Soar (The Empire Chronicles #1) (13 page)

“No. No fucking way this asshat with a stick up his ass is going to put down NOLA.”

“I’m an asshat and I have a stick up my ass? Very original.”

“Drop it, Toby.” Owen said it quietly, but there was a warning in his words. I knew I could probably hold my own in a fight with Jared, but we had bigger problems to deal with.

“If I call in my guy, will you guys get out of here?”

“Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of us? Are you hiding something?” Jared’s eyes were slowly fading back to their usual brown.

“No, I just want some peace and quiet.”

“Come on, Toby. You know you love having us around.” Jared had an annoying way of glazing over things and falling back on sarcasm.

“I’ll make the call.” I picked up the phone and called Tim. This was one of those things that would look bad if I did it myself. “Get Marv in here now.”

“Is there a reason why?”

“The reason is that two crows are sitting in my office.”

Jared chuckled. “I heard that, hawk boy.”

Pterons are tied to a variety of birds, and although we view each other as superior to all other shifters, we don’t particularly like each other.

“I’ll get him.” Tim hung up.

My cousin could be annoying, but he got the job done. They’d been more than happy to step up and work for me when my grandfather died, and they’d proven themselves more useful than I originally anticipated.

I wanted to grill Tim about any updates on Casey’s place, but I wasn’t doing that in front of Jared. With any luck, Eric would accompany his uncle in and I’d learn more. I cared too much about her to just sit back and wait. I wanted to hit whoever was after her head on. I was going to find out who was after Casey and why, but I hated the sinking feeling that she was hiding something from me. She got weird when I’d asked about past boyfriends, and my gut told me it all tied in. As long as she hadn’t dated other Pterons, I’d be okay. I wasn’t ready to deal with that again.

“How long’s it going to take?” Jared asked.

“Not long.”

“Where can I get a cup of coffee around here?”

“There’s a Starbucks downstairs.”

“No complimentary coffee for your guests?”

“You’re not my guests, but there’s some down the hall.”

“Thanks. We’ll be back.” They walked out of the room.

I settled into my desk chair and treated myself to a few more thoughts of Casey. It had been ages since I’d craved a girl, and as sexually frustrated as I felt, I preferred the feeling to the numbness that had been there before. I sent her a text.
You didn’t make me coffee this morning.

After sending it, I realized she might not check her phone at work. She answered that question when she replied a minute later
. I’ll make you some tonight
.

I smiled. Even better.

Chapter Sixteen
Casey

No matter how many times I did it, I hated closing. I didn’t do it alone. Eric always seemed to be with me, but there was something about having to stay around long after everyone else left that I didn’t like. It was also right before closing that the biggest weirdos came in. Sometimes they were there to see Eric, but other times they just seemed to want coffee and nearly stale pastries.

I was busy mentally recounting my kiss with Toby for the hundredth time when the bell dinged signaling someone entering the store. Eric was out back dumping the trash. He’d taken Rhett to heart and didn’t make me do it anymore. “Can I help you?”

Thanks to a pair of tinted glasses and a hood, I had no idea who the person in front of me was, but my skin crawled as the figure stepped closer. The figure was large, so I assumed it was a male, but I had no clue.

“Casey Bates,” the mystery figure asked in a deep voice. Definitely male.

My chest tightened. How did he know my name?

“Are you Casey?” he asked again.

“Maybe.” I took a deep breath. Eric would be back in soon.

He chuckled. I wouldn’t have expected someone like that to even know how to laugh. “I’ll take that as a yes. Not that I didn’t know already.”

“What do you want with her?” I grabbed hold of the counter. My heart was beating a million miles a minute.

“Nothing sinister, I assure you.”

Where was Eric? Surely dumping trash couldn’t take that long. That is unless there was a wolf out there again. “Do you want to order something?”

He laughed again. “It says a lot about your strength that you’re still the polite barista.”

“Sir, if you’re not going to order something, I need to ask you to leave.” I tried to still my shaking body. Something about this guy gave me the creeps. The fact that I couldn’t see his eyes made it so much worse.

“Ask me to leave?”

“Yes. If you read that sign, we have the right to refuse service.”

“Maybe it’s time we both stop playing games, Casey.”

“Who are you?” A strange sense of familiarity hit me.

“She misses you.”

Those were the only words I needed to hear. “Where is she? What did you do to her?”

“Calm down, Casey. Vera is doing just fine.”

“Can I see her?” Those three words may have been the most stupid I’d ever uttered, but I missed my sister more than anything. I didn’t know what kind of trouble she was in, but I knew I’d never stop trying to find her. This was the closest I’d ever come.

“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate with his answer, and that terrified me.

“When?”

“Now. I’ll take you to her.”

“Why?” I still remembered the day Vera disappeared like it was yesterday and not years ago. After a two month investigation, the police closed the file. They said she probably ran off with her boyfriend, but I knew better. She would never leave without saying goodbye to me. I knew in my heart she was still alive out there somewhere.

“Because she wants to see you.” He stepped closer to the counter.

“Why now?” I knew the timing couldn’t be a coincidence. Why wait so long?

“Two reasons.”

“Which are?”

“You’ve grown up, and you’re in danger.”

“I’m in danger? Why do people keep telling me that?”

“Because it’s true.” He rested his gloved hands right in front of me.

“Who am I in danger from?”

“I’ll tell you if you come with me.” His voice was slightly scratchy and it made him sound even more frightening.

I felt like I was in one of those after school specials. The ones where they dramatize an abduction, and you watch, telling yourself you’d never be stupid enough to fall for the trick. “Can’t you just tell me what I need to know?”

I heard a crash and Eric limped into the room. “Run, Bates!”

“What? Are you okay?” I gaped at him, he was covered in blood.

“Run!”

Instinct kicked in, and I listened. I headed to the door, but the faceless guy blocked me. “No need to run, Casey. We can walk.” He grabbed my arm.

“Let go of me.”

“Not going to happen.” He gripped my arm tighter.

“Run,” Eric hissed. I turned around in time to watch Eric punch the guy. The man stumbled back, releasing my arm in the process.

“Run!” Eric didn’t need to say it again.

I hit the pavement and didn’t look back. My initial thought was to go home, but that was the first place anyone would look for me. I didn’t want to lead anyone to Remy either. I once again went with instinct and headed to Toby’s building.

The doorman opened the door, recognizing me. “Are you here to see Mr. Welsh?”

“Yes.” I tried to calm my breathing.

“I’m afraid he’s not in right now. He’s been out all day.”

I glanced outside, praying no one had followed me.

“Are you in some trouble, Miss?”

I nodded. “I need to see him.”

His demeanor suddenly changed, he straightened and looked me right in the eye. “Who’s after you?”

“I don’t know.”

He pulled out his phone and called someone. “I need back up. The girl’s here and she’s being followed. That’s fine, send someone.”

He pocketed his phone. “You’re safe.”

I nodded, hoping he was right.

His words were proved wrong moments later when the glass in the front door shattered into pieces and scattered on the floor in front of us.

“Get down!” the doorman yelled, stepping in front of me.

“She’s with us,” the creepy guy from Coffee Heaven spat. He strode into the lobby, walking right over the glass shards. He wasn’t wearing his hood or glasses anymore, and I wanted to vomit. Deep inside, I knew it was him, but seeing his face just proved he did know where my sister was. Standing in front of me was her boyfriend, Murphy, the one she met because I dated his younger brother. I still hadn’t forgiven myself for introducing them.

“She’s not with you.” Toby stormed into the lobby, only it didn’t really look like Toby. His eyes were completely black, and he had large brown wings extending out of his shirtless back. I knew with complete certainty this wasn’t his first time saving me. I also knew he wasn’t human, and that was almost as scary as my sister’s ex-boyfriend.

“Taking up with Pterons already?” Murphy seethed.

“Pterons?” I said the strange term slowly, surprised I even had the capacity to speak. I heard shouting from outside, and I wondered if it was the police.

“She’s with me. Get the fuck out of here.” Toby strode over to Murphy with the most menacing expression I’d ever seen.

Murphy sneered. “What do you want with her? She’s of no use to you.”

“But she’s of use to you?” Toby asked in a strained voice. It was like he was struggling to hold on.

“Lots of use. So if you don’t mind, I’ll be taking what’s mine.”

“Like hell you are.” Toby’s fist made contact with Murphy’s face and he flew into the pile of glass by the door. The temperature seemed to rise and there was a slight haziness. When I blinked my eyes, instead of Murphy, I saw a large grizzly bear.

I stepped back as far as I could until my back made contact with the wall.

“Get her out of here, Cody!” Toby tossed the doorman a set of keys.

“To the estate?”

“Yes.”

I barely registered what was happening when Cody grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the lobby.

“Let go of me!” I fought against his arms, but it did nothing.

“Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Like I was going to believe a word he said. He was listening to a man with wings, and he didn’t even bat an eye when another man turned into a bear.

“I don’t want to restrain you, but I will if that’s what it takes to get your cooperation.” He towed me toward a silver Acura SUV. Over my shoulder, I watched Toby lunge at a bear that had been a man moments earlier.

Restrain me? I did the sane thing and started to scream.

The screaming didn’t last long. A hand clamped down over my mouth and within seconds, I was on the floor of the backseat with my arms tied. How had he moved so fast? And why was no one noticing the manhandling?

Damn it. He tied my legs, and put tape over my mouth before slamming the door and going around to the front.

I tried to scream, but nothing came out around the tape.

“I know it doesn’t seem that way, but you’re with the good guys.” Cody pulled out onto the street. “I don’t know what those bears wanted with you, but it can’t be good. Risking an open attack on a Pteron isn’t something shifters like that do.”

Shifters? Is that what that bear was? Like a wearwolf, but a bear? And there was that Pteron word again.

“Toby wants you out of harm’s way, so I’ll take you somewhere safe. You can thank me later.”

Thank him? More like kick him in the balls.

I continued struggling, unwilling to go down without a fight. A few minutes later, Cody’s cell phone rang. “She’s fine. Maybe uncomfortable, but fine.” He turned to look at me. “I had no choice. She screamed. She would have brought more danger upon herself. I’ll make sure she knows that. See you then.”

“Toby says he’s sorry it had to come to this. He wishes he could have protected you better.”

I struggled to talk again.

“If I take off that tape, will you be good?”

I nodded. I’d agree to anything to get that tape off.

He reached back and pulled off the tape in one quick motion. It hurt, but the relief was instant. I took in a large breath before speaking. “Who the hell are you people?”

“I’m not sure where to start.”

“Start at the beginning.”

“Has Toby told you anything?” He sped up.

“Just that I was in danger and he was dangerous.”

“You didn’t notice anything different about him?”

“I thought he was a crime boss.” That was the only thing I’d come up with. I knew he was into something weird, but I thought mafia, not wings.

“I’m really not supposed to talk about this stuff with a human, but I guess the cat is out of the bag now. Nothing I say is going to be worse than what you saw.” He paused before continuing. “Toby’s a ranking Pteron. He runs New York for the king.”

I laughed. “The king?”

“Yes. The King of The Society.”

“What’s a Pteron?”

“You saw his wings.”

“So he’s a fallen angel or something?”

Cody laughed. “We’re not angels.”

“We? You have wings too?”

“Yes.” He tossed some weird plastic mask on the chair next to him. He turned around, and I gasped. It was a completely different person looking back at me. Young and with a shock of red hair, Cody didn’t resemble the quiet, middle aged doorman I’d seen over the past few days.

“If you’re not angels, then what are you?”

“We’re bird shifters. Toby and I are tied to hawks.”

“Yeah…right.”

“I’m telling you the truth.”

“And the bears?”

“What about them?” He continued driving quickly. The late hour left the streets mostly empty.

“Who are they?”

“Their official name is Urusus, but we don’t call them that. The name sounds too distinguished for them. You can ask your boss about it though.”

“My boss? You mean Marv?”

He made a sharp turn, and my head smashed into the seat in front of me. “Ouch.”

He slowed down and then the car stopped. I tensed as I waited for the door to open.