Wicked After Dark: 20 Steamy Paranormal Tales of Dragons, Vampires, Werewolves, Shifters, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More

by Mina Carter

  Pepper?

  It’s Helen. Helen screamed. He hit her.

  “Stop!” he heard Pepper beg. “Jet, please. Don’t hurt her anymore.”

  The hallway opened to a small room dimly lit by a light swinging overhead. The sound of steam hissed in the background and Connall could see Helen tied to a steel pipe, her hair stuck to her face and a gag in her mouth.

  He turned to his brothers and held his hand out. They nodded and flattened themselves against the wall. Connall heard what he thought was steam, and when he turned, he saw Cole across the corridor, behind a large boiler, Payton behind him.

  She appeared to be motioning to Brodie to stay where he was, but Connall knew Brodie didn’t like the order.

  Connall focused back on Pepper. She was handcuffed to another pipe, one hand left unbound. A tall lanky man with dark hair paced the space, a gun in his hand, and mumbling as though he was talking to someone other than Pepper. When the light caught her face, Connall could see a nasty bruise on her cheek and blood on her lip.

  I’m okay, Con. Truly.

  I feel your headache.

  “Jet,” Pepper said. “Please. Let her go. I’ll come with you. Whatever you want, but Helen isn’t part of this.”

  Jet was alone, and human, and Connall’s initial reaction was to rush him.

  Don’t! He has her grandson hidden somewhere.

  Damn it. Let me at least help with the pain. Connall closed his eyes and worked to relieve her headache.

  Thanks, baby. The migraine was making it difficult to think straight.

  Jet laughed. “Oh, I’ll let her go. I’m just trying to figure out if I’m gonna let Scotty live. That’ll be up to you, my love.”

  “Okay, Jet. I understand. I’ll do whatever you want,” Pepper said as though to sooth a feral beast. “Just tell me where he is so that I can have Dalton go get him, okay? I’ll go with you. I’ll do whatever you want me to do,” she repeated.

  Scotty’s Tavish’s youngest.

  The driver?

  Connall saw confusion and fear cover her face. Aye, love.

  His phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen. Payton had texted him.

  *If I can touch him or something of his, I may be able to figure out where Scotty is.*

  Another buzz and he glanced at his phone again.

  *If u say anything to B, I will hurt u.*

  Connall shook his head and then focused on Payton again. She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head. He gave her a nod and held a finger up.

  Pepper, we’re going to try something. Does Jet have something on him? Maybe something you can remove and throw to us?

  Pepper’s mouth gaped open for a split second. Oh, sure. Let me get right on that. It’s not like I’m handcuffed to a pipe or anything!

  Jet continued to pace, mumbling incoherently.

  Connall took a deep breath. I know, baby. Just do your best.

  Ultimately, he didn’t want Pepper close enough to get something off of Jet. Connall just wanted to kill him, but with Scotty’s life in danger, he had to try something else first.

  “Jet,” Pepper said. “What can I do? I’m here. You have me cuffed and I have nowhere to go. Can you please let me know where Scotty is and let Helen go?”

  “Shut up! Just shut up!” he screamed.

  Helen whimpered and Pepper squeezed her eyes shut. He’s spiraling, Con. I don’t know what to do.

  “You ruined my life,” Jet snapped.

  “How did I ruin your life, Jet?” Pepper asked.

  He stepped up to her and jabbed a finger in her face. “Because you got me kicked off the team and out of school! If you hadn’t been such a lying little bitch, none of that would have happened!”

  She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I really am.”

  Jet raised his hand to slap her but she moved just enough to distract him, clanking her handcuffs against the pipe. Connall saw something silver catch the meager light, rolling in his general direction, but before he could reach for it, Payton had already caught it and closed her eyes.

  Connall watched Brodie’s body stiffen as they all stood silently in the hallway, out of sight of the madman. Connall knew his brother was frustrated. Unlike him and Pepper, neither Brodie nor Payton had the gift of empathy, so until they were bound, they couldn’t speak telepathically. Brodie had to rely on the human way of communication, and now Connall could see he desperately wanted to know what was going on.

  Connall’s phone buzzed.

  *I see a cabin. Looks like Max’s. Sent info to Ali.*

  Connall swore softly. It would be faster to just lay the idiot down and have Sam make Jet tell him where Scotty was.

  No! Don’t do anything yet. Please, Con.

  We have an idea where he is, Pepper.

  Not definitely. Just wait. Okay? Just a few more minutes. He can’t do anything to me.

  I don’t like this. He searched her face, partially obscured by Jet’s pacing.

  I know. She met his eyes. But we’re okay. For the moment, at least.

  One wrong move, Pepper, and I’m going to kill him.

  She closed her eyes. Resist the urge, baby.

  Connall tried not to smile. His mate could find something comical in just about any situation. The buzz of his phone forced his focus away from Pepper. He glanced at it and saw that Payton had texted him again.

  *Nothing so far. Ali had Max’s cabin checked, just in case.*

  “Jet,” Pepper said. “Please tell me where the little boy is. He’s probably scared. It’s not like I can do anything, right? I can’t go anywhere. But I bet Helen would like to know her grandson is safe.”

  “You’re lying!” Jet snapped.

  “About what, Jet?”

  “You were supposed to be with me.”

  He’s not making any sense, Pepper.

  “I’m here now,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise. Can you just tell me where Scotty is? Please? I really need to know that he’s safe.”

  “He’s safe,” Jet said, stopping his pacing for the moment. “He’s not far from here.”

  Connall’s phone buzzed.

  Payton’s text came up. *Castle. Museum has old serf home display.*

  Connall sent a text to Alasdair and then focused back on Pepper.

  “Is someone with him?” Pepper asked. “Jet?”

  “What!” he bellowed.

  “Is someone with Scotty?”

  “Bitch!” Jet screamed, and aimed his gun at Helen.

  “Jet, no!” Pepper begged. “Please don’t hurt her!”

  Connall’s heart raced. They couldn’t wait any longer. He gave Brodie a nod. Brodie nodded back and, using telekinesis, pulled the gun from Jet’s hand. Connall rushed Jet, slamming him to the ground. Cole joined Connall and cuffed Jet’s hands behind his back. With Jet under control, Connall wrapped his arm around Pepper and held her close as he pried the handcuff open with one hand. She fell against him, her legs weak.

  Kade was already checking Helen’s injuries. Her swollen eye and cheek looked painful.

  Connall kissed Pepper’s bruise and she sighed in relief as it healed immediately.

  “We still don’t know where Scotty is,” Pepper complained. “You should have waited.”

  “They found him,” Payton said as she glanced at her phone. “They found Scotty. He’s okay.”

  “Where was he?” Connall asked.

  “Edinburgh Castle. Tavish has him.”

  “I’ll get Jet over to the LBP,” Cole offered.

  “No. No police,” Connall snapped. “We take care of this. I will take care of this.”

  Before Cole could comment, Jet lunged. In the chaos, he’d managed to break away from Cole and lunge at Pepper. Cole grabbed for Jet just as Connall moved to protect Pepper, but she was too fast for both of them. She sent a fireball directly at Jet, setting his clothes on fire. He screamed and fell to the ground, rolling in an attempt to put the flames out. Kade and Brodie worked to get Jet back under c
ontrol as Connall looked at Pepper. Her face was expressionless and her hair was dark. He reached out to take her arm, but she scowled at him and pulled away.

  “Pepper? Love? Are you okay?”

  She fisted her hand and delivered a surprisingly strong right hook.

  “Whoa!” Connall grabbed her arms and gently pushed them behind her back, pulling her closer to his chest in an effort to control her. She struggled against him, leaning her head back as if to head butt him. He shifted so he could hold her arms with one hand and keep her head still with the other. “It’s me, love. Connall.”

  “I know it’s you, you jerk!” she snapped. “You threatened to take Jonesy away from me.” She continued to try and break his hold.

  He was surprised by her strength and the effort it was taking to keep her still. “You blocked me.”

  “Let me go!” she bellowed.

  He did and she stalked away from him. “I am never speaking to you again!”

  “We’ve got this, Con,” Kade said.

  He nodded his thanks and took off after Pepper. She sped down the hall and stopped as quickly as she’d started. She let out a frustrated groan and glared at Connall. “How the hell do I get out of here?”

  Connall tried not to smile as he reached for her hand. Again, she refused to touch him. He crossed his arms. “Sweetheart.”

  “Don’t you dare ‘sweetheart’ me! Now, tell me how to get out of here. I’m going home.”

  “I’ll take you home as soon as this is all sorted out, love.”

  “My home,” she snapped. “America. Savannah. The South. Frickin’ Alaska for all I care. Just so long as it’s away from you.”

  His voice pitched low in warning. “I will take you anywhere you want to go, Pepper, but nowhere will be away from me. And I highly doubt you’ll go far from Jonesy.”

  “Oh, I plan to take him with me, have no doubt.”

  Connall felt sand shifting under his feet. The thought of her leaving devastated him. “Pepper,” he whispered. “I should never have threatened to separate you from him. I can’t apologize enough. I was panicked and desperate, but it was an empty threat. You must know that. I would never do anything to hurt you.”

  Pepper burst into tears and slid into his arms. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I can’t calm down.”

  He rubbed her back. “You’ve had a fright, love.”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s more than that. I feel… I don’t know… angry. Like murderous. And sad, like desperately sad. And horny,” she added in a whisper. “Like, if we don’t find somewhere private soon, I will explode. Everything’s dialed to eleven.”

  Instead of becoming excited, Connall found himself deeply concerned. “How about we call Fiona? She might have some insight.”

  “But… ” She slipped her hands under his shirt. “I need you.”

  “Wait, baby.” He tried to ignore her touch as he dialed his sister. “Fi. Hey, do you have the book close?”

  “Aye,” she said.

  Connall described Pepper’s emotions in as much detail as he could remember, her hands distracting him to a painful level.

  “It’s the burning,” Fiona said. “In order to form the fire, her body produces extra energy. Check her eyes.”

  Connall bit his lip. Pepper was currently running her lips across his stomach. “Pepper.”

  “What?” she mumbled as she slid her hands over his chest.

  “Baby, look at me,” he directed.

  She glanced up at him and he gasped. Her eyes burned red.

  “They’re red,” he told his sister.

  “Okay, she’s in full burning mode. Essentially, she produces the fire, and if it’s not a major blaze, her body has to expel the remaining energy. She needs to do something physical or she’ll stay that way for several hours.” Fiona chuckled. “Running’s good.”

  Connall fought the urge to groan. “Okay, thanks, Fi. Gotta go.”

  Pepper slipped her hands under the waistband of his jeans. He grasped her hands with a frustrated growl. “Wait, baby,” he whispered. “We can’t do this here.”

  She whimpered, her face red and her eyes burning darker.

  “Come with me,” he said, and guided her down the hall and outside.

  He forced her to run up and down the steps and through the pillars for several minutes until he saw her face return to her normal hue. He paced her in an effort to keep her moving.

  Pepper stopped between two of the pillars and took a deep breath. Her eyes were back to their beautiful blue, although she still appeared to be irritated. “That was not quite what I had in mind.”

  Connall chuckled. “We didn’t have much of a choice, sweetheart. I couldn’t take you on the floor of the boiler room.”

  “Wouldn’t is more accurate,” she retorted. She paced, shaking her hands out. “That was intense.”

  “I picked up on that.” He continued to watch her pace. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I think so. I had no idea he’d go after Helen or her grandson.”

  He took her hands and lifted them to his lips. “None of this is your fault, love.”

  “Tavish is Cauld Ane, right?”

  “Aye.”

  “But Helen’s human. I would have never guessed they were related.”

  Connall smiled. “Tavish is bound to their daughter.”

  “Aren’t you worried about Dick and Helen working for us?”

  “No. They know who we are. It’s a strange story, actually, because had we known Tavish had bound a human years ago, Kade wouldn’t have been so caught off-guard with everything that happened with Sam.”

  “He didn’t think to tell Kade?”

  Connall held his hand out. “Will you let me hold you now?”

  She nodded and he pulled her close.

  “Tavish and his family only recently moved to Inverness. He’d followed his mate, Beth, to France, but with the passing of his parents, he returned to take over his childhood home. He’s the only child. Beth’s parents, Dick and Helen, chose to follow them, rather than be separated from their grandchildren. I have only recently learned this story from Helen, and it’s only because we’ve grown close.”

  “But surely Tavish could have said something to Kade.”

  Connall shook his head. “Tavish would never address his king directly and would certainly never offer advice unless asked specifically.”

  Pepper rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s just stupid.”

  Connall chuckled. “Perhaps.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “For blocking you.” She grimaced. “I really need to learn to trust you more.”

  “Yes, you do.” He kissed her nose. “I’m sorry too. I would never ever take Jonesy away from you.”

  She snorted. “I’d like to see you try. It would probably be your last attempt at anything.”

  “Come on. I want to get you back to the flat so we can go home.”

  “And Jet?”

  “Jet’s going to hang out with Kinnon for a while. He needs to detox before I can deal with him.”

  Pepper sighed. “How is it that I’m such a magnet for addicts?”

  “Two people does not make you a magnet,” Connall said, and led her back into the museum.

  Pepper was swept into Sam’s arms and hugged as though she were a lifeline.

  “I’m so sorry,” Sam said. “I’m the worst friend in the world.”

  Pepper hugged her back. “I think I fall into that category for not telling you about Dalton.”

  Sam squeezed her hands. “Let’s call it even and promise not to keep things from each other from now on, okay?”

  “Sounds good,” Pepper agreed.

  “By the way, I suggested Cole and Dalton forget what they saw. They think you had a lighter,” Sam said.

  “Thank you!”

  “I’m going to take Pepper back to the flat,” Connall said. “We’ll meet you at your
place for dinner. Six good?”

  “Yes. Six is great,” Sam said. “We’ll take care of Dalton.”

  Pepper’s hair started to return to normal as Connall ushered her out of the museum and into the waiting car, pulling her close as Alasdair drove them to their apartment.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  TWO DAYS LATER, Pepper woke to the quiet snore of her husband. She tried to go back to sleep, but it didn’t matter what she did, she couldn’t get him to stop snoring. She rolled over and wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling his back to her front and kissing his shoulder. “Time to wake up.”

  “What? Is it?” he grumbled. “It’s still dark outside. What time is it?”

  She raised her head to look at the clock. “Four.”

  “In the morning?” He turned to face her with a frown. “We don’t have to be up for hours.”

  “Maybe, but you woke me and now I’m bored.”

  He chuckled. “What am I supposed to do about that?”

  “I have several ideas,” she said.

  “I’m all ears.”

  Pepper’s ideas led to no possible chance of either of them falling back to sleep, so Connall suggested they leave their bed around five.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “I thought we could go for an early morning ride. Catch the sunrise?”

  “That sounds interesting.

  “I bet Jonesy’s dying to get out of his stall,” Connall said as he made his way to the bathroom.

  Pepper sat up. “I get to ride Jonesy?”

  “Only if you get your cute bootie out of bed,” he called.

  Pepper jumped from the mattress with lightning speed. “Where are my boots?” she asked.

  Connall reentered the bedroom with a grin. “In the closet.”

  “Which is?”

  He pointed to the door on the far right of the bed. Pepper pulled it open. What met her eyes was something out of a movie. “Whose clothes are these?”

  “Yours.”

  She faced him. “Shut up. What?”

  “Sam organized a little surprise for you. If there’s anything you don’t like, we’ll return it.” Connall grinned and led her farther into the closet. “You have three pairs of long boots here, along with two pairs of ankle boots. Here’s your riding gear.” He pushed open another door. “And in here are all my favorites.”