Dane

by Faith Gibson

  Marley had just decided to get away from the area and go back to Dane’s apartment like he asked when several men fell from the sky. Falling was a stretch, because they landed on their feet with more agility than a cat jumping off a chair. “Holy shit,” Marley muttered to herself. Jasper’s red hair was all the color amid the black T-shirts and fatigues. Dane disappeared from view for a few minutes before he took off down the street, coming toward Marley.

  She just knew she was caught, and she had no excuse for sitting there other than morbid curiosity. From the look of concentration on Dane’s face, he was searching for something or someone. Marley sat mesmerized as he crouched down and jumped at least twenty feet in the air, grabbing onto an old fire escape ladder. Leaning over so she could look out the passenger window, Marley waited for Dane to climb back down. Just when she had given up and figured he had somehow found a door leading inside, Dane jumped from one rooftop to the next. Marley gasped, but Dane landed easily on his feet. “Holy shit!” she repeated. Dane had said the Gargoyles were basically superhumans, and now she understood.

  Marley pinched the inside of her arm hard enough to leave a bruise. When the pain registered in her brain, she knew she wasn’t dreaming. When a couple of Unholy – at least she thought they were Unholy – caught sight of her and headed toward the car, she pushed in the clutch and slammed the car in first gear, not bothering to put on her seatbelt until she was well away from the sight of a horror movie. There was no other way to describe what she’d just witnessed. Seeing Unholy on the television was one thing. To bear witness to them in real life was completely different. That was some scary shit, and Dane stopped to fight with them on purpose.

  She weaved her way down a one-way street, crossed over, then headed south on another. It took several minutes to find the onramp for the interstate, but when she did, she let out a huge breath. Realizing she was pushing a hundred, Marley let off the accelerator and dropped down close to the speed limit. Her mind was going as fast as the Porsche was. If her head had been clear, she would have enjoyed driving Dane’s car. If her mind had been clear, she would have noticed the SUV on her bumper.

  Marley’s hands hurt from white-knuckling the steering wheel, and before she realized it, she was well on her way to New Macon. At the next exit, Marley flipped on the blinker so she could loop back around and head north. Before she could get in the left-hand lane, a large SUV cut her off and pushed her toward the concrete barrier on the overpass. Her life flashed before her eyes as she let out a scream Dane probably heard where he was. The Porsche was being mangled between the short wall and the larger vehicle. There was no way she was giving up without a fight. Marley slammed on the brakes at the same time she jammed the clutch to the floorboard.

  The SUV cut hard to the right, doing their best to keep Marley hemmed in. When she finally got stopped, she put the car in reverse and tried to back up, but there was another car behind her blocking her path. She looked in the rearview mirror, desperately hoping whoever it was behind her was calling the cops. When the man in the car behind her got out, Marley’s heart stopped. It was one of the men from the alley who had been walking toward her.

  Just as he reached her window, the man disappeared. The side mirror had been torn off by the first car running into her, so she couldn’t see anything other than the vehicles. The SUV that had her pinned to the wall began rocking. Marley was torn between staying in the car where she had no idea what was going on while waiting for someone else to come after her, and getting out to find help. Opting for the latter, Marley shoved against the door when it stuck, and once she had it open, she gingerly climbed out and took a look around. The man who had been at her window was nowhere to be seen, and two men were beside the SUV that ran her off the road, fighting.

  “Marley, get back in the car,” one of the men yelled while ducking a punch. He looked familiar. She was certain he’d been in the diner, and he knew her name, so he was probably one of Dane’s friends. An engine revved behind her, and before she could turn around or get back in Dane’s Porsche, Marley was grabbed from behind, lifted off her feet.

  “Help!” she screamed, scratching at the arms banding her waist. Those arms tightened as she kicked her feet and threw her head back, hoping to break her captor’s nose.

  “Fucking bitch,” the man hissed in a thick accent. “If I didn’t need you alive, I’d snap your fucking neck. Now, stop squirming.”

  Marley quit trying to get away, but she couldn’t stop shaking. She had no idea why these men were after her much less why they had tried to kill her. Then again, if they were trying to kill her before, why did he say they needed her alive? The man who had yelled her name turned to come help her, but he was grabbed by the collar and jerked backwards. Marley was tossed in the backseat of the SUV and the door slammed behind her before her captor climbed into the passenger seat up front.

  Marley scrambled to the other side trying to put as much distance between her and the one who grabbed her as possible. As large a man as he was, all he had to do was reach into the back seat and he could have his hands on her again. Before she had time to really think, the driver slammed his foot on the accelerator, slinging Marley backwards against the seat. Cursing, he slammed on the brakes, sending her into the floorboard. While the driver was slinging expletives left and right, the passenger said, “Yeah, boss. We got her.” There was no way she was going wherever these men planned to take her.

  Before she lost her nerve or her better sense took over, Marley reached up, grabbing the handle to the back door. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and jumped. Jumped might have been a stretch. More like she dove out the moving vehicle with no idea what she was headed toward other than an unforgiving ground. As the asphalt rose up to meet her, Marley prayed to every known deity who would listen for her not to die. The pain was excruciating. Even more so than childbirth. Her head bounced off the pavement and blood filled her mouth where she bit her tongue. Her bare arms and legs skidded across the gravel and debris, her flesh shredding. Tires screeched, and Marley closed her eyes, waiting to be run over. “Dane,” she whimpered as she closed her eyes and waited on death.

  Chapter Six

  “No, godsdamnit!” Dane yelled.

  “Fucking hell, Abbott. I heard you without the comm,” Julian chastised through his earpiece.

  “Those bastards have gone after Marley. I need a vehicle,” Dane said to no one in particular.

  “What’s she driving?” Julian asked. “I can track her from here.”

  “My Porsche. Jules, I don’t have a tracking device on it. I haven’t driven it since I transitioned.” Dane was ready to pull his hair out. He was also ready to phase and take to the skies.

  “Give me the description and the plate number. I’ll scan the street cameras until I find her.”

  Dane gave Julian the info he needed, and Jasper grabbed him by the arm. “Let’s go after your woman,” he said, running toward an alleyway. Dane followed, and as soon as they hit a dark patch, Jasper phased, letting his wings take him up. Dane didn’t hesitate to do the same. If they were seen, so be it. His mate was in trouble.

  “Fuck! I thought once Alistair was taken out, our mates would be safe.” Dane flew harder and faster, rising up until he was on Jasper’s heels.

  “With Kallisto’s lackeys running loose in New Atlanta, I’m afraid no one is safe until we find them. My car is down there. Let’s go.” Jasper dove to the ground, pulling his wings back before he landed. Dane was right behind him, but instead of landing on his feet, he rolled to a stop. He practically dove into the passenger side of Jasper’s car.

  “Go, go, go,” Dane encouraged as Jasper took off.

  “I have eyes on Marley. She just took the ramp onto 75 South. There’s a dark SUV not far behind,” Julian said.

  “Mason’s closer than anyone. I’m calling him now,” Frey said. A couple of minutes later, Frey came back over the comm. “Mason’s on his way. He’s tapped in.”

  “I’m here
, Dane. I’ll find your mate.”

  “Fuck, Mason. You were—”

  “Don’t worry about that. Marley’s in trouble. That’s more important.”

  “Okay, I have a lock on Marley’s cell phone,” Julian said. “She… where the hell is she going? Marley passed the exit that leads to your apartment.”

  “Maybe she’s too scared to stop,” Dane said.

  “She’s not too scared to drive like she’s in the Indianapolis 500. Your mate is weaving in and out of traffic like a professional. Mason, she just passed mile marker 236. Wait, she’s slowing down. Okay, Marley took exit 235. It looks like she’s going to turn around… Fuck! Mason, tell me you have eyes on her.”

  “What’s going on? Julian? Somebody better fucking talk to me!” Dane was losing his mind.

  “I’m at the exit.” After a few seconds of nothing but the pounding of his heart in his ears, Mason growled, “Shit! I’m going to need backup and soon. There’s a second vehicle.”

  Dane slapped the dashboard, and Jasper pressed down harder on the accelerator. He didn’t offer up false hope they would get there in time to save Dane’s mate, though.

  “Godsdamnit, when did Unholy start driving?” Mason asked as the sound of bone crunching came over the air. “Shit! Marley, get back in the car,” Mason yelled.

  Dane closed his eyes, praying Marley did as Mason told her. At least he knew she was alive and able to—

  “Help!” Marley screamed. Without his shifter senses, Dane would still have heard the fear in her plea.

  “Mason,” Dane growled, knowing the young Goyle was the only one close enough to save her.

  “I’ve got three Unholy to contend with. Godsdamnit, the Goyles have her.” Mason grunted as he fought whoever it was Dane couldn’t see. He leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. He had let his guard down, and now his mate was going to pay the price.

  “We’ll get her back, Chief,” Jasper assured him. “I know your fear, so I’m not going to placate you, but we will fucking get her back, and then we’re going to make those Greek motherfuckers pay.”

  “The good news is the cops haven’t shown up yet. The bad news is the cops haven’t shown up yet,” Julian said.

  When he felt the car slowing, Dane opened his eyes and scanned the area. An SUV was angled against Dane’s wrecked Boxster. He couldn’t care less about the car, but with the amount of damage it sustained, Marley had to have been injured. Dane and Jasper both exited the car only to find three Unholy on the ground. Dane didn’t know if they were unconscious or dead. He didn’t care. “Mason?”

  “I’ve got them in my sights. I’m going to try to catch them and cut them off. Almost there. I’m… Fuc—” Mason’s voice was cut off by the sound of tires screeching.

  “Mason!”

  “She jumped out of the vehicle. I’m about two miles east of where they took her. Julian, call for an ambulance. Dane, I—”

  Dane didn’t hear anything else Mason said as he and Jasper got back in the car, and Jasper urged the vehicle as fast as it was safe on the two-lane road. When they got to where Mason was crouched over a body, there was no one else around. Dane jumped out of the car before Jasper had it in park and ran to where his mate was lying motionless on the ground. The skin of her arms and legs was abraded, but it was the blood forming a halo around her head that had Dane shaking. Dropping to his knees, Dane roared, stretching his arms out, not caring his claws were present.

  “Dane, she’s alive. Dane!” Mason yelled, getting his attention. “Your mate’s alive. You need to calm the fuck down and give her your strength right now, yeah?”

  “Yeah.” Dane didn’t touch her, not at first. He calmed himself enough to take in the wounds Marley encountered from hitting the concrete. He reached out with his senses and found her breathing to be steady.

  “You know head wounds bleed a lot and usually look worse than they are, Boss,” Jasper said, squatting next to Dane.

  “Mason, did you get a tag number on the SUV?” Julian asked.

  “Yes, but I’d bet it’s stolen.” Mason rattled off the number, and Julian tapped away at the keys in front of him. “What do we do about the Unholy? The ambulance is going to have questions as will the police who’ll be with them.”

  “I’ll take care of the Unholy,” Jasper declared. “I’ll put them in the back of my car and take them to the Pen. That will be less you have to explain.” Jasper didn’t wait for them to agree. He got back in his vehicle, did a three-point turn, and headed back to the scene of the wreckage.

  “They’re going to know it was my car she was driving,” Dane muttered.

  “We’ll tell them she was driving your car because hers is a piece of shit. She called you in a panic because someone was chasing her.”

  “Let’s hope they don’t check phone records.” Dane’s phone rang, and when he looked at the display it was Marley’s phone. “What the…”

  “Answer it,” Julian instructed. Dane did, but when he said “Hello” there was no one on the other end.

  “Leave the line open for approximately two minutes. When you hang up, I’ll tap into her records and adjust the time of the call to coincide with when she was being chased.”

  Dane wondered how often this sort of thing happened and prevented the cops from finding out the real cause of crimes. Under other circumstances, he might have protested, but nothing mattered more than getting Marley to the nearest hospital.

  “Dane…”

  If he didn’t have shifter hearing, Dane would have never heard his name fall from Marley’s lips. He dropped to his knees and gently touched her cheek. “I’m here, Sweetness. You hang on.”

  The next few hours were the worst of Dane’s life. He would rather go through his initial transition a hundred times over before pacing in the waiting room while his father worked on Marley. If it hadn’t been for Julian and Jonas, Dane would have lost his mind. When the cops arrived on the scene, Mason took care of giving their statements so Dane could ride with Marley in the ambulance. Frey just happened to be there as an eyewitness to corroborate Mason’s version of what he saw.

  Dane insisted Marley be taken to the hospital in New Atlanta where his father was chief of staff. He didn’t tell the EMTs that, but he did pull the Chief of Police badge – figuratively and literally. Julian assured Dane through his comm he would call Jonas and make sure he was at the hospital waiting.

  Dane hadn’t spent much time around Jonas or Caroline, but he had been around them enough to know they loved him just as much as they loved any of their offspring and would help any way they could. It was odd seeing a young-looking Jonas at home and an older appearing “Joseph Mooneyham” at the hospital. When the ambulance arrived, Joseph was there at the emergency room door waiting for the ambulance.

  While Joseph examined Marley, who hadn’t woken up again, Dane called Cammie to let her know what was going on. Cammie insisted on calling Marley’s parents, and until they arrived later, he had thought it was a good idea. When he met Marley’s father, Dane wasn’t so sure. The older man didn’t care who Dane was or what he meant to Marley. Since Marley had failed to mention Dane to her parents, her father insisted Dane had no right to offer an opinion on Marley’s care, stating either he or his wife would have been listed as Marley’s medical power of attorney. Thankfully, Julian was still on the comm with Dane, and while the father argued with Dane over something that shouldn’t have even been an issue, Julian tapped into the hospital files and made Dane Marley’s contact.

  “I can assure you, Mr. Sperry, I am responsible for Marley’s well-being,” Dane argued.

  “There’s no reason a government employee such as yourself would be responsible for someone like Marley. She’s just a waitress. Unless… You knocked her up, didn’t you?” Merrill Sperry hissed under his breath. By that time, the waiting room had filled with other members of the Clan, and one of the males grabbed Dane’s arm when he drew back to deck Marley’s father. Before Dane could tell Merrill what he
thought of the man, Cammie did it for him.

  “You are no kind of father to Marley. Just because she’s a waitress doesn’t mean she isn’t smart. And if the chief here did knock her up, she’d be lucky to have a man as good as him to take care of her. That’s all she’s ever wanted was a good man. A man unlike you,” Cammie said, jamming her finger into the man’s chest.

  “Cammie,” Lucinda Sperry admonished. Unlike Marley’s father who hadn’t aged gracefully, Marley’s mom barely looked old enough to be Marley’s sister.

  “No, Lucinda. I won’t stand by while he puts her down when she can’t defend herself. Especially not here in front of all Marley’s friends.”

  “I didn’t realize she had so many people in her corner,” Lucinda whispered.

  “She does. And unlike her father, we all adore Marley,” Trevor spoke up. Jasper had picked his mate up at home after dropping the Unholy off at the Pen.

  Just as Merrill opened his mouth to give them all hell, the door opened and Jonas came in. He didn’t look at anyone other than Dane. “The cranial laceration was deeper than it first appeared. We’ll need to watch her closely for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours while the swelling goes down.”

  “When can I see my daughter?” Merrill asked, pushing his way to the front.

  Jonas narrowed his eyes at the man. “As soon as she’s settled in a room. That might be a while since we’re between shift changes. I’ll send a nurse back in to get you, but only two at a time. Marley’s critical, but stable. I don’t want anyone upsetting her.”

  “She’s my—”

  “Merrill, stop.” Lucinda grabbed him by the arm.