer laughed. “Oh, no. You’re very clever, but so am I.” He pressed his pocket against my side and I could feel the hard metal against my ribs. Obviously, he was still carrying the gun from last night.
“So shoot me,” I suggested. “The police will get you before you can harm anyone else.” I raised my brow and shrugged.
Leaning close, he whispered in my ear. “I’d like nothing better. After all, taking you out would soon end Mishal too.”
I froze. “Why would you say that?”
“Rescued by a dragon last night. Then I get a call from Mishal today. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you’re mated.” He sneered.
“We’re not mated yet.” I shrugged. “Won’t matter.”
Spencer nodded. “Oh, but it will. See, once a dragon has found his mate, he’ll get heartsick from not being together even before the mating. Without you, he’ll be dead in a matter of weeks. I’m surprised he didn’t mention it.”
My shoulders drooped. Of course Mishal wouldn’t tell me this. I was in an impossible situation. “And now I know,” I mumbled.
“Know what?” he snapped as he opened the car door for me.
Slowly, I sank down onto the seat. “How the women end up in the car.” I sadly looked up at him while he slammed the door in my face.
10
Mishal
* * *
“Stay here. Keep the car running. I’ll be back,” I barked at Stephen as I hopped out of the car in front of the police station.
“Yes, sir,” he mumbled weakly.
I sighed. I’d had the man in knots ever since we left the cottage. Consumed with fear, I’d barely spoken. All my energy had gone into not snapping, not shifting, not spewing fire. Mostly, I felt drained…and scared. “I’ll get Peri and we’ll take it from there,” I explained as I leaned into the car. The last thing I needed was to alienate my one ally in the town.
He nodded sadly. “I get it, Mr. Draco. Go on. I’ll be here.” Then he turned his head forward and I knew he meant for me to leave.
Walking into the station, I stopped at the desk. There were several men in suits talking quietly among themselves and a few uniformed officers. They didn’t even notice me until I cleared my throat. The moment they stared at me, I blurted out, “I’m looking for Peri Winkler.”
The uniformed officer shook his head. “She left a little bit ago with her lawyer.”
I raked my hands through my hair. “Why didn’t she call me?” I groaned and closed my eyes while I tried to figure out what to do next. Normally, I planned and had backup plans for my plans, but now with my mate on the line, I could barely think straight.
A hand pressed on my shoulder and I whipped around in fight mode to greet whoever had dared touch me. The man in the suit took a step back, but he didn’t seem at all surprised. “I’m Detective Jeffries. I spoke with Ms. Winkler earlier.”
My nostrils flared as I inhaled. “Yes?”
“Come talk to me.” He motioned over his shoulder for me to follow him.
“I need to find her. She could be in danger,” I explained. My hands fisted by my side as I stood my ground, refusing to get farther from the door and therefor farther from Peri.
Slowly, the detective turned and faced me. His shoulders heaved as he returned to the desk. “I brought her in. I questioned her. Everything…pointed to her.”
I leaned on the desk and frowned. “And then Spencer Morse showed up, right?”
He nodded. “Yes. And I gotta tell you, that changed everything.”
I rubbed my forehead, hoping he’d continue to explain, but he seemed reluctant to share additional information. In my line of work, I was used to prying. “How so?”
“Well…she’s smart. I had the impression the minute she saw him, she started putting two and two together and getting four, you know?” His brow furrowed. “The lawyer ignored her, but she persisted. She basically called him out, accused him of killing Mr. Draco and I believe she hinted at twelve others?”
I eyed him carefully. “I’m Mishal Draco, with Draco Security.”
His eyes widened slightly. “Sorry for your loss. I’m guessing the victim was a relative?”
“Distant cousin. We weren’t close, but he had Peri contact me regarding the deaths. I was investigating and hoping to protect them this weekend, but I arrived in time to see the party breaking up. He was dead and Peri was being chased into the woods.” I sighed as I finished relaying the information. “I can appreciate you’re just doing your job, but now it looks like she’s with the killer who probably wants her dead. She knows too much. His greed is my only hope.” I slapped the wooden desk. “I don’t suppose you know what he was driving?”
I wandered toward the door, pulling my phone out of my pocket while waiting for a response. There was a slim chance Peri might be able to answer if I called. I had to try. So, I dialed and hit the speaker function.
Jeffries glanced at the phone. “Calling her. I made sure she had her phone when she left.”
The phone rang and finally went to voicemail. I closed my eyes as I struggled to remain calm. Then I called again and silently vowed I’d keep calling until someone answered. A uniformed officer walked in holding up a ringing phone and my heart sank.
“Someone lost this in the parking lot,” he announced.
I hit the button to end my call and reached for the phone. “Where’d you find this?” I croaked. My throat seemed to be tightening. I could barely breathe. My gut was on fire in a most uncomfortable way. In fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised if at any moment, a hole burned straight through me. What the hell was happening? I leaned heavily on the counter.
“I rather doubt she dropped it,” Jeffries noted.
My brows rose. “You think? Spencer knocked it out of her hand the other night. Obviously, he did it again.” I shook my head. “I don’t suppose you have any idea what he was driving? I know it was a rental. That’s all I’ve got.”
“Where’d he rent it from?” The detective frowned and pointed to the officer behind the counter.
“Enterprise. Not the airport one, but it shouldn’t matter. You should be able to find out from calling any one of them, right?” I straightened some. “Maybe they could even track it for you.”
Jeffries sighed. “They can, but we need a warrant first. Quite honestly, at the moment, I have nothing concrete to get a judge on board with violating Mr. Morse’s privacy.”
I licked my lips slowly then spoke carefully. “Then find out what kind of vehicle at least and then I can do my part to find her.” The officer behind the counter stared up at Jeffries to get his approval. The man nodded slightly and finally the officer searched on the computer to find the number and then called it.
Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I paced back and forth in front of the desk while listening carefully to learn anything I could use to my advantage in the search for Peri. The customer service representative at Enterprise answered quickly enough. “How can I help you?” the woman on the other end of the line asked.
“We need the make, model, and color of the vehicle Spencer Morse rented yesterday,” the officer responded after identifying himself and the police department.
“One moment,” she replied while tapping on her computer. She was quiet a moment, probably while reading the screen.
I moved closer to the desk, leaning slightly over, the anticipation absolutely killing me. The longer it took, the more my frustration grew. “For fuck’s sake,” I muttered under my breath.
The detective shot me a look and I could feel him studying me while I rubbed my forehead. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly.
I released a hollow laugh. “No. And I won’t be until we find Peri.”
“Black Nissan Versa sedan,” she read off her screen.
I turned on my heels and prepared to bolt for the door. Before I even took a step, the detective laid a hand on my forearm. “Where you going?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
“To find Peri.” My eyes widened and I jerked my head toward the door.
“I know Asheville isn’t as big as…where’d you say you’re from?” Jeffries frowned.
With a sigh, I mumbled, “I didn’t, but I live in Boston.”
“Right. Not as big as that city, but still, we have a lot of wilderness out there. You have no direction to go on. Give us a minute to do our job before you run off all hotheaded. We’ll find her.” He seemed unusually confident.
I held my head in my hands. “I don’t know how long I can wait. Soon I’ll have to use all the resources at my disposal. I can’t lose her.” My hands dropped to my sides and I felt lost for words. Explaining what she meant to me would be impossible.
“Let us at least get out a BOLO, okay?” He shrugged. “What do you have to lose?”
I glanced out the glass doors at the darkening sky. “Light. Time.” Then I shrugged and stuffed my hands in my pockets while I tried to remain calm.
Peri
* * *
“Now what?” I grumbled. I’d crossed my arms over my body as I sat there staring out the window. I tried to act like I was pouting, but really, I was working on memorizing our route, trying to locate any landmarks. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Hell, if I had my way, I wouldn’t be going down at all. Not only did I not want to die, but the thought of my death taking out Mishal nearly brought me to tears.
“What do you think?” Spencer asked as he studied me.
“Dear Lord. You think I’m in the mood for games?” I twisted in my seat and glared at him. “I’m not. I haven’t eaten all day.” I laughed quietly. “Most everyone who knows me would understand this is a dangerous situation…for you. Fucking feed me,” I growled, “or I’m going to grow more than a little unreasonable.”
He eyed me curiously. “You really aren’t afraid of me right now, are you?”
“Nope.” I snapped. “Mostly, I’m pissed off.” I raised a brow then looked away.
“Well, I wouldn’t want you angry and unmanageable.” He chuckled as he turned off the road and pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot. “Here’s how this is going to work,” Spencer began angrily. “I’ll order you food from the drive thru. If you do anything to alert anyone to your situation, I’ll shoot you and dump your body in the woods after I finish watching you bleed out while suff
ering unimaginably. Got it?”
“Sounds awesome. Just great,” I grumbled. “I want a McDouble, no onions, a medium fry, and a large Coke. Oh, and see if they have any fresh apple pies. Half the time the damn things are older than I am. There’s nothing worse than congealed apple pie filling.” Then I crossed my legs and squirmed slightly for emphasis. “And I wouldn’t object to a bathroom or things are going to get messy. Got it?”
“You can hold it until we reach our destination. No deal.” He huffed. Then he pulled up to the speaker and placed our order.
I sat like an angel while he paid, and again at the second window while we received our food. Then we drove off and I inhaled deeply while wondering why I wasn’t fighting him harder, why I wasn’t fighting him at all. Then an image of Mishal popped into my head, the one from this morning when he was wrapped around me in bed while I studied his features and admired his physique. I closed my eyes for a moment before unwrapping my burger. I didn’t really want to eat, but I knew I had to so I’d have the fuel I needed to try to survive this. When I had finished consuming a flavorless meal, I sucked down some Coke before addressing Spencer again. He’d been eyeing me periodically. “What?” I asked, sounding far more irritated than I intended.
His eyes narrowed on me and he slowed down on the highway. “You were supposed to be more pleasant after you ate.”
“I can’t believe you’ve kidnapped me and think I should be happy about it.” I huffed and looked away.
“How long do you plan on being miserable?” Spencer snapped.
The food had fueled my snark. “I’m going to have to say there’s a direct correlation between the length of my captivity and my mood. In other words, I’m a caged bird. There will be no singing, asshole.” I glared at him and then stared back out the window. There were blue lights ahead and I couldn’t help but suck in a hopeful breath. While we sped past, I stared at the state trooper who was passing a driver his citation. I pressed my hand to the glass while staring intently. Look and see, I thought with all my heart. Help me get free. I kept chanting in my head while my eyes locked on my target. Look and see. Help me get free. Look and see. Help me get free. Look and see. Help me get free.