Caution to the Wind: Book One of the Elementals Series (14 page)

Chapter Seventeen

Everything was a moment. That was the only measurement of time Loren allowed them to have. They didn’t have minutes or hours. Only moments.

When she woke up later in the morning, Avery was still asleep. She woke him with gentle kisses and eased him into another round. She found one other condom in his jeans. This time, they went slower and Loren lost herself completely again.

Afterward, they lazed around in bed. They talked for some time before hunger became an issue. With the security system being down, Avery threw on his jeans and headed to the kitchen while Loren showered. He returned with a tray of food.

“You got pancakes?” Loren noticed as she stepped out of the bathroom, clean and dressed in her t-shirt and panties once again. She ran the towel over her wet hair.

“I did. And fruit, cereal, bagels—I didn’t know what you’d like.”

She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the tray.  “It looks like you’ve picked everything I’ve ever eaten for breakfast and put them in one meal.”

“Yeah, that’s possible.” Avery sat on the bed and helped himself to a slice of melon.

Loren smiled and picked up a bagel. She searched the tray for some cream cheese and opened the lid. “Thanks.”

“Is this what we’re going to do?”

“Hmm?” She licked the cream cheese from her thumb.

“Over the next couple days? While everything is up in the air? Are we going to stay here in bed?”

“Uh, I didn’t think about it. It’s really lazy, you know? And I have training with Callum and Eva, and you have…” She trailed off, tilting her head. “What
do
you have?”

Avery smiled softly and selected a strawberry from the bowl. “I’m a freeloader. I have nothing.”

“I guess I am too. We can stay here and freeload for a while. I don’t see a problem with it.”

“You don’t?”

“No.” She smiled shyly as she smeared the cream cheese on her bagel. “I’m kind of enjoying it.”

“Yeah, I did notice that.” He smirked.

She blushed and took a bite from her bagel. She chewed thoughtfully. “You like it, right? Not just the uh sex?”

“Of course I do.” He looked to her. “What kind of question is that?”

She pushed the hair away from her face. “It’s some old insecurities cropping up. It’s nothing.”

“It’s never
just
nothing.” He ate another piece of fruit before he leaned back against the headboard. “But I understand.”

She continued to eat in silence. She picked up a glass of juice and sipped it.

Avery closed his eyes as he rested. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and stood. He walked over to the window and peeled back the curtain.

She picked out a strawberry. “Everything’s okay, right?”

“Yeah. Still tense about the system being down.” He closed the curtain and turned back to her. “I’m trying to put it out of my mind, but remain on guard.”

She wet her lips with the juice again before she put aside. “Avery, come here.”

He hesitated before he stepped back over. He rubbed the back of his neck and resumed his place beside her. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I get it.” She moved the tray aside and scooted close to him. She settled against his side. His arm automatically went around her.

She had a hundred thoughts, most of which weren’t comforting at all. She was just as unsettled by it as Avery, but she didn’t want to think about it either. “Do you want to watch TV?” she suggested.

“If you want.”

“It might take our minds off things.”

“It might.” His hand lazily ran along her arm. “Or we could find something else to do.” He looked down at her. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

She leaned her head back to look at him. She tried to match his smirk. “You don’t have any more condoms do you?”

He laughed and leaned in for a kiss.

~~*~~

Something woke her.

The room was dark. Night had fallen and Avery slept beside her. Her brow furrowed some as she lifted her head from the pillow. Loren peered into the darkness, her eyes adjusting.

A strong hand clamped over her mouth. Her eyes went wide. A sudden prick of pain in her arm made her cry out, but the noise was stifled. Before she realized what had happened, someone pulled her from the bed. Another pair of arms wrapped around her.

“Quiet.” The voice was male, hushed.

She bit back her next protest. She saw two other dark-clad masked figures in the darkness. They had hold of Avery. He struggled against them while two others stood nearby.

Six against two.

Avery jerked an arm loose and swung at one of them. He dodged the incoming blow and a fist connected solidly with Avery’s stomach. He groaned and doubled over.

Loren renewed her struggles. The arms that held her tightened even more and crushed her arms against her body. She couldn’t breathe. As if realizing that, her attacker dropped his hand from her mouth.

She took a huge gulp of air and exhaled. She hoped for a gust big enough to send the attackers back. She could do it. She had it in her.

Nothing happened.

The gruff voice spoke again. “Nice try, princess.”

The pain in her arm made sense. Someone had used an inhibitor on her, and Avery too. If he had his ability, the entire room would be aflame. Their powers were gone.

“Let her go!” A fist slammed into his jaw and Avery went quiet. A trickle of blood dripped from the cut on his lip.

That was all she saw before a heavy, stifling cloth went over her head. “Avery!” She couldn’t see, but she struggled against the man who held her. She stomped down hard on his foot. The pressure of her bare heel against the leather footwear did nothing.

Someone jerked her forward. Her arms were free, but then brought together where something tight and constricting secured them. She gasped when a pair of arms hoisted her up and threw her over a massive shoulder.

“Avery!” she called again, voice muffled by the hood. She heard nothing but the shuffling of footsteps as they carried her. “No!”

“I told you we should’ve brought duct tape. Shut her up,” someone demanded.

“Let her go, you fuckers!” There was a groan and a shuffle as Avery struggled. Another blow landed.

“Avery!”

Something solid smacked against the side of her head. Loren groaned then went silent.

~~*~~

“I’m telling you we’re fine. We’re out of the woods.” There was a pause. “Literally.”

The rocking motion made Loren nauseous. Probably not a good idea to puke inside the hood. She could see nothing, but she could hear and feel. The vehicle made a sudden turn, causing her to lurch in her seat. Strong hands steadied her before she could fall over.

The side of her head hurt. The blow hadn’t been enough to knock her out completely. After wavering in and out of consciousness, she’d finally gone limp and forced herself to stay as still as she could.

They’d taken her to a vehicle. A sliding door opened and the men tossed her inside.

Her head was at an uncomfortable angle. To keep up the ruse, she let her head loll forward with the jostling of the vehicle. Her neck ached. The bindings securing her wrists bit into her skin. She endured her discomforts in silence.

Her head swam from the blow and she struggled to make sense of it all. Were they responsible for Avery’s attack last week? Were they his enemies?

Was Avery okay? Were the others? They’d been right about the security system maintenance leaving them vulnerable. How did the men get into her room undetected? How did they know to use the inhibitor? Where were they taking her? How was she getting out of here? Would Avery save her? Where was
he
?

There were so many questions. Her head ached.

Loren gnawed on her lip and listened. Maybe there might be a clue in the conversation. Her head rolled to the side.

“I still say someone will follow us.” She recognized the gruff voice of the man who’d dragged her from bed. “We didn’t exactly leave the place as quietly as we came in.”

“The others were asleep like we were told they’d be. It was the girl we had to get.”

“We got her.” Someone nudged her shoulder. She shifted with the movement and her head fell to the other side. They laughed.

“And she can’t do a damn thing either. She’s got some pretty legs.” A hand suddenly rested on her bare thigh.

She was glad she’d put on her t-shirt and panties after her last round with Avery. This was bad enough, but to be naked? She was glad the hood covered her face. No one could see her blush.

When the hand began to slide up her inner thigh, Loren tightened her lips. She contained her noise of disgust and remained motionless. If his hand went any further, she didn’t care if she blew her cover. She would hit him.

              “Keep your hands to yourself.”

Her breath hitched before she could stop it. She knew that voice. She knew it well.

The hand moved from her leg and Levi spoke again. “You weren’t supposed to knock her out. How badly did you damage her face?”

Loren seethed. Her hands twitched in their bindings, fingers tightening into fists. A big part of the puzzle fell right into place.

Son of a bitch.

“Take off the hood,” Levi demanded. Loren tightened her eyes shut before some wrenched the hood from her head. There was no way she could pretend to be unconscious now, but she kept her eyes closed anyway.

“You’re not fooling me, Loren. Open your eyes.” He sounded annoyed.

She opened her eyes and immediately fixed him with a glare. “You’re a piece of shit.”

              “Tell me something I don’t know.” He grabbed her chin. She went rigid, but he jerked her head to the side all the same.

“That’ll leave a bruise. That’s
great
.” He rolled his eyes and released his hold. He resumed his seat.

Loren pressed her lips tightly together. If she could use her powers, she would’ve wiped the self-satisfied smirk from his face with an F-5 tornado.

“Why are you doing this?” She kept her eyes on him. It was like watching a snake. If she looked away, he could strike at any moment.

“Oh, Loren. Always asking the wrong questions.” Levi swiped at the smartphone in his hand. “You’ll find out soon enough. Just relax.
If
you can.” He glanced away from the phone and lazily looked her over. His lips curled up into more of a smirk. “He’s right, though. You
do
have nice legs.”

Loren clenched her teeth and looked away.

Chapter Eighteen

When they replaced the hood, Loren didn’t make it easy for them. She jerked her head from side to side, but they managed to keep it in place.

The vehicle came to a sudden stop. Rough hands seized her upper arms and pulled her out. Her bare feet touched cold, hard pavement. A door opened and strong arms forced her into a warm room.

“I can walk.” The hood muffled her voice and her words went unheard.

A hand pushed on her shoulder and forced her to sit in a chair. Heavy ropes pulled around her and tightened. She winced at the mistreatment.

Loren’s eyes shut tightly against the bright light when the hood left her. She opened them in a squint until her eyes adjusted enough to view her surroundings.

It was an office. There was a couple of chairs and a desk. A large filing cabinet rested against the wall. There was a small window. To the right of it was a bookshelf.

Two of the masked figures stood at the desk. Levi leaned against it. In his hand was a wad of bills. He counted them out, passing some to each man. With curt nods, they accepted their payment and left the room.

She fixed Levi with a glare.

“Oh, glare all you want. It doesn’t bother me.”

“I knew there was something off about you.”

“Yeah?” Levi hopped up to sit on the desk. He flashed her a grin. “You’re not as smart as you think you are.”

She bristled. “At least I didn’t betray my friends.”

He laughed. “Friends? Cal, Eva, and Avery?
Please
. I was never a friend. I was just the guy who figured out the truth and capitalized on it.”

Loren swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away from him.

“I guess you
are
smart.” He paused, rethinking it. “Well,
smarter
. It took them three years to figure it out, and you’ve had a week.”

She didn’t give him any response. Her feet were cold. She shifted them on the floor.

“But you’re not a genius. Good work though. I give you props.” Levi went back to his smartphone. After a few moments, he put the device away and slid off the top of the desk. “Sit tight. I’ll be back.” He stepped over to a door to the right of the desk and disappeared through it. The door slammed shut.

She was alone. She wiggled her arms. It did nothing to loosen the ropes. Her wrists were stuck together and there was no leverage for her to even try to lift them.

Why couldn’t she have been the one to have super strength? She envied Eva. Then again, there was the damn inhibitor. If she had her powers, she could do something, anything. She wouldn’t need super strength then.

Loren did the only thing she could do. She placed her feet on the floor and used her heels to scoot the chair back. It scraped loudly across the floor. She winced at the noise but did it again. She moved a few feet. Turning her head, she tried to view what was behind her. She couldn’t tell. For all her efforts, she could be backing herself into a wall.

She stopped when she saw the door open. Levi returned, but he wasn’t alone. Behind him, a tall woman dressed in black stepped in. She had sharp features and full lips. Her eyes were dark as was her hair, which tightly coiled around her head in an elaborate braid. The woman looked imposing. Loren didn’t recognize her.

Her clothing looked similar to Avery’s Shadow outfit. Loren noticed the hood on her coat when she approached the desk and faced Levi.

This woman had attacked Avery. Loren had no doubts. Her eyes narrowed.

“This is she?” The woman had a thick voice, heavy with an accent Loren couldn’t place. It sounded like Russian, but not quite. A small smile touched the woman’s full lips. It didn’t reach her eyes.

“The prodigal herself.” Levi nodded.

“Hardly a prodigal. Hardly much at all. Why is she naked?”

Loren flushed again. Her fingers flexed.

“She’s not naked.”

“She may as well be. Find some clothing for her. Something to properly cover her.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “I’ll send someone.” He brought out his phone again. The woman neared Loren.

Every movement was graceful and suggested poise, dignity. When she reached the chair, she stretched out a gloved hand to touch a strand of Loren’s hair. “You’re not much to look at. No great beauty. I expected something more.”

Loren turned away, but the woman gripped her chin and forced her to face her. “Who’s responsible for this bruise?”

“You can thank your hired goons,” Levi answered, not looking up from his phone.

“Hmm.”

Loren noticed the woman’s eyes were so dark they were nearly black.

The woman’s lips curved into another, softer smile. “Ah, but I see a resemblance. The shape of the face. Her nose.”

The woman kept the tight grip on her chin, studying her features carefully. Her eyes finally met Loren’s gaze. The deceivingly sweet smile stayed on her face. “Father will be pleased.”

“Oh, will he? I’m glad to hear it.” Levi spoke in a monotone.

“Who are you?” Loren’s voice trembled. She hated that it did.

The woman regarded Loren again with her steely gaze. She peeled off her gloves easily. Her hands were pale. “My name is Ruth.”

“Short for Ruthless.” Levi snickered. Ruth shot him a glare and he shrugged, grinning.

“Yes. Ruthless.” She looked at Loren. “And you are Loren Bramley.”

“How do you know me?”

Ruth placed her gloves on the desk. “Believe me, dear, I know everything.” Her lips pursed slightly. “The real question is: how well do you know yourself?”

Loren was at a loss. She didn’t know much about herself, she realized. She didn’t know much about her powers, or her connections to the Morgan siblings. She’d only started to learn. She didn’t answer.

“Just as I assumed.”

She gathered her thoughts before she lifted her head to Ruth. “You attacked Avery the other night. You demanded to know where I was.”

“That’s an over-exaggeration. There was no attack. I merely inquired as to your whereabouts and he grew defensive.”

“You shot him with an arrow.”

“I did. Yes.” She was blunt.

“He could’ve died.”

Ruth let out a soft laugh. “I do admit I have some skill with a bow but that was hardly a fatal wound. If I wanted him dead, I would’ve killed him. I let him live. I knew he’d survive.”

That unsettled her. Loren glared at her.

“And there’s the look. Ah, I recognize that look.”

Levi returned to the desk, where he sat on the edge of the desktop. He smirked as he looked at Loren. “She’s good with that glare. If looks could kill, I think we’d all be dead.”

“How fortunate for us they cannot.”

“What’s going on? What do you want from me?”

“As much as I love seeing you struggle to figure things out on your own, I don’t think we have the lifetime to wait.” Levi chuckled. “We’re holding you for ransom. Remember that shit I said about you not being important? That was a lie. Something to play on your insecurities. To fuck with you.” He lifted a hand in a vague gesture before he dropped it. “All a ruse. Bring you in a false sense of security.”

“Just like you told everyone you were working on the security system at the manor?” Loren shot back.

“I
designed
that system. I
implemented
it myself. There are no bugs in it. I honestly thought someone would’ve made a bigger argument about it. No one questions the magitech. I
always
know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah. Looks like you really did.”

“Oh, you’ve been around Avery too long. I swear you sound just like him.” Ruth cleared her throat and steered Levi back on topic. “You weren’t nothing, Loren. You’re
everything
.”

Loren stared at him, confused.

Levi smirked. “See, we kind of figured out who you were. Well, I did. Callum knew. He has that advantage, being the head of the household and all. His daddy and Castle told him everything. He knew. I figured it out. And Ruthie here knows too.”

“Know what?”

“That you’re some big deal. Heir to the kingdom, baby.”

“What?” This made no sense at all.

“Frederick Castle was your grandfather.” Ruth took over the explanation. Her dark eyes stayed on Loren. “Your mother was his daughter. She died when you were born. To protect you, he sent you to a foster family. You are his heir.
The
heir.”

Loren’s breath caught. Ruth’s lips lifted in another, tight smile.

“We sought you out and discovered a lead a week ago. One of my men found you. Unfortunately, he was dispatched before he could bring you to us.”

Realization dawned. “The mugger. He worked for you.”

“Wow, she finally got one right.” Levi chuckled.

Ruth ignored him. “His methods were unsavory but would’ve proved effective. Once the Shadow made his involvement known, it was really a matter of waiting to achieve our goal. He led us right to you.”

“No.”

“Yes.” Levi grinned. “Do you know what’s happening now? What all of this means?”

She didn’t.

“We’re ransoming you for the stones. You know, the ones that can open the portal to another world?” Levi looked pointedly at Loren. “I know the others will give the stones up in exchange to see you safely returned.”

Ruth stepped forward and leaned down to look at her again. For some time, her gaze remained steadily intent on Loren’s face.

“You’re our ticket, cousin. It means we’re going home.”