Prey (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Mary Lou George

  Dropping off the pictures with Reggie so she could go through them, Jade called to Rags and headed off to the clinic. She needed to spend some time with Tammara and Erick the donkey. It was just starting to get dark when she parked outside the clinic. She walked directly out to the barn.

  Sam’s face lit up when he saw her, and fleetingly she wondered if hers did the same thing when she looked at him. It certainly felt like it did.

  “Hey, Jinx.” He leaned down and took her lips with his. It started out as a casual hello kiss and ended up taking Jade’s breath away. Sam looked around “How do you feel about hay?”

  Puzzled, she didn’t answer right away. He was up to something, she could see it in his eyes. She didn’t have to wait long to find out. He threw her over his shoulder and walked to an empty stall. The hay felt prickly on her back, and it was cold in the barn, but she didn’t mind. She was too busy getting her hands on Sam. He tasted divine, and she couldn’t get enough. Keyed up, Jade looked for an outlet and dug her fingernails into his back. He groaned in response.

  He looked down at her. “Tell me, Jade.”

  She frowned, not understanding what he asked of her.

  “Tell me what you want me to do to you. Tell me what you want to do to me.” He pulled her braid, and she arched her neck. He murmured between kisses, between nips, “Don’t bother to watch your language, Jinx, now is not the time to be polite. Say it.” His ingenious lips sent shivers down her spine as he set the pace.

  Still, she couldn’t do what he’d asked. She couldn’t find her voice until he showed her how. Jade had never known words could be so erotic and have such a profound effect on her. At that moment, he wasn’t a gentleman, and he didn’t watch his language. She loved it and happily returned the favor. Sam’s reaction was just as profound, and they cried out together.

  Exhausted but content, they embraced each other. Their lovemaking had ignited enough heat that neither of them noticed the cold.

  Sam laughed. “There’s just something about barns.”

  “Maybe it’s that farmer’s daughter thing.” She giggled. Petra made a strange noise and claimed Jade’s attention. She froze in Sam’s arms, and listened to what the horses and Erick were trying to tell her.

  Sam stayed perfectly still. It was obvious that something was wrong. He waited for Jade to explain.

  She sat up and started to gather her clothes saying, “They’re frightened. Petra can feel that creature outside not far from here. It’s hunting. It can smell us.”

  “And it’s been looking to mate. I can just imagine what it feels right now knowing we’re together.” Sam swore.

  “You said it. The animals were a little less discreet about it, but it amounts to the same thing. We’re just winding the thing up.”

  “That’s probably not a good thing, huh?” He thrust his hips up and pulled his jeans on.

  Jade shook her head. A feeling of terror washed over her. “It’s not safe in here, Sam. It’s coming.”

  The horses were noticeably agitated, the tension was thick.

  “Do they have an idea of how close this thing is?” Sam asked as he dialed Travis’s emergency number. His words were clipped and concise then he hung up.

  “It’s hard to understand them. They’re all talking at once. I think it’s at the house. The horses think the thing has our scent and isn’t wasting time. It knows we’re here and what we were doing.” She looked horrified for a second. “Is there anyone else here?”

  She sighed with relief when Sam shook his head. “Come on. We have to get inside the clinic” He took Jade’s hand, and they ran as fast as she could run. Sam matched his stride to hers staying beside her all the way.

  They slammed and locked the clinic door behind them. The dogs in the kennel were barking frantically. The sound assaulted Jade’s senses as their panic only intensified her fear. Still, she jumped when the creature outside threw itself against the clinic door. Knocking out the outside lights with one well aimed swing, the creature snarled and screamed with frustration. Sam ran to his office and unlocked a metal cabinet. Jade followed him and shut the door behind them. Shocked, she watched as he grabbed a rifle and loaded it.

  “Don’t worry, it’s a tranquillizer gun, Jinx.”

  Her heart jumped into her throat making it hard to speak. “How are you going to shoot it? Do you know the tranquillizer will stop it?”

  Sam shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve calculated generously based on its size, but it keeps shifting. It’s hard to know, so I’m giving it all I’ve got.” Jade couldn’t help but yelp when she heard a window smash.

  Sam squeezed her shoulder with his hand. “Open the door when I nod to you. Stay behind it. I’m going to start shooting as soon as I can.”

  Jade nodded and joined him at the door. On his signal she opened it with one smooth motion. He fired almost immediately. Behind the door with her eyes squeezed shut, Jade heard more shots and an indescribable scream. Then all went silent. Sam’s head appeared behind the door, and he nodded at her.

  “I hit it.”

  Her eyes widened and she moved towards him.

  Shaking his head he clarified, “I hit it more than once, but didn’t take it down.”

  Jade looked towards the kennel. The animals were quiet and still. “The dogs are quiet now. We need to check on them. Maybe the creature’s run off. They’ll tell me.”

  “I’ll go first.” He held the reloaded rifle ready. With a hand on his back, Jade followed close behind.

  The kennel was clear. Jade walked inside. Rags and Dodger were happy to see them both. The creature had indeed run off.

  She told Sam that according to the animals the coast was clear. He took her into his arms and held her safe and close. He turned his head when they heard cars outside, but didn’t take his arms from around her waist.

  Travis burst in and Sam said, “Go, track it. It’s run off. I know it took at least three tranquillizer darts and could still run. Make sure no one is alone out there. I don’t know how far it got.”

  Jade shook her head saying, “Somehow it’s managed to cover a lot of ground already. The dogs don’t smell it anymore, and they can catch a scent a mile away. It’s gone, but if you follow it right away, with enough backup, you might find it.”

  Sam said, “Now might be the perfect time. Those tranqs had to have had some effect. Maybe they slowed it down. It might be weak.” Sam cupped Jade’s chin. “I’m going with Travis.”

  Earnest green eyes met stubborn brown ones. “I’m going too.”

  Chapter 28

  The night sky was clouded over, obliterating the moon. Snow covered the ground and made it easier to track the thing that had attacked so viciously. By flashlight, they carefully followed the creature’s trail. Sam didn’t have time to argue with her so Jade joined the search party. They found next to nothing. Travis gathered the spent tranquillizer darts, three in total. Sam pointed out the trail of blood the creature had left.

  Jade said, “It’s been hurt.” She felt sorry for it. Maybe that’s what had made it so dangerous. It was completely alone in the world, in pain with no mate, no kin. One of a kind, a truly unique species, how lonely would that be?

  “By the amount of blood, it looks like its wounds are pretty serious,” Deputy Brown said.

  Sam shook his head. “I’m not sure if this is a fatal loss of blood or not. I don’t know what’s normal for such a creature. It kept shifting shapes, but the wounds on its body stayed the same no matter what form it assumed.”

  Jade turned to Sam. “You got a better look at it than I did, but did you think was there something familiar about it? I swear, there’s something I’m missing. I can’t put my finger on it.”

  Sam said, “It shifted so much there was something familiar in all its forms. But if you’re suggesting we’ve met it on the street. I gotta say, I didn’t see it.”

  She shook her head. “Maybe I’m crazy. I was so scared, I’m not sure if my impressions are reliable
or not.”

  Travis stopped. Holding up his hand, he crouched down and pointed at the snow on the ground. “The tracks end here.” He started to look around. “Where did they go? There’s nothing, they fade into nothing.” Travis turned to his deputies. “Could you guys rope this area off? We need more light to investigate.”

  Dispirited, Sam sighed. “We’re not going to get anything here. The creature is too smart. It knows what its doing.”

  “Yeah, why don’t you head back to your place?” Travis called to Brown. “Could you go back to the clinic with Sam and Jade? Check out the area.” Brown nodded and joined Sam and Jade.

  It didn’t take long to get back to Sam’s place, they knew the way and they weren’t looking for anything. Sam and Jade walked into the house and dropped onto the couch in the living room. He put an arm around her and rested her head on his chest.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “That was the most terrified I’ve ever been. It was coming after us. If you hadn’t hit it with the tranquillizer, I don’t think we’d be having this conversation.”

  He agreed. “That creature was not a product of our perfectly balanced environment. It’s got to be some sort of sick lab experiment.”

  “What about dark magic?” Jade ventured. “Didn’t someone suggest that this creature could be conjured by someone very powerful? How do we know it’s not a magical creature?”

  Sam shook his head, “Someone like that could never have slipped by Ernestine, not to mention Reggie and Gillian.”

  “How do we know that? If this person can conjure and control a creature like this, isn’t it possible he or she is more powerful than Ernestine even?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never known anyone with more talent than Ernestine, and the three of them together puts them over the top I should think.” He paused for a second then continued, “You have a point though. What if the creature is part of both? Scientific experiment and magical experiment?”

  Jade waited for him to go on, afraid she knew what he was going to say.

  “My parents are the most likely suspects. They’re from the Old Families and have the resources to back the scientific end of it. Yeah. I think I’m going to have to have another chat with some of the evil geeks at Daniels Pharmaceuticals. I haven’t pressured them enough I guess. I have a full schedule tomorrow, but I’ll go the day after.”

  Jade looked concerned for a moment and objected lightheartedly, “But that’s the Sinclair Christmas party. My big debut. Surely you don’t want to miss it.”

  He laughed. “I’ll make sure I’m back in time for the big event.” He stood up and looked back at her sitting on the couch. “I’ve got to check on the animals again. They’re probably still pretty shaken up.”

  Jade put a hand out to him, and he helped her stand. “I’ll come with you. Petra, Tammara and Erick will be more worried about us than they are themselves.”

  “Poor Charlie, he’s been through so much. Hopefully the sedative I gave him earlier helped insulate him, but you never know. This kind of thing isn’t good for the healing process. I appreciate your willingness to help, but you don’t have to. Will you be okay going back there after what happened earlier?”

  She nodded with confidence. “I’ll be fine, but thanks for asking.” It was nice to have someone care about how she felt, and for a second she just basked in it.

  Sam looked at Jade seriously. “Will you stay with me tonight, Jinx?”

  Slowly she smiled at him. “I’m not going anywhere. I’d better call and tell Chase and Reggie not to expect me.”

  “I’ll leave that to you, I think. Why don’t I just wait right here?”

  Jade smiled at him and reached for the phone.

  * * * *

  It snowed the morning of the Sinclair’s party. It snowed all day too. New Englanders were used to harsh weather, so the storm didn’t stop them from going about their business. Christmas was fast approaching, and the town of New Crescent had its usual aura of anticipation, but this year it was clouded by fear. The creature was still at large, still preying on innocent citizens. The Sheriff’s office was inundated with sightings. Most of the tips led nowhere, but every single one of them had to be investigated and treated with respect. Travis was agilely managing the Mayor and his crew, but it was becoming more and more difficult. They wanted action and who could blame them?

  Despite the growing tension, Travis’s parents forged on with their annual Christmas party. Jade prayed it would come off without a hitch. They needed a break. They needed to celebrate. Her nerves were drawn as tightly as guitar strings. Jade feared they’d snap and leave her babbling with madness.

  Gillian must have sensed Jade’s tension. She asked Jade to help set up for the party. The Sinclairs had plenty of help. They didn’t need her at all. Jade understood that this was Gillian’s attempt to distract her, and she appreciated it. Sam had left early that morning saying that he’d be gone most of the day. However, he solemnly promised to make it back in time for the party. He swore he wouldn’t miss it for the world, no matter what his inside man had to tell him or how his parents reacted to his questions. Jade worried that the snow storm might prove too dangerous and Sam would be forced to stay with his parents overnight. She stubbornly refused to think about Michelle. She looked forward to attending her very first party as Sam’s date. When she’d been young she’d envied the beautiful young women who’d accompanied Sam to local events and parties. Tonight she’d be that woman. Would she measure up? Jade looked down at her boyish body and shook her head. No, in that department she’d never measure up. Grinning broadly, she reminded herself that Sam didn’t seem to mind. He hadn’t complained once.

  “What’s got you grinning?” Reggie had come up behind her.

  “Oh, I was just thinking.” Jade’s blush was Christmas red.

  Reggie looked at her knowingly. “You were thinking about Sam.” She narrowed her eyes and stayed silent until Jade nodded. Then she laughed. “Don’t be embarrassed, sweetie, it’s the look we all get when we’re thinking about our man. However, mine’s always tempered with just a little bit of frustration.”

  Jade giggled. “You wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “True.” Reggie looked around. “Is the DJ here yet?”

  “So it’s true. You do have a thing for the DJ. Travis mentioned something about that at your wedding.”

  Reggie laughed. “He’s adorable, and he worships me from afar. What more could I ask for?”

  “Everyone worships you, Reggie. Some of us do it close up instead of from afar.”

  “You’re too good to be true, little sis.” Reggie grabbed Jade and enfolded her in her arms. She almost engulfed Jade’s tiny body and pulled back to say, “You’re such a little thing, aren’t you? Is it any wonder they all want to pick you up? I find myself fighting the urge right now.”

  Jade didn’t answer, she just laughed up at Reggie who finally released her. “I’m so glad you took our advice and trusted Sam. He deserves our faith in him. For too long he’d believed he was worthless, all money, no substance. You may remember his joking about it. Sometimes humor hides fear you’re not ready to confront.”

  “I’ve never thought of Sam as worthless. Travis calls him Trust Fund, but I know that’s just a joke.”

  “Yeah, sometimes Travis has odd ways of offering his support. Sam made fun of his financial situation so Travis played along. No one respects Sam more than Travis does. I have a little theory actually.” She looked so proud of herself that Jade couldn’t wait to hear her next words. “I think Sam’s clumsy around you because he’s never felt good enough for you. He’s normally so suave, but you reduce him to teenage oafishness. I think it’s something in his subconscious. None of us have ever thought of Sam as worthless, but Sam has.”

  “I guess we all have our demons.” Jade knew that from experience, but she seriously doubted Reggie’s theory. How could Sam of all people feel worthless?

  “Speaking of
demons, you say Sam went to see his parents?”

  Jade nodded. “And the evil geeks at Daniels. He’s convinced they’re responsible for creating the thing killing people around here. He thinks his parents are the most likely suspects since he theorizes that the creature is part freakish science and part dark magic.”

  “Hmm, makes sense.” Reggie tilted her blond head. “After a visit with Satan and Cruella, he’s going to need a distraction. I hope he doesn’t miss the party. He’s never missed a Sinclair Christmas party.”

  Looking around the room at all the holiday splendor, Jade said, “I don’t blame him.”

  * * * *

  Just about everyone was there. Except Sam. Jade looked toward the entrance every time the door opened and still no Sam. She tried his cell phone, but got his voice mail. She didn’t bother to leave a message. Anxiously, she looked around the room. She was starting to get worried. Should she mention something to Travis or Chase? They both knew where he’d gone and neither of them looked too concerned at the moment. Travis, Gillian, Reggie and Chase were gathered in a small circle. They looked magical, like two couples touched by destiny. Jade shifted her gaze and included Hank, Maggie and Pru in her assessment. She looked down at her own dog Rags and smiled. He was excited. He loved people, but there were a number of dogs present, and he was eager to make nice with them. Jade waved him off, and he approached Hank, his tail wagging wildly.

  In honor of the season, Jade wore a winter white cashmere sweater and a deep green velvet skirt that came very close to matching her eyes. Sipping cautiously at her red wine she searched the room for Aunt Ernestine. She couldn’t find her. Turning to check the other half of the room she collided with Tom Weatherby.