by Faith Gibson
“How are they going to explain the wounds they received?”
“I told them someone had rented the room Kerrigan had been in, and the rather large man didn’t take too kindly to being surprised. Their stories will be the same. Gideon may or may not believe them, thus causing discord among his ranks.”
A loud banging startled them all when the door flew open. Mav and Kyllian strode in the room, both grinning.
“We’re here, bitches. Let the party begin.” Mav hooked his arm around War’s neck and smacked a kiss on his cheek. War grinned back. He’d never been so happy to see his twin in all his life.
Ryker frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “How’d you get in here?”
Mav waved a keycard in the air and wiggled his eyebrows. “I just used my charm on the desk clerk.”
“I thought the desk clerk was a young man,” Sultan said.
“No one, male or female, is immune to all this.” Mav waved a hand down his body. “Now, what’d we miss?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kerrigan
KERRIGAN was quiet in the back seat. Her parents had already asked a million and one questions about where she’d been and everything that happened before and after she’d been kidnapped. She rehashed all the details except for her private time with War. Her parents weren’t blind, and they didn’t miss the tender way War held her before he said goodbye. She didn’t miss it either.
There was so much emotion in his eyes, and she’d barely kept herself from begging him to let her stay with him. She’d wanted more time to talk. To get to know him better. To convince him to give her a chance. She didn’t know if he wanted a future with her or if their time had been nothing more than heat of the moment and close proximity. Kerrigan had never been so inexplicably drawn to a man the way she was War. Technically, she was just getting over her relationship with Dalton, but she didn’t think she was on the rebound. Not from that at least.
“Kerri?” Her mother was turned around looking at her.
“I’m sorry. What?”
“Dad asked if you’re hungry. We didn’t have breakfast. We drove straight from the airport to come get you.”
“I could eat. Warryck’s dad brought sandwiches earlier, but I didn’t get a chance to finish before his brother wanted to talk.” It was a good thing her parents hadn’t seen Sutton Lazlo. Kerrigan couldn’t explain how the man looked the same age as his sons. Well, she could explain it, but they would think she’d lost her mind. Besides that, she would never betray Warryck’s trust in telling the truth of what he was. Even if she never saw him again, his secret would die along with her. And that would be many years before he did. War had explained how Gryphons lived longer than normal lives where their human partners didn’t. That made her sad, but War had admitted he would rather have a few years of epic love than to never know what it was like.
Her dad parked in front of a diner, and she followed her parents inside. After they placed their order, Kerrigan excused herself to the restroom, which was located down a narrow hallway at the back of the building. As she reached for the doorknob, a hand covered her mouth, and a strong arm wrapped around her body. Kerrigan tried to scream, but her voice was muffled. She struggled, twisting her face, trying to get loose so she could scream.
“Come with me, or your parents will disappear for good.” Kerrigan knew that voice, even if it was barely more than a growl. His breath was hot against her face, but it was nothing like Warryck’s when he was talking to her. Warryck. Gideon pressed his hand tighter, his fingertips digging into her already painful ribs. She nodded behind his hand, because what choice did she have? He was stronger than her, and she would do anything to keep her parents safe. She should have known Gideon wouldn’t just let her go without a fight. “If you make any noise at all, I’ll call my men, and your parents are dead. Got it?” Kerrigan whimpered and nodded again. It pissed her off she was showing weakness, but he was using her parents as leverage.
Gideon kept his arm around her as he pushed her out the back door and behind the building where his car was waiting. He looked around before forcing her into the trunk. Kerrigan curled into a ball as the lid slammed closed, blocking out the light. A few seconds later, the engine roared to life, and the car started moving.
Damnit! Not again. There was no way she was going to let Gideon take her back to his compound, but what if he really did have someone watching her parents? If only she could get word to War. Her cell phone! It was in her back pocket. Kerrigan was surprised Gideon hadn’t searched her before shoving her into the trunk. Kerrigan put her phone on silent and thanked all the gods, including Zeus, she had a signal. She sent War a text telling him what happened and begged him to find her. Again.
Her phone vibrated almost immediately.
Warryck: Hey, Sweetheart. Hold on. I’m coming for you.
Kerrigan: Please send someone to the diner for my parents.
Warryck: We’ll keep them safe. If Gideon pulls you from the trunk before we get there, try to hide your phone so we can track the signal.
Kerrigan: I will. War...
Warryck: I know, Sweetheart. I’m sorry I let you leave. When I get you back, I’m never letting you out of my sight again.
Kerrigan gasped. He wanted her. War, the big, badass Gryphon wanted her! Now she had to stay alive long enough for them to be together. The car hit a bump, and Kerrigan’s head was knocked against the side panel. “Damnit.” Kerrigan rubbed her temple. At least it wasn’t bleeding. Her phone vibrated.
Warryck: Lucy has a lock on your phone. Hang tight. I’m on my way.
Kerrigan wanted to tell him she didn’t have a choice, but she responded with an OK instead. Had her parents noticed she was missing yet? It had only been minutes since she’d left them sitting at the table. She should probably text them, but whoever War had going to look after them would tell them what happened. “Please, Zeus. Don’t let them get hurt,” she whispered.
Kerrigan braced her arms and legs against the back and sides of the car, doing her best to not get beat all to hell. She had no idea where Gideon was taking her. If he took her back to the compound, she had a feeling she’d end up in the inner chamber again, never to see the light of day. That was better than the alternative, though. She was too young to die. Had too much living to do, especially if War had meant what he said about keeping her with him. God, she hoped he meant it. As much as she loved her parents, she wanted to find out what a future with the Gryphon looked like. War was looking forward to his future with his family, but maybe they could figure out both their futures together.
The steady hum would have been soothing if she weren’t in the trunk, kidnapped, and most likely on her way to another hidden compound. Kerrigan figured they were on an interstate when they passed louder engines she imagined were eighteen wheelers. If she could get their attention somehow, one of them might call the cops on her behalf. Using the flashlight of her phone, Kerrigan found the lights were secure behind a solid panel. She attempted to loosen the plastic bolts, but her fingers were still too sore to get a good grip.
Shifting around wasn’t easy, but Kerrigan scooted as far back in the trunk as possible and searched for any type of weapon. The spare tire was supposed to be hidden in a compartment beneath her along with a lug wrench, but she couldn’t pry the mat up far enough to get at either. When she flopped down onto her back, the light of her phone flashed over the trunk release. She had no idea if the release worked when the vehicle was moving, but it was worth a shot.
Kerrigan pulled on the plastic tab, and the lid opened a fraction instead of flying up like she’d wanted. She pulled the tab again, but the lid remained in the same position. Kerrigan maneuvered until she could stick her fingers through the small gap, wiggling them. She didn’t know if there was a car directly behind them. If not, she was risking a lot by pissing Gideon off when he eventually pulled over. The car hit a dip in the road, and the trunk closed down on her fingers. “Ow, shit!” Kerrigan jerked her hand ba
ck inside and cradled it against her chest.
Her phone beeped, and she searched for it with the hand that wasn’t throbbing. Instead of an incoming text, it was her low-battery indicator. Great. If Warryck didn’t hurry, his daughter was going to lose Kerrigan’s location. The time showed they had been driving over an hour when she felt the car swerve then slow down. She hit the button on the side of the phone to dim the light, then she placed it face down as far back as she could, thankful it didn’t have a colorful case on it.
The car came to a stop, and Kerrigan contemplated fighting Gideon when he opened the trunk. She had on the biker boots War had bought her, and she knew they would hurt if she managed to land a kick to his face, but if she was too slow or missed, it would only piss him off more than he already was. As she waited, Gideon’s voice echoed through the car. His words were heated, and when she didn’t hear another person, she figured he was on the phone. She wanted to text War and ask where he was or if he still had her on his radar, but she didn’t want to risk Gideon finding the phone. So, she waited.
“You just thought you were smart.” The trunk slammed shut before it was popped open all the way. Kerrigan tried to throw her hands up, but Gideon smacked them away and grabbed Kerrigan by her hair, dragging her from the car. He kept his fist secure in her long tresses, pulling her upright so she was in front of him. Gideon laughed in her face, but his eyes were filled with rage. “Ah, my sweet Juliette.”
Juliette?
“You’re more trouble than you’re worth. Now, let’s see.” Gideon kept one hand in her hair while the other roamed over her body. “Where is it?” he yelled, spit landing on her cheek.
“Where’s what? Gideon, you’re hurting me. Please stop.”
“I’m going to hurt you worse if you don’t tell me where your phone is.” He twisted his fist in her hair, and tears leaked from her eyes.
“In there.” She pointed at the car. If Lucy was as good as Warryck said, the girl would have a lock on their location. All Kerrigan had to do was stall until he could get to her.
Gideon shoved her, and Kerrigan lost her footing, landing hard on her hands and knees. She looked around, finding they were in the parking lot of what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. There was no one around she could see, and her only options were to stay there and see what he had in store for her or to run. In her mind, she only had one choice. She slowly climbed to her feet while Gideon’s back was turned. When he rose from the trunk, he had her phone in his hand. He dropped it to the ground and stomped it several times, smashing it into small pieces. Kerrigan took advantage of his attention being elsewhere and took off running.
“Stop!”
Kerrigan didn’t stop. He would have to catch her. Which he probably could if he—
A shot rang out, and chunks of asphalt exploded around her feet.
“I said stop, Kerrigan! Don’t think I won’t shoot you.”
Oh, she absolutely thought he would shoot her if she continued running, so she jerked to a halt, her chest heaving. When she turned around, her captor had the gun aimed at her.
“We could have been good together, you and I.” He started walking toward her. “I would have given you the world. We would have been married, and you would have ruled The Sanctuary alongside me. But now, now I have to turn my community over to someone who will not be as kind as I have been.” When he reached her side, he grabbed her arm and dragged her back toward the building. “This is all your fault, Kerrigan. Remember that when—"
A low rumble caught their attention. Gideon cursed, turning toward the sound. The rumble crested into a loud vibration as the group of Harleys rounded the warehouse, echoing off the metal structure. Yes! War was there.
If Gideon didn’t have a gun trained on her, the sight of the Hounds would have thrilled her.
“Let her go, Talbert!” Ryker yelled from his bike as he removed his helmet and set it on one of the handlebars, the others doing the same.
“Not a step closer, or she dies.” Gideon moved the gun from her side to her temple.
“Ryker, no,” she pled. She didn’t want him or any of his family to die for her. But where was Warryck? She recognized most of the men from when they’d entered the hotel with War. One of the others resembled War a great deal. Was that his twin?
“This is what’s going to happen. She and I are going to get in the car, and you’re going to let us leave. You are not going to follow. If you do, I’ll shoot her.”
The man who resembled War let out a roar that could only come from a large cat. The others followed suit, and it was enough to startle Gideon. He turned the gun toward the men. “What the hell?” Gideon muttered.
A sound unlike anything she’d ever heard echoed all around just as a shadow fell over Kerrigan from above, and a large beak snapped onto Gideon’s wrist. Her captor let out a strangled cry, releasing his hold on her hair.
When she stumbled away, Kerrigan gasped. She’d tried to imagine what War would look like as his Gryphon, but her imagination hadn’t done him justice. Standing over eight feet, War – somehow, she knew it was him – was magnificent. His eagle had Gideon’s wrist in his sharp beak while his talons were wrapped around Gideon’s neck, raising him off the ground. Gideon dropped the gun, and War released the hold he had on the man’s arm.
“War, don’t kill the fucker,” his lookalike yelled.
Warryck, the Gryphon, squawked at his brother. Kerrigan didn’t have to be an eagle to understand Warryck’s “fuck that.”
“Yeah, I know he deserves it, but we need him alive. For now.” The man closed the distance, picking up Gideon’s gun along the way, using some type of cloth to keep his fingerprints from covering Gideon’s. When he got close, he looked up at War. “Take care of your woman. We’ve got this.”
The Gryphon craned his neck around, staring down at Kerrigan.
Kerrigan smiled and waved. “Hey there, big guy. I’m fine, but I could really use a hug.”
War tossed Gideon away from Kerrigan with so much force he skidded a good twenty feet. In the blink of an eye, the Gryphon was gone, and War stood naked before her. If the others noticed or cared he didn’t have clothes on, they ignored it and them. Warryck dragged her into his arms, nearly crushing her. He pressed his lips into her hair and inhaled. “Never again,” he muttered against her temple. Kerrigan hugged him back as tightly as possible, never wanting to let go.
“War.” The guy she assumed was a brother set his hand on War’s shoulder, holding a set of clothes in the other. “You need to get dressed.”
“Thanks, Mav.” So, this was his twin, Maveryck. War took the offered clothes and quickly dressed in his usual jeans and tee. He was pulling his boots on when Maveryck approached her.
“Hi, Kerrigan. I’m Maveryck, this one’s better-looking twin.” He gave her a wink, and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Ah, so it’s like that, is it?” His teasing tone put her at ease. “Seriously, though. Are you okay?”
Answering Maveryck, she looked up at Warryck when she spoke. “I’m good. A few bumps from hitting the inside of the trunk, but it could have been a lot worse. What’s going to happen to Gideon?” Kerrigan looked over to where the man was being hauled to his feet by a couple Hounds.
“Eventually, he’ll go to jail for kidnapping and aggravated assault.”
“You have no idea who you’re messing with!” Gideon yelled. “Juliette, tell them!”
“What the fuck?” Ryker, who had been holding one of Gideon’s arms, jerked him around, grabbing both of his biceps. “What did you call her?”
“Kerrigan. I meant Kerrigan. She—”
“Tell me about Juliette.” Ryker’s hands became talons, digging into Gideon’s flesh. Nobody stepped in to stop him. The other Hounds had gone quiet for some reason. Kerrigan had also frozen at the deadly tone in his voice. She stepped closer to War, reaching for his hand, and he threaded their fingers together.
“Juliette was the name of Ryker’s wife. She disappeared
, and a few months later, he received word she’d died in a fire,” War whispered. “He never received proof, though. What’s worse is she was pregnant when she disappeared.”
“Sh-she w-was my w-wife. Please... I... She died.”
“And you just happened to mistake Kerrigan for your dead wife? Why is that?”
“Because Kerrigan looks like her.” So that explained the photos, unless Gideon had a thing for all redheads.
Sutton stepped forward, placing his hand on Ryker’s arm. “Son, you need to back away.”
“No, Pop. I need fucking answers.” He shook off his father’s hand, returning his gaze to Gideon. “You have one chance to save your wretched life, and that’s by telling me the truth. Right now. Where did you meet Juliette?”
“She...” Gideon shook his head. “I went to a party at my brother’s house. Ju-Juliette was there. She was... the entertainment. Not by choice. I hated what he was doing to her, but I couldn’t tell him that, or he’d have made her life worse. I... I convinced him to let me have her once... once the party was over. I saved her.”
“Where did your brother get her?”
“He said... he said he saw her out dancing, and he figured no one would miss a whore.”
Ryker’s lion roared from deep within his chest, and blood dripped from where his talons were digging into Gideon’s arms. If this Juliette was Ryker’s missing wife, Kerrigan couldn’t blame him for his anger.
Ryker pulled Gideon closer until their faces were inches apart. “And what happened to the baby?”
“Sh-she gave her up for adoption.”
Ryker released one of Gideon’s arms and wrapped his talon around Gideon’s neck, puncturing the skin.
“Ryker, no! As your Alpha, I demand you let him go.” Sutton’s voice echoed off the building, and all the Hounds froze, including Ryker.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
War
