by Lisa Kessler
I glanced at Asher and back to Caldwell. “We’ll start tomorrow, but two days isn’t enough time to—”
“It’s what you’ve got,” he barked. “No excuses. Teach them to fire a weapon, be sure they’re loyal to the Pack, and report back to me. Understand, Reynolds?”
I clenched my jaw and nodded.
I had two days to end him. Shit.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Raven
I lugged cases of wine and flats of snacks into the bar. If Luke’s plan worked, none of us would be moving in to attack the Pack in Reno, but until he took his shot, we had to keep up appearances. Caldwell had a weird connection to each of his Pack members. We had to be careful he didn’t sense anything was off.
Luke barely slept last night. His tossing and turning kept waking me, and his moans in his sleep told me the dreams he’d been having weren’t good. When I finally woke up, he was already working horses. Even though we hadn’t been together long, I was starting to recognize that his coping mechanism was hard labor at the barn.
I’d wandered down before I left for the bar, but he’d been distant. Distracted. I never would have cared before, but this was all new territory for me. I loved Luke. And not being greeted with a kiss and a smile hurt a little. It shouldn’t have, but it did.
We had bigger things to worry about right now.
But still.
I pushed it out of my head and helped Alexandra reload napkin holders and saltshakers. She grinned at me. “So do you have any big plans with Luke for the next week?”
Caldwell was closing the bar for a week. He claimed it was for taxes and inventory. Alexandra and Mike were excited for the surprise vacation. They had no clue Caldwell planned on killing werewolves up in Reno.
Man, my life had gotten strange.
“Not really. He still has to work. We’ll probably go horseback riding and maybe see a movie.”
She tucked a washcloth into the pocket of her apron. “Sounds wonderful! I’d love to go horseback riding someday.”
Alexandra babbled on about their vacation plans—camping, hiking, and a trip into Phoenix for a couple days.
The door opened, interrupting her monologue. We both looked up at Caldwell.
He came in toward the register. “No one here to guard you, Raven?”
Dread crept up my spine, but I did my best to hide it. “Luke’s training the guys, like you asked.”
“Good.” He popped open the drawer, packing cash and receipts into his bag.
I glanced around and frowned. “No Blake?”
“No.” His silver eyes met mine. “He’s watching Luke at the storage unit.” Alexandra passed by, and he chose his words wisely. “After last night’s little…show of aggression, Blake is being sure my assets are being attended to.”
He laid the full money pouch on the counter and turned to Alexandra. “You and your boyfriend should take your lunch now.”
She glanced at me and back to Caldwell. “All right.”
Concern lined her eyes, but we all knew she needed this job, so she did as she was told. Once they were out, my pulse thrummed with anxiety.
Caldwell chuckled. “I’d like to think your heart’s racing because you’re aroused being alone in my presence.” He took a slow breath. “But no. This is fear.”
He shrugged, stalking through the chairs toward me. “Makes no difference—fear turns me on almost as much as the scent of a woman wet and ready for me.”
I stood my ground, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing me run. He’d catch me anyway. There was nowhere to hide from my Alpha.
He ran his finger up the outside of my arm, along my neck, and finally raised my chin. “Look at me, Raven.”
“No, thanks.” I stared past him to the other wall.
He tightened his grip until my jaw ached. “Look. At. Me.”
His voice exuded Alpha power, pulling at the wolf inside me. I met his eyes. “I hate you.”
“I know.” He nodded with a cold smile.
He crushed his mouth against mine, his tongue thrusting through my tight lips. And instead of the familiar numbness, revulsion shot through me on an instinctive level.
This was not my mate. The wolf clawed forward, her strength adding to mine.
I slammed my knee into his groin so hard he squeaked and dropped to his knees. Scrambling back, I left him writhing, breathless on the floor of the bar. I was through being numb, through distancing myself from my body.
“Touch me again and I’ll kill you.” And I meant it with every fiber of my being. “I’m not your toy, and I’m not scared of you. Not anymore.”
I turned around and walked out without looking back.
In the van, my hands trembled. Horrible timing for me to fight back. We were so close to getting out. Caldwell would retaliate. He’d never let my attack slide. But I couldn’t help it.
I knew what it was like to be with a man who loved me.
And I was never going back to pretending I was someplace else and waiting for it to be over. He’d have to kill me.
I drove out of the lot toward Luke’s place. I didn’t know where else to go. My phone rang, and I almost screamed with surprise. The steering wheel was probably going to have grooves from my fingers by the time I got to Luke’s place.
I hit the button to engage the Bluetooth.
“Raven? Are you all right?”
Luke’s voice had never sounded so good. “Yeah. What’s up?”
“I got this bad feeling. Just needed to know you were okay.”
“I am now.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I slammed my knee into Caldwell’s balls and left him on the floor of the bar.”
“Did he hurt you?” His tone was deep and menacing. “I’ll kill him right now.”
“I’m fine. For now.” I watched the rearview mirror. “But we probably need to get your plan into action sooner than you planned.”
Gunshots exploded in the background. “I’ll leave Blake to finish up with these guys. Wait for me at home. I have a Glock in the bedroom closet. Remember how to load it?”
“Yeah.” He’d only taken me shooting once so far, but I was pretty sure I could figure it out. “Be careful. If he calls Blake and gives him an order…”
“I’ll watch my back.” He paused and added, “I’ll be home soon.”
I loaded the Glock and laid it on the table. It should’ve made me feel safe, but I wasn’t confident about shooting it. Now if I had a baseball bat, I could do some damage. Luke’s Mustang purred coming down the drive, and relief swelled inside me.
He parked, and I met him at the door, fusing my lips to his. His fingers tangled in the back of my hair, his tongue twining with mine, erasing the memory of Caldwell. My heart raced, and not out of fear. Without breaking the kiss, he bent his knees and lifted me into his arms to carry me into the house.
Inside, he set my feet on the floor and looked me over. He brushed a kiss to my chin, and I tried not to wince.
His voice was barely a growl. “Did he hit you?”
I shook my head. “He squeezed it hard, but I’m okay.”
His gaze wandered over my face. He didn’t ask why Caldwell had my chin. He could probably guess. I held my breath. If he came unglued and ran for the bar, the whole plan would unravel. Fast.
Without a word, he pulled me into the safety of his arms. No judgment and no questions. I closed my eyes and breathed him into my lungs.
“Tomorrow.” He kissed my hair. “This ends tomorrow.”
…
It was almost midnight when Asher knocked on the door. Luke let him in, offering him a chair at the table.
Asher’s dark eyes met mine. His mouth pressing into a thin line. I hadn’t looked in a mirror, but judging by his expression, my chin was probably a nice shade of purple now.
He glanced at Luke. “What can I do to help?”
“Be available. I’m not going to show up at Caldwell’s side in the morning. He shouldn’t be surprised,
since he hurt my mate. He’ll need someone to back up Blake at the storage unit. Be sure it’s you he takes.”
He nodded slowly, but he didn’t look convinced. “I hope you have a backup plan. There’s no guarantee he’ll choose me. You haven’t been here long, but bitten wolves like me aren’t as respected as the wolves born into their heritage.”
The truth was, Asher and Ryker were the only two bitten wolves who had made it out of the units. Being bitten made them pawns for Caldwell, not members of the Pack.
Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m going to be on the roof of the units. I can have a clear shot without human witnesses. Caldwell goes up to his office alone while Blake takes the others to the rec area. That’s when I’ll take my shot.”
Before Asher could say anything, I added, “I’ll be up there with Luke. If things go south, we face it together.”
Asher raised a brow, a smile hinting at his lips. “That wasn’t Luke’s plan.”
I shook my head as Luke’s eyes met mine. “The plan’s changed.”
Luke nodded slowly. “Be sure you keep the others—namely Blake—occupied. I’ll take care of Caldwell.”
“I can do that, but if he chooses someone else…”
“Then I’ll wing it.”
I rested my hand on Luke’s. “I can help, too.”
He focused on me. “We need to get a message to Isabelle, too. See what she’s found out about Caldwell’s holdings.”
“I’m on it.” I started to send a text and stopped. “What about Blake and Bo?”
Asher got up from the table. “Blake has no friends in the units. With Caldwell out of the picture, no one will protect him.”
Luke stood and clasped Asher’s forearm. No one said the words out loud, but there was a better than average chance Blake would die tomorrow, too. I tried to muster some pity, or any emotion, but all I managed was dread. I wanted this to end. One way or the other.
Asher walked out and Luke locked the door. When he turned to face me, I realized one more thing.
I didn’t care what happened to Caldwell, to Blake, to me, but Luke needed to live. And I’d do anything to be sure that happened.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Luke
I turned off my cell. Caldwell had sent a couple of texts, and the repeated phone calls were pissing me off.
He knew goddamn well why I wasn’t answering his calls.
Raven hadn’t said anything, but for her to knee him in the groin, he’d been too close to her. The bruise on her chin had rage festering in my gut, but it was the urgent, aching kiss when I got home that told me all I needed to know.
His scent was on her lips. That fucking asshole had tried to force himself on my mate.
But he hadn’t expected her to fight back.
I carried the saddle back to the tack room, a bitter smile tugging at my mouth. Raven had hurt him. She’d protected herself. She’d surprised him. Maybe herself, too.
Raven came down to the barn, her arms tight around herself. “Isabelle replied. She said Caldwell has taken control of every bitten wolf’s assets. Even Asher is giving him all the income from his touring company.”
“If Caldwell checks them out first to be sure they don’t have family nearby to miss them, no one would know. And the wolves have no one to turn to now that they can’t go to the police.”
He’d mutated his position as Alpha into a werewolf mob boss.
Her cell phone vibrated. She read the text and then showed it to me. Caldwell’s name was at the top.
Come to the bar right now. Bring Luke with you.
She looked up at me. “I’m contemplating sending ‘Fuck you’ back.”
I laughed. And damn, did I love her. “Go ahead. I’ll grab my stuff and we can go stake out the storage unit.”
She grinned and fired it off. “We better get out of here. Cole knows where you work. Caldwell could be here soon.”
We didn’t waste any time. I loaded my gear into the trunk of the Mustang, and we drove away. I parked in a busy coffee shop parking lot about a mile from the storage unit. Hopefully it wouldn’t be noticed. Since I wasn’t sure when Caldwell would be at the units, Raven got an Uber to take us over.
After casing the area for security cameras, we found a blind spot along the back fence. I slung my gear over my shoulder, and we climbed over the chain-link fence. Once we were inside, we stayed close to the building, hopefully dodging the security system.
If we had had another day, I could’ve learned about the building security, but Caldwell’s actions the night before had escalated the plan.
We’d make it work.
We had to.
When we got to the unit closest to the office, I took a running jump for the edge of the roof. Clinging by my fingertips, I hauled myself up. Every muscle in my arms ached with the effort, but I made it.
I lay on my stomach and held a hand down toward Raven. “Jump. I’ll pull you up.”
She rubbed her hands on her jeans. “Maybe there’s a ladder.”
“No time.” I opened my hand. “You can do this. You’re a werewolf. Push your legs and jump.”
She backed up and ran. When she launched herself into the air, she splayed her fingers wide, reaching for the roof. She caught it, but one hand slipped.
I grabbed her free hand. “I’ve got you.”
Again, I was thankful for the extra strength the wolf gave me as I pulled her up with one hand.
Once we were both on the roof, we crawled to the edge, staring into the quiet storage area. Raven’s heart was racing like a Thoroughbred.
I squeezed her hand. “This is going to work.”
She nodded, and I opened my case, assembling my rifle and scope. Her phone buzzed.
“Oh, shit.” The color drained from her face. She turned her cell around so I could see the pic.
Isabelle was tied to a chair in the bar with a gun pointed at her head.
A text followed.
If Luke Reynolds isn’t here in an hour, your sister dies.
“Fuck.” I stood up, frustration boiling over. “He’s not even coming over here.”
Raven’s voice choked. “We’re all dead. I can’t let him kill her, but you know he’ll kill us when we get there.”
“Damn it.” I shook my head, pacing. “I need to think.”
I rubbed my hand down my face, fighting the urge to call Adam. He’d insist we wait for him to get down here. Isabelle would be dead by then. There had to be another way, I just needed to find it.
Banging started below us on the metal security door, followed by a voice I recognized. “Who’s up there? Help us.”
Gage.
I glanced over at Raven. “We’re not going to the bar alone.”
With my rifle over my shoulder, I dropped from the roof and looked up at Raven. “Jump. I’ve got you.”
She crossed her arms. “Find a ladder.”
I shook my head slowly, meaning every word. “There is no way in hell I’m going to let you fall.”
“Not on purpose.”
“Not ever,” I growled.
Her gaze locked on mine as she sat on the edge. “If you miss…”
“Not gonna happen.”
She took a breath, then scooted off. I caught her in my arms and set her feet on the ground. She smiled up at me. “Thanks.”
“Any time.” I banged on the door and called out. “Gage? It’s Luke.”
His voice came through the door. “Ready for more training.”
I gripped the padlock and pulled with all my strength. The Master Lock didn’t budge, but the latch ripped out of the sheet metal with a screech. I rolled the door up and stared at the men inside. “No more training and no more cages.”
They looked at each other and then back at us. “He’ll kill us all.”
I shook my head slowly. “Not if we take him out first.”
Gage clenched his fists. “I’m in.”
Brock and Ryan weren’t as gung-ho. “Can we he
ar the plan first?”
Raven rolled her eyes. “You’d seriously rather stay locked up here?”
Ryan grumbled and crossed his arms. “I’d rather stay alive.”
“Fair enough.” I tilted my head toward the rest of the units. “Help me get the others free and meet me in the rec area.”
The others moved down the aisle to tear off locks and explain the situation. Raven and I broke open the unit with Kaya and the other two women with babies. My gut twisted at the fear in their eyes. “We’re getting you out of here. Grab what you need for the little ones.”
Raven went inside to help. For a second she and Kaya stared at each other. Finally Raven held out her hand. Kaya looked at it and back up to her eyes. She went to take Raven’s hand, and Raven moved forward to clasp Kaya’s forearm.
“This is how packmates greet each other.”
The corners of Kaya’s lips curved up. “Packmate sounds a hell of a lot better than prisoner.”
Raven met my eyes, and something in my chest burned. God, I loved her. I snapped out of it and hustled in to help the redhead in the back corner. Her twins were already walking. It was tough to guess their age, since werewolves mature so much faster than human babies. A werewolf female gave birth after four months, and the babies grew physically and mentally at a rapid pace. It leveled out around five years old, but it kept our kids out of preschool for sure.
“I’m Luke.”
“I’m Naomi.” She handed me a wriggly toddler. “And that’s Bart.” Placing the other boy on her hip, she reached for the diapers. “And this is Ben.”
Bart squealed. “Down! Mama…”
I didn’t grant his request. “How old are they?”
She straightened up. “Eight months.”
I bit back a curse. “You’ve been trapped here for…”
“I was bitten over a year ago.” Her dark eyes hardened.
We started for the door, and Brock met us. He took Bart from me and put the wriggler up on his shoulders. Bart giggled, gripping handfuls of Brock’s hair.
