Danger and Mayhem
Page 19
The truck had weaved its way through the grass and around the ponds and dams, leaving grooves in the muddy ground.
Weldon slowed when he realized the bastard was heading toward a dilapidated abandoned building just off 105th St. NW, and he quickly informed his brothers and the rest of the pack. Being careful to keep his head down as he moved closer, he knew he was right when he smelled fuel, but what scared the fuck out of him was the metallic fragrance of Sierra’s blood in the air.
* * * *
Sierra gasped and choked as she came too after water was thrown in her face. After blinking the water from her eyes, she shivered from cold and fear. The man who’d caused her to crash the truck was standing over her with a malicious smile on his face.
She tried to lift her arms to push her long hair out of the way but began to tremble when she noticed that they were tied together and staked to the ground above her head. Her body began to shake harder as clarity returned and she realized her ankles were spread wide and tied to the ground with rope. The bastard had used what looked like tent pegs to keep her pinned down. What terrified her the most was that most of her clothes had been removed. All that was covering her was her panties and bra, but from the way the asshole was looking at her, they wouldn’t be left on her for long.
While trying to keep her breathing regulated to circumvent her terror, she glanced about and frowned. Even though she was lying on the ground, they were in some sort of building. The roof was sagging and looked unsafe, and the three remaining walls didn’t look much better.
She tried to shift to relieve the burning pain from the rope around her limbs and looked down when she heard a crinkling sound. A giggle of hysteria rose in her throat when she noticed she was lying on a blue tarpaulin, but she quickly swallowed it back down.
Her quaking intensified when the man knelt down near her hip and then straddled her thighs. Bile threatened when he eyed her body over and licked his lips.
“Where are my wife and son hiding?” he asked.
Sierra shook her head. She couldn’t answer his question because she had no idea who his wife and son were. “I don’t know. I don’t even…ahh!” she screamed when he used the knife to slice up the length of her left arm from near her shoulder to her inner wrist.
Blood seeped from the wound, and even though she was in pain, the only consolation was that he hadn’t cut into her too deeply and hadn’t severed an artery.
“Tell me where my family is, cunt!” he demanded.
Sierra sobbed and shook her head. Before she could ask him who he was, he sliced up her other arm. She felt her skin flay apart as searing pain caused her arms to ache and burn. Her head was thumping painfully, and she felt sick to her stomach. While she tried to swallow the sickness down, this time there was no stopping the bile from erupting from her mouth. Luckily, she turned her head to the side just in time as she puked.
“You’re going to answer me before this day is through, and then you’ll be begging me to take your life.” He backhanded her with his free hand, and the tears rolled down her face. She was seeing double and having a hard time making out his face. She’d hit her head on the steering wheel when she’d crashed, and he’d hit her in the face three times. Sierra wasn’t sure she could take much more, and that wasn’t even mentioning the cuts he’d inflicted on her.
She held her breath when he shoved the edge of the blade under the middle of her bra, and when he yanked up, she screamed. He’d cut into her skin between her breasts, and she could feel blood pooling over her sternum and trickling down over her ribs and sides.
He laughed, and she glared as she tried to ignore the pain searing into her body and head.
When he lifted his gaze toward hers again and she saw the malevolent intent in his evil brown eyes, Sierra began to pray.
She thought of her mates and how foolish she’d been not to tell them how much she loved them when she’d had the chance. Now, she might never get to speak those three words to them at all. She’d never get to see how happy they would have been as she told them what was in her heart. Sierra knew that they loved her as much as she loved them, because she’d felt their love through the mating bond, but she’d held back.
Her fear turned to rage, and with the rage determination coursed through her blood, her body. She might not be able to fight since she was tied up, but she wasn’t going to give in. She was going to fight to keep breathing as long as she could.
Surely, Justice and Rhys would wonder what was taking her and Weldon so long to get back with lunch?
Thoughts of Weldon caused her to tear up again. She had no idea if he was even alive. All her thoughts had been centered on trying to stem the blood flowing from the gash on his forehead. If only she’d looked at his chest to see if he was still breathing.
Sierra pictured her mates in her mind and love warmed her heart, her soul. She thought about and tried to find the link between her and her men, and when she felt it and saw the internal glowing golden strings from her heart to theirs, she pushed all her love through the threads and toward them.
She only hoped that they felt her love for them and realized that she and Weldon were missing and came to the rescue.
Justice and Rhys were her only hope of getting out of this situation alive.
Chapter Nineteen
Rhys raced beside Justice as he and his brother ran in wolf form. He cursed that fact that he, his brothers, and their mate had headed toward the Starr property in one truck. If they’d had two, they might have been able to get to Sierra faster. He shook his head. He wasn’t so sure about that. He was running faster in his animal skin than he’d ever run before, and Justice was right beside him.
“I’ve found them,” Weldon said through the pack link.
“Can you see Sierra?” Rhys asked.
“Is she all right?” Justice asked at the same time.
“I can’t see her because the fucker has her in a dilapidated barn, but she’s hurt. The smell of her blood is strong.”
“Fuck!” Rhys snarled.
“How far away are you?” Weldon asked.
“Don’t fucking worry about us,” Justice snapped. “Get to our mate and save her.”
“That’s the plan.”
“Broden, how far away are you?” Rhys asked, concern for Sierra making him stumble, but he quickly stabilized and rushed on.
“Five minutes.”
“We’ll all be there around the same time,” Tatum said.
Rhys pushed his fear for Sierra aside and just concentrated on putting one paw in front of the other. She was his world, his heart and soul, and he would kill to save her.
And he might very well have to.
* * * *
Justice had never felt so much fear and rage in his life. The pads of his paws were hurting, but he ignored the slight discomfit. Nothing and no one mattered except Sierra.
She didn’t know it, but she’d changed his whole life, and he wasn’t about to let some evil, sick fuck take her away from him and his brothers.
The muscles in his legs burned, but again he pushed his pain away. As he ran, he chanted in his mind, Please, let her be alive. Please, let her be alive. Please, please, please!
His wolf hadn’t stopped snarling from the moment he’d shifted shape, but Justice tried to quiet his animal the closer they got to their destination. He wanted the element of surprise on his side and didn’t want his beast giving them away.
As soon as he made sure Sierra was okay, Justice was going to rip that fucker’s throat out without any remorse.
His wolf growled in agreement as they ran faster still.
He felt as if the clock was counting down too quickly, and if he and his brothers didn’t get to their mate soon, she’d be beyond saving. He pushed that thought aside. This was no time to be negative. He had to keep the hope alive in his heart and soul because if he didn’t, his wolf was likely to turn feral, and then he’d be a danger to everyone in Ambrose.
* * * *
Corina and Tommy Perry had arrived at the shelter in the early hours of a Saturday morning. Corina’s face had been swollen and black and blue. In fact, most of her body had been covered in fresh and old bruises.
Tommy had only been four years old, and while it hadn’t looked as if his father had hit him, the poor little boy had been scared of his own shadow. After having them examined by a doctor, giving the mother and son some clean clothes and a bed for the night, she’d worked in the office getting them false papers and trying to find somewhere safe to send them.
Sierra would never forget the tears of gratitude in Corina’s eyes as she’d waved the mom and son good-bye. Thankfully, the woman she’d contacted had once been in Corina’s shoes and had jumped at the chance to pay Sierra back for all her help and to aide Tommy and his mom.
She was jolted back to the present and screamed in agony when the knife sliced down the outside of her thigh. Tears rolled over her temples and into her hair in a constant stream. She jerked when the bastard sliced the side of her panties, and then tugged the material out from under her ass.
She was hot and cold all over, sweating and shaking with pain and terror. She could feel defeat creeping into her heart.
When she saw him undo his belt, flick the button of his jeans open, and lower the zipper, she shook even harder.
Sierra twisted and turned as much as she could, but she was already weak from blood loss and starting to feel woozy. She didn’t know how much longer she would remain conscious, but she didn’t think it would matter to her kidnapper if she was awake or not.
The evil lust in his eyes was shining out at her, and she knew he was about to rape her, and then he would probably kill her.
* * * *
Weldon’s wolf stalked through the grass, keeping low to the ground. The closer they got to the ramshackle barn, the stronger the aroma of Sierra’s blood got. He was about twenty yards away from the building when he heard his mate’s scream of agony.
With his stealth gone to hell, he trotted as fast as he could to the building while keeping his steps as light as possible. He stilled close to the outside wall near the entrance to the barn and peeked around the corner.
What he saw had his blood boiling with fury. Sierra was naked and tethered to the ground. Her face was bruised and swollen, but it was the long blood seeping cuts on her body that had his gaze hazing over with red.
With a quiet care he didn’t feel, beast and man crept around the corner and stalked closer and closer to their quarry.
He swallowed down his howl of anger when he saw the bastard push his jeans and underwear down, and just as the fucker lifted the hand he was holding the knife in, his wolf leapt.
His beast snarled and growled as he clamped his mouth over the bastard’s wrist, sinking his sharp teeth as deeply as possible as he clenched his jaw down hard. With a rapid frenzy, his wolf shook his head back and forth. The knife flew into the air, landing about eight or so yards away.
The man screamed with pain, but Weldon and his beast didn’t care. When the man’s hand dropped to the ground after being severed from his arm, his wolf faced their enemy with his lips pulled back in a snarl as he continued to growl.
The fucker scooted back away from him, and Weldon tried to get his wolf to pounce, but his animal stood statue still never taking his gaze from their nemesis.
Just as the bastard was within reach of the knife, his wolf bounded toward him, jumped, and dove at him. His wolf’s teeth sank into the front of the male’s throat and with a sideways jerk of his head, he ripped the fucker’s throat out.
Weldon tried to calm his wolf down from his killing frenzy, but his beast was almost beyond his control. “We need to help our mate,” he told his animal.
His wolf opened his mouth, spat out the esophagus, muscle, and sinew, and hurried toward their woman. Just as he reached Sierra and his wolf let his human half take control, Rhys and Justice ran into the barn.
Their mate was still breathing, but she was a mess.
His brothers pushed their wolves back, and all three of them applied pressure to the cuts on their mate’s body, trying to slow the flow of blood as they cut through the ropes around her wrists and ankles with their claws, being careful not to cut her and add to her injuries. She was unconscious, but she was still breathing.
“She’s alive. She’s alive. She’s alive.”
Broden, Tatum, and the rest of the shifters arrived.
“You need to give me room to treat your mate,” Broden said.
Airen removed his shirt and draped it over Sierra’s body, hiding her breasts and pussy from view. Weldon nodded his thanks after moving toward her head. He wanted to hold her hand but was scared he’d hurt her, so he placed his fingers against her neck over her pulse. While her heartbeat wasn’t as fast as usual, it was strong, which had him breathing a sigh of relief. She might have lost a fair amount of blood, but it wasn’t enough to affect her heart.
Tears of relief threatened, but he kept them at bay.
Justice and Rhys had stoic expressions, but there was no hiding the moisture in his brothers’ eyes.
Broden set up a saline drip after inserting a cannula in one of Sierra’s hands. Archer held the bag of fluid up while Broden and Airen got to work cleaning the cuts on his mate’s arms, legs and between her breasts. After the wounds had been cleaned and wrapped with bandages, Weldon, Rhys, and Justice carefully lifted their mate onto a stretcher and carried her the ambulance Broden and his brothers had arrived in. Weldon climbed into the back of the van with Sierra and Broden.
Rhys and Justice hurried toward Tatum’s truck.
Weldon didn’t even care that he was still naked or that some human might see him bare. All he cared about was Sierra, and he prayed that she’d heal quickly and open her eyes so he could tell her how much he loved her.
* * * *
Sierra sighed and blinked her eyes open. She glanced around the room and was surprised to find that she was in back in her bedroom. When she gazed to her left, right, and toward the end of the bed, she smiled.
All three of her mates were in bed with her.
She had no idea how long she’d been asleep, but she was shocked that she was no longer feeling any pain. She reached down to touch her right leg and gaped when she didn’t feel anything marring her flesh.
Even her face and head felt as if she hadn’t been hurt.
It was dark, and though she didn’t want to disturb her men’s sleep, she needed to get up to use the bathroom. Trying not to jostle her mates or the bed, she eased the covers down and sat up.
All three of her men bolted upright.
Justice, who was on her right, turned the bedside lamp on. “How are you feeling, baby?”
“I feel good. I’m thirsty and hungry, but I can deal with that.”
“You have no idea how happy we are to see you awake, darlin’,” Weldon said. “I’m so sorry I let you down. If I’d been more alert, I could have saved you from getting kidnapped and hurt.”
“I’ll address that in a minute, but right now, I need to use the bathroom.”
“Let me help you, honey.” Rhys rolled from the bed, stood, and held his hand out to help her up. She clasped his hand, rose, and hurried to the bathroom.
After using the facilities, she washed her hands, brushed her teeth and hair, and entered the bedroom again. All three of her men were sitting on the side of the bed.
Sierra walked over to Weldon and cupped his face between her hands. “You have nothing to apologize for. What happened wasn’t your fault. That bastard hit your side of the truck. You were unconscious and bleeding, Weldon.”
“I still should have—”
She placed a finger of his lips. “Shh. It’s over. I’m still here and so are all of you. That’s all that matters in the long run.”
“It is.” Justice stood and stepped closer to Sierra. Weldon and Rhys followed.
“How long was I out of it?” she asked.
“Two days,” Weldon replied and swallowed around the lump in his throat.
“I was?”
“Yeah.” Justice tugged her into his arms and hugged her tight.
Weldon moved in behind her, pressing his body against hers and embracing her from behind.
Rhys threaded his fingers with hers, lifted her hand toward his mouth, and kissed the back of it. “You had us real worried, honey.”
“I’m sorry for causing you concern.”
Weldon nipped her earlobe, then licked the sting away. “No apologies, remember. What happened was out of our control.”
Sierra nodded. “What happened to the bastard?”
“He’s dead, darlin’. You’ll never have to worry about him again,” Weldon replied.
Sierra sagged against Justice and savored being in her mates’ arms.
“How did you find me?” She frowned over her shoulder at Weldon. “I thought I dreamed you were there as your wolf just before I passed out.”
“That was no dream, darlin’,” Weldon began. “I started healing pretty much straight away. When I was cognizant enough to realize what had happened, I shifted forms, contacted my brothers telepathically, and began to track you.”
Sierra turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You saved me?”
Weldon nodded.
“Thank you.” She went up on tiptoes and when he bent down she kissed him. Weldon quickly took control of the kiss. She gasped for breath when he released her lips, and she turned to Rhys. “Thank you for helping to save me.”
Rhys lifted her into his arms and up against his chest. Sierra wrapped her arms around his neck and hooked her legs around his waist. “Promise me something?” Rhys rested his forehead against hers.
“If I can,” she replied softly.
-->