CAGED (Mackenzie Grey #2)

by Karina Espinosa

  My limbs felt weak, like rubber, but I had to push through the pain and exhaustion.

  “That can is mine!” I cried out. The cheers of the wolves around us drowned out as I concentrated on Tommy’s breathing until I couldn’t hear it any longer.

  He growled with renewed strength, gripping my forearm and flung me over his shoulder. My back slammed onto the ground and I gasped, the wind getting knocked out of me. Tommy got ahold of my bad arm and twisted—I howled.

  “Not so tough now, Princess,” he snarled.

  My claws dug into the dirt and I gritted my teeth, but the pain was too much to bear. I felt my shoulder dislocate again and at this point it didn’t matter. I took in a deep breath and using my limp arm, I swung my body around and swept my foot behind his, knocking him to the ground. I wrapped my legs around his torso when he attempted to sit up. Compressing my thighs on his abdomen, I took hold of his arm with one hand and held him still. We both screamed as I tried to hold on, and he in pain. I felt my resolve leaving me, so in one last ditch, I twisted my hips to one side and then slammed him to the ground. The crack of his skull was music to my ears. Number nine. I relaxed and sagged to the ground as complete silence encompassed me. No one moved, and no one said a word.

  “Now,” my breathing wild. “Where are my beans?”

  ***

  I was an animal. And not the cute kind either. A straight up savage demolished the disgusting, chemical infused beans I earned. I had never been a fan of this barbeque favorite, but I wasn’t going to complain when I was hungry. With only one functioning arm, I tilted my head back and shook the can with my lips on the edge, to get the last few stragglers in the back. I didn’t care that the others were watching me with sick fascination. The jury was out on whether they were angry or not.

  When I was done, I sighed with content. Slouching on the crate that once belonged to Tommy Boy, I dropped the can on the ground, and tapped my belly.

  “Got another one?” I asked as four sets of eyes stared at me. “What?”

  “What you just did,” Logan said, “is treason…do you understand that?”

  I shrugged. “I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t. That’s why I make my own rules, it’s just easier.” I sniffed over my shoulder and blanched. The lack of a shower, plus sweat and dirt was not a good mix on me.

  “Logan,” one of the wolves called out. “What are you going to do? She can’t get away with this.”

  “I know,” the Alpha said.

  I stilled. “What are you talking about? You made me fight him!”

  “But you weren’t supposed to win,” Logan said.

  “Then you should have specified!” I yelled, flailing my one good arm in the air.

  “She needs to be punished, boss!”

  “I know,” Logan growled. “I’m thinking. She can’t be killed, regardless of what she’s done. But—”

  “But nothing,” I scoffed.

  “But they’re other ways to extract punishment,” he grinned and that sinking feeling in my gut returned. “Get up.”

  “No,” I snapped.

  Logan grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. I tried to stop him, pulling the opposite way, but with only one good arm, there wasn’t much I could do.

  “Stop, please!” I begged. “Don’t let him do this, it isn’t right!” I pleaded to the others. None of them seemed to care—on the contrary, they looked excited. One by one they stood and followed us.

  I was thrown back in the cell, landing face first. I flipped onto my back and scooted backwards until I hit the wall. This was any woman’s worst nightmare, and I was powerless to do anything about it. For all the bolster and bravado, I could not talk my way out of this.

  “Alright boys, who wants to go first,” Logan cheered as he leaned against the cell bars, his forearm resting above him.

  One of the wolves started cracking his knuckles as he came toward me; he was lean, but short. I measured whether I could fight him off, but I wouldn’t be able to take all four of them.

  When he dropped to his knees before me, I kicked and clawed with every ounce of strength I had. The wolves on the sideline came in and held me down. The one before me, unbuttoned my jeans and pulled the zipper with a taunting slowness, even my reflexes mimicked his speed. He spread my legs and pulled me closer to him by my hips. The sound of my skin slapping the ground was crude and the tears streaked from the corners of my eyes. My heart was about to slam out of chest with every touch, every breath blown in my direction, and every nasty grin aimed for me. His eyes flashed red as he tore my t-shirt straight down the middle, exposing my plain sports bra. I thrashed against their hold, not wanting to give up, to fight harder. But the more their hands wandered, the less fight I had left in me. I felt dirty, unsanitary, as the temperature dropped and my flesh mounded with goosebumps.

  “No!” my nails extended and the wolf inside me roared with anger. I clawed and snapped my canines at the air, and they laughed—swimming in the ecstasy of my terror.

  Logan growled. “Move out of the way! Let me show you how it’s done.” He ripped the wolf off me and took his place. His sinister gleam hovered over me, his eyes wide and wild as he licked his lips.

  My wolf began to tear at my insides, her anger bubbling within me like a volcano ready to erupt. Her slow prowl to the surface disconnected me from reality—leaving me exposed and vulnerable, a feeling I despised. I no longer had control of myself as a buildup within me moved forward. Something trapped itself in my throat. I swallowed multiple times thinking I was going to throw up like I had done the night before. The wolf pushed the lump further up until I couldn’t keep it down any longer.

  I howled.

  My body froze as my chin lifted and my mouth formed an O-shape toward the moon. A howl ripped from my throat like never before. The pain, the fear, the desperation, curdled out of me like a battle cry. I called out to my Pack.

  When the wolf’s cry died out, my body slumped against the ground. That single action stole the last shred of energy from me. My mind no longer present, going somewhere far away, giving up on the world around me. I had failed and it was all my fault. If I had just listened and kept running, I wouldn’t be where I was. Something cracked inside of me as I stared at the cracked and dirty, concrete ceiling—and I didn’t know if I would be able to fix it. I was tired. My eyelids fluttered as they threatened to close. I fought the sleep that wanted to take me under until I could no longer stay alert. My vision fogged up like inside a car in the middle of a New York winter. I could hear movement, multiple feet running, until I drowned in the darkness of my subconscious.

  Only God could save me now.

  Chapter Seventeen

  My body floated in a waterless sea without destination, carried out by a strong current that wrapped its arms around me, whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I reached out for its comfort, exhaling the bad, and inhaling the good—the safe. I was home.

  I shot up to a seated position in the bed I was in, and scrambled backward until I hit the headboard. Finding my left arm in a sling, my free hand roamed around, trying to clutch at anything to fight them off. I could feel the imprints of their hands all over my skin like a blistering rash.

  “No!” I cried out to the bedroom I recognized. “Don’t,” I whispered as I oriented myself and realized I was in the warehouse with the Brooklyn Pack.

  “Kenz? It’s okay, you’re safe,” Amy said as she jerked up and came to the side of the bed. “You’re okay,” she assured.

  “Amy?” I trembled. I couldn’t stop shaking.

  My best friend climbed in the bed with me and pulled me into her small arms. My face hid with shame in the crook of her neck as all the suppressed emotions came bubbling to the surface. I grasped her shirt, making sure she was real and not a figment of my imagination.

  “It’s okay, Kenz,” she whispered over and over again. “It’s okay.” I’d never get enough reassurance.

  “What happened?” I choked out. “How did you
find me?” I pulled away and wiped my face with the back of my hand.

  Amy’s face twisted in confusion. “You called for us, Kenz, don’t you remember?”

  I shook my head. “I-I can’t remember after…did they?” I gulped. I couldn’t finish the thought. I had no memory of what had happened and my stomach churned at just the idea of what I had been through. I held my breath waiting for her to catch on and tell me, to fill in the blanks.

  “Oh God, I need a shower,” I cried as I tried to rip off my shirt, and scratch off my own flesh.

  Amy reddened and her green eyes glossed over. “No Kenz, they didn’t,” she said as she stopped my hand.

  I exhaled loudly. I wasn’t…they didn’t…oh god they didn’t.

  “How long have I been out?”

  “Just a few hours. Jackson said your energy had been depleted, that it would take some time for you to recover,” she said as she stroked my hair. “They fixed your shoulder but you’ll need to shift to fully heal.”

  I took deep calming breaths to steady the trembling that wracked my body. I was okay. They didn’t do anything to me, I was fine. I needed to chill out.

  “What happened to Logan and the Pack?” I said, sounding a bit stronger, more secure of myself.

  “Bash said he’d talk to you, about everything. Do you want me to get him?” she offered.

  “No. I need you to tell me, Amy. I don’t want to hear it from any of them,” I demanded. The last thing I wanted was to speak to another man. I didn’t know what it was I was feeling, I had no other experiences to draw from. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to be near someone I felt safe with, and away from everything supernatural. Coming back was not a good idea—I regretted every minute of it.

  Amy shifted as her eyes wandered around the room. “They caught the Pack—but Logan escaped.”

  “What!” I shrieked. “How could they let him get away?”

  “They didn’t, Kenz!” Amy rebutted. “Please, just talk to Bash.”

  “No.” I pulled the covers off me and tumbled out of bed on shaky legs. I grabbed my jeans and started to get dressed. I wanted to go home, I wanted a shower to wash away the filth—I needed to figure things out. Logan couldn’t still be out there. I would never sleep again if he was still breathing.

  “Kenz, please wait,” Amy pleaded as she stood in front of the exit. “You’re not thinking rationally. It’s been a hard few days since you’ve been back and you need rest!”

  Somewhere deep down I knew she was right, but at the moment, I didn’t care. Logan had to be taken care of, and if Bash wasn’t going to do it, then I would.

  “I will move you, Amy. Don’t make me,” I said as we faced off.

  Her wild green eyes looked everywhere for an answer for anything to get me to stay, but I was too set in my ways to change my course of action.

  “I’ll scream,” she threatened. “I will scream bloody murder, I swear.”

  “You wouldn’t,” I squinted.

  “Try me, Kenz.”

  “Why are you doing this? You should be on my side, Amy.”

  She deflated, but I had to get out of here, at whatever cost.

  “I am on your side, Kenzie. I’m always on your side. Even when I’m mad because you left me behind, I’m still here, protecting you,” she exhaled in frustration. “You know what? Fuck you, Mackenzie!” She pushed off the bedroom door and stormed toward me, aiming a manicured finger at my chest.

  “Amy—”

  “No! You listen to me. When you left, I was the one who kept my mouth shut, who dealt with the Pack’s million and one questions and kept them away from your secret location. I was the one who got Ollie to cancel his flight to Los Angeles when he found you! I did that. No one else! So you owe me Mackenzie Grey. I know you’re hurting and you want revenge, but I want my best friend alive. I didn’t protect you just so you could get yourself killed!”

  I was rooted in place, my feet glued to the ground by wet cement. Ollie had found me?

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

  “I know you didn’t,” she sighed, “but you owe me and I’m calling it in. Talk to Bash—for me.”

  What had she been up to while I was gone?

  I nodded. “Fine.”

  ***

  While she went to look for everyone, I went ahead and showered. I scrubbed at my skin with the water scalding hot. My flesh reddened to the point I thought I’d scab but I didn’t care—I had to erase the bad memories. Once I was done I put on some clean clothes. The only items of clothing that survived the underground train tunnels were my Nike Air Max’s. I held on to them for a moment before deciding to throw them away.

  A knock on my door startled me and I shot up from the bed as Amy, Sebastian, Jonah, and Jackson came in. Like a deer in headlights I watched them filter in and I had to shake out my hands to release the tension. I was overreacting. I had to get it together.

  I plastered on a smile and waited.

  “Mackenzie,” Sebastian started, his cold demeanor never changing. “How are you feeling?”

  My smile strained and my cheeks felt like rubber bands being stretched. “I’m great! I just took a shower, freshened up and I’m ready to you know…do stuff,” I chuckled. No one laughed with me.

  Sebastian nodded. “Amy said you planned on leaving.”

  “Yup! I want to see Roman and maybe head back to the apartment. I haven’t had a chance to watch that new Netflix show, oh man what’s it called? Oh yeah! Marvel’s Jessica Jones.”

  “That’s not a good idea,” Jonah interjected. “You should stay here, Kenzie.”

  I laughed. “Don’t be silly, Jonah. Everything’s good, I can go home now.”

  They all looked at one another with dubious expressions and I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. I was starting to talk like Diana Stone.

  “He’s right, Mackenzie. You’re staying here, it’s for the best,” Bash ordered. “The full moon is coming soon, there’s no point in you leaving.”

  “No, I’m not. I’ll be fine on my own. Thank you anyway,” I said as I attempted to swerve between them and leave the room.

  Sebastian’s arm snaked out and pulled me back.

  “Let go of me!” I shrieked. A cold sweat broke out, and I felt my body lock up. I didn’t want to make a scene, but the tension in my shoulders was a dead giveaway—they scrunched up to my ears. He slowly released me, his eyes clouding with an unknown emotion.

  “I am not a part of the Pack, I can come and go as I please. If you would excuse me,” I glared at them, waiting to be let out of my personal prison.

  Sebastian nodded as Jonah nearly had an aneurysm. “What? You can’t—”

  “Quiet,” Bash barked and then turned to me. “You are free to go, Mackenzie.”

  ***

  My cell phone was once again MIA, so I couldn’t call in advance. I left everything but my Metro Card, some cash, and my identification back at the warehouse. I didn’t need anything where I was headed, but first I needed to make a pit stop.

  The cathedral steps loomed above me as I took them two at a time. I open the old doors, their hinges squeaked with my intrusion, and walked into the church like I owned it. I whistled into the quiet sanctuary waiting for someone to show themselves. This was a hub for vampires but I never saw anyone but Lucian. I wondered where they were. My gaze traveled all over the pews and altar but nothing. I looked up at the ceiling and I halted mid-step. On the church ceiling were hundreds of bats, their wings hugging themselves as they hung upside down. The hairs on my arm prickled alive with static and I found myself trying to cover my neck. All I knew were silly superstitions and I wasn’t going to take any chances.

  “Ace?” Roman called out from the altar.

  I sighed from relief. “Oh, thank God.”

  Roman chuckled. “I don’t think God would appreciate it if I did.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.” He met me half way but kept his distance, keeping me at arm’s length. “So�
�what are you up to?”

  His hazel eyes narrowed as he ruffled his hair. “Helping Luce with some stuff. How are you? Still in that sling I see,” he said as he flicked the suspension that was holding my shoulder in place.

  I flinched away. “How’d you know I was in a sling?”

  His face scrunched up in confusion. “Because I put it on you…” he said.

  “You did?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, we brought you back here after we raided the tunnels. It was closer than going to Brooklyn.”

  I took a step back. “You were with the Pack when they came for me?”

  “Ace are you okay? Didn’t Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum tell you what you did?”

  I shook my head.

  Roman’s mouth fell open. “Come on, let’s go find Lucian. He can better explain it.”

  We went through the entryway at the side of the altar that led to another building connected to the cathedral. It used to house the priest and nuns, but the vampires now used it as their sleeping quarters and home base in the city.

  When we walked in to the converted library that he practically lived in, Lucian was the only one so far to smile at me with joy. I didn’t know if I should be offended or relieved.

  “Pet!” he exclaimed. “Glad to see you up and running! You look absolutely ravishing by the way. The sling looks very fashionable, if you ask me.”

  “I didn’t but thank you,” I said as he came forward and took my hand in his. I cringed from his cold touch but either Lucian ignored me or he didn’t notice.

  “Come along, Pet, we have much to discuss.”

  “We do?”

  “Why yes!” he startled me. “Much has happened and you’re, goodness Pet, you’re magnificent!”

  He directed me to his reading nook, picking up books that had been scattered around. I tried to catch some of the titles but he quickly reshelved them.