Bitter Black Kiss (23 page)

Chapter Twenty-two

Brody arrived home a little after nine ‘o clock. His street was generally busy, cars driving past at all hours of the night and neighbors in their yards. Not tonight. The houses were dark, the street silent. Even the elderly lady next door had brought her dog inside. The Wild Hunt took place in a designated area, a new one each year. Most of the public stayed indoors until the next morning. It was a good idea because sometimes the attendees got out of hand or ventured outside the permitted areas.

He moved across the living room, limbs stiff and achy. He pulled the t-shirt over his head. The wrinkled fabric hit the end of the couch. It smelled of cigarette smoke, whiskey, and anger. His jeans were no better, but at least they were farther from his sensitive nose.

He’d looked for Nicole in every corner he could think of. He’d searched every beach, motel, and diner this side of San Diego. He’d had no luck and was somewhat cranky now. His hair was a wild mess and his clothes were rumpled and itchy. Not to mention, he was sore all over. The gunshot wound had scabbed over and each time he moved, it pulled loose from the edges.

Brody went into the bedroom and rested his hands against the footboard of the bed. He hung his head and focused on making the pain go away. He had half a mind to go to the Wild Hunt, to partake in the night’s activities. He grimaced, knowing full well there were prerequisites he wasn’t willing to meet.

The phone rang twice. The recorder finally picked up on the third ring. Nicole’s voice was quiet. Perhaps someone was listening. She spoke fast and urgent. “Brody, this is Nicole. We need to talk. If you’re there, pick up.” She fell silent on the line, but he could hear her quick breaths.

He pushed away from the bed. One of these days, he would learn to put it back on its charger. Cursing, he hurried into the living room in search of it.

“Please call me back. I may be in trouble.” She rattled off a number.

The flash of red and blue on the wall caught his attention. What were the cops doing here? He crossed to the window and peered through the dusty blinds.

Outside, Vasquez’s sedan pulled to a stop at the curb. Two Hispanic men in ill-fitting suits got out. Neither looked like the law abiding type. Vasquez wore denim and a leather jacket tonight. Her sidearm was visible on her hip as she moved up the small incline of his yard.

She signaled for the men to wait on either side of the door. Though she spoke softly, Brody had no problem hearing through the thin glass. “It’s a full moon tonight. Watch out, he’ll be dangerous.”

He allowed the blinds to snap shut. She had more or less told them to draw their guns. The urgent need to get out of the house overwhelmed him. He whirled and moved in the kitchen’s direction. If he was lucky, he might make it through the back door before they came in.

Brody had no such luck. They kicked the front door open. He froze where he was and kept his hands open at his sides. To do anything else would be suicide. He turned to face Vasquez and the two fake cops who followed her inside.

“Bad time?” There was mockery in her tone. Instead of her service revolver, she held a Taser. Brody had a bad feeling about the direction the night was headed.

Both men edged closer. If he waited for just the right moment, for one of them to make a mistake, he might avoid another night in jail.

“What’s going on, Vasquez?”

The shorter of the two men had narrow squinty eyes. The heel of his hand rested on the butt of his gun, the kind that shot bullets. This guy was too jumpy. He’d be the first to use a weapon, even if he wasn’t threatened.

“We just want to talk, Brody. Come with us.” She motioned to him with her free hand, much like you would a frightened dog.

“What’s this about?”

“I don’t want to hurt you, but I will.” There was no regret in Vasquez’s voice. The hard set of her jaw told him everything he needed to know. She expected him to do something stupid.

Brody edged away from them. “I don’t have time for this. I need to find Nicole and stop Stone.”

“I can’t let you do that, Brody.” Vasquez’s smile was chilling. “It isn’t part of the plan.”

“Plan? What the hell are you talking about?”

Vasquez gripped the short guy’s shoulder. “Be careful, Jamie, he’s tricky.” To the other she said, “Cuff him, Lorenzo.”

Jamie thumbed open his holster and Vasquez edged closer. Lorenzo grabbed Brody’s left wrist. At the same time, he reached for the handcuffs clipped to his belt.

The 
click
 of the cold steel bracelet solidified the danger he was in. Then Lorenzo tried to manhandle his other arm behind his back.

“Listen to me.” Brody tried to reason with her. “I’ve got to help Nicole. She’s in a lot of trouble.”

Vasquez’s dark eyes narrowed. “Yes, she is. We’re going to deal with her when we’re done with you.” There was malice in those words.

Brody’s fingers curled into fists. His body first went hot, then cold. “Damn it, Vasquez. How could you?”

She shrugged. “Sean pays better than the city does.”

Lorenzo wrenched Brody’s arm behind his back.

Brody twisted from his grasp and made a dash for the doorway. If he was lucky, he might get outside and into the shadows. This was not the case. The bite of the Vasquez’s Taser gun dropped him to the ground. One dart struck his left pectoral and the other embedded itself in his bicep.

His ex-partner sent a jolt of electricity through his body. Brody thrashed on the floor. His muscles tensed and jerked as he fought the voltage and transformation at the same time. His body writhed, ignoring any and all attempts to control it. The helplessness made him that much angrier.

“Hurry up and get him to the car,” Vasquez screamed at the men. “This isn’t going to keep him down. He’s trying to shift!”

“I have a syringe of wolfsbane in the car,” Lorenzo said.

“Go get it!” Vasquez struggled to stay out of Brody’s reach, but close enough to keep the electrodes in place. “Hurry!”

Brody tore one of the contact wires from his body. He was on his feet again in a matter of moments. He stumbled, knocking the lamp from the table beside him. The shattered remains crunched beneath his shoes.

Fur exploded across his skin. His nose flattened and his jaw extended to accommodate a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. His fingers shifted into weapons.

Jamie’s eyes grew wide. “Dios mio...”

“Shut up and help me,” Vasquez growled. Her accent was thick tonight. The taser was useless now so she tossed it aside.

Brody yanked the remaining line away from his chest. He whipped his head around and focused on her. Saliva dripped from his chin. He wasn’t transformed all the way, but within a matter of moments he would be. He clenched his hands at his sides then took a menacing step in his ex-partner's direction. Her brown eyes widened in apprehension.

Vasquez took a step backward. “I’m out of options here, partner. Don’t make me shoot you.”

“You’re working for Stone.” His voice was rough, filled with emotion. How could he be so blind? He’d trusted Vasquez. He’d been blind to her detachment even though she had accused him of crimes he hadn’t committed.

“I’m just supposed to keep you away from the Wild Hunt. Sean doesn’t want you to interfere.” She sounded apologetic, but Brody knew better.

He caught the other man’s reflection in the window. Lorenzo had rejoined the party. Jamie held two Tasers now. Lorenzo held a wicked looking syringe. He darted to the left, toward the window by the couch. Brody made a dash for it and both Tasers bit him. Even in mid-jump, his body melted back to normal.

More electricity coursed through him causing his body to buck and thrash against the floor. Waves of black shadow crossed his vision and fogged his brain. His muscles twitched and he groaned. The area where the electrodes had attached tingled and stung, reminding him that more juice could be sent through at any time.

Lorenzo bent over him. Brody spied the syringe in question. At least the goon had the good sense to squirt the bubble of air out. Brody tried to roll away, but found his body uncooperative.

Jamie held both Tasers like a cowboy and laughed. His accent was thicker than Vasquez’s. “Didn’t expect that, did you, pendejo?”

Lorenzo kicked him. “You’re an ugly fuck when you’re half and half. Don’t do that again or I’ll let Jamie shoot you.”

Lorenzo slid the needle into the crook of Brody’s arm and depressed the plunger. He allowed it to fall away. “Let’s hurry. That was a pretty small dose and won’t last.”

Liquid fire flowed through Brody’s veins. The urge to tear into all three of them was still there, just muted. His body was sluggish and unable to change. He might even go to sleep if left alone now.

He tried to speak, but slurred like a drunk.

The men wrenched both arms behind his back then pushed him toward the door. The one who used the needle smiled. “Helpless as a puppy for now though.”

“Can we just get him into the car?” Vasquez peered out the blinds.

Within moments, they’d dragged him to her car and stuffed him into the back. Lorenzo slid into the seat beside him. Jamie had given him one of the Tasers and he held it in the hand lying across his lap.

Their car pulled away from the curb. He leaned his head back and studied the stained roof. For their sake, they’d better have more wolfsbane.

Chapter Twenty-three

Nicole took the stairs two at a time. The door to her apartment was ajar, the lights on. Goosebumps erupted across her skin. It was an all too familiar scenario that reminded her of the night she’d looked for Amy. She stopped just inside the door and listened for any movement within. The kitchen light was on.

“Molly?”

Nicole rolled her shoulders and laughed at her apprehension. Molly had been pretty worked up. She should be halfway to her mother’s house by now. Still, it would have been nice if she had remembered to turn off the light and shut the door.

She sank onto the couch and rubbed at her temples. When had her normal, boring life been set to a maddening spin?

Across the room, the flashing light on the phone indicated that she’d missed a call. She bounced off the cushion and snatched the phone from its cradle. Nicole moved from foot to foot while she waited to connect to the message. 
Please let it be Brody
.

Instead, Molly’s voice rattled through the tiny speakers. “Are you coming or was that your way of getting me out of the house so you could throw a party? Call me soon, Nicky, I’m worried.”

Nicole turned the phone over in her hand. Running up the coast seemed like a cowardly thing to do. It was also the safest thing to do.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. The memory of Sean’s touch disgusted her. Worse than even that was the possibility that she’d wrecked any chance of winning Brody’s forgiveness. She’d thrown him out when all he’d wanted was to protect her.

The creak of a floorboard snapped her attention to the kitchen. Old apartments made odd noises. The other tenants could be noisy and downright obnoxious, but it still gave her the willies. She knew she wouldn’t rest easy until she ruled out the boogeyman so she moved toward the kitchenette. No one lurked amongst the cabinetry. No creatures from the depths of her imagination jumped out to get her.

Nicole sighed and grimaced at her own rattled nerves. She should just join Molly after all. Brody hadn’t called back, and who knew where he was now. She had no reason to stick around. Now she knew Vasquez was one of the bad guys so she couldn’t go to the police about Sean. Who knew who else he had in his pocket? She hated that he would get away with what he’d done to her and no one would be able to stop the ‘shipment’ he was going to receive tomorrow night.

She hurried into the bedroom and packed the clothing and toiletries she’d need. The drive was a couple of hours up the coast, but now that she was unemployed, there was no rush to come back. The mundane task of packing gave her some time to get her emotions under control. And if she hadn’t by the time she arrived, she could spend her entire stay in Mrs. McNeely’s cellar. It might be the only way Molly and her mother would be safe.

Nicole’s cell phone vibrated in her hip pocket. She dug it out and answered, hoping the unavailable number was Brody. Instead, Molly’s voice greeted her. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself. I’m almost ready to go.” She switched the phone to the other ear. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I’m not in control.”

“You said you were in trouble.” Molly’s tone was measured and cool. “You need to get away from there. And you still haven’t told me what Sean did to you. Sleazy asshole.”

“I know, but I really wanted to talk to Brody.”

“He’s a good guy and he’s crazy about you. But maybe you could talk to him later? I won’t feel safe until you’re out of there.”

The old floor creaked again. A loud crash came from the direction of the kitchen. Nicole froze.

“What was that?” Molly’s voice sounded loud in the sudden silence.

Nicole moved toward the sound, keeping the phone against her ear.

Nicole flipped the switch and flooded the kitchen with soft light. “Looks like the pantry door didn’t latch again. The mop and broom fell and knocked over the stuff on the bottom shelf.”

“Just leave it. Get your stuff and get your butt on the road.”

A shadow fell across the fallen mop. Nicole spun to face the intruder and her eyes widened in surprised. A man with a curtain of dark, greasy hair and a dangerous glint in his eyes stepped out.

Aaron knocked the phone away. Molly’s tinny voice screamed her name and demanded to know what was happening.

Aaron's smile revealed jagged teeth. They no longer fit in his mouth and now dimpled his lower lip. His nose his chin had elongated. “Hiya, sweetheart.”

“What the hell are you doing here, Aaron?” She moved backward until her back pressed against the cabinet. He took a step toward her and she scuttled sideways, just out of reach.

“Funny thing,” he said in a voice that sounded anything but human. “Everyone wants you.”

“What?” Nicole darted around the other side of the center island. She jerked open the closest drawer, in search of a weapon. Her fingers danced over spatulas, spoons, and a potato masher.

“Sean wants you. That asswipe Brody can’t wait to get into your pants. And now, the local alpha wants you at this year’s Wild Hunt.” He cast a hateful glare at her and grinned. His claws gripped either side of the counter. Aaron looked grotesque, half-formed and hunched over the island.

“But you work for Sean.” Her fingers continued to grope useless items inside the drawer.

“I work for the highest bidder, baby.” Dark hair sprouted over his forehead and jaw line. “The alpha wants to use you against Sean.”

Aaron moved around the end of the island. Nicole struggled to yank the drawer from its slot. She slung the entire thing at him. A spatula, slotted spoons, and a pizza cutter bounced across the floor.

She bolted for the doorway, but Aaron was just a breath away. His fingers caught in her hair and came away with silken strands. “Don’t make me chase you, Nicky.”

He managed to get close enough to give her a shove. She stumbled and her shoulder struck the wall. She didn’t even have time to draw a breath to scream. Aaron pinned her against the wall. One hand closed around her throat.

Nicole kicked out, caught him on the shin, but it didn’t deter him. This was just like old times. But now there was a difference he hadn’t counted on — now she fought back. She raked nails across his face, kicked, and thrashed against him.

Aaron sent a quick jab to her ribs. Air burst from her lungs and she doubled at the waist. He smiled and reached for her again. This time, she bit his arm. The coppery taste of his blood filled her mouth. He howled in anger then swung at her, knocking her away.

Aaron growled and thrust her against the wall. Pieces of drywall sprinkled the floor at their feet. His fist closed around her throat once more and he lifted her off her feet.

Nicole gasped and her face grew red. Her eyes watered as tiny black specks burst across her vision. Her nails tore his hands to ribbons. Lack of oxygen forced strangled noises from her. Her limbs grew weak and began to tremble. Her legs refused to lash out at him, her left arm fell limp to her side.

“That’s right.” A wicked look dominated his wolfish features. “Give in to it.”

Nicole’s vision continued to darken. Her other hand fell to her side and her eyes drifted shut. She was vaguely aware of slumping against him once he let her go. The kiss he placed on her forehead made her want to scream. But not even her voice would obey her now.

Unconsciousness played a game of seduction that she couldn’t win. Her mind shut down and the last thing she remembered was Aaron lifting her over his shoulder.