He nodded. “And been unsuccessful.”
“But you keep trying. It’s what we do for those who matter.” Kim stood. “The blood will kill him?”
“Or cure him,” Ellen offered. “That was the original design.”
“One we’ve failed to achieve,” Hollis reminded her. For the first time, he was glad he’d failed. Cyrus didn’t deserve to live. And, dammit, curing the pack—curing Ellen—felt wrong.
“If I take it to him, I can get my mother, and you’ll still have the element of surprise,” Kim said. “I have to try.”
He shook his head. “I can’t let you go, Kim,”
She stared at him, fear tightening her features. “You can’t let me go?” she whispered. “Are you going to kill me now? Now that I know your secret?”
“Jesus Christ.” Hollis groaned. “We’ve worked together for years, haven’t we?”
She nodded.
“Do you honestly think I’d hurt you?” He waited for her to shake her head before going on. “I can’t let you go, because I won’t have your death on my conscience.”
“But you expect me to live knowing I killed my mother?” Kim shook her head.
“She’s already dead, Kim,” Ellen’s words were soft, but firm. “He’s using you, telling you what you want to hear. And, I promise, it will end badly for you.”
“You can’t make me stay here—do nothing.” Her dark eyes widened. “I can’t.”
“You can,” Hollis assured her, his wolf was more than willing to follow Mal’s instructions and lock her up. “This is my fault. It’s my responsibility to fix it.”
“What did Finn say?” Ellen asked, pressing a hand against his back.
“We wait for him at Kim’s place.” Hollis held his hand up when Kim started to protest. “I want him dead but not at the expense of your life.” He glanced at the clock. “I’ve got something in the basement that might offer some added protection. And the knives.”
“In the vault?” Ellen asked.
“Where you’ll stay until this is over.” He stared at her, pressing his hand to her stomach. “You promised me.”
Her hand clasped his wrist. “I promised you I wouldn’t fight. I refuse to hide.”
“Don’t push me, Ellen,” he snapped. “This isn’t about you anymore. This is about our baby.”
“Baby?” Kim whispered.
Ellen shoved his hand away.
She could be mad at him, she could argue and fight with him, he didn’t care. On this, there was no negotiating. He might not be able to shift, but his wolf was more than willing to make things clear. She was sitting this one out. “I’ll be back.” He stared at her, long and hard, torn between pulling her close and locking her in the vault. Instead, he left them in the lab.
…
Ellen paced the lab, her gaze returning again and again to the large clock mounted on the wall. Each tick echoed, plucking at her nerves and driving her wolf closer and closer to the brink. It was almost one and Hollis hadn’t returned. She’d texted him, but he hadn’t responded.
“It might be the basement.” Kim had a hard time looking at her. “Bad reception?” But her voice was quivering.
“Right,” she agreed. But her wolf refused to be pacified.
The faint vibrations of the overhead fluorescent lights rose until Ellen’s ears hurt. The air seemed too thin, making every breath unsteady and labored. Her wolf grew restless. It refused to still. Something had happened. Something was wrong. Every instinct told her to do. Her wolf was a hunter—proud and strong. But her wolf refused to act. She agreed with Hollis. The baby came first.
Kim kept her phone out, staring at the screen, her long black hair spilling forward to shield her face. She was easy to read, the poor woman’s nerves stretched so tight Ellen worried she’d pop.
One o’clock came and they both held their breath. But then it was five after. Ten after.
No call.
No Hollis.
Ellen’s wolf was frantic. She wasn’t going to wait a minute longer. She had to know Hollis was safe.
It was possible Cyrus was watching the lab. But why hadn’t she or Hollis sensed an Other? Unless, like Kim, he was using humans to relay information.
“Who else is here?” Ellen asked, her mind turning over possibilities.
Kim listed off the essential overnight personnel.
“Do you know them? Trust them?” Ellen asked.
“Dr. Robbins screens every employee carefully.” Kim frowned.
“That didn’t stop Cyrus from finding a way to control you,” Ellen tried to temper her voice. “I believe no one here intended to betray Hollis. But things don’t always work out according to plan. If we were monitored, they’d know you never left and we were here with you.”
Kim seemed to hold her breath, understanding dawning. “We need to find Dr. Robbins.”
Ellen nodded. Not that Kim would be searching alone. Her wolf didn’t approve, reminding her of how in tune Cyrus was with her. He would scent her. She shuddered, the image of his lips stained with her blood flashing through her brain.
Kim glanced. “It’s one thirty. Something’s wrong?”
“Yes,” Ellen said, her stomach churning. Her wolf whimpered, frustrated and anxious. She couldn’t lose Hollis. She couldn’t lose this baby. She couldn’t be distracted, worrying over Kim and her safety. “You should stay here,” she said to Kim.
“No,” Kim argued. “What if you need help?”
If the woman hadn’t been so serious Ellen would have laughed. But Kim was truly concerned for her well-being. The woman was hardly five feet tall and so thin Ellen could pick her up with one hand. A wolf could snap her in two with one swipe of the paw.
“It’s not a good idea,” Ellen assured her.
“Neither is charging into an unknown situation.” Kim straightened. “Wait! Dr. Robbins has access to the security camera feeds in his office,” Kim said, already brushing past Ellen and into the hallway. “We should check that before you do anything.”
“Fine,” Ellen agreed. It was smart. She’d no idea of the building’s overall layout. Wandering into Cyrus or an Other, without knowing a way out, would end things before they got started. Still, her anxiety only increased as Kim led her down the hallway and into Hollis’s office. A quick glance around the cavernous gray, chrome, and modern space gave no insight into her mate or the man she so loved. It was sterile as the lab—all modern design and sharp edges. Cold, cool, and impersonal without a single photo or evidence of Hollis’s existence. And his absence was overwhelming.
Where are you? It hurt to breathe then, her mind instantly dragging up all the horrors the Others were capable of. But the Others weren’t here. Cyrus wasn’t here.
Kim clicked away on the computer keyboard, glancing at the wall of monitors opposite them. “He still hasn’t updated the password for the new software they installed last week.” She sighed, shaking her head.
Ellen smiled. “How long have you worked for him.”
“Almost eight years,” Kim said, hitting two more keys and sitting back.
The monitors came to life, the sudden burst of light and color sending her wolf into a tail spin. No sign of Hollis. Nothing. No movement. Empty halls.
“The custodial crew should be here,” Kim said, clicking through a series of rooms. All empty.
“The front desk?” Ellen asked, hovering over Kim’s shoulder. “There’s a security guard stationed at all times?”
“Two,” Kim agreed. “They take turns patrolling.” With the stroke of a few keys, the desk appeared. “There’s no one at the desk.”
Ellen stood. “You have to have a key card to access this floor?” She glanced at the glass door, her skin twitching.
“Yes. Three floors require a key card and access code to be entered. The basement, where Dr. Robbins went, houses all our weapons research. Then the top two floors.”
“What are the doors made of?” she asked.
“The doors?�
� Kim frowned. “Why does it matter—”
“Because we’re strong, Kim. Strong enough to go through sheet rock walls and metal doors.” She pressed the key Kim had used, scrolling through the rooms again. “But I know Hollis. And I’m counting on him to have taken all the over-the-top precautions that would prevent the Others—Cyrus—from getting in.” She paused, a shadow moving across the corner of the screen. “What room?” she asked, tapping the screen.
“The warehouse,” Kim murmured, glancing at her watch. “We get overnight pharmaceutical deliveries. It requires less security and signatures—just one from the overnight tech.”
“Meaning you have employees working now?” Ellen asked. “Where are they?”
“A handful of techs work on the manufacturing floor to monitor production and the machinery.” Kim twisted her hair until it formed a bun, then she stabbed a pencil through it. “But there’s no sign of them, either.” Ellen could hear the increase in Kim’s heart rate and the waver in her breathing. She was scared. “When is help supposed to arrive?”
“Soon, I hope,” Ellen answered, watching as Kim flipped through the screens again.
She moved closer, freezing where she stood when Cyrus appeared. He was waiting, staring at the camera with a smile on his face.
“Oh my God.” Kim’s voice broke. “Is that…that him?”
“Yes,” Ellen said. “Where is this?”
“The warehouse office,” Kim said—her voice almost a whisper. “Look…the wall behind him.”
Streaks of red covered the wall. Breathe. Calm. He wouldn’t kill Hollis. Not yet, not without some answers.
“Where is my mother?” Kim asked.
Focus. Ellen didn’t know what to say.
Cyrus, still staring at the camera, picked up the phone on the desk and pressed a button. Kim’s phone rang—making them both jump.
Kim answered, putting the phone on speaker. “Hello?”
“Kim?” Cyrus’s voice echoed in the room. “Where are you?”
Ellen frowned. He knew Kim was here. What else did he know?
“Lie to him,” Ellen hissed. “Your car is broken.”
Kim sucked in a deep breath, the words spilling out, strung together and uneven. “My car wouldn’t start, Mr. White.”
His pale brows rose. “Then it’s good I came.”
“Yes.” She stared at Ellen, terrified.
Kim wasn’t the only one who was terrified. What the hell was she supposed to do? Trapped in her human form. Pledged to protect her baby. She was useless. A perfect pawn for Cyrus—if he got his hands on her.
And Kim? Kim was as good as dead. Maybe it would be better to lock her in the vault. It might be the only way to save her.
“The back door was open. I assumed you were inviting us in.” Cyrus smiled. “You can see me?”
“Yes,” Kim said. “Is my mother with you, Mr. White?”
“In the car, outside.” He smiled. “I’ll take you to her as soon as I have the blood samples.”
Ellen shook her head, mouthing. “Prove she’s alive.”
“I…I need some assurance she’s alive, Mr. White. Please,” Kim added, her voice so unsteady her words were almost undecipherable.
“What you need is irrelevant at this point.” His smile tightened. “You’re not alone, are you, Ms. Su? I smell your companions.”
Kim sat quickly, her dark eyes blinking rapidly as she cleared her throat. “Dr. Robbins is here. Working in the lab.” She paused.
“He saw you?” Cyrus asked, pale eyes narrowing.
“I told him I’d forgotten to sign off on the slips for tonight’s delivery.” She shrugged.
“In the lab?” Cyrus asked. “Perhaps I should come up for a visit?”
“You’d need clearance from the security guards—”
“I don’t think so. They’re no longer with us…though they did put up a valiant fight,” Cyrus finished.
“Oh.” Kim pressed her hands to her chest. “You hurt them, didn’t you?”
Cyrus shook his head. “No. I didn’t hurt them. I killed them. I might make time for hurting when it comes to Dr. Robbins.” He stepped back as two men pushed Hollis forward.
He was duct-taped into a black office chair. One eye was swollen and bleeding, the other scowling. He shook his head, his muffled protest cut short when Cyrus drove his fist into his stomach.
How Ellen wound up on her knees on the carpet, she didn’t know. Her wolf was frantic, torn between protecting her mate and their child. Only Hollis’s words stopped her shift. This was his child—she’d promised to care for it.
“I’m waiting, Ms. Su.” He paused.
“I don’t want to die, Mr. White,” Kim said.
“We might be able to negotiate an alternative.” He smiled. “Shall we come up? Or will you come to us?”
Kim stared at her, frantic. Ellen nodded.
“I’m on my way,” Kim mumbled.
Cyrus hung up.
“Follow me,” Ellen said, all but dragging her to the lab. She pulled the one vial of untainted blood open and poured it on Kim’s hand and arm.
“What are you doing?” Kim asked, trying to pull away.
“He needs to drink the blood as soon as possible.” She explained, pressing the other vials into her hand. “The smell should be enough. Even if he only drinks one, it should be enough. I’ll follow you down, Kim. I’ll be right behind you.”
“But your baby,” Kim said, staring at her stomach. “Dr. Robbins—”
“Can’t turn—can’t become what Cyrus and those men are.” Her mind sifted through the possibilities, but she had no other options. She fired off a quick text to Finn, pleading with him to come straight here, then faced Kim. “Hollis has a heart murmur that prevents him from being…what he is.” As much as it pained her to admit it, if Hollis was able to shift, he would have done it by now. “I can’t lose him. I won’t.” She pulled Kim toward the elevator. “I’ll be right behind you.”
She waited for the elevator doors to shut before she typed in the code on the vault. The voices greeted her, soothing her wolf and her rage. She couldn’t afford to get caught up in emotion tonight. A quick search turned up two lethal-looking amputation knives, an old scalpel, and the silver dagger kept in the vault for safekeeping.
It wasn’t much, but it would have to be enough. Her wolf gave up resisting. She was trapped inside—she might as well give Ellen her strength, her speed, and her fight.
Chapter Twenty-One
Hollis was losing his mind. Fists punched, feet kicked, and one solid blow to the back of his head seemed to knock everything lose. Bones snapped. His ribs. One lung was filling with blood—and making breathing difficult. And his wolf waited for more.
Somewhere behind the pain, a red-hot fury was brewing. His vision shifted, flickering red until his eye sockets felt singed. His hands gripped the chair, nails piercing the fake leather cover and bending the metal beneath.
How he ended up here was a blur. He’d gone to the basement, shoving a duffel bag full of their latest in weaponry, then headed back to the elevator. He’d grabbed a smaller gun, turning it over in his hand. He’d tested it. It was deceptively small for the punch it packed. He shoved a clip into his pocket, the gun into the waistband of his pants, and smoothed his shirt and his lab coat over it. His wolf hadn’t wanted to take the elevator. That was the first alarm.
He’d pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Finn. They wouldn’t need to go to Kim’s to find the Others. His wolf assured him they were already here.
Fuck. He took the stairs, pressing himself flat against the wall as he navigated each turn up to the warehouse. If he sensed them, they probably already knew he was here. There was no fucking way he was going to lead them to Ellen.
He pulled the gun out and pushed through the doors. The night techs, men who had been on his payroll for years, were stacked inside the office. Bodies pale and blood-spattered, they’d had their throats ripped out. In the time it had
taken for him to realize that, he’d been clubbed on the back of the head and kicked in the chest.
Now he was taped to a fucking chair. And a fucking Other had his gun. Not that Hollis cared at the moment. Cyrus was watching him. Closely, those near-colorless eyes blank and empty. Whatever semblance of a soul this man—this creature—once had was long gone. In its place was evil.
Cyrus smiled as he pulled a long, skinny knife from the shoulder holster beneath his jacket. “You’re the brains, aren’t you? Dr. Hollis Robbins. I’ve read papers about you. Noble. Sacrificing. Hoping to save the world?” He shook his head.
“Pathetic. Considering you can’t even save yourself, can you?” He leaned forward, sniffing his head and face. “I won’t waste any silver on you,” he said, sliding the knife into Hollis’s chest—inches from his heart. His wolf growled, thrashing to be free. Cyrus waited, watching. “No wolf?” With a sigh, he stepped back and waved the two Others forward. “We’ll see what it takes to pull him out.”
Hollis almost laughed then.
Until they went to work on him. Broken nose. The spurt of hot blood on his cheeks and crunch of cartilage was proof. The knife. Pulled free. Then buried in his thigh. His shoulder. Pinning one hand to his chair. His wolf welcomed the pain, drowning in it, using it to truly wake his senses and form.
The ding of the elevator ended the assault on his body.
Even his wolf froze, terrified at what was waiting on the other side of the elevator doors. The sight of Kim, small and trembling, was a huge relief. And horrible.
“Ms. Su?” Cyrus stepped forward, wiping the blood from his knuckles with a pristine white handkerchief. “How delightful to meet you.”
Hollis stiffened at Ellen’s scent. On Kim. Her blood stained the woman’s hands.
“You smell like my favorite snack,” Cyrus rasped, leaning forward to sniff Kim’s hands. “What happened?”
“I-I’m shaking,” Kim explained, holding out the remaining vials. “I’m s-sorry. Too tight.”
Cyrus took the vials, lifted her hands closer to his nose, and breathed deep. “How very wasteful of you. This is nectar of the gods, Ms. Su. Did you know that?” His smile chilled Hollis’s insides. “Addictive.” His tongue traced along Kim’s arm. “Delicious.”
Protecting the Wolf's Mate (Blood Moon Brotherhood) Page 24
