“Is this not the kind of thing we brought them in to help with?”
“No. Their agreement was limited to providing perimeter security during the swims. Nothing more. Edick was very clear on that point, that they don’t want their assistance to be used to drag them into any personal squabbles, as he put it.”
“But your dad helped rescue his brother!”
“And Dad wasn’t asked to help,” Emery said. “He volunteered after hearing about it. Again, Edick is a lawyer. He also emphasized that point. Yes, he feels he owes my dad, but it’s a reluctant kind of debt. The only reason he agreed to help with security for the swims is because he feels it’ll help clear the debt, and it gets him the bonus of using us for security for their spawnings.”
“If we ask him to help with dis,” Wyatt said, “not only will he say no, but he’ll likely void our agreement for the swim, too. We can’t risk it. Don’t worry, I got other calls out.”
Sean started to argue again, but Emery gently gripped Sean’s shoulders. “I swear, if I thought we should bring them in, I would. But even Bob Wellsley and Michael Haddox agreed telling the sharks about this might jeopardize the entire agreement.”
“And if they find out later from someone else, it won’t?”
“Not if we get them back safely and the superpod goes on as planned. They’ll respect that I had enough control over the pod to keep everyone in line even if they do find out about it. Which, hopefully, they won’t.”
“That’s just fucked up.”
Wyatt nodded. “It is, but Em’s right.”
Chapter Fourteen
Hector kept Marisela locked in a windowless bathroom in the rental house, one of his men always guarding the door, a cheap air mattress and a sheet for a bed in the cramped space.
Not even a TV or radio to make the time pass.
He wouldn’t take any chances with her getting away, apparently. At their home in Mexico, iron bars on the windows of her room made escape impossible. Her suite there, including a bathroom so he never had to let her out, was situated in a locked wing. Food was brought to her twice a day. She only left the room when Hector allowed.
She wasn’t allowed to swim, to shift. Even in her bathroom, she only had a tiny shower, not even a bathtub. Her body ached for the freedom of the water, a pleasure she hadn’t been allowed in years and sometimes wondered if she could still even experience after so long.
When she was allowed out of the room, it was under the armed watch of Hector and his men and usually meant he had plans to allow someone to use her.
She’d thought about taking her own life, many times. But she knew that would only allow Hector to win.
Revenge was the only thought keeping her alive.
They’d spent eight days at the rental house when she heard a commotion one afternoon. She listened at the door, but couldn’t make out much beyond hushed voices and Hector’s laugh.
She knew that laugh. Something had pleased him.
A few minutes later, the door opened and her brother stood there. “Come here.”
She walked through the door. He grabbed her by the hair and used it to lead her into the master bedroom. Two men sat shackled to chairs, duct tape over their mouths and bandanas tied over their eyes.
Hector led her over to the larger of the two men. “This is the father of the man you’re going to mate with. He’s a dolphin shifter. This other man is a human, and is the father of his mate.” Hector let out a laugh that chilled her soul. “Well, he’s the father of the mate until our friend kills the mate.”
Neither man reacted to Hector’s words, leading her to believe they didn’t understand Spanish.
He painfully pulled on her hair, raising her up on her toes as he leaned in and muttered in her ear, “You are going to get a little freedom, sister. If you disappoint me, I will begin cutting off the fingers and toes, one by one, of the human man. It will be your fault. Do you understand me?”
She tried not to cry out from the pain of him yanking on her hair. “Yes, sir.”
If she didn’t address him as such, he always beat her. She’d learned that lesson early on.
He knew she wouldn’t allow someone to be harmed on her behalf. Not a human. She didn’t give a shit about any of Hector’s men, but an innocent human, she couldn’t live with the guilt of that blood on her hands.
Erik walked into the bedroom. “I see you’ve introduced her,” he said in Spanish. He walked over to the dolphin shifter and slugged him before spitting on him. “That’s for not supporting me, one of your own kind,” he said in English.
Then he glared at the human. “I don’t want to even touch him.” He turned to Hector and Marisela. “Just a few more days until you get to enjoy being the mate to a pod Alpha,” he told her in Spanish. “Well, for a little while, at least.”
Hector released her hair and shoved her toward the door. “You can roam the house. You set foot outside without my permission, and he loses a finger.” He pointed at the human. “Understand?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.” She walked out to the living room, ignored by Hector’s men. She found a chair in the corner, where she could watch the TV, and tried to make herself invisible.
Erik and Hector emerged from the back of the house a few minutes later, Hector walking the other shifter to the door. Her brother didn’t speak to her, his gaze barely pausing on her as he went to join his men in front of the TV.
After a couple of hours, and the men taking turns standing guard over the prisoners, Hector finally had a use for her. He turned and snapped his fingers at her. “Go cook dinner.”
She savored what little freedom she was allowed that evening as she silently sat in her corner and absorbed whatever they watched on TV. That night, she was once again locked in the bathroom to sleep.
The next morning, Hector seemed to be in good spirits. She was ordered to make breakfast, and noted their food supplies were running low. Erik stopped by to check on everyone, the chilling grin he sent her making her whole body break out in uncomfortable gooseflesh.
He was evil down to his very core, without a doubt.
Much like her brother.
She did pull them together a lunch, but knew dinner would be an issue. Unfortunately, she couldn’t talk to Hector about it, because he was busy in talks with Erik. When he ordered her later that evening to cook dinner, she silently went into the kitchen.
Unfortunately, as she surveyed the contents of the fridge and cabinets, there wasn’t much there to cook. Knowing she risked a beating, she went to Hector, and told him.
He glared at her, then looked at one of his men. “I told you to go shopping yesterday to stock up. Why the fuck didn’t you do it?”
“We were getting those two yesterday.”
He looked like he wanted to slug the man. “I can’t afford to send anyone to the store right now. I want everyone here standing guard. He considered her. “All right.” He pulled a wad of American cash out of his pocket, peeled off a couple of bills, and handed them to her. “Do you remember how to walk to the store we stopped at before?”
“Yes, sir.” She fingered the cash in her hands. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d held money.
He scratched his chin, pondering. “I’ll give you one hour to walk down, shop, and walk back. Understand? If I have to come looking for you, I will make you not only wish you’d hadn’t, but that human will lose his hand when I get you back. You will be the one to cut it off. Understand me?”
She blanched. “Yes, sir.” Her hopes of escape were crushed. She couldn’t live with the guilt if that happened.
He shoved her toward the front door. “Go. And bring me back a receipt and the change.”
Breathing hard, she scurried to do as he ordered. The house wasn’t on the water, but there was a canal behind the houses on the other side of the street.
I could find the police. Tell them. Find a dolphin shifter.
The thought of being forced to cut the man’s hand off weighed
heavily on her mind. She doubted the two men would survive the ordeal regardless.
If I can get them help…
The road curved, putting her out of sight of the house. She listened for the sound of boats, anyone. Somewhere nearby, she heard the raucous sound of a parrot babbling.
She could go to a house and call the police. But she didn’t doubt the very real possibility that Hector had assigned a man to watch her regardless of what he’d said, as a test of her loyalty. And if he found her first, he might kill any people who tried to help her.
There were already enough innocents at risk.
Her feet slowed as the road passed a shallow inlet. She heard a boat somewhere on the water nearby. And…
She stopped. There was someone out there, swimming.
A shifter. More than one, perhaps.
She felt it. She wasn’t sure what kind of shifter, but that didn’t matter. While in her mind she thought she’d still be walking toward the store, she was shocked to find herself jumping into the water, clothes and all. She stripped, wadded her clothes up, and shoved them under a dock. As she sank under the water, joy exploded through her body as she shifted for the first time in years. That short-lived pleasure was shoved out of her mind as she took off to find the shifters, swimming for her life…and the lives of the two men now being held hostage in the house.
Chapter Fifteen
It was late afternoon when Erik called back. This time, they’d prepared to record the call. Everyone went silent and crowded around to listen, Sean and Emery the closest.
“Well, Em, I’m sure you’ve got quite an audience with you,” Erik said.
Enraged, Emery’s grey eyes almost appeared black. “Spit it out, Erik. And we want proof they’re still alive.”
“I’ll give you proof.” They heard something that sounded like duct tape being ripped from someone’s mouth.
“Emery?” Joseph.
“Dad, are you all right?”
“We’re okay, son. We’re—”
Erik came back on the line. “That’s enough of that.” They heard what sounded like him walking, a door closing, and then another door opening. Then it was as if he stepped outside. “Okay, here’s the thing. They’ll stay alive and unharmed as long as you follow directions. You’re going to leave that human at home and tell the superpod there’s been a change. I’ll call you back Friday night and tell you where to pick up your new mate. She’s the one you’re going to introduce as Mrs. Emery Nadel, and you’re going to fuck her brains out in front of the pod like a good Alpha should. You got it?”
In the background, a parrot let out a shriek, followed by a string of curse words.
“You hear me, Emery?”
“Yeah, I hear you.”
“Good.”
The line went dead.
Sean wanted to pound his fist into a wall. Well, he wanted to pound his fist into Erik, but a wall would do nicely.
Emery and Wyatt looked at each other. “We can’t do what he says. I won’t do what he says, but I have no fucking clue what to do right now.”
“When Lina and her men get here,” Wyatt said, “hopefully she’ll be able to help.”
Sean wanted to ask who the hell Lina and her men were, but then that feeling nagged at him again. He walked out onto the lanai to get some quiet and think. When Emery started to speak to him, he held up a hand, stilling him.
Everyone went quiet as they watched him. He walked small circles on the lanai.
I should know this.
He stopped and closed his eyes and thought about lunch with Joseph, when they’d sat and talked. A good day. Damn good day.
The breeze, the sounds from the water…
His eyes popped open and he turned. “I think I know where the hell they are.” He ran in and snatched a map from the counter, opening it and zeroing in on Manasota Key.
“Joseph and I had lunch here,” he pointed. “We sat out on the deck. There was a damn parrot somewhere close by, I’d guess in this area.” He pointed to a residential area to the north of the restaurant. “That’s where it sounded like it was coming from.”
He pounded his fist on the counter. “The fucker’s calling us from Manasota Key. I know it. That’s the same goddamned bird I heard while we were eating lunch. It has to be, it’s saying the same things, making the same noises. We find that bird, we know approximately where Erik is.”
Now that Sean had a clue at least to Erik’s recent whereabouts, he wanted to get moving immediately. “We need to flood that godddamned key with people, Em. Before he gets away. We can find him.”
“Do you know how many fucking condos and houses and shitty-ass trailers there are on the goddamned southern end of the key?” Emery nearly yelled. He dropped his head into his hands for a moment before eventually looking up again. “I’m sorry,” he said in a calmer tone. “I’m just…Fuck.”
Wyatt leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “Dude, y’all need to seriously chill out. Not gonna find them yellin’ at everyone.”
Emery stood and circled the living room. “And we don’t know for sure if they’re even on the key. It’s just where Erik called from. They could have moved them anywhere. Erik could have prerecorded that and…”
He didn’t finish.
“Dude, he walked outside the house. I heard the bird. He’s there, with our dads.”
Emery looked at Wyatt. “Can’t you scope things out?”
“I look like a bloodhound to you?”
“Your nose is long enough,” Reese grumbled.
“Stop it, all of you,” Louise barked, sharply enough to make them all turn and look at her.
She stood and walked over to the sliding glass doors, where she stared out at the lanai. “They’re still alive. I’m sure of it. Erik isn’t stupid. He knows if we don’t have proof they’re alive, whatever the rest of his plan is won’t work, because he’ll be killed immediately. He knows the only leverage he has over us is if he keeps them alive. For now.”
She turned back to everyone. “That means we go out there and if we have to search every goddamned backyard on that key to find that bird, we will. Do I make myself clear?”
“We can’t just have dozens of people suddenly going over there,” Emery said. “Especially ones Erik might know. That could tip him off and then he bolts or kills them.”
Sean grabbed his keys and cell phone and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Emery asked.
“I’m going to take Dad’s boat out. Erik might remember what mine looks like. The marina’s still open. I can have them put his boat in. There’s canals all over that neighborhood. I might be able to locate the bird that way.”
“I’ll go with you,” Emery said.
“No, you need to stay here and coordinate. I know Lemon Bay like the back of my hand.”
“You’re not going out there alone, if I have to duct tape you to a goddamned chair to keep you here.”
Wyatt pushed himself away from the wall. “I’ll go wit’ him,” he quietly told Emery. “He’s right. You stay here. At least we doin’ somethin’ if we go out.”
Sean nodded and the gator shifter followed him out to his truck. He pulled up the marina’s number on speed dial and called them as he backed out of the driveway. On the ride there he was glad Wyatt didn’t make idle chatter.
He wasn’t sure he could handle it right now.
The forklift was just setting his dad’s boat into the water when they arrived. Sean signed out on the paperwork, picked up the keys, and they got in.
Wyatt tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at the empty space on the console. “No electronics?”
“They’re at my parents’ house. Besides, we don’t need them. We’ll be close to land. I know the depths.” He patted his pocket. “My phone has GPS and we won’t lose our signal.”
Wyatt nodded and left it at that. He braced himself against the console as Sean cranked the engines and throttled up as high as he could in the no-wake z
one. One thing in their favor, at least, the tide was a little higher than normal due to the impending full moon, and still incoming.
Motoring down the channel toward the Intracoastal waterway running between the key and the mainland, Wyatt searched the coastline. “Lots of mangroves all over here screening the houses. Can get shifters in dat way.”
“Yeah. If they’re anywhere close to the water, we can get Joseph out and he can shift.”
“Your dad can’t.”
“No, but he can swim like a motherfucker.” He glanced at Wyatt. “We can have a boat close and ready. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hold on to Joseph and get a ride out.”
Wyatt slowly nodded and returned his gaze to the shore. Then, “You got any fishing poles on board?”
“I don’t know. Maybe below. Why?”
“Look awful suspicious, two guys in a boat near shore, just starin’ at houses.”
“Dammit. Look in the cabin.” He throttled into neutral and shut the engine off long enough to hand Wyatt the keys so he could unlock the hatch, then started the engines again and resumed their progress.
“Aha.” Wyatt triumphantly emerged carrying two rods. He stuck them in rod holders in the stern and returned to his spot next to Sean. “I might look like a stupid Cajun, but believe me, I’m not.”
“I never said you were.”
“Em’s sister, Reece, she ain’t real fond of me.”
“I think that has more to do with you scaring the crap out of her mom that time.”
He shrugged. “She cute.”
“No offense, man, but I’m not comfortable discussing Em’s sisters with you in that context.”
Wyatt smiled, showing teeth. “Too bad you don’t got any sisters.”
“And even if I did, ditto what I just said. Being happy with you dating them, and discussing the details, are two totally different things, dude.”
“Dat’s cool.”
After a few minutes, Sean asked, “Why do I get the feeling you know a lot more about things than you’re letting on?”