by Bethany Shaw
The barn situated right in the middle of the property. With any luck, the guards would make a dash to the main house when the alarm sounded. This would make their rescue and escape a thousand times easier.
“How are you going to get them out of the house?” Devon questioned.
“The window in my room.”
“You’re going to have a pregnant woman shimmy down a tree?” Devon asked incredulously. He was certain Lark, Emily, and the other two girls could do it. It was Natalia who concerned him. She would slow everyone down. Still, if she wanted to come, he couldn’t leave her.
“Would you prefer I parade them past Father?” Daniel shot back snidely.
“I prefer you think about the logistics of your plan,” Devon retorted.
“I’ll get them out and we’ll meet by the barn,” Daniel grumbled, green eyes narrowing into tiny slits.
“Fine! If Lark or Emily get hurt…” he trailed off, hand balled into a tight fist.
“Nobody's going to get hurt.”
“Let’s hope not, because it’s your ass if they do.”
Daniel mumbled something as he spun on his heel and headed back to his car.
***
Lark burrowed into the blankets. It was late, past midnight, and nothing had happened yet. Not knowing when something would happen was eating her from the inside out. It had to be tonight or tomorrow night, although she preferred tonight. The sooner the better.
Frustrated, she stared at the white stucco ceiling. She wanted to move, but knew pacing would only disrupt those around her, drawing attention to herself.
The waiting and the unknown was killing her. Apprehension churned in her belly, causing it to knot uncomfortably. Her mind drifted to Devon. He was here. What if he was hurt, or worse, killed? What if they were unable to rescue her?
Horror filled her at the thought of what a life in Santa Fe meant. She coughed, bile rising into her throat. A shudder coursed through her and she bolted upright, drawing her knees into her.
No! That is not going to happen.
The jingle of the door knob drew her out of her thoughts. Eyes trained on the door as it unlocked, and slowly creaked open.
Daniel stood before her green eyes scanning the room as he wiped sweat from his forehead. His gaze stopped on her. After a hesitant moment, he motioned for her to follow him.
Lark shifted to the edge of the bed, picking up her purse before standing up. Quietly, she placed her feet on the floor, and tiptoed to her sneakers. Sliding her feet in before going to Daniel. He led her across the hall and into another bedroom. The door clicked shut and Lark whirled around to look at him.
“What’s going on?” she hissed.
Daniel shifted on his feet, eyes downcast. “They’ve been in a meeting all night, I…I couldn’t give this letter to Juarez like Devon wanted.”
Lark closed her eyes, head falling forward into the palm of her hand.
“We have to do something.”
“Emily and the others are in the other wing of the house where they’re more heavily guarded. They will stay up there for the night.”
“Then we have to come up with something else,” Lark said, massaging her temples. They would think of something, the alternative was not an option.
“I can get you to Devon, I think.”
Lark frowned.
“What about everyone else?” She shook her head, not ready to consider that. “I have this,” she said pulling the gun from her bag.
Daniel recoiled back like she’d shot him with it. “Why the devil do you have that?” He exclaimed.
“Shhh!”
Perhaps she could just wave the gun around while they all pranced out, she mused. Everyone certainly seemed terrified of it.
“We don’t like guns,” Daniel remarked, eyeing the device.
“I’ve noticed.”
“Can you please put that away?”
Lark checked the safety and slipped it back into her purse.
“So your dad and the other alphas are still talking? How many men are there in the house?”
“The house is manageable. It’s getting out of the house that presents a problem. If we don’t sound the alarm and send everyone running to guard the main house, we’ll be caught for sure. Especially with there being six of us.” Daniel picked up a piece of paper from his desk and a pencil, drawing something hurriedly on it.
“The problem is we are here,” he said, holding up the paper. “Vincent and Marcus here,” he pointed to a square on the paper. “Devon and his men will be somewhere here until the alarm sounds.” Daniel’s fingers moved to a squiggly line at the top of the paper.
“And all the little stick figures represent guards,” Lark surmised.
“Yeah, but not just one guard. They’re usually in a contingent of two or three.”
“What if we created our own diversion?” Lark asked the wheels in her head turning.
“Like what?”
Lark closed her eyes, wondering how Emmett ever thought to pass Daniel off as an alpha. The guy couldn’t come up with a plan to save his life. She’d always been under the assumption leaders needed to think on their toes.
“Okay, we have the gun,” she said, walking to the window, and throwing the curtain back to survey the area.
“What are you doing? If someone sees you…”
Lark pulled back closing the curtains.
“Where is your dad’s office in correlation to where we are? Could I get a shot off into the office?”
“What? Are you going to kill him?” Daniel whisper yelled, his face draining of all color.
Lark contemplated the idea for a moment. She wasn’t a killer, nor was she a marksman by any means. Granted he was a horrible man, but he would be unarmed and it wasn’t who she was. She would only ever take a life if it was the last resort.
“No, just startle them to sound the alarm. I’m assuming that would work?”
Daniel shook his head yes, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
“You would have to climb out into the tree to get the shot off. Can you even handle that thing?”
Lark smiled, rolling her eyes.
“My dad taught me how to shoot a gun.” He may have been a doctor, but he’d also been an avid hunter. She wasn’t as familiar with the handguns, but was certain she could use it.
“Alright,” Daniel replied after a long moment. “Once the alarm sounds I’ll get everyone else. You’ll need to climb back in and wait for us.”
He went to the window, unlatching the locks and carefully removing the screen. He stuck his head out, swiveling it back and forth for a long minute before he turned back to her.
“There is no one there.”
Lark inhaled sharply, her mouth dry, and hands clammy. Steeling herself, she dug the gun out and tucked it into the belt loop of her jeans. She peeked out the window, grasping one of the branches as she scooted out onto the window sill. Carefully, she stood and edged out onto the thick tree limb.
The warm night air didn’t help her already sweaty hands, but she pressed on towards the trunk. A bright white light illuminated from one of the windows. Nervously, she wiped one hand on her jeans then the other.
Focus.
Eyes clamped shut she counted to ten, forcing her spinning mind to calm down. Her heart thrummed wildly in her ears as she drew the gun out with shaking hands. All she had to do was shoot. She leaned against the branches reinforcing her stance. With trembling fingers, she unlocked the safety and pulled back on the chamber. Aimed at the corner of the window, with her gun clasped tightly, she slowly pulled the trigger.
Chapter 23
The loud bang of a gun ripped through the night air. Devon jolted out of his thoughts, eyes flicking in the direction of the McKinley house. He was certain the sound had come from that direction. Sharp wails filled the night sky as the alarm sounded at the manor. This isn’t part of the plan.
Judging by the ridiculously late hour, he concluded tha
t something had gone wrong and they had been forced to improvise. He just hoped that Lark hadn’t used the gun for her own protection. While wolves were scared of the weapon, it wouldn’t derail a whole pack.
He turned to his men who appeared to be as tense as he was. They stood, ears alert, and legs flexed ready to take off at a moment’s notice. Half were on four paws, the other on two feet. With a flick of his wrist, they all sprinted towards the commotion.
Devon had chosen to stay in his human form, in case anyone got injured. The pack he carried on his back was heavy and bulky, but he was determined to keep pace with the others. In fact, he was leading the pack of humans.
They could move at inhuman speeds on two feet, but nowhere near as fast as they could on four. The wolves in front of them slowed to a crawl as they approached the outskirts of the property. Devon and the others caught up to them as they branched off in the tree line, sniffing the ground with their ears perked.
Devon and his comrades followed close behind. Ears open, he didn’t hear anything but his fellow pack-mates. Relieved, he pushed forward onto the familiar property.
***
Lark scrambled back in through the window, grasping Daniel’s hand firmly as he hauled her into the safety of the bedroom. Shrill sirens sliced through the air, causing her to cringe. She checked the gun and tucked it back into her pants, covering it as best she could with her black v-neck.
“I’m going to get Emily. Stay here,” Daniel said, rushing to the door.
“Can I help?” Lark asked, not exactly thrilled to stand around and wait. What if something happens?
Daniel squinted at her as if thinking before shaking his head yes. He opened the door, turning his head in both directions before leading the way down the corridor. Lark followed behind, walking lightly on the tips of her toes.
Shouts echoed up the stairwell as they neared. She balled her fists, ready to fight if need be. Thankfully, everything appeared to be taking place downstairs.
Daniel lurched forward, scurrying across the opening at the top of the stairs. Lark darted after him, adrenaline rushing through her veins. They entered another hall and climbed another set of stairs. A door with a padlock stood before them. She watched Daniel search his pockets, procuring a key.
“What are you doing?”
Lark froze, pulse roaring in her ears, as her and Daniel both turned.
“I’m putting her with the others,” Daniel said, his voice surprisingly calm, despite the beads of sweat that dribbled down his brow.
The man nodded with a sneer at her before turning and padding down the hall. Daniel let out a long puff of air, and jammed the key into the lock. The door swung open, and they shuffled in closing the door behind them.
Lark surveyed the corridor of closed doors, surprised by the length of the hall. Though she couldn’t really judge since she hadn’t seen the outside of the house, she realized it had to be massive.
Daniel led them down to a door on the right, twisting the key in the lock before opening it.
“Thank god,” Emily exhaled, flying off the bed. “I was beginning to wonder.”
“Come on,” Daniel said, wrapping an arm around Emily’s shoulder as he guided her from the room.
“You get the girls. I’ll talk to Natalia,” Emily whispered.
Daniel nodded and hugged Emily briefly before unlocking the door in front of them. He then darted down the hall.
“Natalia is going to need some coaxing,” Emily explained.
Lark watched as Emily slowly opened the door, both hands held up in the air.
“Natalia,” she said softly.
Lark caught sight of the woman who was curled into a ball on the bed. Her brown eyes darted between the two of them.
“We’re going to get out of here, make a run for it. Come with us.” Emily extended her hand to the woman.
Slowly, Natalia sat up. Her long brown hair fell in soft waves, cascading around her face. Her doe eyes widening as she stared at them.
“It will be safe. There is another pack with my brother’s cousin in Abilene,” Emily whispered.
Natalia breathed heavily, her chest heaving as her knees stretched out revealing her extremely swollen belly. Lark remembered Gene’s story behind the gun he’d given her. Natalia couldn’t shift while pregnant. Between the two of them, they would seriously slow everyone else down.
Natalia seemed hesitant, her gaze fixed on something behind them.
“We have to go,” Lark tried urgency slipping into her voice. “You’ll be safe, you and the baby. Come with us.”
Emily’s head bobbed up and down in agreement. “Please, we have to go before my dad finds out what we’re up to.”
The bed creaked under her weight as she shifted, pushing up onto her feet.
Lark searched the room, finding a pair of crocs in the corner. They weren’t exactly practical, but better than being barefoot.
“Here,” she said, rushing over to pick up the shoes and hand them to the wolf.
Natalia looked at the shoes as if Lark were offering her a vile of poison. Glaring, she took the shoes, dropping them to the floor and slipping her feet in.
“Are we ready?” Daniel whispered as he popped into the room.
“How are we getting out?” Emily asked.
Daniel sighed, eyes darting to Lark.
Lark frowned; she’d only seen the outside from the window. Having never been here before she couldn’t even begin to think of a plan to escape.
“What was the original plan?” Lark questioned. Panic flooded her senses, breath quickening as she tried to contain it. Surely he had another plan.
“To go out my window,” Daniel said.
“Is there another way out?” Lark asked.
Daniel glanced around the room for a long minute.
“I think so, follow me.”
Lark held her breath as the floor boards creaked beneath them as they followed Daniel into the hall. They crept toward a closed door, which then Daniel eased open. Ushering them in, he shut the door behind them. He took long silent strides to the window; he lifted it up and peered out.
“Come on, I’ll help you guys down,” he said reaching out for Natalia first.
Natalia’s hand shot out like a claw, swiping down his face. Daniel cried out and stumbled back, fingers flying to his face. Long red streaks marred his face as tiny droplets of blood oozed out.
“I’ll go first,” Emily said pushing forward.
Daniel nodded gripping her hand and hoisting her onto the window sill. Maddie and Amelia went next.
“I’ll help you,” Lark offered turning to Natalia.
Natalia reached a shaky hand out, grasping Lark’s hand tightly. Carefully Natalia maneuvered herself out of the window and into the thick branches of the tree. Despite her swollen belly, Natalia moved with ease and grace shimmying from one branch to the next.
“Go ahead,” Daniel said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Lark accepted his offered hand and grabbed hold of a thick branch. The sticky night air greeted her as her clammy hands slid along the tree. Relief tinged with fear coursed through her veins. They were out of the house, now they just needed to find Devon.
***
Devon swung a deafening blow and stood back watching as one of Emmett’s enforcers fell limply to the ground. They had swiftly taken out the four guards before they could alert anyone else to their presence. He motioned to the wolves to stand guard at the two entrances of the barn, before snatching the ring of keys from the deceased guard.
“You have no idea how glad I am to see you,” Marcus stated as he clung to the wrought iron bars. The straw shuffled beneath him as he moved to the door ready to get out.
“Yes, took your time didn’t you?” Vincent rolled his eyes, but Devon could see the relief on his face.
“Stop griping and come on,” Devon snapped as he undid the lock and popped the door open.
“What’s going on with Emily?” Marcus asked, his eyes da
rting around the empty barn.
“Not sure, but I’m sure she is fine,” Devon said, placing a hand on Marcus’ shoulder. “Daniel’s supposed to meet us here, hopefully any second now.”
After several long moments of pacing across the warped dirt floor of the barn, Devon felt a quiver of terror over take him. This was taking far too long. Daniel should have been here by now. Something else must have gone wrong. He refused to lose Lark now, he didn’t know what he would do if Lark and Emily didn’t make it out alive.
Lark was important to him, he cared about her — liked her, more than liked her. What the emotion was he didn’t know, but she was special. Instead of looking at him like he was different or worthless, she made him feel wanted and challenged him.
Footsteps squeaking across the dewy grass drew his attention to outside the barn. With long quick strides he covered the short distance to the door. The breath he’d been holding left his lungs as the small group approached.
“Emily,” Marcus whispered, brushing past him and bursting out into the open. He ran to her and grasped her to him twirling her in a circle as they embraced.
Not exactly subtle, Devon thought, eyes scanning the open terrain. Satisfied there was no danger, his gaze drifted back to the group, instantly spotting Lark.
Her arm was wrapped around a pregnant woman’s shoulder. Lark’s blue eyes met his a small smile spreading across her face.
He ignored the urge to follow in Marcus’ footsteps and stood firm in his spot. Now was not the time to lose focus. But damn it, he wanted to pull Lark into a tight hug and never let her go.
“What took so long?” Devon asked, annoyed, as Daniel approached.
Devon frowned, taking in the angry red scratches that marred his face. They appeared to be human, but Lark wasn’t a scratcher, she was a puncher.
Daniel shifted nervously on his feet.
“Long story, we need to hurry. I’m sure Emmett is in the process of dispersing his men. Things did not go as planned and we had to improvise.”
“Devon,” Lark said, stopping in front of him, bottom lip caught between her teeth.
“Lark,” he whispered, she dropped her arm from around the other woman and embraced him in a tight hug. Devon wrapped his arms tightly around her, enjoying the feel of her pressed safely against him.
