Argus: Accepting the Challenge (15 page)

“Here, baby girl.  I had Sierra run into town and grab a few things yesterday.”  Jacob said and set down the clothes.  She sat up and pulled them to her.  Holy shit, these were designer clothes.  She had only worn Wal-Mart brand her whole life.  These clothes were soft and she snickered when she saw the matching bra and panties that lay there.  They were lacy and sexy.  “Okay, maybe I asked for a few specific things.”  Jacob grinned and bent down and kissed her.  “We gottta move, there are people waiting downstairs already.”

Skye nodded and gathered the clothes in front of her and slid out of bed.  She ran for the bathroom and heard her men laughing behind her at her shyness.  Oh, they would pay for that later she thought and closed the door.  She quickly took a shower and did her hair.  When she slid into the clothes, she felt pretty.  Sierra had great taste.  The clothes fit her like a dream.  She reminded herself she needed to thank Sierra personally for getting her these things.  Skye would never have picked them out for herself, they made a statement. 

The colors were bold; a deep blue shirt that shimmered a little when she turned and fitted black pants that actually looked good on her.  She felt like royalty when she stepped out of the bathroom and smiled when Argus and Jacob turned to look at her.

They were both dressed in slacks and nice shirts.  They were so hot; she thought and felt her pussy contract a little.  She needed to stop thinking about them before they missed breakfast all together.

“Ready?”  Argus asked and she smiled and nodded.

When they reached the door, the phone rang.  Jacob ran back to answer it.  Argus continued with her until they reached the outer door and they heard Jacob call to Argus.

“Shit, go ahead sweetie.  Ari should be at the bottom of the stairs, go, and wait with him while I take this.  It will only be a second.”  Argus said and she nodded and smiled.

She walked out of the room and ran her hands down her pants to make sure she looked okay.  Sky stepped down the stairs and continued until she reached the bottom.  Ari was not there, he must have been waiting in the dining room.  Skye felt a little weird about walking in there by herself, so she went to wait in the small office.  She would be able to see when Argus and Jacob came down the steps.

She looked out the window and saw a catering truck, wow, they pulled out all the stops for this one, she thought for a second before she felt the prick in her neck and turned.  The last thing she saw was Bob looking at her grimly with a wild look in his eyes.

Chapter 12

Argus answered the extension when Jacob motioned for his to do so.  “Hello?”

“Hey Argus, this is Ryan,” a voice said and Argus grinned.  His old friend was probably calling to bitch about the present he had sent him a few weeks ago.  The second place trophy he had sent him was probably a little over the line.

“Ryan, good to hear from you.  Would it be possible to call you back later?  Jacob and I have found our mate and we are introducing her to the parents this morning.”  Argus said and winked at Jacob.

“Your mate?  Does she by any chance have long brown hair, and pretty eyes?”  He asked.

Argus growled into the phone and said.  “Why?” 

“Who boy, sorry.  Blaine had a vision.  We think it was about your mate, but we need to know if you are one of the Chosen first.”  Ryan said into the phone.

Argus sighed and looked at Jacob who grinned.  He had been caught.  Argus was still trying to figure out how he was going to tell them that he knew he was one of the Chosen this whole time and had not come forward.  Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag.

“Yep.”  He said shortly.  There was no time for more discussion if his mate was in trouble. 

Ryan laughed into the phone and said.  “That discussion will hold for later.  For now, Blaine saw your mate tied to a bed and beaten.  He could not tell where or when, just that it happened.  We are sending you reinforcements.  Devon, Darien, Teagan, and Levi.  They will be there in a few hours.  Until then, keep your mate close.” 

Argus nodded and looked at Jacob who hung up the phone and walked quickly to the door.  They had to find her now.  The urge to shift was coming over him.  His mate was in danger and he knew who it was from.

“Thanks for the heads up.  I will have someone meet them at the airport.  Text me their info.  Once they are here and we are secure I will call, and talk to you about what our plans are.”  Argus said and he heard Ryan chuckle.

“Sure, welcome to the mad house.”  Ryan said and hung up.

Argus looked at the phone and smiled.  He was glad that his friend was in Milliken.  It would make it easier to talk to the rest of the Council.  Argus was not known for his diplomacy.

Just as he reached the door, he heard Jacob begin shouting.  “Skye?  Ari, Warren where the fuck is our mate?”

Argus felt a cold shiver flood through him.  She had been taken.  They were too late.  Damnit.  How had he gotten in the compound, Argus thought and ran down the stairs.  By the time he reached the landing Warriors and family alike were in the foyer demanding to know what was going on.

Argus let out a roar that stopped all of the conversations and looked at Jacob who was pale and looked like he was seconds from shifting.  He was trying to hold his animal in just the same as Argus was.

“Where is she?”  Argus said quietly.

“She was in the front office.  I can smell a human also and blood, Skye’s blood.”  Jacob said and looked at Ari.  “Who were the humans in the compound?”

“Caterers.  We have used them for years.  Sierra arranged it with your mothers.”  Ari said and looked to where the three women were standing looking horrified.

“Oh my Gods.  I am so sorry.  They checked out, they always check out.”  Sierra whispered and began to sob.

Seila stepped forward and said.  “Information is on the table and the rest of the catering staff is on the patio.  Go.” 

Argus and Jacob nodded and walked to the back of the house.  Someone would tell them how Bob had gotten in this house, or they would rip apart everyone who stood in their way.

***

Skye groaned and tried to roll over.  What the heck was going on?  She couldn’t move.  She felt her arms over her head, her legs tied together, and she frowned.  Don’t panic.  What was the last thing she remembered?

Okay, so she met two guys who were not from a cult but were lion shifters and they had bitten her on the neck and claimed her for their own.  They lived in a huge mansion and promised to take care of her for the rest of her life.  Wait, was that a dream or real.  She frowned trying to focus a little more.  Nope, it was real; she was supposed to meet their parents.

Oh, shit.  Bob.  She remembered feeling something on her neck and turning and seeing him.  How had he found her and gotten into the gated community?  Skye tried to open her eyes but she discovered that they were covered by something.  She listened intently but she was sure she was alone.  That was good.  At least she had a chance to get out of here without getting hurt.  She just had to think.

She pulled on her arms and felt the rope bite into her skin.  She grimaced but continued to twist and turn them hoping that Bob was not good at tying things up.  She had never let him do that to her thank goodness.  She felt the rope tearing at her skin but she refused to give up.  She needed to get her hands free before he got back. 

Skye heard herself sob a little as she pulled and jerked.  She felt the blood slicken the ropes and so she could turn her hands a little more, but it hurt.  It hurt so badly.  She pushed the pain aside and continued to work.  It seemed like it took hours but she finally was able to loosen the rope.  It was probably because of all the blood that allowed the first hand and then the other to slide out from the ropes.

Shit, they hurt; she thought and pulled the scarf that Bob had tied around her head.  She blinked at the light.  How long had she been here, she thought and sat up.  Her wrists looked a little like hamburger, but she ignored them and untied her feet.  She needed to move.  Later she could take care of her wrists.

Skye stumbled to the ground when she tried to stand up.  She must have been there for a while because her body felt like it had been through the ringer.  She pushed herself upright and looked around.  It was a small room with one small window in the corner.  No way was she fitting through that.  It left the door.  Skye waked to the door and tried to turn the handle softly.  It was locked.  Of course, it was locked.  Nothing could be easy.

She tugged a little, trying to be quite, just in case Bob was in the other room.  She was sure that he wasn’t, the air was dead around her.  She felt alone.  The door did not budge, who would have thought in this shit hole, the best thing would be the door.

Skye looked around for something to break the door knob with; she knew if she broke it, the door would open.  At least that was what the asshole had done when she locked him out of their bedroom one time.

Nothing, he had left nothing in the room.  Only the bed and mattress.  No table, no chairs.  He knew she was going to fight.  She heard a lock turn in the other room.  She had run out of time. 

Skye bit back a sob and then stepped away from the door.  “Skye?”  She heard Bob call out in a weird happy tone.  “I am home.  And I know you are awake.  Just give me a few minutes to get ready bitch, and then I am going to show you what happens when you think you can leave me.”

She looked around wildly and tried to find something she could use to defend herself.  There had to be something.  Skye dropped to the floor and looked under the bed; surely, he had not gotten his butt down here to look.  He was too lazy, but there was nothing there.  Shit.

There was a small door in the corner of the room, like where an old storage area used to be.  She scrambled on her hands and knees to the little latch and she pulled.  The blood on her hands made it slippery but after several try’s she finally got it open.  Skye stopped and listened for a moment.  She could hear Bob laughing and talking to himself in the other room.  She did not have time to look.  She saw the door knob turn and she shut the door quickly; hopefully she would be alive to check it later.

Chapter 13

“He has her.”  Argus said grimly to Devon when he arrived to the compound.

“I know.  Ari told me.  This is Teagan, Levi, and Darien; they are the best Enforcers we have, as well as being part of the New Council.  So where are we at with finding her?”  Devon asked.

“No where, she has been gone for ten hours and we are no closer to finding her than we were when she went missing.  None of the caterers knew who we were talking about; he must have slipped in with their cars though.  One of my Pride mates remembers seeing a strange acting man, but he did not see him later.”  Argus said.

Jacob stepped forward.  “We called her old boss and the place she lived and nothing.  Ronnie, her boss, said that Bob had been there all day waiting for Sky until he had suddenly gotten up and walked out.  We figure he must have seen us leave.  He followed us and we led the little fucker right to us.  He has no money that we can figure; he borrowed his way across the country.  So we are looking at empty houses close to here.”

Devon nodded and said.  “Do you have her scent?  Levi is a tracker.”

Argus nodded and pulled out the shirt she had worn the first day she had come here.  It was torn but he didn’t care.  Levi took it from his hand and took a deep breath.  Argus and Jacob both growled a little.  It drove them nuts thinking of another man sniffing her.  But it was for her, they needed to remember that.  Levi handed the shirt back to him and nodded.  “I need a bike.”

Jacob grinned and said.  “Come this way.”

Argus let the two men leave to go to the garage.  They both had Harleys that they took out on nice days.  Argus thought about his mate for a second and thought they had never asked her if she liked to ride.  He hoped they would get the chance.

Darien stepped up and said.  “Where are your Warriors?”

“Warren and Cedric are in the security room, looking at maps.  They have sent the rest out looking already.”  Argus said and pointed to the door at the top of the stairs.

Darien nodded and walked up the stairs.  Teagan smiled and said.  “Do you have a doctor?”

“No, but we have a medical room for when we have to call one in.  It’s behind the kitchen, Sierra can show you.”  Argus said and pointed to the woman who was hovering in the background.

Devon put his hand on Argus’s shoulder and said quietly.  “We will find her.”

Argus just nodded and said.  “Ari, you are with Devon and me.  We’ll take the truck.  Warren will call and guide us to the locations as he finds them.”

The three men went to the door just as two motorcycles drove by.  Jacob waved and followed the other man who was on his bike.  He hoped that they would be able to find her soon.

***

Skye lay on her side, trying to not cry from the pain that she was feeling.  Bob had come in and been in a rage.  Thank goodness, he had only beaten her.  Although he said later, he was going to break her.  Skye laughed a little and grimaced when she spit up blood.  The bastard had tied her up again, but only her wrists.  And the dumbass had just slipped them on thinking that she was too beaten.  Skye pulled her arms out again and slid to the floor.