Storm Watch (Woodland Creek) (13 page)

“Y
ou heard me, Wilson. I want them both,” Raymond Samuels whispered. “Steele I don’t care about—just make sure he can’t follow you. The woman, we will take to the Virginia property.”

“I understand, Mr. Samuels. I’m in Indianapolis. I’ll be there in a couple of hours,” the man on the phone replied. “Any preferences on how it’s done?”

“Painfully,” he snapped as he disconnected the call.

The doctors had insisted his hands be freed so they could treat him, though there were two cops posted at the door, Samuels was now alone. They thought he was sedated. That was a laugh. As if he’d sleep until that bitch and that bastard shifter were dead in the ground.

How
dare
they think they could best him? They had no idea just how powerful he was. Samuels smiled to himself. He’d even managed to convince the silly nurse to let him use her cell phone.

Steele and Storm wouldn’t have any idea what hit them.

He knew this area very well. His family had been one of the first wizard families here, though most likely didn’t remember them. But, he’d known always that somehow, he’d be back here.

These paltry idiots. They didn’t use their powers properly. If they had, they wouldn’t be content living in this backwater town in the middle of nowhere.

Money was the key to success. And if there was nothing else Samuels knew about, it was money and the power it achieved. Not magical power…but power to control vast numbers of people.

Of course, only a select few knew who he was. The traitor that had turned on him and told the damn cop he’d shot that idiot would also be dealt with. He wasn’t known as the Wizard of Death for nothing. While very few knew his name or his face, many knew and feared his reputation.

Storm was carrying his child. A child that deserved to be with him. A child that deserved the power that came with the Samuels name. He’d been angry when he’d gotten his gun back at that idiot’s house. Otherwise, he’d have simply shot the town cop, rather than aiming at Storm. No, Storm would live until she’d had his child. Only then, would she finally be freed in death.

Once he was released from the hospital, he’d put the rest of his plan into motion. It would be nothing to get someone else to admit to killing that idiot, John. Nothing at all.

He’d bide his time until Wilson had time to arrive.

§§§

It only took about an hour to do the paperwork. There was not really anything that had to be kept a secret—other than the fact that Luke, Storm, and Samuels were not exactly your typical normal person.

After they’d done the report, Luke convinced Storm they should see a bit of the town.

He pulled into the lot at Drake’s Diner. “You’ll love the food here,” he promised. “Are you hungry?”

“Actually, yeah, I am,” she decided. “I’m so glad to see the sun finally.”

Luke grinned at that. “Did you have anything to do with it?” he teased.

“I have no clue, but I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth!”

Luke was chuckling still as he climbed out of the Jeep, then he opened the door for her and held out his hand. “Let’s go have the best hamburgers in Indiana.”

Storm rolled her eyes at that boast, but took his hand and let him lead her into the diner.

§§§

A little more than an hour later, and they were headed back to Luke’s house. Samuels’ men had Storm’s missing items and such, as well as her wallet and keys. They’d picked both up from TJ at the station.

“I’m glad my wallet is here. Getting new ID would be a pain.”

Luke didn’t bother telling her how easy it would have been to take care of that in this town. “Me, too.” He was just glancing over at her to smile when he caught a black SUV in his rear view mirror just as his cell rang. He put up a finger to Storm, and answered it.

He felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. “Hey, love, could you tighten that seatbelt?” he said carefully .“Steele,” he snapped into the phone.

Storm was instantly alert. “What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly.

He shook his head at her, and listened.

“If you want her alive, Steele. Stop the car. Give her to the man behind you.”

“Why would I do that?” he asked.

Just then, Storm cried out and clutched her stomach. “Luke? Something’s wrong,” she cried.

Luke recognized the voice on the other end of the phone line. It didn’t take a genius to know that somehow, he was affecting Storm. “Let her go,” he snapped.

Samuels laughed. “Oh, I think not, Steele. It is you who will be letting her go. If you want to keep her alive, that is. I am connected to that child.”

Storm was frantic. “What? What’s he doing? God, Luke, I hurt.”

Luke’s mind raced. It was obvious Storm was in severe pain. “Stop it and let’s talk.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Storm calmed, though she was still deathly pale when Luke looked at her.

“Now, pull over and leave Storm with my friend who is behind you,” he said carefully. “Do it now.”

Luke put his foot on the brake and slowed the car. Of course, he wasn’t going to give Storm over to anyone, but he needed to buy time. “I’m stopped.”

“Good,” Samuels said, and Luke could hear the satisfaction in his voice.

He handed the phone to Storm. “Hide it,” he said quickly. “And don’t do anything else.”

“Why are we stopping? Who is that? Is he after us?” Storm asked. “I—I think something is wrong with me. The pain stopped, but it was really bad.”

“Shh, stay calm, love. It’s one of Samuels’ men.” His mind raced. What could he do? If Storm had his cell, TJ could at least track it. He was guessing that Samuels wanted Storm alive. He was counting on it. “Don’t fight him, Storm. Do whatever he says.”

Storm paled even more, but hid the phone in her bra and nodded as a man walked up to her side of the Jeep. She gave Steele a panicked look. “Is he here to kill me?”

“No, he’s not! He’s taking you to Samuels. I’m going to follow! I need you to trust me,” he said urgently.

The door to the Jeep jerked open and Storm cried out.

“I take it you understand the situation,” the man said. He was dressed in black, with a ski mask covering his face. All Luke could see were a pair of dark brown eyes.

“She’s not going anywhere without me,” Luke insisted.

The man smiled. “Oh, we will see about that. Step from the vehicle, Ms. Reynolds,” he drawled.

Storm looked at Luke, who gave a slight nod. “Do as he says,” he said calmly.

Storm unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed from the Jeep, shaking and terrified. She looked at Luke. “Luke?”

“Don’t be afraid, love. I’m right here,” he soothed. He opened his own door and climbed out, slamming it behind him.

“I’m coming with her,” he snapped to the other man.

“I think not,” the man replied dryly.

The next thing Luke saw was the flash of something just as an explosion of smoke and sound blasted. He saw a flash of white, and then nothing. His last thought was,
not again.

§§§

Luke awoke to the sound of quiet sobbing, and a pounding head. It took him only a moment to realize that he was bound, hand and foot, blindfolded and gagged, and resting on something hard.

He froze and listened. Storm. It was Storm crying—so that meant, at least, that she was alive.

He figured quickly that he was in the back of a moving vehicle. Storm was somewhere in front of him, though he couldn’t see anything, of course.

He could feel motion, of course, so if he was going to do something, it needed to be soon. It was only a forty minute drive to the hospital they’d have taken Samuels to—if that was where they were going.

Luke had no idea if they’d moved his Jeep. If not, there was a chance that someone he knew would spot it.

“Why are you doing this?” Storm ranted. “Just let us go, please.”

“My employer would be displeased, Ms. Reynolds. We’ll be there shortly. Just relax,” the man drawled, not sparing her a glance.

The voices were close, which meant that he wasn’t in a trunk. He thought he could feel carpet against the bare skin of his face when he moved his head.

“Ah, back with us, Mr. Steele?” the man taunted. “The woman has been quite concerned. We’re going to be making a short stop here in just a little bit. Sit back and relax.”

Luke just seethed. He considered just shifting and attacking, but the vehicle was going too fast. If there was a wreck, Storm could be hurt. He considered his options.

The best option, he figured, was to make his move whenever they stopped. He growled low in his throat and heard the man chuckle. He’d signed his death warrant, Luke decided. Samuels and this man were dead. It was as simple as that. Storm had been right; she’d never be safe as long as Samuels was alive.

“Just let us go,” Storm said again. Luke heard a smacking sound, and Storm cried out. The damn bastard had struck her! That was the last straw.

It was only a moment before the vehicle stopped. Luke tensed, waiting to see where they were. He couldn’t tell by the scent alone, but he didn’t think much time had passed. Half an hour at most. The ache in his head told him that he’d been struck—probably with a gun—but he didn’t think he was seriously hurt.

Of course, this man likely knew nothing about shifters, which was Luke’s only advantage. He knew he’d have to act quickly to stop the man before Samuels showed up—from wherever he was.

Luke heard two doors shut, and knew the man had taken Storm out of the vehicle, too. That could make things a bit trickier, but he figured he could take him if he could shift fast enough.

He heard a hatch open, and felt a blast of cold air. As he’d thought, he must have been in the back of the SUV as he’d assumed. “Out you go,” the man said icily, and began to drag him by the feet. He felt air, then pain as he hit the ground hard.

Not snow. A parking lot? If only the blindfold was gone. His eyes were damn good, but not that good. But, his hearing was acute, and he realized that he heard very little.

He wished Storm would say something so he’d know she was okay. Next, he felt a boot kick him in the ribs and sucked in a breath when Storm screamed.

“Stop it! Don’t hurt him. I’ll go with you,” Storm cried. “Just don’t hurt him.”

Luke would have cursed if he could have. The whole point was to keep them together. He didn’t want Storm separated from him. He prepared to shift. He knew the bindings would fall off in his tiger form.

“No! Don’t shoot him!” he heard just as he started to shift, then nothing but a burning pain in his chest before the world went black.

S
torm fought him as he pulled her back toward the SUV he was using. Frantically, she looked over her shoulder as he pulled her, to see if Luke was moving. He wasn’t. He was in shifter form, but perfectly still. It was too dark to see if he was breathing or not.

As he pulled her to the car she considered raising a storm the likes of which this bastard would have never seen, but what would that do to Luke, assuming he was alive? When he got to the SUV, he shoved her into the door roughly, facing it. Her arms were yanked behind her back and she felt cold metal surround her wrists.