by Kimber White
Lights flickered from the huge, Victorian-era mansion. It had a circular drive in front. I noted a gatehouse on the way up, and stables off to the east.
It was beautiful. Perfectly manicured in every way. But, the air felt dark and oppressive just the same. Every sense in me pricked.
There was someone or something watching as I slowed the car and parked in front of the main door. I heard barking in the distance. The horses brayed. They sensed me, perhaps.
Was it magic I sensed? I couldn’t be sure. Whatever it was, something didn’t feel quite right.
“Come on,” Willow said, smiling brightly, but her eyes held a tinge of fear.
“This was your idea,” she teased. “If it were up to me, I’d be on a train to San Diego.”
Nodding, I opened her car door and offered my hand as she stepped out. As the front door opened, I found myself wishing like hell we’d just stayed on the damn train.
Chapter Eight
Willow
Val oozed tension behind me. I felt him as a solid presence, his muscles bunched, his eyes glimmering with untapped raw power.
“Miss Rousseau.” A man came to the door. I’d met him once before, years ago. His name played at the corners of my mind, but I couldn’t call it forth.
“Mr. Kalenkov,” he said through a tight smile. He was tall, but still a few inches shorter than Val. He extended a hand.
Something made me touch Val’s upper arm. He was solid granite, his muscles coiled.
“Ramsey,” the man said and recognition came. Kenneth Ramsey. He was Jason’s assistant.
“Please,” Ramsey said. He could sense the tension in Val just like I could. Val gave him a solid handshake but stayed by my side like a sentry. I wanted him there, but at the same time, I worried about him finding trouble. I couldn’t forget he worked for Jason. Still, his presence gave me courage for what I had to do.
“Come in,” Ramsey said. “I’m sorry, we were expecting you a while ago. Mr. Soren had to leave for the evening. Some business came up he had to tend to.”
“No,” I said. “I’m sorry. I got a late start.”
We walked into the grand foyer of Jason Soren’s family home. I’d been here twice in my life. Once at about fourteen years old. It’s where I first met Jason. My father let me hang out at the stables while he took a meeting with Jason’s dad. Andrew Soren died two years ago, and now everything in front of me belonged to Jason alone.
Marble floors, a grand, spiral staircase with a crystal chandelier so big it would fill up my entire Denver apartment. Val’s footsteps echoed through the room as Ramsey led us into a study off the foyer.
He gestured toward a sitting area with sleek, black leather furniture. A gas fire blazed in the fireplace. The walls were lined with neatly organized bookshelves. I took a seat. Val stood beside me, tall and straight.
“It’ll be just a few moments,” Ramsey said. “I’ve got something for you, Mr. Kalenkov, then I’m sure you’d like to get on your way.”
“I’d like him to stay,” I said. Ramsey’s eyes flickered, but he kept his expression neutral. “It’s been a very long drive. Again. My fault. I’m sure Jason would want to extend his hospitality. When do you expect him back?”
“Tomorrow morning,” Ramsey said. “And of course, we can arrange for something. Let me call ahead.”
“Thank you,” I said.
I watched the muscles in Ramsey’s throat contort as he swallowed. No question, Val’s continued presence wasn’t something he expected. For Val’s part, he seemed even edgier than before. His face flushed and he clenched his jaw so tight I could hear his teeth grinding. What on earth had him so keyed up?
“Miss Rousseau,” Ramsey said. “We’ve been concerned. I understand your father has been trying to reach you on your cellphone.”
I could just bet he had. Val had been discreet about it, but I knew he’d checked in with his boss at the security firm where he worked. Though my dad couldn’t track me with the phone, he had to know I was okay and on my way. This was all about control. I bristled at it.
“I’m afraid I left it back in the apartment in Denver,” I said. “I’ve been meaning to get a new one.”
Ramsey’s eyes flicked from Val back to me. “Well, in any event, your family would like to hear from you.”
He reached into his breast pocket and produced a note. He stepped forward to hand it to me and Val made a low, threatening sound. It was almost a growl.
Again, I touched his arm. He settled.
I opened the folded note and my throat ran a little dry. I expected a message from my father. It was from Lisette though, my stepmother. It read, “Call me before you talk to Jason. It’s important.”
She left a number I didn’t recognize. The whole thing was extremely out of character for her. Lisette rarely called me herself, preferring to speak to me through my father. I didn’t exactly hate her. I appreciated the stabilizing influence she was on my dad. But, I’d always found her cold.
“Thank you,” I said.
“You can use the landline,” Ramsey said, pointing to the simple desk in the corner. “Dial eight to get an outside line.”
I thanked him again.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s so late, but can I have the cook get something for you?”
“No,” I answered. “We’ve eaten. I’m just incredibly tired, and I assume Mr. Kalenkov is too. If you could just call up and arrange a guest room for him.”
“Of course,” Ramsey said. “Mr. Kalenkov, there are actually a few things I need to go over with you. Why don’t you follow me and we’ll go to Mr. Soren’s office? Miss Rousseau can have some privacy for her phone call.”
I looked up at Val. His face had gone nearly purple.
“That’s a good idea,” I said quickly. Val made a move and for a moment I thought he’d argue with Ramsey. He didn’t though. He just gave me a curt nod and spoke so low I doubted Ramsey could even hear him.
“You call out if you need anything. I’ll find you later.”
His voice was deep, commanding, and sent a flutter of pleasure through me. God. I needed to have a talk with Jason and fast. The thought of that sent a flutter of dread through me.
I waited a moment as Ramsey took Val down the hall. When their footsteps receded, I opened Lisette’s note again. It was just past ten p.m. She might not even be awake right now. Then there was the number. It wasn’t Lisette’s cell. It wasn’t my father’s landline. My curiosity more than piqued, I went to the phone.
I dialed. Just before the phone rang, I heard a clicking noise and wondered if someone might be listening in. Ever since I’d stepped foot in this house, Val’s tension rubbed off on me. I was downright paranoid.
“Willow,” Lisette answered, out of breath. How the hell did she already know it was me?
“What’s going on, Lisette?” I asked.
“Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how worried your father has been?”
“You know where I’ve been. Jason knows where I’ve been. And I’m a grown woman. I don’t answer to you.”
She let out an exasperated breath. I could almost hear her fake smile through the phone.
“Willow, look. Why don’t we both just cut the crap? You tried to take off again, didn’t you?”
My cellphone. Of course my father had already figured out I’d left it.
“Again,” I said. “Grown woman.”
“You ungrateful little...This is so easy for you. You’ve never had to work hard for anything. You don’t have the first clue what’s going on around you.”
Rage bubbled up inside of me, making my very blood sting. I took three deep breaths. Screaming at Lisette wouldn’t do me any good.
“What do you want, Lisette? What’s with the cryptic note? And what number even is this?”
Her words came in a rush. “I didn’t want your father to know you called me. Or that we talked at all. If he found out...I made a promise, Willow. God. I’ve kept mor
e secrets than you can possibly imagine. But, I’m not stupid. You think I don’t see your wheels turning. You have responsibilities. It’s time you lived up to them. It’s time you understood what’s really going on. Your father’s wrong. He thinks keeping you in the dark is the best way to protect you. You’ve told me twice how grown up you are. Time for you to prove it.”
My heart thumped in my chest. “What are you talking about?”
“Jason,” she said. “I need you to wake up, little girl. I told you. I know you tried taking off again. It doesn’t matter how. But, you’re at Jason’s. You wouldn’t be calling me here if you weren’t. I just want to make sure you aren’t thinking of being selfish again. Your wedding is in two weeks. It needs to happen. Do you understand?”
It was as if all color leached out of my vision. My chest got so tight, I felt like I was choking.
“Lisette,” I finally said. “What I do is up to me.”
“Shut up and listen,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. I got the distinct impression Lisette was hiding, wherever she was.
“I’ve been listening.”
“You stick to the plan. You marry that man.”
“Or what?” I said, my voice flat.
Lisette made a noise, almost a laugh. She was downright freaking out on me. It wasn’t like her at all. Lisette was always cool and calm. My friends called her the Ice Queen.
“Your father is in trouble,” she said, her voice stabbing through me. “Big, bad, trouble, Willow. You have no idea.”
“So enlighten me,” I said. “And what does that have to do with my marital status?”
“You selfish little…”
“You keep calling me names, I’m hanging up this phone!”
“Fine. Your father has made some enemies in his line of work. You know that. Right now, that’s all he has. The Soren family is the only ally he has and it’s a big one. But, if you piss Jason off. If you jerk him around, you're going to cut your father’s legs right out from under him. Then, it’ll be over, Willow. Do you hear what I’m telling you?”
Her words pummeled me, like birdshot.
“He’ll lose everything. But, that’s the least of it. The Sorens are the only people big enough to scare off your father’s enemies.”
“Are you saying they’re going to kill him if I don’t marry Jason? Lisette, you’re insane. That’s insane.”
I heard a door shut on her end. I wondered if she was hiding in some closet.
“That would be the least of it. Willow, you’re not naive. You know your father’s a made man. But that won’t be enough. Without the Sorens, he’ll be a sitting duck. The feds will come after him. Jason has made big promises. But, he won’t hesitate to break them if he has no ties to the family. You have to be that tie.”
“You can’t put this on me. He can’t put this on me.”
“You owe him, dammit! He’s given you everything!”
“I don’t care about the money,” I said. “I never have.”
She laughed. “I suppose you don’t have to. But, you’ve never lived without it. I have. And who do you think keeps your mother living in the style to which she’s grown accustomed?”
I wanted to reach through the phone and slap her.
“Your dad put your mother in the finest nursing care facility in the country. That costs money, honey. You think Medicare pays for that? Without your father’s backing, your mother will be shipped off to the lowest cost state facility. Her teams of doctors. Rehab? All of it...gone. You know what that would do to her.”
I did. I hated Lisette at that moment. My mother would never fully recover. But she thrived on routine.
“It’ll be your fault. It’ll be on your head. And your father will be in the ground if he’s lucky.”
“I can’t believe this. You’re actually telling me I have to marry Jason to keep the sky from falling down.”
“On all of us,” she said. “Jesus. Why can’t you get over yourself for a second? Jason loves you. He’s handsome. Educated. He’ll be good to you. It doesn’t have to be forever. Hell, divorce him in a year or two if that’s what you want. But do this now. Not for me. Not even for your dad. Do it for your saintly mother if that’s all you care about. Because there’s no one else, sweetie. You’re it.”
There was a shuffling noise and I heard my father’s voice in the distance.
“I have to go,” Lisette said, her voice hushed.
Before I could say anything else. She hung up on me.
My pulse thundered. Sweat poured down my back. I’d never felt more trapped in my life.
Chapter Nine
Val
Ramsey sweat fear. The tiny blood vessels in his neck expanded, flushing him with color. His heart probably felt close to bursting as we walked down the hall. He led me through the kitchen. Two workers busied themselves preparing food for tomorrow’s breakfast. Ramsey nodded toward one of them, but they didn’t look up.
I could smell their fear too. It was wild, unchecked, primal. Neither of them would meet my eyes.
My lungs burned as we went deeper into the house. It was restored, but old. Plantation-style. Ramsey took a turn I didn’t expect, opening a hidden door leading to a serpentine hallway. It probably went through the entire house. Slave passages, I guessed. The house was old enough and surely had a history. It added to the oppressive mood of the entire place.
I didn’t like any of this. Not one bit. I felt more sure of something than I had in my whole life. Willow didn’t belong here. There was nothing good about this.
Ramsey finally led me outside. The fresh air hit me, driving away some of the sticky heat. No sooner did my shoe touch grass before that inky, black aura encircle my senses again.
Someone was watching me. I could feel their eyes, here their measured breaths. The vast, green, manicured lawn sloped down, bordered by a thick tree line. My wolf ached to run to it. There were wild things out there. I wanted to be among them.
Ramsey turned to me. Just like that, his fear seemed to leave him. Perhaps whatever lurked in the woods made him bold. They could see. They could protect him. At least, I would let him think that.
He slipped the envelope back out of his breast pocket and handed it to me. “This should more than cover your expenses,” he said.
I left him holding it. “This isn’t how we work,” I said. “Your boss will get a bill from Wolfgard after I submit my report.”
“Well,” he said. “Then consider this a bonus. Mr. Soren is very thankful for your extra efforts on his behalf.”
“He hired me to look after the girl, get her here safely. I decide when that job is done. For now, she wants me to stick around. Any reason she might still feel threatened?” I said. I leaned in, getting in his personal space a little.
The guy was purely human. I had no way to tell whether Soren clued him in to what I was. It didn’t matter. He could sense the power coming off of me. Even now, his fight or flight response kicked in. He might not understand how he knew, but this man understood he was in the presence of an apex predator. Ancient instinct sent his heart racing. I kept my mouth clamped shut as my fangs dropped.
“What do you think you’re doing here, Mr. Kalenkov?” Ramsey asked.
“My job,” I answered. “I don’t hop to like you do, Mr. Ramsey. I’m here until I’m satisfied Willow Rousseau doesn’t need my protection anymore.”
Ramsey’s eyes narrowed. “Did you already fuck her?”
Pow. Snap. I felt the hair rise on my neck. My vision went almost pure red. I had Ramsey’s lapels in my fists as I drove him back against the side of the house.
“Watch your mouth,” I said.
Somehow, by some miracle, I kept my wolf in check.
“You’re not fooling anyone,” Ramsey said. “Any idiot can see the way you look at her.”
“Well, I guess you’re qualified to judge then,” I said. I let him go. Ramsey’s shoulders dropped. He smoothed his jacket.
“Listen,” he sai
d. “Whether you like it or not, we’re on the same side. We work for Soren. I don’t know what your angle is. You wanna hang out until Jason gets back, I’m not going to stop you. I was told to extend every hospitality. If it makes Miss Rousseau feel better to have you lurking around, I don’t give a shit. I know who you are. I know your reputation. Your...associations...might be useful to the Sorens one day. If I insulted you with this, I apologize.”
He waved the envelope again, then slid it back into his breast pocket.
“What’s out there?” I asked, gesturing with my chin toward the woods.
“There’s a path about a quarter of a mile to the east. The stables are at the end of it. A gatehouse. But, I imagine you want to spend the night in the main house. So you can keep an ear out for Miss Rousseau. She should be heading up to her rooms now. It’s been a long day for both of you. I suggest you turn in.”
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to look around. It’s part of my job, you understand.”
Ramsey set his jaw to the side. “Of course. I expect you to keep yourself out of trouble.”
It surprised me that he didn’t protest more. On the other hand, he seemed willing to go out of his way to prove Soren had nothing to hide. More than anything, I wanted to get back to Willow. I damn well didn’t want to let her out of my sight. But, the woods called to me. I needed to see for myself what was out there. No way in hell I was letting Willow sleep so close to what I sensed as pure danger.
I wondered if I dared shift here. The woods were dark and deep. I knew how to keep myself hidden. The instant I thought it, the urge nearly overpowered me.
“When you’re through,” Ramsey said, “you can let yourself back in this door. You can take the guest room at the top of the main staircase off the foyer. I trust you can find your way?”
“I can,” I said. “Thank you.”
Ramsey nodded. He nearly tripped over himself getting back through the door and away from me.
The moment Ramsey was out of sight, I took to the woods. I was careful to stay to the shadows so no prying eyes could see my speed if they watched through the windows. But, I moved quick as lightning. The wild, tangy scent of the earth drew me. I craved it more than any drug. It had been weeks since I let my wolf out. Now, there was no denying it.
