by Dawn Ryder
“Seriously?” Thais remarked as she caught sight of the healthy food. But she grinned and nodded. “Guess you have a little first-hand experience.”
LeAnn gave her a low chuckle but there was something about the white board with its pictures that was demanding her attention.
The prowler incident was underlined. So was the night Jaelyn’s car had been disabled. It was the picture of Bram’s truck parked next to Jaelyn’s car that refused to let LeAnn move.
“You went to see her that night…” LeAnn was thinking out loud. “You didn’t just call a tow truck and get her an Uber ride home.”
“No, I didn’t,” Bram confirmed. He was watching her, picking up the fact that she was thinking through details.
“Because you wouldn’t take a chance on a stranger like that…” LeAnn shared a look with Bram.
He shook his head, giving her the male version of I-don’t-want-to deal-with-your-hurt-feelings.
LeAnn knew it well and yet, she pushed it aside in favor of a memory that was trying to get her attention. Like it was mega important and she realized it really was.
“Grandpa…,” LeAnn said. “Didn’t you say Jaelyn was talking about a car trying to pick her up at the hospital?”
Her grandfather was chewing but his eyebrows lowered.
Bram stepped into her path. He was all business again, his expression sending a chill down her back. “What car?”
LeAnn felt the mood in the room change. It was as sudden as a balloon popping. What had been light and playful was suddenly loud and painful.
“She said … the guy claimed you’d sent him.”
She heard a fork clatter onto a plate and then Thais was typing at a frantic pace. Dare had abandoned his food as well, moving to stand behind Thais. They stared at the screen for a moment, both of them visibly reacting to whatever was being displayed. Bram brushed by her, intent on seeing it, too.
Dare looked up. “It’s registered to a Gideon, who just happens to be a military contractor—”
“Fuck!” Bram exploded as he leaned down and looked intently at the screen.
When Bram raised his face, there was a hard look of resignation. One he aimed at Milton Sondors. Her grandfather lowered his piece of chicken and wiped his lips.
“Tell it to me straight, son.”
“This guy was deployed with me,” Bram said, his tone thick with disgust. “A little off, but I didn’t think he was unhinged enough to pull something like this.”
“It’s better than Martin,” Dare muttered.
Thais was clicking and moving the mouse. Seconds crawled by like hours as LeAnn watched the three agents try and pick up a trail.
Find her …
“Not by much,” Bram replied. “The guy was obsessed with the fact that he wasn’t getting as much attention from women as uniformed men did.” He stiffened. “As I did.”
Bram’s tone was ice cold with self-loathing.
“But now we know who has her,” Dare said. “And he doesn’t have the training to hide deep enough.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Bram confirmed.
* * *
The links of her chain were too thick to pry apart.
Jaelyn looked at the tweezers she’d found among the bathroom supplies and tried to fit one end of them into the lock that connected the chain to the iron bed frame.
“Are you ready to eat?”
She turned to face Creepy, gaining confidence or at least enough poise to maintain her composure from the flash of surprise on his face. She knew what he was seeing.
The hair.
The makeup.
The way she’d put on one of the expensive sets of silk nighties he’d put in the closet.
Oh yes. Creepy was grinning like a fourteen-year-old boy who had just managed to sneak his first Playboy into his room.
Jaelyn latched on to the moment, letting it build up her confidence.
She could turn the tables on him.
Success meant life.
He rolled his lower lip in and when it came back out, it was shiny.
“I’m hungry…” she whispered as she moved slowly around the bed and perched herself on the padded bench at the foot. She patted it gently.
Creepy jumped and the tray went smashing onto the polished floor.
Jaelyn ducked her chin and looked up at him with big eyes.
“Fuck…,” he mumbled, looking at the mess but unable to keep his eyes off her. “Right … I’ll … be back. Don’t move.”
“I’ll be right here.”
He nearly jumped as he turned and bounded out of the room. One thing about this penthouse was that you could hear everything. Jaelyn waited just a moment before she moved toward the mess on the floor. Her belly was rumbling, making low growling sounds. The scent of the food made her mouth water but she had other priorities.
She dug out two pieces of broken plate and held her chain up so it didn’t give her away while she was going into the bathroom to hide them. The silverware was tempting but she was afraid he’d notice.
She returned and scooped up the mess onto the tray, making it look like a mess.
“What are you doing?”
Creepy was back in the doorway. She lifted a shoulder and used a napkin to dab up some residue. “Just … cleaning up … I mean … my grandma raised me to be neat … a good girl.”
She let fat tears roll down her cheeks. It was a risk. Some guys detested crying females.
Creepy was caught off guard. His eyes widened as he took the mess with him and disappeared.
* * *
Sullivan snickered and snorted beer.
He drug his forearm under his nose to wipe it away before peering back at his monitors.
Gideon was such a dumb ass. Fact smart, but street stupid. His new pet was playing him.
* * *
“It’s personal,” Bram argued. “Gideon was a little screwy on post but I didn’t see any indication that he’d gone off the deep end.”
But they had it now. The car was clearly registered to him and was brand-new. Bram leaned over, enhancing the footage to look at the driver. He had a hat pulled down low and the collar of his suit jacket turned up to help hide his face.
“Looks like he was expecting company, too,” Thais remarked. “The female sort.”
Thais had pulled up Gideon’s bank records. A list of store transactions showed off body wash, lingerie, curling irons, and a dozen other bathroom items intended for the feminine customer.
“Do you know where she is?” Milton Sondors asked the question in a tone LeAnn had never heard her grandfather use. She’d have sworn he was thirty years younger and even glancing toward him didn’t quite shatter that image.
Her grandfather was on his feet, looking ready to go to war.
Bram grunted as he stood. “I know where he took her.”
Thais and Dare were suddenly in motion. For all that Thais was sultry and seduction incarnate, it didn’t seem to stop her from grabbing a body armor vest and putting it on with all the same confidence Dare did.
“I’m coming with you,” LeAnn’s grandfather said.
Bram stepped up to her grandfather. “I need to handle it.”
“I disagree, son. Whoever he is, this Gideon touched my family.”
“He’s my responsibility.” Bram lowered his voice. “And I’m not going to let the local cops in. There is no way he’s getting more rights than Jaelyn.”
There was an ominous tone in his voice, one Thais punctuated with pushing a full cartridge into her handgun.
The sound was like a gavel pounding.
“Son—” Her grandfather wasn’t planning on bending.
“Since we’re not including the local PD,” Dare added, “someone needs to man a position here. The guy knows where you live.”
LeAnn realized she’d been holding her breath. She was relieved to have them working her grandfather out of his determination but didn’t much care for being used as the reason.
; Well … beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Milton snorted. “You still think I’m some sort of fool,” he said, pointing at Dare. “I taught both girls how to shoot before they needed bras because I know what sort of men inhabit this world.”
“Wise of you,” Thais purred as she reached behind her and plucked another gun off the table. It was still in a leather holster, the kind with a clip to be secured into a belt. “My personal rule is, don’t shoot anyone the world will miss.”
LeAnn caught the gun when Thais tossed it to her. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Bram had turned to contemplate her. She pulled the gun, checked it with a sure hand, and pushed it back into the holster.
“Time is wasting,” she said, looking past Bram to her grandfather. “Let them go. They look like they don’t have as many rules to follow as the cops. It’s sort of working for me.”
Her grandfather drew in a stiff breath before he grunted and nodded. “Seems you have some good sense in that head after all, LeAnn.”
“Thank you.” Bram spoke softly.
“Don’t think I didn’t see your buddy Servant there reaching for his handcuffs,” Milton exclaimed.
LeAnn turned wide eyes toward Dare. The agent lifted his hands into the air as though he had no idea what her grandfather was referring to.
“Be glad I need you, son,” Milton warned him. “Because I don’t much care for any insinuation that I’ve grown too feeble to see to my own family.”
Dare gave it up and nodded once before all traces of playfulness evaporated from his face.
“I’ll bring her back,” Bram promised.
Or die trying …
LeAnn saw the unspoken words in the way his eyes narrowed. He was turning and moving toward the other end of the living room. It felt like time slowed down, giving her plenty of hour-long moments in which to memorize Bram putting his gear on.
So practiced …
So very much in his element.
Determination flared in his eyes and it was the last thing she saw before he was moving toward the door, his fellow agents falling into step.
The only thing left for her to do was pray.
Which to be honest, fucking sucked.
* * *
Creepy was doing dishes.
Jaelyn rushed into the bathroom but forbid herself to throw up. Her belly was just going to have to deal with the nausea she’d fought back with every bite he’d insisted on hand feeding her.
She grabbed the pieces of broken plate and used one to tap against the other, breaking off tiny bits until she had a grove on either side like an arrowhead.
The closet was full of lacy bits of lingerie. It made it simple to find a nightie that was more string than fabric. She tilted her head to the side and listened for the water again before sinking to her knees and using the tattered garment to tie her arrowhead to the end of the back-scrubbing brush.
It made a crude spear but Jaelyn smiled as she held it up. The sight of the chain connected to her collar just made her feel even more victorious.
She refused to be a victim.
“What are you doing?”
She jumped but tightened her hands on the spear.
“What are you doing?” Creepy demanded from the closet door.
He was coming toward her, his hands outstretched, while his face contorted with rage.
“Defending myself!” she cried out, screaming as she surged up and drove the spear into his unguarded belly.
He let out a scream that was as horrible as it was wonderful. There was a warm gush of blood, spilling over her hands as he recoiled. The broken plate sunk into his flesh but it took all of her strength. He recoiled, pulling off her weapon and stumbling back.
He looked down at the blood spilling from his body.
“Bitch!” he gasped. “I’ll shoot you…”
The scent of fresh blood did something to her, made something snap inside her brain. She let out a roar and jumped after him. Creepy was staggering backward on uncertain feet, colliding with the wall while his face went a sickly gray. All the while he was trying to make it to the doorway, where he could leave her tethered while he retrieved a gun.
Now … or never …
Jaelyn leaped toward him. She jammed her weapon back into him with strength she hadn’t known she possessed. This time, her spear penetrated deeper and she aimed up, toward his diaphragm. Creepy was reaching for her throat but there was a strange rattle as he tried to suck in breath. She watched him gasp like a fish.
“Gonna … kill … you … too…”
He came off the wall with a spurt of energy. She fell back, falling and hitting the floor with a smack. Pain surged through her body as she felt him grabbing her clothing.
She fought.
Fought like she’d never fought before in her life. Kicking and screaming as she struggled to make it across the floor of the bathroom.
Every second felt like it lasted an hour. All of her senses were keener, too. She felt her fingernails breaking as she clawed at the tile floor. Felt her knees bruising and scraping while she kicked at Creepy behind her. Every impact with him was solid and sent a jolt of pain through her entire body.
But she fought on.
“Freeze!”
Caught in the grip of her battle to survive, Jaelyn looked up in shock at the man coming through the doorway of the bathroom. Her lungs were burning, unable to keep up with the frantic pounding of her heart. She couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t seem to make herself understand what was happening. Her brain was locked into the struggle for survival.
Someone grabbed her by the back of her top and hauled her into the bedroom while someone else was stepping over her. She ended up looking at the man’s boots while he shouted at Creepy.
Help … help had arrived.
In an instant, her body seemed to run out of fuel. She ended up in a heap on the floor of the bedroom. Every inch of her body hurting and pulsing and all the pain did was make her feel so very alive.
Yeah … alive …
She became strangely absorbed with the bright red blood coating her fingers. She managed to roll to one side so she might lift her hand and stare at her fingers. The blood was pooling under her fingernails and running in little, thick drops down her wrist.
Blood from her kill …
“Clear!”
“Clear!”
Jaelyn jerked, realizing someone was crouched over her. She watched him lower his gun as he looked down at her.
Dark hair.
Blue eyes.
Bram …
“I’ve got you.”
His voice was so welcome. Like a warm blanket on a cold night. Sinking into its fold was so tempting, and yet, the scent of the blood made her bare her teeth.
“I was doing just fine.” She really had no idea why she felt the need to argue, only that the impulse was impossible to quell. Jaelyn lifted her hand, like some sort of declaration of her strength.
Bram shifted his attention to the blood, his lips curving just a tiny amount.
“Suspect is dead.” Someone else came close enough for her to see. The badge clipped to his vest caught her attention.
Bram had the same body armor on. Clad in mostly black from head to toe, he looked dangerous and she realized she loved it.
Someone brought a key in to unlock the collar around her neck.
“I want to see him.”
Bram’s eyes narrowed. “He’ll never bother you again.”
Jaelyn struggled to stand. “I want … to … see…”
She wasn’t going to wait for an answer, either. Jaelyn started toward the bathroom door, her legs shaking. But Bram gripped her arm and pulled her back. “It’s not a pretty sight.”
Jaelyn smiled. Most likely, she’d regret it later or at least realize it wasn’t the brightest reaction to have let anyone see, but for the moment, impulses ruled her and she wanted to see with her own eyes.
“I’m the one who did the damage,” she i
nformed him.
“Let her see,” a woman said.
Jaelyn turned to catch sight of a woman who had blended so easily with the two men, Jaelyn hadn’t taken notice of her slighter frame. Whoever she was, the woman was the sort of pretty that fell into the category of beautiful.
“Sinclair.” Bram turned and pegged her with a hard look.
“I want to see,” Jaelyn repeated through clenched teeth.
Bram turned and caught her by her forearms. “Jaelyn—”
She shoved at him. “Stop trying to protect me.”
He wasn’t expecting that. She watched surprise register in his eyes before he was reluctantly moving out of her path.
Creepy was lying face down on the bathroom floor. A puddle of blood was seeping out of him. The dark-haired agent turned him over, revealing the wounds she’d made with her spear.
“Clever,” Agent Sinclair said as she held up the spear. “Using what you had to work with.”
“I killed him.” She was shaking again, so damned cold and yet, victory was warming her like a double shot of whiskey. “Good.”
Better than good really.
It was justice.
* * *
Ricky pointed his gun at the screen. “Got you…”
He watched the agents make their way up the stairs, their Shadow Ops badges clear enough even on the security cameras.
He’d fucking remember those badges for the rest of his life.
He reached for a cell phone and dialed 911.
“What is your emergency?”
“There are people … with guns!” Ricky did his best Southern drawl impersonation. “Kicking in the penthouse door! Bantam building, on Second Street … hurry up … I think someone is dying!”
Ricky lowered the phone and used a towel to wipe the case clean. The dispatcher was firing questions at him but he tossed the phone onto the desk before he wiped it down, too.
He needed to make enough noise so Bram Magnus couldn’t disappear too easily.
Tyler Martin wouldn’t pick up the scent otherwise.
Ricky grabbed his backpack and left the apartment, wiping fingerprints away as he went.
He shrugged into a construction vest and hard hat before hitting the hallways where the security cameras might be active. He made sure to stop along his way and check a few control panels.
