Hunted By The Others (18 page)

Okay. So my number one suspect was obviously not the right one, since she was just as dead as Veronica.

This was awfully coincidental, but there wasn’t a whole heck of a lot I could do about it. It all put me back at square one.

We had bought our breakfast and decided to find a place to sit down outside to eat. Not that any of us had much appetite after reading about the new murder. We wandered into Central Park looking for a bench that all four of us could sit on with enough personal space between us to fit ten or so more people.

Chaz remained remarkably placid, almost servile in how he treated me. It was odd having him hover, offering to pay for my food, carrying the bag for me, holding doors open, all the things he used to do. When I made a suggestion, he deferred to my idea more often than not. It was a little unnerving how eager he was to please.

Sara and Arnold weren’t buying it. When he held the door for Sara, she stood there and waited until he went out first. When he offered to carry the bag of bialys, Arnold casually plucked it out of my hands and walked right past him. It was a little embarrassing how they were treating him, but I understood their caution.

Eventually, we found a big-enough, empty park bench. Sara and Arnold sat on one side of me, Chaz the other. I could almost taste the fear in the air, the way they said vamps and Weres could, coming off Sara and Arnold. Their nervousness around Chaz wasn’t rubbing off on me, for some reason.

I almost pitied Chaz for having to deal with this, knowing that anytime a non-Were knew what he was, they’d have that touch of fear in the backs of their minds that he’d shift and tear them apart, no matter how civilized he appeared at the outset. Truth is, most Weres are not very violent except when provoked. They earned their reputation simply because once the beast was unleashed, it was well and truly deserving of some fear. A vampire’s strength usually pales in comparison, unless they’re ancient, and an enraged Were is fully capable of tearing even the hardiest vampire apart.

Chaz was watching the rest of us thoughtfully as we ate. Sara and Arnold were giving him the silent treatment. After taking a sip of coffee to steady myself, I twisted around on the bench to turn my back to them and talk to Chaz without straining my neck.

“You know, I don’t mind spending time with you, but today’s really not the best day. Maybe we can just go catch a movie in a few days, after this job is done.”

He frowned. “Shia, you signed a contract with a vampire. If someone doesn’t protect you, you may not be alive in a few days.”

The truth of those words made the rest of my bialy look entirely unappetizing. I took another chunk off it and stuffed it in my mouth anyway, knowing I’d need my strength tonight. Mumbling around the bread, I shifted my gaze away from his. The concern in those baby blue eyes was just too much.

“I know. I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve. Don’t write me off just yet.”

“I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you. Why were you getting involved with Royce anyway?” He glanced around me at Arnold. “Magi, too? I don’t understand why you’re doing all of this. It could get you killed if you’re not careful.”

Wow. Did this mean he didn’t know about the focus? I peeked over my shoulder at Arnold, ignoring the twinge of pain it caused. Fortunately, Arnold seemed willing to answer, though he looked wary enough that I guessed he was being careful how he worded things. He had reason to be careful, too. If a Were knew a mage was trying to one-up or control them with magic, there were no laws on the books that could protect that mage from being splattered all over the street.

Finally, Arnold said, “My coven hired her to do some work recovering something from Royce. When he found out who she was working for, he basically blackmailed her into signing the contract. I’m helping her because, like you said, she needs assistance or she’s going to die. Personally, I don’t want that kind of karma on my shoulders. That simple.”

How sweet. If only it were true.

Sara piped up. “She’s not completely helpless. We’ve reworded the contract so that she can hurt or kill him with no legal ramifications. The door swings both ways this time.”

Chaz nodded, looking surprised and maybe even a little pleased. “That was a smart move.” Turning his attention back to me, he lightly placed his hand over mine on the back of the bench. I think it was to my credit that I didn’t pull away or even flinch at the touch, and he seemed relieved by that. “I’ll take care of you, if you’ll let me. My pack can help keep you safe.”

“Thanks,” I said, finally letting a bit of a smile through. “You don’t have to do that. Tonight we’re going to have our little showdown, and after that, everything should be smooth sailing.”

He nodded, then pushed off the bench to stand, clenching his fists tightly at his sides. I could hear his knuckles popping from here. “I’ll come with you. I’ll help keep you safe.”

“Um,” I said, turning to Arnold and Sara for help. Arnold didn’t seem to know what to say, but Sara cut in.

“Won’t you be…uh…furry tonight?”

He grinned, a bit of elongated canine visible on both top and bottom. They were so tiny, you wouldn’t notice it unless you were looking for it, like we were. “Yep.”

“So doesn’t that mean you need to go hunt or run with your pack or something?”

“No.” He folded his arms and looked off in the distance. His tone and manner took on a measure of seriousness I wasn’t used to seeing in him. “We’re not unthinking beasts when we shift. We are primarily driven by instinct, true, but there is a part of us that knows and remembers what it is to be human.” He looked at Sara, and the intensity of his gaze drove her to pull back. Just a little, not very much, but it was enough. Confidence crept into his voice, an easy command, something else I hadn’t ever seen in him before. Not like that. “You all smell like food, but for the most part we remember enough of ourselves to keep from doing harm.”

For the most part. Great. Clearing my throat to break the growing tension, I said, “I need you to remember something else, too. You can’t kill Royce tonight.”

“Why?” Chaz demanded, sounding puzzled and angry.

“Because…” I took a deep breath, glancing at Arnold and Sara, trying to think of something to say that would sound convincing enough. If I was going to have a Were with me tonight, it would only be fair if he knew about everything. Including the focus. Keeping my gaze steady on Chaz, I decided to go with the truth. “I promised to save him.”

Chaz’s mouth dropped open in surprise, his arms unfolding as the shock of what I’d just said hit and sank in. His mouth worked for a second, trying to wrap his wits around the fact that I, the one who was terrified of everything Other, now wanted to save one. A very, very dangerous one.

“Someone’s using magic to control him. They might try the same thing on you. It may be better if you just let me handle things tonight.”

He took a couple of unsteady steps to sit down heavily on the bench again, confusion soon twisting into a horrified understanding. “The
Dominari
Focus. Someone has it?
Here?
”

Arnold answered for me. “Yes. Unfortunately, we don’t know who. They’re using it to control Royce, but not very well. Our only hope at this point is that the one using it doesn’t have the strength of will to control more than one Other at the same time.”

Chaz reached out, fast, too fast, his hands on my shoulders and worry glinting in suddenly feral eyes. I didn’t even have enough time to jerk back or gasp in shock before his hands were on me. Arnold and Sara jumped to their feet as he spoke, fright and concern making his usually calm, stoic voice waver. “Shia, you can’t involve yourself in this! I can’t—I don’t want to end up hurting you…”

I put my hands up to rest on his cheeks, lightly rubbing my thumbs over the coarse hairs as I met his eyes, unflinching. “It’s too late for that, Chaz. I’m already involved. I have to do this, and it would be better if you stay back so the holder doesn’t try to use you, too.”

A low growl rumbled in his throat, soft but infinitely more frightening for the helpless rage that dragged it out of him. I hoped and prayed he’d keep calm enough not to shift right here in the park. After a very long, tense moment, he slowly withdrew his hands, turning away and pulling back from my touch. His brows had lowered in a scowl as he glared at nothing in particular somewhere in the trees. “Then you’ll go. But I’m coming with you. It’s pack business now anyway if someone is using that thing. There’s got to be something I can do to help.”

Arnold expelled a shaky breath, and I looked at him in some surprise. He was truly frightened, pale-faced and his hands shaking. Was he afraid for me? Or afraid Chaz was going to turn on him? “Are you sure you can fight the focus if the holder tries to use you?”

Chaz slowly turned to look at Arnold, who took an involuntary step back, bumping into Sara. Even I felt myself contract a little at the force behind that gaze. “No. I’m not.” His soft conviction didn’t brook any further discussion or argument on the matter.

I felt a touch of pity for him. I hadn’t meant to drag him into this, but his pride and concern for me, as well as the responsibility for ensuring the safety of his pack, meant he had an obligation to see this through. Rising off the bench to stand, I extended my hand to him, unable to keep myself from smiling slightly when he took it without hesitation.

“Then let’s work together, and make a plan,” I said. “No matter what happens, this is ending tonight.”

Sara went back to Janine’s to pick up our stuff. None of us, despite my change of heart, thought it prudent to let Chaz know about Janine or where she lived. Chaz offered to let us wait out the rest of the day at his place, but that didn’t seem particularly wise either. Arnold didn’t like the idea of going back to his place, my place,
or
Sara’s, so I finally made a snide remark about spending the day in the park.

“Actually,” Arnold said thoughtfully, “that’s not a bad idea. Central Park is big, and I doubt anybody would come looking for any of us here.” He turned to Chaz, who did not appear pleased at the prospect. “What do you think?”

He shook his head, lip lifting briefly in a touch of disgust as he glanced around. “Depends on how long we stay. The Moonwalkers might take it wrong if I stick around here too long, especially since tonight’s the first night of the full moon.”

I recalled how the cabbie that had driven me back to my car from Royce’s building the other day had dissed the Sunstrikers. Seemed there was no love lost between the two packs. After a moment of thought, I said, “I’d rather not stir up another pack or bring them into this. What about the zoo?”

“The Central Park Zoo? Since it isn’t technically part of the Moonwalkers’ territory, I suppose that could work,” Chaz said. Then he grinned in a way I didn’t like; it was far too predatory. “Though the animals won’t care for me much.”

“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. “We’ll just have to leave with enough time for me to get ready. The park closes before sunset anyway.”

We waited for a while for Sara to come back. I found a sunny spot to lie down on, folding my hands behind my head and closing my eyes. It would be nice to relax and not think about my possible impending demise for a few hours, but there was way too much on my mind for any hope of that.

Arnold parked his skinny butt on a big rock next to me, keeping an eye out for anybody or anything suspicious. Chaz leaned up against a tree and watched people pass by on the path; joggers, mothers pushing strollers, people walking dogs.

I thought about everything I had seen and learned and done in the last few days. Somewhere in this mess there had to be a solution, or at least a hint to what might lead me to figuring out who had the focus. There seemed to be something there, an idea hovering just out of my reach, the glimmer of a thought that seemed to become less and less substantial the harder I tried to grasp it.

My phone started buzzing, startling me into a yelp. Arnold and Chaz both looked alarmed, then gradually relaxed, smirking at each other at my reaction. Muttering in irritation, I dug into my jeans and pulled it out, picking up the call from Sara.

“Hey, where are you?”

Low, masculine laughter answered me. I stiffened, looking down at the phone in shock for a second before putting it back to my ear. “Who is this?” I demanded, wondering what in God’s name had gone wrong this time.

“
La Petite Boisson
. Tonight. Leave the mage at home, or your little friend is dead,” an unfamiliar man’s voice said. I could hear muffled sounds in the background, what I sorely hoped were not muted screams, which abruptly ended when the guy hung up on me. I lowered the phone from my ear and stupidly stared at it, trying to get my wits around what just happened.

Arnold reached down and put a hand on my shoulder. “What happened? Is everything all right?”

“Fuck!”
I exclaimed, loud enough to startle both men and cause a mother with her two toddlers on the path below us to shoot me a dirty look and hurry the kids along. “Somebody has her. The fucker kidnapped Sara!”

Arnold swore and Chaz leaped to his feet.

“We never should have sent her alone…” Arnold said.

“Yeah, well, it’s too late for that now,” Chaz replied, irritation clear in his voice. “You didn’t trust me alone with Shia and you didn’t trust me enough to show me your daytime hiding spot. So now we pay the price for separating.”

“Don’t start that shit, you two,” I said, rolling up to my feet and starting off at a run back in the direction of Janine’s apartment. “Fuck, fuck,
fuck!
I hope they haven’t hurt Janine, too…”

This changed everything. Oh God, Sara might end up hurt or even killed if I didn’t play my cards right. It was one thing for me to get tied up in this craziness—it was quite another for this psycho to drag my friends into it, too.

Even though I wasn’t wearing the belt, I seemed to have retained some strength from it, and as I bolted along, I suddenly realized Arnold wasn’t keeping up. I slowed my pace for the mage’s sake, though it was difficult not to burst into a full-out run. He was having a tough time of it, blowing and huffing like a bellows and lagging a bit behind. Chaz, on the other hand, was barely breaking a sweat by the time we’d run from the park to Janine’s building.

Everything looked okay when we got there. The security guard at his station recognized Arnold and me, giving us a nod. That gave me some hope for Sara’s sister, at least. We hustled past him to Janine’s door, which fortunately wasn’t locked.

Janine was sitting on a couch with the remote in her hand, glancing up from channel surfing when the three of us stumbled in. She sat up abruptly, confusion and fright contorting her pale china doll features. “Shiarra? What’s going on? Who’s this?” She gestured at Chaz.

I paused to steady my breathing, and watched poor Arnold brace his hands on his knees and lower his head. That Janine was okay, at least, was a blessing, and he seemed almost as relieved as I did. “Something’s happened. Did Sara come back here?”

She shook her head, her panic rising. “What happened? Where is she?”

I closed my eyes, cursing the stupidity that led to us splitting up. From everything that happened the last couple of days, I thought
I
was the target. Stupid as it was, I never would’ve credited a bad guy with trying to use Sara to get to me. Not like this.

Janine really wasn’t going to like this. Steeling myself to the inevitable breakdown, I swallowed my grief and anger to explain, “Sara’s been kidnapped. I’ll—I don’t know exactly who did it, but I’ll find out. Tonight. I’ll get her back.” Before she can get torn apart like Veronica and Allison. Please, God.

Janine jumped about three feet in the air. “Oh, God! We have to do something! Call the police, the…somebody—you have to do something!” Her hysteria made Chaz and Arnold shift uncomfortably, looking anywhere but at her.

I moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder, urging her to sit back down. “Don’t worry, we’ll save her.” I prayed I wasn’t just mouthing platitudes. God, how I hoped. “Don’t drag the police into this. Whoever took her might kill her out of hand if I don’t do what they asked me to. We’ll figure out a way to get her out of there.”

“Oh, no,” she moaned, wringing her hands and gradually, tensely lowering back down to the couch. She shot a fearful look at the men, tears glimmering in her eyes making me vow not to let mine fall. One of us had to be strong here, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be Janine. I could dissolve into a puddle of misery later, after I saved Sara. For now, I focused on the anger, clinging to it, using it to keep from driving myself into despair over increasingly overwhelming odds. Those responsible would pay dearly for causing so much pain and misery.

“How could this have happened?” Janine said, wiping at her tears.

I shared a helpless look with Arnold before shaking my head and running my hands through my curls, getting some of the sweat-plastered strings off my forehead and out of my eyes. I wanted to shake my fist at the sky, shout and scream against the holder of that thrice-damned focus, throw and destroy things and beat them into submission. I wanted to hunt them down like the cowardly curs they were, let
them
know what it felt like to be hounded and hunted and harassed. When I got my hands on them, I would make sure they felt every last indignity, bruise, cut, and abrasion they put Sara and me through.

If they didn’t keep their word, if they did the unthinkable and killed her, I don’t know what I would do. Whatever it was wouldn’t be pretty.

But it would all have to wait until after sunset.

“I’ll let Arnold and Chaz fill you in. I need to get ready to fight this thing.”

With that, I turned and stomped off to the guest bedroom. I’d be damned if whoever was doing this caught me unprepared again. The next minion I met was going to get a bullet between the eyes, contract or no contract.