by Scarlet Day
“Is it Abby?” All agitation was gone from Bryce’s voice, replaced by worry.
“No, Abby’s fine. She’s asleep. It’s just…I don’t know. It’s just an uneasy feeling.”
Bryce was silent, but Brad knew what he was thinking. If Brad had a bad feeling, there was probably a good reason for it. “I think I’m gonna wake Abby up and get us out of here. We talked about her coming down to the island early anyway.”
“I’ll meet you at the marina. Watch your back.”
“Will do.” Brad disconnected the call and stuffed the phone back in his pocket. He retrieved his shirt and tugged it back on.
He watched Abby sleep for a few more minutes. He still didn’t understand how she could be a shifter. She and Kate weren’t siblings. They were cousins by way of their human mothers. They didn’t share the genetic trait Kate had inherited from her shifter father. But Abby’s ability to communicate with the injured cat and her dream about him in his panther form left little doubt in his mind.
Brad had the feeling his current uneasiness involved Kate and the vampire clan. The clan had a long-standing vendetta against black panthers. Generations ago, the original vampires had taken many of them captive and tried to harness their powers to overthrow the shifter clans. Instead, the black panthers had used their power against their captives. They cursed the original vampires with darkness and left them unable to be exposed to sunlight. As revenge, the vampires had hunted down and killed the black panthers and all the members of their bloodline. At least, they thought they had.
They hadn’t known that the last member of the bloodline had fathered a child before they tracked him down and killed him. Kate was that child. The vampires had tried to kill her when they learned she was a black panther. They hadn’t been successful so far, but Brad knew they wouldn’t hesitate to use Abby as bait if they knew she and Kate were related. Frustration gripped him. Whatever the warning bells meant, he’d feel better once Abby was safely on Panther Key.
The vampire clan had tried to penetrate the island’s defenses several times to get to Kate, with no success. It was practically impossible with the clan’s protective magic, but now they also had a kick-ass black panther roaming the island. Kate’s developing powers were impressive. She could emit a mental signal that could drop a man to his knees, and keep him there, just by thinking about it. She could read her mates’ emotions and, often, their exact thoughts. She was even starting to develop the ability to manipulate the air around her. Brad could only imagine how much more impressive her powers would have been if she’d been born a triplet, like the ancient legends claimed was standard for black panthers.
Kate had met with one of their ancient clan members when she had arrived at Panther Key. The man, who was rumored to be over 1,000 years old, had insisted she was one of three. They had all been mystified by his pronouncement.
Brad brushed back the hair that had fallen across Abby’s face while she slept. He was already completely captivated by her, and he’d only spent a couple of days with her. His cat had never been more content than when he and Abby had made love. Right now, however, his cat was anything but happy. It was telling him to get her the hell out of here and figure out why later.
He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers, enjoying the softness of them under his. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. “Good morning, beautiful.”
She smiled and stretched with a feline-like grace that made him smile.
“Good morning.” She tried to get the words out around a yawn, which made Brad grin even more. Gods, he was falling hard for this woman already!
Abby looked toward the window and the clock and then scowled. “Why are we awake at this ungodly hour if we’re not working today?” Her lips turned up into a wicked grin. “Unless you had something fun in mind?”
Brad chuckled at her eagerness, almost forgetting his uneasiness and surrendering to the arousal she stirred in him. But his cat growled at him, warning him not to get distracted.
“Bryce is meeting us at the marina. We need to get your things together and get going.”
Her face turned down in a pout. “Why so early?”
“I thought you might be anxious to see your cat friend.” It wasn’t a complete lie, and Brad didn’t want to alarm her with his unexplained worry.
The mention of the cat spurred her into action, and she threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. “Oh my gosh, is she okay?”
Seeing Abby standing in front of him naked made it hard for Brad to think.
“Um, yeah…she’s fine.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to steady his growing arousal. As much as he’d like to throw her back down on the bed and fuck her into next week, his alarm bells were still ringing in his brain.
“You better get dressed before I decide to let Bryce sit at the marina all day.” He grinned and arched his eyebrows. “Then again, he might come looking for us.”
Abby’s face flushed red, and her eyes widened. He smelled fresh arousal rush from her. Interesting. Was that a reaction to him or to the idea of Bryce finding them? He knew that possibility would be explored soon enough.
“Do I have time for a shower?” Her voice was a little breathless.
“A quick one. But get some stuff together first, and I’ll load it into the Jeep.”
“How much do I need to take?”
Brad considered the question. If he had his way, he’d never let her off the island again. “Plan for a week and we’ll go from there.”
Abby’s eyebrows rose, and she blushed again, but then she shrugged and nodded. He watched as she grabbed bags out of the small closet and threw clothes into them. Watching her move around the room with nothing on was taking all his restraint. Finally, she dropped the bags at his feet.
“That ought to do. I’ll grab a shower and be ready in fifteen minutes. Is that soon enough?”
Brad stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to his chest. “It will do. But when I get you to the island, you may not see daylight again for a while.”
She gulped, and her breathing grew shallower. Brad chuckled and swatted her lightly on her bare ass. “Go take your shower before I change my mind and let Bryce come looking for us.”
She yelped and scurried out of his arms and into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Brad chuckled and shook his head. She was going to be his undoing.
He looked out the window and scanned the area again. Still nothing. Gathering the bags and heading to the door, he wished, for what felt like the hundredth time this morning, that he knew what the hell had him so on edge.
It was still dark, and the morning was relatively quiet, with only the occasional car passing as he loaded the bags into the Jeep. He still hadn’t seen anything unusual, but he was getting jumpy. He’d tossed the last bag into the back when the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He instinctively spun and found himself face-to-face with four men. No, not men, exactly. Where the hell had they come from?
Brad could stand his ground against any vampire, maybe even two. But against four of them, he didn’t have a chance. Not that he wouldn’t go down fighting. He managed to avoid the first couple of swings and landed a strong punch to one of the vampire’s jaws, sending him reeling onto the pavement. But then Brad’s legs were pulled out from under him from behind. He hit the ground hard but was already moving to spring back up. Before he could push himself up off the ground, however, his head was slammed into the concrete with enough force that he heard a crack. His last thought was of Abby as darkness closed in.
* * * *
Abby showered as fast as she could. Her fingers didn’t want to work right, and she dropped the soap twice. Her legs were so shaky they threatened to quit supporting her. How could just thinking about a man make her so weak at the knees and uncoordinated? She felt heat rise to her face at the shame of it. It was bad enough the mere sight of Brad sent her into some kind of hormonal heat, but now the simple mention o
f his brother had her reacting like this! What the hell was wrong with her? She absolutely could not be this attracted to two men. It was insane!
Berating herself for her sudden slutty streak, she got out of the shower and started drying off. She heard the front door close.
“Brad, could you bring me some coffee, please?” If she was going to have any coordination, let alone carry on a conversation with the man she had just slept with, she needed caffeine. Lots of it.
She bent over at the waist, letting her hair hang down so she could towel-dry it. The bathroom door opened, and she turned her head toward it, expecting to see Brad, but two unfamiliar men crowded into the doorway.
Abby screamed and tried to run, but there was nowhere to go. Her arm was yanked back, and she was thrown hard against the wall, knocking the breath out of her. She kicked and punched, but the men were too big. Lashing out, she managed to dig her fingernails into one man’s cheek. She pulled hard, opening up deep, bloody slashes in his face.
“Stupid bitch!”
A fist hit her hard in the face, and pain burst through her head. Stars erupted behind her eyelids. She clutched the towel bar to keep from going down. More hands restrained her. Something was shoved against her nose and mouth. She recoiled at the smell, but then her vision blurred, and everything went black.
Chapter Ten
Pain ripped through Bryce through his twin bond with Brad. Shoving the debilitating intensity of it aside, he yanked his phone out of his pocket and hit his brother’s number. It rang four times then went to voice mail.
Damn!
He was a twenty-minute drive from Abby’s apartment. His cat could run there in half that time, but if he shifted, he would run the risk of being seen. Sure panthers were native to Florida, but they weren’t often found running through the streets of Miami.
He ran to the street at the entrance to the marina, hoping to spot a taxi. It was still an hour before sunrise, and there wasn’t much traffic yet. And no taxis.
Screw it!
He ran back to the boat, pulling off his shirt as he ran. He threw his clothes into the boat and called his panther. His cat answered immediately, and he ran back up the dock on four paws and at full speed. Even if someone saw him, he’d be back in human form before anyone had time to report a panther sighting. He’d be naked, but hopefully he could find something to cover up with at Abby’s place before he was spotted. Otherwise, he’d just have to blame it on a wild party at South Beach and hope the police had a sense of humor.
He raced up the street, between buildings, down alleyways, and leapt over fences, taking the most direct route to Abby’s apartment. Thank god his sleepless night had caused him to get nosey. He had found Abby’s personnel folder in Brad’s office and had scoured it completely, trying to learn anything he could about her. Birthday, background, address.
The pain Bryce had felt through his bond with Brad had been severe enough to get him worried, but the nothingness that had followed truly scared him. Was Brad dead or just unconscious? And what about Abby? Was she safe?
Bryce struggled to keep himself from stumbling in fear. He couldn’t imagine living the rest of his long life without his twin. Their bond was too strong. It would be like losing half of himself. And the thought of something happening to Abby was unbearable. He had just found her. Losing her was unacceptable. A long, sleepless, and very uncomfortable night experiencing Brad’s emotions had nearly driven him insane. He’d never known Brad to be that happy, to feel that complete. He wanted that experience for himself.
Bryce barely felt the hard pavement under his paws as he ran. His heart pounded frantically in his chest. Fear drove him harder and faster and left a cold, metallic taste in his mouth. Skidding around the corner of a building, he almost ran over an elderly woman taking her Pomeranian for an early morning walk. The woman screamed and grabbed for the little dog, but Bryce didn’t even slow down. Only one more block.
Sprinting around another building, Bryce leapt over a row of shrubs and raced across the dark parking lot before skidding to a stop in front of Brad’s still form. Blood pooled under his head, creating a dark, sickly halo on the pavement.
Bryce’s cat receded from his mind, and he took his human form, falling to his knees next to his brother. He was naked and exposed in the parking lot, but he didn’t care. Extending a shaky hand, he rested it against Brad’s chest and let his mind explore Brad’s body. He was one of the few shifters who had this gift. He mentally probed Brad’s heart and brain, checking for the signs that would reveal his condition. Brad was in a healing sleep, knocked unconscious from the blow to his head, but his spinal column was intact.
Bryce breathed a sign of relief. As long as Brad’s heart was still beating and his spinal column wasn’t severed, his cracked skull would heal. He’d have one hell of a headache, but at least he would live. Bryce scooped Brad up in his arms and wrestled him into the passenger seat of the Jeep, strapping him in with the seat belt to keep him from slumping over.
Now he just needed to find Abby and get them out of here before whoever had done this came back to finish the job. Looking around the parking lot, she was nowhere to be seen. He turned and raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time. The front door was standing open. Bile rose in his throat as fear raced through him. He ran through the apartment, searching the room for any sign of Abby but finding nothing. He ran into the bathroom. There was a towel on the floor. A bloody handprint marked the wall, and blood covered the towel bar. Bryce’s heart froze. Abby was gone.
Chapter Eleven
“What the hell do you mean she’s gone?” Kate’s screech reverberated through the room and felt like an ice pick to Bryce’s eardrums. The mate of his cousins certainly had a pair of lungs on her.
“Sweetheart, calm down. We—” Blake never finished the sentence as Kate rounded on him.
“Don’t you tell me to calm down! Abby is gone!” Her voice rose with every word.
Jake looked at Bryce apologetically. “She’s just a little hormonal right now.” Kate turned on Jake and skewered him with a glare that should have turned him to ashes where he stood. “Um, I mean, we completely understand, baby. Of course you’re worried. We all are.”
Kate narrowed her eyes and glared at Jake another few seconds before turning back to Bryce and nailing him with an equally intimidating stare. “So what, exactly, are you going to do about it?”
“What’s all the yelling about?” Everyone turned in surprise to Brad, who was holding his head with one hand and pulling himself into a sitting position on the couch.
“Where the hell is my cousin?” Kate charged across the room and planted herself in front of Brad with her hands on her hips.
Brad looked up at her with a confused expression. Bryce watched Brad’s face and saw the confusion change to horror and then rage.
“They took her.” He growled and stood up but wavered slightly on his feet. Bryce reached a hand out to steady him, but Brad shook him off.
“Who took her?” Kate wasn’t budging.
Brad ran a hand through his hair, looking like he wanted to rip it out in frustration. “At least four men.” He turned to Bryce with both anguish and fury in his eyes. “Vampires.”
“What?” Kate’s voice rose to its highest level yet, and Brad winced. “What do they want with my cousin?”
Brad narrowed his eyes and stared at Kate for a moment. Bryce could tell he was trying to make a decision about something. “I can make a guess as to why they took her.” He closed his eyes and blew out a long breath before meeting Kate’s stare again. “And I don’t think she’s your cousin.”
The confusion Bryce felt was mirrored on the faces of everyone else in the room, but no one looked more confused than Kate. “Of course she’s my cousin. I’ve known her my whole life.”
“Exactly.” Brad’s eyes darted back to Bryce, giving Bryce the feeling Brad was trying to prepare him for something. Brad turned his attention back to Kate. “You look almost identical
. Too identical. Your official birthdays are only weeks apart.” He looked back to Bryce with a stare heavy with meaning. “And Abby’s a shifter.”
Bryce stood frozen in shock. Gasps broke out throughout the room. Silence followed as the words sunk in.
“Sisters?” Bryce reeled at the implications. “But, if they’re sisters, that would mean…” Bryce could hardly believe what he was thinking much less say the words.
“Abby is a black panther.” Drake had been silently watching the exchange so far, but now his words settled like stones in the middle of the room.
“No!” Kate’s mates gathered around her in reaction to her distraught cry. She looked pleadingly up at Blake, her voice filled with the agony that Blake felt in his own heart, and tears sprang to her eyes. “If they know what she is, they’ll kill her!”
Kate’s words cut through Blake like a knife. He thought his heart would stop beating. He couldn’t breathe. His cat growled in protest and desperation.
“I don’t think so.” Brad’s matter-of-fact tone got Bryce’s attention. “If they wanted her dead, they would have killed her at the apartment. I think they want something else.”
“What?” Bryce would grab any thread of hope, any possibility that Abby was still alive.
Brad paced across the living room and back again. “I don’t know. I just feel it.”
Bryce knew his brother better than anyone else, and if Brad said he had a feeling about it, then Bryce would trust his instincts.
“What are we going to do?” Kate’s question caused all eyebrows to rise in response.
“We are going to find her.” Brad glanced quickly at their cousins before turning his attention back to Kate. “You are going to stay here and make a phone call.”
Bryce watched Kate’s face turn red and her mouth set in a hard line. “Excuse me? I’m going with you! She’s my cousin…sister, whatever. And I’m a black panther! I can do…stuff.”
