A to Zane (14 page)

Eric’s voice was always there, whispering she wasn’t good enough. She’d just accepted the doubts without questioning them, or herself.

A bike came roaring back into the yard, and for a second, she thought Zane had come back until she realized there were two riders.

Ziva jumped off the back before the bike had come to a stop. She took her helmet off and threw it before coming to stand nose to nose with Abby.

“Where is he?” Ziva demanded.

“What?”

“Where is my brother? We found his bike out on some hick country back road. I know you had something to do with this, bitch. Now where the hell is my brother?”

The wolves and Laney came out, Abby assumed to see what the noise was about.

“Is there a problem?” Laney asked, her voice full of alpha warning. Abby spotted Karina jogging back from the garage where she guessed she’d gone to get away from Duke.

“Zane is missing.” Ziggy came to join them.

Abby's body went cold. Zane was gone. What was she going to do?

“Missing or taken?” Abby asked, her voice sounding distant even to her own ears.

“Taken. His bike was abandoned, and there were tire tracks from a car,” Ziggy explained.

“Laney.” Abby turned to her cousin.

“What do you need, Abs?”

“My team.”

Laney nodded and started making calls, locating everyone and calling them in.

“You had nothing to do with this?” Ziva asked doubtfully.

Abby turned angry eyes on Zane’s little sister.

“Stay out of my way; I’d hate to have to explain to Zane when we get him back that I was forced to bitch slap his baby sister.”

Ziva’s eyebrow rose, but the anger directed at Abby faded slightly from her eyes.

Abby’s phone rang. The name on the screen was Zane’s.

Abby snapped her fingers at Karina. “Have Nico trace this.”

Karina nodded and pulled out her own phone.

“Zane?” Abby answered the call.

“Abby, hang up.” Zane yelled through the phone.

“I wouldn’t do that, well, not if you want to see your boyfriend alive again.” Another voice dripped slime down the line.

Abby took the phone away from her ear and put it on speaker so the others could hear. She’d learned shifters’ hearing was far better than hers. Perhaps they’d pick up something she couldn’t.

“Boyfriend? What are you, a teenager?” Abby scoffed. “You have the man I have sex with, nothing more.”

“Ohh, spunky isn’t she, Anderson? I can see why you like her so much.”

Abby looked over at Karina who was twirling her finger in the universal sign to keep going.

“He doesn’t like me. That’s why he stormed off like a little girl in a huff.”

“I’m really liking this girl.”

“Abby, stop it,” Zane warned.

“Oh sorry, kitty. The adults are talking now. Why don’t you be a good boy and
shh
, okay?”

The shifters around her looked at her with wide eyes. She could see the confusion and wariness in their eyes. All except for Karina. She’d worked with Abby for long enough to know it’d take more than a creepy voice at the end of a phone line to have her running to hide.

The other man laughed. “You know, I can’t wait to meet you. We are going to have so much fun.”

“Oh, the fun will be all mine. I don’t even know your name.”

“Dear me, in all the fun I forgot. Stevenson Ally, hired gun, and the man whose life you’ve been making very uncomfortable of late. You just keep closing down my operations, and I can’t have that.”

Abby met Laney’s gaze. “So you’re the man who sent a serial rapist to attack me?” Fury shone in Laney’s eyes before a shutter came down. She spun on her heel and headed back into the house. Abby’s team was good, but they didn’t know the area. Laney’s pack was their best bet for getting to Zane as quickly as possible.

People got naked all around her, and for a second Abby’s embarrassment got the better of her, and she stared at her toes. Duke came to stand in front of her, shielding her.

Thank you.

Duke winked and gave her a smile.

“That’d be me.”

“So you took the tiger to catch me?”

Karina held her thumb up, letting her know Nico had pinpointed Stevenson’s location. Karina bent and showed her phone to wolf Heath. A sharp nod of his large head, and he started to run. The pack and two tigers followed close behind him.

“I want you.”

Abby nearly threw up at that. “You can’t have me.”

“No? Then I’ll just have to pass the time playing with your man.”

Zane yelled as Stevenson did something to him.

“Did that change your mind?”

Abby took a deep breath, calming her nerves. She had to get Zane back. She needed him to be safe and sound.

“How about a trade? Zane for me?”

“Anderson and I have unfinished business.”

“Yeah, but can you have the same fun torturing him as you can with me? Well, unless you are more into guys than girls?”

A low growl was her answer.

“Is that why you took Zane first? ’Cause you wanted a little alone time with him?”

“Keep talking, girl, and when I get my hands on you, I’ll teach you some manners.”

“Promises, promises. Do you want to trade, or are you all talk and no action?”

There was silence on the line, and Abby wondered if she hadn’t pushed hard enough.

“Fine. You bring your ass to me, and I’ll let Anderson go. Let me give you my location.”

“No need. I already know where you are.”

“Wha—”

Abby hung up before he could say anything more.

“Are you sure about this, Abby doll?” Duke asked.

“Not really, but then again, I never am.” She smiled.

Laney came barreling around the corner in her truck. Abby ran down the stairs and jumped into the cab.

“We’ll follow.” Duke grabbed Karina’s arm and headed toward his own vehicle.

Laney drove fast; her own mate was ahead. Abby didn’t doubt she wanted to get to Heath as soon as possible.

Abby couldn’t blame her. She wanted nothing more than to get to Zane.

“You know Karina was crying when Duke brought her back from your little adventure.”

“She was crying when they left me.”

“He loves her, you know.”

“Yeah well, the men in our family don’t seem to handle that very well.”

“It’s not just the men.”

Abby ignored Laney as they sped down the road. Whatever Laney might think, she wasn’t in love. How could she be when she didn’t even really know Zane?

The truck skidded to a stop down the road from where Zane was being held.

“Stay here,” Abby ordered as she got out of the truck.

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, Laney.”

“Abby, I won’t let you go in there alone.”

Abby smiled. “I never said I’d be alone.” A shifted Karina ran up to them and waited.

Laney nodded and drove off again. When the truck was gone, Abby took the small bag from Karina’s mouth and sent the fox off to the woods. She didn’t want her or anyone else near when she went into the house.

Out of the bag she took an earbud, so she could hear her team, and they could hear her.

“Testing one two.”

“Reading you loud and clear, boss lady.”

“Nico, is Rina back with you?”

“Yep, although that full human who brought her in is not looking happy.”

“That’s my cousin; don’t let her kill him.”

“Got it.”

Abby headed up the road toward the house.

It was old and unused. She had a vague memory of a family living here once, but that had been years ago. It’d been empty since.

“Made it, I see.” Stevenson came out of the front door as she arrived.

“I told you I knew where you were.” Abby smiled as she climbed the stairs.

“I’m surprised you got here so quick with all the extra weight you’re carrying.”

Abby didn’t let the smile slip, but now she’d started a tally. She’d hurt him once for every hurt he gave her. Taking Zane, one. Hurting him and making him scream when they’d been on the phone, two. For the fat joke, three.

“We trading or what?”

“Come on in. Let’s do this like grown-ups, shall we?” Stevenson stepped aside to let her by.

“You want me to walk in there? I didn’t think I had ‘dumbass’ written on my forehead.” Abby leaned back against the bannister. “Really, people have to stop trying to get me into dark, unknown places. Eric tried the same thing, and it didn’t work then either.”

“We are entering the back.”

The voice in her ear crackled.

“Smart lady, but then again, I didn’t think you’d be stupid. No matter what Culdwick said, you couldn’t be a dumb bitch when you kept getting in the way of my jobs.”

“Eric wasn’t ever really that smart.” Abby shrugged.

“I can see. If I had you under my heel, I wouldn’t let you go. Watching you squirm, scream…hmm…that would be tasty.”

“I see the package. Item is not moving. Repeat, there is no movement from Anderson.”

Abby kept her face blank, but she was hanging on every word echoing through the earbud.

“Are you a shifter?” Abby asked.

“I’m a lion, king of the beasts.” Stevenson preened.

Abby barely stopped the desire to roll her eyes at him. “Cool, my cousin is mated to a shifter. Do lions mate?”

“No, we just fuck.”

“Bit like tigers then.”

“We have a pulse, the package is alive.”

“You like pussy cats, I see.”

“And you just like pussy.”

Stevenson laughed. “Oh that I do.”

“He’s awake, Anderson is awake. Shit, he’s shifted.”

“I can’t wait to get into your tight pussy. Watch as you try to fight me off.”

Stevenson stepped closer to her. He licked her lips, and Abby shuddered.

“Short, he’s heading your way.”

The warning came too late. Someone in tiger form came bounding out of the open window, taking Stevenson up and over the bannister. Stevenson shifted as he fell.

As they landed, they were on each other immediately, both in animal form.

The fight was vicious. Fur literally flew as their claws and teeth dug into each other.

“Is that Zane?” she demanded as her team came running out.

“Yeah, are you okay?”

Abby nodded, watching the fight. She’d had enough and wasn’t going to stand around and watch it anymore. She turned and took a gun from a holster on one of her team members and headed down the stairs.

No one tried to stop her. They knew better.

Abby watched as the animals rolled and waited. It nearly killed her, but she had to make sure she got Stevenson.

The lion twisted trying to pin the tiger. Abby raised the gun and took aim. Two quick pops, and it was all over. The lion, shot through the head, lay dead on the ground.

The gun was taken out of her hands as reaction started to set in. She’d done some horrible things in her time, made deals with people who made her skin crawl, but she’d never killed.

For a minute nothing happened, and then all hell broke loose. The last of Stevenson’s people came running out. But they were dealt with quickly between her team, Zane’s family, and the pack.

When Abby’s legs gave out, she was surprised when large arms caught her.

“I’ve got you.” Zane spoke as he carried her away tucked close to his body, one arm under her knees and the other behind her shoulders.

Abby didn’t fight. She settled her head against his neck and let him take her wherever he wanted. If he chose to kill her, she didn’t think she’d stop him.

When they were far enough away from the group, Zane put her down. He took her face in his hands as she stood in front of him.

“Are you okay?”

“I just killed a man.” Her body was shaking, and she couldn’t stop it.

“No you didn’t. You killed a lion. You did it to save me.”

“I put two bullets in his head.”

“He was going for my throat.”

“Maybe I could’ve just wounded him.” The panic was setting in. Abby felt as if she was outside of her body, watching herself freak out.

“He would’ve killed me. You couldn’t risk that, baby. You did what you had to, to keep me safe.”

Abby looked up at Zane; the concern was etched into the lines on his face. The blood on his body made her want to scream, not from fear of it, but from the pain he must have felt, was still feeling.

“You’re naked.”

Zane laughed. “Yes, I am.”

“We need to get you some clothes on. If the others see you, they’ll steal you away from me.” Abby started to look around for something to cover him with.

“Hey, hey, I’m not going anywhere.”

“But I said horrible things, and now you’ll leave, and I nearly got you killed, and when Clara and Laney see you naked, they’ll kidnap you and do sex acts on you, and you won’t argue because they’re hot, and I’m just the crazy girl who shoots lions in the head.”

“Baby, take a breath for me.” He shook her shoulders, trying to focus her.

“I can’t—can’t breathe.” The panic attack took hold. She tried to catch her breath, but she couldn’t.

“Calm down, Abby. I need you to breathe.”

“I got this.” Abby was aware of Karina walking up to her a second before a cloth was put over her mouth. The smell of chloroform registered just as Abby fell unconscious.

When Abby woke up this time, her head was clear, and her heartbeat was steady. The image of Stevenson’s body, even in lion form, was burned into her brain, but Zane was right. It was a choice between the two men, and Abby would do the same again.

A strong arm was wrapped around her waist, and heat at her back told her Zane was in bed with her.

“Finally woke up, I see.”

“Invited yourself into my bed again, I see.”

Zane pulled on her waist, turning her, so she twisted, landing on his chest.

“Our bed,” he insisted.

Abby put her hands on his chest and pushed up. “Your wounds.”

“Are all healed. Perks of being a shifter, baby.”

“I’m sorry I put you in danger.” Abby played with the hair on his chest. She couldn’t meet his eyes.

“You didn’t. Stevenson and I have…had history.”

“You knew him?”