Rebecca Zanetti - Tamed

A different speaker flared to life. “No. Satellite offline for an hour with routine updates,” came the terse reply, this voice much deeper than the guard’s.

“The bastard knew our schedule,” Caleb said grimly, his hands tightening with the need to draw blood. “Tell me we have air support.”

“Negative,” Jase said, shooting around a corner. “All air support is currently over the peace-talk sites conducting drills on both evasive and aggressive maneuvers. Guiles would’ve known about that, too.”

“The helicopters are not that far away,” Dage said, cocking a gun from the backseat.

Jase nodded. “I’ve had them diverted—it’ll take about an hour for the closest to reach us.”

Lily didn’t have an hour, and Caleb knew it. “This isn’t making sense. Where the hell is he taking her?”

“Away from us,” Dage said tersely. “Which means to somebody who will protect him from us. But the question is why . . . and who?” He leaned toward the front seat. “Weapons?”

“Two guns and three knives,” Caleb said thoughtfully, his gaze on the empty road ahead.

Jase flashed him a look. “You arm yourself with two guns and three knives to practice for the peace talks?”

“Yes. It was a light day.” Time to confess all. Caleb exhaled heavily and turned to tell the king about the dreams and Fate’s dictates. He left nothing out, noting the tension rising in the vehicle with every word he spoke. “I’m assuming Gules has been receiving similar instructions, but I don’t see how kidnapping Lily will accomplish Janie’s death.”

Dage rubbed his chin, his eyes seriously pissed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to be left out of the peace talks, and I thought I could contain it.” Caleb eyed the king’s gun. “Don’t shoot me.”

“I won’t.” The king lowered the gun, his shoulder hitting the vehicle’s side when Jase cut a hard corner. “Right now, anyway.”

“Fair enough.” Caleb scrubbed both hands down his face. “They’ll need air transport to get her away from us.”

Jase nodded. “We’ve monitored all air traffic for years, and nothing has come into range today that would give us pause.” He eyed the top of the window of the Hummer. “Even without the satellites, we have radar and would’ve caught anything suspicious.”

“So he’s driving her somewhere?” Caleb asked.

“Apparently.” Dage swore as his shoulder hit the side again. “How well do you know Guiles?”

“Not very. I haven’t been working long as a prophet. I’m a soldier.” But if he had gotten closer to Guiles, maybe Caleb would’ve seen the danger in the smooth vampire. Guilt swamped him. “All I know is that the guy is old and dresses like he’s going to prom every day.” And now he held Caleb’s woman against her will.

“We’ll get him,” Jase said grimly.

“Was the guard sure Lily was just unconscious?” Caleb asked the one question he’d rather not.

“No.” Jase cut his eyes to Caleb before focusing back on the road. “But if a prophet dies, another takes their place, and we’d know if that happened, so I’m sure Lily is alive.”

Good point. Caleb could hold on to that hope until he wrapped his hands around Guiles’s neck. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

A boom sounded from the dash, followed by a smattering of gunfire. “Shots fired—shots fired,” shouted the guard.

Jase barreled the vehicle up a hill, and Caleb took in the scene below with one glance. “Son of a bitch.” A long hauler was parked to the side of the road, while a helicopter’s blades swung into motion behind it. “They trucked the copter in.”

Two Realm soldiers fired at the long hauler, where several Kurjans fired back, their skin protected by the forest’s darkness. A quick glance at the helicopter confirmed shielded windows. Damn it.

Jase slammed his foot on the accelerator and gestured to the northern forest. “Kurjans moving in from the other side. They’re taking a huge risk with the sun being out.” He swung the Hummer around, and everyone jumped out the southern side, between the two Realm SUVs, already firing into the forest. Green bullets ripped into the metal from return fire.

Caleb ducked to keep from taking one in the face. Thank God the sun didn’t bother vampires as it did the Kurjans. “Lily?” he shouted, rushing toward the other SUV, where a guard was down, blood dripping from his neck. Caleb felt for the faint pulse, his gaze on the helicopter shielded by the truck. “Man down. He’s out, but not dead.”

A flash of blond from inside the helicopter caught Caleb’s eye. “Lily,” he yelled, leaping over the SUV.

“Jesus, Caleb,” the king bellowed from behind him, sliding to the front of the other SUV to provide raining bullets of fire. “Get down!”

Nothing mattered but getting to Lily before the helicopter took off. Caleb wove, dodging bullets, hitting one Kurjan in the neck as he flew past. Bullets impacted his chest, his shoulders, even his thighs, yet he kept going.

Jase appeared on his right, Dage on his left, both providing cover. He didn’t hesitate, even when the king grunted in pain from impact.

Only Lily mattered.

The helicopter lifted into the air. With a primal roar, Caleb leaped across yards to land inside, hitting the farthest wall with a loud crunch . Pain slashed across his forehead, and blood splashed. Something hard slammed into the back of his head, and darkness overtook him. The last thing he heard was Lily screaming his name.

Lily glanced around the lush lady’s quarters. Flowers abounded on every fabric, on every wall, even on lamps. All different colors of flowers, different species, resulting in a hodgepodge of clashing flora that overstimulated the senses. Her head began to ache, and not just from being Tasered and tossed in a helicopter.

Did Franco truly believe the ridiculous bedroom suited her?

With a sigh, she limped over to the closet and threw open the door. The Kurjans had removed the tracker from her heel, and it hurt. Rips and Caleb’s blood marred her yoga outfit, and the Kurjan who’d escorted her to the absurd room had ordered her to change.

She glanced down at the long strip of skin revealed across her breasts from the damaged material. Yes. While the idea of donning clothing purchased by Franco made her ill, she’d rather cover more of her flesh if she was about to meet the Kurjan leader in person.

She had to find out where they’d taken Caleb. Fear for him made the room whirl. Why would the Kurjans allow the Realm Rebel to live? It didn’t make sense. Unless they wanted to use him against her. She’d do anything to keep him alive.

At the thought, she stumbled against silk and cotton clothes. She loved him. Not the sweet love she’d thought she’d felt in her youth, but a desperate love determined to keep him. To love him and even fight with him. Fight anybody for him.

God. She had to save him.

She shoved off the ruined yoga outfit and donned a long blue skirt. A scramble through tops showed only corsets. Not the proper ones from times gone by, but those more recent, tight, and rather revealing. Franco was being an ass.

She tugged a blue and white one over her head, nearly bending over backward to zip it up. At least it had a zipper hidden among the many ties. Glancing down, she sighed at the mounds of her breasts pushed high. “This is to be worn beneath a sweater,” she muttered. One more quick glance through the closet proved there were no sweaters.

Several sets of high heels lined the bottom of the closet. Not a chance. Skirt or not, she was going barefoot. Much better for both running and kicking if necessary.

Her heart racing, she hustled into the attached bathroom, which was even gaudier than the bedroom, if that were possible.