Authors: Emma Anderson
Chapter Twenty-Five
“What the fuck do you mean
they got Emily
?” Judge shouted down the
phone. “This better be some sort of joke!”
“I’m sorry, Alpha. They knew
what they were doing,” Ben, one of the security team, explained. “They drove
straight at our group, dividing us. Marcus got knocked clean off of his feet.
They grabbed Emily in the confusion. I’m sorry, Alpha.”
Apologies did him no good right
now. How was he going to explain it to his mate? “Where’s Marcus now?”
“He followed the car,” Ben
replied. “Um, actually he followed Bobby, who went after the car.”
This situation just went from
bad to worse. The very thing that these people were chasing was currently
chasing them down. Though so far they had only attempted to take females, from
all reports. It didn’t stop him from worrying for Bobby. As a nine-year-old, he
lacked the knowledge to protect himself. He had the tools that Mother Earth had
given him, but had no idea how to use them. How was he going to tell Jason that
they lost his son? Sometimes he hated his job.
“Has Marcus got his phone?”
“I have it,” came the muttered
response. “He had it in his hands when he fell on his ass. He must have dropped
it because I found it after he took off.”
“Where are you?” he asked, just
as his mobile began vibrating in his pocket. He ignored it. It stopped, then
started again. Still Judge paid it no heed while he concentrated on what Ben
was telling him. “Okay, I want the whole team called in. We need to find our
kids. Keep me posted. I now have to go and inform Jason that his son is
missing, then my mate that her sister is once again in danger.”
“Tell the alpha female that I’m
sorry for letting her down,” Ben said before ending the call.
Judge immediately made his way
out of the house. He had a job to do, one he wasn’t looking forward to. His
phone vibrated once, indicating that a message had come through. Pulling his
mobile out of his pocket, Judge was stopped in his tracks at the identity of
the caller—his beta. This wasn’t good. Then he read the message, causing his
stomach to drop.
You’re needed at my place.
URGENTLY!
As he changed the direction he
was walking in he saw a man storming toward him.
“Walk with me, and we can talk
on the way,” he immediately said to Jason as the man fell into step with him.
“I was just on my way to you when I received a message about my mate.”
“Have you heard anything?”
Judge went on to share what he
knew, then asked, “How did you hear?”
“The rest of the kids turned up
on our doorstep. Our house must have been the closest. Maryanne is looking
after them until their parents arrive to pick them up.”
“That’s perfect. That at least
is one thing less we have to worry about,” Judge said as he sped his pace,
worrying about Charli. “Now all we have to do is find our kids and somehow keep
my mate out of harm’s way.”
“Maybe you should try to find
the kids and then tell your mate what has happened,” Jason suggested.
“It’s not that simple, my
friend,” Judge said, patting the other man on his shoulder. “Charli and Emily
are psychics. I suspect the reason Andrew is demanding my presence is because
Charli has had a vision about Emily’s disappearance.”
“Psychic, really?” Jason’s
surprise was evident. Then he added, “Shit that could prove difficult.”
“Tell me about it,” Judge
replied as he neared a building. “Jason, my mate and Emily’s gifts need to stay
on the low. I have no desire for either of them to be hounded by people wanting
to know their future.”
Judge took the steps two at a
time up to the door to the pride’s tour guide company. When he walked into his
beta’s office his anger turned to rage. Moving toward Andrew, he grabbed the
man around the throat.
“Explain to me why my mate is
tied to the chair and you are currently shirtless.”
Andrew clawed at Judge’s hand.
“Alpha, please. Trying to help!” His words came out choked and muffled.
“Help? By getting undressed,”
Judge growled, throwing Andrew across the room before moving to his mate.
“Kitten, are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
Her gaze lifted to meet his. At
least he thought she was looking at him. Her eyes were glazed, just as they
were when she had a vision, but different somehow. Vacant. She seemed to be
staring straight through him.
He felt movement by his
shoulder. “That’s what I was trying to tell you, Alpha,” Andrew said, bowing
his head in respect. “She had a vision, but instead of coming out of it she
remained like this. She kept moving toward the door. Every time I stopped her,
she fought me, screaming for Emily. I tied her to the chair until you could get
to her and the only thing I had that wouldn’t hurt her was my shirt. The
climbing rope would have burnt her. It’s like she’s stuck in the vision.”
Judge thought about the time he
had first met Charli. Like with the feds, she had managed to direct him to
Nikki’s location from a map in her mind. “Not stuck! She’s holding on to
Emily’s location,” Judge explained as he undid the makeshift ties, freeing her
hands. “Kitten, can you take us to her?”
“Judge?” Still her eyes were
empty, but her voice held hope.
“Yes, mate. I’m here,” he cooed,
helping her stand.
“They have Emily.”
“I know. Can you see where?”
Her shoulders slumped as she
sagged against his body. “I can see the cabin, but I don’t know the area to say
exactly where it is.” Her blank gaze lifted to his once more. “I think I can
show you.”
Judge’s gut clenched as his lion
hissed. He was faced with placing his mate in danger or leaving Emily in the
hands of these assholes. He conceded with no way of contacting Marcus, Charli’s
vision was Emily’s only hope. But the idea of endangering his mate didn’t sit
well with him.
Looking down at Charli, his
heart stammered behind his ribs. Her usually vibrant violet eyes lacked life
and the only way he knew to put a sparkle back into them was to bring Emily
home. That meant using Charli’s gift. She had already proven what a strong
woman she was by remaining several steps ahead of Delgado. He knew she could
handle this situation, as well as herself. It didn’t mean he had to like it,
though.
“You need to do everything I
tell you, do you understand?” Charli nodded in response. “Okay let’s do it,” he
said, kissing her clammy forehead before turning to Andrew and Jason. “You two
get the SUVs. Jason, you’re with us. Andrew, pick up Ben and the others. And
let’s pray that Marcus and Bobby are safe.”
“Yes, Alpha,” they both replied.
Judge guided Charli out of the
office, maintaining contact with her at all times. Griping her elbow, he slowly
led her down the stairs. She stumbled on the first one because he had forgotten
to warn her of its presence. Reminding himself that he was quite literally
leading her blind, he verbalized every action that he required from her.
He would have scooped her into
his arms, but he wasn’t sure how that would affect her hold on her vision. He’d
witnessed her being thrown from a scene on two separate occasions by pain and
surprise. He had no way of telling how being lifted might have affected her.
Finally they reached the car
Jason was exiting. He jumped into the back while Judge helped Charli into the
front passenger seat. Her slight height proved to be a problem when it came to
the SUV.
“Kitten, I just need to lift you
into the car. I have you. I will always have you,” he vowed, placing his hands
on her hips. When she relaxed into his hold and slightly bent her knees, he
knew she was acknowledging what he had said. “Okay, on three. One. Two. Three.”
Soon they were on the road.
Other than Charli’s monotone voice giving directions, the only noise was Jason
in the back, tapping away at his phone. He was guiding Andrew toward them.
“Right,” came another
instruction.
Judge looked in the rearview
mirror at Jason. They knew of this road and it didn’t bode well for their
infiltration of the area. The road led to one of the many abandoned mines
located around Lake Mead.
Judge suspected that the cabin
Charli had mentioned was an old miner’s home.
Old
being the operative
word. This area hadn’t been mined since the 1930s. The cabin would likely be
run-down and unsafe for anyone, especially a six-year-old girl. The state of
the cabin wasn’t Judge’s only worry, of course. The reason behind her being in
the cabin posed a greater threat to everyone.
“You have to stop,” Charli
stated from beside him. Her instruction coincided with his own plan, which had
them walking the rest of the way. “It’s too dangerous to drive any further. He
could hear us and hurt Emily.”
As he pulled the car to a halt,
Judge turned toward his mate. Her eyes were no longer blank. Instead they were
filled with fear. Reaching over, he grabbed her hand, giving it a little
squeeze.
“We’ll get to her, but remember
what I said. Do exactly what I tell you,” Judge reiterated. He received a nod
from Charli. Leaning over the center console, he gave her a quick kiss. “Good
girl.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The cabin was just as he had
expected, dilapidated. The weather-worn outer walls had seen better days.
Rotten wooden planks were all that stood between Judge and Emily. Those and the
person who had kidnapped her.
Any one of the six mountain lion
shifters could have easily jumped through the worn walls to get to Emily, but
they risked startling the kidnapper, which could result in Emily getting hurt.
“What’s the plan, Alpha?” Ben
asked from just behind him.
Looking over his shoulder at
Ben, Judge said, “Have the men scout around the building. I want to know the
state of all the windows. They might be our best point of entrance.”
Ben bowed his head, “Yes,
Alpha.”
“What about Bobby and Marcus?”
Charli asked. “Didn’t you say they should be here somewhere?”
Judge filled his lungs with air
before looking back at his mate. “Marcus is coming up from behind us now. As
for Bobby, I have no idea where the boy is. I can’t scent him, but that doesn’t
mean he’s not here. These old mines are used by many creatures, bats included.
I’m sure even you can smell them.”
“Yes. They stink,” she replied,
scrunching up her nose. “Do you think he’s hiding?”
“I hope so. I also hope he
remains where he is until we can secure this area. I wouldn’t want to save
Emily only for this guy to grab Bobby.”
Just then Marcus appeared. He
dropped to his knees and bared his throat. “Alpha, I’m sorry for failing you.”
This was one aspect of being
alpha that Judge disliked. His pride members threw themselves on his mercy when
things went awry, whether it was their own doing or not. He could understand
and wouldn’t hesitate to punish those who intentionally went against his
directive. But in a situation like this, when it was no one’s doing and just
sheer bad luck, he loathed the whole power play involved in his pride members
submitting to him.
“Marcus, I hold no one
responsible, except the ones who stole what belongs to me. These guys planned
this and you were knocked to your ass. I see no fault in your actions, or
anyone else’s,” Judge said, placing his hand on his enforcer’s shoulder. “We
must learn from this and ensure our kids are driven to and from school until
this threat is dealt with. Now will you get off the ground. You’re making my
knees ache just looking at you.”
The bulky man rose to tower
above Judge’s considerable height. He seemed to take in the scene before them.
“What have you got so far?” he asked, turning his gaze toward Judge, his eyes
never meeting his alpha’s.
“I’m waiting for Ben to report
in,” Judge explained, pulling Charli into his body. “The building looks ready
to fall down, so we need to be careful how we proceed. What did you manage to
discover?”
“Two men were in the car that
took Emily. When they arrived here one of them took Emily into the cabin, while
the other one took off in the car. I suspect it was to hide it in one of the
caves,” Marcus informed, looking over his shoulder. “The man and the car are
about two miles down the road. Both immobile.”
“What about Bobby?” Jason asked
quietly. His long strides had him in front of them in no time.
“I went after the car and told
him to find a hiding spot. He won’t be far,” Marcus reassured.
Judge watched as Jason’s
shoulders visibly slumped. “Thank you, my friend.”
He could understand the man’s
sense of relief. Since Emily entered his life, Judge had been feeling more
protective than he had previously. He suspected he was experiencing what a
father felt toward his children.
That thought brought him back to
the situation at hand. “What did you discover, Jason?”
“The windows on the northern
side of the cabin have potential. Several panels are missing.” Jason was
sharing his information as the other pride members approached. “I was able to
move close enough to the cabin to confirm that only one other person is inside
with Emily. Male. He has a gun. She’s tied to a chair in the middle of the main
room. Her back is to the window.”
“Andrew?”
“It might be the best option,
Alpha. There are no windows on the eastern side and from what I can gather from
the others, the only other windows are a little more secure,” Andrew replied as
the other pride members nodded their agreement.
A scream sounded from within the
cabin. Charli left his arms, her intent obvious. Grabbing her around her waist,
he threw her toward Ben. “Protect her with your life!”
With that, he ran toward the
cabin. He had been so focused on Charli and Emily he almost missed the warning
signs. A slight wind change caught his attention. A scent he was learning as
one of his own wafted past his nose. Then a blur raced by him.
A crash sounded, followed by
hisses and growls. Judge moved faster. Bobby’s young brain wouldn’t be able to
fathom the danger he had just placed himself and Emily in.
Judge followed the same path
Bobby had taken. He jumped through the broken panels of the window, carrying
even more splinters of wood into the cabin. What he saw in the dimly lit room
made him proud. Bobby stood between Emily and her kidnapper, holding him at
bay. Blood ran down the kidnapper’s calf from the four long, open wounds on his
leg. Jason landed quietly beside his son, offering him aide in his chosen job.
More wood shattered as Marcus
slammed his bulky body through one of the fully paneled windows behind the
kidnapper. The sound had the kidnapper looking over his shoulder. His impending
doom had him dropping the pistol he had aimed at Bobby as he readied himself
for impact. Marcus’s lion hip and shoulder hit the man before he landed softly
on all four paws. The kidnapper went flying, ending up sprawled on the floor in
front of Bobby and Jason.
Moving toward Emily, Judge
trusted in his men to deal with the dazed man. His forward motion was halted by
one pissed-off juvenile mountain lion.
“Bobby, I need to release
Emily,” he said softly, holding his hands out in front of him. Still the boy
refused to budge. “Bobby, she’s scared. She needs me.”
On cue, Emily whimpered. Bobby
looked toward the girl, offering Judge the opportunity he needed. Moving
quickly, he leaped toward her. Only he wasn’t fast enough. Bobby was adamant
that Judge was to go nowhere near her. The boy’s resolve was set, and only one
thing would have Bobby challenging his alpha.
“Marcus, get that piece of shit
out of here,” he ordered before raising his voice slightly. “Ben, as soon as
Marcus has cleared the cabin bring my mate in here.”
****
“Alpha Female, once Marcus has
moved the prisoner, I have been asked to take you inside,” Ben said quietly
from where he was crouched next to Charli.
“Has something happened to Emily?”
“No, but there’s a situation in
the cabin that requires your attention.” On her other side, Andrew’s gaze
remained on the cabin door. He kept his hand on her upper arm.
“How do you know?” She followed
his gaze as Marcus appeared, half dragging a bound man beside him.
“Shifter hearing. Young Bobby is
refusing to allow anyone near your sister.”
As Charli rose, desperate to
check on Emily, a shot rang through the air. Andrew’s body slammed into her.
They fell to the ground, and Andrew’s huge weight hung over her, protecting
her. Forcing her jumbled mind to concentrate, she tried to establish what the
perceived threat was. She heard crunching coming toward them. Her body tensed
even further. Suddenly the burden on her back was lifted. She readied herself
for an attack. It wasn’t until hands wrapped around her waist that she relaxed.
She was helped to her feet, and immediately strong, safe arms surrounded her.
Her mate’s voice sounded over
her head. “Andrew, bring one of the cars as close to the cabin as you can get
it. We need to get the kids and Charli out of here. Marcus, Ben, cover us until
I get Charli to the cabin and then find that shooter.”
That last word echoed through
her mind. It was the only thing that it clung to. “Shooter? Emily?”
“She’s fine, kitten,” he
whispered in her ear. “But I have to get you out of here. There’s a sniper
hidden out there somewhere. He’s just taken out the kidnapper from out here. My
guess is someone didn’t want him talking to us. So when we get closer to the door
let me guide you. You don’t need to see him.”
When they started to move,
Charli kept her face buried in Judge’s chest. Warmth enveloped her, telling her
that she had someone at her back and another to her right. With simple
instructions, Judge kept her from falling. His arms tightened around her, and
she knew they were nearing the cabin and the body. The body she had no desire
to see.
“Okay, kitten. Up you go.” That
was all the warning she had before the ground disappeared from below her feet.
As soon as she was in Judge’s
arms, she sensed their companions disappear. She knew as soon as they had
entered the cabin. The air was stale and Jason could be heard cooing to Bobby.
“Is Bobby okay?”
“Yes, but he’s refusing to allow
anyone close enough to Emily to release and check on her.”
“Why?” she asked, stiffening.
She forced her eyes open,
blinking until the dust and grit no longer impeded her vision. The first thing
she noticed was Emily tied to the chair in the center of the room. Bobby was at
her feet, hissing at his father.
“It would seem that you aren’t
the only sister to have a mate in the pride,” Judge said, frowning when Bobby
connected with Jason’s arm. He lowered her to the ground. “He’s not going to be
happy with himself when he realizes the harm he’s causing his own father. I
think you’re the only one he’ll listen to. As a female you aren’t a threat to
his mating bond.”
“Are you sure about that. I’m
not sure I have the strength to hide how I feel about my six-year-old sister
being mated.” She stepped out of his grasp.
“Kitten, they’re children. Their
mating bond will consist of them needing to be near one another. Plus this
protective behavior from Bobby if Emily is threatened,” Judge added, pulling
her into his body once more before gently pushing her toward Emily.
Crouching down, she tried to
gain Bobby’s attention. “Bobby, do you know who I am?” His gaze met hers before
he turned to Emily. “Yes, I’m Emily’s sister. I’m no threat.” She reached out
her hand toward him. His tiny nose twitched, sniffing her. “We need to get her
to safety. Will you help me?” Again his gaze moved back to Emily, who was still
tied to the chair, crying softly. “Can you change back?”
His whole body vibrated and
within seconds a young boy stood before her. His gaze shot to Judge. “Oh no,
Alpha, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” For the first time, Charli saw evidence of
his mother’s abuse that Judge had told her about. She wanted to comfort him but
knew only Judge could ease his worry. And Jason. “Dad, did I do that to you?”
“It’s okay, son. I’m okay.”
Jason reached for Bobby.
Charli desperately wanted to go
to Emily, but something told her to wait. Judge crouched down in front of the
boy. “Cub, you did nothing wrong. Don’t feel ashamed about protecting Emily.
I’m proud of you.”
“But I attacked you.” He
whimpered softly, looking down at his hands.
“You were protecting your mate
from the other males,” Judge said before standing to his full height. “But you
need to remember. I will be in Emily’s life in the future as her sister’s mate.
I am no threat to your bond, nor is your father. Trust in the bond and try to
control your reaction. There will be other boys around Emily. You can’t react
this way every time. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Alpha,” Bobby replied, not
raising his head, though Charli could feel his gaze on her and what she was
doing near Emily.
As soon as Charli had Emily
free, her little sister flung herself into her arms. One of her tiny hands
clung to the back of Charli’s shirt. The other hand seemed to be reaching for
something. Charli felt a jerk and knew Emily had thrown the blindfold that no
longer hindered her sight.
A hand landed on Charli’s
shoulder. “Come on, kitten. Andrew’s waiting out the back with the car. We need
to get you out of here.”
She rose with Emily in her arms. A small
stumble had her nearly landing on her backside, but once again Judge was there
to prevent her from falling. With an arm around her waist, he helped her to her
feet.
Looking toward Bobby, she sent
the boy a reassuring smile. He sent a tentative one back before looking up at
his dad, who stood beside him with a hand on his shoulder. Together they all
moved toward the back door.
Judge pulled her and Emily into
the back of the waiting vehicle, while Jason and Bobby took the front. Before
closing the door, Judge ordered, “Andrew, go and secure the guy Marcus knocked
out. And be careful out there. The sniper is probably trying to find him before
we can get any information out of him.”
“Yes, Alpha.” With that said,
the beta disappeared.