Foxy Lady (13 page)

“We’ll find her,” Ty said with quiet assurance. “Grady, do me a favor and call Cullen Whitefeather. Explain the situation but keep it brief. I don’t want anyone else to know about this. Cullen can help us. We need eyes in the sky.”

“Not necessary. I called for help an hour ago when Grady mentioned you were after Hunters, and Cullen volunteered his brother Sean. He knows what to do, and he’ll keep it quiet.”

“Good thinking.” Ty nodded.

“Sean Whitefeather?” Julia tried to process everything.

Ty answered her. “While you were in Washington, your buddy Sarah fought a clan duel, got a corrupt raptor leader and his family kicked out of town, and mated Cullen, Sean’s brother.”

“Cullen’s not comfortable leaving Sarah alone right now, with all the clan unrest, so Sean’s helping instead,” Monty said.

“I had no idea.” Lost in worries about Meghan, Julia had missed her best friend’s major life changes. “Oh my God. I hope Sarah’s all right.”

Monty chuckled. “Honey, Sarah is more than all right. She mated with a fierce raptor. The idiot’s so in love with her it’s not funny.” Monty glanced from Ty to Julia. “A lot like someone else I know.”

Ty glared but said nothing.

Grady shook his head at Ty. “And another one bites the dust. Wait until I tell Burke.” He opened his mouth to speak again and closed it. He sniffed the air and eyed Gabby with a confused expression she studiously ignored.

“Now what?” Julia ran her hands through her hair and sought calm. But try as she might, she couldn’t think past her anxiety for her baby sister.

“Now we let Sean tail our new friends and see where they’ve stashed your sister,” Monty answered. “We’ll see how many Hunters there are and what we’re up against. I suggest we settle down and wait.”

“I don’t want to wait. I want to find my sister.” Her eyes changed, and she could feel her fangs and claws pushing for freedom. “Let’s drag the information out of the ones spying on us. Hell, it’s two of them against the five of us.”

“Six counting Sean. Good idea, Julia. I’ll help,” Gabby offered.

A chorus of male
noes
resounded.

Ty took the sting out of his rejection by explaining. “Julia, Monty saw two men, but we don’t know how many there are. I know you want action, but the smart thing is to study them and see where this leads. Trust me, this could get ugly quick.”

“I do trust you. But that’s Meghan out there. My little sister with the biggest mouth.” Julia threw herself down into a comfortable leather couch and stared into a warm fire. “Find her soon, Ty, or I’m going to get her with or without your help.”

Gabby nodded, supporting her sister. Ty clenched his jaw, breathed deep, and joined the men gathered across the room. They spoke in low voices, occasionally glancing at her and Gabby.

She ignored their chatter for the most part, worried sick about what Hunters might have done to Meghan.

“We’ll get her back, Julia. We will.” Gabby looked so earnest, so young.

Julia trusted Ty, she loved him, but
she
was responsible for her sister. Meghan had been Julia’s responsibility for twenty years. Her problems were Julia’s, not Ty’s.

“Yeah, we will.” Julia leaned closer to her sister. “While they’re making their plans, I think you and I need to make ours.”

Chapter Nine

Eight hours later, at a quarter to midnight, Ty, Sean, Monty and Grady waited outside an abandoned motel on the edge of town. The seedy outdoor building had one truck parked in its lot. The lights in the parking lot didn’t work, and the dank smell of disuse made it plain that the neglected place hadn’t seen visitors in a while. Sean’s reconnaissance had shown them two Hunters in an upstairs room adjoined to the one in which Meghan and Jason sat, tied to chairs, bloodied and beaten, but alive.

He couldn’t help being glad Julia and Gabby had stayed behind. If Julia saw her sister tied up in a place like this, in Meghan’s current condition, she’d shit a brick.

But at least they only had the two men to worry about. The pair hadn’t moved for several hours. They hadn’t made any calls, and they hadn’t received any visitors. The Hunters occupied a corner room on the second floor. On the side of the building, an overhang protected the hotel’s dumpster.

Ty and his friends waited by the large bin, and Ty tried to keep a calm head. He had to be cool and in control for Julia.
God, he loved her so damned much. Nothing would hurt her if he could help it.

He had a hard time believing Ned Williams Senior and another male he hadn’t met were behind this kidnapping, but he’d spotted them earlier with his own eyes. Hell, he’d watched a fucking basketball game with the senior Williams. How could he not have sensed a Hunter so close?

“Don’t worry about it, Ty. They’re hard to detect,”
Monty said softly, using the mental pathways of the Ac-taw. He wagged his silver tail as he sat atop the wide trash bin and kept his head cocked, listening for any sign of trouble.

Grady curled his tail around his legs. He sat on the cold hard ground, his eyes flashing with anger. Like Monty, he’d shifted into his animal spirit, a cinnamon-colored mountain lion. Sean perched high on a telephone pole next to them, a golden eagle watching the hotel with piercing eyes. Only Ty remained in a man’s form, gun in hand, ready to go into action as soon as the moon disappeared behind the clouds again.

They had to make the funniest sight. A man, a wolf, a cougar and an eagle. Sounded like the beginning of a very bad joke.

Grady rumbled,
“No offense, Ty, but what the hell are you doing taking a mate? When did you have the time? I just saw you on Sunday and you were happily single, or am I wrong?”
He studied Ty like a bug under a microscope.

Monty scoffed.
“Come on, Grady. You know he’s always had it bad for Julia. Never could take his eyes off her in school.”

Ty answered,
“Shut up, Monty. You were too busy staying out of school—suspended—to know jack shit about me then.”

“Yep,”
Monty continued.
“Used to moon over her like a strung-up calf needing its momma. Julia, look at meeee.”

The tension remained high, but the burst of humor lightened it.

Then Monty’s smile left him.
“Ty, you sure not calling in the wolf pack was a wise idea? Gray wolves are good for something, you know. We take Hunter business very seriously.”

“Normally I’d say yes. But I want Shifters I can trust on this. And no offense, but your pack is trying to gut one another half the time. I’m never sure who’s even in charge anymore.”

“You have a point. And no offense taken. They’re not my pack any longer.”
Monty smiled at Grady.
“I’m a pussy now, haven’t you heard?”

Overhead, Sean sputtered with laughter.

Grady glared at Monty.
“I
hate
that,”
he muttered and glanced up at Sean.
“Shut it, bird, before I have chicken for dinner.”

Sean didn’t bat an eye.
“Chicken for dinner? Please. I could slice you from tooth to tail with one swipe of my talons. Hell, my wingspan is longer than your entire body…you big pussy.”
He ruffled his feathers, a shot of bird laughter Ty shared.

Grady interrupted.
“A bunch of comedians. A fur ball and a featherbrain. Now how about we get back to rescuing Meghan?”

Ty added,
“And Jason. Looks like the outsider needs help as well. I shouldn’t be surprised Ned turned on his own son, but I am.”

“How do you know the kid’s not in on it?”
Monty asked.

“Instinct. He would do anything for Meghan. I don’t buy him hurting her.”
He frowned.

The wind whipped, and the clouds covered the moon. Black night filled the sky.

“Now,”
Ty ordered.

Sean flew to land on top of the roof over the room, their lookout, while Grady and Monty darted up the stairway and stopped, waiting on either side of the outside hall, just out of sight around the corner from the room.

Ty made as much noise as possible as he walked up the stairway, past Grady and Monty, down the hallway and halted at the door. He deliberately put himself at risk to distract the Hunters.

He banged on the door. “Hey! Williams! I’m here to talk.” He fingered the gun tucked into his back.

The door swung open to reveal a long barrel pointed right at him. The man he didn’t recognize stood with Ned Williams Jr.
Junior?
What the hell?

“Roderick. Finally,” Ned said with a grim smile.

Ty had been expecting the senior Williams. “Where’s your dad?”

The other man holding the rifle motioned for him to enter and get down. “He’s around. On your face, hands spread wide.”

Ty slowly laid down and stretched out his arms on either side of him.

Ned grabbed Ty’s gun and patted him down. He also kneed Ty in the side and in the small of his back.

“Fuck,” Ty swore.

“Not too close, Junior,” the man warned. “Roderick, you even blink wrong, I’ll shoot you.”

Closer, closer. Come on, asshole.

Ned leaned down again.

Ty tensed, already moving when the rifle cracked. A slug entered his calf, the burn like fire across his leg. But it didn’t stop him. His arm shot out and wrapped around Ned’s neck.

Ty squeezed hard. “I’ll break it.”

The man with the rifle shrugged. “Cost of doing business. Hunter’s loss.”

“Uncle Gil!” Ned gurgled, pulling at Ty’s tightening forearm.

“We told you to go home. Your daddy warned you not to follow, but you wouldn’t listen. And now this. At least die with dignity, Junior.” Gil shook his head. Just as he tightened his finger on the trigger, a huge mountain lion jumped through the open door and slammed into him.

The round entered the wall an inch above Ty’s head.

Grady roared and clamped his mouth over Gil’s neck while Gil fought to stab Grady with a knife he’d pulled out of his boot. He managed to plunge the knife into Grady’s side before Monty arrived. The wolf quickly assessed the situation, hooked his teeth into Gil’s hand and bit hard.

Gil yelled out in pain and continued to fight.

Ned, however, stood frozen in Ty’s grip, no longer protesting his lack of oxygen.

“Where is he?” Ty asked.

Ned didn’t answer, still staring in shock at the gory scene taking place in front of him. Grady hissed as he gnawed through flesh to bone, ripping Gil’s neck clean out. Monty spat out Gil’s hand that now lay several feet from Gil’s dead body.

“Your fucking father. Where is he?” Ty snarled.

“Not here. You won’t find him before he kills all you freaks,” Ned spat. “So much for your big plan, Uncle Gil. Gil Williams, the great Hunter, is fucking
dead.
” Ned laughed hysterically.

Ty applied enough pressure to knock Ned unconscious. He grabbed the gun Ned had taken from him and hurried through the door to the adjoining room. A corner of the floor looked ragged and broken, and he wondered if that’s how Ned Sr. had managed to leave the room without detection. Jason sagged in his chair, but Meghan screamed around her gag and fought to break free of her ropes.

After quickly untying her, Ty hugged her tight. “It’s okay, Meghan. I’ve got you.”

She struggled against him, and it took him a moment to hear her. When he did, he felt the blood drain from his face.

“He’s going after Julia. Ned Sr. and four other Hunters are going to kill her. Kill her and skin her. A new trophy for his wall.”

Gabby paced, unnerving Julia. “I don’t know. They told us to stay here. Maybe if we give them more time they’ll call.”

Julia scowled. “It’s been a half hour. And we’re just supposed to do what Ty says? Why? Because he’s a man and we’re women?”

Gabby’s wry smile boosted Julia’s confidence.

“Look, you stay here in case he calls back. I’m going to shift and sniff out anything I can. The motel where they’re keeping Meghan is only a short distance from here.”

“Just be careful.” Gabby hugged her then resumed her pacing.

“Always.”

Julia quickly stripped off her clothing and let her animal spirit take over. She embraced the call of her fox and trotted out the back door Gabby held open. And froze in place.

There, at the base of the steps, stood Ned Williams Sr., a pistol aimed right at her.

“Yessirree. I knew you’d shift soon as you felt safe. Been waiting for hours, though. What with your menfolk gone, I swore you’d hightail it out of here sooner.” He stepped forward and Julia growled as she backed up into the building. Ned Sr. stopped inside the back door and included Gabby in the conversation. “Gabby, glad to see you. Makes this a lot easier. Julia, you change back right now. Slow-like, or I’ll put a bullet in her brain.” He aimed the gun at Gabby.

With no choice, Julia turned human once more. She stood tall in front of Ned Sr., wishing she wore more than skin, especially when four more men entered behind him. Two of them looked Ned Sr.’s age, but the other two were younger, larger, and seemed more threatening.

Oh shit. We are really screwed.
She backed away and stood next to Gabby, who tried to block the men’s view of her. Nudity didn’t normally bother her, but under the strangers’ stares, she felt dirty.

“Uh-uh, Gabby. Let us see that pretty sister of yours.”

“Damn, Ned. We hit the mother lode.” One of the men tipped back a hat with the tip of a large knife. He had mean eyes, a nasty smile and smelled like the oil he’d used to clean his knife.

The others laughed.

“Nice tits. I can see why my boy took a hankering,” Ned said as one of the men closed the door behind them. “Finely put together, ain’t ya?” Ned’s beady gaze snaked over her form and lingered between her thighs. “So you’re foxes, huh?”

He acted as if he had all the time in the world and crossed to sit on a chair, facing her.

“You saw that I am.”

“Her too?” He gestured to Gabby. “You all skinwalkers?”

Julia and Gabby exchanged a glance. Skinwalkers?

Ned Sr. nodded. “Thought so. You people killed my daddy in the middle of a hunt. Think it was a wolf that did him in. We have a few of you mounted down at the field house. Harry does nice work.” He motioned to one of the older men with him. “After we have some fun with you two, I plan on putting you in my bedroom. You’re a pretty little fox, Julia.”