Deadly Call

by Martha Bourke

  Roman nodded. “Understood. I’ll see you at the meeting then.”

  Ana tapped her fingernails nervously on her laptop. So, there was potentially a huge den in Roxbury. Hmm.

  Her mate opened his eyes and stretched. “Hey.”

  She put down her laptop and sat down on the bed. “I hope I didn’t break your concentration.”

  He kissed her cheek. “Nope. I was just finishing up.”

  “Victrixa just mentioned a possible den in Roxbury.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  She smiled. “You’ve been meditating an awful lot the last couple of days.”

  “Yeah. I guess I just don’t know what else to do.”

  “I know you’re frustrated and worried. I’m just not sure this is something you can force, my male. I don’t think there are any shortcuts. The gifts we’re given have to be developed. You know, after the Snickers incident, I couldn’t gleam anything on command for quite a while.”

  He sighed. The sound made her heart feel heavy in her chest.

  “You know what? You are the most patient male I’ve ever met. Cesar is the same way. He gets that from you. But you never seem to have any left over for yourself. It will come when it’s time. You have to have faith in that.”

  SE brushed her hair back. “How did you get so wise at the ripe old age of twenty?”

  “I have a very good teacher.”

  He leaned over and kissed her softly. “Is that right? You know, I remembered something this morning. I think I still owe you a dinner.”

  She perked up. “Dinner?”

  “Mmhmm.”

  “What kind of dinner?”

  “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling a little homesick lately. Seems like the only food Geoffrey doesn’t cook is Mexican.”

  Her stomach growled right in cue. “Mexican?”

  “Maybe some enchiladas with roasted tomatillo chili salsa? Or some tequila marinated chicken with mole sauce? Churros would be awesome for dessert.”

  She pounced on him, knocking him backward and landing on top of him. “Tonight, before I leave for duty?”

  He laughed. “That depends. Are you going to let me up so I can do the shopping?”

  She grinned. “You cook, I’ll shop.”

  “You know something? You are so easy to please. God, I love that.” He brought her toward him and took her mouth with his. He sighed and her insides did jumping jacks.

  “I have to shop,” she said against his mouth.

  “Later.”

  Evy started to come around. Why was everything all fuzzy? What the hell? Her hands were tied behind a post. She was sitting on the ground in some dark, dirty warehouse. Was she alone?

  “Looks like our little prisoner is awake.”

  She looked up at a guy who seemed to be around her age. What did he want from her? What…oh, my God. Was this the thing that had been following her? Well, she’d know the second she saw his eyes glow. She didn’t know if she should be hoping for them to glow or not. He did seem to move kind of funny—not exactly human somehow.

  “What do you want?”

  “You don’t need to know that. Just behave and I’ll let you pee when you need to.”

  “I’m eternally grateful.”

  He bent down and put his face so close to hers they were practically kissing. Well, he was clearly a smoker. Way to go, Veronica Mars.

  “Listen, don’t give me any crap. I don’t have any issues with hitting chicks.” He stood up and started to walk away. “I’ll be back in a bit with something to eat.”

  She looked over her shoulder and watched him go. No eyes yet. Maybe that only happened in the dark? If he was her stalker, then he had to know she had no money. What else could he want? Sex? He hadn’t seemed the least bit sexual toward her. Besides, rape was a violent crime. He’d said that she didn’t need to know what he was after. He made it sound like she was only a small part of some bigger plan. Jesus, her ass was killing her. Nice of them to put her on the freaking floor. She adjusted her arms and tried to get comfortable. One thing was for sure, she was going to have to play it smart if she was going to get out of this alive.

  SE and Ana walked back to the mansion’s smaller second kitchen. He started to dice tomatillos while his mate sat on the counter and watched. He popped a piece of tomatillo into her mouth. She made a face.

  “Tart?” He asked her in Spanish. They’d been speaking only Spanish since they hit the kitchen. Apparently, his homesickness was contagious.

  She nodded.

  “Good. Hey, would you do me a favor and do the oregano?”

  “Sure.” She picked up the freshly washed herb and started to pull off the leaves.

  He hardly ever got a chance to cook anymore and he really missed it. But more than anything he loved cooking for her. She had no idea how to cook, but she loved learning about it. She was so curious about everything. That’s just who she was. Those big, green eyes missed nothing. And she was so goddamn easy to please. Sometimes he felt guilty for loving that about her because he knew it was a direct result of the neglect she suffered as a kid. He couldn’t even imagine someone being capable of doing that to her. She was so intelligent and had the biggest heart. Victrixa. God, he hated that bitch.

  He looked at his female and smiled. “Okay. Tequila time. Our favorite.”

  She hopped down, measured out a half cup, and poured it into the plastic baggy that already held the other ingredients for the marinade. Then she measured out a shot for each of them.

  “Arriba, abajo, al centro, y pa’ dentro!” they said way too loudly. Then they crossed arms and each gave a shot to the other. Sort of.

  “Shit.” SE laughed as half her shot went down his hand. “Sorry.”

  “No fair.”

  “Hang on.” He poured another shot, licked his forearm and salted it. She licked it off, drank her shot, then leaned in and took a lemon slice from between his teeth. “Better?”

  She threw the rind in the trash. “Much.”

  He sealed the bag and put it in the fridge. “Okay. We’re done for now.”

  He took her hand and they walked up the back hallway toward the drawing room for the meeting.

  Reyn waited for the last couple of brothers to arrive before he started. He watched as Diesel, Pax, and James came through the door. He looked down the long table. Even though his mouth drove him crazy, it was strange not having Troy there. He looked at James and winked.

  “Alright, let’s get started. I’m sure you’ve all heard about Troy. Just to squelch any rumors, the gist of it is, he’s tracking a couple of rogues who’ve taken a good friend he knew in school. The brother was positive that it was related to him. He’s on indefinite leave and James will be taking his place on the duty roster. That’s about all we know at this point. As you already know, Ana has been monitoring Victrixa’s office by mini cam. Apparently, today Victrixa and her head scientist discussed a new den in Roxbury somewhere. According to the conversation, the den would be about twice the size of the one we destroyed at the warehouse. At this point, that’s all we know. We also need to take this with a grain of salt. It’s possible that by now she knows her office is compromised. She could use the mini cam to set us up. So, any Intel we get from this point on will have to be used cautiously. For now, the brothers who are assigned to look for dens will focus their search in Roxbury. I doubt we’ll find it that way, but we may get lucky.”

  There were no comments, so he continued. “We have another reason to exercise caution right now. Soaring Eagle had what we believe to be a premonition. We aren’t sure whether it was random or a gift of the Goddess beginning to manifest. What concerns me is that it was of a brother. It was dark, so SE couldn’t see exactly which one, but the male was in pain. That’s all we know right now. So, please be careful when you’re out there. That’s all.”

  James passed the potatoes down the table and listened as the others talked about Troy.

  Diesel added more to his plate. �
��So, he just went on his own?”

  Reyn nodded. “Nothing else we could do. We can’t spare the manpower.”

  “Does anyone know who Evy is?” Dimitri asked. “X?”

  “Nope. Just that she’s a friend from way back.” He buttered a roll. “I’m going in with him if he finds her though, dig? Anyone else is welcome to join me.”

  There were nods all around the table.

  “What about the rogues? We should probably keep an eye out. Did you get a look at ‘em, X?” Pax asked.

  “Not much. There was a driver, obviously, but he was partially obscured by the building. The rogue that forced her into the car was a little over six feet. He had on a green army jacket. That’s about it.”

  James nearly choked on his roast beef. It was Seth? Seth had kidnapped the human female? He excused himself, left the room, and walked toward the main staircase.

  “James, hold up.”

  Shit. Pax. Whatever. He just kept walking. He didn’t want to talk to him or anyone else right now.

  As he reached the top of the stairs, he felt a strong hand grab his shoulder. He pushed it off and kept walking.

  Pax knocked him off balance and pushed him into the wall. “Hey!”

  “Let go.”

  “The hell I will. Look at me. James.”

  “What?”

  His camzah looked him square in the eye. “What happened is not your fault.”

  “Yeah, it is. I let him off the hook. I should have ganked him right then. None of this would be happening if I’d done my fucking job.”

  “This is Troy’s fault. No one else’s. He had no business being anywhere near her. That’s why we leave our old lives behind us at induction and start new. That’s what the ceremony is all about. Especially now. It’s not safe. That’s how Helen ended up here in the beginning. You know that. You were there.”

  “I still should have killed him. You would have.”

  “I honestly have no idea what I would have done in your position. Most of us aren’t from here, so our old lives don’t keep showing up.”

  “Bullshit, Pax. You would have ganked him straight up and you know it.”

  “That does it. We’re going hunting. You, Diesel, and I. Tonight.”

  “What? Why?”

  He turned and headed toward the stairs. “So you can gank a few hellions. Mutant therapy. Trust me. You’ll feel much better. I’ll see you in the foyer at ten. Don’t be late.”

  Helen looked up from her work when Diesel came through the door.

  “Hey, female. How’s the new microscope treating you? I meant to ask you this morning.”

  “Like a dream. Listen, I wondered if we could talk.”

  “Sure. Pax and I are going to take James out for a bit. I shouldn’t be late.”

  “On your night off? Ah, are you leaving right away?”

  “Yeah, they’re waiting for me in the foyer. Are you sure it can’t wait a couple of hours? Shit. Have you seen my leather gloves? Man, this whole two room thing is getting on my last fucking nerve.”

  God, she wanted to beg him to stay. She wanted to tell him that if he left she was afraid of what she might do. That she didn’t recognize herself anymore. Instead, she found herself nodding. “It can wait.”

  “Found ‘em. Freaking things were in with my boxers.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “Okay.”

  As he left, she felt like her entire world was spinning out of control. Every time he walked out that door, she was afraid he wouldn’t come back. Either that he’d die on duty or just not want to come back to her. Worry over his safety was at least rational. Where were all these other feelings coming from? That wall. She stared at the thing that represented the ever-growing divide between her and her mate. Suddenly, she jumped up and flew across the room. Pain seared through her hand as she hammered her fist on the wall as hard as she could.

  “Goddamn you!” she yelled.

  She pounded her fists until they burned and she was too exhausted to stand. She leaned against the wall and sank slowly to the floor, tears streaming down her face. She knew what she had to do.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Evy had watched the sun go down as she waited for her kidnapper to come back. It was totally dark now, the Boston winter cutting the day short as always. She was so cold she was shivering. Finally, she heard clunky footsteps behind her. She turned her head as far as she could. It was the guy in the green army jacket again.

  “Alright, little prisoner. I hope you like pizza, ‘cause that’s what you’re getting. Then I’m gonna move you to where you’ll have some heat.”

  Thank God for small favors.

  He chained her leg to the post, undid her hands, and then slid a small pizza and a Coke next to her.

  She looked at Green Jacket. “What? You don’t eat?”

  “You have a mouth on you, you know that? Just shut it and eat.”

  Evy tore into the pizza in spite of herself. She hadn’t eaten in over twenty-four hours. She had to force herself to slow down so she wouldn’t make herself sick. Green Jacket watched her eat and said nothing.

  After three slices she downed some Coke. “I need to pee. Can we do that before we leave?”

  “Let’s do it now. The other guys should be here any minute.”

  He unhooked her chain and held onto it as they crossed the old flooring.

  “Watch it. This place is old as fuck. The wood’s old as fuck. The little girl’s room is right through there.”

  He dropped her chain and she dragged it a ways before it dawned on her to pick it up and carry it. She closed the bathroom door just as she started to heave. Her dinner ended up all over the floor. Shit. She’d eaten it too fast. She rinsed her mouth in the grimy sink, did her business, and walked back out.

  Green Jacket smiled and shook his head. “You lose your dinner? We’ll take the rest with us. Let’s get moving.”

  He picked up her chain, led her back to her stuff, and then they walked down the three flights. The same beat up old car was waiting outside.

  “Get in,” she heard someone say.

  She started to tremble as she climbed into the backseat. She kind of had Green Jacket figured out. These others were a different story. Who knew what kind of psychos they were? As they pulled out, she was sandwiched between him and another guy who was just ever so casually sliding his arm around her.

  “Take your arm back before I rip it off your body.” Green Jacket growled.

  And damn if that arm didn’t pop right back to its owner. Huh. So he had some clout with these freaks. Maybe she had a chance of getting out of this alive after all.

  Pax materialized on the bottom floor of the abandoned building. Diesel took form next to him and James was close behind.

  Diesel’s night vision kicked in. “Son of a bitch, this place is falling apart.”

  Pax shook his head. “Yeah. I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about a den in here. Let’s take a quick look at the upper floors.”

  James ran his hand along the wall. “Look at all this rot.”

  They found the stairs and Diesel tested them with his foot. “They’re solid.”

  As they climbed up the steps to the second floor, the building groaned, but that was the only haunting Pax could sense. No hellions were hitting his radar that was for damn sure. Apparently, even they had standards. Who the fuck knew?

  “Stay close, James.” He had no idea why he was whispering. Maybe he didn’t want to disturb Casper’s transparent ass.

  “Don’t worry,” James mumbled.

  The second floor was more of the same. They took a few minutes to check it out then started to walk up to the third.

  Diesel sneezed. “Fuck. Sense anything, Pax?”

  “Zero.”

  “Same here. Let’s check the last floor and jet. This place gives me the fucking creeps.”

  James started up the steps behind them. “I hear that.”

  Helen walked ou
t of the closet with a pile of button downs. Should she take everything? Hmm. No, seeing Diesel again would just make things harder. Okay, so she’d take only what she needed and leave anything else. She laid the shirts on the bed and started to go through them. She pulled a few off their hangers and started to fold them.

  She wondered if maybe she should say good-bye to the females. She would miss them both a lot. It felt wrong to just go without giving them any reason. Of course, the talk they’d had at lunch a couple of days ago was probably explanation enough. Things just weren’t working out. And she wasn’t about to just hang around and wait for him to leave. No way.

  She looked over at the clock. Half past ten. She still had plenty of time before Diesel got back. She’d already called Geoffrey. Either he or Mary would take her to a hotel in town. From there, she wasn’t sure what she would do. It was too dangerous to stay in Boston. She’d thought about maybe moving to another compound and continuing her research. She’d need Reyn and Richard’s connections for that. But it could wait.

  She went back into the closet and stopped in front of Diesel’s side. She ran her hand along his favorite Vanson leather jacket. The one he’d been wearing the day they had the accident. The day we were first mated. No, she was done crying. It had been a mistake to open herself up to this whole thing. Before it slipped her mind, she pulled all of Diesel’s meds out of her drawer and started to make a list for him to follow. She then rewrote the list for X so that he could order more when it was time. She left them on the table next to the bed they used to share.

  Pax looked around as he walked along the third floor of the old fire trap. “You know, we might as well check the basement out while we’re in here.”

  Diesel nodded. “Yeah, okay. Damn. This piece of crap is gonna be on the Mayor’s shit list, hands-down.”