The Shifter's Catch

by T. S. Ryder

  "I got a ransom call," Grayson said, turning to Arabella. "But it wasn't for politics. They want me to deliver three million dollars to them. Why money? I thought it was all about politics."

  "Kennedy went rogue," Arabella explained. "That call means she's still alive, but the organization will be after her. We have to find her before they do."

  Henry's hands clenched. "Why should we trust you? It's your fault that they were taken in the first place. How do we know that you're not still in on it? You could just be covering your bases."

  "I guess you don’t," Arabella snapped. "I only have words to prove that I'm on your side. But I love those children. I would rather die than see anything happen to them. I don't have a proper lead right now, but if you'll just give me a little time, I'll be able to get them back."

  Grayson's face looked like it had aged a million years. His whole body sagged downwards. "You don't have any leads?"

  She shook her head, her heart breaking at the pure pain on his face. "I'm sorry. But Kennedy is sloppy. I will find something."

  "And if you don't? Will she give me my children back if I give her the money?"

  Arabella couldn’t answer that. She had no idea. Grayson turned away, looking strangely weak for such a large, strong man. He nodded once and walked away without a word. What was he going to do? Arabella stepped after him, but before she could ask, Henry had grabbed her. His hand clasped over her throat as he threw her against the wall again.

  "Grayson might still be battling his feelings for you, but I see you clearly," he hissed at her. "If anything happens to those children, I will rip you to pieces and burn your bones to nothing. Understood? I'll kill you."

  Arabella stared back, unimpressed, until he released her. Her throat was sore from his grip, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. "You might tear me to pieces and burn my bones, but you won't kill me. If anything happens to Olivia and Hudson, I'll be dead before you get a chance to touch me."

  Surprise flitted across Henry's face. She turned her back on him and walked away.

  Chapter Twelve – Grayson

  Grayson landed lightly and hurried to yank on some clothing after he shifted. He'd been at the bank when he got Arabella's call saying she might have found something. Now he rushed to the living room where Arabella sat among a plethora of weapons. He stopped dead, eyes widening.

  "Whoa."

  He hadn't seen so many guns all in the same place since he went to the war museum. Unlike the ones locked in the cases there, though, these ones were black and shiny. Each one gleamed with a ready-to-kill shine. A chill ran down his spine. Everything she had said before suddenly made sense. She was an assassin, ready to do whatever was necessary to get the twins back.

  "You said you know where Kennedy is holding the twins?" he asked, shaking himself from the hypnotizing glitter of weaponry.

  "Yes. I tracked down her phone. The idiot left it on. But we have to act quickly or the organization will get to her first."

  Grayson nodded. He picked up a handgun and turned it over in his hands. He'd never been in a real life-or-death fight before. The thought of killing another person was repulsive – until he thought of that person harming his children. He'd kill to protect them. There was no doubt in his mind about that.

  His gaze returned to the woman prepping the guns in the middle of his living room. She looked so sweet, so unassuming. But there was something deadly inside of her – he could see that now. Did it make the loving part of her less sweet?

  He cleared his throat. "Arabella."

  She looked up.

  "How many people have you killed?"

  Her shoulders slumped slightly, but she didn't break eye contact. "Directly, I've killed seven. If you take into account the suicides caused by my actions, twelve."

  So she knew what she was doing. He didn't say that out loud, though. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he realized just how deadly the woman who had been watching his children was. Seven dead by her hand, plus five suicides. How did she sleep at night? Was she completely emotionless? A psychopath?

  "I was put mostly in situations where I was meant to manipulate the mark, gain information, leak embarrassing secrets, that sort of thing. I've got one of the lowest kill rates in the organization, but I've got the highest rank in kill efficiencies. Very little mess, very quick deaths." She looked down at the guns again and shook her head. Her voice was heavy with bitterness and regret. "As if killing them quickly makes a difference."

  Grayson repressed a shudder but was relieved to hear her speak that way. She didn't want to kill; she was forced into it.

  "Manipulation," he said, drawing on something else she had just said. "Is that why you slept with me? To manipulate me?"

  Arabella flinched.

  Grayson loaded the gun he was holding and tucked it into his waistband. He crouched near Arabella and brushed the hair from her face, so he could see her eyes clearly. His heart beat shallowly in his chest, though he didn't know why this should affect him so much. She had already proven herself a liar; he couldn't trust her past what was necessary to get the children back. And yet, he found himself needing to know.

  "Well?" he demanded.

  "I had to do what was necessary to complete the mission."

  "That's not an answer."

  She pulled away from him and shook her head. "No. Or yes. I'm not sure. It wasn't part of the plan. I thought that maybe there was another way other than kidnapping the children. But I didn't plan to sleep with you, and after we did . . . I realized what a mistake I made."

  Hearing her refer to their blissful time as a mistake made him flinch. He knew that he shouldn't feel so disappointed, but he was. He already knew it was a mistake to have developed feelings for her, but there was still a part of him hoping that there was some truth between them. Clearly, that was not the case. It made him furious and cold at the same time.

  "And how many other men did you sleep with for your missions?" His tone came out harsher than he wanted it to.

  Arabella shook her head. "I'm not talking about this anymore. I hate this life, but it's been who I am since I was sixteen. There's no changing that."

  What kind of life was this? She said she'd been part of it since she was sixteen. What sixteen-year-old has the mental capacity to prevent being taken advantage of – being forced into a life like this?

  "When are you heading out?" he asked, turning his mind back to the immediate situation.

  "Right away."

  Grayson nodded. "I'm going with you."

  She gave him a doubtful look. "I work better alone."

  "Maybe, but you're not doing this alone. These are my children. If you get hurt, how are you supposed to save them?" he narrowed his eyes at her. "Besides which, Kennedy won't be expecting you to go in on dragonback, will she? You'll make better time flying."

  Arabella stood. She picked up a few of the weapons, strapping them to various places on her body. She took the handgun he had in his waistband and holstered it at her side. If she thought that was going to make him back down, though, she didn't know him.

  "Fine," she said eventually. "You can come. But you do everything I say when I say it. Got it?"

  Grayson nodded. It rankled him to have to follow orders, but for his children . . . he'd do anything.

  ***

  Arabella's tracker brought them to an empty brick building that had once been a theater in a town an hour's flight away. Grayson kept as high as he could although he was mindful of not suffocating Arabella as she clung to his back. As previously planned, he tore open the roof of the building and dropped in, shifting as he went.

  The first thing he noticed was the sound of Olivia crying. Before Arabella even had the chance to regain her footing, he was off. She shouted after him, but he ignored her, heart in his throat. His baby girl was here, alone and frightened. And where was Hudson? Why wasn't he crying? He tore through the rooms until he got to the ticket booth, where the crying was coming from. He ripped off the d
oor—

  It was empty.

  Arabella quickly caught up with him. She had two guns out, gazing around them. They entered the booth together. Sitting on the counter was a computer, large speakers hooked up to it. A video clip played, showing Olivia sitting by herself in a dark room, a single bright light shining on her. Her hands were tied together with a strip of green cloth, and tears streaked down her face. There was no sign of Hudson. Grayson cried out, his heart clenching.

  "They're not here," he whispered. "They're not here."

  "Bomb!" Arabella shouted.

  Her arms wrapped around him and she dragged him backward. Grayson didn't see the bomb or any indication there was one. He merely reacted on instinct.

  The dragon turned to Arabella and picked her up. Tucking her into a ball in his arms, he shifted. His wings wrapped around both of them just as the bomb went off. Scorching fire burned along his back, shards of debris pounding into his wings. He dropped, holding Arabella under his body, as the whole place creaked and groaned.

  When the burning stopped, he only paused long enough to make sure Arabella was uninjured before he leaped from the building. He flew hard to get away from the fire and smoke. Arabella hung limply in his claws though her eyes were wide and he could see her chest heaving.

  He landed some distance away, setting Arabella on her feet. He shifted once more, searching her for any injuries. She fended off his attentions and then focused on him. Most of the debris that had hit him had glanced off his hard scales, but there was a large burn on his left leg where a piece of glass managed to embed itself.

  "You need to go to a hospital," Arabella said, inspecting the injury. "I don't think it's deep, but—"

  Grayson pulled her back to her feet. His heart still hammered and adrenaline coursed through him, clouding his reasoning. All he could think of was that if he hadn't come with her, she'd be dead. If she had been killed in that explosion, she would have died thinking that he hated her, that he saw her as nothing more than an assassin. That was unacceptable. He seized her and brought her to his lips before he could remember why this shouldn't happen.

  Both of them pulled away even as their lips met. They stared at each other wide-eyed. Arabella's form molded to his. For a moment, all Grayson wanted to do was pull her back and kiss her deeply, passionately. But instead, he released her and pulled the glass from his leg.

  "I'll heal," he mumbled. "They weren't there. What's our next move?"

  His voice shook, but Arabella didn't comment on that. "I think I saw something in the video that might be helpful. I can't guarantee it, but—"

  "But if it can be helpful, then we follow it." Grayson let out a deep breath, letting go of his confusing emotions. He couldn’t allow himself to be distracted by his feelings. "So, what do we do?"

  Arabella hesitated a moment. "Grayson, it might be best if you sat out of this one. Get the money put together and—"

  "Henry is doing that."

  Her shoulders slumped. "Okay. But just so you know, we might get arrested for this."

  Chapter Thirteen – Arabella

  Breathe in. Breathe out. Feel nothing.

  Arabella sat cross-legged in the center of the cave that Grayson had picked out for them. This wasn't exactly a smooth, 'hidden in the shadows' sort of move she usually liked to make, but what other choice did they have? Nerves flowed through her like a tumultuous river. She knew what she was going to have to do. Give her a clean bullet through the head – instant death – any day. But that wouldn’t help them now.

  The situation demanded information. And information demanded torture – or at least the threat of it. It depended on how much the target resisted.

  Breathe in. Focus. He is not a man. He is an obstacle. His eyes are empty. There is no soul inside.

  She let her nerves flow out into the bedrock beneath her. Her pounding heart slowed until it was beating one great thump every few seconds. Emotion drained from her body.

  A thump behind her told her that Grayson landed and the curses from the man in his talons told her his mission had been successful.

  When she opened her eyes, she didn't look at the man, his face white, terror and fury mingled in his expression. He wasn't a man. He was a way to complete the mission. Senator Jeremy White stumbled forward, still shouting curses. A ham sandwich was still clutched in his hand, a large mustard splotch on his white shirt.

  Arabella unfolded her limbs and stood.

  "You'll go to jail for this, Alexander!" the senator shouted at Grayson. "I'll make sure you never see the light of day again after this!"

  "Good evening, Senator," Arabella said, her voice low and calm. She ignored Grayson's presence. If she looked at him, all of her emotion would come flooding back. She couldn't have emotions right now. She picked up a whip and wrapped it around her hands. "Take a seat."

  She pointed at the chair waiting for him to be chained into.

  The senator looked at her as though she was crazy. "Who are you?"

  Arabella smiled at him. "I'm the person you hired to steal Grayson Alexander's children. You may be wondering why I'm here, then. The rules have been changed and my colleague decided she was going to take over. Now, I can't have that, and you are going to help me find her."

  White's face lived up to his name. It was as pale as the clouds outside. "I don't know what you are talking about."

  "We saw a video of little Olivia sent by my former colleague. She was bound by a man's suit tie. A green tie. Exactly like the one you wore when you were sworn in as the senator. I remembered an interview that you did when you mentioned it was a handmade gift from your wife . . . " Arabella tilted her head to one side and gave him a small smile. "How did you explain it to her that you no longer had it?"

  The senator pulled himself up, swelling like an angry toad. "Look here, I don't know who you are or what you think I've done, but if you don't let me go right now—"

  Arabella flicked the whip out. It cut through the senator's clothes, leaving a welt behind. No skin was broken, but it was painful nonetheless. Whips were a bit messy for her liking, but these were desperate times. She pointed at the chair. He sat, whimpering and looking at her with renewed fear. She quickly chained him into place and pulled off his shoes and socks. Making a big show out of choosing a pair of pliers, she knelt before him, still smiling.

  She only hoped that he didn't end up being more iron-willed than he looked.

  Release emotion, she ordered herself, and let the rising dread be washed away.

  "Tell me where the twins are, or I start ripping pieces off your body," she said.

  Sweat blossomed over his face.

  Arabella clamped the pliers over his pinky toe.

  "Don't!" The senator wiggled in the chair. "Don't! I don't know where they are. I never hired anybody. Some crazy woman came to my home and said that the mining companies I'm working for hired her to kidnap the kids to make Alexander back off from politics and unless I wanted my involvement in their activities made public, I'd help. But I didn't hire her, I swear!"

  "If you didn't hire us, who did? What corporation?"

  "I don't know. All I did was help her to get her out of my house. I've made some less than legal deals with companies over the years, and I'll be ruined if they came to light. I would never have put those children in danger, but she threatened me and my wife. What could I do?"

  Grayson snarled. Arabella held a hand out towards him, stopping him from entering.

  The senator inhaled deeply and continued. "That crazy woman had the children. She made me help her tie them up and . . . they weren't hurt when I saw them, I swear. I haven't heard anything from her since."

  Arabella removed the pliers. Grayson huffed angrily behind her, but she continued to ignore him. The senator panted heavily, sweat trailing down his ashen face. Reactions that couldn't be faked. He seemed to be telling the truth . . .

  "But you have a way to contact her?"

  The senator moaned but nodded. "She told me that
another woman would come asking about her. I guess it was you. Her number's in my phone."

  Arabella dropped the pliers and fished the senator's phone from his suit jacket. A large dark spot was rapidly spreading from his crotch. Yuck. Arabella rolled her eyes and unlocked the phone with one guess (his election date) and scrolled through the numbers until she found Kennedy's own. Arabella’s cold, emotionless façade crumbled rapidly and her heart started to pound again as she dialed.

  "Hello, sister," Kennedy drawled when she answered. "It's so good to hear from you."

  "If you've harmed those children—"

  "They're fine," Kennedy interrupted. "They're sleeping right now. You took longer to find me than I thought you would. Almost thought you might actually be dead. But you're alive and kicking. Shame. If you were dead, I'd give the kids back to Grayson as soon as I got my money."

  "You'll get your money," Arabella interrupted.

  Kennedy laughed. "I want you dead more."

  Arabella glanced at Grayson for the first time. He was still in his Dragon form and his eyes were anxiously fixed on her. She took a deep breath and looked away. "We can arrange that. You can even do it yourself. As soon as the twins are back safely, I'll make sure you get what you want."

  There was the briefest of pauses. "So easily? Do you really care about them that much? Or . . . are you just saying that? Did the organization tell you to kill me?"

  "No, but they are going to kill you. You had to know they would before you started this."

  Kennedy laughed again, this time the sound bitter. "They already have killed me. I got radiation poisoning on my last mission. I'm dead by the end of the year. I just want to make sure to take you, Miss Emotional Golden Girl, with me."

  "It's a deal, then," Arabella replied coldly. "As long as the twins aren't hurt. If they are? Then I will make you suffer. I'll make you wish you were never born."

  Kennedy hung up without replying.

  Arabella closed the phone. "Let's get this waste of air to a jailhouse," she said, not looking at Grayson. "And then let's get your children back."