Electric Storm (28 page)

Jackson sounded furious, and she couldn’t say she blamed him. She wanted to believe it was because of his inability to shift, but she had an unsettling feeling that it was because she hadn’t mated him. Nor could she get rid of Rylan’s disturbing conviction that if she didn’t do something about it, Jackson would. Not on purpose. But if his control ever slipped, he’d come for her. Part of her was thrilled at the prospect.

She was ten minutes away. By the time she pulled up, a crowd of people loitered at the entryway of the alley. Humans watched the scene but did nothing to intercede. Typical.

“Stand back.” She pushed her way into the crowd. When they didn’t seem to hear her, she pulled at the energy rumbling beneath her feet, wrapping it around her like a shield.

When she pushed her way into the crowd this time, her shield slapped against the bystanders just watching and doing nothing. People gasped at the nasty shock they received and scrambled to get out of her way.

She saw Jackson first, his muscles bulging, ready to pounce. He noticed her almost immediately, and some of the tension pouring off him eased.

Then she spotted Jackie in the group, her sharp citrus smell clogging in her throat. She ran her fake, ruby tipped nails down the front of Taggert’s ripped shirt. Something about seeing her touch Taggert so intimately had Raven’s power flaring to life. She acted quickly, pushing it through the earth. Instead of zapping Jackie, though, she aimed for Taggert.

The bitch snarled and jerked her hand back as a bit of the current transferred to her. Taggert eyes splintered to yellow. The absolute stillness in which he’d held himself changed when he turned his head toward her. A smile lit his face.

A few of the groupies backed away at his relaxed demeanor, creating room for her to reach his side. “Taggert. You are no longer a slave. You no longer wear the collar.” People gasped, and she could swear she hard Jackson groan. “If they touch you, you have my permission to touch back.”

To prove a point, she sucked in a gust of energy and sent it out like a wave. A number of them went down, a whine like a dog’s caught in their throats. A few hit the brick wall of the building and were out. The rest took off running.

Raven calmly walked over to Jackie and smiled. The woman flinched, but then stubbornly lifted her chin. Raven crossed her arms. “Be very careful of what you start. It may begin with you, but I will make sure that I end it and anyone associated with you.”

“I’ll make sure my alpha knows.” A smirk came to her lips, and with a pleased look in her eyes, she rose to her feet.

“Do that. Tell him I’ll be at Talons tonight if he has anything to discuss with me.”

* * *

“You’re not going alone.” Jackson sat in the front seat of the car, his gaze focused on the traffic around them. But she didn’t need to see his eyes to know he was pissed.

So maybe she shouldn’t have all but challenged another alpha, but she couldn’t allow Taggert to be bullied. “No, I suppose not.”

Taggert’s hand barely brushed against her hair when the strands tumbled around her shoulders. “Hey.” She tucked a piece behind her ear, self-conscious of the way her unique DNA turned part of her hair silver. He inhaled deeply then settled back against the seat.

His shirt gapped open, revealing a chest packed tight with muscles. He fingered a pack of guitar strings, and the hard knot inside her stomach since Jackson called finally softened.

“I still need to stop by the morgue and see if I can find any records on Sarah. I–”

She stopped speaking when Jackson picked up his phone. “Let me ask around first.”

Raven hesitated. She didn’t want them anywhere near her investigation. It was becoming too dangerous; too many shifters were coming up missing. When she hesitated too long, the angles of his face hardened. Against her better judgment, she relented. She understood the need to be useful and hated the way people tried to protect her. He must feel doubly so since the loss of his wolf. “Do it.”

She swung by a local take out place and ordered while waiting for Jackson to finish his call, doing her best not to eavesdrop—or being too obvious about listening anyway. The cadence in his voice when he spoke to a girl changed him into a charming rogue. It was uncomfortable sitting next to him, knowing that he openly flirted with others while he snapped clipped answers at her.

He hung up just as she was being handed the bags. She sent the first bag to Taggert. He took it with a smile and dug in. She gave Jackson the second and claimed the third for herself. She pulled away and parked in the back of the lot, away from prying eyes. Shifters consumed double the calories, and she was no different. If she didn’t eat, her body looked elsewhere for energy, cannibalizing anyone or anything that got too close.

She took her first bite of fries when Jackson spoke. “An EMT remembers bringing Sarah in as a result of a hit and run. She was DOA.” He opened his bag, his eyebrows rising at the quantity. He didn’t say anything as he took out his food. “She had a copy of the records and remembered the vampire boyfriend. He had insisted Sarah be assigned a room and hooked up to a respirator.”

“She has a good memory.” She refused to admit she was curious about what type of woman would interest Jackson. It made sense that he’d go for the medical type, since Jackson had a passing interest in the field himself.

“Being threatened by a powerful vampire has a way of sticking out in your memory.”

“True.” Raven snorted. “What happened to Sarah?”

“She doesn’t know. The next time she was on that floor, the room was empty.”

When Jackson didn’t say anything more, Raven gritted her teeth, a bit miffed that he forced her to ask. “Anything in the files?”

“Nothing useful. Only her own notes. When she went to fill out the hospital charts, they were gone.”

She finished off half of her meal and noticed Taggert engulf the last bite of his third burger. “Here.” She pushed hers at him.

He took it, but hesitated. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

Raven shook her head and put the car into gear. “No. I don’t need any more grease, not where I’m going. I’ll drop you off at the house.” When Jackson opened his mouth, she raised her hand. “I’m going to the morgue to find out what I can learn. You won’t be any good to me there. Get your things put away and be ready for our meeting tonight.”

“You mean your date?” Jackson kept his face and tone perfectly straight, but she detected something lurking beneath the surface.

“No. If it was a date, I wouldn’t be bringing either of you. The way he phrased the request made me think something’s wrong and he needed me at the club.”

Jackson’s jaw slowed, but he continued to eat. “He wouldn’t set a trap for you.”

“You sound awful sure.” She could use some of that reassurance about now. She really wanted to know what Durant planned to throw at her so she could prepare herself. She didn’t do well under stress. Things always seemed to go badly for others.

* * *

“Hello?” Raven knocked on the door to the morgue, noticing the dim lighting. “Ross?”

“Come on in.” Ross stood in the corner, a mask over his mouth and nose, his face hidden behind a spatter guard. He picked up a bone saw. “You best put on that mask.”

Raven covered her face just in time to see Ross open up some poor guy’s skull. Her breathing became labored under the heavy chemical powder lining the paper material.

“What can I do for you?”

“A girl was brought in DOA a few weeks ago. A shifter. I can’t find any records and hoped you might have more information. She was at the hospital, so she had to come through here eventually.” The morgue was tied to the hospital. Even if the body didn’t need to be autopsied, the cooler space was often used for storing bodies waiting for burial or pick up.

Ross chuckled. “Very few shifters actually pass through my gates. Most bodies are claimed by their pack long before they reach me.”

“Are you sure?” The room felt absurdly warm, heat blasting along her skin like fire ants. Her lungs felt starved for air.

“Quite sure.” The saw seemed louder. “I remember all the shifters that come through here. We have to take special precautions as shifter blood can react badly when it comes into contact with the wrong chemicals.”

“That’s right.” Shifter blood turned toxic when it came into contact with formaldehyde. It’s why they’re claimed by their own instead of sent to a funeral home. Why didn’t she remember that?

A wave of dizziness crept over her, and she widened her stance to keep upright. The image of the gurney wavered, the body undulating in a way that kicked her gag reflexes into overdrive. The room grew dark. She reached out and stumbled into a metal stand.

It didn’t hold her weight and crashed to the floor with a resounding clang that sounded hollow to her ear. She felt herself falling and could do nothing but watch the ground rush up and greet her. The last thing she heard was Ross.

“Oh, dear.”

She woke up swinging, barely missing Ross’s face. He ducked faster than she would give him credit.

“My head.” She settled her aching skull between her hands and tried to swallow down her nausea.

“You passed out when I opened up the guy.” He shook his head. “By the time I stopped and looked up, you were sprawled out on the floor.”

“I’ll never live it down.”

“Don’t worry. If you don’t say anything, I won’t.” Ross patted her awkwardly on the shoulder, and she jerked away.

Something in the way he said it, something in his touch sent a shaft of revulsion through her. She rubbed her arms, trying to wipe away the chill that engulfed her. She needed to get away, needed air. She stood hastily and swayed. “I have to go. I have a meeting tonight.”

“Sure. Sure. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.” He studied her with his brown, near black eyes. She knew that look. She’d seen it in the labs often enough. Beneath his smile, beneath his benign exterior, was a sharp mind that missed very little. Though she’d always respected Ross, something about him creeped her out. She assumed it was the dead bodies. She wasn’t so sure anymore. 

Once the open air hit her face, her mind cleared a little. She was being paranoid. He was concerned. She would be too in his place. She wasn’t supposed to be there without prior approval. It could land them both into trouble.

As soon as she reached the sidewalk, she uncrossed her arms and winced, feeling like someone had tried to snap them off. She rolled up her sleeve.

Nothing.

She did the same for her other arm.

No bruises.

She healed fast, but she’d only been out for minutes. There’d be evidence if anything was done to her.

Being unconscious in the labs meant tests. With everything putting her on edge, it was no wonder she jumped at shadows. She tried to brush it off, but the image of him standing over her with a detached look stuck with her.

 
Chapter Twenty-two

SUNSET

R
aven walked upstairs then paused when a noise from the kitchen raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

A whimper. Barely a breath of sound.

She slowly retraced her steps and pushed open the door, dreading what she’d find. 

Trish had Taggert pushed up against the wall, her hands pinning him in place, her teeth at his throat. Terror swamped the room, drowning her senses. Without giving it thought, she crossed the room in a blink, gripped Trish by the back of her neck and tossed her away from Taggert. Glass shattered when she sailed out of the kitchen via the wall of windows. Rays of the dying sun spilled over the floor like fresh blood. 

Aggression surged through her at the thought of Taggert being mauled by one of their own. When she would’ve followed, Taggert snagged her arm, wrapping himself around her. Red claw marks scorched his torso, shallow nips marred his neck. She carefully touched the wounds, wishing she could erase everything. She promised herself that she would later. “Are you all right?”

London and Dominic rushed in at the commotion, halting at the sight of them and the gap in the wall. Dina followed a second later.