His hand clamped over her mouth and he threw her into the van before jumping in after her and slamming the door shut. The van took off with a squeal of tires and a cloud of black exhaust smoke.
Maggie staggered to her feet and stared wide-eyed at Simone. Simone looked up from the register. “Maggie? What’s wrong?”
“Rosalie,” Maggie said. “Someone just took her.”
“What?” Simone gave her a startled look. “What do you mean?”
“Someone just took Rosalie,” Maggie repeated. Her hands shaking, she pulled out her cell phone and called Porter.
“Hey, darlin’, how was -”
“Porter! Porter, something really bad has happened,” she said.
“It’s okay, Maggie.” Porter’s voice soothed her even over the phone. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
* * *
Hudson ignored Porter’s call. He’d been on the road for barely an hour and he was in no mood to talk to the wolf shifter. His mission was to get to Corden, kill him, and return to his mate. It did not include trying to explain to his boss why he’d suddenly taken off without any explanation.
But when Judd called, and then called again and then again, he picked up the call. “Judd, I’m busy, I’ll -”
“Where are you?”
Something in Judd’s voice made him pull into a passing gas station and park. “What’s wrong?”
“They aren’t together anymore. He won’t be able to help.”
He could hear Maggie’s voice in the background, sounding both terrified and pissed off.
“Judd, what’s wrong?” He repeated.
“It’s Rosalie,” Judd said. “Someone took her.”
His blood turned to ice in his veins, and his ability to breathe was lost. He sat in his truck, his mouth open as he tried to gulp in air.
“Hudson? You there?”
“When?” He croaked. “How?”
“About an hour ago,” Judd said. “Some guy in a van just snatched her from the goddamn sidewalk in front of the coffee shop. Do you know if she’s in some kind of trouble or -”
“It’s because of me,” he gasped out. “They took her because of me.”
“What do you mean?” Judd said.
“Corden. Corden has her.”
“Fuck me,” Judd groaned. “That guy is fucking insane. Don’t tell me you’re fucking mixed up with him, Hudson. Please.”
“I killed his son,” Hudson said dully. “I killed John after he killed Samuel, and now Corden is going to hurt my mate. I have to do something. I was on my way to Canada to kill him, but he-he found her. He found her and now….” Hudson could hear the panic in his voice.
“Okay, calm down. Come to the bar.”
“I have to find her. I have to find my mate before -”
“I know, man. But come to the bar. You can’t deal with Corden on your own, you know that.”
“I can’t ask you to help me. He’s dangerous and -”
“Don’t I fucking know it,” Judd said with a sigh. “Just get to the bar, Hudson.”
“I’m about an hour away,” he said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
He ended the call and tossed his phone on the seat. Before he could turn the truck around, his phone rang again. He grabbed it, his hands shaking so wildly he could barely hit the answer button.
“Rosalie? Baby, are you -”
“Hello, Hudson. It’s been a long time.”
The low voice made his hackles rise and his bear snarled in rage.
“Corden,” he growled. “Corden, she means nothing to me.”
The grizzly shifter laughed. “Doesn’t she? The video I watched would suggest otherwise.”
Hudson didn’t reply and Corden laughed again. “It was so easy to find your mate. I’ll admit I don’t have much use for social media, but it certainly made it a snap to find out who the little human was and where she lived. She’s almost pretty for a human, but I’ll admit I’m surprised you would fuck her.”
“I didn’t. She’s nothing to me. Listen, I don’t -”
“Don’t fucking lie to me, Hudson! She is swimming in your goddamn scent and I am not fucking stupid!” Corden roared into the phone. “Do you think I’m fucking stupid, Hudson?”
“No,” he said. “I don’t.”
Corden took a deep breath and released it. “Good. Now, let’s talk business. Do you know how surprised I was when an associate showed me the video of you and the little human? I’ve spent the last two years searching everywhere for you. They told me to give up. Told me that you were gone, and I was a fool to waste time and resources searching for you. But it wasn’t them who lost their son, was it, Hudson? It wasn’t them who buried his broken and mangled body, was it? I vowed my revenge and even though others around me insisted on giving up, I knew I’d find you someday.”
The big shifter’s breathing turned harsh. “And now here we are. Me in this disgusting city with its filthy mixture of humans and shifters. The air smelling like exhaust and rotting food, and the different smells of thousands of shifters and humans crammed into one tiny little piece of earth.”
Hudson could hear the disgust in Corden’s voice. “You were wise to hide from me here, Hudson. I would never have thought that you of all people would live in a place like this.”
“Corden, this is between you and me, just let her go and -”
“Let her go?” Corden bellowed genuine laughter. “Do you really think you can just tell me what to do, and that I will do it? We may have been friends once, but that ended the day you tore my child’s throat out.”
“Corden, I -”
“Shut up, Hudson. It’s time to listen. You come to me, and maybe I’ll let your little human live.”
“How do I know you haven’t already killed her,” Hudson said.
“I’m not a monster,” Corden said. “But, it’s a fair question. Human, speak to him.”
There was silence, and then Corden’s voice, faint but understandable. “Say something, you stupid little bitch or I’ll cut off your thumb.”
Another few seconds of silence and relief swept through him when Rosalie spoke into the phone. “Hudson?”
“Baby, it’s okay. I’m gonna get you out of this. Just do what he says, okay? It’ll be all right, sweet Rosie. Baby, I love -”
“She means nothing to you, huh?” Corden’s voice mocked him. “Are you ready to meet?”
“Where?” Hudson said.
“Outside of the city,” Corden said. “I can’t breathe, can’t think, with this wretched stink surrounding me. The forest that is on the west side of the city. There is a that river flows through the forest, follow it north for two miles. There is a camp site, closed this time of the year, of course. Meet me there at nine tonight.”
“How do you know about the camp site?” Hudson said.
Corden laughed. “I may not choose to live in such a vile city, but I know others who do. This city is a festering boil on the face of the earth, but that does come with perks. It was so very easy, Hudson, to find shifters willing to do just about anything for a pile of cash.”
“You’re not alone,” Hudson said.
“Did you really think I would be? I have thirty shifters watching my back,” Corden said. “Remember that, when you show up tonight. Anyone you bring with you, any friends you may convince to try and save your sorry excuse for a life, will die tonight.”
Hudson didn’t reply and Corden laughed again. “What was I thinking? Samuel is dead. You don’t have any friends, do you? Nine tonight. For every minute you’re late, I’ll cut off one of your pretty little human’s fingers.”
“Touch her and I’ll tear you apart, Corden. I swear to fucking God, if you even -”
“Nine o’clock, Hudson.”
The line went dead. Hudson threw his phone on the seat before slamming his hands on the steering wheel and roaring so loudly, the humans who were pumping gas gave him a startled look. He roared again before throwing the truck into drive a
nd stomping on the gas. He tore out onto the road, gravel spinning beneath his tires, and headed back toward the city.
* * *
The closed sign was on the bar when he pulled up to it. He jumped out of his truck and tried the door, ducking inside when it opened.
Judd was standing by the long, curved bar with Porter and Maggie, and he gave Hudson a grim look. “Hey.”
“Hey, I…” He studied the group of shifters standing to his right. Bishop, Porter’s brothers Mal and Heath, the cat shifter Katarina and a bird shifter whose name he couldn’t remember, were all staring gravely at him. “What are you doing here?”
“They’re here to help,” Judd said.
“No,” Hudson replied. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Rosalie is our friend,” Maggie snapped at him. “We’re not just going to stand by and do nothing.”
“You have no idea how dangerous Corden is,” Hudson growled.
“Do we even know for sure that this Corden has Rosalie?” Bishop asked.
“He does,” Hudson replied. “He called me from her phone, let me talk to her for a moment.”
“Okay,” Mal checked his cell phone. “We know they’re in a black van. Davis is on assignment, but I can get Garth and Fenton to start looking for the van. What are the chances of them finding it and Corden?”
“Slim,” Judd said. “Corden’s fucking smart and paranoid.”
“He’s leaving the city,” Hudson said. “He wants me to meet him at a camp site somewhere west of the city, near the river.”
Mal turned to Heath who was already studying his phone. “Do you think he means Mokora Falls Campgrounds?”
“Yeah.” Heath showed Mal his phone. “It’s right along the river.”
Hudson swung around when the door to the bar opened and the three shifters walked in. He bared his fangs, growling deep in his chest at the lion shifter. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“I called Bria,” Kat stepped in front of him and raised one eyebrow at him. “Do you have a problem with that.”
“What’s going on?” Bria said. “You said Rosalie has been kidnapped?” She gave Kat an anxious look as Jace put his arm around her slender shoulders.
“Yes,” Kat said. “By a shifter who has a problem with Hudson.”
“This is your fault?” Lincoln stared at Hudson.
Hudson curled his lip at him. “Get the fuck outta here. We don’t need you.”
Lincoln made his own low growl. “I’m not leaving.”
“I said get the fuck out before I -”
“Before you what?” Lincoln snarled. “She might be with you now, but Rosalie has been my friend for two damn years and I care about her. If she’s in trouble, I’m going to fucking help, whether you like it or not.”
Before Hudson could reply, Judd said, “What did Corden say to you, Hudson?”
“I’m to meet him at the campsite at nine.”
“So, we go there, kill the asshole, and get Rosalie back,” Judd said.
“He’s not alone. He hired a bunch of mercenary shifters to protect him,” Hudson said.
“Do you know how many?” Porter asked.
“He said thirty.”
“Which means he’s got at least fifty,” the bird shifter said.
“Who are you again?” Hudson said.
“Ronin.” The shifter grinned at him. “We met at the moving party.”
Hudson sniffed at him. “What kind of bird are you?”
Ronin’s grin widened. “Oh… a little of this, a little of that.”
Hudson snorted in disgust. “We don’t need you. You’re too weak.”
“Big guy,” Ronin clapped him on the back, “it’s real sweet of you to be concerned about little old me, but I’m stronger than I look.”
“You’ll just get in the way,” Hudson growled.
“Yeah, well, my lady here is planning on joining in on the fight and we’re a package deal, so…” he winked at Kat, “you get her slashy claws and my sassy attitude.”
Jace frowned. “If we know where he is, shouldn’t we be calling the police?”
“If the police show up, I’ll be arrested, and Corden will go free. He’ll kill Rosalie the very next chance he gets, and I won’t be there to protect her,” Hudson said.
Jace raised his eyebrows at him. “Why exactly are you so certain you’ll be arrested?”
Hudson shoved his hands into his pockets. “I killed Corden’s son.”
* * *
Rosalie leaned away when the bald and tattooed shifter sniffed at her. He was sitting next to her in the back seat of the SUV. She didn’t know what type of shifter he was, but he was big and scary and strong. He’d lifted her into the van and threw her into the back of it like she weighed nothing more than a feather.
They hadn’t been in the van for very long. After only a half hour, they’d stopped, and the shifter had warned her not to scream before pulling her out of the van on some empty side street and marching her over to the SUV. He’d pushed her into the back seat and a large silver-haired man had given her a cold smile from the front passenger seat and asked for her phone.
The shifter sitting next to her, sniffed at her again. “Christ, you stink,” he muttered.
She kept her arms folded tightly across her abdomen and didn’t reply. She’d thought by now that Hudson’s scent would have worn off, but obviously it hadn’t. She stared blankly out the window of the SUV as panic bit and clawed at her insides.
Don’t cry, Rosalie. Don’t show them any weakness. It’ll be okay. Hudson will save you.
She would have laughed if she hadn’t been so terrified. Thinking Hudson would save her was stupid. The silver-haired shifter had held the phone out to her and made her speak to Hudson but pulled it away before she even heard Hudson’s voice. Hell, for all she knew, Hudson told the shifter to just do what he wanted to her.
He wouldn’t do that to you, Rosie. You know he wouldn’t.
Up until Friday, she would have believed that. But now…
She closed her eyes and blocked out the memory of her last conversation with Hudson. She’d rehashed it enough over the last day and a half, she didn’t need to think about it again when she was on her way to her own death.
Not just death, Rosie. Don’t forget he said he’d cut off your fingers first.
She shuddered and blinked back the hot tears that were threatening to slide down her cheeks. Right, torture first. How long would the shifter torture her before he gave up on Hudson coming to her rescue and finally killed her? She had no idea, and just thinking about it made her want to simultaneously vomit and pee her pants.
She studied the door handle of the SUV. The shifters hadn’t bothered to tie her hands. Why would they? She was a weak human and the three of them were powerful shifters. In the movies, the kidnapped victim always tried to escape. They distracted their captors, and then opened the door at a red light and ran. It looked easy in the movies. Of course, they were on the edge of the city already and running out of red lights. If she didn’t try it soon, she’d miss her chance.
She chewed on her bottom lip. Wasn’t she supposed to have some sort of fight or flight instinct? She couldn’t seem to muster either reaction. Instead, terror left her frozen to her seat. What if the door handle was locked? What if she managed to get out of the car and the shifter simply rolled down his window and shot her in the back? She hadn’t seen any guns, but that didn’t mean they weren’t carrying them.
The shifter next to her suddenly rolled down his window. Cold air blew her hair across her face and her shivering increased.
The silver-haired shifter turned in his seat to stare at her for a moment before saying, “Roll up your window.”
“I’m fucking gagging back here on the smell of polar bear,” the tattooed shifter snarled.
“I don’t care. Our guest is cold,” the shifter replied.
Muttering a curse, the shifter hit the button for the window before glaring at her. “Fuck
ing human stench is bad enough, let alone mixing polar bear with it.”
“Enough,” the silver-haired shifter said. He glanced at the shifter who was driving. “How much longer until we get there?”
“An hour, maybe a little more,” the shifter grunted.
The silver-haired shifter turned back to Rosalie and smiled at her. “Well, we’ve got some time. I don’t believe I properly introduced myself. My name is Corden, and your name again is…?”
“Rosalie,” she said.
“Right. Rosalie. Tell me, Rosalie, how did a human like you convince Hudson to take you as his mate?”
“I’m not his mate,” she said.
Corden laughed. “There’s no point in lying, my dear.”
“I’m not,” she said. “We were just… having sex and that–that ended on Friday. I don’t mean anything to him.”
Corden cocked his head at her and then gave her a cold smile. “For your sake, I hope that isn’t true.”
Fresh new terror. Freezing her up. Filling her lungs.
She sucked in a breath. “What are you going to do to me?”
“How did you and Hudson meet?” Corden asked.
She wouldn’t tell him that Hudson worked at the bar, wouldn’t give him any information on him. Maybe Corden already knew everything, but if he didn’t, she wouldn’t be the one to tell him how to find Hudson and kill him.
“Through friends,” she said.
“It’s strange that a human would have sex with him, don’t you think? Considering who he is.”
“Hudson is a good man,” she said. “How-how do you know him?”
Corden studied his hands. They were big and covered in thick black, hair. Gaudy gold rings were on each of his fingers, and he twisted one around and around as he said, “Hudson and I were friends, once. I own a logging company and Hudson worked for me. He was a good employee, strong and smart. He did his job and kept his mouth shut. Eventually, we became friends. I admired him, was even thinking about promoting him, grooming him to help John run the company when I retired.”
“Who’s John?” Rosalie said when Corden didn’t say anything else.
Brief but intense pain slashed across his face. “John was my son.”
Rosalie Undone (The Shifters Series Book 6) Page 31
