Electric Storm (A Raven Investigations Novel)

by Brutger, Stacey

  Rylan reached out to help her stand, but she shook her head, terrified to touch him after so much power had swept through her. It took another minute to get her feet under her.

  “We have to get Taggert.” She didn’t need to tell him that they had to rescue him before her symptoms became worse. “I received a packet that should help us. Do you have it?” At his blank expression, she swore. “Please tell me you had the car towed back here.”

  “It’s in the garage.”

  She took a staggering step when Rylan blocked her. “Let me get it. You need to rest.”

  “I need to stay busy. I’ll grab the papers and meet you in the study.” The last thing she needed was time to think about what could be happening to Taggert while she sat on her ass and did nothing.

  Jackson’s total lack of response to everything put her on edge. He lingered at her back, but she refused to face him, afraid of what she’d find in his eyes. That she had almost shifted scared the bejeezus out of her. She couldn’t even imagine what he thought, and she escaped to the garage like a coward.

  The envelope had lodged beneath the driver’s seat. She wrestled with the package until the car finally gave up its hold. She gazed at the twisted wreckage that resembled a ball of steel. The left side of her body felt heavy, the not quite phantom ache throbbing in memory of the impact.

  Blood coated the driver’s seat. Glass glittered like diamonds under the light. She’d managed to maneuver the car to take the brunt of the impact. Taggert should’ve been able to walk away. Why the hell didn’t he run when he had the chance?

  The envelope crumpled in her grip, and she retreated to the study. He had to be alive, or she’d never forgive herself.

  Instead of going to the desk, she sat in front of the coffee table and spilled the contents over the surface. Missing person’s reports. Police reports. Hospital reports. Newspaper clippings. All within a fifty mile radius. There had to be forty people here. How could so many go missing and no one notice?

  And none of them had ever returned. She wouldn’t allow Taggert to be one of the statistics.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  LATE AFTERNOON

  Voices roused her from the dreams that stalked her. Dreams that evaporated without a memory, yet left a lingering unease that stuck with her after she woke. Even with her eyes closed, light slashed through the bay windows with blinding force.

  She probed her wounds with her mind. Healed except for the deep tissue bruises that dotted her body like a checkerboard. They hurt like a bitch, but she was functional.

  She reached for her core to test her strength only to find the energy dangerously close to empty, every lick of it tied up in healing. Gold flared around the edges of the lockbox holding Randolph’s power.

  Like roots, bits broke through and wrapped around the cage, grafting to her flesh, and spilling darkness through her system. She carefully peeled off one tentacle and shoved it back into the vault with the rest. It surrendered readily, but took its pound of flesh with it. A ribbon of darkness remained behind like a scar, leaving a behind a lash of pain. Only half a dozen more to go.

  The process only took seconds but left her exhausted. Though secure for now, the box left a hollow pit where it burned and sputtered in her gut. She had to find a way to rid her system of the power before it spread further. That meant using it. And she couldn’t use it until she got Taggert back for fear that it would put her out of commission. Too bad there were no antibiotics to take for something like that.

  She opened her eyes to see the files were gone. In their place, she spied yesterday’s paper tucked under a plate of sandwiches. London must have put it there for her to see. The headlines screamed at her: Dissent on the Police Force; Killer Gets Away While They Argue.

  “Where did she get this file?” She recognized Dominic’s commanding voice, saw him standing behind the desk, palms flat as he leaned over and scanned the papers scattered across the surface.

  “The guy at the club.” Jackson rubbed the back of his head as if recalling the name hurt, which wouldn’t surprise her. Deep lines dug grooves into his face, his thick brown hair stood on end in clumps, and his clothes were wrinkled as if he’d slept in them. He looked like shit. “Randolph something. I don’t think he was a shifter, but there was something about him that warned everyone to keep their distance.”

  London slowly stood, his posture ramrod straight, his thick brows drawing down into a straight line. “Randolph?”

  A deep chill settled in her bones at the mention of his name. She refused to allow any of her people near that man. She gingerly sat, her body struggling to remember how lungs should work.

  “If he’s after her, he’ll be more trouble than we can handle.” The rumble of London’s words caused Dominic to shift his attention away from the scattered reports, but it was the flash of unrestrained fear she glimpsed in London that grabbed Raven by the throat. Even in the labs, nothing penetrated the thick shields he had erected. Until now.

  “What do you know?” The vicious growl of Dominic’s words jerked Raven’s head up. The deep-seated rage that hovered in his voice brought home why he was the leader of the group. “Who’s Randolph?”

  Though he directed the question at the others, Raven answered, knowing that there was no way to explain it away. “He’s the fabled killer from the labs rumored to have hunted down our own kind for sport and bring them in for testing.”

  “Damn it, Raven, you just can’t do things the easy way, can you?” He ran a hand through his thick hair, his resigned expression making him look older than he had a few minutes ago.

  “He was after bigger fish than me.” She cut Dominic off when he would’ve said more. Randolph wouldn’t be pleased that others were aware of his existence. The less everyone knew, the safer they’d be.

  “But now he knows about you.”

  Score one point for London.

  She met his hard stare with one of her own. “He already knew about me because of my claim on Durant. He came to the club to assess and possibly kill me if I happened to be a big enough threat.”

  She resisted the urge to rub the ache in her ribs that she got by just talking. She couldn’t let them know how weak she remained, or they’d lock her up and prevent her from doing what needed to be done.

  “You’re still alive.” London scanned her body from head to toe, looking at her like she was a ghost. His total disbelief made her want to pat herself down to make sure that she was solid. “Randolph never fails a mission.”

  “He was informed that I was a threat. I explained otherwise.” She nodded to the papers. “He gave me those when I told him I was hunting the real killers.”

  Jackson neared and she hastily stood before he could get close. Though she ached for his touch, she was afraid of what it would do to both of them.

  “I gave him something else to focus on other than me.” Raven sat in the chair across from the desk, not only to see those papers but prevent herself from sprawling on the floor.

  Jackson refused to retreat, but refrained from touching her. Without a word, he handed her a sandwich. She eyed the food, then ate without tasting, more out of need than any hunger. Her mind churned as she methodically chewed. There had to be a way to save Taggert without risking anyone else.

  “Maybe you’d better explain what the hell you stepped into on this case.” Dominic sat at the desk, his voice a command, not a request.

  “You and the group leave by the end of the week. I’ve been trying to keep you out of my cases for this reason. Leave it be.”

  “Like hell.” The vehemence in his statement took her aback. He ensured everyone’s safety in the group, evaluated the risks and decided what cases to take. His actions now didn’t make sense. She wasn’t one of his, not really.

  “Don’t be foolish.”

  A vein throbbed along his neck. “It was your decision to bring him into the pack. We don’t leave one of our own behind.”

  “I recognize some of these shifters.�
� Dina’s soft voice broke through the argument, and Dominic’s confusing comment about pack.

  “What?”

  Dina didn’t lift her attention from the pictures. “Three of them were part of my Recovery Group.”

  Her words confused Raven more. “What group?”

  Raven had pulled people out of the rubble when the labs were destroyed, doubling back to ensure that the guards wouldn’t be able to track them, but she didn’t recall any such recovery group after everyone scattered.

  Dina’s normally soft, doe eyes were hard when she glanced up. “Some of the shifters released from the labs weren’t ready to be set free into society. I created a group to help them adjust to civilization.”

  Hurt flickered through Raven at being excluded. After she’d destroyed the lab, she’d suffered severe burnout, her powers flickering on and off unchecked. Afraid that she’d actually hurt people if she lingered, she’d put all her concentration into pulling out every bit of technology from in the labs. People needed that money and those files to help make a clean break.

  She hadn’t even realized they needed her help. Though she wasn’t a true shifter, she was desperately jealous of the pack Dina had created.

  Dina shook her head as if to deny her thoughts. “You had other things on your mind. You did enough by rescuing us all. I saw the toll it had on you.” She touched the papers on the desk. “You brought us together, you made us a pack. These people didn’t have anyone. Some of them were born behind those bars. They didn’t know how to handle outside people or wide open spaces. I created a network where they could rely on each other to survive.”

  One word slammed into her mind.

  Pack.

  They considered her pack.

  After years of always being on the fringes, afraid to get too close, hearing that they considered her one of them sent turmoil swirling.

  “And as pack, we don’t leave anyone behind.” Dominic nodded to the desk. “Explain what this means. Something flickered in your eyes when you viewed the pictures.”

  Air in the room became thin. She couldn’t allow them to stay. She couldn’t allow anyone to hurt them. Without them, she had nothing.

  Jackson’s palm covered her shoulder. She jumped, tried to jerk away, only to have his grip tighten.

  “Breathe.” The word was soft enough only she heard it. Fresh air filled her lungs. It smelled of Jackson and wolf.

  The phone rang, but no one moved, waiting for her to spill what she knew. The answering machine picked up.

  A man nervously cleared his throat. “Uhm, Raven? I know you’re not on the case anymore, but there’s another body delivered this morning that you need to see.” The man cleared his throat again. “This is Ross.” The call cut off abruptly.

  Raven ignored their stares as she rose.

  “This isn’t over.” Dominic sounded resigned, but didn’t object to her leaving.

  Jackson ghosted her movements. When they reached her room, he shut the door carefully and advanced on her. She resisted the urge to back up.

  “You have a plan.” There was no question in his oh-too-casual voice. He crossed his arms over the large expanse of his chest.

  She had to admit he was impressive...er...imposing. Neither meant he would get his way. “Working on one. Why don’t you take the shower first?”

  His smile was all teeth. “I think not.”

  Raven resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I believe I can manage to find the morgue by myself.”

  Jackson grunted.

  “You heard Ross’ call. It’s not like I’m trying to sneak out.”

  “Fine.”

  His easy acceptance threw her. She never expected him to relent, and it left her off-kilter. The bastard was up to something. She narrowed her eyes, wishing she’d listened to Dominic when he said shifters were tricky bastards. “Fine?”

  “Promise to come right back.”

  She pursed her lips, but didn’t answer.

  “Promise or I’ll follow you.” It was a threat. He crowded near, his wolf so close to the surface that it splashed over her in waves. Delicious heat radiated from him. Inviting her to touch. She curled her hands into fists, unable to back away from the temptation. It was all she could do to remain still.

  “I promise.” She agreed more in hopes that he’d back away and give her room to breathe. Lord knew she didn’t have enough strength to walk away from him and the need building inside her.

  Only he didn’t move.

  “Jackson?”

  He dropped his arms and stepped closer. Part of her mind went fuzzy, and it took her precious seconds to remember he wasn’t hers.

  But she could change that.

  “Will you let me try to see if I can call your animal?” His face turned to granite, the heat doused, his reluctance clear. She just didn’t know if it was because of her or a fear that no matter what she tried, she wouldn’t be able to fix him.

  At the back of her mind was hope. If she could pull his wolf forward, the death sentence hanging over his head would vanish, giving him choices again. But would he choose her or loyalty to his pack?

  For wolf shifters, pack was everything.

  “Do you trust me?” His whiskey brown eyes darkened, and she thought he wouldn’t answer. She counted off the ticking second, her heart speeding as she waited, her palms growing sweaty.

  “Yes.”

  She swallowed hard at his answer, then removed her gloves, noticing how little they helped anymore. He watched the action so intently, you’d think she just stripped to her underwear. She nodded behind him. “Sit on the bed.”

  He backed up and did so without taking his eyes off hers. She licked her lips as nerves stormed through her. “You realize I’ve never done this with anyone else.”

  He nodded and the rest of the world dropped away until only the two of them remained. His energy wrapped around him, subtly different from humans, seductive in its strength. He didn’t move, his shoulders tense as if bracing himself for her to strike.

  “If you feel any pain, tell me and I’ll stop.”

  “Do it.”

  Raven gazed into his eyes a moment longer, praying he wouldn’t hate her if she failed.

  She placed her hands on his shoulders, and jerked in surprise when they flexed under her touch. Goosebumps raced up her arms, and she shivered as desire nearly drowned her. The wolf at her core inched forward at the touch as if curious.

  Blue eyes filled her vision.

  The need for freedom, the need to run, bore down on her. It was all she could do to remain still. She inhaled deeply and the cut grass and fresh air smell that she associated with Jackson filled her head.

  Could her own wolf help Jackson?

  The last time she pulled her to the surface, Jackson’s own animal had reacted. The unconscious urge to do just that built. If she tried hard enough, pushed hard enough, she knew they could help him.

  Her hands slipped down to his chest, her fingers slightly stroking the hard lines of his muscles. A light growl resonated under her palms, and she cursed the shirt that separated them. Eagerness built as the wolf began to pace. When Jackson’s hands settled on her waist, her eyes snapped open.

  His eyes splintered to yellow with his wolf. She belatedly remembered Rylan’s warning about Jackson’s compulsion to bite her and froze. Sweat beaded on his brow, strain bracketing his eyes and lips.

  As if sensing her hesitation, his hold tightened. “Don’t you dare leave.”

  He leaned closer, his nose inches from her throat, and inhaled. Her breath caught, tingles swept over her skin as pure lust poured through her. The irresistible draw to him had her shuffling closer. All she wanted was to crawl into his lap and bask under his attention. She was coming to understand the compulsion shifters had to touch.

  “Jackson.”

  They were so close his breath feathered her lips. His eyes dilated, but he didn’t move, which was its own aphrodisiac. She couldn’t help but wonder about his taste. If she
just leaned forward...

  Self-preservation screamed at her to pull back, but her senses said that this was the right path if she wanted to help him. Taking a leap of faith, she crushed her lips to his, praying she knew what the hell she was doing.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  JUST AFTER SUNSET

  Jackson’s lust exploded through her with the first taste of his lips, spurring Raven to seek more. Everything around her vanished as sensations consumed her. All that mattered was him and the burning desire to take everything he offered.

  His arms slid around her waist, and he fisted her shirt, whether to draw her forward or hold her in place, she didn’t care. She had no intention of going anywhere. She locked her hands in his hair to slow him down, wanting to linger and enjoy every second of what he did to her.

  When he sprawled backward, she eagerly crawled on his lap, nipped at his lips and luxuriated in the heat that seeped into her bones.

  “Raven.”

  The husky, reverent sound of her name on his lips sent her heart pounding. The fog clouding her mind lifted a fraction. She had a job to do. It hurt to pull away from him.

  She drew up short by his grip on her waist. Yellow eyes locked on hers. A growl thrummed in Jackson’s chest, and an answering call rose in her. Power shimmered, growing brighter. Her skin grew tight, and the glow spilled over onto him.

  Faster than she could register, his hand rose to cradle her head. His fingers sank into her hair, and she shivered at the demand as he angled her face down to his. He twisted until he lay over her, his hard body surrounding hers, and she lost her breath. Delicious heat enveloped her as he ravaged her mouth. The wolf at the center of her took that moment to charge.

  Like on a rollercoaster, her stomach jumped in her throat, the beast ready to burst through her chest. Pain riveted her, searing her insides, tearing a groan from her.

  “Raven!”

  Her eyes snapped open to see him reach for her. “No!”

  But it was too late. The instant his hand touched her skin, the power of her wolf raced up his arms. Seconds took an eternity to pass. Then his eyes rolled up in his head, and he collapsed.