She let out a breath, nodded, and walked away. Paul watched as she stormed off. He didn’t think it was possible to get to her that much. Hmm, that was something to remember.
Carrie came back, coffee in hand. “Here you go,” she purred. Maybe he’d taken it a little too far. No wonder Emily was so pissed. “Thanks,” he said, and took a sip of heaven. It had been so long since he’d had coffee. He missed it.
“So what are you doing later?” she asked, stroking his arm.
He moved so she wasn’t touching him anymore and grumbled, “I’m busy.” He didn’t want to lead her on and he didn’t like Emily’s reaction. She seemed a little too angry about the whole thing. He didn’t know why he didn’t like her reacting that way, but he knew he didn’t want to be on her bad side. He didn’t want to end up back in that cell again. It was definitely a good idea to stay on her good side.
CHAPTER 4
When Paul had finished eating, he went into the living room to sit and wait for Emily. He knew she’d calm down and come back, especially with everything going on with her sister. He just had to be patient, although he hoped she wouldn’t keep him waiting there all night.
He stood up and went over to the bookshelf to see what was there. Reading was always something he loved doing but never had the time for. Maybe Emily would let him borrow some books while he was helping her. Hmm, something to consider in exchange for his help.
Emily walked in and must not have expected to see Paul there, based on the surprised look on her face. “What are you doing in here?” she asked. She didn’t exactly sound mad, but she didn’t sound too happy. Maybe she thought he was trying to snoop?
“I was waiting for you. I hope you don’t mind me looking at your books.” “No, it’s fine,” she said and sat down. She looked tense. He wanted to go over and do something that would help put her at ease or something.
Paul didn’t know what to say. She seemed like she just wanted to sit there like a mad child and sulk. So instead of telling her to grow up like he wanted to, he sat down in a chair and stared at her. He didn’t know what else to do that wouldn’t get him thrown back into a cell or killed. He knew she would eventually say something.
“So, what will it take for me to get your help?” she finally asked. “Well, a bed for one,” he said. He hoped she figured that was a given. He didn’t exactly like his cell. He really hoped she wasn’t going to be a smart ass and put a bed in the cell.
“Done. Anything else?” “Give me a little bit to think on it and I’ll let you know. I can stay in here while I think,” he said with a smile. He knew she wouldn’t like that, but he loved the look on her face. It was so worth it.
“Fine,” she said, and walked out. Paul couldn’t hold back the laugh. That wasn’t what he’d expected. He thought she’d try to talk him out of it, or threaten him into helping. Not storm out of the room… again. She was a hell fire, he knew that, but he never expected the spoiled child reaction. It was so much fun.
***
Emily couldn’t believe she was letting Paul get under her skin like that. He was the enemy and she was a trained killer. She could handle anyone, but there she was, hiding in the kitchen with Maggie, waiting until Paul could figure out what he wanted. Ugh, he was being so difficult!
She thought the first thing out of his mouth would be for her to let him go when this was all over. She was surprised. All bad guys wanted their freedom guaranteed first, then all the extras.
“What’s bothering you?” Maggie asked. “That MAN!” she yelled. She couldn’t help it. He was infuriating.
“What did he do?” she asked. “He… he wants to think about what he wants before he helps me.” Didn’t he realize this was a time sensitive matter?
“Okay, so what’s wrong with that? Maybe he’s trying to think everything through before he agrees to help.”
“He didn’t ask to be let go.”
“Maybe he thinks it’s something that won’t happen.” “He was flirting with Carrie,” Emily said angrily. That was something else she couldn’t believe. He was a prisoner. He shouldn’t be flirting with the staff.
“Carrie is a flirt and you know it.”
“I know,” she grumbled, but that didn’t make her any happier about it.
“Why are you so upset about this?” she asked. “I don’t know. I just am. Do I really need a reason?” It was very rare for her to show her anger like this. Worrying about Stacy seemed to be messing with her mind.
“True, but maybe you should figure out why you can’t keep your cool with him. You are the bad ass, Emily Kincade,” Maggie said matter-of-factly.
“True, but he’s just getting to me,” she said with a little whine. She wasn’t a whiner, but there she was doing it, all because of that man.
“Em, you’ve been through tougher situations than this. Keep calm and think about Stacy. That will help keep you grounded.”
“I’ll try, thanks,” she said. She knew Maggie was right. She was always right. Emily just needed to accept that fact. It was hard with who she was, though. She wanted to be the one in control.
Emily took a deep breath and went back into the living room.
Paul was sitting in a chair reading a book. He looked up when she leaned against the door frame. She needed to remember to stay calm and remain uncaring about his help. She needed him and she needed to stay in control. If he thought she’d just give in to anything, he might try to walk all over her. She couldn’t let that happen.
“Have you decided what you want?” she asked calmly. She was very proud of herself; now she needed to keep it up, no matter what he said.
“Nope, not yet,” he said with a smile. He was playing her, she could tell. That smirk, all she wanted to do was wipe it off his face. It wouldn’t be bad to knock him around a little, would it? No, she couldn’t do that. He might not help her then. Torturing it out of him wouldn’t mean it was good information. It was better to get him to co-operate.
“Are you sure there isn’t anything you want? I can get you pretty much anything,” she said, trying to remain calm. She was determined to not let him get the better of her.
“Umm, nothing’s coming to mind. I think I need a little more time.” “Time’s up,” she said. Yeah, she couldn’t take any more of this. She needed answers and couldn’t just sit around waiting for them.
“Maybe I won’t help you then,” he said with that smirk again. Okay, so he could read her like a book. That was not good at all. She’d have to teach him a lesson. She was going to show him exactly who she was.
Walking across the room, she allowed her fangs and claws to come out so he could see just how much of an animal she was. “You’re going to help whether you like it or not. I’m trying to be nice here and offer you payment, but you seem to want to be difficult. So figure out what you want in return for helping or I will make you help, one body part at a time,” she said, crowding him into the chair and letting him get a good look at her fangs.
*** Paul never thought seeing that side of Emily would turn him on. He thought he’d be scared shitless and piss his pants. She was lethal. Instead, he wanted her to rub all over him and shred his clothes with those long talons. He couldn’t have thoughts like that. She had kept him prisoner for months. He hadn’t been able to see the sun, get fresh air, or eat real food. He couldn’t start actually liking her. She was a killer.
“Fine. As I told you, I want a bed.” She nodded. “I also want to be able to read your books while I’m here, a shower, clean clothes, real food…”
“Okay, I can do all of that,” Emily said, backing off. “I also want Bill involved. If you won’t call him, I’ll find some way to reach him, so don’t think you can get out of it,” Paul said sternly. He wasn’t stupid. He wanted to live, and one way to make sure of it was to get Bill involved. He also had a feeling that would keep him out of the cell.
“Fine, but why?” she asked.
“Because the man is good at what he does. He’s a very good ally
.”
“I can see that. Why do you trust him so much to demand his help?” She sounded confused. Really? He thought it was obvious. The man trusted him with the Hunters and he trusted Lucy. He figured if Bill was against his being free, Lucy would come to his rescue like she had the last time.
“Because you trust him. He was there when Mike needed help and so were you. You guys all seem close. And he seems like the type of man who’ll be there to help no matter what, just because he’s a good person.”
“You mean animal,” she sneered. Did she not hear him when he explained it all before? When he sat in the bar and told everyone what he knew about the Hunters and how he had learned that everything was a lie?
“No, person. Whether shifter, human, vampire, zombie, ghost…”
“Okay, I get it,” she interrupted. “Good, I’m glad,” he said with a smile.
“Wait, there are vampires, zombies, and ghosts?” she asked. “Vampires yes, the rest no. I just thought I’d start rattling off supernatural things, see how long it took you to stop me.” He thought she’d know about vampires. He’d seen her file. He knew she was almost ninety.
“Oh.” “Okay, let me go take a shower. Where am I sleeping?” he asked. He really wanted to wash months of dirt and grime off of him. He had a feeling he’d be spending a lot of time in the shower. He was surprised she’d let him sit on her furniture.
“Come on, I’ll show you. I’ll get someone to put some clothes in there for you, too.” “What? You keep a clothing store here?” he asked with a small laugh. He figured she’d send someone out to get some.
“No, we’re shifters. We lose our clothes when we shift. I keep some for everyone so I don’t have naked shifters walking around everywhere.”
“Makes sense.” They walked silently as Emily showed him to a room. “Here’s your room, and there’s a bathroom through that door,” she said, pointing to a room on the left.
“I have my own bathroom?” he asked incredulously.
“Yeah,” she said, a little confused. “The only time I ever got that was when I was in a hotel. Sorry, I get a little excited about luxuries,” he said with a shrug.
“Okay. Well, enjoy. I’ll see you in the morning,” Emily said and left. Paul was so happy about having hot running water that he all but ran into the bathroom. He stripped off his clothes that looked more like rags and turned on the water. He hoped there was soap and shampoo, but he’d take just the water if that was all he got. He turned the water on and couldn’t help but moan at the sight. He saw the necessities tucked on a shelf in the stall. Climbing into the shower, he winced at the feel of the hot water, but after a minute he adjusted and just stood there, letting it run down his body. He didn’t think anything could feel that good.
When Paul was sure he’d gotten all the layers of dirt off, he climbed out and dried off. He went back into the bedroom and saw the sweats. Clean clothes. He never thought he’d be so happy to see something so simple. He put them on then slipped into the bed. It was so soft. He sank in a little and curled into the covers. This was even better than the shower.
CHAPTER 5
Stacy opened her eyes. She had no idea where she was, just that she was hurt. She tried taking stock of her injuries before getting a better look around. Her ribs hurt some, so did her left arm, but she didn’t think anything was broken. They might have been earlier, and have healed while she was unconscious. Her arm felt stiff and sore, but she could live with that. She didn’t know what she would do if she were stuck in a strange place and be so injured she couldn’t move.
Moving her head to the side, Stacy started taking everything in. She was in a cell in the middle of a room, with bars surrounding her on all sides, even on the ceiling. The floor was concrete and she was on a cot. There was a pillow under her head and a light blanket covering her, but that was it. Well, except for the bucket in the corner that she guessed was supposed to be the bathroom. How did they expect her to use that? She guessed if she really had to go she would, but it would still be gross.
All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry, but she knew she needed to be strong. She had to find a way out. She had to be like Emily. She didn’t have a choice. She could cry when it was all over. She could curl up in a ball with her sister and just let it out, but for now she needed to be strong. She knew that it probably wouldn’t happen, though. Emily wasn’t the cuddly type. She was the “sit and watch a movie together, but in different chairs” type.
Taking a deep breath, Stacy looked around again. She had to find a way out. There was a weakness somewhere. There always was. She walked over to the door to see if she could pick the lock. The nice thing about being a tiger was she didn’t have to carry around any supplies, because she had her claws. Unfortunately the lock was electrical, not the standard key lock.
She took another deep breath. There was no reason to panic yet. She just needed to figure something out. She knew she would; she just needed to stay calm and think about it. She could do that. She just needed to channel her sister, because she knew Emily would be able to figure something out.
Stacy walked around the cell, trying to find a weakness. She felt the bars and checked the door, but didn’t seem to be able to find one. She never thought she’d find a cage that could hold her. Maybe as a tiger she could escape, but she was afraid whoever had her didn’t know she was a shifter. She didn’t want to let out the big secret. She was just going to have to wait it out.
She sat back on her cot and waited for an opportunity. Maybe when someone brought her food or something she’d be able to overpower them and get out. She just had to be patient. She was a cat. She could wait them out. She could do this and escape. She just hoped she could do it soon.
*** Richard watched as the girl walked around the cell, checking it and trying to find a weak spot. He knew she wouldn’t, but it was still
entertaining. He was curious to see if she would shift and try, but he knew she wouldn’t succeed. The cell was built specifically to hold them. He’d made sure of that. He’d checked and double-checked Zeke’s design. It had taken some time and a few changes, but he’d made sure it would be able to hold the strongest animals.
He was surprised when she went back to her cot and sat down. He studied her. She didn’t seem to have any injuries from when he’d captured her. She moved a little stiffly, but he knew he had broken her arm and ribs. He’d heard the snap as he’d beaten her into unconsciousness. He never knew they healed that fast. Maybe he should get some scientist to check her blood. They might be able to find something so the healing power could be harnessed. It could come in handy when killing them. Maybe they should catch another shifter to experiment on. He liked the girl too much to use her.
It would be hard to capture another one, but he knew it would also be hard to use her. She was feisty, and he remembered taking her down every time he moved his leg. It wasn’t as easy as he’d thought it would be. She was young, but she knew how to fight, just not as well as he did. Maybe he should give her a leadership position once he’d broken her. He knew he was going to keep her and he hoped it would be by choice and not because he’d forced her. He would have her, though – that he was sure of.
She was sleek and muscular, the perfect soldier. He had to make sure she was on his side. He couldn’t afford to have enemies like her. Richard knew if he let her, she’d kill him in minutes, no matter how much he fought. Their strength was unimaginable to a human. He wished he had it. He worked out, but there was no way he could get even close.
Richard took one last look at the girl before he went to his office. He had plans to make. He wanted to set a trap for another shifter. If not one to experiment on, then one he could use to break the girl. There was nothing like killing something to bring you down when you were already there. He hoped that was all it would take, but had a feeling he’d have to do a lot more.
*** Paul was walking through the compound, trying to find Zeke. He had to convince him they weren’t all bad. L
ucy taught him they were just humans who could shift. They weren’t the animals he had thought they were. They had killers, just like humans did, but most wanted normal lives. They wanted a family and happiness. They worked jobs, raised their kind, paid taxes, and shopped at grocery stores – all things people did.
They weren’t evil. He could see that. He just didn’t know how Zeke couldn’t. Hadn’t he noticed that they were just defending themselves? They didn’t attack; they fought back when they were attacked.
Zeke came up behind him and said, “Paul.” Paul turned around and saw the gun. He hadn’t expected that. He thought Zeke would know him well enough to know that Paul didn’t shoot first. He didn’t plan on killing Zeke; he just wanted to talk.
“Why?” Zeke asked. “They aren’t what you think,” Paul pleaded, trying to convince him to listen. He hoped he’d be able to change his mind, but he had a feeling he was just wasting his breath. Zeke was set in his ways – the gun proved that.
“I trusted you and you did this to me?” Zeke said as he came at Paul with the gun leveled at his head. Zeke was a good shot. He knew if he fired that gun, he was dead.
“Zeke, you were wrong. They aren’t monsters. They are just like people. Some are cruel, but most are kind. They’re just trying to survive,” Paul said. He had his hands up, trying to convince Zeke he wasn’t a threat.
“No, they’re animals. I thought I taught you better than that. You shouldn’t have let your curiosity get the better of you,” Zeke said. He was a few feet away; there was no way he could miss.
He closed his eyes, waiting for the gun to go off. Paul opened his eyes and looked around the dark room. He couldn’t remember where he was or how he got there. He didn’t know if Emily had taken him somewhere and was finally planning on killing him. That he’d been expecting for a long time. He wasn’t afraid; he’d prefer that over sitting in this cell for months. It wasn’t that it was all that bad, but he was so bored and the food was only enough to keep him alive. It was a shadow of a life. Something not worth living.
Emily's Captive (A Lilly Town Shifter Novel Book 2) Page 2
