Forever's Fight (4 page)

“May I come in?” Respecting her privacy, he stood in the hallway. She didn’t bother to look up from where she sat in the small sitting area across from the bed. The bedroom was cozy and painted in welcoming colors. The accent wall behind the bed was a warm mauve, adding just enough color while the other walls were a snowy white. Since they had been there, she’d made it her own space, with the sparrow gray comforter and white and pink pillows accenting the bed.

“If you must,” she said.

“Are you okay?” He strolled toward her and she glanced up, her eyebrow raised.

“I can’t recall the last time I didn’t feel this terror. It’s become a constant companion and I don’t even remember half of what happened to me.” She ran her fingers her through her hair. “Maybe that’s part of the problem…not knowing what happened.”

“If you want to know I can help you with that.” Not wanting her to stumble across them, he’d hidden the recovered documents and hard drive in the safe in his room. If she were ready, he’d give her what information he had. If that weren’t enough, he could try some of the tricks he had learned in medical school to help her remember.

“Every time I close my eyes, I see enough of that place. Even through the haze that still hangs over it, I remember bits and pieces. When I look in the mirror…” Her voice cracked and he thought about the scars that marred her body. “I’m not sure I ever want to know the whole truth.”

“There might come a day you do. When that time comes, let me know, and I’ll do my best to help you. You might never know everything that happened there, and maybe that’s a good thing.”

“There are others who are suffering the same fate, and yet we sit here doing nothing.”

He sank down on the sofa next to her and took her hand into his. “We can’t run off half-crazed every time we get a lead. We need to put together a plan and go there with our best chances. Otherwise, we could end up captured or killed.”

“You think this scientist will be willing to help?”

“I hope I’ll be able to get to her. She’ll help. We’ll close down this lab, too.” He squeezed her hand in reassurance. “Austin can be a little too threatening at first, but if you want me to stay here with you, I can send him to find her instead.”

“Stay with me, why?” She tipped her head to look at him.

“The thought of another lab might make the nightmares harder.”

“I can handle them.” With a deep sigh, she leaned back against the sofa. “Okay, so I haven’t been doing a very good job of it, but don’t let that stop you. You need to go and find this woman. I hate to think of the captives suffering one more day there. We’ve got to stop it.”

He turned enough to be able to see her and still keep his hand over hers. “We’re going to, I promise.”

“Then you have to go. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

“I always worry about you and the rest of the family, but as long as you stay here I know you’ll be safe. I don’t want you venturing too far from the castle while I’m away. Got that?”

She nodded, but it did little to quell the fear within him. Since he had become Alpha of their outlaw band, he had a deep connection to each of them that wasn’t only family but was what a true Alpha would have. He could sense them, their emotions, and if they were in trouble.

When she was a prisoner in the lab, they’d kept her so drugged that it minimized their connection. He could have mistaken her for dead if there hadn’t been a slight tug between them. He couldn’t determine where she was, but every once in a while he’d feel the terror within her. When his guard was down he could feel the pain they inflicted on her, just as if they were doing it to him. It tore at him, making his lion testy, but he held it together for his pride. As any good Alpha would, he tried to send his strength to her, to let her know they were coming for her. Maybe that’s what got her through it and kept her fighting.

Subject has more fight within her than previously studied subjects. Unable to determine the cause. Use extreme caution when handling the subject.
Those statements were repeated over and over in the files he had found on her. While she’d always refused to take anyone’s shit, she was naturally more outspoken than physically combative. According to the files, her attitude had become more pronounced when she was captured. Now it seemed as though it had all but dissipated. Even her outspokenness had gone. She was more reserved than she had ever been before.

Oh Jade, somehow we’re going to help you find the person you were. I miss my baby sister—the woman she was.

Sometimes he felt as though he was still trying to rescue her. More than ever, he was determined to get her back.

The sun was sinking into the horizon as Clarissa eased open the back door to the old cabin. Childhood memories came rushing back. This was the only place her family gathered, and had time together, without her father rushing off to deal with some emergency at work or her mother juggling her social schedule to the point that she forgot to be a parent. For the one week they’d spent there every summer, they were a real family again.

The cabin was completely isolated. Even if someone knew where they were going, it was easy to get lost. When Dean had given her the computer virus, they’d decided that if anything should ever happen, and they needed to meet secretly, they’d do it there. They wouldn’t be able to stay long because eventually someone would find them, but it was the only place they’d both feel safe enough to go to alone.

She didn’t bother to find a candle for light. The last rays of sun were enough to illuminate the small cabin, and Dean was nowhere in sight.
Where are you?

Even though she knew she was safe there for the time being, she couldn’t bring herself to risk looking out the window. Instead she hunkered down in the corner, hidden within the shadows while still being able to keep an eye on both the front and back doors. She’d sit there and wait as long as she had to. If her brother didn’t show up, she didn’t have any other plans. She was counting on him to help get her out of this mess.

How was she supposed to hide from the powers behind Hathaway Medical if they were using shifters to follow her scent? She couldn’t run forever and eventually they’d find her. She was betting they’d catch up to her soon, and it terrified her. She was going to do her best to avoid capture, even if that meant ending her own life. If they caught her off guard and captured her, then her worst fears would come to life. From everything she had learned about them, she knew they wouldn’t kill her quickly. They’d take their time, drawing it out until she begged for them to end her life. She swore to herself that she wouldn’t beg for her life, or for them to end it. She’d at least die with some dignity.

The headline from that morning’s paper ran through her thoughts.
Woman torn limb from limb by shifters.
Three wolves had broken into a woman’s house, terrorizing her until they ripped her apart while she fought for her life. Splashed there on the front page was a picture of the bloody crime scene, instilling fear in every citizen.

Would shifters actually do that? Or was this another stunt by the government to remind everyone they should fear the shifters? Either way, it had accomplished what they intended. She was terrified. The image kept running through her thoughts until she wondered if she could end up a victim of shifters. Would Hathaway Medical release the shifters who were seeking her out to kill her?

A twig cracked outside and the wind howled almost in warning. She pulled the gun from her bag and stood. Doing her best to stay in the shadows, and keep her back pressed against the wall, she aimed the gun at the door.
Please let it be Dean.

The handle turned and the door slid open, casting another ray of sunshine across the floor. Even with the extra light, all she could see was an imposing figure. It was a man, but no other discerning features were clear.

As quickly as the door opened, it shut again. “Clarissa?” Dean whispered, his head turning as he glanced around the cabin.

“Oh, Dean!” Her hand shook badly as she lowered the gun. It nearly slipped out of her grip. “I thought you’d never make it.”

“I came as quickly as I could. It took longer to get a plane back to the states than I expected.” His backpack hit the floor with a thump and he moved toward her. “You okay?”

“Never better.” She couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice as she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. “What have I gotten us into?”

“Nothing more than I have.” He hugged her tight for a moment before stepping back. “Let’s sit down.”

“What’s going on?” She sat down on the sofa and pulled her legs up under her.

“I got transferred overseas almost at the same time you were recruited by Hathaway Medical. I didn’t find it suspicious until I got there, and once I found out what they wanted me for, I was worried about your safety. When you told me you were running, I was ready. I had already put in for leave to come back here and try to get you away from them.”

“What happened? What did they want you for?” She leaned forward, trying to see him, but he tipped his head away from her and out of the light.

“I saw things you wouldn’t believe. The torture…” He leaned back against the sofa. “One thing is for sure, we need somewhere safe to hide.”

“I don’t know if anywhere safe still exists. Hathaway Medical has shifters on my tail. It’s the only way I can explain how they keep finding me. That or they have people spread out all over the country or the world.” She wrapped her arms around her waist. “I’ve had too many narrow escapes to believe otherwise.”

“I’ll figure out something. In the meantime, I’m sure you’re starving. I know I am. I’ve got some sandwiches in my bag.” He moved and the glow from one of the windows cascaded off his cheek. Butterfly bandages covered a long fresh wound that ran from the middle of his ear, almost to his jaw. She reached out, and he leaned out of the light as if he had realized what she’d seen.

“What happened?”

“It’s nothing.” He got up and grabbed the bag and began digging out the sandwiches. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Dean.” She wasn’t going to let it go, not when it was clear he was trying to hide something. They needed to trust each other and that meant telling each other everything. “Tell me what happened. How bad where things over there?”

Before he could answer, they were startled when the front door was flung open and a man stood in the doorway, his ominous figure blocking most of it. Dean dropped the bag and pulled a gun from the waistband of his jeans. “You step one foot into this house, and I’ll shoot. Don’t think I won’t.”

“I have no issues with you. I’m looking for a Doctor Clarissa Greenwood and I know she’s here.” A deep voice sent chills up her spine.

“She’s none of your business and if you want her you’ll have to go through me.”

She glanced toward where she had set her gun aside and cursed. There was no chance she’d get to it before things got out of hand. Wanting to calm the situation until she could grab her gun, she decided to approach it from another angel. “Did Hathaway Medical send you?”

“No.”

Another figured moved just behind the man in the door, sending a wave of nausea washing over her. “Who’s there with you?”

“My brother. Unless you want someone else to stumble on us, I suggest you put down the weapon and let us in.”

“How do we know we can trust you?” Dean kept his gun aimed at the other man’s head.

“You’ll have to take my word for it, unless you want me to drag a body in front of you. We caught someone stalking just far enough behind Doctor Greenwood that he’d gone unnoticed by her.” When they remained silent, he turned his head and said to the person behind him, “Fetch the body.”

“No!” She shot to her feet. “Don’t! That won’t be necessary. I don’t want to see that.”

“Then may we come in?”

“No,” Dean said. “You can leave, that’s what you can do.” He kept his gun pointed at the man in the door. “Whatever you want, we can’t help you. We know nothing and just want to be left alone.”

“We’re here to help Doctor Greenwood. Who are you, anyway?”

She placed her hand on her brother’s arm. “Dean, let them in. It’s freezing, and leaving the door open will draw attention if anyone is still out there.”

“We don’t know who they are or what they want. We can’t just let them in.”

“As I said, we’re here to help. If we wanted to kill either of you, we’d have done so already. Now we’re coming in unless you want to deal with the others we spotted in town yourselves.” He folded his arms over his chest. “What’s it going to be?”

“Come in.” She stepped around her brother, blocking his line of sight. It might have been a bad idea, but her sixth sense kicked in, sending her into action. He looked imposing and dangerous, but something told her to trust him. “Tell me who you are.”

“I’m Patrick O’Reilly, and I’m also a doctor.” Once inside, he was followed by another man who could have been his twin except he was a little smaller and seemed younger. “This is my brother, Blake.”

The door clicked shut behind them as if to remind her of the decision she’d made. She wasn’t only risking herself, but Dean as well. “Why have you come here? How do you know my name, or that I’d be here?”

“I know you worked at Hathaway Medical.” With that, Dean grabbed her arm and tugged her back, training the gun on Patrick again. “There’s no need for the weapon, at least not when it comes to me.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Dean’s grip tightened. “Get out of here,” he told Clarissa. “I’ll deal with them.”

Patrick leaned against the wall, a smirk on his face. “If you’d just listen to me for a minute, you’d understand I’m here to help. Clarissa—if you don’t mind me calling you by your first name—do you remember a security guard named Andrew?”

“Andrew…he warned me to watch that experiment.” She thought back and tried to remember what he had actually said to her. Had he known what would happen when she realized what was going on? If he had suspected she’d run, then was she wrong about Patrick and his brother? Had they come to take her back to Hathaway Medical? She had risked Dean on a hunch, and now it looked like it was biting them both in the ass.

Dean’s gaze left Patrick for the first time as he looked to her for answers. “What does he mean?”

Patrick cut in. “Andrew alerted us to your situation and sent us to help you.”

“Then you’re here representing Hathaway Medical.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m here representing the shifters.”

In a split second, Dean had pushed her down in front of the sofa, and a deafening gunshot exploded. Someone dove at her brother, knocking the gun from his hand and across the room. Without a second thought, she crawled toward it, keeping low and away from the scuffle. Her hand closed over the top of the gun, the smooth metal cool against her touch, when an arm wrapped around her waist.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I told you we bring you no harm.”

“Then leave.” She turned her head to look at him and found herself face to face with Patrick. His shoulder-length golden blond hair had a slight wave to it, but it was his eyes that drew her in. She could feel her body reacting to him. There was something about him that made her feel safe. Something told her that as long as she was with him, she’d always be protected.
That’s insane. He’s a shifter. Danger follows him everywhere.

“You trusted me enough to invite us in, so trust me for a little bit longer,” he implored her.

“Then stop playing games and tell me why you’re here,” she snapped. “How does Andrew play into this, and how did you know I’d be here? Andrew would have never known that.” Something crashed in the background, reminding her that Dean and Blake were still in a physical altercation. “Before you do that, get your brother off Dean.”

Patrick whistled loud, once again making her ears protest. “That’s enough, both of you.” Blake turned to look at them, and Dean used that moment to get another punch in, hitting his opponent squarely on the jaw. The other man was above him, straddling his chest as he tried to gain control.

“Damn it, Dean! Stop this.” She stood, taking the gun with her as she rose. Patrick kept a surprisingly gentle hand on her arm. “We’re going to sit down and hear them out. If you can’t handle that, then step outside and cool off.”

“I come all this way to help you and you’d rather trust these two? Fuck, Clarissa, their shifters. You’ve seen what can happen—”

“You’re right, Dean. I’ve seen what can happen when they’re tortured. When they’re pressed into a corner, poked and prodded. But none of that’s happening here.”

“Do you think they care that you didn’t perform any of the experiments? They only want to eliminate another one of the people involved.”

“You don’t know us, so don’t pretend to know what we’d do.” Blake just shook his head, refusing to budge.

“Blake, let him up. He’s going to behave so we can sit down and talk.” At Patrick’s order, Blake rose and offered Dean a hand.

Despite what had happened, including Dean shooting at them and the physical altercation, Blake’s actions exuded kind consideration. That surprised her more than anything else so far. “The gun went off,” she said as if realizing it for the first time.

“Everyone is fine. Blake and I stepped out of the way, you can see where the bullet met the wall near the door. Now, how about we put the gun aside before someone gets injured?”

“Don’t do it, Clarissa,” Dean warned.

“I’m not asking you to give it to me, just put it aside.” Patrick looked over at Blake. “Turning on a light will be like a beacon for anyone who might have followed, so see if you can find some candles.”

“There’s no electricity, anyway. Candles are in the first cabinet on the right in the kitchen.” She sat the gun on the end table but she couldn’t take her gaze off it. Was she doing the right thing or jeopardizing their safety?