by Jodi Redford
Shoving his brewing worries to the back of his mind, Dante nodded. As he watched his uncle amble off, he tried not to focus on the disturbing revelation that the most important person of all had yet to make an appearance.
Chapter Sixteen
Lilly shivered and blinked against the snowflakes crusted on her eyelashes. She’d never been more cold and miserable in her life. If not for her heat cycle—which had intermittently warmed her blood off and on throughout the endless night—she probably would have frozen to death long before now. But as it was, even those little bursts of sluggish heat were coming less frequently.
It would only be a matter of time before Anna’s dire prediction of the cold killing her came to fruition.
She wanted to scream and cry at the bleak emptiness of that thought, but she didn’t possess enough energy to do either. She peered dismally at the fat snow clouds overhead. What time was it? Surely Dante would have noted her absence by now. Had he begun looking for her? For all she knew, maybe he thought she’d gotten cold feet. God, that was plenty ironic, considering they were currently blocks of ice. Regardless, thanks to her behavior yesterday, she’d given him lots of reason to believe she’d jilt him at the altar.
Then again, if that didn’t seal her fate, there was always the possibility that Anna’s nefarious plan to drive the Escape into the nearby river worked.
Lilly mentally conjured the image of Kinsey and Chloe clinging to each other as they mourned the loss of Lilly. A painful ache settled in her heart. It doubled in size as she pictured Dante’s grief-stricken face. She wasn’t sure what hurt more—the notion that he’d believe she’d ran out on him, or him thinking that she’d drowned.
How much more devastating and painful would it be losing your mate? Wouldn’t the intimate bond they’d established make it a thousand times worse to bear? If she received news that Dante was dead, how would she feel?
The cramp vising her chest was all the answer she needed. She choked back a sob. A rustling noise sounded to the right of her. Muscles too numb to tense, she jerked her focus in that direction. A tree squirrel darted from the underbrush and stared at her before dashing off. Contradicting emotions warred inside Lilly. A part of her was grateful that it hadn’t been a predator looking for a meal bigger than a stashed nut, but for one bittersweet moment, she’d held on to the hope that it might be Dante.
Of course it wouldn’t be him. Other than Anna, no one knew she was out here. More than likely they’d never discover the truth of what had happened to her.
A fresh surge of anguish heated her blood, temporarily banishing a fraction of the chills racking her body. The brief reprieve also managed to fire up her determination to find a way out of her predicament. Although she’d failed during the countless times she’d struggled to escape her bindings during the night, she renewed her efforts to wiggle her wrists enough to loosen the bungees securing them to the tree branch. They wouldn’t budge. An exhausted wave of defeat threatened to swamp her, but she beat it off before it could suck her under. Closing her eyes, she concentrated all of her energy on shifting into her lynx form. Her body stubbornly refused to cooperate. The drugs Anna had given her must still be lurking in her system.
Refusing to bow to the mocking voice of fate, she gathered her wits into a relative semblance of order. There had to be a way to free herself. Glancing upward, she inspected the branch her arms were secured to. Maybe the key wasn’t freeing her wrists from the bungees, but somehow getting the branch to snap. It looked thick and sturdy, but apply enough of her dead weight to the task, and surely it would crack. Yeah, it was a long shot, but it was better than doing nothing and waiting here to die.
Dropping her focus, she eyed the strap bound just below her knees. That was probably the easier of the bindings to work on. She wiggled her legs, scissoring them as much as the nylon cord would allow. For several agonizing and painstaking minutes, she repeated her tiny, awkward motions until she felt a noticeable give in the strap. The small victory sent a thrill of victory shooting through her trembling limbs.
Gathering every ounce of her strength, she pulled away from the tree trunk and let her body slump forward. Now that the lower strap wasn’t holding her entirely, there was nothing to protect her muscles from bearing the brunt of her weight. They screamed in protest at the additional pain being inflicted on them. Desperately blocking out the agony, she set her chattering teeth and wrenched harder until she was certain her arms were seconds away from being torn from their sockets.
A pathetic, blubbery sob escaped her just as an unmistakable crack snapped overhead. At first she thought it might be her bones producing the sound, but suddenly the branch securing her right wrist broke with an audible groan. Dazed and disbelieving, it took her a moment to realize she was now partially free. Her brain and limbs impotently sluggish, she wrestled her arm from the broken section of branch before reaching behind her to fumble with her still-trapped wrist. Loosening the bungee one-handed was no easy feat, but eventually she pried the hooks apart. Weak and limp, she fell forward into the snow.
Gasping and shaking, she fought to keep unconsciousness at bay. She slowly straightened so she could work on the remaining strap. Her fingers could barely move, but somehow she managed to inch the binding down until it slackened. She struggled out of her boots, the loss of their bulkiness making it easier to slip out of the strap’s tenacious hold.
After pulling her shoes back on, she collapsed into the snow. The desire to curl into a ball and sleep was overwhelming. Digging deep for her last reserve of energy, she crawled onto her knees. Getting any farther than that proved impossible, so she continued to drag herself onward that way.
She knew from yesterday’s drive that she was miles away from help, or signs of civilization, for that matter. Making to the nearest used road could take her hours.
Hell, days at this rate.
Refusing to cow to defeat after she’d come this far, she shuffled forward. The ground beneath her suddenly gave way. She scrambled for a hold as she fell through the loose snow and dirt before landing on her ass with a jarring thump. Half buried beneath the avalanche of snow, she tried to get her bearings. From the look of things, she’d fallen into a sinkhole, or maybe an abandoned animal’s den. She attempted to wiggle loose of the snow and dirt, but both refused to release her from their clutches.
Despite her best efforts to fend them off, tears of anguish and frustration leaked down her cheeks. One way or another, fate seemed determined to make her die in this lonely wilderness.
Bitterness and regret cramping her heart, she rested her face against the cold pillow of snow. Dante’s beloved face was the last image she clung to before unconsciousness claimed her.
Dante ignored the murmurs of speculation spreading like wildfire through the congregation seated in front of him. His calm had abandoned him over an hour ago, but he refused to show it to anyone.
Wayne cleared his throat softly. “How much longer do you want to wait?”
Dante opened his mouth but quickly snapped it shut. This was ridiculous. He wasn’t so boneheaded that he couldn’t see the writing on the wall.
Lilly wasn’t coming. His mate had left him high and dry.
A sharp spike of pain slammed through his chest. Shit, he should have listened to Shane. His cousin had warned him he’d only end up sinking in the mire of his own heartache. Unable to meet his uncle’s most likely sympathetic gaze, Dante loosened his tie and wrenched it from his neck. He raised his voice to ensure he’d be heard by everyone in the room. “I appreciate you all coming out today. Just so this isn’t a complete waste of your time, the beer is still on the house.”
Tuning out the cacophony of voices surrounding him, he strode toward the exit. Once outside, he dragged in a deep breath and willed the chaos of emotions twisting his heart to lessen. The door opened behind him, and the boisterous noise leaked from the building, disturbing the quiet solitude. Not in the mood to talk to anyone, he headed in the direction of his truck.
“Dante, wait,” Kinsey called out.
The last person he wanted to converse with was Lilly’s sister, but Kinsey’s persistence matched Lilly’s as she tailed him to his vehicle.
Hell, too bad Lilly’s stubborn doggedness hadn’t extended to making a go of their relationship. “There’s nothing for us to say to each other, Kinsey.”
“Yes, there is. I know, Lilly. There’s no way she would have willingly not shown up today.”
He offered Kinsey a wry look. “Unless she’s invisible and mute, I’m pretty damn sure I didn’t see her anywhere in there.”
“I know what it looks like, but I swear to you that she loves you. She confessed as much to me on the phone yesterday.”
Kinsey’s admission released a fraction of the tension constricting his heart. Until cold, harsh reality came rushing back to the forefront. “Apparently she doesn’t love me enough.” Before she could say anything more, he climbed into his truck and banged the door shut. Gunning the engine, he roared out of the lot.
A stiff drink sounded mighty damn fine at the moment. Thankfully he had a pint of whiskey at home perfect for the occasion. Less than fifteen minutes later, he tore down the road leading to Morgan’s Ridge. He barreled past Lilly’s cabin but got no farther than thirty yards before he stomped on the brake. Fishtailing in the snow, he slammed the gears in reverse and hauled ass back to her driveway.
The decision to pull in front of her cabin was a moronic one, particularly since the chance of her showing up was about as likely as Jimmy Hoffa’s body being buried in her backyard, but some sad, pathetic flicker of hope made him do it anyway. He’d give her half an hour. Anything longer than that would be an embarrassment to his manhood. Growling, he took over her parking space and settled back in his seat to wait. After a few minutes passed, his bladder began pitching a bitch. Shoving his door open, he jumped out and walked to the far side of the cabin so he could relieve himself. As he headed back to his truck, he noticed the smell. It was faint, but unmistakable.
Blood.
Frowning, he changed direction and went to investigate. The hairs on the nape of his neck lifting, he eyed the snow-covered porch. The coppery scent of blood was stronger here. Loping up the steps, he frantically glanced around for the source. Dropping to his knees, he swished away some of the fresh powder. His stare landed on the few scattered speckles of red he’d unearthed, and his heart knocked harder. Now that he was in closer proximity to the blood, he noticed what he hadn’t initially. It smelled of wolf.
A mix of trepidation and rage boiled inside him as he considered the implications of that discovery. Leaping to his feet, he tried the cabin door and found it unlocked. “Lilly?” Bellowing at the top of his lungs, he ran through the tiny cabin. He checked every square inch, without any luck. His fear and fury kicked up several notches, until he was practically choking on both. Without warning, the ghostly echo of Kinsey’s earlier pronouncement floated through his mind. There’s no way she would have willingly not shown up today.
Someone had deliberately kept Lilly away from the ceremony. And he had a good inkling who that someone was. He barreled down the steps and leapt into his truck. Two seconds later—foot stomped on the gas—he roared out onto the main road. Dread and rage were his constant companions as he made the short trip to his father’s house. Barely able to see straight, he rammed the gear into park. His inner wolf foaming at the mouth, he slammed from the vehicle and stormed to the front entrance. Foster—always the paranoid bastard where his worldly goods were concerned—had locked the door. Dante banged his fist on the frame until it threatened to splinter. A second later, the unmistakable slide of the deadbolt sounded.
The door swung open, revealing Foster’s livid face. “What in the devil is wrong with you?”
A haze of fury overtaking him, Dante grabbed a fistful of Foster’s shirt and hauled him outside. “What did you do to her, you son of a bitch?”
Foster’s eyes threatened to bug out. “Are you out of your damn mind? Let go of me.”
“Not until you tell me where Lilly is.”
“How am I supposed to know where your slut is?”
Dante rammed Foster against the door. “I warned you not to call her that.” He pulled his fist back and prepared to take a swing just as his cell buzzed. He considered letting it go to voicemail, but he instantly recognized Theo’s ringtone. His cousin never made a habit of calling him unless it was catastrophically important. Maybe Theo had some news about Lilly. His stomach pitching at the possible ramifications of what that news might be, Dante dug in his pocket for his phone and clicked the Talk button. “Coz?”
“I think you’ll want to come down to the station.”
Dante’s heart inched farther up his throat. “Lilly?”
“My deputy pulled her vehicle over this morning. Only she wasn’t the one driving.”
He frowned. “I don’t understand. Who had her car?”
“Anna Gifford.”
The information knocked Dante square in the solar plexus. “What?” Recalling the blood on Lilly’s porch and the unmistakable stench of wolf, he tensed. “Was Lilly with her?”
“No. And Anna refuses to explain how the hell she ended up with Lilly’s car. We’re holding Anna in lockup, but so far she’s remaining tight-lipped.”
A grim, deadly determination joined Dante’s fury. “Don’t worry. I’ll make her talk.”
Chapter Seventeen
Dante stormed in the direction of the rear holding cells of the sheriff’s station and glared at Anna Gifford through the bars separating them. It was a damn good thing she had the protection of that metal door, because no other force on earth would have prevented him from ripping her fucking throat out. “What did you do with Lilly?”
Anna gave a bored yawn. “I already explained to your incompetent cousin and his men that I didn’t do anything to her.”
“You lying bitch. You had her car.”
She shrugged. “I found it abandoned on the side of the road, with the keys still in it.”
“So you make a habit of stealing cars now?” Theo pointed out.
“No, I had every intention of driving it here and letting you handle returning it to its owner.”
“That why you tried losing my deputy on that county road, so you could get here faster?” Theo could be damn good at sarcasm when he wanted to be.
“Police lights make me nervous. Plus there’s all this talk lately about phony officers who mug and rape innocent women. A girl can’t be too careful these days.”
Dante gripped the bars and bared his teeth. “I already know you had an altercation with Lilly. I saw the proof of it on her porch and smelled your blood stinking up the place.”
Anna paled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Theo grunted. “Pretty damn stupid leaving DNA behind. That right there is enough to link you to Lilly’s disappearance and ultimately nail your ass to the wall if we discover you did something to her.” Theo leaned his hip against the cell. “Kidnapping charges carry a hefty sentence. Course, that’s nothing compared to the time you’ll be doing if she’s found dead. Best start preparing yourself for a nice long life in jail. Imagine you won’t have any problem becoming bunk buddies with some butch gal who’s got a real thing for skinny brunettes.”
Anna’s complexion went chalk white. Swallowing, she transferred her frightened stare between Theo and Dante. “I…I might have an idea where Lilly is.”
Dante leaned closer to the bars. “Then start talking, bitch. And pray that my mate is still alive. Because if she’s not, jail will be the least of your worries.”
Ten minutes later, with Anna’s directions firmly implanted in his brain, Dante raced outside to his truck. He slammed his door just as Theo hopped into the passenger seat. They exchanged a silent look before Dante keyed the ignition and stepped on the gas.
“Lilly’s been out there all night, coz.”
Dante fought back a bitter surge of bile.
“I’m more than aware of that.”
“If that drug Anna gave Lilly remained in her system, she might not have survived the elements.”
“Lilly is tough. She wouldn’t let the cold get the last word on her.” Jesus, he hoped he was right. There was no way he could survive losing his mate.
They remained ominously quiet during the agonizingly long trip to Woodcreek Road. The snow that’d fallen overnight had already obscured most of the tire tracks Anna had left behind the day before. Coasting to a halt at the dead end, he rammed the gears into park and jumped from the vehicle. He bellowed “Lilly!” at the top of his lungs and waited—his heart in his esophagus—for her response.
It didn’t come.
He kicked his boots off and wrestled from his jacket. Shifting into his wolf would be the fastest and most proficient way of tracking his mate. He glanced toward Theo. “I’ll send out an alert once I’ve found her.” Safe and sound. He refused to give credence to any other outcome.
His expression somber, Theo nodded. “I’ll bring your clothes with me.”
Within seconds Dante was naked, and he crouched onto the balls of his feet. The change came over him in a flash, and he released a determined howl as he leapt over the steep embankment.
She had to be alive. Because the alternative would fucking rip him apart.
No matter how much she tried to ignore the chill creeping into her bones, Lilly couldn’t get her teeth to stop chattering. She dozed fitfully in and out of consciousness. She knew with all certainty that the next time she closed her eyes, she’d likely not open them again. Ever.
If she’d had her choices of ways to die, hypothermia wouldn’t be top of the list. The cold had never been her best friend. She’d give anything to be lying in front of a warm fire right now. Her mind immediately rewound to the other night, when she and Dante had made love on the rug in her living room. The firelight had danced across his face, making him even more beautiful than usual. It’d revealed the love in his eyes as he’d pledged to try everything in his power to make their marriage work.
