Blackjack Bears

by Amelia Jade

  “That would be going above and beyond your duty, Mila. I’ll make sure that it’s noted in your file if it works,” the director said, as if unaware that Pierce had just said anything.

  “I’ll meet you in your office, sir,” she said demurely, hoping he would take the hint. His office was a private area after all. Why would she want to go there, except for…

  Mila forced herself to smile at him. He gave her one last “evaluating” look, and then exited.

  Mila stood in her spot, waiting for the slow-moving security door to fully close.

  “What are you going to do now, gloat?” Pierce said. “Rub it in? Tell me how dumb I am that I fell for your little trick? How stupid you must think I am right now.”

  “You’re the one in the cell, not me,” she said, irritated, watching the door.

  “You fucking double-crossing traitorous bitch,” Pierce snarled the moment the doors closed. “Come a little fucking closer. I’m going to snap that shapely little neck of yours for what you did to me. But first I’m going to make you hurt. I’m going to—”

  Mila interjected the moment he paused to inhale a breath. “Shut up,” she snapped. “There’s no time to waste.”

  “No time?” Pierce barked. “No time? Bitch, I’m locked in a fucking cell. I have all the time I need!”

  She rolled her eyes. “You aren’t going to be locked in there for long.”

  Pierce’s tirade of threats of violence came to an abrupt halt. “I’m not?”

  “Not if I can do anything about it,” she told him. “Although if you can’t promise not to kill me the instant the bars retract, then you may be stuck there for a while.”

  The huge shifter stared at her, slack-jawed. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Are you really that dense?” she asked. “Seriously.”

  “What am I supposed to think?” he said. “You betrayed me Mila. You warned them we were coming, and you came up with the plan on how to capture me, so that you could lock me up next to the others.”

  “Pierce. Seriously, think through everything that has happened so far. Stop coming up with new ways to tell me you’ll hurt me and then kill me, and use your head for something else.”

  The shifter glared at her sullenly.

  “Is this the endgame that you think I wanted?”

  “It seems pretty obvious now, doesn’t it?” he retorted.

  “Yep. Totally. I wanted you locked up here in the same area next to your brothers from the start. Which is why, when you were unconscious, I totally dumped you in the forest and let you wake up, as opposed to bringing you here with the rest of them.”

  Pierce frowned at that.

  “I’m sure you had a reason,” he snapped.

  “Of course I did, you big idiot!” she said, heaving a sigh of frustration. “I did it so that you would know who I am, that you might trust me.” She pursed her lips. “I never intended to fall in love with you though, I’ll give you that. That was unexpected.”

  The shifter stepped back from the bars, rocking hard onto his heels. “I’m sorry. What did you just say?”

  She stepped closer to the bars, within reach of him now. “I said I love you. Is that so hard to believe?”

  “I…uhh,” Pierce shook his head. “What the fuck is going on?”

  “Okay, so there was no way we were getting into the Institute undetected, and then getting down here to free your brothers, and then getting our way back out as well. We could do one, or the other. We could have gotten here—most likely. But we would never have gotten out. So instead, I chose another method to get us down here. One where they wouldn’t be alarmed to see us. Where they would drop their guard, thinking that everything is normal.”

  Pierce just looked at her in complete disbelief. “So you want me to believe that you did all this on purpose?”

  Mila nodded. “I did, Pierce.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, and she couldn’t fault him for the pain in his voice.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I really, really am. I just…it had to be genuine surprise on your part. The director is very good at picking that up. I didn’t want to risk it.”

  “I don’t believe this,” Pierce said.

  “I understand. I don’t really blame you for not wanting to trust me either,” she said. “I’ve lied to you at almost every step of the way, I betrayed you here, even though it was for a reason. You should probably hate me. It’ll be easier that way,” she told him.

  Pierce was silent for several long moments.

  “Are you serious about getting me and my brothers out of here?”

  She nodded. “There’ll be a fight, I’m sure. He’ll dispatch my team at a minimum. Who knows what else he might have at his disposal. I just wasn’t high enough up to know everything.”

  His eyes closed while his shoulders rose and fell in time to deep breaths.

  “What is the plan, Mila?” he asked calmly. “No more bullshit.”

  She nodded. “I’m done with that. No more double-, or triple-crossing. No more bullshit, no more lies and deception. I can’t handle that anymore.” She smiled sadly. “That’s one of the things I love about you, Pierce,” she said, trying not to let her heart shatter as he moved away from her slightly as she said those words. “You’re blunt and straightforward. You don’t hide anything or hold it back. You let it out and let it be known. That’s admirable.”

  The shifter looked away, unwilling to meet her eye. “What’s the plan?’ he asked gruffly.

  “There’s a master switch for all the cells. It’s out in the main area. If they haven’t changed any of my passcodes, I should have the access to it. I’ll open it.”

  Pierce arched an eyebrow skeptically. “That’s it?”

  She nodded. “Yes. All I ask is you keep your brothers from killing me.”

  “If anyone is going to do that, it will be me,” he said seriously.

  Mila swallowed hard. It was only fair. She’d brought so much harm to him and his family, yanking them forcefully from their homes in an attempt to please her boss.

  Former boss. After what you’re about to do, I think it’s safe to assume you no longer have gainful employment with the Institute.

  Good riddance. She was done with this hateful place, and their hideous ideas. The power that the Institute had managed to amass amongst the human government was unbelievable. It sickened her to see all the back room deals that went on.

  “Then what?” Pierce pressed.

  “Then we fight our way out. There’s roughly two dozen guards on duty at any given time. All human. They’ll be armed with tranqs and knives coated in it as well.”

  “That doesn’t sound fun.”

  “Small confines, and long straight corridors. It’s designed in their favor. But you’ll be moving fast, and it’s likely that right now they’re on stand-down. So many of them will be getting out of gear and going off duty. So it’s the best time to get it done now. Move fast, charge hard.”

  Pierce nodded. “It seems straightforward.”

  She shrugged. “Up to that point, it kind of is. After the guards are down though, then one of two things happens.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” Pierce said suspiciously.

  “Me neither. Either we make it home free…” she said.

  “Or?”

  “Or the director unleashes any special associates he may have with him right now.”

  “Special associates?” Pierce echoed.

  Mila nodded. “I heard rumors. Rumors that he had some special people working for him.”

  “What, like assassins?” The shifter was frowning in confusion. “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know. It was all just rumor, nothing substantial.”

  “Lovely. Any other amazing details you wish to share?”

  Mila shook her head. “Just that I’m sorry. I don’t have anything else to share. You kn
ow the way we came in. It’s our best bet for an escape as well. I…” she stopped speaking. “I’m really sorry, Pierce. I know this has probably ruined any chance for us to explore what… what might have been.” She smiled wanly. “But I promised you I’d help get your brothers back. I didn’t lie about everything.”

  She turned and headed toward the door, punching in her passcode to open it.

  “Be ready,” she said over her shoulder.”

  There was no response.

  Mila walked into the semicircular room once more, half-expecting that Director Burnatawiz would still be hanging around there, waiting for her. But it seemed he’d taken her hint and gone to his office.

  “Thank goodness for small miracles,” she muttered.

  That only left the one guard seated at the desk, monitoring the cameras. He looked utterly bored. Mila didn’t blame him; the shifters were all locked up behind bars specifically designed to resist their strength. It would take a horrific accident for them to escape.

  Or deliberate action.

  “How did it go?’

  Mila just sneered at the guard sitting behind the console as she approached. He wasn’t someone she recognized, which meant he was either new, or a transfer. Either way he was below her and she didn’t give a shit about who he was.

  “Sorry I asked.”

  “You should be,” she spat as she walked by him.

  The guard’s head yanked around to look at her, his eyes making contact with her a split second before her booted foot slammed into his jaw. He cried out in pain, but to her disappointment didn’t go down.

  Mila launched herself at the guard before he could slam his hand down on the alarm button. She hit him hard, knocking him out of his chair and onto the ground. The pair of them hit the ground hard and she felt one hand go slightly numb as her elbow bounced off the floor.

  Mila tried to get around behind him, but he slammed his head back, the crown of his skull hitting her in the temple. She fell onto her back, and only a frantic kick blocked a destructive punch. Mila knew she couldn’t keep this up for long. The guard was much bigger than her. She was skilled, but eventually his strength was likely to win the day.

  “Bitch!” the guard spat as she aimed a kick at his crotch.

  “You know,” she said angrily, spinning to her feet as he danced back out of range. “I’m getting really sick and tired of people calling me that.”

  The guard just laughed.

  The noise died as Mila went on the attack, gliding in and delivering a fierce kicking combination that had the guard backpedaling as fast as he could. She didn’t relent, following it up with a wild right hook.

  The guard frowned at the sloppiness of that move, but he reacted as she knew he would, and drove his left fist over and down, aimed at the back of her head. It would have worked.

  If Mila had actually made such a careless mistake. But the move had given her the forward momentum she needed, and her legs didn’t stop her from falling. She fell out of range of his blow, yet ended up in a deep crouch.

  Right at his knee level.

  Her hand lashed out as hard as she could, right into his kneecap. Something gave. The guard yelped in agony and his wounded knee collapsed under him, sending him to the ground in a heap.

  She slithered around quickly, locking his arm up and then wrenching it backward until the elbow popped.

  The man screamed. She let go of his arm, forming her hand into a blade. His cry cut off as she chopped at his windpipe as hard as she could. Something gave way from her blow, and he suddenly began to gasp for breath.

  Knowing that somewhere someone else might be seeing what was going on, Mila reached up and keyed in the command to open the doors.

  Nothing happened.

  She wanted to scream. They’d changed her passcodes! The director had to have known! They were fucked. She’d told them all they would get out okay, and now they were trapped and it was all her fault and Pierce was going to hate her and what was that blinking light?

  Mila narrowed her eyes.

  “You idiot,” she said, reaching down to mash the Enter button.

  All six doors in the chamber began to slowly hiss open at once.

  Now the only thing left to do was stand there and hope that Pierce would keep his word.

  There was an angry roar from one of the other cells, and a huge shape flew out of the little hallway and came right at her without slowing down.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Pierce

  She loved him.

  It was odd that after everything that had happened—the lies, the double- and triple-crossing, the imprisonment—all he could focus on was the fact that she loved him. Mila loved him. She’d said so, to his face, unguarded and raw.

  He knew she could be lying. Again. But what point would that serve? If she was gloating, and lying to him, the odds were that he’d never see the bars in front of him move in a few minutes’ time. He’d know then that she lied to him. On the other hand, if they did open, it meant she was telling the truth.

  All of it, including the part where she said she loved him.

  Pierce had desperately wanted to tell her he loved her, but he hadn’t been able to. His brain was still reeling from the truth behind everything, from the way she had completely played him, but had done so for his benefit.

  “Why do women have to be so complicated?” he raged out loud, pounding a fist impotently into the concrete walls.

  He knew that she had a point though. Acting was not Pierce’s strong suit, and he doubted he’d have been able to play up the surprised, betrayed lover angle well enough to fool someone versed in picking up deception, as this director fellow seemed to be.

  Still, it hurt to be lied to, to not know what was going on, and to have to believe that Mila truly had betrayed him. That part still hurt his heart, even though he was—once again, for some crazy reason—giving her the benefit of the doubt and believing her.

  “I really need to learn to stop doing that. One of these times she’s going to be lying for real and I’ll never see it coming.”

  The cell bars began to retract into the floor at the same time the reinforced security door at the end of the short hallway began to hiss open.

  “Well shit,” he said, emerging from his cell. “I guess she was telling the truth.”

  There was a roar from one of the other cells.

  “I know that voice,” he said out loud to himself. “Maximus!”

  His eldest brother was here, alive and well. Which meant that the others were likely here as well!

  Then he frowned as the tone of the roar registered.

  “Oh shit!” he cursed and flung himself from his cell.

  Maximus emerged wild-eyed from the little hallway in his section and charged straight at Mila.

  There was no time to be diplomatic about it. Pierce darted forward and leapt into the air.

  He hit Maximus in the midsection, and the pair of them hit the ground hard and slid into the corner.

  “Maximus, it’s me. It’s Pierce!” he shouted as his older, and stronger, brother tried to attack him.

  For as long as Pierce could remember, Maximus had always walked nearest the wild side, slightly more feral and animalistic than the other brothers. It was what made him the perfect leader. He was ruthless and brutal, willing to stamp out any competition no matter what.

  But just then, he was trying to kill Mila, and Pierce couldn’t let that happen. Maximus tried to fling his brother aside, at least recognizing him enough that he didn’t hit him.

  Unfortunately, that left Pierce with only one option. He hauled back his left arm and slugged Maximus as hard as he could in the stomach. The big shifter doubled over and began to retch at the unexpected blow.

  “Maximus, she’s on our side. She set us free.”

  “She’s also the one who took us captive,” another voice said.

  Pierce spun to see another huge form.
This one had Mila by the throat and was holding her against the wall. Mila, for the most part, seemed able to breathe, but her eyes were wide and she was struggling to free herself from the vise-like grip.

  “Kassian,” Pierce said as he rose to his feet, ignoring Maximus for the moment. “Let her go. She’s with us.”

  “Pierce, she’s the one who led the team to abduct us.”

  “She’s also the one that just freed you, after taking out the guard,” Pierce pointed out furiously. “Now let her go,” he said, advancing toward his brother.

  Kassian looked at Pierce, then looked at Mila. Pierce glared at his brother. He didn’t want to fight him, but he would if it became necessary.

  “Enough,” Mila barked, speaking up at last. “There is precisely no time for this. You want to interrogate me or whatever? Fine. But save it until we’re out of here. Got it?”

  Kassian reared back in surprise. Then his eyes narrowed as he caught a nervous glance sent Pierce’s way.

  “Holy shit, boys. She’s sweet on Peecee!”

  He shuddered at the nickname.

  “It’s more than that,” he snarled. “Now remove your hand.”

  Kassian looked ready to challenge him, but Maximus spoke at last.

  “Let her go, Kay.”

  The hand fell from around Mila’s throat, and Pierce instantly inserted himself between her and the others.

  “Mila got me in here, now I’m going to get you out. I’ll explain more once we’re free,” he said. “You follow me, you do as I say, until we’re out. Got it?” he growled, the word turning into a wordless rumble that bounced off the walls.

  Maximus smiled evilly. “Little Pierce is growing up. Look at the alpha grow into his own,” he said, a trace of pride in his voice.

  “Whatever, Maximus. Now, follow me. There are upward of two dozen human guards that are likely going to be mobilizing shortly to stop us.”

  There were some barks of laughter.

  “We can’t kill them.”

  The sounds quieted.

  “We have to leave them all alive, and relatively uninjured. If we don’t, they’ll use it as an excuse to go after Cadia. You can bet your ass on it,” he snapped before any of them could object.