by Jodi Vaughn
“And good morning to you too,” she said dryly. She sat up in bed and turned on the bedside lamp. “I worked late into the night and fell asleep. Sorry I’m just now returning your text.”
“I need those cakes now. I hope you have them ready for me.”
“Yes. I just finished about an hour ago. I was hoping to get some sleep before bringing them over,” She groused.
“There’s no time for that. I need those cakes now.” Emmett’s impatient tone had her on edge.
“Is there a problem?” She tried her best to keep the anxiety out of her voice.
“Yes, there is.”
Her gut clenched.
“The buyer of these cakes is coming by at five thirty this morning to pick them up. If they’re not here then you don’t get paid.”
And you don’t get your drugs delivered, she thought to herself.
“That’s an odd time to be picking up cakes,” she ventured.
“It’s for a large company meeting in Jackson. He’s going to transport them himself.”
“Let me throw on some clothes and I’ll bring them over.”
“There’s no time for that. I’m sending a truck over to pick them up. I told them to pull up around the back of Monmouth. Just be at the back door so they can get the cakes and load them.”
She sighed. “Fine. I’m walking over there now.” She hung up the phone and quickly tugged her jeans, sweater, and boots on that she’d worn the other night. She’d take a shower before she got ready to cook for the guests.
After that, she was going to sleep the day away. Until Killian got back.
And then they’d talk.
She hurried down the small path to the back of Monmouth. All the lights were out in the mansion. Not even Mrs. Spell was up this early.
That was good. She didn’t really want the woman to see the delivery truck for her cakes. She knew what the old woman would say. She’d say it was one thing for Lilliana to quietly sell her cakes for some extra cash, but it was quite another to have a truck pulling up to the back of the house for pickup. She would say it would mess up Monmouth’s reputation and ambiance.
She rubbed her eyes and dug the key out of her jeans pocket.
She opened the door just as the rumble of a truck pulled up behind her. She gave a quick wave and then stepped inside the kitchen. She left the back door open and turned on the lights. She looked at her cakes all lined up on every available space in the kitchen. They were sitting on the kitchen counter, stove, island, and even the kitchen table. She’d already boxed them up in the white cake boxes.
She hated looking at them like that. She knew what they were being used for, and she felt guilt consume her.
“You Lilliana?” a deep voice said behind her.
A chill ran up her spine, and she turned. “Yes.”
She froze.
“Hey, I know you.” The human with hard familiar eyes glared at her.
She recognized him too.
“I don’t think so.” Her words squeaked out.
“Yeah, I do.” He took a step closer and grabbed her arm. “You’re the girl from the warehouse. The one I shot.” He glared. “How’d you heal so fast from a gunshot?”
“She healed so fast because she’s a wolf.” Emmett Reece stepped inside the kitchen.
She jerked her head over to Emmett. Her eyes grew wide. “How did you…”
“Know you are a wolf? Because my clientele told me that werewolves have the extraordinary ability to heal fast. Faster than any human.”
The only humans who knew that werewolves existed were the ones in the government. They used them for the special forces in the different branches in the military.
Emmett Reece was just a civilian human.
“I know a lot more than you think, Lilliana.” Emmett glared at her. “I am disappointed that you got mixed up with all this. I was hoping to keep you under control and busy making your little cakes while I made the big money.”
She tried to jerk free from the large human. He tightened his hold, pulled out a gun, and aimed it at her head.
“I wouldn’t if I were you. Not this time. That bullet is silver. And we all know that a shot to the head with a silver bullet is lethal to your kind.”
“How could you? You had a good life with a respectable bakery.” She swallowed back the fear and lifted her chin in a sign of bravado.
He shook his head like she was a simpleton.
“I have a business that does okay. Do you know how much time and energy I’ve sunk into that bakery? Business was supposed to pick up, and I was supposed to be growing my income every year. But I can’t do that in this economy. I look around at all the other restaurants and businesses doing well and growing. And it fucking pisses me off. They don’t deserve the success and money they’ve gotten.” He shoved his glasses up on his rather large nose and glared. “So when I was approached by someone who wanted to use my bakery as a way to make and move drugs, I jumped on it. I am making ten times what I was making before. All I have to do is let their hired men make the drugs at my place while I put them in Ziploc bags and stick them in the middle of cakes. It’s brilliant actually. If the delivery truck ever gets stopped by the cops and searched, all they will see is the cakes.”
Nausea rolled in her stomach. “I can’t believe I was part of this.”
“Yes, and no one would have believed that you weren’t a willing participant if you had just kept your nose out of my business and focused on staying in the kitchen.”
She glared. “You had such a wonderful business. You’ve ruined it.”
“No, I haven’t. But you tried. You and that damn biker.”
Her eyes widened.
He smiled. “Yes, I know about him. You see, when you two broke into the warehouse and you got shot, I wanted a description of the couple. The girl sounded a lot like you, and well, they described the male as looking like a biker rock star. I remember seeing him at the bakery. I sold him one of your cakes by accident.”
Her blood ran cold, and she wrapped her arms around her chest. “The house is full of guests, I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to scream and alert them to what’s going on in here.”
“If you do, I’ll just have him kill everyone in the house.” Emmett shrugged. “That would make an interesting headline. Even kill old Mrs. Spell.”
“Fine. Just kill me.” Impending doom rushed through her. She was looking at her last day on earth.
Her mind flashed to Killian.
She would never see him again. Never hold him again. Never kiss him again.
“Kill you? Why would we kill you?” Emmett snorted. “I need you to keep making cakes so I can move my merchandise. But I can’t leave you here either. So you are just going to have to come with me.” He sneered.
“What about Mrs. Spell? She’ll call the cops if I don’t show up to cook breakfast today.” Her heart galloped in her chest.
“Not unless you leave her a note telling her you quit.”
“But I …”
“But what?” Emmett stepped forward and got into her face. “You don’t have a choice, Lilliana. You can either refuse to go, and I’ll kill you and everyone in this house. Or you can tell Mrs. Spell you quit, and come with me before anyone else gets hurt.”
She knew in her gut he wasn’t lying. He would have no reservations about taking a life no matter who it was.
“I’ll go with you,” she said quietly. She clasped her trembling hands in front of her. “I need to go wake up Mrs. Spell and tell her I’m quitting.”
“There’s no time for that.” Emmett walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed the magnetic notepad off the door. He pulled open drawers until he found a pen.
“Here.” He shoved them at her. “Make it quick.” He looked at the guy pointing the gun at her. “Make sure she doesn’t write a help me note. I’ll start loading the cakes.”
Blinking back the sharp tears, Lilliana pressed the pen to the paper and quickly scratched out her resi
gnation.
Chapter 36
Killian cringed as Mercedes took off her top and shoved her breasts in his face.
He really wasn’t into her, and she had to know it by his body language. But he was on a mission and didn’t want to blow his cover.
“Mercedes, getting a little too close to the clients.” A large man wearing a black T-shirt stood in the doorway. He glared at Killian as he addressed the topless stripper. Killian held his gaze.
“He asked for dessert.” Mercedes turned and started grinding her ass against Killian’s crotch.
“Coming up.” The man shot Killian one more look and then disappeared.
A few seconds later, another stripper with long, black hair and dark eyes appeared. She was wearing a bright-blue outfit that barely covered her breasts and ass. She was also carrying a tray with a slice of apple pie.
“Here ya go, baby. The best dessert money can buy.”
She set the tray down on the table. He noticed a small plastic bag of what appeared to be drugs poking out underneath the dessert plate.
“That will be ninety.” Mercedes slid off his lap and turned around to face him.
He looked at both strippers and reached for his wallet. He pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. “Keep the change.” He stood, swiped the drugs out, and stuck them in his pocket.
He stepped out of the room and looked around for Brutus.
He found the Were at the bar. He was trying to ignore two eager strippers wanting to give him a private lap dance.
He shook his head and walked over.
“Excuse us, ladies, but my friend and I need to be leaving.” He slapped Brutus on the shoulder.
“But we were just getting to know him.” The red-haired stripper pouted.
“Yeah. We hardly ever get cute guys like you two in here.” The blonde purred and rubbed her hand down Killian’s chest.
He grabbed her hand and gave her a smile. “Sorry. Duty calls, ladies.”
“Oh, cool. Are you two in the military?” The redheaded woman’s eyes widened in appreciation.
Killian grimaced and looked at Brutus. The Were was as stoic as ever.
“We love a man in uniform.’ The other stripper sighed.
“Yeah, well, we’re both already taken. Sorry, ladies.” Killian nodded at Brutus, and they both made their way over to the front door.
“Did you get it?” Brutus asked.
“Yeah. And now we know where they are distributing the drugs. Once we get back to Natchez, we’ll go back to the bakery and find out where the base of operations is. It has to be somewhere inside that building. We have to take it down from there to put it out for good.”
“And you’re sure Lilliana isn’t part of this?” Brutus asked as he stepped out the door. The early morning air was sharp and refreshing. It was a welcome change from the smoke-filled building they had just been in.
“I’m sure.” He slid onto his Harley Davison Breakout and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Let me check in with her before we leave.”
“Dude, you’re so pussy-whipped.” Brutus snorted and saddled his bike.
“Am not.” Killian growled and punched in her cell number.
He glanced at the time on his watch. It was early, but she was used to getting up so she could make her delivery before cooking breakfast for the guests at the house.
He frowned and hung up.
“What’s wrong?” Brutus grunted.
“She’s not answering.”
“She’s busy. Or maybe she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
He shook his head. “No, that’s not it.” He looked his friend in the eye. “Brutus, I have a very bad feeling.”
“Fuck. I hate your gut instincts.” He grimaced.
“But they are never wrong.” Killian stuffed the phone back in his pocket and started the engine.
They had to get back to Natchez fast.
Chapter 37
Lilliana stood in the back of the Natchez Bakery and glanced over at Emmett. He, along with the hired goon, had taken her back to the Natchez Bakery after they loaded all the cakes in the back of the van.
She felt bad about leaving Mrs. Spell a note without talking to her face to face. But it was probably better this way. She didn’t want the older woman getting hurt.
If she ever got out of this mess, she’d have to start all over somewhere else. And she could forget about paying her mom back.
“So what do you want from me? I already made the cakes for today.” She looked over at Emmett and tried to keep her hands from trembling
“You’ll still be working here. For me. Instead of twenty cakes a day, I think we can double that amount.” He sneered.
“I can’t make that many cakes in a day.” Her eyes went wide.
“Of course, you can. And you will. You see we know everything there is to know about you, Lilliana. We know that you have a mom who is still working, and she lives alone. Do you know how many dangers there are for women who are her age and live alone? Why, I can think of about twenty different ways that she might meet her death.” Evil shone through his eyes.
Terror shot through her veins.
She swallowed back her fear. “Tell me what you want me to do. Just don’t hurt my mother.”
“We need you to start baking.”
“Fine” She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out some butter.
“Not there. You’ll cook in the basement.” He pulled a key out of his pocket and held it out.
“I didn’t know this place had a basement.”
“I discovered it a few years ago. When I expanded my business, I made certain upgrades, shall we say.” He walked over to one of the cabinets and moved some large canisters around. He stuck the key in a small opening in the back.
Suddenly, the wood floor opened up revealing a set of stairs.
“Ladies first.” He smiled and waved her down.
She carefully made her way down the stairs into the darkness with Emmett following close behind. When she reached the bottom, Emmett flipped a switch on the wall, and the entire secret room lit up.
The area was big with an industrial-size kitchen. Pots and pans and mixers sat on the twenty-foot stainless-steel countertop. The floor was concrete, and the walls were cinderblock. Iridescent lights hung above on pendulous fixtures.
“It’s not as nice as the kitchen up there.” Emmett pointed to the ceiling. “But we’re not asking you to make cakes that taste good. We are asking you to make cakes that will hold their shape so we can transport the drugs.” He walked over to the far end of the darkened space. He flipped another switch.
The rest of the large room was bathed in lights. Another room, enclosed by a glass wall, had twelve people inside. All of them had large masks over their faces and were busy mixing up something like they were working in a lab.
None of them looked like they had had a bath in a month. One looked up and met Lilliana’s eyes. He grinned, revealing a set of yellowed teeth.
Emmett walked over to her and handed her a mask. “Put it on.”
She said nothing and complied. Once Emmett had his mask securely on his face, he walked over to the glass door of the wall and pressed some buttons.
The door swung open, and they both walked inside.
Despite the mask, Lilliana could still smell the rank odor of the workers, all red wolves, and the drug they were cooking. Crystal Meth.
“You will be working alongside these gentlemen here. I believe you are of the same race, am I correct?” Emmett’s voice dripped with contempt. “You will bake the cakes, and once they have the drugs ready, you will put them in the middle of the cake and then frost them.”
Nausea rolled over her.
“I don’t think I can keep up with it. It takes a long time to bake a Hummingbird Cake and…”
“Then cut out the stuff you don’t need in it.”
“What?” She looked over at him and frowned.
“I don’t need a Hummingbird Cake. I
need something that resembles a Hummingbird Cake, so if that means you slap together a cake from a box then you do that. And leave out the bananas and pineapple.”
She cut her eyes at him.
“Make it look nice. I don’t care what it tastes like.” He snorted and headed out of the glassed-in room. She quickly followed.
The door locked behind them, but the workers were still staring at her. They knew she was a wolf. And she knew they were dangerous.
“I don’t think I can work down here with them.” She lowered her voice.
“Why not?”
“Because they are dangerous. What if they break out of that glass room and come for me?” She looked up at Emmett.
“They can’t get out of that glass room. As long as you are doing your work and baking, they won’t even bother glancing your way.” He sneered.
She shook her head. Alarms were going off in her head. “You don’t understand. They are strong. They can break out of that glass…”
“Shut your mouth!” He yelled. “If you say one more word, I will cut your tongue out.”
She took a step back, shocked at his venom.
“A regular bullet wouldn’t kill you, not even if I put one through your pretty little head. But a silver bullet would kill your kind.” He cocked his head. “Tell me, if I did cut your tongue out, would it grow back?”
“I don’t want to find out.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “See, Lilliana, I knew you were a smart girl. Now I will leave you alone so you can start your work. And once I close this secret door, no one will hear what goes on down here. So don’t even think about screaming. All you’ll do is get those boys in that glass room all riled up. And we don’t want that, do we?”
“No.” She broke out in a cold sweat across her body. Even if Killian did come looking for her, he would never know she was down here.
She watched Emmett climb the stairs. When he shut the secret door behind her, she felt confusion and terror well up inside her.
She was alone. With no hope of ever leaving.
Chapter 38
