He wrinkled his nose and shoved the bag toward her. “Make it fast.”
She shook her head. What kind of alpha male was afraid of a little period blood?
Padding down the hall, she slowed her stride as she passed the room. The stench of bleach assaulted her senses as she peered inside the pristine area. All the musical instruments hung seemingly untouched on the wall, and the tile floor shone like it had been freshly polished.
Her stomach turned. How many people had he killed in that room?
Ducking into the bathroom, she turned the lock on the knob and pulled the gun from her waistband. She shoved it into her backpack and covered it with clothes before opening a tampon and tossing the wrapper in the trash. She flushed the rest of it to hide the evidence—she wasn’t due to start her period for another two weeks—and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
The bruise Eric had given her had thankfully faded right before Bryce arrived. She’d taken the beating like the “dutiful girlfriend” Eric expected her to be, but she was biding her time. All she needed was a little evidence to show the council, and she’d be justified in what she planned to do.
With the gun hidden in the bottom of her backpack, she crept into the living room to find Eric lounging on the couch with a beer in his hand.
He grinned and unzipped his pants. “Come on over here, darlin’.”
Her skin crawled hearing Bryce’s name for her spilling from that meathead’s lips. “Don’t call me that.”
“Since I can’t fuck you for a while, why don’t you come suck me off to show me your appreciation for taking you back.”
The Eggos she’d had for breakfast threatened to make a reappearance as she set her bag against the wall and crossed her arms. “I’m not in the mood.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You will be. You’ll learn to love me again.”
Looking at him now, with a beer in one hand, the other hand in his pants, she couldn’t recall an ounce of positive emotion that she’d ever felt for the man. He had a muscular body, strong jaw, and symmetrical features. All the things a woman was supposed to find attractive in a man. But the hatred and idiocy that spilled from his mouth overshadowed any amount of physical appeal he possessed. “I never loved you, dickhead.”
He laughed. “I like it when you’re feisty.”
A chime sounded from a speaker in the hall half a second before his phone buzzed. The back door opened and slammed shut, and a male called, “I got one, boss. Better make it quick, though. The chloroform is wearing off.”
“All right.” Eric stood and zipped his pants. “Let’s get to work then.”
Bryce parked on the curb in front of Macey’s house and chewed the inside of his cheek. His stomach had tied into a knot on the drive over, and his heart flipflopped between aching for Alexis and burning in rage for the man who was holding her captive. She may not have wanted her sister involved, but she’d left him no choice.
He strode to the front door and pressed the bell. Laughter resonated from inside, and light footsteps sounded on the floor. He let out a breath. At least he hadn’t woken her.
The door opened a crack, and Macey peeked through the slit. “Hey, Bryce. This isn’t the best time.” She wore her police uniform, though the shirt was untucked and the top four buttons hadn’t been fastened.
“It’s important. It’s about Alexis.”
Macey sighed and opened the door. “What did she do this time?”
He tilted his head as he stepped through the threshold. “Why are you wearing your uniform? Did you pick up an extra shift?”
Her husband, Luke, padded in from the hallway, wearing unbuttoned jeans and no shirt, and examining a pair of handcuffs. His light-brown hair hung loose, nearly brushing his shoulders. “You’re sure you’ve got the key for these, babe? I’d hate to have to break them when we’re done.”
Heat crept up Bryce’s neck as he cut his gaze between Macey and Luke. This was a sight he could not unsee.
Macey plastered on a fake smile. “We’ve got company, dear.”
Luke lifted his gaze. “Oh, hey, Bryce.” He glanced at the cuffs in his hand. “This…” He looked at Macey apologetically. “Isn’t what it looks like?”
She laughed. “It’s exactly what it looks like. Come sit and tell me what my sister has gotten herself into.” She buttoned her shirt and led the way to the living room.
“I’ll leave you two to it. Good to see you, Bryce.” Luke nodded and shuffled down the hall.
Bryce followed her and sank onto the sofa, trying to ignore the images of the scene he’d interrupted that his brain kept projecting behind his eyes. She wasn’t kidding when she’d said this wasn’t the best time, but what he had to say was too important to wait. “Alexis went to her abusive ex-boyfriend’s house, and he’s holding her there against her will.”
Macey lifted an eyebrow. “Abusive? How do you know?”
He hesitated. Breaking the trust of the woman he loved wasn’t the best way to start out a relationship, but damn it, she needed help. “Hear me out.” He told her about finding Alexis in the hospital and how she had been staying with him on and off for the past week. “He’s been stalking us. He left a stack of photos on the doorstep this morning. Alexis told me she was coming to you for help, but she went to him instead. She lied to me.”
She folded her hands in her lap, and her eye twitched as if she fought to keep her expression neutral. “Wow. You must really like her. It’s not like you to miss a lie.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. Did she even care that her sister was with an abuser? “Mace, I’m in love with her.”
“Oh, Bryce.” She shook her head, sympathy softening her eyes. “I warned you not to do this. She’s not the settling down type.”
His chest tightened. “She is. She was. We talked about it last night. She said she was starting work with Luke on Wednesday and that his sister offered her a room in her apartment. She was making plans to stick around until her jackass ex left that package on my doorstep.” He shifted toward her. “Her first instinct was to go talk to the dude. Try to get him to stop. But I convinced her not to.”
He stared at his hands in his lap. He thought he’d convinced her not to.
Macey put her hand on his. “What do you want me to do?”
“Talk to her. See if you can get the truth out of her. Get her to let you file a report.” He raked a hand through his hair. “He’s hurt her, Mace, and when I tried to get her to leave with me, she refused. If she won’t press charges, I don’t…” He could go back, beat the shit out of the guy, and drag Alexis away. But then he wouldn’t be any better than Eric. He huffed. “I don’t know what else to do.”
“Do you know his name?”
“Eric Anderson. Dude’s got a record but no outstanding warrants.”
“Anderson?” Luke’s brow puckered as he sauntered into the room. “Is he from Biloxi?”
Bryce’s heart rate kicked up. If he couldn’t convince Macey to do something, maybe he could appeal to Luke’s protective nature. “Yeah. You know him?”
“I know his old man.” Luke exchanged an unreadable look with Macey and strolled into the kitchen.
Macey sighed. “Let it go, Bryce. If she wants to be with Eric, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
He clenched his fists. “He’s an abuser.”
“But she won’t press charges, and she refused to leave.”
“No, I couldn’t get her to, but I—”
“She can take care of herself.” Her voice turned firm. “You need to let her go.” She stood and shuffled to the front door, casting a glance toward the kitchen as he followed her. She whispered, “Seriously, Bryce, don’t get involved.”
“I already am.” He’d been involved since the second he stepped into her hospital room, and he wouldn’t give up now when she needed him the most.
Opening the door, she stepped onto the porch and motioned for him to follow. “You’re not. Her business doesn’t concern you, so please stay out of
it.”
“The hell it doesn’t. Mace, what’s going on? You’ve changed.”
She flinched as if he’d slapped her. “What do you mean? Nothing’s changed.”
“You have. You’re missing evidence, blowing off cases, looking for the easy answers rather than digging for the facts.”
She crossed her arms. “We’re not partners anymore. You don’t know how I handle cases.”
He stiffened. “That body they pulled out of the river had an internal temperature seven degrees lower than the water they found it in, yet you’re calling it animal attack.”
She cut her gaze into the house. “Bryce…”
“It’s not since I got promoted. Ever since you met Luke, you’ve been different. You’re hanging out with all these people with magical powers. Psychics and witches that I wouldn’t have even believed existed if I hadn’t seen them work their tricks with my own eyes. Are you in some kind of cult? Is that why Alexis doesn’t stick around? Because of what you’re involved in?”
She dropped her arms to her sides and tilted her head. “You know me better than that.”
“Do I?” He wasn’t sure about anything anymore.
“I’m not in a cult.” She narrowed her eyes. “I’m married to the man of my dreams who happens to have some friends with abilities similar to mine. I finally belong somewhere, and you’re accusing me of nefarious acts?”
He opened his mouth, but the words got stuck in his throat. What the hell was he doing? Arguing with Macey wouldn’t help Alexis, and priority number one was getting her out of that abuser’s house. “I’m sorry, Mace…”
“Go home, Bryce, and leave Alexis alone. She’s not worth it.” She marched inside and slammed the door, leaving him alone on the porch.
He’d always held Macey in high regard, but if she didn’t give a damn about her own flesh and blood…maybe he didn’t know her as well as he’d thought he did.
Chapter Sixteen
Eric leaned against the soundproof wall and crossed his arms. If he could turn this guy into a werewolf, he’d promote him to second as soon as he shifted. Hell, the dude’s muscle mass alone was comparable to any alpha he’d ever seen, and man, had he put up a good fight. Tearing him to pieces had been fun.
Sweat beaded on Alexis’s forehead as she repaired the damage Eric’s teeth had done. She’d screamed at him to stop during the entire attack, her voice cracking with anger or fear…he didn’t care which. Seeing her all worked up like that had gotten him all worked up, and now he was so goddamn horny his dick felt like a blocked water pipe about to explode.
He could force her to give him a blowjob, but he didn’t trust that bitch’s teeth anywhere near his family jewels at the moment. “How much longer you gonna be on your period, babe?”
She wiped her brow with her forearm and glared at him. “A week.”
Damn, she was sexy when she was mad. If she’d been clean, he’d have bent her over the table right then and reminded her why she really came back. She wanted him, whether she was ready to admit it or not.
“How’s the patient?” He pushed from the wall and strolled toward his mate-to-be. Peering over her shoulder, he marveled at the final flesh wound stitching itself back together with the help of Alexis’s magic.
She turned her face toward him, and her skin had taken on a grayish color. She’d never admit weakness, but healing drained the life right out of her. He gave her shoulder a shove, and she fell onto her side before rolling onto her back and squeezing her eyes shut. Frail little bitch.
The man’s eyes rolled beneath his closed lids, and Eric knelt, gripping his forearm and waiting for the tingle of werewolf energy to seep into his skin. He felt nothing. “Damn it, Alex, you healed him too fast.”
She grimaced as she pushed to a sitting position. “Any slower and he wouldn’t have made it. You almost tore his throat out.”
He shot to his feet and clenched his fists. “We’ll try again then. I’ll stay away from his neck this time.”
Alexis rubbed her forehead. “No, Eric. He’s been attacked and healed three times now. Doing it again isn’t going to change anything. Maybe it takes time for the magic to bond with his blood.”
“No. It’s almost a full moon; it should be immediate.” He narrowed his gaze at Alexis. “You’re distracted. That’s what it is.”
She leaned her back against the wall. “Of course I’m distracted. You’re insane.”
“No. It’s that damn cop. You’re still thinking about him.” He’d seen it in her eyes, even as she’d told the dude to leave her alone. She had feelings for a human. His nostrils flared as a jealous rage boiled in his gut.
“I’m not thinking about him. All I can think about right now is how I wish you’d clean up all this blood. It’s making me nauseated.”
What could a human cop give her that he couldn’t? At the moment, the one thing Samuels had that he didn’t was power. That would change soon enough. He had a new strategy in the works. His men were already out finding him someone weaker to practice on. Once he perfected the method, then he’d move on to creating strength in his pack. He’d need weaker wolves to do his grunt work anyway.
“You can clean it up when we’re done. We’ve got a new patient on the way.”
“You need to give this one time. Let him at least wake up before you hurt anyone else. The magic might hold.”
“No. He’s too strong. It’s not going to work.” A chime sounded in the hall. His minions had arrived with his next experiment. “Stay here with the dead guy.”
“He’s not dead.”
“Not yet.” He slipped out the door to meet them at the back.
Alexis took a deep breath and leaned her head against the wall. Her stomach churned at the coppery scent of fresh blood, but she pushed to her feet. She couldn’t let Eric see how weak healing made her.
She shook the man’s shoulder. “Wake up, dude.”
His eyes rolled from side to side, but they didn’t open. The third time Eric had attacked him, he’d nearly killed him. It had taken every ounce of energy Alexis had to keep the guy alive, and he was still unconscious.
She put her hands on either side of his head and tried to push more healing energy into him. If she could get him to wake up before the dickhead and his flunkies came back, he might be able to escape out the front door.
“Goddammit, Trevor, I told you no more women.” Eric’s voice grew louder as they approached the room. “Alexis is going to be my mate.”
Her skin crawled at the thought of getting her body anywhere near that meathead. She pressed her back against the wall as Eric slammed the door open and stomped into the room, followed by his two prospective pack members.
“You said you wanted someone weaker,” Trevor said as he lowered the unconscious woman to the floor.
“Not that weak. A new pack needs a solid foundation of strong werewolves. I can make males strong, but females aren’t going to cut it.”
“Sorry.” Trevor lowered his gaze, while Justin hovered near the door.
Eric scratched the scruff on his jaw as his gaze danced between the victims, his men, and Alexis. “Here’s the plan. Trevor, go get me the kid we talked about.”
Trevor rubbed the back of his neck. “The kid? Are you sure you wanna go there, boss?”
Eric puffed out his chest like an overstuffed peacock. “Are you questioning your alpha?”
He lowered his head. “No sir. I’m on my way.” He scurried out the door.
“Justin, after I take care of these two, dump them in the river, and then get your ass back here to help Alexis clean up the mess.” Eric cracked his knuckles. “I don’t want any contamination when the kid gets here.”
“Yes, sir.” Justin gave him a mock salute.
She stepped toward the woman. “Take care of them? What are you going to do?”
Eric smiled wickedly and shifted into his wolf form.
Alexis screamed.
He lunged for the unconscious man, going st
raight for the neck, and ripped his throat out before Alexis could move. Then he turned to the woman.
“Eric, no!” She threw herself on top of her. “Don’t kill her. Let her go.”
He paused, a low growl rumbling in his throat. His gaze flicked to Justin and back to Alexis.
Justin grabbed her arm, trying to haul her up, but she clutched the woman’s shoulders, hanging on tight. She couldn’t let him kill her or anyone else. This had to end.
“Come on, woman,” Justin said. “You heard the alpha. We have to get rid of her.”
“No. She hasn’t even woken up. Let her go.”
Justin pulled his arm back, fisting his hand to deliver a blow, but Eric barreled into him, knocking him into the wall. Alexis clung to the woman, her head spinning from exhaustion, nausea churning in her stomach. Eric would have to go through her if he wanted to kill another innocent human, and in her current condition, she’d be dead before she had the chance to shift.
Eric returned to human form and yanked Justin up by the collar of his shirt. “No one lays a hand on the alpha’s mate,” he growled.
“I’m sorry.” The lackey ducked his head, averting his gaze. “You want me to haul her off and take care of her myself?”
“You’ll have to kill me first.” Alexis tightened her grip on the victim’s shoulders.
Eric arched an eyebrow at her before turning to his minion. “Did she see your wolf form?”
“I knocked her out with the chloroform from behind. She never even saw my face.” He smiled smugly.
Eric grabbed Alexis’s elbow and dragged her to her feet before wrapping an arm around her. “You heard my future mate. This one lives. Dump her in the woods before she wakes up and leave her.” He pressed his putrid lips to Alexis’s head, and her stomach turned. “See, babe? I told you this would be a partnership. You saved a life today.”
She shook from his embrace. “And you took one, asshole.”
He shrugged. “As soon as we figure out the formula, no one else will die.”
She clenched her teeth. Someone else would die tonight, and it wouldn’t be another human.
Bound by Blood (Crescent City Wolf Pack Book 3) Page 17
