by Vella Day
Her breath whooshed out. “I don’t trust him. What’s to stop him from killing me? Or incapacitating me?”
“He needs you,” Declan said. “If he doesn’t turn you over, his daughters will die.”
“But you said Tory will take my place.” Lily thought she had understood, but apparently she hadn’t.
“Yes, she will, but we don’t want to tip off Toma too soon. You and she will change places at a gas station close to Glen Meadow. Toma will be told to stop there.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
Birk clasped her hand. “I’ll stop the truck and make him turn around if he doesn’t. Besides, he’ll want to gas up. Once he has his daughters, he’ll want to make it back to town without stopping.”
“Don’t worry,” Jamison said. “Neither you nor Tory will ever be alone. Our men will fly overhead. Sometimes they will be in their cloaked form, and at other times they won’t.”
“What’s to stop Dorlack from killing Tory the second he realizes she’s not me?” She’d asked that before, but the answer didn’t satisfy her.
Declan shook his head. “We’ll instruct Toma to keep Tory in the truck until he is positive his daughters are alive. That may or may not be what happens, but we’ll be ready for any contingency.”
Tory tapped the table. “If I do have to get out of the truck, and if I am recognized, I’ll shift into my dragon form. Dorlack is a dragon, and even if he has several of his men with him, I can fend them off for a few seconds until everyone else arrives.”
“It’s dangerous.”
Tory nodded. “It is, but it’s what we have to do.”
They spent the next hour going over the strategy. If they expected Toma to arrive in Glen Meadow by five, they had to leave soon. Right before the departure time, Griffin returned and handed the stone to Tory.
“How did Magnolia seem?” Tory asked.
“She was hesitant at first, but when I explained what had happened, she gave it to me. Like before, it comes with the twenty-four hour expiration.”
“I’ll stop in and thank her when I get back,” Tory said.
That was one hurdle jumped. Lily looked down at her pink shirt and Tory’s blue one. “We aren’t dressed the same.”
Kaleena, who’d left a while ago, returned with two bags, almost as if she was waiting for someone to mention it. “Sorry I took so long.” She handed Tory and Lily each a bag. “I decided to go with jeans, a white T-shirt, sandals, and a cute pink hat. I hope I guessed your size, Lily. Why don’t you two go into the bathroom and change? I tossed in some makeup, hairbrushes, and clips. Try to look as alike as possible.”
This was like a bad dream. If things went according to plan, Lily would be safely hidden in some gas station bathroom while Tory would be out there fighting dragons—all to save some scumbag’s daughters. True, his daughters were innocent, but it was a lot to ask of Tory—Guardian or not.
With their bags in hand, they entered the SinCas building bathroom, and Tory locked the door for privacy. They undressed and changed into their matching clothes. They both decided to keep things simple by pulling their hair into a ponytail. They then put on the same color lipstick, the same shade of blush, the pink hat, and sunglasses. When they stood next to each other, they both smiled.
“I have to admit that at first glance, we could be twins,” Lily said.
Tory bent her knees so they were the same height and the similarity increased. “Let’s hope they don’t remember how tall you are. If someone is watching, when you get in the car with Toma, pull down your cap and bend over.”
“That will make me even shorter,” Lily said.
“True, but it disguises your real height.”
Lily practiced slumping and pulling the hat over her eyes. She then spun toward Tory. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. I don’t know what I would have done if Toma tried to turn me over to that horrible man.”
Tory smiled. “First off, Birk wouldn’t let that happen.”
Lily nodded. “I know.”
“Don’t look so glum. Nothing will go wrong. The men will watch Toma’s every move. He will be told that if he doesn’t stop at the prescribed gas station, we won’t prevent his daughters from being sold. That’s not true, but he won’t know that.”
It still didn’t set well with her. “Thank you again.”
“Come on. We don’t have much time.”
“Am I supposed to sit in the gas station bathroom until the fighting is over?” she asked.
“I would wait at least ten minutes before coming out in case someone becomes suspicious. Nessa and Logan will be there, ready to drive you back to Edendale. Once we arrive at the warehouse, all hell will break loose. I imagine they won’t be worrying about where you are.”
“Where will Birk be?” She hadn’t meant for her voice to waver, but Lily was used to having him around.
Tory looked off to the side. “He was torn. He wanted to stay with you, but he trusts Nessa and Logan.” Tory looked to the side.
“What is it?”
“If you want my opinion, Birk has this driving need to eliminate Dorlack. The fact the man wants you is eating away at my cousin. He won’t rest until the man is dead.”
Or until Birk is dead. “I get it.”
When they entered the conference room, several jaws dropped. Tory raised her arms. “Well? Other than me towering over her, what do you think?”
Birk pushed back his chair. “It’s amazing. It will take a hard look to tell the difference. If you are in a car with tinted windows, you should be good.”
Jamison and Laird stood. “Time to go, guys,” Jamison announced.
Birk rushed up to Lily. “How are you holding up?”
She loved the concern in his voice. “I’m fine. While I don’t like driving a few hours in a car with Toma, once he drops me off, I’ll be good.”
Birk hugged her, and all of her worry washed away. “I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”
“I know. How far is this warehouse from the gas station?”
“It’s about a seven-minute drive,” Birk said. “We wanted you close in case Dorlack tried anything at the last minute.”
“Tory told me to wait ten minutes before leaving the bathroom,” she said.
“That’s smart.”
They took the elevator down to the first floor, while the rest headed up to the roof.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Birk asked.
She looked up at him. “I can’t say no. I don’t want to be responsible for those two women being sold, but I’m not really the one at risk. Tory is.”
He smiled down at her. “Tory will be fine.”
Birk stopped at the front door. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“See that large black truck?”
Shit. The name Toma Construction was plastered on the side. “He’s really free.” It was a statement, not a question.
“For now. We are responsible for returning him. We are assuming that Dorlack’s men are watching even now. Cross the street as if you are heading to the café. Toma will jump out of the truck and place an unloaded gun to your back. He’ll force you into the passenger’s seat. Struggle some, but not overly so. We don’t want to draw the attention of any do-gooders.”
No one had explained this to her before. “What if he ties me up? Or knocks me out?” Her pulse shot up thinking about the restriction.
“He doesn’t want you harmed in any way. Remember, you are his ticket to getting his daughters back.”
“Does he know about the switch at the gas station?”
“No. I’m hoping he won’t notice because he’ll be too nervous and anxious to see his daughters again.”
She shook her head. “You’re giving this scum a lot of credit. I’m not so sure he cares all that much for them. He probably just wants the chance to join forces with Dorlack.”
Birk stroked her face. “Stop worrying. We have this covered.” Birk leaned over and kissed
her. “Remember that I love you.”
He loved her? “Really? You’re not just saying that to calm me down?”
He tapped her nose and smiled. “No. I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t think you were ready to hear it.”
“I’m always ready to hear it,” she said.
“I’ll remember that. And speaking of remembering, all you have to do is rub that ring I gave you, and I’ll be there in a flash. Camden will be tracking your every move.”
Without thinking, she touched it. “I’ll remember.”
He swatted her butt. “Now go. And I’ll see you soon.”
Chapter Nineteen
Birk watched Lily cross the street. To the casual observer she acted fairly relaxed, but to him, she was scared. He couldn’t point to one action, but her gate wasn’t as fluid as usual, and her hands were stuffed in her pockets, probably hiding clenched fists.
Her thumb must have touched her ring, because an ache clamped down on his heart. Hard.
Oh, Lily, Lily. I wish I were with you right now.
He would be following her shortly—just as soon as Toma escorted her to his truck at gunpoint. Birk couldn’t imagine what would have gone through her mind if that ass had really been kidnapping her.
If this rescue mission had involved anyone other than his mate, Birk wouldn’t have worried nearly as much. It didn’t matter that Lily had proven her worth under pressure when she saved those incarcerated at the prison. As much as Birk wanted to abort this mission, he wouldn’t. He had to have faith that things would go according to plan.
Just as he’d instructed, Lily approached the café and then bent over as if to read the menu in the storefront window. Toma’s truck door opened, and he glanced both ways before approaching her. As if he was meeting an old friend, Toma moved next to her—too close for Birk’s comfort—and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Lily stiffened but didn’t call out.
Birk’s fingers almost extended into talons. He wanted to punch the wall so badly—or more accurately, he wanted to punch Toma’s face.
Lily twisted toward Toma and hate poured out of her eyes. Toma leaned in closer and said something to her. Acting as if Dorlack’s men were near, she nodded. Good girl. Toma lowered his arm to around her waist and escorted her to his truck. He opened the passenger side door and shoved Lily inside.
Birk grabbed the handle to the front door. It was one thing to make it appear as if Toma was really kidnapping Lily, and it was another to hurt her. Once inside the vehicle, Birk expected her to rub her ring, but she must have realized that if Birk sensed her fear, he’d run out to the street, tear open the door, and drag her to safety.
And she’d be right.
Toma’s truck took off, and Birk rushed to the elevator to head to the top floor. Even though he could fly faster than Toma’s truck could drive, and most of the Guardians had a visual on it already, he needed to be doing something.
The elevator finally arrived and two people stepped out. Once the cage emptied, he rushed in and pressed the button for the top floor. He had suggested they turn one of the two elevators into an express that only went to the top floor, but so far that hadn’t happened yet. The cab stopped on the third floor, and he forced himself to be polite to the lab tech who entered and was also going up.
Once they reached the fourth floor, Birk jumped out, dashed down the hallway, and then ran up the stairs to the rooftop. He shifted quickly, and as he flapped his wings to take off, he was met head-on by some incredible force. What the hell?
Stunned, he staggered backward, unable to sense another dragon. What was out there? A dark lighter? Or a well-cloaked dragon with a special ability to be undetected? Kyle’s former assistant had the ability to become invisible, but that was the only person he’d heard of with that capability—and he was now dead.
Something sharp poked him in the chest, and his instinct kicked in. Birk lashed out, clawing and shooting fire at the unseen creature. It screamed, and its shield flickered, but it wasn’t enough for Birk to determine what he looked like. Whatever or whoever it was had probably been sent by Dorlack. That meant this being had to die.
Going on the assumption this wasn’t a dragon but rather some kind of demon, Birk shot upward and hovered above the rooftop. Not being able to see or sense his attacker made his choices more difficult. All he could do was dive and hope to incapacitate him. With his head down, Birk shot back to the rooftop and sent out an ear-shattering screech. As he landed, he whipped his tail back and forth, hoping to meet with some resistance—only he didn’t.
Birk changed into human form, allowing him to do a more thorough search. If someone attacked him again, he could shift in a flash.
Trying to sense some presence, Birk stilled. All he could hear was the traffic four floors below. As much as he didn’t want to waste precious time hunting this creature down, Birk needed to understand what kind of trickery he was up against. Behind the air conditioner on the south side of the building, he found a grappling hook attached to a rope. He looked over the edge but spotted no one. Had the rope been pulled taut, he would have unhooked it and let it drop.
Damn. If not a dragon then what? The slight disintegration of his cloaked shield didn’t give Birk enough of an indication. He wanted to warn the others to be aware of strange happenings, but he couldn’t contact anyone while in flight. Thankfully, he hadn’t experienced any pain from Lily, which implied she was okay.
Birk was unwilling to spend any more time on this force of evil. If the purpose of the invisible attack was to delay him, it had failed. If somebody or something ambushed him on the way though, he’d be ready.
Birk shifted once more and took off. The trip from Edendale to Glen Meadow would take Toma four hours to drive, giving Birk time to catch up. There was the only road that connected the two places, so it didn’t take Birk long to spot the truck.
Birk and the team suspected that Dorlack’s goons would be in the air hovering overhead to make sure Toma had safe passage. They’d have no reason to interfere since they wanted what was in his car. What they probably wouldn’t tolerate was for anyone else to be nearby. That meant the Guardians couldn’t show their faces—or rather their dragon selves.
When Birk sensed a Guardian—who had a different signature than other shifters—he pulled back. Because he didn’t trust himself not to let his emotions get the best of him, he headed to the gas station where Toma was to stop.
With a few hours to go before they arrived, Birk decided to do a cloaked fly-by of Glen Meadow. Understanding the terrain would make fighting and hiding easier. Dorlack had given Toma a specific location for the transfer, so that was where Birk headed.
No surprise, the warehouse was in a rather isolated location. Birk sensed a few dragons and spotted several more visible ones doing surveillance. In case that invisible creature was there, Birk kept his distance. Waiting was not his strong point, especially where Lily was involved.
Once Toma jumped into the driver’s seat, he leaned over and slapped a pair of cuffs on Lily’s left wrist and attached the other end to the grip handle above the door, so that she had no ability to face him.
“Why are you doing that?” she demanded.
“I need to make it look good.”
Now she was forced to sit looking out the window or chance dislocating her shoulder. Asshole. “I’m here voluntarily, you know.”
Toma glanced over at her. “That’s what worries me. Something’s up. Birk Caspian isn’t going to let me turn you over to Dorlack.”
She’d been coached what to say. “You will get your girls and then turn me over. That’s when Birk and his men will swoop in and save the day.” She was pleased her voice didn’t catch like it often did when she lied.
“Why is he doing this? What does he care if my daughters die or are sold?”
“Birk is a caring man,” she shot back.
“No one is that caring.”
Lily couldn’t say it was the Guardian’s desire to eradicate
all human trafficking from the realm because no one was to learn of their identity. “I think he’s hoping that in the process of fighting, a few of Dorlack’s men will die—including Dorlack himself.”
“Assuming he even shows up.”
Her stomach cramped. Had Birk thought about that possibility? Powerful men often sent their underlings to do the job. Crap.
Toma started the engine and pulled into the road. “I still don’t like it. Caspian is up to something.”
Let him think that.
The next few hours were going to be incredibly uncomfortable enough, but if she was cuffed like this, it would make it doubly so. “Can’t you take these off me now? I’m not going to jump out of a moving car. If anyone is watching, won’t it look a little funny that my left arm instead of my right is holding onto the handle above the door? Dorlack’s dragon goons are probably flying overhead right now and will stay there until we reach Glen Meadow.”
“Fuck. Okay, once we leave town, I’ll uncuff you.”
“Thank you.” A stoplight turned red and Toma was forced to come to a halt.
He stuck one hand in his pocket, pulled out a key, and unlocked the cuff. “Okay, but don’t try anything.”
“I won’t.” Once free, her shoulder and back rejoiced, even though she’d only been in the twisted position a few minutes.
If she really had been captive, she would have considered jumping out. Lily wouldn’t try that because one of Dorlack’s men might sweep her up and fly her away.
When the light turned green, he floored it, snapping her head back. Way to stay cool, Toma. Lily had a bad feeling about this loose cannon.
When Birk spotted Toma’s truck pull into the gas station, he cloaked himself and made a beeline toward it. The plan was for Toma to gas up and then go to the rendezvous point. Simple—but easy to mess up.
To keep from being seen, Birk landed behind the station. For ease of stealth and mobility, he shifted back into his human form. As much as he wanted to rush out and hold Lily in his arms, he had to wait until she entered the small store attached to the gas station. Tory would take her place, and Toma would leave. Then and only then would Birk find his future mate.