Savage Betrayal: Savage, Book 2

by Shelli Stevens

  Of course Donovan would realize it. He had to have realized it the moment Darrius had gone silent and started spouting off details as if the tracking device were on Grace herself.

  “Yes.”

  Donovan’s brows shot sky high. “How in the hell did that happen?”

  “Besides the obvious?” Darrius gave a stiff shrug. “I have no fucking idea.”

  “I thought you already mated once.”

  “I did. Hell, I just don’t know, Donovan. This is all a complete mind fuck to me too, but can we just focus on finding Grace and her sister?”

  “Yeah, of course.” Donovan grunted. “Grace is your damn mate now, it makes a helluva lot more sense why you look ready to go on a murderous rampage.”

  And he likely would if he got the change.

  “I’m happy for you, Darrius. Sienna was right—you’re good for each other.”

  Maybe. But did Grace even want him? Want a mate at this time in her life? The way she’d run after he’d claimed her sure wasn’t a good sign.

  “So Hurricane Ridge you say?”

  Darrius nodded. “If you trust me, yeah.”

  “Put a call in to Larson and tell him the change in plans. I trust you. And I trust your connection.” He paused. “I’ve been in your shoes, Hilliard. Pretty similar situation with Sienna, which you remember. That connection between us saved her life.”

  Darrius couldn’t resist a small smile, and saying, “I think she saved her own life, actually.”

  “Hell yeah she did.” Pride flickered across Donovan’s face. “My woman can kick some serious ass when need be.”

  So can mine. But why wasn’t she moving? There had to be a reason she wasn’t fighting back…

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Whatever he’d injected into her must be starting to wear off.

  Grace tried not to show any indication she was getting feeling back, but the tingling that was rocking her nerves right now was painful. She’d first noticed it when they’d switched cars and Andrew had carried her, and then Aubree to a bigger SUV.

  Was Aubree recovering just as well? She wished she could give herself away and turn her head to the backseat where he’d placed her.

  Her sister hadn’t gone easily with Andrew. The moment he’d shot Terrance and grabbed her, she’d fought like a crazed animal. Scratching his face and managing to nearly get away to Terrance’s parents, who were trying to get to her.

  Until Andrew had sunk the same needle into her neck and it had all been over. Aubree had collapsed into his waiting arms, and he’d forced her into the backseat.

  Why had he taken them? The question had spun endlessly in her mind like a hamster on a wheel. It just didn’t make sense, and unfortunately she couldn’t speak and ask him what the hell he was thinking.

  Was Jocelyn behind this? How could she not be? The only thing Andrew had tipped his hat at was letting on that he knew about Aubree’s pregnancy, but he hadn’t spoken to either of them since giving them the injections.

  At least he’d propped her up somewhat this time, and she could see out the window. After seeing the sign, she had a fair idea where they were going and it sent waves of nausea through her.

  Hurricane Ridge.

  A lovely vista nestled in the Olympic Mountains. Tourists loved it and locals loved to ski it in the winter. But to her it would always be the place her parents had died.

  She’d never gone back. Even though she loved hiking and exploring the Pacific Northwest, Hurricane Ridge was the one popular destination she avoided.

  And as they continued to climb in elevation and wind through the dark, two-lane mountain road, her panic rose. She struggled to keep her breathing even while inside she was screaming.

  As they climbed higher the headlights started to reflect snow on the road. But Andrew must’ve been prepared for it, because the tires on the SUV were studded.

  All too soon Andrew pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car.

  “How are you gals doing?”

  When he turned to face her, a wide grin on his face, Grace just barely resisted the urge to slam her fist into it.

  “The drug should be wearing off by now. You can talk.”

  She didn’t reply, refusing to play his little game. Was Darrius aware they were missing? Surely Terrance and his parents had called someone at the P.I.A.

  A thought slammed into her, and she struggled to breathe. She was mated with Darrius. That meant something. Huge. She’d always heard that once you were mated there was some kind of mental connection that could be developed.

  Was it working? Had Darrius been able to hear her thoughts? Would he know where she was?

  She closed her eyes—desperate to locate him in her head.

  Darrius. She sent out a mental beacon, searching her mind for any trace he might be there.

  And then she felt it. A warm light slid through her mind before she heard her name on his lips. Then his voice came soft and steady in her head, telling her to be calm. To wait for them and that help was on the way.

  “Don’t want to talk? Fine. We’ll see how long that lasts.” Andrew jerked her from the car.

  Her delicate connection with Darrius was severed as she was flung to the ground. She landed on her hands and knees, the rocks and ice stinging as they bit into her palms. She sucked in the icy mountain air and tried to orientate herself.

  The moon was out and it reflected off the snow, giving her more visibility than she could’ve hoped for. They were at the visitor center—which was dark and obviously closed. How had they even gotten up here? Weren’t there security points at the bottom of the road? At this time of night the park would’ve been closed.

  “It was you,” she accused, glaring at him. “It was always you. Trying to run me down in the street, slashing Aubree’s tires, the bar attack?”

  He grinned. “Borrowed the van from my mom—we’ve got a big family. Figured you wouldn’t recognize me as easily.”

  “But you always recognized me. Like that day I showed up at Jocelyn’s condo and you’d asked if we’d met? You knew.”

  “Yeah, I knew. You made some bad joke about screwing me in a nightclub bathroom. Which would’ve been kind of hot.” He bit his lip and gave a suggestive nod. “I’ve never forgotten you. Or your sister.”

  Andrew turned and returned to the car, and her sister made a pained whimper as he plucked her from the backseat.

  “Damn, I do believe I’ve missed you, beautiful.” He pulled her against him and pressed a hard kiss to her lips.

  A growl of rage rose from Grace’s throat and she started to rise, but her sister didn’t need her defense. Not yet anyway. Aubree slapped the smirk off of Andrew’s face and pulled away.

  All she needed was a second and she could shift and tear his throat out. Her nails started to lengthen and she felt the wolf in her rise to the surface. And then she saw the gun in his hand, and even though he was watching Grace, it was trained on her sister.

  Grace stood up, careful not to make any sudden moves. “Why did you take us?”

  He gave her a bland glance. “Aubree was an afterthought, I admit. Once I heard she was pregnant I realized the right thing to do would be to mate with her.”

  “I’d rather mate with a cow!” Aubree screamed.

  Andrew gave a small laugh and cast a fond look her sister’s way. “You’re going to be so much fun to tame.”

  It would never happen. Never. Grace would see him dead if he so much as leaned toward her neck.

  “But, Grace, you’ve been in the works for almost a week now. Ever since I figured it out.”

  “Figured what out?”

  “What happened here fifteen years ago.” He gestured widely at the hills around them. “Come on, some of it has to still be there in that sharp little brain of yours.”

  Icy shivers of premonition trailed down Grace’s spine. Fifteen years ago her parents had been killed here. How could that possibly be of any interest to him?

  “What are
you talking about?”

  “I suppose I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up a little.” He paced in the snowy parking lot, his feet crunching on the ground. “So I’m sure by now you’ve realized that Thom Wilson was given some kind of drug that convinced him to off himself, right?”

  Rage slammed into her, hard and violently, blinding her with red, and she automatically lunged forward with a growl. But he was next to her in an instant, pressing the gun to her head.

  “Keep your inner bitch restrained. Or I’ll personally silence it.”

  And he would, she didn’t doubt him for a second. The light from the moon reflected off his eyes and the glassiness to them and dilated pupils made her wonder if he was on something.

  He sure wasn’t acting rationally. She might’ve tried to take him down anyway, but if something happened to her it would mean she was leaving Aubree alone with him. It was a risk she couldn’t take.

  Come on, Darrius, get here fast. She sent out the mental plea but kept her hard gaze on Andrew.

  “You know, let’s go for a walk.” He caught her arm and walked to Aubree, grabbing her as well. “Follow me, ladies.”

  Grace followed, for now. He was so young and cocky. Stupid. He’d let his guard down and when he did, she’d be ready to make him regret it.

  “What did Thom Wilson do that was so awful? Why kill only him and not the rest of the survivors of the experiments?”

  “It actually had nothing to do with the experiments. Thom came to see us—or he came to see Jocelyn, but I was there. He was going to blackmail her with some dirt he’d dug up on her. I couldn’t let him do that. Somehow she’d become my world.”

  “Oh, how fucking touching. Really. Excuse me while I puke,” she ground out, not bothering to veil her sarcasm. “What kind of dirt did Thom have on her?”

  “That she was a murderer.”

  It was the same thing Thom had said in his email, but what did it mean? And if Andrew was confessing all this to her, obviously he wasn’t going to allow her to leave alive today. Or he intended to memory-wipe her.

  The realization sent panic through her, but she fought it. She had to stay calm for Aubree. She kept her expression blank as they trudged up the snowy trail in the semi-darkness.

  “Don’t you see? I couldn’t let Thom Wilson stay alive. Jocelyn was all upset, though she never confessed to the murders.”

  What murders?

  “So I hired some junkie who would’ve done anything for a fix. Once he managed to give Thom that injection, all he had to do was tell him to park the car in the garage, get in it and turn on the engine.”

  “And he died from carbon monoxide poisoning. How do you live with yourself?” She gave him a look of disgust. “He had a family.”

  Andrew’s smile vanished. “Look, it’s not like I didn’t feel guilty about it. But he was threatening Jocelyn and I couldn’t let that happen.”

  “She was your meal ticket.”

  “Dammit, I cared for her! And you know how she thanks me? That bitch fired me—kicked me out of her life and condo like I was fucking nothing. After everything I’d done for her.”

  “She probably didn’t like the idea of you seducing her teenage niece.”

  “I wasn’t her assistant then, she barely knew who I was. Feloray Laboratories had me working in that hellhole building where the experiments were being held.”

  It didn’t matter, none of his shitty excuses nullified what he’d done. The life he’d taken. “And I supposed you killed Wesley Parker as well?”

  “Wesley?”

  “The druggie you hired.” Their POI who’d just been found dead.

  “Oh him. I gotta say, that was awesome. I got hella lucky when that dumbshit overdosed legitimately.”

  “You’re a fucking heartless bastard.”

  “Me? No, you’ve got it wrong. Don’t you get it yet?” Andrew grabbed her shirt, halting her progress. “Your aunt is the heartless one. She’s probably killed, or had killed, more people than some dictators. She’s also guilty of the death of your parents.”

  Her heart nearly stopped, and then started a slow erratic thud again. The accusation was ludicrous and completely implausible.

  Wasn’t it?

  “I was there, asshole,” she rasped. “I know she didn’t kill them.”

  “Do you really know that? Yes, you were there. And did it ever occur to you that maybe you saw too much?” He stepped forward, his face just inches away from hers. “That maybe you had your memory wiped because of it.”

  Another part of Thom’s letter flickered in her head. Memory wipes on shifter women and children. Could Andrew be on to something? Had something sinister happened that day?

  Grace stumbled, nearly falling into the snow that was almost above her knees now. The lodge wasn’t even in their line of vision anymore, and she couldn’t be certain they were even technically on the path.

  “See, I took notes when Thom came to visit and I’ve done a little research of my own. The man who wiped your memory when you were a kid worked for the P.I.A. and was in bed with your aunt—literally. Apparently it always haunted him and was a deathbed confession to Thom.”

  Wiped your memory when you were a kid. No. It couldn’t be possible. She shook her head, but even as she did there were flashes of her childhood. The constant resentment toward her aunt and the sadness and anger she’d struggled with. Her aunt had always told her she was just a moody child and hormonal teen—had often encouraged her to go on medication.

  But had it been a lingering undertone of a memory she couldn’t remember? Had Jocelyn killed her parents?

  “Grace, what is he talking about?” Aubree glanced between them, arms folded across her chest and her teeth chattering.

  Grace was abruptly brought back to the present, and the very serious threat of hypothermia. They weren’t dressed for these conditions. The whole idea that Andrew had kidnapped them both and dragged them out into the mountains was surreal to say the least.

  “Andrew, we need to get Aubree back inside the car. She’s pregnant, for heaven’s sake.”

  “In good fucking time, Grace,” he yelled, and then dug something out of his pocket that looked like a recording device.

  What did he want her to say? This whole night was such a clusterfuck. Being abducted by their aunt’s knock-off Abercrombie-and-Finch-model lover. They wouldn’t be in this situation if she hadn’t run from Darrius tonight. If she hadn’t panicked.

  Instead of questioning their mating, she should’ve celebrated it. Celebrated that somehow he’d managed to claim her, even though he’d supposedly already taken a mate once.

  But she hadn’t. She’d run instead—probably leaving him with anger and self-doubt.

  Darrius was her lover. Her mate. And she couldn’t regret that. She only hoped he could see into her heart right now. Hear her thoughts.

  I’m so sorry, Darrius. If anything happens, please know I don’t regret anything.

  “Aubree, you move a muscle and your sister dies. Grace, I want you to look around.” Andrew’s harsh order interrupted her message to her mate. “Surely you’d remember the spot your parents died.”

  The words knocked the breath from her, and she found herself obeying him. Turning, she let her gaze slide over the darkness and where the cliff seemed to drop off.

  Despite it being nightfall, the moon, snow, and her wolf sense gave her enough ability to see things. She remembered parts of that day. Remembered fields of blue flowers…

  Flowers like the ones she now created every time she worked with glass in her garage. Flowers like the tattoo she’d gotten on the back of her neck at eighteen.

  Her heart started to thump faster. She closed her eyes, trying to remember. Something was there, buried deep into her conscience, but she couldn’t pull it up. But instinctively she knew there was something she should be remembering.

  Emotions were just below the surface of her memory. Terror. Shock. And horror. So much horror.

 
“You’re remembering something. This is good, Grace. Real good. Now tell me exactly what happened that day…”

  “Hilliard, are you in position?”

  “Affirmative. I can confirm visual on the two hostages,” Darrius replied into the tiny mic along his jawline. He was hunkered down behind a tree, never letting his gaze slip from the three people near the edge of the cliff.

  Donovan had come around on the north end of the group and was also positioned to take out their tango. Larson and Yorioka were out in the woods as well, preparing to try and rescue Aubree.

  They were set up for a standard op, but nothing about the situation was standard. The victims were Darrius’s mate and her pregnant sister.

  “What do you remember?”

  The way Andrew leaned in too close to Grace to ask the question had Darrius itching to pull the trigger on his Glock.

  “Don’t do it, Hilliard.” Donovan must’ve sensed his fury.

  “I’ve got a clear shot,” he muttered.

  “Yeah, me too, but we can’t take it. Killing a shifter gets you in deep shit.”

  There was no arguing that. Donovan had nearly been kicked out of the P.I.A. for killing a shifter who had gone after Sienna.

  “I’m thinking I can just slow him down by shooting him in the leg.”

  “Grace is too close, you don’t want to risk it.”

  “Larson, have you gotten close enough to grab the sister?” Darrius asked.

  “Making my way in. But I don’t trust this guy, he’s jumpy. Like he’s drugged or something.”

  “I asked what the hell you remember?” Andrew demanded again.

  “Things I wish I didn’t.” Grace’s words were quiet. Haunted. And with obvious reluctance.

  “You remember her killing your parents after an argument?”

  “Yes. They didn’t fall over that cliff—she pushed them.”

  “That’s right. That’s exactly what I heard happened.” His voice rose with excitement, but he suddenly froze and grabbed Grace, jerking her to him and pressing the gun against her temple.

  “I know you’re there. Come out,” he yelled.

  “Nobody move,” Larson snarled in a harsh whisper. “Stand your ground until I give an order otherwise.”