by Dianna Love
She thanked him for speaking to her and assured him her father would not lift a finger against him. Then she told him of the position she had at SCIS and gave Alejandro her contact information. “If you ever need my help, please don’t hesitate to call me.”
She put the phone down, thinking of the many things her mother had taught her. Her mother had once told Tess to choose her own way in life and not to let her father or anyone else stand in her way. Her mother loved her father, every irritating part of him, but she was a woman who had chosen him. She’d known just how overbearing he could be but never allowed him to prevent her from doing as she pleased.
When her mother fussed at her father, he’d grunt and make a comment about stubborn women. Two steps away, he’d smile when he looked back at his wife. He loved her so much that he never recovered from her death, which he blamed on shifters.
The story Tess had gotten was that her mother had been caught in the middle of two shifters fighting over territory, oblivious of humans present. Witnesses said her mother backed up, grabbed her chest and crumpled to the ground.
Of course, that had not been the whole story.
No one talked about how Alejandro had jumped in to be her mother’s savior, only that two crazed shifters had tried to kill a human. That had been front-page news for weeks and set the negotiations between shifters and humans back for months at the time.
That story hadn’t been the truth.
With his media contacts, her father could have had a hand in spinning it, because he wanted every shifter to pay for his wife’s death.
Now she understood why her father had used his influence to keep her hands off the court records. He hadn’t wanted to give his only daughter reason to feel sympathetic toward that alpha, someone her father would never recognize as a real person.
Tess covered her face with her hands. “How am I going to keep Cole and my father, too?”
She dashed through the shower, feeling more normal in her own clothes and at ease in a pair of jeans and a pullover.
When she was dressed and ready to face the world, Tess checked her office voice mail. No one other than an IT person with authorization could pick up her messages without a code. She had told her father to call her office and leave a message there rather than on her cell phone. With so many things going on when she was on her mobile, she sometimes skipped his calls and later forgot to return them. Then he would be pissy for weeks.
There were a couple of messages from Brantley demanding to know where she was and claiming she was supposed to meet him Saturday morning. Not true.
Was he creating bogus situations to make her look bad at work?
Probably.
Then she heard a chilling message in an odd tone as if it spoken through a filter –
“You cost me three good jackals last night. We have your father. We know shifters are watching your apartment. Your father is of no use to me. He can’t do what you can. This time, you’re going to make it easy. I will give you one chance to meet without any trouble. If you do, I’ll exchange you for your father. If anyone follows you, we’ll know. If you contact anyone, we’ll know. I have a very simple way for you to leave the building without drawing the attention of the shifters keeping surveillance on you.”
This guy knew about Cole’s friends?
She paused the message so she wouldn’t miss anything, because her mind was about to explode.
They had her father.
Full-blown panic hit. Her breathing sounded like a horse run into the ground.
Grabbing a paper bag in the kitchen, she breathed into it and got a grip. No time for this crap.
She hit the play button.
“It’s your job to get away from those Gallize shifters, Janver. I want to be very clear. If someone follows you, even if you’re unaware of it, then I will give you one more chance, but only one.”
Great. Maybe she’d have time to find Cole.
“But know this, if you don’t come to me the first time, your father will be missing both hands when you see him. He doesn’t really need them to be a senator, so I consider that mercy. Call the number I give you at the end for final instructions and remember, we know everything that goes on.”
She listened for the number, clicked the message off and raced for the bathroom where she threw up until her stomach cramped. Sliding to the floor, she gasped for air, still clinging to the mobile phone Cole had wisely put in a thick, protective cover for her.
When she could breathe again, she lifted the phone and called her father. No answer, but that was not unusual when he was in a meeting. She called his assistant next who answered, “Hello, this is the office of Senator Janver.”
“Pete, this is Tess. I need to speak with my father.”
“He’s out of pocket for everyone until tomorrow.”
She wanted to scream over her dad and his ‘keeping the wheels of justice greased’ special meetings. “It’s an emergency, Pete.”
“Oh, I’ll find him at once. Are you at a number he has?”
“Just find out where he is and I’ll call him.”
Tess counted seconds dragging by on her watch until Pete came back on. “The Senator said for you to call this number.” Pete rattled off the digits quickly.
“Thank you.” Tess hung up and dialed.
A man answered and spoke before she could. “Now that you’ve confirmed we have him, get moving.”
She held the phone until the dial tone returned.
Cole was going to be so hurt that she broke her word, but she could not let this faceless man torture her father.
Struggling to her feet, she splashed water on her face and stared hard at the woman in the mirror. This was not the time to fold. “I’m going to make them regret ever screwing with me.”
Not that she had any superpowers for backing up those words, but they made her feel better.
She twisted her neck back and forth, breathed deeply to calm down, then started planning before she made the call for instructions.
Chapter 34
Cole smelled the smoke before he turned down Isabella’s drive. A tendril of dark gray lifted through an opening in the trees.
Oh, shit.
When he parked in the yard, he stared at her home, smashed and burned as if some giant had hit a fist in the middle and torched it.
Getting out, he ran for the house.
“Here,” a voice croaked.
Cole whipped to his left and squinted at a pile of rags in the grass. He hurried over and Isabella appeared in the material. He didn’t want to ask how she’d done that.
Lifting her carefully, he asked, “Where can I take you?”
Any supernatural being would not go to a human hospital.
“My people will show up soon.” She gripped Cole’s shirt. “You have to find Katelyn.”
Shit. “What happened to her?”
Isabella heaved a deep breath that seemed to steady her. “She was living here in the basement.”
Don’t curse at the witch, if that’s what she is. Cole couldn’t believe how close he’d come to meeting Katelyn yesterday.
Isabella said, “Don’t be angry, wolf. Katelyn needed time to make up her mind to talk to you and I needed time to convince her.”
When Cole realized this woman had been trying to help him, he let go of his anger.
The witch-shifter said, “Katelyn was ready to go back to Sammy. She really loves the shifter and just panicked, like you thought. If that Cadell hadn’t shown up, she’d have met with you.”
“Cadell? How do you know that’s who came here?”
“He was in league with the Power Barons. I recognized a magic signature when he used power a Cadell shouldn’t possess.”
Cole couldn’t hide his surprise that she even knew what a Cadell was, which was why he said, “Are you sure you know what Cadells are?”
She gave him a look that made him feel as if he’d lost most of his IQ points. “Yes, I’m sure. I’m half Cadell. My s
ire was one and my mother was a shifter. This Cadell bastard was only interested in Katelyn because Cadells keep trying to build a powerful mix from both bloodlines.”
“I know, but Katelyn was only human.”
“They will either force him to change her into a bear and bond with her, or they’ll use her to manipulate him into doing what they want.”
“His bear will go mad either way.”
“That could be, but when magic is involved anything can happen.”
“Why aren’t you in the middle of the Cadell community?”
She made a raspy cough. “When I was born, I didn’t make the cut as a Cadell. Their mother wants strong males of her blood, not women. She thinks we’re only good for breeding if they capture one of you. She has no idea what I’m capable of and I don’t plan to enlighten her. Basically, I was tossed aside and my mother was handed around to his friends until she died. I hate Cadells. So do you, Gallize.”
Cole nodded. “Thank you for that truth.”
“You’re welcome. Now find Katelyn.”
“I’ll do my best. How did they know to come here for her?”
“Probably followed you, wolf.”
“Not a chance. I’m trained to elude any tail.”
“I’m not talking about human tricks. You know Mother Cadellus uses creatures as her minions, right?”
“I thought she used nightingales.”
“That was back in the first couple of centuries. When the world expanded, she adapted, even from a cave.” Appearing thoughtful, Isabella said, “She had something like a bird or animal track you. Whatever it was, you wouldn’t have noticed it.”
Right then, Cole decided if he lived he was going to make friends with this woman and find out what she knew about those bastards.
He said, “Do you have any idea where they were taking Katelyn?”
“My guess would be to Sammy, but that doesn’t mean they’ll deliver her alive.”
Shit. He could hear vehicles coming in the distance. “Who are your people so I don’t let an enemy near you?”
Isabella patted his arm. “I’ll survive. The Cadell got what he wanted. My people will be turning in the drive right ... about ... now.”
Two vehicles tore down the drive, then cars parked and doors slammed.
Voices called out, “Izzy!”
Three women ran up to them, all of them looking ready to turn Cole into a toad or a stump.
Lifting her shaking hand, Isabella said, “He’s in my circle.” That’s all it took to back off the crazy glares. They surrounded Isabella, fussing.
Cole started to stand, but Isabella yanked him down. Her eyes stared straight up and were glazed over.
Everyone went deathly still, including Cole.
Isabella said, “Your woman. Go to her. She needs you.”
The bottom fell out of Cole’s stomach. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with Tess?”
Isabella shook her head and looked at him. “I don’t know, but go to her now. And make her your mate before it’s too late.”
Cole had stepped away in a hurry to leave. He swung back. “I can’t.”
“You have to open the bond.”
“Thank you. I’ll find Katelyn. Take care of yourself. If I can, I’ll be back.”
“You’ll be back, wolf.”
That sounded like a threat.
Cole jumped into his SUV and spun wheels cutting around all cars to get out of there. Before he rattled Tess, he called Rory. “Is Tess okay?”
Rory said, “Everything looks quiet ... wait a minute.”
Three words hit Cole in the gut. “What. Tell me.”
“An ambulance just rushed up to the entrance of her building, but I’ve been monitoring the police band. Call Tess.”
Cole snapped the phone closed and hit the speed dial for the burner phone he’d given Tess.
After eight unanswered rings, he knew the truth.
He shoved the accelerator to the floor and called Rory.
Rory picked up his phone with the calm he had when they were under mortar fire. “We got problems. One of the EMTs is definitely a shifter. I saw his eyes.”
Cole said, “Follow that ambulance and keep me on speaker.”
“Already on it.” The sound of Rory’s car squealing away to chase the ambulance came next. Then Rory shouted, “The ambulance is driving crazy.”
Cole could hear the tires screeching as Rory took a corner.
“Shit!” Tires screamed loudly.
Cole was losing his mind. “What?”
“They ran a red light and a tractor trailer pulled across right behind them. I have their tag. I’ll get a—”
The next sound was a gun blast, cursing, then the snarl of a pissed jaguar.
Rory had shifted.
Then loud animal howls and growling.
Then banging around ...
Then nothing.
Cole’s skin turned to ice.
Whoever had come for Tess had gotten Rory, too.
If Cole called Justin, the Guardian or any other Gallize, they’d all come to his aid. But he couldn’t do that until he found Rory and Tess, if they were together.
Once that happened, Cole would call in everyone he could muster to get them back.
His heart was trying to explode.
He had to get a grip and think. First he’d find Tess, because he had ensured he could do that by sticking a tracking device in her hair barrette.
That would work if she’d still had her hair twisted up when she was snatched.
Chapter 35
Tess opened her eyes and blinked. She was lying on her side and pushed up on an elbow. Slowly the inside of an enormous room came into view. Concrete floor and steel walls. Four chairs were casually tossed around a table, but no sign of a guard.
A dark hallway stretched away from her at the opposite end of a room over fifty feet long and twenty feet high.
No windows. The air was moderately cool.
Was she underground?
She’d been in her apartment and ... the phone message.
Oh, Cole would lose his mind if he found out she’d voluntarily left the apartment on a stretcher. She’d walked into a kidnapping, but what had been her other option?
To have her father’s hands cut off?
She didn’t even know where he was. The minute the ambulance pulled away, she opened her mouth to demand to see her father and felt a prick on her arm. At least she didn’t feel badly drugged.
Moving to sit up, her leg yanked to a stop.
Twisting, she found her leg chained to a thick metal plate anchored with bolts as thick as her wrist.
Once she managed to get up, she had six feet of chain.
And an unconscious man was piled two steps away on her left.
“Hey you,” Tess called, her words echoing. She had no reason to think this guy was a friend even if he also had leg jewelry.
“Wake up,” she said, stepping closer. When she could reach him, she used the toe of her shoe to nudge the body.
He’d been turned away from her and now flopped to his back, groaning. He had a wound in his shoulder.
Crap. She dropped down next to him and opened his shirt to find blood oozing from a hole. Lifting his shoulder, she could see the exit wound. Bullet.
Lowering him back down, she went into action yanking up the end of her T-shirt and biting a spot to get a rip started.
That was not as easy as it looked on television. When she had a sort of patch, she pressed it against the wound.
“Ow,” he grumbled.
She eased up on the wound and explained, “You’ve been shot. You’re bleeding.”
His face was paler than his arms, which were a tea color. Sleek brown hair fell over his forehead. He had a face carved for modeling, right down to the perfect eyebrows and mouth. His body was cut up with muscle, too.
None of that interested Tess one bit.
Her patient opened his eyes, which were an interesting
gold-brown color.
She only had eyes for one man, who topped all others from his body to the endless blue of his gaze. Cole.
Her energy hadn’t increased at all, clearly in agreement with her.
Her new friend closed his eyes.
“You need to wake up,” Tess said, not really sure if that mattered. Her specialties were shifters and legalities. Beyond pressing on a wound like this, her medical expertise extended to a box of Band-Aids.
Golden eyes opened again. “Oh, hell, you’re Tess.”
“How do you know me?”
“I was watching your apartment while Cole was out of pocket.”
“You’re a friend of his?”
He moved his bad shoulder and grimaced. “Yes.”
“Are you a wolf, too?”
He slashed those eyes at her and the gold deepened, making him appear not quite human. “No, I’m not.”
Shifter etiquette required not asking, but she wasn’t in a social mood. “What are you?”
One of those attractive eyebrows lifted. “Impertinent little thing.”
“Yes. I tend to get that way when I’ve been kidnapped. What’s your name?”
“Rory.” Moving his arms, he worked his body to a sitting position.
She warned, “You should be careful or you’ll bleed out.”
“I appreciate your concern, but I’m not bleeding out. I’m just not healing as fast without shifting.”
“Why aren’t you shifting into a ... ?” She let that half question hang in the air.
“Persistent, too,” he muttered. “I can’t do what I need to do in my animal form right now. Why don’t we forget about me and figure out how to get you out of here.”
“You mean us, right?” she corrected.
“Okay, sure. Us. Once you’re safe, I’m coming back to have a chat with the kidnappers.”
She knew without asking that the chat would involve claws and teeth.
The sound of someone approaching, and not trying to be quiet about it, drew Rory’s attention. She followed his gaze to look toward the dark hole that had to be a tunnel to this spot.
One of the jackal shifters from SCIS appeared and kept walking toward her. She tried to recall his name. Something like Leonard.
