When the men had gone to the drop that night, Jackson had already been there, watching and waiting as two men had been loading up the three girls.
Kneeling behind the crate next to him, Bret had scanned the dark scene, taking it all in.
“How many?” Travis asked quietly on the other side of Jackson. Noah was on Travis’s right, and Patrick was on Noah’s right.
“Four men. The driver, the two men with the girls, and there’s another bastard in the warehouse,” Jackson said, pointing to the metal structure to their right.
Nodding, the men stripped out of their clothes and quickly shifted, their beasts taking over. Four wolves and a bear stood in their place. The fuckers hadn't stood a chance. Sam had been waiting by the vehicles and took the terrified girls to safety.
Bret looked at Nikki now, at the trembling lips and the tears in her eyes, and just wanted to take her in his arms and never let go, but he forced himself to remain still as Travis interrogated her.
“How could you not notice something like this?” he asked, staring at her intently.
Nikki jumped up as her eyes shot to Travis’s face. Stiffening, she glared at him, her fists clenched at her sides.
“He beat and raped me most nights, keeping me locked in that mansion,” she said harshly. “Day after night, sickness through health,” she added bitterly. “It never stopped. I. Did. Not. Know.” She stressed each word, choking on the last syllable.
Bret felt his heart stop at her words and the sight of her tears; his bear roared with rage at the thought of the terror-stricken life she's lived, the daily fear she's faced.
“But I never thought... I only thought it was me.”
Bret lost it and stood up, pulling her into his arms. She stiffened even more, feeling as if she would break.
“That's enough, Travis,” he growled. She was quiet, but he felt the wetness on his shirt, and his glare hardened. “Enough.”
Travis looked like he wanted to argue but stopped and nodded as he looked down at Nikki’s dark head.
“Your husband knows where you are now. You're not safe here. I want you to stay at the pack house for the time being.”
Nikki tensed in his arms, and Bret knew what was happening, even despite the latest attempt on her life. This wasn't going to be pretty, and he tensed for a whole different reason. He wasn't afraid of his Alpha, but he was still his Alpha.
“No,” she replied, her soft voice muffled by his chest.
Bret heard the growl erupt from his Alpha and knew the other man hated to be outright defied, but he also knew where Nikki was coming from.
Again, this wasn't going to be pretty.
“Alpha,” he said quietly, looking over at Travis’s hard face. “I'll protect her.”
Just as the words left his mouth, he saw the disbelief in Travis’s eyes before they narrowed, and he knew what was coming.
“Like you did tonight? Damn it, Bret. She's not safe here until that bastard is euthanized!”
Before he could say anything to that, Nikki pulled back and forced him to drop his arms, something both he and his bear objected to.
She turned her head and stared over at the men before her gaze landed on Travis.
Bret gained even more respect for her as he glimpsed the determination and resolve in her beautiful eyes.
“You've known me for years, Travis,” she started, her voice carrying to the four corners of the room.
Everyone froze and listened, Bret included.
“I know I'm only a human and not as strong as you, but I've survived this long. I'm sick and tired of being treated like fine china, like something that will break with the slightest breeze. He's taken enough from me. I am done. Just...done.” She shook her head. “I won't let him take any more. I can help you. I never…” She stopped and took a deep breath as she continued, her voice breaking but in the end, gaining strength. “I never knew about the girls. I swear I didn't, but I can help. Please, you have to let me help. Please.”
Silence followed her passionate speech as their gazes locked, a silent battle of wills that drew the fine line of survival versus strength, and what Bret saw in that moment, hidden behind the vulnerable edge of a beautiful woman, was pure steel.
He fell for her in that moment. There was no going back.
He was fucked.
Chapter 8
Edward stared over at the nightclub as he leaned against the wall of the warehouse on the other side of the street, a lit cigarette between his fingers. Inhaling the smoke into his lungs, he released his breath and watched dispassionately as the white smoke billowed out between his lips, drifting into the dark as, one by one, the lights flickered in the windows before going dark.
He usually didn’t bother himself with the surveillance, but this was different; this was personal. This was his wife, and someone was helping her. His eyes narrowed, and he flicked the burning butt into the air. She had obviously seen more than he had thought, knew more than he had figured, or they wouldn't have known about the drop that night.
They obviously didn’t know who the fuck they were dealing with, and if they did, then their blood would be a joy to spill.
Either way, they would pay, just like her brother had.
Nikki didn’t know how Bret had managed to convince Travis to let her stay at the apartment, but she was thankful. She had spoken the truth when she had said she was done letting her husband control her life, not to mention being treated like a child. Even Sam treated her like she was going to break, and she was sick of it.
Staring at the computer screen in front of her, she rubbed her tired eyes, the numbers blurring in front of her.
Glancing over at the clock above the door, she winced at the time. It was after midnight, but true to form, Bret hadn’t bothered her for the past few days. He was actually at the pack house that night, meeting with Travis. About what, she could only guess.
Me.
She knew Travis wasn't happy about her not going to the pack for protection, but she had to have some control over her life.
Zach was on the other side of the office door, and even though the man didn’t speak much, Nikki was comforted by his presence. Bret kept disappearing on her except for the work nights of the club, but even then, he kept his distance. In fact, the distance had started the night in the bar when she had discovered just how sick and twisted her husband truly is.
A knock came from the door, and she froze before relaxing.
Zach is on the other side of the door, so it’s either him or Bret. Quit being a damn coward!
“Come in!” she called, her fingers posed over the keyboard.
Bret opened the door and stepped inside.
“How are you holding up?” he asked.
“Holding up?”
He motioned to the desk and the piles of paperwork she still hadn’t managed to get through. She spied a dark flush stain his lean cheeks, and she actually chuckled.
“It’s not as bad as that,” she teased.
He chuckled before nodding at the clock. “Come on. That can wait. I know you have to be exhausted.”
Nikki shrugged and looked over at the computer and rows of columns she still had to complete. The numbers were blurring, but she hadn’t quite gotten to a stopping point yet.
“I’ll be done in about ten minutes,” she said, her fingers itching to finish.
Bret raised a brow. “Ten minutes, tops. I mean it, Nikki.”
She rolled her eyes and nodded. “Yes, Master,” she muttered, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Suddenly, what she had just said froze her, and her eyes shot up to an empty doorway. She breathed a massive sigh of relief. He hadn’t heard her.
She knew he wouldn’t have done anything about her lack of respect. He was part of the Crescent Ice Pack, and Travis, like his father before him, ran the pack with integrity and respect, but she was still shocked that she had let her guard down so completely. Her shoulders slumped, and she pulled her hands back. She was done for the nigh
t. She just wanted to sleep and forget, both hard to accomplish.
Sighing, she stood up and stretched before turning out the lights. Opening the door, she saw Zach’s tall frame leaning against the opposite wall in the hallway, his thick arms crossed over his broad chest.
“Thank you,” she said quietly as she turned and closed the door behind her.
He raised a dark brow as he straightened and dropped his arms.
“For what?” he asked, falling into step beside her as they walked out the back exit. She saw his dark eyes scan the back alley, and he nodded toward the direction of the apartment, quietly signaling her to move. It was now a habit to stop at the door and wait for that signal.
“For watching over my shoulder so I don't have to.”
He shrugged and didn't answer her, but she wasn't really surprised. She had come to realize early on that if Zach spoke, it wasn't wasted words.
They headed up the back stairs, the creak of the wood breaking the silence.
“So what do you do?” she asked, suddenly curious about the brooding man behind her. It wasn't that she was interested in him, but she had to admit the curiosity was there. For being her shadow for the past week, Nikki knew close to zilch about him, and that alone made her nervous.
“Work for Bret. Nothing more,” he answered shortly.
When she got to the top of the landing, she stopped as instructed and waited as Zach unlocked the door slowly, his eyes alert for any movement. She stayed where she was until he had searched the whole space, finally relaxing her tense muscles as he appeared from the bedroom.
“All clear.” He nodded toward the couch. “Like before, I'm just a few feet away, literally,” he added, a tiny spark of amusement in his eyes.
Bidding him a goodnight, she closed the bedroom door and stood there for a moment, suddenly unsure about anything.
What am I doing with my life? she wondered, her shoulders slumped.
Determined to get some sleep, or at least put in the attempt, Nikki quickly undressed, tossing her clothes on top of the chair by the bed, and slid beneath the sheet.
Sliding her arms underneath the pillow, she started to lay her head down but froze when her fingers touched something hard.
Heart pounding, she pulled the large manila envelope out and sat up, her eyes glued to what she held. Her hands shaking, she opened the top and let the contents fall in her lap.
Oh, God.
Paralyzed, Nikki stared down at the pictures that lay scattered on the covers. Pictures of Sam and Travis talking at the pack house. Pictures of Vanessa weeding the garden. Even a picture of Nikki walking up the back stairs with Zach. If that horror wasn't enough, the last picture contained that of a baby playing in the yard, the cheeky grin aimed at someone out of camera range.
The bile rose as she gazed down at those who were trying to help her, their safe lives in her lap, exposed and violated.
And it was her fault.
Chapter 9
Bret wasn’t used to sitting at a bar that wasn’t his own, and he knew he was stalling on the return trip from the pack house. It had been a long time since he had been interested in a woman, and he honestly didn't know how to handle it. His bear didn't have any such problem, but go figure. The beast never had doubts or fears.
Ours.
At the growled claim of possession that flashed through his mind, he froze. Thinking he has fallen for her was one thing, but mate?
You are not helping my frame of mind, he growled back.
She's ours. I don't see what the problem is.
Sometimes Bret really hated having arguments with his bear. He never won against the animal’s logic.
Ignoring him, Bret took another swig of his beer and stood up, tossing a few bills on the scarred counter. The bar wasn't packed, unlike his own, and with that in mind, it was time to return and face her—face his feelings and his bear’s insistence that she was the one they wanted.
He walked out of the bar, and within seconds, he was drenched. Standing in the rain for a moment, he shook his head and headed for his truck.
The ride home was slow going, as the rain, the first downpour in months, made visibility difficult, and the bright lights behind him didn’t help. Bret’s eyes narrowed on those lights, not taking anything for granted. With everything going on, he was surprised the son of a bitch hadn’t tried anything before then.
Hands tightening on the wheel, he reached over and pulled his pistol from the glove compartment, sitting it in his lap. It was late, after two in the morning, but he hadn’t managed to get out of meeting with Travis, and considering his Alpha wasn’t pleased with Nikki or her refusal to hide out at the pack house, he hadn’t had a choice.
Besides, he had figured it would give him a chance to reflect on his growing feelings for the blasted woman, a woman he barely knew.
He put those thoughts on the back burner as the lights of the vehicle behind him crept closer. He slowed to see if they would go around him, but they kept pace.
Okay, asshole. You want to play? Let's play.
The coarse hair of his bear broke through his facial skin, and his claws grew just as his vision sharpened. The senses of his bear heightened his human abilities, making it easier to see past the thick curtain of rain that continued to hammer his drive back toward town.
Suddenly, the vehicle rammed him just as another pair of lights swerved to his right. He jerked the wheel to the left as the first bullet hit his passenger side window.
Ducking, he hit the gas, swerving back onto the blacktop. Bullets flew, shattering his windshield and back window. Swerving again, his muscles in his arms bunched with the effort to control the vehicle, and with the butt of his pistol, he knocked the pieces of glass out of the way in front of him. Taking aim, he fired just as another ram from behind had him jerking forward, his shot going wild as his seat belt halted the forward motion of his body.
Grunting, it took all his strength to keep the truck on the road. If it wasn’t for his current situation, the downpour of rain would have been a welcomed relief from the humidity and drought plaguing the state.
His claws slicing through his knuckles shredded the fabric of his wheel as he tightened his grip more. He didn’t bother to glance down at his gage. The night passed in a blur as his foot pressed the gas against the floorboard. He didn’t know what the fuck they were driving, but his truck couldn’t keep up. Another ram sent his truck off the road, and he flew.
Fuck!
Just as the cuss word crossed his mind, the front end of his truck hit the ground, but it wasn’t enough to keep his tires straight. He felt himself roll and then...nothing…
He didn’t know how much time had passed, but the dim voices drew him back to the land of the living. Groaning, he came to, and through the blood running down his face into his eyes, he spied the lights coming toward him, the motion letting him know the bastards were on foot.
His truck on its side, the spinning tires let him know it hadn’t been a long blackout. With a push and part of his bear’s strength, the door of his totaled truck flew open, and he released the seat belt.
Almost falling, he caught himself on the broken glass of his door window and pulled himself up and out just as the voices got closer. Jumping to the ground, he quickly shifted and took off for the trees a few yards away.
Ducking behind the first tree, he watched as the dark shadows of the bastards surrounded his truck, their exclamations of his disappearing reaching his ears.
“What the fuck do you mean he's not there?”
“Just what I said! The truck is empty!”
“Where the fuck could he go that fast? Spread out, damn it! Search the woods, and find him!”
If it hadn't been dark and raining, they would have seen his large body behind the tree, but thanks to the concealment, he was at the advantage.
As he turned to disappear in the woods, the two bastards coming closer, a shrill ring broke the silence.
“Yeah? The woman’s left? G
ood. Get her. We’re on our way!”
Bret froze, terror slicing through him. They were talking about Nikki. It was the only logical explanation.
Son of a bitch!
Why the fuck did she leave the apartment?
And where the hell was Zach?
Nikki made it to the bus stop, but the bitter taste of fear tightened her throat. Bret had insisted on paying her a wage, so she figured she had enough money to take the train as far away as possible, and that was the plan.
She refused to put anyone else in danger. They didn't know what he was fully capable of, but she did. The pictures had been a clear threat—a threat she wasn't going to ignore.
The dark pressed in on her as she stood on the platform, a small bag at her feet. She hadn’t had much but a few clothes Sam had bought her.
She looked around, her eyes alert for any movement. The train wasn't due for another hour, and the station was deserted. She sat on the bench at the edge of the platform, tense, her body straight as a board, stiff. Heart pounding, she waited.
She felt the eyes, felt herself being watched, and her breathing stuttered, ragged, her chest moving fast.
Please hurry, she begged silently, just wanting to get as far away as possible.
She had left a note back at the apartment on the bed so Bret or the pack didn’t think she had been kidnapped, but it was the only way. They had already killed her brother. No one. She wasn’t letting anyone else die because of her.
Choking back a sob, tears burned her eyes just as a light rain fell.
Suddenly, she felt it.
Something dug in her back, and she squeaked just as a picture from a gloved hand came around her shoulder. The tears fell harder as she saw Travis’s family smiling in the courtyard, the baby in Vanessa’s arms. It had to be recent. They looked so happy...
“Come quietly, or they die,” the dark growl said in her ear.
Nodding, she stood up, her bag forgotten, and the gun pushed her forward off the platform and toward a black car parked at the curb a few feet away.
Bear's Shadow (Vendetta Series Book 2) Page 7