Then it all came back to him. He was in his own room, but at Emily’s. He was helping her. Something about her made it hard for him to turn her down. He couldn’t figure out what it was, though. Paul knew it would come eventually. He really wasn’t that worried about it; he was just happy to be out of that place. He was now in a real bed, eating real food for the first time other than when the cook had snuck in. He didn’t get it often or want her to get in trouble for it, so he’d never asked her for anything. He’d actually tried sending her back many times, but had given up when he realized it was useless.
Paul stood up and looked out the window. There was a tiger running around the yard. She was beautiful. He could see her muscles moving as she ran and darted into the woods. He waited a few minutes, but didn’t see her come back. He figured she went to run in the woods and burn off some steam and he didn’t blame her.
Ten years ago, he’d be pissing his pants. A year ago, he would have had a gun trained on her, looking for an opening. Now, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He wanted to see more, but knew she wouldn’t let him get that close. She was a predator, and they never trust anyone to get close to them. The human predators were just as bad. They stayed to themselves and never let anyone in. Zeke was like that. Paul had somehow managed to wiggle his way into Zeke’s heart, although he did betray him in the end. There was a reason they tended to keep their distance.
When she didn’t come back, Paul headed back to bed. It didn’t feel as heavenly as it had earlier, but it still felt good. He couldn’t sleep, though. His mind wouldn’t turn off. He kept thinking about how his life had changed over the years. He never thought he’d find himself staying in a shifter’s guest bedroom, yet here he was.
He wasn’t pissed at how things had turned out. He’d helped save a life and was proud of himself for doing so, especially since he’d taken so many. Maybe saving Stacy would help him make it up to the shifter community. He knew he’d never be accepted because of his past, and that was fine, but he did want to help them. He wanted to help make up for the lives he’d taken, every single one. He wanted to take down Zeke, and thought maybe this would help just a little.
***
Bill had just climbed into bed after a busy night at the bar. He was exhausted. All he wanted was his pillow and a good night’s sleep. He’d just put his head on his pillow when his phone rang. That was not what he wanted. He hadn’t slept much the night before because of work, and now here he was with another night of apparently no sleep. With a groan he sat up and answered it. “Hello?”
“I… I need your help,” Emily said nervously. Bill woke up at that. Emily never asked for help. “What’s wrong?” He would do anything to help her. She was always there when he needed her, so he would do no less for her.
“Stacy was taken,” she said quietly. His heart stopped. He loved Stacy like a little sister. He knew he had to do everything in his power to get her back. “When?” he asked.
“A few days ago,” she grumbled. He could tell she didn’t want to tell him that little piece of information.
“What? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Bill yelled. He was pissed. That was too much time for her to have been left by herself, probably scared out of her mind. They could have been looking for her sooner. They could have found her already. The trail would still have been warm, so they’d have had a much better chance if they had started looking immediately. He knew Emily was good at what she did, but she didn’t have the contacts he did. He could have done something.
“I’m sorry, I thought I could handle it myself,” she said, sounding ashamed. He knew she wanted to, but he wished she realized she wasn’t alone. She had him and so many other people who would be right there if she had just asked.
“Did you call Martha?” he asked. Maybe if Emily hadn’t called him, she’d have called her instead. She had more contacts than he did, so maybe they’d get lucky.
“No,” she said quietly. “You need to call her,” he said sternly. He didn’t want to get in the middle of a fight between them. Martha was just as bad as Emily when it came to temper. He’d seen it firsthand and it was horrible. It was something he didn’t wish on his worst enemy.
“I can do this on my own,” she said firmly. “Yet you’re calling me.” He knew she had to have finally given in and called. She needed backup, and he was the only one she knew of who would give it, other than Martha.
“It was part of a deal I made. I didn’t have a choice,” she sighed. Bill wanted to hear what the deal was and whom it was with. No one could make Emily Kincade do anything, let alone talk to someone she didn’t want to talk to.
“Okay, I’m coming over and we can figure this out,” he said with a sigh. He had been looking forward to sleeping, but he could sleep when he was dead. Perhaps he would take a long vacation after all this. Maybe he’d go to Manhattan and see Lexi. He knew nothing would happen with her – he wouldn’t let it – but that didn’t mean he couldn’t see her.
“No, I have some help here and he’s asleep. Why don’t you come over in the morning for breakfast and we’ll go over everything?” He knew she wanted to feed him and butter him up first. He was a bear after all – food was something that always put him in a good mood.
“Okay, I’ll be there early,” he said and hung up. Bill was not looking forward to waiting for morning. He wanted Stacy back, but it worried him that it had taken Emily so long to ask for help. Stacy might be dead for all he knew. He had to find her, though. He hoped she was still alive and that they could rescue her before it was too late.
Bill thought about Emily’s Aunt Martha and how pissed off she would be when she found out. It was a show he wanted to be there to see, as long as he wasn’t one of the main characters. Martha had a really nasty temper and just like Emily, protected her family with everything she had, even if it was from each other. Emily was being stupid and Martha was going to tell her that when she found out. And he knew she would; it was just a matter of time. Martha knew all.
CHAPTER 6
Emily and Paul were sitting at the dinner table eating breakfast silently. Carrie walked in and went over to Paul to pour him more coffee. Wasn’t she aware the man could pour his own? He did have two working hands. It wasn’t like Emily had broken them like she wanted to break Carrie’s face. If the woman valued her job, she’d keep her distance, and Emily let her know by giving her the evil eye. She hoped the woman got the idea.
“Do you want anything else?” Carrie asked him with a charming smile. Apparently she didn’t get the message.
“Thanks, but I’m okay,” Paul said with a kind smile. “Okay, but make sure you let me know if you change your mind,” she said with a smile that showed lots of teeth. Bitch! She was so fired. Maggie could handle it, though. It was one of the many things she liked about the woman, she would handle the little problems Emily didn’t want to deal with.
Carrie walked away with an extra sway to her hips. Okay, maybe Emily would kill her. Emily couldn’t take any more. She stood and walked into the kitchen. “Out!” she said, when she saw Carrie sitting at the table. Carrie scurried away, knowing Emily was pissed. She liked the look of fear in her eyes.
“Em, calm down. What’s wrong?” Maggie asked. She knew Emily very well and was one of the very few who could handle Emily yelling at her.
“I want to fire her,” she said.
“Why?” “Because she’s flirting with my prisoner,” she grumbled. He was her prisoner, not a guest. Well, she wouldn’t want Carrie flirting with a guest either. But he was a prisoner, he was supposed to be miserable, not flirting.
“Why does it bother you? It’s not like you want him or anything, other than as a prisoner,” she said with a small smile.
“I don’t want him getting any ideas that my staff will help him escape or something. I mean, what if I put him back in his cell and Carrie decides she wants to help him escape and hides him? I don’t want him escaping.” She thought that sounded reasonable.
“Uh huh, yeah, I don’t think that’s going to happen. I seriously doubt you’re putting him back in the cell,” Maggie said with a knowing look.
“And why is that?” Emily asked. She could put him back. If he weren’t her only lead, he’d still be in there. Unfortunately, he was all she had.
“Because first off, he’s helping you. Second, Bill wouldn’t let that happen. And third, you like him.”
“I don’t like him,” she grumbled. She didn’t. He was a pain in the ass. Why would she like him? “Oh, I think you do,” Maggie said with a smile. “Anyway, I think you should go back in there and get some more coffee and food in you. You’ll feel much better,” and she gave Emily a little push.
“Fine, but you need to stop mothering me. I’m older than you,” she grumbled. She knew Maggie actually looked her age and probably acted more like it, but that didn’t mean she had to mother her.
“I’ll stop mothering you when you stop acting like a child,” she said, and went back to cleaning the counter.
Emily walked back into the living room and plopped down into her chair. She looked over at Paul and saw the smirk on his face. “What?” she snapped.
“Nothing,” he said, and went back to eating. She knew he was smirking at her reaction, but she couldn’t help it. He was just so infuriating. She took a deep breath, then went back to her food while she waited for Bill to arrive.
***
Paul couldn’t believe how mad Emily was. He knew she was pissed the day before, but wow! He wasn’t sure if he should be flattered or scared. When she flopped in the chair, it took everything in him not to laugh at her tantrum. Maybe she didn’t like him talking to her staff, but he thought it had more to do with Carrie.
He didn’t plan on doing anything with her, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to enjoy the attention. He hadn’t had a woman look at him like that in a very long time. Being locked in a cell can do that to you. And when he was with Zeke, he wasn’t able to notice the attention, so he’d missed out. Now he was going to enjoy it.
“Why are you…?” Paul began, but before he could finish, the door flew open and slammed against the wall.
Paul stood, ready to attack whoever was storming in. He was afraid whoever had taken Stacy was back. He might not be in the best condition, but that didn’t mean he was going to let anyone hurt Emily or anyone else in the house. He didn’t have any weapons, so he quickly looked around, trying to find something he could use to protect everyone the best he could.
When he heard someone stomping in, he knew it wasn’t an attack. No one trying to kill or kidnap would make that much noise. He sat back down, wanting to enjoy some more food while he watched the show. He had a feeling it was someone who was pissed at Emily.
“You are in huge trouble,” Bill said as he walked into the room and pointed at Emily. Paul was happy he wasn’t the one the anger was directed at. He never wanted to have Bill pissed at him. The man was scary as hell.
“I know,” Emily said, looking ashamed. Huh, he never expected that. He figured Emily would be in his face, fighting him. But there she sat with a defeated look on her face. He started to wonder if maybe he shouldn’t be so hard on her. But, she had kept him locked in a cell for a long time. Maybe he’d be cruel for just a little longer.
*** Bill was pissed. He didn’t know if they could save Stacy. He wasn’t told she was missing until days after she had been taken. He wished he’d known sooner. He would have torn everything apart until he found her. Now he didn’t know if they ever would. He’d work as hard as he could, but he seriously thought she was probably dead.
“I want to know why you didn’t tell me sooner. I could have helped you. We might even have had her home by now,” he said gently. He knew if he did nothing but yell and scream, he would never get any answers.
“I know who took her; I just don’t know where they took her. I have Paul, so I figured we’d be able to get her back, but he made me tell you,” she said pointing.
Bill looked around and saw Paul sitting at the table. He didn’t know how he’d missed the man, but somehow he had. Maybe he was too caught up in his anger. “And why do you think Paul will be able to help you find her?” he asked.
“Because it was his old boss who did it,” she said seriously.
CHAPTER 7
Emily knew Bill didn’t believe her. No one seemed to. She didn’t know why. She wasn’t one to jump the gun and go in half-cocked. She knew what she smelled and she wasn’t going to let anyone convince her she was wrong.
“Why do you believe that?” Bill asked. “Because she smelled them,” Paul answered. Well, he was right, but the way he said it made it sound wrong. It sounded like she went up and sniffed their asses or something.
“So, you scented them. Are you sure it was one of the Hunters?” he asked. Yes, she’d scented a lot of different people, but she knew that burnt smell. It was one of the Hunters she had been tracking; one who had been able to escape her many times. She wasn’t crazy. “I know what I smelled and it was a Hunter.”
“All right, tell me what happened,” Bill said as he sat down. Emily hadn’t told Paul everything, but she knew if she didn’t give Bill all the information, he’d know. “Stacy and I had a fight. She wanted to join our group and I said no. She didn’t understand why. She wanted to fight for our freedom. Anyway, she ran off into the woods. I heard her scream and went running. I found blood, not a lot, but some. Most of it was hers. There was also someone else’s, so I know she put up a fight. I shifted and looked around. I smelled that Hunter from a few months back. The one I was having trouble finding.”
“The one from the Maryland mission?” Bill asked.
“Yeah.” “You didn’t tell me all that,” Paul said suspiciously.
“It wasn’t relevant.”
“It could have been. You never know what can be picked up from small details,” Paul said.
“Did you pick anything up from that?” she asked. “Yeah, this was definitely planned. It sounds like they were waiting for her. It’s possible they were waiting for you, but I don’t think so,” Paul said.
“Why’s that?” Bill asked. “Because if they were here for Emily, they would have killed Stacy and waited for Emily, not run off.”
“I agree,” Bill said with a smile. Emily knew Bill liked Paul; she just hadn’t realized how much until then. It seemed Bill respected him. She didn’t know why. The man had killed shifters. He was the enemy.
*** Paul was surprised Bill was listening to him. He thought he had been behind Paul ending up in the cell. Maybe he wasn’t.
Bill loaded up a plate and started eating. He was just shoveling it in. Damn, the man could eat! Paul was surprised he hadn’t gotten into the food when he first sat down, but he had seemed a little distracted.
“So, Paul, where have you been? We thought you were dead,” Bill asked between bites.
“I was locked up in a cell,” he said matter-offactly.
“Why?” Bill asked. Maybe Bill thought he’d been in jail.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “How do you not know why?” Bill asked. Yeah, he was thinking jail.
“You’ll have to ask the person who locked me up.”
“And who was that?” Bill asked, sounding a little confused.
“Emily.” Paul watched as Bill turned his head very slowly to look at Emily. “You knew where he was all this time?” Bill asked.
*** Emily’s face dropped at Bill’s reaction. She didn’t know what to say. Didn’t he realize she was trying to protect them all? And Paul. She didn’t think he’d set her up like that. But, really, what could she expect? She had kept him prisoner. She looked at Paul and gave him the evil eye when she said, “Bill, I just… I thought…”
“What did you think?” Bill asked angrily. Emily could see Paul trying not to laugh at her being in the hot seat. “I thought…” She saw Paul look over at Bill, and he seemed to not be able to hold back his laugh any longer. “She thought I was going to kill all t
he shifters.”
“Is that true?” Bill asked. “Yeah,” she said, looking down at her plate. What else was she supposed to do? The man killed shifters. He was evil. Wait, what? When did it become was? He IS evil, not was. She had to remember that.
“Why?” Bill asked. “Because he killed our kind. I couldn’t let him out to kill more,” she said, defending herself. “Em, he’s learned that we aren’t the monsters he thought we were. If he hadn’t woken up, he wouldn’t have helped us,” Bill said.
“Maybe he wanted to report to his boss where we all live so they can come in with an army and kill us all.”
“Do you trust me?” Bill asked.
“Yes,” she answered.
“Then trust that I believe him. He doesn’t think of us like that anymore.”
“Fine, but I’m keeping an eye on him,” she grumbled.
“So what’s he doing here anyway? If he was locked up, why’d you let him out?”
“Because she needs my help to find Stacy,” Paul said with a shit-eating grin.
“Wait, what?” Bill said, looking at Emily. “He’s one of them…”
Bill cleared his throat. “He WAS one of them and he has inside information. I figured he’d be able to help me find her,” she said with a shrug.
“Okay,” Bill said, and went back to finishing his breakfast. Emily just stared at him. That was a little strange. She’d expected more yelling and fighting, not just “okay” and Bill’s acting like it had never happened. Oh well, if he could do it, she could too.
*** Stacy watched as a man with a cane walked into the room. She was afraid of what he might do, but she was determined to be strong and show no weakness. He looked clean cut, military maybe, but he was hunched over the cane. He didn’t look old enough to need it.
Emily's Captive (A Lilly Town Shifter Novel Book 2) Page 3
