Escape (Elite Supernatural Trackers Book 3)

by Heather Renee

  “Have any of you ever heard of that douche before today?” Nixie asked.

  “No, and I can’t say I’m disappointed by that fact. Let’s just get the hell out of here and figure the rest out later,” Mason replied.

  “First, Ethan and Gabe. I made a promise,” I stated.

  Jaxon’s hand rested on my lower back. “We know, and we’ll find them.”

  I had no idea what time it was, but it was dark out and all other prisoners were in their cells for the night, despite the earlier pandemonium. If Ethan and Gabe were actually guards, I wasn’t sure where we were going to find them, but Spencer answered before I could even ask.

  “Why don’t Jaxon, Cara, and Blake head to the guards’ quarters? Me, Mason, and Nixie can go back to the room to start packing. I think we’ve had enough fighting for the day that we really don’t want to test the new warden by being here when that hour is up.”

  Nixie’s wings fluttered as she moved from my shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t let them touch your stuff. I’ll pack it with mine.”

  “Thanks.” I offered a small smile as she flew toward Mason and Spencer, and we went our separate ways.

  I was utterly exhausted, while also being pissed-the-fuck-off and hungry as hell. None of that was a good combination, but I needed to confirm Parsons wasn’t lying to us. As soon as that happened, I was going to pretend I hadn’t learned I was part bloodsucker or any of the other shit. Then, I planned to sleep for a day or two, because I couldn’t honestly remember when the last time I’d done so was.

  When we arrived at the guard bunks, I was already half-asleep on Jaxon’s arm, but found my second wind when Deacon opened the door. His right eye was swollen shut, and his left arm was in a sling. Then, my gaze moved to the cuts littering his chest.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I’m fine,” he snapped.

  “You sure the hell don’t look fine, but excuse me for being concerned. Where are Ethan and Gabe?” I asked.

  His head gestured behind him. “Inside.” Deacon moved over, and I took that as my cue to enter.

  Jaxon moved to come with me, but I stopped him. “I won’t go anywhere you can’t see me, but I need some space to talk to them. They’re my friends, and they’ll be more comfortable if it’s just me.”

  He nodded. “Fine, but I’ll be watching.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Leaning up, I gave him a quick kiss, then proceeded into the room. Ethan and Gabe didn’t appear much better than Deacon had, and it really hit me how lucky we’d been not to lose anyone during the fight.

  Gabe swooped in first, giving me a gentle hug. “We thought you were dead, but when we tried to get closer, Ace kicked us out.”

  “Nope. Today wasn’t my day to die, but we do need to leave the prison. I know I promised to take you both with us, and I was trying to follow through until the new warden said you’d already been offered jobs as guards and accepted. How the hell did that happen so quickly?” I asked.

  Ethan stepped forward, offering me a hug as well. “When Ace told us to go, we went back to the prison area. A few dudes in suits were already there. They asked our role and what happened. When we finished, they gave us jobs. I almost didn’t accept, but then I thought about it. With a new warden, it could be better for us here.”

  I could understand what he meant. Ethan had mentioned the not-so-great life he led before arriving at Mandora. Maybe this was the better option for him.

  “Well, get our numbers from Deacon and stay in touch. If anything seems off, you let us know and we’ll be back,” I promised.

  They both grinned at me. “We’re going to be fine, Cara. You go enjoy your freedoms,” Gabe said. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it wasn’t even close to a possibility for me.

  After a few more exchanges, we said our goodbyes and I met Jaxon and Blake back at the door. “Where did Deacon go?”

  “Infirmary to get healed up. Come on. Let’s go before Mason steals all my shit and packs it with his own,” Jaxon said with a groan.

  “So, where to, fuckers?” Nixie asked, rubbing her tiny hands together, her magic having already made a comeback.

  “Virginia. I’ve rented us a house on the beach about twenty minutes from the bloodsuckers,” Spencer answered while his fingers pressed buttons on his phone.

  My eyes widened. “Why in the hell would you rent a house so close to them?” I had zero desire to be anywhere near them after hearing Greggor’s story. Sure, I didn’t want to hide away forever, but I didn’t want to offer myself willingly to them, either.

  “Because Mason can mask our scents and Nixie can cover your mark. As long as we’re not seen, they’ll never know we’re there.”

  I raised a brow at Nixie. “Can you really cover this thing?” My hand waved over my chest.

  “Of course, I can. The only question is whether or not it will work. I’m relatively sure it will.”

  Jaxon growled next to me. “Ace…”

  Apparently, Jaxon hadn’t been informed of the plan, either.

  “Calm down, Hawk. Everything is going to be fine,” Mason offered.

  “Famous last words,” I muttered under my breath as Spencer drove through the portal Nixie had opened.

  Within another half-hour, we pulled up in front of a modest beach house in time to see the sky begin to change colors from the sun rising. I’d dozed off on the short drive with help from Jaxon as he continually touched me, distracting my mind from the weights pressing down on me.

  As we all tumbled out of the vehicle, I had a feeling the rest of the day would be spent in our rooms. Everyone was exhausted, and we needed to recharge before any other planning or plotting could commence.

  “There are four bedrooms. Three downstairs and a master upstairs,” Spencer began, and Mason cut him off.

  “Dibs on the master!”

  Blake punched him in the ribs. “Don’t make me Notebook you. It’s been a while, but I’m sure you remember how it feels.”

  Mason groaned. “What the hell, Bro? Why you gotta threaten me like that?”

  “Come on. We’re taking the upstairs.” Jaxon grabbed my hand and led me through the unlocked front door as the others sorted out the remaining rooms.

  “What about Nixie?” I asked.

  “She’s resourceful. I’m sure the fairy will have the whole place remodeled by the time we surface again,” he murmured, his voice raspy from lack of sleep.

  I shrugged. He was probably right, and the moment I saw the bed we’d be sleeping in, I no longer cared where any of our friends were sleeping or that we were in the same county as two Luccovino compounds.

  The plush, white down blanket covering the king size bed, topped with all the pillows a girl could ask for was like heaven on earth. A groan slipped from my lips as I fell face first into the softness.

  “I’m never leaving this room,” I mumbled into the comforter.

  “You haven’t even seen the best part,” Jaxon called from across the room.

  Curiosity got the better of me, and I turned my head in his direction. Through an open set of double doors, Jaxon stood on a balcony I’d completely missed when I’d spotted the bed. His hands rested on the railing, and the rising sun cast shadows against the side of his face from where I watched.

  Maybe I wasn’t as tired as I thought, because the moment that I saw him, my heart sped up and the need to touch him became too much. Without another thought, I was up and moving toward him with purpose and desire.

  I’d almost died not too long ago.

  I should have died.

  The last forty-eight hours had reminded me how quickly things could change, and I needed to live in the moment. I planned on having many moments with Jaxon, and the next one was going to happen in the soft new bed that was begging to be christened.

  My hands wrapped around his waist as I laid my head against his back. His fingers threaded through mine as he sighed, and we stood there for several minutes, just soaking each other in. While th
ere was still a physical need I intended to satisfy, there was also an emotional one I was content to sate first.

  He moved me to his side, and we watched the sun rise the rest of the way up in comfortable silence. Once we were done enjoying the tranquility, Jaxon led us back to the room, and he knew exactly what I wanted before I even said a word.

  “Let me love you,” he whispered against my ear as he began to undress me.

  My head nodded as my fingers copied his, slowly removing clothes and taking our time to get lost in each other. There was no sense of urgency like before, and our emotions heightened with every piece of clothing removed until we were free of all restrictions.

  Rough fingers trailed down my arms as Jaxon pushed me closer to the bed. My feet wrapped around his ass as I pulled him down on top of me, needing him to be, and stay, as close as possible.

  Jaxon’s hands smoothed the hair from my face, then cupped my cheeks while his eyes stormed in a way that told me just how scared he’d been earlier.

  “I almost lost you.”

  “But you didn’t,” I replied softly.

  His chest rumbled above me. “I won’t let them hurt you again.”

  Smirking, I changed the subject. “I’m not still awake right now so that we can talk about them.”

  He took my not subtle hint and, in one swift thrust, slid inside my already primed and ready body. I was still sore from the day before, but any slight pain was forgotten as his grey eyes held me captive, promising things I knew he couldn’t guarantee, but appreciated that he believed he could.

  I let him love me and did my best to believe as well, because in the moment, all that mattered was that we were together and we were okay.

  For now.

  Chapter 3

  We took the rest of that day and night off. Even when we’d left the room multiple times to join the group, nobody mentioned the prison, the Luccovinos, or what we needed to do next. Instead, we took a mental break from everything and rested our minds as well as our bodies. Great sex definitely counted as relaxation in my book.

  On the second morning in the beach house, we gathered around the pinewood table for breakfast to finally discuss how to keep me out of the bloodsuckers’ hands and figure out how my Fitzsimmons bloodline might come into play.

  “I still say Zeke is the key to all of this,” I offered when nobody gave any other ideas.

  “Yeah, well, his father was a douche, and who’s to say he isn’t just like the dead warden?” Nixie asked.

  “He helped us escape the vamps when we found him the first time. He didn’t have to do that.” Zeke had every chance that day to have ended us or stopped us from getting in the way. I didn’t see how letting us go could have been for any reason other than to help.

  “Cara makes a valid point. I don’t think it can make our situation any worse to find him,” Jaxon said, and I grinned at his support. Smart man.

  “How are we supposed to look for him without the Luccovinos finding us?” Blake asked.

  Nixie began shaking her head before I even turned toward her. “No, that will drain me, and I’m not doing that again. You almost got yourself killed last time I wasn’t able to keep you from doing stupid shit.”

  I hadn’t planned on asking her about changing our appearances, but her little rant had given Mason an idea, so I didn’t correct her.

  The fae stroked his chin. “I’ve put a shield around the house. What if I blocked our magical essence individually as well, and you just did some face manipulations? That way, we’re splitting efforts and not exhausting one of us.”

  Nixie flew to Mason’s spot at the opposite end of the table. “Tell me more.”

  They began talking about fae and fairy powers, which were more similar than I’d realized. If only Nixie wasn’t so pixie-sized, they’d be perfect for each other.

  “I was reading news articles earlier, and the crime here isn’t as bad as I would have thought considering a horde of vampires live in the area, but there were a lot of kidnappings reported, the most recent being mentioned just last week. Women and men go missing for days at a time. When they return, they don’t remember where they were or who had taken them,” Spencer said.

  “Are any of them injured or drugged?” I asked.

  Spencer nodded. “Bruising around the neck, made to look like they’d been strangled, but I saw a few pictures. Four marks total. Two pairs on each side of the neck for the victims.”

  “Bite marks. You think they’re feeding on the humans and letting them go after erasing their memories?” Jaxon asked.

  “Makes the most sense. They get fed and stay off the radar as murderers,” Blake added.

  “So, if Mason and Nixie can disguise us, we go out hunting for vamps and Zeke?” My gut was telling me this was the right play, but I wanted the others on board. We were in this situation together, and if I’d learned anything from the past, it was that we needed to work as a team in order to succeed.

  Jaxon, Blake, and Spencer nodded. All that was left was for Mason and Nixie to figure out their part of the plan. I knew they were capable of it; we just needed them to get along long enough to make their magic work together.

  Nixie flew back to me. “That fae is impossible.”

  “Impossibly handsome,” Mason added with a smirk.

  At least some things didn’t change after near-death experiences.

  “So, what did you decide?” I asked as Nixie settled on my shoulder.

  Mason moved in closer. “Well, I’ve already blocked all of your magic, and you guys didn’t even notice. Now, you just have to tell the fairy what hair color you want and hope she doesn’t give you a pig nose.”

  Huh. I hadn’t even sensed Mason using his power. Either he was really that good, or I was still coming back to reality after spending most of the previous day in bed with Jaxon. Maybe it was a little of both, but I’d never admit to either.

  “Hell, no. That’s not how my part works. They get what they get, and if any of you fuckers disagree with my changes, things will be much worse for you.” Nixie huffed and crossed her arms.

  “Easy, killer. I’m sure whatever you choose for us will be just fine,” Blake said.

  He was always the easiest to get along with.

  “Are we leaving now, then?” Spencer stood from the table, clearly ready to do so.

  “I don’t see why not,” I answered. We’d had our rest, and I was ready to find any information we could that would help us understand what the Luccovinos wanted with me. Knowing whether they wanted to kill me or use me was something I needed to know as soon as possible.

  Nixie flew in front of my face. “This might sting a little.” Then, she blew fairy dust into my eyes.

  “Damn it, Nixie!” I complained, but it didn’t matter. The fairy had no sympathy in her tiny body.

  “Holy shit,” Mason whistled, then a growl sounded, but I couldn’t see where it came from with the dust still obstructing my vision. Though, I recognized the sound of Jaxon’s grumbling chest.

  “What did you do to me?” I asked Nixie.

  Wind blew against my skin, and I could finally see again. The fairy was smirking at me, clearly pleased with herself.

  “Why don’t you go to the bathroom and check it out?”

  Wasting no time, I stood from the table without glancing at the others. I didn’t want to see their reactions in case it was really bad. I knew Nixie could be devious, but I had a small hope that she liked me at least a little more than the others and wouldn’t have done anything atrocious to my face.

  Flicking on the light, I closed my eyes before turning toward the mirror. After taking a deep breath, I cracked open just one eye, then gaped as both widened in shock.

  “What the hell, Nixie?” I seethed to myself since she hadn’t followed me.

  She’d turned me into a hooker. My normally thick and long golden hair had been chopped into an A-line cut and turned a mousy brown color. I had on bright pink eyeshadow, heavy eyeliner, and blush, with
vibrant red lipstick completing the look. My fingers scrubbed at the makeup, but none of it would even smudge.

  Fucking fairy.

  “So, what do you think?” she asked, appearing out of nowhere.

  “Fix it,” I demanded.

  “Now, why would I do that? You’re not supposed to look like you, and you don’t. Mission accomplished.” She was goading me, but I didn’t care.

  “Nixie,” I snarled.

  “Ugh, you’re such a party pooper.” With a bit more fairy dust, she swirled around me, and I closed my eyes to avoid being blinded again. “Is that better?”

  Glancing in the mirror, I let out a sigh of relief. “So much better.” My hair was still the same mousy brown, but the makeup was gone, my nose was smaller, and my jawline sharper. Subtle changes, but enough that I didn’t see any of me in the mirror without really focusing.

  “Now, let’s go have some fun with the Fabled Fuckers.”

  My sinister little fairy. I didn’t so much mind her brand of evil when it wasn’t directed at me.

  For the next ten or so minutes, she had her fun torturing the guys, but with a snap on the ass from Mason’s magic, she finally got serious and gave them more normal disguises instead of making them look like women.

  Jaxon’s eyes were green instead of grey, and he was rocking a beard I didn’t think I’d like but actually looked kind of hot. Mason was balding with a bulbous nose and flat blue eyes. Blake seemed to age backward, his face rounded and free of facial hair, with freckles spread across his cheeks and nose, soft emerald eyes, and red hair. Spencer was the last and with the least amount of changes, but enough to do the job. Where he’d once had auburn hair, it was light blond, and his previously dark eyes were a vibrant blue, along with facial structure changes similar to mine.

  “Ready?” I asked once Nixie was done having her fun.

  She flew to my shoulder and disappeared. “Yep.”

  “I don’t know about this,” Mason whined.