Crossing Paths: A Brooklyn Shifters Romance Book 1

by Daphne Snow

  She rolled to the side landing uncomfortably on her hip but the white light stopped struggling. She was happy about that. Her baby hadn't exactly been in her plans for the future so soon but he or she was here now. She would do everything she could to make sure they were safe. This baby would live and she would raise it with Alexander despite her seemingly hopeless situation.

  What she wouldn't give to be back and snuggled up in bed with her man. The safety in his arms would be infinitely better to this hell she threw herself back into. Frannie berated herself mentally having known she really should have never left without him. How was she supposed to know it was a trap. Then again anything involving her mother had been less than wondrous over the years. This though was perhaps the last thing she would have expected.

  Kaiser the vilest man this side of the eastern seaboard was presently taking a phone call at the far end of the dry bay. Which was essentially just a cement box that held boats, either to clean them or for maintenance. This one clearly hadn't been used in a while and the boat docked here had rusted holes in the hull and paint peeling from its name. The wind that whistled through its empty shell was haunting.

  Kaiser was wearing a thin line in the dust and grime on his tattered suit as he paced back and forth on his phone listening intently. She wanted to scream to shout to change form into Fey but it wasn't time yet. Even Fey knew that as she paced back and forth ready to change when the right moment came. If she had learned anything about Kaiser it was that he never played fair. If she made a wrong move she could get her and her mother killed.

  She looked at the woman who sat next to her. She didn't say a word, only shook and cried. As soon as Frannie had woken up she had tried to ask her a million questions, she didn't answer. Once her continuous questions reached her captor's ears he only laughed, telling

  Frannie that there was no point. Her mother didn't even need to be tied up, the trauma in her eyes was enough to paint a nasty picture of obedience.

  She would deal with that later. She would ask her if she had really texted her and where Ray was and everything she needed to know but not now. Later.

  Frannie continued to look around there didn't seem to be anyone else but she smelled others. Her nose wiggling in the air trying to scent exactly where they were coming from. Humans and bloodlings but none of them close. Another shifter approached, a scent unfortunately familiar. Raymond, Fey growled in disgust.

  It was then that Frannie noticed a shadow fumbling down the stairs toward Kaiser, it was indeed Raymond, her stepfather. The person who married her mother and vowed and swore to protect her in sickness and in health. And he was here.

  The shriek of anger hurt as it tore through her throat. "You fucking bastard." She was too bitter and too bewildered to cry. He paid her no mind and just walked up to Kaiser an eerie smug grin on his face.

  Kaiser said something to him whilst still holding the phone to his ear. They spoke in hushed tones as Raymond looked from her to her mother in quick succession. Ray nodded and headed over his fat feet taking him closer to them.

  We must kill him! Fey whose anger had been tempered due to Fran trying to be discreet was now uncontrollable. Frannie's feet stretched and grew hair threatening to push through her boots. Her jaw hurt painfully as she fought the change. It wasn't time yet and she did her best to communicate that to Fey.

  Frannie wanted to give in to the anger and madness. It was clear enough in her eyes as he approached them that he had something to do with all of this.

  She'd spent the last hour trying to figure out how Kaiser found her weak point. She had shown up to her mothers ready to help her start fresh away from Raymond. She was nowhere to be found, not even the driver that took her could make sense of it. When Fran finally decided to give the woman a call her phone rang insistently in the living room. As soon as she picked it up a bag was hastily placed over her head. Whoever and now she could only believe it be Ray, kicked her several times in the head before she passed out.

  She had been beyond disoriented and the ratty cloth bag wasn't removed until they had her rolled to the edge of the dry bay. Her head at the time was reeling so she didn't even get a glimpse of the person before they nudged her with their foot and she fell in with a thump. The only thing she could think of at the time was to protect her stomach.

  Frannie hit the ground so hard she smacked her face onto the hard surface. making her nose bleed and she may be missing a tooth, but her baby was safe and she wasn't dead yet. She wouldn't stop fighting until they killed her. First Raymond took her mother and Kaiser took Mina. She would get out of her with her mother, information on Mina and their heads cut clean from their necks.

  The intense gruesome visual should have made her stomach turn. She wasn't normally that accustomed to such violence but this was her life. She was done with anyone telling her how she was going to spend it.

  Raymond knelt in front of Claudia touching her cheek. She winched and shook harder. "If I untie you, are you going to do everything I say?" He asked the stench of whiskey so potent Frannie could smell it from a distance. Her mother nodded her head.

  "Good, we have a lot we need to do tonight. I don't need you mouthing off like your whore daughter." Spitting out some blood in his direction that pooled in her cheek Frannie spoke, her words meaningful.

  "I'm gonna get out of this and then I'm going to fucking kill you." He chuckled at that his smug look never leaving. With more roughness than needed, he untied Claudia's already loose bindings. She didn't stand at first, just looked forward like a robot. He grabbed at her hair yelling at her to stand up. Frannie shouted at him to leave her alone but he ignored her. Raymond always had a talent for acting like she didn't exist.

  Her mother clutched at the hands ripping the fragile thin strands from her head. She complied standing as he tugged. Once she was at her full somewhat slumped height he let go pushing her towards Kaiser.

  "Leave her alone you fucking monster." Fran spat again spitting blood at him this time through red specks landing on his worn leather shoes. The ones he took pride in even though they were worth even less than his life. He stopped then his grin downturned and wild anger flashing in his eyes. He grabbed Claudia by the arm before she could keep moving. He turned her and placed her in front of Frannie, her distant eyes not even showing a hint of recognition.

  "Kick her." He demanded his tone low and poisonous. That seemed to cause some kind of reaction in her mother as her voice quivered. "W-what?"

  Frannie lied there terrified yet doing her best to stay strong she had more than just herself to think about. As long as she protected her stomach she would be okay. So she shrank into herself as best she could but she was still tied up like some pig.

  There was not a single shred of belief Frannie held that her mother would actually fight Raymond on this. She was more than sure the woman would just start kicking her until he told her to stop.

  "No." Frannie blinked a few times, not sure she had heard her correctly.

  "Kick her!" He repeated himself pointing and grinding his brittle teeth.

  "No, I won't!" Disbelief and stunned silence passed through the three of them. The only sound was that of Kaiser still on the phone. Francesca lay frozen and Claudia just continued to shake her thin bony hands trembling as she fisted them to her sides.

  Frannie's mother had never hit her or caused her any physical harm over the years. But that didn't mean she didn't threaten her with it. To know this is where she drew the line in the sand meant maybe somewhere in that hallowed body and empty eyes the mother she once knew still lived. It gave her hope. An unfettered strand of hope, once they got out of this everything would be okay.

  "I wanted you here with me Claudia I wanted you to see everything we could have together. But I just dont think this is going to work out anymore." Raymond said a strange calm coming across his features as he caressed the side of her face. Her mother winced away. Before he could elaborate or Frannie could make sense of his words Kaiser finally got off
the phone.

  "He's on his way." Kaiser spoke almost triumphantly. "Bring them down." Raymond nodded and walked away without another word. He left them there in silence. Her mother remained still for a moment before dropping to her knees in front of Frannie. Wet streaks of tears tracked down her cheeks. Her hair was still a ratted mess and she wore little else besides a torn long skirt and a jacket.

  "Mom dont worry we are gonna get out of this I promise." She tried to soothe her with a soft smile on her face. Claudia just shook her head and stared at her.

  Let me out. Fey was ready but Frannie still didn’t think it was time. She didn’t know what they were planning and wanted to make sure she wasn’t throwing them from the frying pan into the fire.

  "Nothing like a family reunion right?" The bastard Kaiser sneered out his face wrinkled in displeasure at the sight of them. Frannie remained quiet, afraid her temper would cause more harm than good. She had questions and lots of them but she would only ask once she had him on the ropes.

  "You know your little friend has been an absolute angel recently." He said crossing his spindly arms across his thin chest. The rage boiled in her and she couldn't stop herself.

  "Where is Mina you fucker? What did you do with her?" She had to know needed to know. She was past tears and wailing like a helpless damsel.

  "She is having all the fun in the world and the guys love her. I'm sure she can show you the ropes on how to behave like a good girl to our rather...rowdy bunch." She shook her head trying to make sense of it all but she couldn't.

  Just then the sounds of snarls and rushing footsteps caught her attention. Raymond was coming back, the familiar stink of alcohol rolling in waves. But there were others with him. Shifters definitely, something about them felt and smelt off though.

  Out of the darkness she watched as Ray held long chains in his hands. The dragging of the metal on concrete was exacerbated by the silence. Frannie looked in horror as the other end of multiple chains came into view.

  Men, shifter men dressed in rags that hung around their hips. They were covered in bloody gouges and dirt. Their bodies were half-formed into their animal counterparts. Some were wolves, bears, and lions. Others were less recognizable, foxes maybe even a tiger perhaps. Fur and hair stuck out in random places and some had full animal heads with human bodies. They twitched and snarled as some shuffled and others paced quickly.

  Their eyes which would normally be various colors were black. Dark holes that seemed to go on forever. It was as if there was no more man or beast, just pure anger and ferocity.

  A scream of sheer terror wanted to rip through her but she remained silent at it all. Even Fey, who seemed to quiver with anger and fear was silent. Her mother looked as well but seemed unsurprised by the horde of monsters. What had they done to her?

  Raymond attached them to some hook connected to the concrete wall and walked over. "Rodrick says they'll last maybe another three hours." Kaiser rolled his eyes at that and gave an uncontested disgusted growl.

  "Fucking blooldlings they have one job.” Raymond walked up to him and whispered something into his ear. Without even a flinch he nodded his head.

  “You may. But be quick about it our friend is on his way.” Frannie knew she somehow knew deep in her heart what was about to happen. The sullen resigned look on her mothers face compared to the excitement of Raymonds spoke volumes.

  “Mom no, please run please!” She whispered frantically as Raymond neared them. Tears flowed from her cheeks. Her mom simply knelt all the way down and pressed her forehead to Frans. Closing her eyes and she just breathed a moment. “Please don't do this.”

  The mirrett of emotions were overtaking her. Frannies hands and feet formed in Feys and she was moments away from becoming a black bear when Kaiser stepped forward. “You change and your next.”

  She stopped struggling then Fey succeeded and Frannies self preservation took over. The need to protect her unborn child surpassing the need to save her mother and she hated herself for that.

  She couldn’t stop the tears. It was impossible.

  In the next moment Claudia was jerked away from her by the neck of her thin jacket. “I wished things could be better between us. But it seems we are just not on the same page anymore.” Ray grunted out as he half dragged her mom over to the mad beast men. He threw her to the ground in front of them but they didn’t move much besides the awkward shuffling.

  As she sobbed knowing shouting would do no good she watched as Ray drew a small blade from his own jacket. He knelt down and took Claudia's hand in his. “I loved you.”

  Then he sliced her palm and in a flash the beast men were on her. She closed her eyes as Frannie screamed out for her. Raymond took a step back wiping the blade on his pants and walking back over to Kaiser.

  Frannie looked on in horror as the beast men ate, actually devoured her mother. The sounds of bones crunching and flesh melding was disgusting and haunting. Just like Minas scream when she was branded she would never, could never forget the sounds of her mother being eaten alive without uttering a single scream.

  Frannie shoved her face into the dirt terror and bile suffusing within her. Fey was just as stunned, unable to think they were hollow. Her mother had sacrificed herself for her. That alone was shocking. She just wept and wept until the sounds stopped.

  Something cold touched the side of her face and when she looked over. The spot where her mother had been was now just pooled blood that had steamed down the small incline into Frannies face and the remains of her hoodie. Not a single bone was left in their wake.

  The beast men went back to their shuffling and swaying no longer ravenous. Frannie didn’t know what to do. She would die here. If not from the torture Kaiser would inflich then by being eaten alive by shifters whose souls were tainted.

  What hope was there. Her mind was blank, the world silent and then like a piercing arrow. An aura of red and blue filled her mind.

  Alex.

  Her mind whirled back to the surface of the earth and her screams had finally faded. She didn’t even know she was still screaming till she stopped. And the voice of Kaiser filled the space.

  “It doesn't matter though I believe our friend is here. Shut her up." Tires on pavement sounded a moment after. Frannie couldn't see anything though, the sky was a perfect box of stars above her.

  Raymond had come over and wrapped a thick band of duct tape over her mouth. She struggled little knowing it was fruitless. When he was done he stared down at her a moment something cold and dead in his eyes before returning to Kaiser's side like a rabid puppy.

  Car doors sounded like they were opening and closing to the left of her.

  She hoped to the goddess it wasn't Alexander because she didn't know if he would make it out of here alive. Not with those things. But another part of her hoped it was. Because if she was going to die here then she wanted his face to be the last thing she saw.

  Chapter 22

  The soft commanding steps of Italian leather shoes turned all their heads. Kaiser's face brightened immediately. A lump in her throat started to form. It was the one person she was elated and simultaneously terrified to see.

  "Alexander." She breathed his name like a prayer on her lips. Hoping that this would all work out. That Kaiser whatever deal he asked of Alex would take it and go. That this man had no plans to kill her child's father.

  Of course, though this was Wilfred Kaiser, a man about whom she had firsthand knowledge, was cruel and deceitful. Within her Fey reached out to Axl, Frannie could feel their bond.

  They were always communicating but she never heard any of it. She was still trying to understand the depths of the connection they shared. Axl tells me we will be okay. Not to panic. Stay calm. Fey relayed the message but both bear and human were skeptical.

  Being calm wasn't exactly in the forefront of her mind. She had just seen her mother get torn to shreds and she genuinely didn't believe Kaiser or Raymond would let her leave this pit alive. Her mother's death had been
senseless and gruesome. The pure look of fear in her eyes as the beast men ripped her limb from limb would forever be burned into Frannie's mind.

  Though she had stopped wailing and screaming the tears kept coming. And she watched and waited with the duck tape over her mouth stinging as Alex descended the steps.

  Dressed in a fine black suit his hair fixed and the stubble he had before now shaved, his face was cold. Similar to when she had first met him, he looked as if he was devoid of any emotion. She knew it was to hide the fact he had been exhausted the last few weeks. Kaiser couldn't know. Alex couldn't let that putrid man in on any visual tells of weakness. By his side though she didn't expect to see Zelik.

  He was equally well dressed in a striped vest rather than a suit jacket. He too seemed cold, devoid of anger or hate. Though she knew he had fire teeming just under the surface. He always was the most obvious ticking time bomb. It was one thing to see her mate, it was another to see Zelik.