GraceinMoonlight (7 page)

“Well, you can’t have him, so fuck off.”

The obscenity, said in that little girl’s voice, drew
Kaisie’s eyes away the gun and up to her face.

And his mouth dropped open.

The girl had dark hair but no one would mistake her for
anyone but Grace’s daughter.

She had the same dark eyes, the same slashing cheekbones.

And the same stubborn mouth.

Behind her on the bed, a boy peeked over her shoulder.

Kaisie directed his smile at him. “Alex? Hey. I’m Kaisie.
I’m Kaine’s dad.”

The girl’s mouth tightened even more. “You don’t talk to
him. And you need to leave. Just back out of the door and don’t come back.”

“Amy.” Alex lowered his voice to a whisper but Kaisie heard
him loud and clear. “I told you they’d come for me.”

The girl’s gaze never wavered from Kaisie’s. “I’m not going
to say it again. You need to leave.”

Kaisie shook his head. “I’m not leaving without the boy. But
you can come too. If you want.”

Her eyes widened for a second before they narrowed back
down. But in that brief moment, Kaisie saw something he recognized. Kaine had
been a teenager not that long ago and he saw some of Kaine’s strength in this
girl.

“Alex, why don’t you come on over here with me? We’ve gotta
get going. Your mom’s anxious to see you.” He looked at the girl. “Both of
you.”

The gun shook. “I don’t have a mother.”

“Yeah, you do. She’s downstairs waiting for us. But we need
to go now.”

“Who says I want to leave?”

“You told me you’d come with me.” Alex’s voice held a hint
of tears and the girl dropped her gaze to look at him. “Please, I wanna go.
Please come with me. I don’t like it here.”

Behind him, Race gave a barely audible whine and Alex’s gaze
shot toward the door, a grin curving his lips. “Is Kaine here?”

“Yes. And John. They’re with your mom.” Kaisie took a step
forward, his gaze locked with the girl. “We’re out of time. We’ve got to go.”
The girl tracked him with the gun as he stopped directly in front of her. “You
coming?”

Her jaw quivered for a split second before she lowered the
gun to her lap. It looked like an ink spot on the innocent white lace of her
nightgown.

Then she slipped off the bed. “Let me get our backpacks.”

He wanted to say no but girls needed their things. “Hurry.”

Turning to sit on the bed, he patted his shoulder as the
girl ran to the closet in the corner. “Jump on, Alex.”

The boy threw his arms around Kaisie’s neck and awkwardly
wrapped his legs around his waist, as if his legs still weren’t working
properly. Kaisie knew the boy had been unable to walk before he’d been
kidnapped. Something to worry about later.

The girl ran to the doorway then skidded to a stop, her eyes
wide as she came face-to-face with Race’s wolf.

“He won’t hurt you. Just stick close to me…”

“Amalia,” Alex whispered in his ear. “But she likes to be
called Amy.”

“Is he
lucani
?” Amy looked torn between wonder and
fear.

“Yes. There are more around too, so don’t be surprised if
you see them. And don’t shoot them.”

She nodded, the gun in her hand pointed at the floor. He
noticed she handled the weapon like someone who’d been doing it for years. “We
need to leave before my—before anyone realizes what’s going on. I hope you’ve
got a damn good exit strategy.”

Kaisie spared her a smile as Race took off for the stairs.
“Don’t worry, kid. We’re professionals.”

* * * * *

“I never expected to see you again, Grace.” Ettore gave her
hair a tug so hard, it forced tears into her eyes as the cold steel of a knife
pressed against her throat. “I honestly never thought you’d have the courage to
do something this…misguided.”

Grace clamped her lips shut against the panicked cry that
rose in her throat. She didn’t want to give Ettore the satisfaction nor did she
want to engage him in any kind of conversation. But if he was focused on her
then everyone else could focus on getting out of the house. With her children.

“I guess I should be glad you haven’t been pining away for
me.” She straightened, trying to ease his hold on her hair as she watched John
take up a defensive position in front of Kaine, who hadn’t moved.

If he’d hurt Kaisie’s daughter…

“Don’t think I haven’t been keeping an eye on you, dear.”
His warm breath brushed against her hair, making her shiver. “The animals may
have gotten their claws into you for a little while but you’ve returned to me
now, haven’t you?”

She’d kill herself before she allowed him to keep her here.
But she’d make sure the wolves got out first.

And with the knife he held at her throat, it would be so
easy to twist her head and—

“I didn’t realize you’d gotten so lax in your old age,
Ettore. Or is it simply your arrogance that’s grown? Your security is abysmal.
Obviously your standards have plummeted.”

She cringed inwardly to hear her tone of voice. She didn’t
sound like herself. At least, not like the woman she’d become. The woman Kaisie
had made love to last night.

No, she sounded like the creature this man had forced her to
be from the age of twenty until he’d thankfully tossed her aside ten years ago.

He laughed, the sound sending shivers up her spine. She’d
always thought his laugh revealed his evil heart. Others thought it was charming.
She heard only the sneer and the arrogance.

“Oh, I think you’ll be surprised how truly effective my
security is. We may have allowed your little party to believe they’d entered
unnoticed. But don’t think you’ll be leaving as easily.”

“You’re lying.” Grace could sneer pretty damn well when she
wanted to. She’d learned from him, after all. “Don’t you think I learned
anything from my so-called marriage to you? You’re slipping.”

This time, he gave a vicious yank and she couldn’t help the
short cry that escaped her lips.

“Well, well, it looks like you’ve grown a backbone since I
threw you away. Too bad it won’t do you any good now. I may have been too hasty
about releasing you before but, trust me, I don’t make the same mistake twice.”

And she refused to live that way again. She’d die first.

“Now,” he continued, “why don’t you call your merry little
band of invaders together before I decide you’re not worth the effort and kill
you before my security massacres your friends?”

He was bluffing. She’d known him long enough to recognize
that tone in his voice. But about what? She couldn’t make a mistake, couldn’t
risk the lives of her children or the
lucani
.

Ettore had power, much more than she did. And he’d perfected
the use of it. He could move himself and others from one place to another, as
he had when he’d kidnapped Cat, Evie and Alex. But he required a great deal of
power and preparation. He needed to charge his magical batteries, so to speak,
and usually he did that with sex.

Which made her realize he probably had another woman stashed
away here. Possibly other children.

“It won’t matter what you do to me.” She had to keep him
talking. Kaisie and the others had to have found the children by now. They had
to be making their way out of the house. “The
lucani
don’t care about
me. Go ahead. Kill me. But don’t imagine you can use me as a bargaining chip.
Trust me, they won’t hesitate to kill me to get to you.”

* * * * *

Kaisie picked up the conversation from the kitchen as they
reached the top of the stairs.

He stopped, holding up his fist to signal Race and Amy to
halt. The girl froze as if she were doing an impression of a statue. Stone
silent, as if she’d had practice making herself invisible.

The only response Alex made was to tighten his arms around
Kaisie’s neck. He, too, managed not to make more than the barest breath of
sound.

But even with his enhanced hearing, Kaisie couldn’t make out
exactly what they were saying. He only knew he heard Grace and another man’s
voice. And Grace didn’t sound like herself.

What the hell—

Race’s snout nudged his knee just as Kaisie caught the scent
of two men. Close and getting closer.

Behind them.

Son of a bitch.

Kaisie signaled Race to check out the threat coming up on
their backs before he stepped into the stairwell. It’d been too easy to get in.
It had to have been a trap.

But the only way out was to go down. Even if they went out a
window, Alex would be a liability.

They encountered no one on the stairs, but Kaisie sensed
more movement throughout the house now. As if someone had been lying in wait
for them.

Shit, shit and double shit.

Where were Kaine and John? Were they hurt? What the hell was
Grace saying?

He needed to get closer but he had to get the kids out
first.

There had to be another way out.

“Amy.”

The girl’s pale, steady eyes met his.

“Exits. Second floor.”

She nodded, pointed down and then to the left.

Kaisie looked up the stairs. No Race.

He couldn’t wait for the other soldier. He had to get the
kids to the
stregone
waiting outside to magically transport Alex and Amy
back to the den. The
stregone
was strong enough to take both of them at
once but it was a one-way trip.

Without the kids, though, Kaisie and the others wouldn’t
have to worry about them getting hurt.

He started down the stairs, knowing Amy would follow him.
When he reached the second floor, he stuck his head out and saw nothing but an
empty hall.

A tug on his shirt made him look back. Amy was shaking her
head, her eyes now wide as she kept turning to look over her shoulder.

He got the hint. They needed to go now. She must have heard
the muted sounds of a struggle on the floor above. Race had apparently found
trouble.

The wolf would have to fend for himself for a few minutes.

Looking both ways down the hall, Alex’s slight weight still
firmly on his back, he reached for Amy’s arm and drew her into his side. He
felt her stiffen at the contact but she didn’t push him away.

She led him halfway down the hall to a closed door that
looked like all the others. Opening it, she pulled him inside, as if she knew it
would be empty.

He bit back a curse because he didn’t want to scare the kids
but,
v
affanculo
, anyone could be in here.

Turns out there was someone here.

He grabbed for the girl but she got away from him and ran
straight for the bed.

Fucking hell.

Another girl sat up in the bed, moving slowly, as if from a
drugged sleep, her body heavy.

Son-of-a-fucking-bitch.

Pregnant. She was pregnant. His gaze flew to her face and he
bit back even worse curses.

She didn’t look much older than Amy. And at least six months
pregnant, if not more.

Fuck.

Swallowing the bitter venom that wanted to spew from his
mouth about the type of cretins who’d impregnate a girl her age, he watched
silently as the girls communicated with their hands. He knew only enough sign
language to communicate orders.

They were holding a tense conversation, with the pregnant
girl shaking her head constantly.

He opened his mouth but Alex must have sensed what he was
going to do and put his hand over his mouth. Turning, Kaisie looked at Alex
with raised eyebrows but Alex just shook his head repeatedly, his eyes huge.

He got the hint. No sound. Fine. But they had to move now.

Holding up one hand got the attention of both girls and, now
that he got a good look at the pregnant one, his heart dipped. Tinia’s teat,
she looked like Alex. Not a perfect copy, like Amy for Grace, but enough alike
that she and the boy had to be related.

What a fucking clusterfuck this was turning out to be.

With one hand, he pointed to the door, hoping Amy understood
what he was saying.

She shook her head and pointed to the other door in the
room. The pregnant girl started to shake her head furiously, hands curved over
her belly protectively.

He smelled her fear as Amy grabbed her arm and pulled her
off the bed. The girl’s short hair swung around her chin as she continued to
shake her head. Still, she followed Amy to the door, just as Kaisie and Alex
did.

Inside the bathroom, Amy pointed at the window.

They were on the second floor. Did she expect them to jump?

No way could Alex or the pregnant girl make it without being
injured.

Then he saw why she’d picked this spot for their escape.

The tree was just close enough to reach. If it’d been
trimmed even inches, they wouldn’t have been able to reach it.

It wasn’t all that big but it looked sturdy enough to hold
her weight. His and Alex’s… Well, they didn’t have much of a choice.

And the pregnant girl…

Shit. How the hell was he going to get them out safely?

In the hallway, he heard the faint sound of footsteps. He
drew in a deep breath and caught the scents of Nic and Duke.

Thank fuck.

Without waiting to explain, he reached around to shift Alex
off his back, handing him to Amy. She reached for her brother and, as soon as
she had him, he raced back out to the hall.

Duke caught sight of him as he stuck his head out of the
doorway. As Kaisie motioned for him to stay silent, Nic’s wolf appeared by
Duke’s side.

Duke and Nic raced down the hall toward Kaisie and they all
made it inside the room just as another scent, one Kaisie didn’t recognize, got
stronger.

Time to go.

Shutting the door to the bedroom behind him as silently as
he could, he pointed to the bathroom, where the kids were huddled together
against the far wall.

Duke nearly tripped over his feet as he took in the
situation, his gaze flipping to Kaisie’s for a brief moment before he looked at
Alex and Amy.