20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  Liv swallowed against the growing pit of fear in her stomach. What could she possibly say to him that would make any sense? As Jim’s fingers bit deeper into her flesh, Liv regretted her idea of returning to work.

  Chapter 21

  Panicking, Liv replied, “Okay, I’ll tell you. Just please stop hurting me,” she pleaded and Jim’s grip loosened, but he kept hold of her arm.

  “I was looking for any information you might have on the Scott family. I was hoping to find an address or anything that might lead me to Lawson. I just want to know if he’s okay,” she blurted, hoping he would find that reasonable.

  She had worked with him long enough that Jim should understand if she cared about his well-being. Jim’s deep blue eyes narrowed, and she sensed he was determining if she was truthful.

  “You seem abnormally interested in a man who has no regard for others. Need I remind you he killed two people in your presence? Please don’t tell me you’re concerned for him, Olivia. As far as I see it, he’s a good riddance,” Jim snarled, spittle flying from his mouth.

  Heart pounding against her chest, she grasped for anything to deflect his rage.

  “I do remember what he did. David was a good guy and didn’t deserve to die. I just wanted to let him know his dad and brother won’t be harmed while they’re here,” Liv responded and Jim’s eyes flew wide.

  “How do you know about the father? Did his brother tell you because I never said anything?”

  His grip tightened again, and he stepped closer. Liv backed up and brushed against the credenza but Jim kept coming towards her. He loomed above, eyes blazing and she reached back to brace against falling on top of the wooden buffet, causing her cell phone to slip from her hand and fall to the floor.

  Jim glanced down then reached to pick up the device. He tapped the screen and it lit up, revealing the last picture she had taken. Liv glanced down to see it was a file that belonged to a shifter at another location.

  “You little bitch! What the fuck are you trying to pull?” he shouted, slamming her phone to the ground then stomping it with his boot.

  Liv began trembling as her adrenaline spiked. He had to know she was gathering information against him. And now her phone was broken, preventing her from texting Lawson for help. This fucked up situation had gone from a risky prospect to worst imaginable nightmare in two seconds.

  “I’m sorry, Jim. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m not trying to pull anything, I swear,” she declared, scrambling to get out of his reach but he grabbed her around the waist.

  “I don’t believe you. In fact, I think you helped that fucking animal escape. Did that beast lick your pussy and make you his bitch?” Jim bit out, shoving Liv’s body onto the top of the piece of furniture.

  Liv lashed out, trying to push him off but Jim’s weight was too heavy once he was on top of her.

  “Get off!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping someone would walk by his office and hear her yelling.

  Jim pinned her down then reached inside his suit pocket and retrieved a silk hankie then shoved it inside Liv’s mouth.

  “You were trying to fuck me over, Olivia, but guess what? You’re the one who’s going to get fucked now,” Jim threatened, holding her arms above her head with one hand as his body maneuvered between Liv’s legs.

  Jim’s other hand ripped open her blouse then shoved her bra up around her neck. His mouth clamped down on Liv’s breast and pain shot through her body as his teeth pierced her flesh.

  Liv shouted against the pain but the fabric in her mouth stifled the sound. She thrashed on the credenza but his force kept her from moving far. His eyes blazed with fury and lust, escalating her terror. She frantically looked around for some way to escape his grip but saw nothing.

  A cold sweat broke across her skin as Jim roughly groped her other breast as his mouth bit down again. The pain was excruciating, and she saw blood puddle around his lips. She was helpless against his attack. Kicking her legs, she tried to throw him from her body but he didn’t budge.

  When his hand pushed her skirt up, she bucked against the feel of his fingers gripping her panties.

  “Stop fighting. Or do you like it rough, you whore,” he grunted, ripping the underwear from her body.

  A crashing sound had them both looking toward the door. Lawson barreled through the doorway and as soon as he saw the two of them, he roared then charged in their direction. Jim released his hold on Liv and tried to run past her, but Lawson tackled him to the ground.

  Liv tugged the fabric from her mouth, coughing from the pressure to her throat as she gasped for air. Jumping off the table, she shoved her bra down to cover her exposed breasts then pushed her skirt down as Bart appeared in the next moment.

  “Liv, are you okay?” Bart shouted, running to her side.

  Liv had some blood on one side of her chest where Jim had bitten her flesh, and she noticed Bart was staring at her, eyes wide with terror. She pulled her lab coat closed and buttoned it, trying to cover herself as best she could. She looked at the two men on the floor and saw Lawson pummeling Jim in the face.

  “I’m fine,” she answered but her eyes never left Lawson. “Please stop, you’ll kill him,” Liv pleaded to Lawson and lunged forward, but Bart held her back from the fistfight on the floor.

  It wasn’t much of a fight though. Lawson was beating the shit out of Jim, his face a bloody mess.

  “Lawson, stop. Remember why we’re here. Your family,” she ordered as she ran around the scuffle and darted towards the hallway to see if anyone heard the commotion.

  Luckily, Lawson hadn’t broken the door, just the lock on it and the corridor to Jim’s office was empty. Turning back around, Liv yelled, “Lawson, stop! Tie him up for now and get his entry card. Staff will be gone soon, and we can sneak down into the lab.”

  Ignoring her words, Lawson hit Jim again. Hard. Hard enough to knock Jim out cold. Liv had never seen him so furious. Lawson was shaking and when he looked up to meet her gaze, his gray eyes were wild and savage. Blood covered his knuckles, and his chest heaved uncontrollably.

  With outstretched hands, she whispered, “It’s alright, baby. He’s done hurting you. Please, let me help you. You’re bleeding,” she said, looking at his hands.

  Lawson’s eyes seemed to focus on her and his expression softened a bit. “Bart, check Jim’s bathroom and see if there’s a towel or something,” Liv instructed, eyes never leaving Lawson’s.

  She slowly walked to him and placed her hands on his face. “You okay?”

  He looked down and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Don’t worry about me. Are you alright? I’m so sorry I didn’t get here earlier,” he said softly, pulling her close.

  And then the floodgates opened and all her pent-up fear and anger was released. The tears streamed down her face as she recalled what Jim had been doing to her.

  “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come in. It was awful. He was all over me,” she sobbed, trembling as realization set in. If Lawson hadn’t shown up, Jim would’ve raped her.

  Lawson held her tight against his chest and gently stroked a hand through her hair, murmuring softly in her ear, “Shhh, it’s okay. He won’t ever touch you again. We’re getting out of this place and you’re never coming back.”

  Just then Bart walked up and handed Lawson a damp towel. Liv stepped out of his embrace so he could tend to his wound. “Why are you here? I thought you were waiting for my call,” she asked, grateful but curious for their unannounced arrival.

  Lawson didn’t put the cloth to his knuckles. Instead, he reached over and unbuttoned Liv’s lab coat, examining her injury. Wiping away the blood, he then turned her body so her back was to Bart and pushed her bra aside so he could clean her wound. It was the first time Lawson had touched her in a way that wasn’t sexual. It was loving and gentle, and showed how much he cared for her.

  Lawson was her knight in shining armor but he didn’t ride in on a stallion. No, he was the ma
n, and animal, combined in one glorious package.

  “I don’t think this will become infected but as soon as we get back to the hotel, we should put something on this,” he offered as he carefully placed the bra over her breast then buttoned her lab coat. He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her forehead then her cheek. She was shocked how tender he could be after the wrath he unleashed on Jim.

  “You didn’t say why you’re here,” Liv murmured, searching Lawson’s gray eyes for understanding.

  Lawson stepped back, wiping the blood from his knuckles and Liv noticed the cuts weren’t as bad as she thought. It was mostly Jim’s blood.

  “You didn’t think I was going to let you come here alone. I left right after you did, and called Bart to meet me here. We’ve been in the parking lot waiting for your text, but something felt off to me. We would’ve gotten to you sooner, but we had no idea which office was his,” he revealed.

  Jim rolled onto his side, moaning. Lawson walked over, kneeled, and punched him in the face again. The man flopped to his back and it was lights out once again. Standing up, he smiled, “Fuck, that felt good. I hope I get to do that a few more times before we leave.”

  Liv had to admit she would like to get one in, as well. A swift kick to the groin would make her day. She didn’t want him dead but inflicting a lot of pain seemed reasonable for all he had done to her and Lawson.

  “Well, I guess I can’t complain about your lack of faith in my plan. Turns out, it was a bad idea. Thank you for coming. Both of you,” she muttered and walked over to pick up her cell phone. Definitely broken.

  Glancing at the clock on the wall, Liv knew they had about an hour before they could go to the lab and get his family. They needed to secure Jim in case he came to and started yelling for help.

  “Look around for some rope or something to tie him with, and I’m going to grab these files over here. It looks like Jim owns several labs throughout the states and I’m taking the folders. Maybe we can take this to the authorities and shut him down for good,” she informed as she walked back to the credenza.

  She saw her torn panties on the ground and picked them up, stuffing them into the pocket of her white coat, telling herself she would burn them at the first available chance.

  Jim’s assault on Liv flashed through Lawson’s mind, and it took all his strength not to go over and rip the motherfucker’s head from his shoulders. If Lawson had arrived a minute later, Jim would have sexually violated her and she might never have recovered from the emotional and physical abuse of that experience.

  The asshole deserved to die but Liv felt strongly about sparing his life. Maybe she was right. If they could prove what Jim was doing, a lifetime in prison might be more torturous. Hopefully, his cellmate would make Jim his bitch, and he’d spend the rest of his days sucking cock. Only then would death not be the best choice, Lawson thought as he tried to bury the image of Jim biting Liv’s tender flesh.

  Focusing on something to restrain Jim, Lawson walked into the small bathroom. He spotted several towels and figured those would do. Grabbing a few, Lawson exited and walked towards the male. He was still out cold. Come on, fucker, wake up again so I can put a boot between your teeth, he thought as he ripped the towel into thin strips.

  “That’s a fantastic idea,” Liv declared when she saw what Lawson was doing. “Bart, keep watch at the door and let us know if you spot anyone coming.”

  Liv was pulling folders from a file drawer and stacking them on the desk. There was a pile of them, at least fifty, and Lawson wondered how long the male had been kidnapping and killing shifters.

  “I’m going to tie his hands and feet to this,” Lawson stated, walking behind the desk to grab Jim’s office chair. “We can either shove him under the desk, or we can lock him in the bathroom. Either way, I don’t see him getting out of these straps,” he added, taking the chair over to where Jim lay on the ground. Lawson did a quick search of Jim’s pockets and found his wallet.

  “Here you go,” he called out before he tossed the brown leather in Liv’s direction. She snagged it midair and opened it.

  Removing a plastic card, she waved it in the air, “Bingo, this is it. I say we put him in the bathroom and lock the door. Who knows when someone will look there for him,” Liv suggested, and Lawson saw her look at the clock again.

  Placing Jim in an upright position on the seat, Lawson tied his feet together and then secured them to the bottom legs. He then tied his wrists together behind his back before attaching another strip of terry cloth around his waist and the back of the chair. The fabric was sturdy enough that he wouldn’t be getting up until someone untied him.

  Liv tossed the wallet on the desk and grabbed the large pile of folders then walked over to stand in front of Jim whose head slumped against his shoulder.

  “I fucking hate that man,” Liv confessed, and Lawson heard the venom in her words.

  Jim moaned again, and Lawson stepped forward, ready to punch him in the nose when Liv stopped his movement.

  “No, I want him to wake up. I have a few words for this pathetic excuse of a man,” she spat.

  An idea sparked and Lawson looked around, spotting a small bar in the corner. Walking over, he opened a cabinet and found what he needed.

  Grabbing a bottle of Jim’s finest Scotch, Lawson walked back to the hunched over male. Twisting off the cap, he grabbed a fistful of Jim’s hair and lifted his head, pouring the liquor across his face. Jim sputtered and coughed then opened his eyes. As soon as he realized Lawson was towering over him, he started bucking in the chair like a wild man but the straps held him firmly in place.

  “Stop moving, asshole, or I’ll bash in your fucking skull,” Lawson snarled then walked behind Jim. Yanking Jim’s head, Lawson forced him to look at Liv. “The lady has something to say, and I suggest you listen carefully,” Lawson ordered, tightening his hold on the male’s short hair.

  “Guard, I need help! In my office!” Jim shouted as he turned his head as much as he could towards the door.

  Liv reached down and grabbed a loose strip of towel and bunched in into a ball, shoving it in Jim’s mouth.

  “How do you like it? Doesn’t feel so good, does it?” she asked, kneeling to where she was eye level with the male. He struggled against the ties, but Liv inched closer to him, her face bright red with anger.

  “You see these folders, Jim. I want you to know that I won’t quit until your business is shut down. You have killed countless shifters with no regard for them or their families. You talk about them as if they are savage beasts that deserve such barbaric torture as being chained to a wall. I’ll have you know this man behind you has more love and compassion is his pinky finger than you do in your whole body. I hope you spend the rest of your miserable life rotting in a prison cell,” she declared before looking to Lawson.

  “You know what, he’s not worth our time. It’s showtime, baby. Let’s go get your family,” Liv announced and stood up, turning her back on the poor excuse for a man.

  Lawson carried Jim to the bathroom and locked him inside. They shut the office door when they left and the three of them quickly made their way to the main section of the building. Liv was right. The place was empty, and she said the night guard wouldn’t arrive for about thirty minutes, so Lawson knew they had to act fast.

  Liv stopped at the door and swiped Jim’s entry card, allowing them access to a hallway Lawson recognized. It was where he had been a prisoner for over three years. The sterile scent hit his nostrils, making him nauseous. He would never forget that odor long as he lived.

  Ignoring the pungent smell, he followed Liv to a closed door. She turned the handle, but it was locked. Looking to Lawson, she held up the card, and he could see her silent prayer before she swiped it across the keypad. It unlocked and she opened the door.

  A male was chained to the wall inside. Walking over, Liv swiped again, and the lighted keypad turned green, unlocking the cuffs.

  “We’re getting you out of here,” Laws
on urged, pulling the male to his feet. “Can you walk?” he asked when he saw the bruises and cuts all over the shifter’s body.

  “I think so,” he replied, hesitating when he glanced to Liv and Bart.

  “They’re here to help, trust them,” Lawson declared. “Do you know how many others are here?”

  “Hard to say. I’ve been in this room a few weeks but there has been a lot of activity lately. Hard to know if it’s been shifters or guards.” The male looked weak and in dire need of a hot meal, shower, and sleep. Lawson remembered when he was in the same situation not that long ago and his heart went out to the shifter.

  “Let’s not worry about that. We’ll check them all. Come on. Your brother was a few doors down last time I saw him,” Liv said, rushing out of the room to the next door. They opened it and it was empty. So was the next room.

  Stopping outside the room Lawson had been kept in, Liv took a deep breath and locked eyes with Lawson. “You ready?” she asked, and Lawson nodded. Swiping the card, she turned the handle and opened the door. Lawson was the first one inside the room.

  Brown eyes looked up and locked on him. It was his brother. Lawson rushed over as Ryan hopped up from the mattress and the two threw their arms around each other. Overcome with relief, Lawson held tight to his older brother.

  “You came. She said you would and you did. My brother, how I’ve missed you,” Ryan muttered, squeezing tight.

  Lawson thought he’d never see his family again and now he had his mother, sisters, and brother. All they needed was to find their dad.

  “Of course I came for you. Let’s find Pop and get the fuck out of here. Mom and the girls are waiting for us,” Lawson admitted, clapping his brother on the shoulder.

  Ryan smiled, replying, “Sweetest words you’ve ever spoken, bro.”

  Liv deactivated the cuffs and Lawson couldn’t help but remember the sound the chains made as they fell to the hard tile floor. It was bittersweet. Bitter to think of the weeks, months, and years spent in captivity, but sweet to know that was all behind him now.