Ruling Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 4) (10 page)

“Okay. Okay. You need to look at yourself. I don’t like to brag, but you look so good right now.”

Dani smiled; she quickly stood and turned to look at her reflection. “Holy crap, Elsie! This is freakin’ fantastic.” She leaned over the dresser to stare at her makeup more carefully. The heavy mascara and thin line of black eyeliner made Dani’s blue eyes look huge. The color almost perfectly matched her dress.

The eye shadow was just a shade lighter than her skin tone, brightening her eyes even more. Elsie didn’t want to overdo the eyes when Dani’s dark lips would be more than enough to get attention.

The sleek and simple gown combined with the futuristic-looking ponytail tied out a unique and beautiful look. “Warrior chic,” said Elsie.

Dani turned back to Elsie. “I dare someone to mess with me when I look like this.”

“Remind me not to piss you off tonight.” Elsie glanced at the time again. They had a good ten minutes before Dani had to leave. “Jewelry! Hold on. I have something.”

Dani rolled her eyes. “Of course you do. You have everything.”

“Every once in a while, over-packing pays off,” she muttered as she dug through her bag. A few seconds later, she pulled out a simple pair of silver drop earrings. A single chain hung down two inches with a clear, teardrop crystal hanging at the bottom.

“How long are you planning on staying?”

“I think Brock wanted to stay out here longer, but it looks like we have to head back to Jersey tomorrow. Apparently I’m needed at the plant.”

Dani slipped into her heels. Elsie didn’t have time to shoe shop, so Dani had to scrounge in her closet for a decent pair with a modest heel. “So, when did you know Brock and you were meant to be together?”

Great. More questions she didn’t want to answer. “You need to head downstairs if you want to make it to your dance in time.”

Dani reached for her small black sequined clutch. “If you don’t love him, you can tell me. I won’t tell anyone.”

Elsie felt as if she just got hit in the head with a baseball bat. “What?”

“Don’t get me wrong. You seem happy enough together and stuff. It’s just that you never want to talk about him or how you two got together. Most newlyweds are kind of giggly, you know?”

Elsie tried to think about the last time she was “giggly” about anything. She didn’t even giggle the one time she tried pot in college. Who could giggle with all the coughing?

“I guess I’m not the giggly type.” The excuse sounded lame, even to Elsie. She thought of Etta, bouncing with joy at the thought of bonding with Max. Even Rebecca, who tried so hard to hide emotions from her girls, had seemed strangely happy after she bonded with Roman.

All the more proof that Elsie was never meant to be with Brock. She might love his sense of humor and how he treated his family, but she didn’t love him. He might’ve had a crush on her, but that’s no basis for an eternal commitment.

“Just remember that you can talk to me.” Dani left the room.

Elsie pushed the doubts out of her mind and into her pile labeled “shit to worry about later.” This was Dani’s moment.

She followed Dani to the staircase just in time to see the looks of awe on all her family members’ faces. Dani stopped midway down the staircase to do a little pose. Russell was the first to break the silence. “Holy shit. You look…like someone else.”

Dani smiled, apparently taking that as a compliment. “Thanks, Uncle Russell.”

At first Lana’s face was unreadable, but a small smile broke up her normally stern expression as Dani reached the bottom of the stairs. “You look all grown up, sweetheart.”

Elsie studied Brock for any sign of disapproval. Rebecca never cared whether her teenage daughters looked twenty-five, but she tried to keep Dani’s outfit age appropriate.

Gloria pushed her way through the crowded entryway and wrapped Dani in a tight hug. “You are so beautiful, baby.”

“Thanks, Mama.”

Brock subtly shot Elsie a little nod of approval and she let out a sigh of relief.

Russell picked something out of his back pocket. “Think fast, kid.” He threw a set of keys at Dani, and her hand came up inhumanly fast to pluck them out of the air.

She studied the logo on the keychain. “You’re giving me the Porsche?”

“Just for the night. I know you don’t have a limo or anything, but you might as well arrive in style.”

“Uncle Russell, you love this car more than me!”

“I love you more than Portia. Not by much, but it’s enough. Besides, I’m assuming you’re bringing my baby back in one, completely unscratched, piece.” For the first time, Elsie was able to see Russell without disapproval clouding his eyes.

It was easier to think of Russell as some jackass who didn’t like her. It was much more ego-crushing to think of Russell as the caring uncle who didn’t like her.

Dani untangled herself from Gloria’s tight embrace as Elsie made her way to Brock. “Did Russell refer to his car as ‘Portia’?” she whispered.

The corner of his mouth hooked up. “Just remember never to mess with Russell’s cars.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

WE NEED TO TALK. MEET ME AT THE DOCK AT 2. OUR LITTLE SECRET.

Elsie stared at the text message for a few moments, trying to decipher what Dani wanted to talk about. Did something go wrong? Maybe something went right and Dani just wanted some girl talk.

Elsie would find out soon enough. Assuming she could sneak away in the middle of the night without anyone noticing. Brock still hadn’t completely forgiven her for running off to the city.

She would just have to find some way to make it work. She text Dani back. C U THEN.

A soft knock sounded on the bathroom door. Elsie looked in the mirror once more. Her hair was down and in loose curls around her shoulders, and her beaded purple top dressed up the casual shorts she wore. Satisfied with her reflection, she opened the door for Brock.

He wore a loose black t-shirt and jeans and looked fantastic. “Gloria is putting a movie on downstairs. You want to watch it?”

Elsie turned off the bathroom light and walked into the bedroom. “What movie?”

“I don’t know. Some comedy I’ve never heard of. You can get a chance to spend some time with Gloria and maybe we can head down to the beach afterwards.”

Elsie imagined how handsome Brock would look under the moonlight. Movie and a late-night walk on the beach with a gorgeous man who was completely into her. What more could a girl want?

Before Elsie could say yes, her stupid mind started to race. If she went to the beach with Brock, he would kiss her again. If it was anything like the last kisses they shared, she wouldn’t stop him. Then they would come back to their bedroom. Then what?

They would sleep together eventually. They were mated and he obviously wanted her. She would be stupid to deny her own attraction to him. He was polite enough to leave her alone the previous night, but would he be as gentlemanly two nights in a row?

Did she want him to be?

No. She needed to sneak out to talk to Dani. There was no time for playing between the sheets.

“You have no idea how great that sounds, but I really should catch up on some work. I made the mistake of listening to some of those voicemails and I want to look into a couple of things.”

She tried to read his expression for any sign of disappointment or anger, but his guards were up. “Anything I should be worried about?”

Elsie shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’ll let you know if anything comes up though.”

He looked up and met her eyes. “What about Jackson?”

Elsie sighed. “Jackson. He might be an issue.”

Brock shut his eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of his nose. “He’s the reason you were at the plant that night, wasn’t he?” Her silence was answer enough. “How much has he taken?”

Elsie gulped nervously. “He’s family. Maybe we can all sit down together and—”

“Please don’t bullshit me. Give me a number.”

“Just under two hundred thousand dollars.”

“Fuck!” Brock turned away from her as his hands balled into fists as though he was resisting the urge to hit something.

Elsie reached out to Brock, resting a hand on his shoulder. “There might be a reason. Talk to him before you make any decisions.” His muscles vibrated with tension beneath her touch. She knew how much his family meant to him. Even if Jackson wasn’t quite as easy to get along with as Dani, the betrayal had to hurt.

“I’m going to take a run. I might be out late.”

“Don’t worry about me. Just take care of yourself.”

Brock turned back, standing just inches from Elsie. His dark eyes bored into her; his hands reached up to touch her elbows and stroked up to her shoulders. He was so close she could feel the heat radiate from his chest. His lips were close enough that all she had to do was push herself up a little farther and they would be kissing.

Why didn’t he kiss her? He had taken every other opportunity during the day. Oh yeah. She didn’t want him to kiss her.

He didn’t. “I’ll be back.” He turned and walked out of the room.

Great. Now she would really be able to concentrate on work.

~~~~~

Elsie pulled her sweatshirt closer to her as the cool night breeze kicked up. The soft fabric kept her arms warm enough, but her shorts and flip-flops didn’t offer any protection. It had been so warm that afternoon, she never thought about changing out of her pajama shorts.

She checked her cell phone again. Five past two and Dani still wasn’t there. Really, if she was going to call a midnight meeting in secret, she should at least be on time.

Sneaking out had been easier than expected. Elsie worked late in the downstairs office and fell asleep over her computer. The vibration of the alarm she set on her cell was just enough to wake her up while letting the rest of the house sleep.

The sound of dead leaves crunching made Elsie look to her left, and she let out a sigh of relief when she saw Dani walk toward her.

Her hair was down around her shoulders and she wore more sensible flats, but her makeup and blue dress were still on. “Hey girl. How was everything tonight?”

Dani smiled hesitantly, but she was visibly nervous.

“Is everything okay?”

Dani looked over her shoulder and back to Elsie. “The dance was great. Everyone thought I looked great and I danced with a few guys I’m fairly certain didn’t even know I existed a week ago.”

Elation filled Elsie. “I’m so glad you had a good time. I was thinking about you all night. What did you want to talk about?”

Another anxious look behind her. “You have a lot of power now, you know? You’re the new queen.”

“So I’ve been told,” muttered Elsie.

“How much do you know about my dad?” asked Dani.

The elation was suddenly gone. “Just the basics. I heard he’s not a fan of Brock or the rest of your family.”

Dani’s eyes widened and a masculine voice spoke from behind Elsie. “That’s a very watered-down version of events.”

Elsie whipped her head around. Derek was easy enough to spot. He had the same blond hair as Dani and their similar bone structure made their relation undeniable. If the huge and muscled werewolf appearing out of nowhere wasn’t enough to get her heart racing, there were two others with him: a big guy with sandy-brown hair and a burn scar that covered the right side of his face and a tall, skinny brunette who looked as though it was her goal to wear as little clothes as possible.

A shame. She had an amazing body, but the trashy clothes made her look like a streetwalker. Elsie blinked as she focused on the matter at hand and not makeovers.

“Don’t freak out, Elsie. They just want to talk to you.”

Dani’s words didn’t do a thing to calm Elsie. “What’s going on here?”

The scarred one spoke up. “We just want a chance to reason with your mate. He doesn’t normally like dealing with the gutter rats like us, but we thought, since you are so new to our world, that you’d be more reasonable.

“I’m Cullen and this is my mate Rachel.”

Cullen.
The man Brock suspected of hiring the myotis. Elsie tried to keep her face blank. “I wouldn’t mind talking with you, but I’m sure you can understand why I don’t want to have a drawn-out political discussion under these circumstances.”

Dani stepped toward Elsie, rustling more leaves. “You’re safe. They just want to talk.”

Elsie frowned and looked back to the three werewolves. They hadn’t made a sound when they approached. Dani was young and inexperienced. These were hunters.

No matter what Dani said, these three were after her. Elsie stepped back. “Dani, we need to go inside.”

Rachel stalked closer to Elsie. The menacing look in the pack’s eyes traveled to the rest of their faces and her lips curled into a snarl.

Without any hesitation, Elsie turned and ran, gasping in a breath to scream. The house was so close. Surely Brock would hear her.

She never made a noise. Something that felt like a brick slammed into her skull, sending her flying across the sandy leaves.

She wanted to get up. She wanted to run. Nothing seemed to work. Her eyes were closed, but the world seemed to spin.

A female shrieking sounded from behind her, and she recognized it as Dani.

“Shut up, girl. What do you think they are going to do to you when they find out your part in this?” said a male, but she couldn’t tell who.

Dani stopped screaming, but her quiet crying continued. Elsie wanted to scream.
Run! Get help!

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She took a deep breath and then had to cough when she inhaled sand and dirt. At the noise, Rachel walked over and slammed her boot into Elsie’s head.

The force of the kick pushed Elsie to her back as bright light flashed behind her eyes.

“Fuck, Rachel. You can’t kill her yet. We need her,” said Cullen. Behind him, Dani’s cries got louder. “Shut up! We need to get her out of here before your brat wakes up everyone.”

Elsie tried to open her eyes to see what was happening, but they wouldn’t cooperate. The air seemed to slow and the earth beneath her shifted, telling her someone was approaching. Her head tucked in and muscles tensed as she waited for the next blow.

Derek laughed above her. “You should see her shakin’ right now, man. You need to get a picture of this.”

Through the pain, rage filled her. It wasn’t enough to beat her. They wanted to remember it for later.

Not that she put up much of a fight. Compared to their strength, her only option was to run, and she even failed at that. “Just get her to the truck,” muttered Cullen.

The knowledge that he was about to touch her sent a fresh shot of fear straight down her spine. Her leg kicked out at his knee and her fist aimed at his face. A satisfied thrill shot through her when both made contact, but it was quickly chased away when he didn’t back off at all.

“Bitch,” he muttered as his fist crashed into her cheek. After that, her world went black.

The world spun around Elsie as awareness slowly came back.

No. It wasn’t spinning. She was being carried over someone’s shoulder. Her eyes shot open and the sudden, though small, movement sent pain crashing through her skull. She groaned as each step the man beneath her took made the headache even worse.

Keeping herself limp so they wouldn’t know she was conscious, Elsie tried to figure out where they were and where she was being taken. The woods still looked the same, so they must not be too far from Brock’s cabin. Derek and Rachel walked to her left, so it must be Cullen’s shoulder ramming into her lungs.

There was no sign of Dani. Elsie sent up a silent prayer hoping the teen was okay and getting help. Not that the pack seemed too worried. They walked calmly and silently through the darkness.

Even carrying her weight, Cullen’s steps were silent.
Was Brock that quiet when he walked?
Maybe he was stalking them right now, about to jump out of the shadows any second to free her.

Or not. If Dani wasn’t raising the alarm, Brock would think she was still sleeping peacefully over her laptop, just like any other workaholic. And Elsie had to face the reality that Cullen and his pack wouldn’t be so calm if they thought there was any possibility of Brock coming after them.

Cullen stopped and the sound of a car door opening filled the night. He unceremoniously tossed Elsie on the dirt, the six-foot fall forcing what little breath she had out of her lungs.

“Did we wake you, princess?” asked Derek. Elsie opened her eyes and stared at the man with all the hatred she felt. Derek knelt as a hand pulled back for a punch.

Cullen gave Derek a look that stopped him mid-swing. “Cut the shit. No playing with her while we are on Holt land. Put her out and tie her up so we can get the hell out of here. Those ropes had better be tight or I will beat your ass so hard you won’t be able to shit for a month.”

Just as Elsie started to contemplate what he meant by “put her out,” Derek raised his fist again and everything went dark.

As Elsie regained consciousness for the third time in one night, she was no longer surprised by the screaming agony in her head. At this rate, that pain would be with her the rest of her life.

The shooting aches in her shoulders and arms were new, though. Opening her eyes did her no good because she was surrounded by nothing but pitch black. The movement of the metal surface she was laying on told her she was in a car. Probably the back of a pickup.

She kicked out her legs, only to realize she couldn’t do more than wiggle them. They were bound together at the ankles, knees, and thighs. Her arms were similarly tied up in multiple spots and stretched painfully behind her. A cloth gag was tied and knotted behind her head, ripping out a few hairs every time she shifted and leaving her mouth unbearably dry.

Considering her other serious injuries, dry mouth didn’t seem like the highest priority, but damn it, it was annoying.

The pickup hit a bump and Elsie slid across the metal, tucking her head to avoid any further injury.

Focus, Elsie! There has to be some way out of this damn box!
Elsie felt along the slots in the bed of the truck but couldn’t feel a thing. There was nothing loose rolling around next to her and no sharp rusted edges she could use to cut herself free.