by Karen Lynch
Her shoulders relaxed, and relief flashed in her eyes before she nodded.
I wasn’t sure what had changed with Mason, but he seemed to have softened toward me in the last few days. Maybe he saw that I truly cared for Beth, or maybe he knew she still loved me. Whatever the reason, I was grateful, and I shot him a look to let him know that.
The closest safe house was in Pacific Heights, so we headed there to check in before we made plans for the evening. The previous owner of the three-story building had been a classic car collector, and he’d converted the entire first floor into a garage. The second floor was the kitchen, living area, and control room, and on the top floor were three bedrooms.
We parked in the garage and climbed the stairs to the second floor where Charles, the ginger-haired leader of the two San Francisco teams, greeted us.
“Chris, good to have you back with us.” Charles thumped me on the back before turning to the others.
I saw his eyes light with interest when they fell on Beth, and I moved closer to her before I made the introductions. I didn’t mention our bond, but Charles’s smile of acknowledgement told me he knew she was off-limits.
“Mike and Keith are out on an overnight stakeout, and you’re welcome to crash in their room,” Charles said. “Top of the stairs, second door on the right.”
“Oh…thank you,” Beth stammered. She turned to the stairs but not before I saw the blush creeping up her cheeks.
It wasn’t unusual for male and female warriors to share rooms when a safe house got crowded. Most bedrooms had two single beds, so it wasn’t as if they slept in the same one. This was one time when I wouldn’t have minded sharing a bed. I imagined sleeping next to Beth, holding her, and warmth spread through me.
“Thanks,” I replied a little too gruffly. Jesus, I was acting like a horny teenage boy who’d never been with a girl. I had to pull myself together before I embarrassed us both.
Charles led us into the control room where another warrior named Juan was manning the monitoring stations. The room seemed small and cramped after getting used to the much larger one at the command center.
“Tell us about the Lilin situation in Los Angeles,” Charles said.
“It’s not just Los Angeles,” I said, bringing them up to date on everything we’d learned so far.
Juan let out a whistle. “I’ve never heard of one of them hunting in such a large area. They usually stick to one city.”
“That’s what has us worried. This one is not behaving like other Lilin.”
We talked about the Lilin and then what we’d both been up to since we last saw each other a few months ago. Beth rejoined us as I was telling Charles about my trip to Germany and my visit with my parents.
“You guys have dinner plans?” Charles asked after we’d been talking a few hours.
“Not yet,” I said.
“We have a bunch of steaks in the fridge. How about we grill them?”
I looked at Beth, Mason, and Brock, who nodded in agreement.
“Great.” Charles stood and went into the kitchen. “Let me see what I have to go with them.”
While Charles prepared dinner, I called Nikolas again to see if they’d learned more. The news was not good. In the last two weeks, five young women between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one had been reported missing in San Francisco, in addition to the Thomas sisters. There were four missing in San Diego, two in Sacramento, two in San Jose, and another one went missing in Los Angeles last night. Those were the ones we knew about. If the Lilin had taken all of them, he had at least seventeen girls in captivity. And if Adele was right about the numbers, he needed a lot more before he started breeding with them.
The mood at dinner was somber. Beth picked at her food and only spoke when someone addressed her. Jobs like this one were especially difficult for inexperienced warriors, and I worried it might be too much for her to deal with on top of everything else she was going through. I tried to get her to open up to me as we washed dishes together after the meal, but she gave only minimal answers to my questions.
When all else failed, I did the only thing I could. I pulled Mason aside and asked him to talk to her. It stung to know she felt more comfortable talking to another male, but I’d do whatever it took to ease her mind. They spent over an hour together out on the back deck. When they came in, she was smiling, and he shot me a look to let me know she was okay.
I was trying to find a way to get Mason alone and ask him about what had been troubling Beth when Juan called to Charles from the control room. I followed Charles into the room.
“What’s up?” Charles asked him.
“Soren’s on the phone. He saw an Incubus carrying a human girl onto a boat.”
The small gasp behind me told me Beth had followed us and she’d heard what Juan had said.
My whole body tensed. “What boat? And who is Soren?”
“Soren is a vrell demon who works at the marina,” Charles said. “Sara and her friends put us in touch with him a few months ago, and he lets us know if he sees anything suspicious.”
Charles nodded at Juan, who hit the speaker button on the phone. “We’re listening, Soren. Tell us about the girl.”
“She’s dark-skinned, and she has those long braids. She tried to fight him, and he used his power to subdue her.”
My eyes met Beth’s wide ones. The girl matched the description of the Thomas sisters.
I moved closer to the phone. “You’re sure it was an Incubus?”
“Yes, sir,” Soren said. “I was close enough to feel his power.”
“It’s them. I know it is,” Beth blurted, and the air in the control room suddenly seemed to crackle with excitement and a sense of urgency.
“What boat are they on?” Charles asked. “Is it still there?”
“It’s a Sea Ray at one of the guest slips.” Soren paused for a moment. “I can see him on the boat, talking to another one of them. It looks like they’re waiting for someone.”
“This is good. Thank you, Soren,” Charles told him. “Can you keep an eye on things until we get there?”
“Sure, but hurry. They look like they’re getting the boat ready to leave.”
Charles smiled at me. “Feel like going for a ride?”
“You bet,” Beth said for us, already headed for the door.
The last place I wanted her was near an Incubus, but I had no good reason to ask her to stay behind. I followed her, already trying to figure out how to do this while keeping her out of danger.
The four of us and Charles piled into our SUV, and a minute later, we were speeding toward the marina. On the way, we discussed the best way to approach the situation. It was Charles who suggested Beth and Mason stay with the SUV while he, Brock, and I entered the marina.
“If these are the Lilin’s sons, we’ll need the strongest warriors in there,” Charles explained when Beth and Mason protested. “We’ll call you in after we neutralize the threat.”
I parked the SUV across the street from the marina, tossing the keys to Beth before I got out.
“This shouldn’t take long,” I told her as I checked my comm and made sure she and Mason were wearing theirs. “We’ll stay in touch the whole time to keep you updated.”
“Okay,” she said unhappily, and I wanted to kiss the little pout off her lips.
I understood her disappointment, but there’d be many more opportunities for her to see action. Capturing these Incubi could be the break we needed to find the Lilin, and I needed to go in there undistracted.
Charles’s phone rang as we were about to enter the marina. It was Juan calling to let him know he had Soren on the phone again. Two more Incubi had shown up with another girl, and they were all on the boat now.
“Oh, shit,” Juan said so loudly I could hear him. “The boat’s leaving.”
Charles, Brock, and I sped across the street and into the marina, where we met up with an agitated vrell demon by the harbormaster’s office. He pointed to the fifty-foot ya
cht easing out of its slip on the other side of the marina.
I engaged my Mori speed and raced along the docks with Charles and Brock at my heels. Reaching the slip, I moved to jump aboard the boat, but I flew backward when someone leaped off the boat, tackling me. We hit the water together and sank below the surface.
The Incubus wrapped his arms around me in a choke hold, and his strength surprised me. I had to fight harder than I would have expected to break his hold, and my punches did little to slow him down. My first thought was of Beth and how glad I was we’d made her and Mason stay with the SUV. There was no way either of them could have gone up against this demon.
My feet hit bottom, and the Incubus lunged for me again. It became clear when he tried to get me in another hold that his aim was to restrain me, not kill me. Both of us could hold our breath longer than a human, so we were in no danger of drowning, but he had to know by now he wouldn’t win this fight.
He was a strong bastard all the same, and it took several minutes and well-aimed strikes to subdue him. I could have used the knife at my hip to end him, but I wanted him alive.
I kicked off from the bottom, dragging the limp body of the Incubus with me, and sucked in a lungful of air when I broke the surface.
Brock shouted my name, and I swam toward the dock that was a few yards away. He grabbed the unconscious Incubus by the arms and pulled him up onto the dock, where two more lay. One was dead, but the other appeared to have been knocked out. Brock sported a cut on his cheek and another on his leg.
I hoisted myself up to the dock and looked at Charles, who was binding a bloody gash on his stomach.
“You okay?” I asked him.
He grimaced. “Yeah. Bastard blindsided me and nearly gutted me.”
“I’ve never seen Incubi fight like that,” Brock said from behind me. “They came at us with blades and fought like warriors.”
“Did we get them all?” I turned to see an empty slip. In the distance, I could hear the fading sound of a motor.
I jumped from the dock and ran along the jetty in time to see the boat speeding north toward the strait. Once it passed the Golden Gate bridge, they’d be in open water and those girls would be lost.
Racing back to the others, I jumped aboard a small runabout and had it hotwired in less than a minute. It wasn’t as fast as the Sea Ray, but I only needed to keep them in sight until we could call in reinforcements.
Brock leaped into the boat as I cast off, leaving Charles to deal with our captures. He was on the phone, calling in his team as we pulled away from the dock.
I reached for my radio and came up empty. It was probably at the bottom of the marina.
“Tell Beth and Mason to stay put until backup arrives,” I told Brock as I steered the boat through the choppy water.
“Beth, Mason, you copy?” Brock called over the engine and spraying water.
Someone must have answered because he said, “Chris said to stay there until backup gets –” He paused. “You’re what?”
I shot Brock a sideways look and saw him watching me warily.
“What?” I asked with a sinking feeling.
“They’re headed for the bridge, following the boat.”
I swore loudly. “Tell Mason to turn around immediately.”
Brock repeated what I’d said and gave me a helpless look. “Uh…Mason’s not driving.”
“Goddamn it.” I motioned for him to give me his radio and to drive the boat while I donned the earpiece.
“Beth,” I said in a commanding voice. “Stop whatever you’re doing and go back to the marina.”
“I’m doing my job,” she replied.
“No, you’re going back to wait for backup.”
“And let them get away?” she bit out. “Not happening.”
“We’re losing them,” Brock shouted.
He was right. The Sea Ray was getting smaller by the minute.
Beth’s voice came over the radio again. “You know what will happen to those girls if we lose them. I’m not letting them go.”
I cursed myself for giving her the keys to the SUV and for not realizing she’d do something like this. I’d seen how affected she’d been by the news of the missing girls. I should have known better than to bring her into this situation.
“How do you plan to stop them?” I asked her as the boat rocked on the waves and frigid water sprayed my face.
“Beth?” I called when she didn’t answer me.
Nothing.
“Beth,” I roared.
“She turned off her radio,” Mason said hesitantly.
“Mason, where are you now?” I demanded through clenched teeth.
“We’re on the bridge.” There was talk in the background, and then he came back. “We can see the boat. It’s headed right for us. Shit…hold on.”
The background noise got louder, and I could hear traffic and Beth’s raised voice, followed by the slamming of doors.
“No way, Beth,” Mason yelled over the wind. “You’re out of your damn mind.”
“You have a better idea?” she challenged.
Fear coiled in my stomach. “What’s going on?”
“It’s too far,” Mason shouted, ignoring me.
“It’s the only way, and you know it.”
Understanding dawned, and my heart leaped into my throat. I gripped the top of the windshield so hard it cracked.
“Beth, don’t you dare,” I growled. “Do not jump off –”
“Fuck!” Mason bellowed. “She jumped.”
Chapter 11
Beth
I HAD ONLY seconds to question the sanity of my decision to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge before I plunged feet first into the dark water. The shock of the icy Pacific punched the air from my lungs, and it took me a moment to gather my wits and swim for the surface.
I broke the surface and sucked in air as I looked up at the lights of the bridge looming far above me. Well, okay then.
The sound of an engine reminded me why I was currently freezing my ass off in the ocean. I peered through the darkness at the approaching boat that was going to miss me by at least thirty feet if I didn’t get a move on.
Thankful for the many hours spent racing Mason in the lake back home, I set out to intercept the boat, slicing through the water with long easy strokes. My Mori was working double-time to strengthen and warm me, and I knew I was going to pay for this little adventure later. Right now, all that mattered was getting to those girls.
I put everything into closing the gap between me and the path of the Sea Ray. It was a fast boat, and I would not be able to chase it down if it passed me. That knowledge sent a fresh burst of adrenaline through me, and I pushed my body harder than I ever had.
The boat came alongside me and sped past. I lunged for the ladder attached to the stern. My fingers grasped a metal rung and I was jerked forward violently, but I held on.
Gasping, I gripped the ladder and let the boat tow me for a minute before I pulled my body to where I could peer over the swimming platform. When I didn’t see anyone, I hoisted myself up to lie on my stomach on the platform. From there, I lifted my head until I spotted the male sitting at the cockpit, driving the boat. There was no sign of the girls or anyone else, so I knew they had to be below in the cabin. And the only way to the cabin was past the Incubus, who was not going to let me through without a fight.
I eased the knife from the sheath at my hip, relieved I hadn’t lost it when I hit the water. Studying the male at the wheel, I decided the element of surprise was the best thing I had going for me. If he was as strong as the Incubi I saw the others fighting at the marina, he could overpower me, unless I took him down first. What I lacked in strength and speed, I made up for in hand-to-hand combat skills. And the longer I waited, the farther from my team we got.
I inched forward silently to climb over the back seats directly behind the male. Once I cleared the seats, I’d have to move quickly, and there was no room for error.
I nearly s
creamed when something cold wrapped around my ankle. My hand holding the knife was already descending to ward off God knew what, when I recognized the face of the man sprawled on the edge of the platform.
My legs weakened, and I sank to my knees. “Jesus, Mason,” I whispered. “What are you doing here?”
“You didn’t think I’d let you have all the fun.” His smirk became a grimace. “By the way, Chris is totally losing his shit. I figured it’s safer here with you.” He crouched and peered over the seat at the Incubus. “Just one?”
“Up here. I don’t know if there are more down below.”
His eyes met mine. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
I nodded as new confidence filled me. Mason and I were not as strong as Chris or Brock, but we’d been training partners for years. Together, we could do this.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Whenever you are.”
I vaulted over the back seats, landing directly behind the Incubus. My arm went around his head, yanking it back so I could draw my knife across his throat.
The blade had barely touched his skin before he grasped my arm and pulled me over his shoulder into his lap, trapping me between his body and the wheel. His hands were like vices on my shoulders, and I grunted in pain. Wriggling my body, I managed to bring up my hand and plunge my knife between his ribs.
His choked cry of pain ended abruptly, and he went still. I slipped out of his hold and stood to see his head twisted at an unnatural angle. Mason stood on the seat behind him, looking pleased with himself.
“And that’s how it’s done,” he said cockily. “Give me a second to finish the job.”
My eyebrows rose. “Look again, pal.”
He leaned over the body, and his mouth turned down when he saw the handle of the knife sticking out of the Incubus’s chest.
I held back a grin because there’d be time for celebrating later. Reaching past the dead Incubus, I eased back on the throttle and shut the engine off. Then I pulled my knife from his chest and wiped the blade on his shirt. It was my only weapon, and we had no idea what awaited us below.