by Ripley, Meg
He shut the door firmly behind them. When he turned to her, he had a smile on his thin face. “What’s your name?”
She was tempted not to tell him, but right now, Cathy just had to buy as much time as possible. “Cathy.”
“I detect an accent, Cathy. You’re from Ireland?”
She nodded, wondering how long her legs would hold her upright. There was something about this man that made her wonder if she would see the sun rise again. “Yes. Now, why don’t you tell me what you want and we can get all this over with? I’m sure we can make arrangements for whatever ransom you have in mind, and then I can get back to my life.”
“Oh, a sassy one, aren’t you? I like that in a woman.” Alex stepped toward her swiftly, snagging her by the waist and pulling her close. “It amuses me that you think you have any control over the situation, though. This isn’t any of your business, and you weren’t even supposed to get involved. But you were there when my men showed up, and I’m not one to turn down an opportunity when it gets thrown my way.”
He was too close. His cologne was pungent, powerful in her nostrils, and his fingers dug into her flesh. Cathy had instinctively put her hands up to keep him from crushing her to his chest, but she could tell that was only happening because he was allowing it to. She was using all her strength, but he was only using a fraction of his. “Do whatever you want to me, but I’ll rip your face off if you touch one hair on either of those kids’ heads,” she spat.
Babcock threw his head back and laughed. “Trust me, I will do whatever I want with you. But first, you’re going to tell me what role you play in Jackson Casey’s life. I know you’re not his ex-wife. I’ve seen her before, and you’re nothing like her. So what? Are you the girlfriend? The pretty little play toy he’s acquired now that he’s not tied down by a marriage license?”
“I’m just the bleedin’ nanny, you asshole.” Cathy braced her feet and pulled back, but her strength couldn’t compare to his.
“The nanny? That’s such an ugly word for an exquisite woman like you. How about I make you a deal? I’ll do my negotiations with Jackson over the children. I know he’ll comply, because he’s a sucker. They’ll go home and sleep in their beds tonight. But you, my dear, you can stay with me. You won’t have to wipe noses and watch brats all the time. You’ll live a life of luxury as my arm candy when I need to go somewhere, and you’ll sleep in my bed. How does that sound?”
“I’d much rather wipe noses,” she retorted.
Babcock was undisturbed by her insult. His hands roved as he pulled her closer, nuzzling her neck. She cringed away from him, but she wasn’t strong enough to stop him. “You might as well get used to it now, because I always get my way.” His teeth nipped against the delicate skin of her neck.
Cathy squealed and shoved her hands against his chest. “Oh, fuck off!”
Alex laughed and let her go. “I’m going to have so much fun playing with you. For now, though, you can go back to the ankle biters. Make sure you say your goodbyes.” He opened the office door and shoved her through it.
Humiliated, angry, and terrified, Cathy knew there was little she could do to keep her emotions from showing on her face. She trotted back to the children and collapsed on the floor between them, pulling them close and holding onto them tightly. She wasn’t going to let go of them for anything. The only thing that mattered was that they were safe, and she could only hope that Alex meant what he said about letting Jackson bargain for their lives.
Chapter Nine
Jackson landed on his sprawling front lawn, retracting his wings at the very last moment. Even before he’d fully shifted back into his human form, he had a sinking feeling that things were just as bad as he’d anticipated. None of the lights were on in the house, and it was far too early for Cathy and the children to all be in bed. Even when he came home in the early hours of the morning, Cathy had always left a few lights on for him. As he quickly threw on the clothing he’d carried with him, Jackson realized how much he hadn’t appreciated that until now.
Damien was on his heels as he burst through the front door. “Maybe they went somewhere?” he asked hopefully, looking around. “Did they have any plans?”
“Not that I know of,” Jackson replied bitterly. “Shit. Her purse is still here.” He pointed to the pink leather bag on the side table. “I don’t know her all that well, but I don’t know any woman who leaves home without her purse.” He charged through the next room and into to the kitchen. The table had been cleared, but the dishes hadn’t been done yet. That wasn’t like her.
“I’ll call the police.” Damien picked up the handset on the wall. “They can patrol the area. Did she have access to any of your vehicles?”
“No.” He was kicking himself over and over. Jackson had thought about offering her driving lessons, since he knew L.A. traffic would be much different to navigate than what she must have encountered in her small hometown. There were so many things he should have done differently, and they were hitting him all at once. “Wait. Don’t make that call.”
“Why not?” Damien had his index finger poised on the rotary dial.
“Look.” A note on the kitchen counter had grabbed his attention. Even before he picked it up, Jackson knew it wasn’t from Cathy. It was on the same thick paper that the note on his desk at Bliss had been written on, and it could only mean one thing. “Alex’s men have already been here.”
His friend joined him, reading over his shoulder. “14566 Industrial Road, Glendale. I think I know where that is.”
The address was the only thing on the note, but what it didn’t say echoed loudly in Jackson’s head. Babcock had Cathy and his children, and now Jackson had no choice but to negotiate with the man.
“You up for another flight?”
“Hell yeah.”
The two men dashed out the back door, taking a moment to undress and shift back. The painful stretching of Jackson’s fingers as his nails turned into claws was something he relished, because if he had his way, he would be digging those claws into Alex Babcock soon. Whipping his tail and stretching his newly-formed muzzle, Jackson turned to Damien to see if he was ready.
The other man’s olive skin and dark hair had transformed into the deep black scales of his other self. A slight shimmer of iridescence was the only thing that made him visible in the night. “You’re a little showy for this kind of mission,” he joked as he flung his head at the giant golden wings that had erupted from Jackson’s back.
“Let’s go.” They took wing, ascending over the city and shooting in the direction of the address that was on the note. As they sailed over the Hollywood sign toward Glendale, Jackson knew this was much faster than getting behind the wheel of his car and dealing with traffic, but it still wasn’t fast enough. He wouldn’t feel better until he had Jonathan and Jessica safely under his wings.
Along with Cathy.
“Looks like this is it,” Damien called out over the noise of the wind a few minutes later.
They landed heavily on the asphalt. Jackson shook his head and shivered a little as he pulled his wings back inside his body. “You stay out here,” he commanded, slipping back into his suit. Damien started to protest, but Jackson cut him off. “I want to know I still have someone on the outside. You’ll know if I need you.”
Damien maintained his reptilian form, and he nodded his head on his long neck. “Okay. If you insist.”
Jackson took a deep breath and charged toward the door, slamming it open. Babcock was there, and he was ready for him. He had Jonathan and Jessica on the floor at his feet, and their eyes widened with hope as soon as they saw their father. Cathy was there as well, sitting between the children with her arms around them. She held them tightly, even as they tried to get up to run to Jackson, whispering desperately to them.
Pain tore through his chest as his heart broke. This had all been his fault. He should have taken Alex more seriously, and he should have realized that his threats were real. Now everyone he cared abou
t was in danger, and the anger inside him boiled in his blood.
The pistol Alex held casually in his hand told Jackson that he meant business. “I see you got my little notes.”
“This isn’t funny, Babcock,” Jackson growled. “Let them go, now.”
“Or what? You’ll kill me? Good luck; this place is crawling with my men.” He gestured around the room with his gun.
Jackson had already seen them; there were at least five guys in his crew. Jackson knew Babcock was a shifter, and he doubted the man would hire anyone who wasn’t as well. That meant he was outnumbered, even with Damien outside. But Babcock wouldn’t have brought Jackson there just to have him watch his family get killed. “Tell me what you want.”
“I’ve been asked that several times tonight already,” Alex replied with a grin in Cathy’s direction. “Now that you’re here, I can finally say. I assure you, Jackson, this is purely a business transaction. You already know I want to buy Bliss, and now we’re going to make it happen.”
One of his goons trotted forward with a clipboard and a pen, shoving it at Jackson.
“You’ll find that all the paperwork is in order,” Babcock explained. “You’re signing Bliss over to me. All the rights to the business are included with the building, so don’t think you can just go open the same club somewhere else. I get the staff, the name, the contents, everything. Oh, and since you’ve made me go to such trouble to make this happen, I get Indulgence as well.”
Jackson’s vision was a blur of anger, and he couldn’t even see the words on the paper. “It’s a shame you’re such a poor businessman; the only way you can succeed is by stealing what belongs to someone else.” He snatched the clipboard out of the man’s hand and signed at the bottom.
Babcock looked extremely pleased with himself, his shoulders thrown back and his teeth glistening as he smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not a completely selfish man. I’m letting you keep your little bars and restaurants.”
“Only because you don’t know how to run them,” Jackson retorted. “I give it less than six months before you run the clubs into the ground.”
“You’re awfully bold, considering I still have what you want.” Alex shoved his knee into Cathy’s back.
She lurched forward slightly, her face tightening into a scowl, but she gave no other indication that he had hurt her.
Jackson tossed the clipboard at the thug’s feet. “There. You’ve got what you want. Now let them go.”
“A pleasure doing business with you.” He looked down at the kids. “Go to your father.”
They jumped to their feet, their terrified faces an image Jackson would never forget as they came barreling toward him. Jackson reached out and pulled them in tightly, kissing them repeatedly on their heads. “It’s all over. It’s okay.” But when he looked up again, he realized that it wasn’t over after all.
Cathy had stood up as well, but Alex held her by the arm. The lascivious look in his eyes told Jackson everything he needed to know about the other man’s intentions. “You can have the brats, but I’m keeping this one as insurance. I wouldn’t want you going to court and claiming that the papers were signed under duress.”
Jackson didn’t have time to respond before Cathy tried to yank her arm away from Alex. “I’m just the help, you idiot. He doesn’t give a shit about me.” She tipped her head back and spit in the man’s face.
Alex’s jaw tightened as he wiped his cheek with his other hand. “You’re going to regret that, nanny. But what you’re forgetting is that I know Jackson Casey better than you do. Hired help or not, he has to uphold his morals. You’re staying here with me, and he’s going to run along home. Right?” Babcock turned to Jackson, one eyebrow raised.
Possessiveness throbbed inside him after seeing the way Alex held Cathy in his arms. He wanted nothing more than to shift again and tear the other man’s throat out with his teeth. But he had to get the children out first. If he made a move right now, the kids would be in danger all over again. The determined look in Cathy’s brilliant eyes told him that she understood that as well.
“Right. Come on.” Jackson took Jonathan and Jessica’s hands and hustled them toward the door.
“But Dad!” Jonathan protested.
“I want Cathy!” came Jessica’s whine.
It was a complicated enough situation, and this wasn’t helping. Jackson burst out into the parking lot, glad to see that Damien was still waiting for them. “You two remember your Uncle Damien, right? He’s going to take you home. Quickly.”
Damien nodded, reaching out with his clawed hands to pull the children close to him.
“Jessica doesn’t fly that well yet. She’s going to need some help.” Jackson kissed them each again, hoping this wasn’t going to be the last time he saw them.
“I can, too!” the little girl protested.
“Of course you can, pumpkin. Get to shifting now, both of you. Can’t fly without wings.” He was trying to sound calm, even though he was anything but. He watched as his children transformed into miniature versions of himself. Jonathan’s scales were a much deeper shade of gold than his own, and Jessica had traces of pink coloration running through her gilded wings. “Okay guys, get going.”
“I’ll take them, but what about you?” Damien asked doubtfully. “What are you doing?”
Jackson easily freed his own dragon form, his claws tapping on the asphalt as he left behind the weaker human physique that he wore most often. “Babcock still has Cathy. And I’m not leaving without her.” He waited until the other dragons were safely in the sky, Damien’s long black wings stretching out over the two tiny dragons on either side of him, before he took action.
Retreating to the other side of the parking lot, Jackson charged. His feet lifted from the ground as he picked up speed, unfurling his wings and shooting forward. He tucked his body in as he crashed through the massive window over the main door of the warehouse, pleased to see the surprise on the faces of Babcock’s men.
Alex still had a hold of Cathy, except his hand was tangled in her hair instead of gripping her arm. His face was flushed, and the cords that stood out on his neck indicated that he’d been yelling at his one remaining captive.
Jackson landed heavily, sending a ball of flame rolling across the floor to take out the first man who tried to attack him. “Let her go!” he bellowed.
Babcock did his best not to appear shaken. He turned to face Jackson, twisting his hand a little harder in Cathy’s hair. “I already told you, I’m keeping her. She’s mine now; that was part of the bargain. You get two children, I get two nightclubs and a foxy broad. Tell me, Jackson, is she as good of a fuck as I imagine?”
Cathy’s head whipped back and her mouth stretched into a grimace of pain, but she shoved her elbow backwards into Alex’s stomach. It wasn’t enough to affect him, but it pissed him off.
“Now I owe you for two, you little bitch.” He looked to his men. “Take care of this asshole while I handle her.” Babcock began moving away.
“I don’t fucking think so!” Jackson charged forward and the other men shifted, closing in on him swiftly. His body reacted without any thought, his claws easily slicing into the throat of a deep blue dragon while his tail whipped in the face of an orange beast that had come at him from behind. Blood sprayed out across Jackson’s scales and the scent hit his nostrils, driving him harder toward the battle.
Babcock threw Cathy aside as he shifted, morphing into a dark red beast with dripping fangs. He was bigger than the others, and he turned to Jackson with a hiss. “You had a chance to get away, fool. You should have taken it.”
Jackson’s mind was no longer functioning, his body operating off his blind rage at seeing Cathy flung to the floor like a doll. It didn’t even matter to him that there were still three other dragons besides Babcock in the room, he knew only that he would see Babcock’s scales split open and his blood running on the floor.
A green dragon from his left charged into his side as he jumped to att
ack Alex, slamming into him, knocking him aside. Jackson reacted quickly, digging his claws into the other monster’s flesh and flinging the lighter dragon over his head, even as he slid across the hard floor. It landed with a squeal of pain and a streak of blood.
The other two jumped on him, thinking they could take advantage of his downed position. But Jackson rolled to his back and targeted the sensitive underbelly of one of them, gutting him with his back claws. The remaining thug managed to land a solid blow to Jackson’s muzzle before realizing he was on the losing side and retreating. Jackson jumped to his feet.
That left only him and Babcock. The two dragons faced off, dancing a slow circle around each other. Jackson knew the other shifter wouldn’t be as easy to take down as his boys had been. Alex was a big dragon, a fierce one who had fought before. Scars affected the pattern of his scales, and his muscles surged under his hide.
In his peripheral vision, Jackson could see Cathy roll over and get to her feet. Fury filled her face. She ran to the other side of the warehouse to retrieve a long pipe leaning against the wall. Charging at Alex’s back, she wielded the makeshift weapon over her head and brought it down onto his spine.
But there was little a human could do to a dragon, even when using all of her strength. It was just enough to make Babcock turn on her with menace in his slitted eyes. “Now you owe me for three!” he roared. He leapt on the woman, pinning her to the concrete by her shoulders.
Jackson was after him immediately, bounding through the air with his jaws open. They locked around Alex’s neck and he bit down hard, yanking with all the strength he could squeeze from his muscles. The red dragon fought against him, his arms swiping through the air as he reeled backwards, but it was too late. With one final yank, Jackson snapped his neck. He felt the breakage of bone and gristle against his teeth and let go, sending Babcock crashing to the floor.
Jackson stood there, his chest heaving and adrenaline surging, when he realized Cathy was staring up at him. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes wide and full of tears. She reached out to him.
