On the ground before her, there was a thick leather belt, what appeared to be a whip and a baton similar to the ones security guards and police carried. Bile rose in her throat as she imagined all the heinous acts, which could be done with the things in front of her.
She noted the man with the black hair pulling her phone from his pocket before tapping the screen a few times. “I’m ready whenever you are,” he announced. “Remember, these can only be about thirty seconds in order to send, so make it count.”
The white-haired man approached with a cocky grin. “Oh, I’ll make it count.” They were all so tall, a fact made more evident when he lifted the length of her chain and attached it to a hook in the ceiling, effectively forcing her to remain standing on her toes in one spot. He spun her to face the wall and ordered her to stay that way, before backing away. “Let me see the phone. I’m going to send him a text before we send the video. It’ll throw him into a rage for sure. I wonder how far the Prime will let him go before locking him up for the safety of the Pride?”
“Not far, I’d wager. Besides, after he sees this, it should put him over the edge.”
Lynn couldn’t make out who said what. All of their voices were deep and a bit raspy, almost as if they found great pleasure in what they were doing. Already her shoulders ached, a fine sheen of sweat popping up on her brow, and her legs shook as nerves took over. Whatever they had planned wouldn’t be pleasant, of that Lynn had no doubt.
From out of nowhere, there came a loud crack, followed by searing pain along the back of her thighs. Lynn cried out, struggling to move forward, away from the blows that continued to rain down on her backside. Her lower back, ass and thighs felt hot and raw, and if it hadn’t been for the chain overhead, she’d have fallen to the floor.
Her ears rang, and dots danced before her eyes as the white-haired bastard moved in front of her and unhooked her arms. As soon as he let go, Lynn collapsed to the cold cement floor, her whole body shaking in the aftermath of the beating she’d received.
“You put on one hell of a show, whore. You’re ass is glowing, and the stripes on your back and legs look so lovely against your pale skin,” the dark-haired man said, running his hand roughly down one thigh and making her cry out.
Lynn bit her lip while panting and did her damnedest to quell the tears threatening to spill at any moment. She refused to allow them to break her down. She’d been spanked as a child—hell, even as an adult—but this had been a beating, swift though it was. The thirty-second video limit was her only saving grace at this point. Any longer and they may have drawn blood.
“You’d better use this break wisely and rest up. We’ll be back in half an hour for round two, and this one’s going to hurt,” one of them sneered, though she couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes to look.
Unable to hold in her tiny whimper, Lynn wasn’t surprised to hear the men chuckle as they shut the door behind them. After being as still as possible and dragging in some deep breaths to calm herself, Lynn suddenly realized how quiet the room had become. Where was Kitty? Had they taken her away? Hurt her?
It was a struggle, but Lynn managed to turn her aching body without screaming. Kitty was lying on her side across the room.
“I’m so sorry, Lynn,” she croaked. “I can’t get out of these fucking chains.”
Lynn noticed the angry red marks around Kitty’s wrists and ankles. A dart still hung from her left arm. “They…” Lynn licked her lips though there was no moisture left in her mouth. “They drugged you again?”
“Yes, but I’m already building a tolerance. The next time it will have little to no effect on me. Now, I just have to figure out how to get these chains off.”
Lynn tried to focus on their dilemma and put the pain out of her mind as much as possible, though it was extremely difficult. “Your wrists are really bad looking. Are you allergic to the silver?”
“No, I was trying to get to the asshole swinging that belt. Just do me a favor and don’t look down at yourself. He did a real number on you, and I need to get us out of here before they come back.” Her eyes darted to the side, and Lynn followed them with her own, cringing when she noted what Kitty was looking at. “The whip will be next. It will break the skin for sure, and possibly leave scars, but it’s the baton we can’t let them use.”
Kitty didn’t elaborate, but then again, Lynn didn’t need her to. If any of them took that to her, she wouldn’t leave this room on her own, if she did at all.
Not wanting to endure any more pain, Lynn did her best to get on all fours and crawl over to Kitty. Easing down onto her bottom, she hissed at the stinging sensation but didn’t glance at her injuries. “Let me see your cuffs.”
Kitty frowned but held out her hands for Lynn to examine. “If I can’t break these things, then I know you can’t. No offense.”
“I wasn’t planning to. I just wanted to check out the lock and see if it would be possible to pick.” The mechanism seemed simple enough, but now, they ran into the problem of not having anything to pick the damn thing with. Lynn raised her arms and felt her head, praying for a stray hairpin, but it was no use.
“Does your bra have underwire?” The question caught her off guard until she realized why Kitty wanted to know. “Just an idea.”
“It’s perfect! If I can get this off, then I should be able to get the wire out, but we’ll have to hurry.”
Lynn was never more grateful to the creators of the front-clasp bra or glad that it was a well-worn one, too. In a matter of minutes, she managed to finagle out one of the wires and began working it into the lock.
“Let me know if you hear the release click. Your hearing is much better than mine, and I’d hate to waste time if we can get out of here.”
It was only a few seconds later when Kitty, hissed, “Stop!” grabbing hold of Lynn’s hand to still it.
“Did I hurt you?”
Lynn watched as Kitty slowly opened the cuff. She took the underwire, snapped it in half and went to work on her other wrist, while Lynn began on her ankles. It wasn’t long before Kitty was free and working on Lynn’s cuffs, which were even easier.
With no way to tell how much time had lapsed, both women were eager to run but forced to go slow and remain cautious. “You need to remember, these guys are shifters. That means, if we aren’t extremely careful, they’ll either hear us or scent us. Try to stay as quiet as possible, and I’ll keep my ears perked up. We’re going through this practically blind since we have no idea where we are, what kind of building we’re in or if we’re in some sort of basement. We’ll need to find a window or stairs. Those are the main things to search for. Well, unless you can spot one of those handy exit signs hanging from the ceiling.”
“I got it. You just keep your nose and ears primed for anybody coming our way, and I’ll have my eyes peeled for a way out of this hellhole.”
Kitty gave a nod and headed for the door. She turned the knob with ease, showing how unconcerned their captors where that they’d escape. After poking her head out, she waved Lynn forward.
Taking a deep breath, Lynn followed her friend from the small room and prayed they’d find their way out quickly.
Chapter Nine
Jag’s phone buzzed in his pocket. A picture of Lynn, bound with her arms above her head and secured to the ceiling, popped up in his text feed. Her back was to the camera, but a massive shifter stood next to her, his back also turned, preventing Jag from getting a good look at him. The text that came with it simply read, “Let the games begin…”
Not wanting everyone to see his mate in her current state, Jag pulled Dylan and Liam off to the side. “I just received another message, and this one looks as if she’s awake at least, but I don’t like the way she’s strung up or how close that fucker is standing to her.”
“Calm down,” Dylan ordered. “Look on the bright side. She seems to be unharmed and simply restrained.”
“Yeah, our men are combing through all the streets in the region with matching s
treet numbers. We’ll start hitting the addresses within the hour. We’ll get the women back.”
Jag heard what they were saying, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of his mate. His jaguar bristled just beneath his skin, evident by the fur that had already sprouted along his arms and hands several times before he wrestled back control. Reverting to his animal instincts right now would do Lynn no good. He needed to remain in human form and find a way to rescue her that wouldn’t result in her injury or death.
He was so focused on the image of Lynn, he didn’t notice how tight his grip on the phone was until Dylan tried to pry his fingers loose. “We can’t have you shattering our only line of communication with these rogues,” Dylan explained. “If you feel the need to smash something, take Liam back out into the yard.”
“Hey! Why don’t you go out with him next time,” Liam griped, touching his still-bruised nose. Jag had broken it pretty badly during their skirmish, and they’d listened to the bones pop every so often as his shifter genetics sought to heal the damage. If Jag wasn’t mistaken, a few ribs had crunched back into place, as well.
“I’m good for now, but we probably should have kept one of those tranq darts around. If my jaguar breaks free, you’d need to tag me with one of those before I disappear. Seriously, I don’t know if I can regain control once I lose it.”
“No worries,” Liam replied. “I’ll take you down if I need to.”
Jag’s phone buzzed again, and all three froze. It was another video, and after the picture, Jag was terrified to see what this clip would hold. Two sets of golden eyes stared at him, awaiting his word before they pressed play. Words escaped him, so Jag reached forward with a shaking hand to start the message.
It began with Lynn, still hanging from the ceiling, her body taut as she perched on the tips of her toes. From the left, a big male with short white hair came into view, and Jag’s blood ran cold. The man’s thickly muscled arms were at his sides, but his right hand held a thick leather belt. A snarl ripped from Jag’s chest as the shifter drew back his arm and swung with brutal force, making contact with Lynn’s thighs and leaving a nasty red streak.
Expletives flew from both Dylan and Liam as the man beat Lynn, her cries echoing in the small room and only seeming to excite the monster more. The camera wobbled a bit to the right, and they caught sight of Kitty struggling against what appeared to be silver chains. It was obvious she was trying to get to Lynn, but another guy, this one dark haired, shot her in the arm with a dart before kicking her in the side.
Jag remembered being hit with the drug and knew how Kitty must be feeling. Hearing Lynn’s cries, only being feet away, but unable to do anything to help. If only she could shift, but then again, there wasn’t much any animal could do when faced with three bears.
The cameraman swung back to Lynn, her back, ass and legs now a mess of raised, angry red lines, covering her once-pristine, ivory skin. With one last vicious smack, the bastard dropped the belt, reached up and unhooked Lynn then allowed her to drop to the floor, shaking and gasping for air.
Fury became a living thing inside Jag, and it teamed up with his inner cat, both desperately seeking an outlet, any way to escape and seek retribution for the abuse doled out on their mate.
Throwing his head back, Jag let loose a roar that threatened to bring down the house. Both Dylan and Liam appeared almost scared when he looked to them, and he soon realized why. Jag stood before them with his fangs and claws out, his eyes shifted, and sleek black fur sprouting over his face and arms.
He’d half-shifted!
“You need to calm down, Jag.” Liam was the first to speak, and Jag had to give him props for even trying to approach him in his current state. “We’re going to help, but if you want to be a part of this rescue mission, you’ve got to keep your head and your cat under control.”
“I’m done sitting here. Get some fucking addresses, and let’s go, or so help me, I’ll go myself.” His voice was a guttural growl, but he’d been understood.
Dylan pulled out his phone and sent a text. Within a few minutes, seven addresses had been sent to him. “We’ll start with these. If they turn up nothing, we’ll get more. Some of the other enforcers are also checking leads. We will find them, Jag.”
Jag had no doubt they would, but would it be in time?
* * * *
Creeping down the hall, Lynn did her best to keep her steps as silent as possible, yet the only sounds were of her own footfalls and breathing. Close by, Kitty moved like a ghost. If Lynn weren’t staring right at the woman’s back, she wouldn’t even know her friend was there.
The hall they had just turned into looked identical to the last. Dull gray walls, floors and ceilings seemed to be the theme in this rat-maze of hallways and dead-ends. Up ahead, there were two open doors. In every other corridor, there’d been plenty of rooms, each one locked.
Kitty slowed, her arm extended back to gesture Lynn closer. She brought her hand up to her nose before holding up two fingers. She smelled two of the shifters in the rooms, but where was the third?
A roar echoed down the passageway, answering Lynn’s question. Apparently, he’d just discovered they were gone. A handheld radio crackled to life inside the room on the left, and Kitty grabbed Lynn’s arm, yanking her through the doorway on the right.
As if by some miracle, a stairway lead up, and they didn’t waste time wondering where it went. Anywhere was better—safer—than where they were. Kitty slammed the heavy door shut and did something to the handle. It slowed the men down, but it wouldn’t for long.
Lynn’s legs and lungs burned as she pushed herself to run upward as fast as she could, and she vowed to get her ass back into the gym as soon as she was able. After four flights, she finally saw a door and hurled herself into it, stumbling out into an old warehouse. The large, open room contained stacks of boxes all over the place and two vans parked near a loading bay area.
Lynn pointed. “If they can get those cars in, we can get ourselves out. With any luck, they were stupid enough to leave the keys in one of them for us.”
“Let’s hurry and check. They won’t be far behind. Right now, I don’t hear them, and I don’t like it one bit, especially since I don’t know the ins and outs of this building. They could be anywhere.”
Sprinting, they made it to the vans and each searched a vehicle but came up empty. “Fuck it! If I have to run through the entire state of Texas in my damn underwear, I’ll do it. Let’s just get these doors open so we can get out of here, preferably to somewhere public. Being arrested for indecent exposure sounds really good right about now.”
Kitty gave her a once over before wincing. “Are you sure you can make it? There are only three, so I can probably take them—as long as they fight fair and don’t bring drugs or silver into it.”
“Yeah, right, because they’ve been doing this shit on the up and up the whole time. Are you sure they hit you with the same drugs as before?” Lynn half-heartedly joked. In truth, she was in a fair amount of discomfort. Her skin felt bruised and tight where she’d been hit, and she was sure there would be marks on her for days to come. However, just thinking of what it would be like if they got the chance to use either of the other weapons on her caused a full-body shudder to slide over her. “I want us both out of here in one piece, so that means we run. I’ll make it, I promise. Remember, I may be human, but I’m tougher than I look.”
Kitty didn’t look convinced but luckily didn’t voice her doubts.
A loop of chain hung by the bay door, and Kitty gave it an experimental tug. When it rose about two feet, she crouched down to peer out.
“I don’t see anything, but I need to get out there to properly scent the area.” Standing again, she glanced around. “Stay right here. If you hear anything, lock yourself inside this van and hide. I’ll be back in a minute or two, and we’ll run.”
“I’m ready, just be careful.” Lynn stepped to the side, making sure she was out of sight in case any of the rogues came into the
warehouse. The air coming through the opening was chilly, pebbling her nipples, and she smelled fresh rain. It would be a miserably cold and wet escape, but it sure beat the alternative.
Though the windows were utterly filthy, Lynn could still see faint light coming through. Either they had lights on the outside of the building or it was still daytime for a little longer. Since day or night didn’t really matter to shifters, Lynn hoped the sun was still up enough for her to see where she was running. It would suck royally to be the girl in every generic horror movie who tripped and fell, only to be killed by the bad guy.
Suddenly, light flooded the once-dim room, and the bay door behind her closed with a bang. From outside, a male voice called out, “Here kitty, kitty, kitty! I’ve got something shiny for you.”
Lynn really hoped he wasn’t referring to anything silver, but now, she had her own problems to deal with. Two doors opened, one at each side of the room, and the other men sauntered in. Knowing she had to hide, Lynn tried the back door of the van only to find it wouldn’t open. Seeing them coming closer, she got down and rolled under the van, praying they didn’t catch her gasp as the rocks and pebbles on the ground dug into her already tender flesh.
“Oh, Goldilocks!” She’d come to recognize that voice. It was the white haired man with the soulless black eyes. “We know you’re in here.”
“We can smell your fear,” the other taunted.
She heard a deep inhale then their footsteps came closer. They stood between the vehicles while Lynn fought to keep her breathing as shallow as possible.
“If you come out, we might be willing to take it easy on you. We know you couldn’t get out of there on your own.”
Damn, they must think she was stupid. Lynn rolled out on the other side, got to her feet and took off for the door closest to her. There was a roar that only had her running faster, but their legs were way longer than hers. She’d managed only a dozen steps when a thick arm wrapped around her waist, effortlessly tossing her over his shoulder and carting her back the way she’d come. Lifting her head, Lynn was about to let loose with enough cursing to make a sailor blush, when she spotted the massive black bear trailing behind them.
Guarding His Heart Page 15
