N. Walters - Finding Chrissten

As quietly as she could, she inched her way toward the doors at the end of the van. Maybe she could open them. Her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were bound, but she still had the use of her legs. With her preternatural strength she might be able to kick the doors open. If she managed that, she could roll out of the vehicle and maybe attract attention to herself. It would hurt like hell, but it hopefully wouldn’t kill her. It was her only chance.

“I know you’re awake.” Brian’s voice froze her in place. “I heard the change in your breathing,” he continued, his tone one of calm conversation. Chrissten wasn’t fooled one bit. He was on the verge of a murderous rage. It was always this way with him. The calmer he seemed the more violent he got.

There was no reason to wait. She had nothing left to lose. Chrissten rolled to the end of the van, placed her feet on the doors, pulled back her legs and struck. Pain radiated up her shins and thighs. The door didn’t budge. She did it again and again. Why wasn’t it working? She wasn’t even making a dent in it.

“Reinforced steel.” He made a tsking sound under his breath. “Really, Chrissten. You continually underestimate me.”

“What do you want?” Desperation filled her. She couldn’t get out. It was her prison all over again, being controlled by others.

Hank’s face filled her mind. He would come for her. Quinn would come for her. Bethany had escaped and she would tell them. She vacillated between being hopeful they’d come and being terrified they actually would. They could both be hurt.

“What do I want?” Brian tapped his fingers on the edge of the steering wheel. “My mate for one. You belong to me. I say what you can or cannot do. Who you can or cannot fuck.”

Chrissten sucked in a breath. She didn’t want to talk about Hank. Didn’t want Brian’s attention on him. “I don’t belong to you.”

The tension in the vehicle ratcheted up a notch. Brian glanced over his shoulder to glare at her, his eyes practically glowing red in the dark. His wolf was very near the surface.

“I claimed you. You’re mine.”

It was as simple as that to him. He didn’t care about her any more than he would this van or a piece of property. That’s what she was to him. It would never occur to him to even be concerned about what she wanted. His life revolved around him and him alone.

“I can smell that other wolf on you. I know his scent now. When I’m done with you I’m going back for your lover.”

Oh God, what had she done? She knew she shouldn’t have slept with Hank. Now his life was in danger because of it. She had to find a way to kill Brian before he killed her.

“What are you going to do?” She really didn’t want to know but figured it was smarter to keep him talking. Maybe she could figure some way out of this.

Brian laughed and the fine hairs on the back of her neck rose. Her wolf whimpered inside her. “You’ll find out.” With that ominous promise, Brian stopped talking and concentrated on driving.

Chrissten’s mind worked furiously. There had to be something she could do. She tugged at the bindings around her wrists. The ropes were thick and tight. Given more time, she could probably work them loose. But time was running out.

Ignoring the pain shooting down her arms, she pulled at the ropes while she prayed.

Hank sat as still as a stone in the back seat of the cab as it sped through the busy streets toward his destination on the South Side. The red lights lasted forever and he practiced counting and deep breathing every time they had to stop to keep from going crazy.

Chrissten was out there alone with her mate, the crazy fucker who’d used force to claim her.

Emotion bubbled up deep within him, but he slammed the lid back down on it. He wouldn’t do her any good if he went into this situation guns blazing. He needed to be calm and calculated. He was good at that. It was what had made him an exceptional sniper. An exceptional soldier. Patience. Cunning. Skill. He had all three. He just had to remember to use them.

The cabbie had tried to engage him in conversation but had quickly realized he was fighting a losing battle. Hank didn’t want to talk. He needed to think. Plan. And pray. He only hoped Chrissten was where Damek said she would be. If she wasn’t— He broke off, not willing to finish that thought.

His phone vibrated and he yanked it out of his pocket. “Yeah.”

“Where the hell are you?” Quinn’s voice was clipped.

“On my way to get Chrissten.”

Quinn swore. “Why didn’t you wait?”

“No time.” Hank wondered if Bethany had told Quinn about him and Chrissten. He decided to lay it all on the line. He had nothing to hide. “Chrissten is mine.”

Quinn swore. “We’ll talk about that later.”

“Nothing to talk about.” That wasn’t quite true, but the only ones who needed to talk were he and Chrissten. The rest of them could keep out of it.

Pure steel coated Quinn’s words. “I said we’d talk about it.” Translation, they’d fight when there was time to settle it.

“Whatever.” Hank wasn’t afraid of Quinn or any other male. Chrissten was his. Case closed. If it took him a hundred years to convince her of that, he would. Patience was the key.

Hank could hear rustling on the other end and changed the subject. “What’s going on?”

“I slipped away from the bar. So did Benjamin and Kevin. Craig and Teague are staying with the women, just in case of trouble. Not that we expect anymore here tonight.”

Doors slammed and a motor gunned. They were in the van and on their way. They were almost twenty minutes behind him. “How did you get away so fast?” He’d expected them to be tied up for much longer with the cops.

“I talked fast and Craig handed over the security video. It’s all there in black and white. They need me to come in and make a formal statement tomorrow. Tonight they’re just rounding up the suspects and popping them in jail, after they give medical attention to the guy whose arm you broke. You’ll need to talk to them tomorrow.”

“If I’m still alive,” he muttered.

Quinn ignored him. “Joshua is with us and he’s called Donovan, who is going to meet us there. Isaiah and Michael will follow as soon as they finish talking to the cops. They were almost finished when we left. Teague, Craig and the women will board up the broken window and hold down the fort.”

Hank imagined the women were pretty pissed by that. Meredith was a hell of a fighter and he figured Alexandra was too. And Bethany was tough. She had to be to have survived her ordeal with Brian and the doctor. Neema wasn’t much of a fighter, but she had spirit. However, it was much safer for them back at Haven. None of the men would be able to give themselves fully to the fight if they had to worry about the women.

“I’m almost there.” His heart began to pound faster and he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

“Call as soon as you know something,” Quinn ordered.

“No. If you don’t hear from me assume it’s the right place and come in hard and silent.” He closed the phone and tucked it back into his pocket. The cab pulled over a block from his destination. The foot traffic was much lighter in this part of town. Hank paid the driver, who was glancing nervously at the street. Then he climbed out and hefted his duffle bag over his shoulder. As soon as he shut the door the cab peeled away from the curb and disappeared down the road.

His sneakers were silent as he ghosted down the sidewalk and into an alleyway. All his senses were focused outward on his surroundings. He was in the zone. He was hunting. And God help his prey when he found them.