Broken Wolf: Moonbound Series, Book Seven (13 page)

It was probably time to move.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and flicked at the screen.
11:14 pm.
Vadik stowed his cell. “It’s time.” He swung his legs off the bed and went straight to the suitcase.

In the pocket underneath the carefully-selected wardrobe, he found the clothes he’d packed there and threw Andrea hers as well.

Two sets of black polyblend gear. Breathable, stretchable, limber, and quiet.

Vadik pulled off the over-priced suit coat and began undressing. “If you wait here, I’ll go and set the first charge outside Rossi’s room.” He unbuckled the belt and took off the pants.

“We don’t have time for that.” A tiny light illuminated part of her face, and he could just make out her phone in her hand. “It’s later than we thought. The Rangers are supposed to come on the island at midnight and once we set the second charge, it’ll still be thirty minutes.”

He pulled on the light pants and glared into the dark where she’d be standing. “Dammit, Andrea. We’re not splitting up.”

“We have to split up. There isn’t time.” She crossed to him and when she finally got close, he could just hear the smooth fabric of their pants rubbing against each other as she pressed her body to his. “You have to trust me.”

Vadik’s insides roiled at that sentence. It wasn’t trust that was the problem. He had no doubt that wolves were stronger or faster, and he had no questions about her ability to get to the power station.

What is wrong, then?

He slipped the shirt over his head and the familiar warmth of his own clothes settled the electricity that had been buzzing over his skin. “I trust you just fine.” Vadik took her by the shoulders and the electricity was back, coursing through his body. “I just like being able to see you, know where you are. I don’t want to leave you and… and not know.”

Memory caught his breath and he tried to inhale, but couldn’t. Memories of coming home to find his home destroyed. The only home he’d known. Memories of being caught in a fire fight with Luther, and feeling his life slipping away from him. He couldn’t let this mission get out of his control.

She took a deep breath and began to whisper some foreign words he didn’t understand. A current wrapped around him as she continued to say them, and his body lit up with invisible fire.

He could suddenly
feel
her, but not with his skin or his intuition. It was like having another body attached to his, and calming happiness enveloped him like a cocoon.

“Now, you’ll be able to feel me and find me forever.” Andrea pressed her lips to his, and he could feel the warmth of her emotion in her body, mingling with the overwhelming flood of his own.

It was like living in another dimension.

Vadik pulled back. “What did you do to me?”

“I bonded us together.” She traced a finger around his wrist. He couldn’t see anything, but he imagined the green, lacey tattoos that graced Luther’s wrists were now on his as well.

“You bonded us?”

“Yes. Now that we don’t have to
pass
for Ilya and Sasha, and we’re headed off this island, and you want to know where I am and know what happens to me, I thought it was time.” Andrea slid a hand down his cheek. “This way, when we split up, you’ll be able to know where I am. All you have to do is think of me, and you’ll be able to find me. Anytime.”

An uneasy feeling slithered through him and he grabbed her hand. “I don’t like this, Andrea. I don’t want to split up.”

I have a bad feeling about this
. But he couldn’t say that out loud. He couldn’t make that real.

“Just trust me, and trust the bond. You set the small charge at Rossi’s room, so we can take out the main computer system, and I’ll take the bigger charge down, through the kitchen, out the door Maggie told us about, and into the back of the island. Once I’m outside, I think I know where to go. You meet me there.”

He was about to shake his head when her hand retreated and he heard the case click open. The light blue light of her phone illuminated the contents and Andrea pulled the small charge out, placed it in his hands, and shut the case.

“How about you wait for me at the back door?” Vadik grabbed her hand and pulled her in to his body. “I can’t lose you. And I can’t
not
be there if something happens to you. I wouldn’t…”

Her finger slipped to his lips and hushed him. Then she replaced it with her lips and kissed him, teasing her tongue into his mouth. He gripped her with his free hand and tasted all of her. He couldn’t let her go.

Before he’d had enough, she slipped out of his arms and he heard the room door creak open. Vadik’s heart thundered and she turned back to him.

“Don’t forget to keep your heartbeat calm.” Andrea opened the door wide and stepped into the hall. “I’ll meet you at the station, and we’ll head to the beach.”

He reached for her hand, but she was gone before he could touch her one more time. With each step down the hall, he continued to reach out with his new bond, and try to reassure himself that she was really there, and safe.

He just needed to place the charge outside of Rossi’s door and set it to activate when the second one was active. He’d set a hundred of these kinds of charges before. It should be a piece of cake.

If only he could shake the fear that something was going to happen to Andrea.

Dammit, he wanted off this fucking island. Fast.

A
ndrea took
a deep breath and slipped down the first hallway toward the staircase. Each step away from Vadik was excruciating. She wanted to stay with him too, but there wasn’t enough time to set the charges together.

She had to get out of this place and haul ass across the island to reach the other power station in time. The charges had to be set before the Rangers arrived. It was all for nothing, if they didn’t complete their mission.

No guards in sight yet. A few stray heartbeats thumped from different parts of the house, but they were slower than average, meaning their owners were sleeping or close to falling asleep.

She slowed her pace as she came to the edge of the large central staircase. Nothing. The gentle roll of the ocean in the distance filled the space through the wide open roof.

The hum of electricity from the generator they were about to blow to kingdom come was a dull sound only a wolf could hear. Nothing else. The lights were all dim in the house. The only illumination came from the moon shining down through the open courtyard in the center of the villa.

Clutching the case tight to her chest, Andrea lunged forward, taking the steps quickly and quietly. Once at the bottom, she hurried for the shadows along the edge of the open space.

Vadik’s concern tugged at her heart and she pushed back calm assurances that she was fine. He was fine. They were both fine. They could do this. Adrian didn’t suspect anything.

She slipped out a side door and crossed an open garden area with a small pool in the center. Her breath caught for a moment and she paused at the side of the water. Iron rings were bolted into the concrete around the edge. In fact, there were rings everywhere. On the furniture. On the ground. On almost every post she’d passed.

A wave of worry slammed into her from Vadik.
Dammit.
This connection was going to take some getting used to. He’d felt her anxiety. She pushed peaceful thoughts across their bond again. They both needed to focus on the task at hand. She still had a half-mile of island to cross.

Slinking from shadow to shadow, she crossed the rest of the garden and headed for the path Maggie had told them about. Sure enough, a few yards from the east patio, she found the start of a sandy footpath that would take her to the secondary power station.

Pain shot through the back of her skull and she fell to her knees, dropping the case.

Vadik.

She shook it off. Even though she could feel his pain, she wasn’t injured. Andrea looked over her shoulder and stared at the house. Lights were popping on across the entire top floor.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

The overwhelming urge to run back to him fought with the knowledge she had to keep going. She grabbed the case and took a step toward the villa, but stopped. Andrea couldn’t. Everything would be lost if she didn’t set her charge. What if he’d set his and she didn’t get to her power station?

The Rangers would be here soon.

She turned away and ran at full speed. She should reach the station in minutes. Andrea could get there before guards could be called…unless there were guards already there.

Air whooshed from her chest and she doubled over, gasping for breath. Someone was hitting Vadik.
Hard.

She sucked in oxygen and started running again.
Keep going. You have to keep going.

Each step was a struggle. She plodded along the sandy pathway. The power station was ahead of her in the distance.

Andrea could hear the same hum that had been present in the house. She could see a chain link fence and a few softly glowing lights. A few more minutes, and she’d be there.

The side of her face burned like fire and a whimper slipped from her lips. She flexed her fingers around the handle of the silver case and pushed forward.

Most of her body ached now and her head was swimming. Andrea squinted through her double vision and forced herself to put one foot in front of another.

Vadik wasn’t afraid, and that was all that kept her going. His anger fed her determination.

She just had to keep her fear to herself. She couldn’t let him feel her terror. He needed to fight them with everything he had.

V
adik’s head
spun with a crack when the guard hit him again. He tried to get a bearing on where he was, and who was with him.

The lights had been turned on, but there was so much pain and confusion swirling around inside him, he wasn’t sure which way was up.

He crawled across the rock floor and a leather shoe came down in front of his vision.

Rossi
.

“Pick him up, Damon.” The man’s voice slithered through Vadik’s head. “I dislike having to bend over to beat him.”

“Yes, sir.” The voice that answered was surprisingly young. Couldn’t have been much more than a boy.

Two sets of hands went around Vadik’s arms, pulling him to his feet to stand in front of the white-coated madman.

He wore the same suit he’d had on in the courtyard, and the same smirk. “Well, Mr.
Petrov
.” The asshole stuck one hand in his large pocket and shifted his weight to one side. “This is quite a surprise.”

“I imagine it would be.” Vadik attempted a smile, but his head throbbed the more he moved his lips.

From somewhere outside himself, a burst of emotion pushed away some of the pain.
Andrea
.

His gaze shifted from Rossi to each one of the boys holding him. They weren’t the same ones who’d escorted them from the jeep. And they weren’t the same ones who had met the car. So, there were at least six of them. Maybe more.

Vadik was no match for seven wolves. But if he could stall these ones, Andrea might have a chance to get to the power center. She still had her charge.

“Who are you, then?” The old man raised one eyebrow.

“Waiyev Polisk.” Vadik gave one of this cover names. He couldn’t remember if he’d packed that set of credentials or not. At least he didn’t have his own, and Andrea didn’t have hers. If they were killed, they wouldn’t be revealed.

“I guarantee that’s a lie.” Rossi nodded at the boy on Vadik’s right.

The young man turned and pummeled his stomach so hard, he doubled over and sagged against his handler.

“You want to try again?” Adrian asked.

“I told you. My name is Waiyev Polisk.” Vadik held his breath as the kid punched him again. Harder, this time. It left a gash of fire across the side of his face that burned so deep, Vadik was sure they’d broken the skin again.

Another wave of comfort came sailing toward him, from outside his body, and a smile curled across his lips. Andrea was trying so hard to comfort him, even as he was being beaten bloody.

He just had to give her the time she needed.

“Well, your name is of little consequence. You’re obviously not Ilya Petrov, so I assume Mr. Petrov is dead somewhere.” Adrian pulled his hand from his pocket and pointed to the hallway. “Go get his companion. I want her to see this.”

Vadik looked around the big room for the first time and saw the hallway stretching out before the open door. This must be Rossi’s room. His chest tightened. The charge he’d been setting lay just inside the door, fully intact.

The red light on the top of the charge blinked in a slow rhythm.

It was armed.

If Andrea set her charge, the timer would begin, and the light would turn green. He had to give her time.

Rossi turned back to him. “Now. I’m not certain why you would kill a Russian billionaire in order to get on my island, but I can only assume it has something to do with Luther Frost and my… daughter.” His gaze traveled over Vadik’s face, undoubtedly looking for signs of recognition. “You have my daughter, then?” Adrian narrowed his eyes. “Citlani, her mother called her.” He glanced between the boys that flanked Vadik. “Not to mind. I’ll find Luther in due time, and he’ll suffer the same fate as his predecessors. And as for Citlani… she will live her life knowing I’m coming for her. Until I find her and drag her back here, to her home.”

Vadik ground his teeth to keep from answering back. He couldn’t give the asshole any ammunition to use against him. The man was watching him too closely. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

Rossi’s laugh was hollow and low. “Boys, why don’t you show our mystery guest how we treat intruders on this island.”

The young men dragged him across the room to the far wall. Two sets of chains hung from the ceiling, and Rossi disappeared into one of the near closets.

The guards tore Vadik’s shirt and pulled the remains from his body. The air in the bedroom was cold and nipped at his skin.

One of the boys clapped his hand in to shackles, but Adrian yelled for them to stop. He crossed from the closet and grabbed Vadik’s free hand. He held it up to the light, examining the new, intricate tattoos Vadik hadn’t even seen yet. They were thick and doubled on each other, like knotwork.

“These. They weren’t here when you arrived. I would’ve seen them.” Rossi pinned him with a hard glare. “Did you bond with that wolf? Since you came onto the island?”

A third guard ran in to the room. “Papa. She’s not in the room,” he shouted.

Rossi’s gaze turned murderous and he glanced from the guard to Vadik, then back. “I told you not to call me that,” he barked.

The young man dropped his gaze. “I’m sorry. I only meant to tell you, the wolf isn’t in their room.”

Rossi gripped Vadik’s wrist so hard things began to pop, and pain shot through his arm. “You,” he hissed. “You bonded with her, didn’t you?”

Vadik held the old man’s stare and tried not to think about Andrea. But his anxiety grew so quickly he couldn’t control it, and soon, his heart was racing as he watched the boy from the hall follow the old man’s shouted command to go after her.

With blazing eyes, Rossi dropped his arm and began unbuttoning his white coat. “I’m going to enjoy this, because with every piece of flesh I tear open, I know she’s going to feel it as well.”

Vadik struggled against the bonds as the boy clicked on the second shackle. His arms burned from the exertion, and his wrists chafed at the cuffs, but he continued to move against the tension of the chains. “You’ll never find her,” he spat. He pushed anxiety hard toward Andrea.
Hurry
.

“Once she really feels this pain, I won’t even have to try.” Rossi flipped a flogger in front of him and walked around to stand behind Vadik. The cold head of the flogger traced down his back.

“You’d be surprised at how effective this is on a wolf,” the asshole whispered into Vadik’s ear. “I’ve broken many a young woman with this very flogger.” He smacked at the air, but one of the ends caught Vadik’s skin. Pain lanced through his back, radiating from the spot.

“I don’t know how this will work on you, human, but I do know that it will incapacitate your little friend. If she
is
escaping, let me tell you… She won’t get far.”

A hard crack, and Vadik felt a scream being pulled from his body by sheer force of agony. Every nerve ending in his back was on fire and his knees buckled, but he struggled back to his feet.

The psychopath came up behind him again. “Tell me, my boy.” He touched the side of Vadik’s head with the end of the flogger and dragged it down the skin, like a sick caress. “How did that feel?”

A
ndrea shoved
her fist in her mouth to choke back a scream of agony. What were they doing to him?

To her mate.

She needed to help him. She glanced over her shoulder. Andrea could hear engines starting in the distance. She didn’t have long. A wave of reassurance flowed to her through the bond. They were beating the shit out of him and he was telling her to keep going.

Fury seethed through her blood. She wanted to shift and run back and tear them limb from limb. But she had to do the charge first. Andrea was so close.

Another lightning strike of pain shuddered across her body and she crumpled to her knees again. She opened her mouth, releasing a silent scream. Her only chance was not giving away her position. If they got close enough they could pinpoint her heartbeat.