Finally she murmured, “No, they didn’t find me. I came back willingly.”
That made no sense. Why would anyone come back to this hell unless, “Does the General have your sister, Amber? Is that why you are here?”
Before she could answer, there was a loud bang as a door was flung open at the other end of the building and someone stepped inside, immediately followed by two others. Amber let out a small squeak of surprise, and then there was nothing.
Chase stared at the floor, feeling the low thrum of power coursing through his body. He kept quiet, waiting to see what would happen. It didn’t take long for the men to cross the room, and Chase’s nostrils flared when he inhaled a scent that he had never come across before, but one that bore a resemblance to that of his mate. Jinx had arrived.
“The General isn’t here,” one of the men said, stalking over to the cage and glaring inside.
“Where is he?” That was definitely Jinx. He would remember his voice anywhere, the one he’d heard in his mind right after attacking the General.
“Like you don’t know,” came the sarcastic reply.
“If I knew, I wouldn’t have asked,” was the cold response.
“Shut the fuck up, Denny,” the other man grunted. “The General is out of commission for the time being.”
“Out of commission? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Jinx ground out. “And who’s this sorry bastard?”
Denny chuckled, opening the cage and stepping inside. “He’s the reason the General is lying in a bed, fighting for his life right now.”
Come a little closer, Chase thought, and you will be in one next to him.
A low chuckle sounded in his mind, and then Let me find out what’s going on with the General before you take him out. I need to figure out if…Jinx was suddenly quiet before he growled, who’s here with you?
Stand down, Jinx, Chase growled, keeping his head lowered so that he didn’t attract more attention. He knew with all of the power flowing through his body right now that his eyes would have gone wolf and would be glowing a bright blue. She’s a friend.
Your friend smells like the General, Jinx snarled.
Chase stiffened, inhaling deeply. He caught the scent of Jinx, the filthy soldier standing in front of him, the other man, and Amber. Sorting the different smells out in his mind, he concentrated just on the young woman, and had to bite back the growl that threatened to break free. Jinx was right, she shared the General’s scent. She might have been around him recently, but it was more than that. It was something ingrained in her. She was somehow related to the General. Chase felt his fangs lengthen, anger seeping through him at the thought of being played by her. She had been in his damn compound, near his family! They had all fallen for her story about taking a job to help save money for her sister. They’d trusted her, and she had deceived them.
No! It wasn’t like that. Amber’s words flowed through his mind, filled with panic and something else. Remorse? I never meant to hurt anyone. Not ever. I can’t help who my father is. His head snapped up at that, a roar ripping from his throat. Denny was the unlucky one who was close enough to feel his wrath. Clasping the chains tightly, Chase pulled himself up and struck out with his legs, wrapping them around Denny’s waist and yanking him close. Not thinking twice, he leaned down and bit into the man’s jugular, twisting hard, and tearing the skin at his neck open. Spitting out blood, he dropped the lifeless body to the ground and glared at Jinx and the other soldier. Jinx was dressed all in black, with short brown hair, and dark brown eyes. He had a gun strapped to his hip, another on his thigh, and Chase could see the handles of several knives hidden in different places of his cargo pants. And was that a sword on his back?
“Holy shit,” the soldier said in awe, staring down at where Denny now lay on the ground, blood flowing from him. “How did you do that? We pumped you with so many drugs when you took out the General, that you shouldn’t even be moving right now!”
Chase, you have to stop. They will kill you! Please, stop.
Chase bared his teeth, breathing through the burning agony in his shoulder as he began to pull hard on the chains that held him.
Chase, please. I can’t let you die, but if I have to show myself, it will ruin all of the good I’m trying to do here.
Good? You are the devil’s daughter!
He heard the pain and acceptance in her voice when she replied, Yes, I am. But, Chase, I am not him. I do what I can to help the people he tries to hurt. Just like I helped Steele and Storm. But I can’t do that if he finds out what I’ve been doing. He will lock me in a cell and throw away the key. He doesn’t care who I am, Chase. I am nobody to him, but I am somebody to every single person I save. There was a pause, and then she whispered, Please, don’t take that from me. It is all that I have.
Chase heard a loud commotion at the door, and then it burst open, two soldiers rushing in. “What the hell is going on in here?” one of them demanded.
“Seems like your guy got a little too close to the big bad wolf,” Jinx drawled, stepping into the cage and picking up what was left of Denny to throw him out.
Aware that all eyes were on him, inquiring and calculating, Chase snarled, “You want to be next?’
Jinx turned back, his eyes trained on him, even as Chase felt the slight movement behind him. Don’t, he cautioned, she’s not what she seems.
I know, was all Jinx said before stepping up close to him. “I heard you challenged the General,” he growled, “which means you’ve got balls. But trust me, wolf, you don’t want to fuck with me.”
Chase bared his teeth, making a show of yanking on the chains again. “I’m no more afraid of you than I was of him.”
“That’s your first mistake,” Jinx said coldly, and Chase knew that if things were different, he would be dead right now. Jinx was not one to mess around. If he felt threatened, he eliminated the problem. It was what he was trained to do, and Chase did not fault him for it.
Before he could respond, the door opened and a dark, imposing figure entered, flanked by two others. He was large and foreboding, and walked with an edge of power that immediately captured Chase’s attention.
The man walked toward them, stopping in front of the cage. Chase snarled at him, unwilling to back down. The bastard just looked at him, raising an eyebrow. “Someone want to explain to me what the hell is going on here?” he commanded. When no one responded, he looked at Jinx. “I asked a question.”
Jinx turned to glare at him, his hands hanging loosely at his sides as he growled, “I don’t answer to you.”
The man let out a short laugh, “Actually, with the General incapacitated at the moment, you do. Now I will ask again, what is going on here?” Jinx returned the man’s glare, but refused to answer. “You obviously don’t know who I am, son.”
“I obviously don’t give a shit.”
The man threw back his head and laughed, and then with an evil half grin, he motioned to one of his men. The guy didn’t make it very far. He made the mistake of reaching for Jinx, and was on the ground, knocked out cold, a second later.
“And don’t call me son,” Jinx snarled. “There are only two men in this world who have earned the right to call me that, and you aren’t one of them.” Walking out of the cage, Jinx slammed the door shut behind him, scowling at the newcomer before stalking across the floor away from everyone.
Just before he reached the door, the man hollered, “My name is Jerome Livingston.” Chase saw Jinx pause, as if the name meant something to him. “You can call me Sir or Boss. Until the General gets better, if he does, you will answer to me, whether you want to or not. If you don’t, you will die, simple as that.”
Chase felt a low growl of rage begin to rise in his chest, but shoved it back down hard. That would be the first, and the last time Jerome Livingston threatened Jinx. Once he figured out how to get out of the chains binding him, the bastard was a dead man.
Jinx walked out of the building without looking back, which
was a huge blow to Jerome’s pride. “Pick that dumb son of a bitch up and let’s get out of here. I have things to take care of,” he snapped. With one last glance at Chase, he shook his head. “Don’t think I don’t know who you are, Chase Montgomery of the White River Wolves. Not only do I know who you are, but I know that you are the reason one of our top men is in surgery as we speak. But don’t worry, I have it on very good authority that he will make it. I think I will keep you around so that he can kill you himself later.”
Jerome left, the rest of the soldiers following close behind. When they were gone, Chase let out a sigh of relief. He’d been worried that one of them would discover Amber, and as angry as he was at her for lying to them all, he did not want her dead. “Amber,” he muttered, “you better get the hell out of here before someone comes back.” When there was no answer, he tried again, “Amber, you seriously need to go.” When there was still no response, he closed his eyes and concentrated, inhaling deeply. Her scent was in the air, but not as strong as before. It was slowly ebbing away. She was gone. So much for his rescue party.
19
“Dammit,” Angel spat, throwing her knife into the ground. Frustration filled her as she waited impatiently for Jinx to contact her. They had arrived in D.C. the day before, and when she was unable to reach her son, they found a place on the edge of the city to stay at until they heard from him.
Angel was out behind the hotel, sitting on a log within a small cluster of trees. The cool, crisp air and music from the birds in the branches above should have helped calm her, but nothing was working. She had tried several times to merge with Chase, but was still unable to. She felt lost and empty without him near, and a part of her was terrified he had already left this world, even though she knew in her heart that he still lived. She was unused to dealing with all of the emotions that bombarded her lately, and they pissed her off. She was not a weak person. She couldn’t afford to be.
“Nothing?”
Sable’s voice interrupted Angel’s thoughts, and it pissed her off even more that she hadn’t heard the woman’s approach. “If I had something, I sure as hell wouldn’t be sitting here.”
She instantly regretted her snide remark, but wasn’t surprised at Sable’s sassy reply. “Then maybe you should get off your ass and find something. While Chase is out there, going through who knows what, we are stuck here, and I for one, am tired of waiting.”
Angel removed her knife from the ground, and then slowly raised her eyes to meet Sable’s dark ones. Instead of reprimanding her, Angel asked softly, “What’s your story, Sable?”
“What do you mean?” Sable hedged.
“You are a good enforcer, loyal to a fault. You aren’t afraid to stand up for what you believe in, nor are you afraid of dying for those you care about. You would give your life in a heartbeat for Chase, and not just because he is your alpha.” Sable stiffened, but did not respond. “I have looked into you, Sable.” When a low growl escaped, Angel held up a hand. “It was nothing personal. I investigated everyone in the pack when Lily was taken, but some I have followed more closely than others since then.”
“Why me?”
“Because you intrigue me,” Angel admitted, letting a small smile show.
Sable lifted her chin, defiance in her gaze, “And what have you learned?”
“You grew up in the pack,” Angel started, slipping her knife back into the sheath at her ankle. “You have a loving family, with three very protective older brothers, all of which have mated and are now living with their mates’ packs in different states. You used to be an elementary school teacher in town, and you loved it, but you quit suddenly six years ago. You have been an enforcer for Chase for the past five years, which drives your brothers crazy. Do you want me to go on?”
Sable shrugged, “Whatever.”
Angel stood, closing the distance between them and laying a hand gently on Sable’s arm. “I know a lot more, Sable,” she said softly, hating the way the woman trembled in agitation and fear now. “I’m sorry. I hate that I violated your privacy the way that I did. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Then why did you?” Tears filled Sable’s eyes, and she turned to look out into the trees surrounding them.
“Because I want you to know, that no matter what, you can always count on me, Sable. I will always be here for you, just like Chase is.”
Sable bit her bottom lip, still refusing to look in Angel’s direction. “Chase saved me,” she whispered. “He gave me purpose, something to live for. He was there for me when I needed someone.”
“And now he needs you.”
Sable jerked her arm from Angel’s grasp and turned quickly, her gun raised and trained on the man who stood in front of them. “Who are you?”
“It is okay, Sable,” Angel interjected, reaching out to try and push the gun down. “He’s my son.”
Sable’s eyes narrowed, her gaze never leaving Jinx, as she refused to lower her weapon. “Talk,” she growled.
Angel saw a look of admiration cross Jinx’s face before he nodded. “Chase is being held at a facility about an hour from here. It took me a while to find him because it is a different place than the General normally takes them.”
“Them?” Sable asked.
“Them. His victims. His prey. The people he wants to fuck with,” Jinx said.
“You’re an ass,” Sable snarled. Angel wanted to laugh at the exchange, but was too worried about Chase. She was conscious of the rest of her team arriving, placing themselves strategically around her and Sable.
Jinx grinned, but then sobered quickly as he glanced at all of them before continuing, “We have a problem. My plan was to slip him out and make it look like he escaped, but I can’t. I am being watched too closely. If I make a move, they will know and my position will be compromised.”
“Fuck your position,” Sable snarled. “Chase’s life is more important.”
“And what about my life?” Jinx growled, his dark brown eyes flashing emerald briefly, and then back to their normal color. Angel gasped, having never seen them do anything like that before. “The General is in bed, recovering from his fight with Chase. A new boss has been brought in to take over until he can lead again.”
“Who?” Jaxson interrupted.
“His name is Jerome Livingston.”
“I’ve never heard of him,” Angel said.
“He is very powerful,” Jinx told them. “And he has a lot of backing behind him. He will kill you without thinking twice, and his eyes are on my every little move right now.”
“What if he follows you here?” Sapphire asked, taking a step closer to Jinx. Her eyes were full of worry, and love for a nephew she had never met.
Jinx looked at her, his brow furrowing in confusion as he drew in her scent. “Who are you?”
Sapphire smiled tremulously, as she whispered, “I’m your father’s sister.”
“My father’s family is dead.”
“No,” Sapphire said, taking another step closer. “Everyone thought we were, even the General, but Bane and I survived. Storm found us, and we now fight alongside RARE to rid this world of the General.”
“That’s far enough,” Jinx growled, stopping Sapphire when she would have come closer to him. “I don’t do hugs and kisses, or any of that mushy shit.”
“You really are an ass,” Sable muttered.
“No,” Angel said quietly, “he’s not. He just wasn’t raised to show his emotions.”
“She’s right, I was raised to kill, nothing more,” Jinx ground out. Angel felt the sadness in his words, even though she knew the others could not. She knew her son only killed to protect the people he cared about. He didn’t enjoy it. “To answer your question, a couple of Jerome’s puppets did follow me. They are taking a small nap right now, which means we need to hurry this conversation along so that I can get back to them.”
“Where is the facility?” Angel asked, knowing it was futile to try and convince Jinx how much he needed his family
right now. He was a lone wolf, and even though he may be asking for help to save Chase’s life, he would never ask anyone to help save his own.
For the next ten minutes, Jinx gave them directions on how to get to the old warehouse where Chase was being held, along with a detailed layout of the place. “He is chained up in a cage, starved and beaten every couple of hours.” He hesitated, “I haven’t been able to help him myself, but Amber has.”
“Amber?” Angel only knew of one Amber, but it couldn’t be her, could it? “What does she look like?”
Jinx sighed, glancing up at the darkening skies. “She is the same one.”
“Dammit, I told her she needed to stay with the White River Wolves. I knew the General would find her again.”
“It’s not what you think,” Jinx told her.
“Then what the hell is it? That girl is too naive to be caught up in this hell.”
Jinx let out a rough, low laugh. “Yeah, all sweet and innocence that one.”
“Jinx.”
“She is the General’s daughter,” he told her.
“Oh, my God,” Charlotte whispered. “Amber? She was so nice.”
“Unfortunately, for her, she really is that nice,” Jinx replied, “and it is going to get her ass killed.”
“You care about her,” Angel said, still reeling from the fact that the woman who had helped Steele and Storm escape their prison in Alaska just weeks before was related to the evil bastard they all wanted to bring down.
“She’s a good person. She doesn’t deserve the life that was handed to her.”
“I thought you didn’t do all of that mushy bullshit,” Sable murmured.
Jinx’s eyes snapped to hers. “I reserve it for certain people. Like the ones who have put their own lives on the line time after time to save others.”
“She is the reason your father made it out alive in Alaska,” Angel told Jinx. “She saved both him and Storm.”
Angel's Destiny Page 11
