Filed to story: Reclaimed Book by Roxie Ray
“She’s fine,” Blakely said. “And she’ll stay that way, as long as you do what I say.”
“You set this up.” Realization fell over me like ice water. “You tricked Ace into leaving the house, and then tricked me into coming here.”
“It was really easy, too,” Blakely said. “So much for all your security detail, huh? One little request from Mommy, and you come running like a little girl.”
“Shut your fucking mouth. Where is she?” I was ready to beat this woman’s ass. Rage and panic both burned within me, making my heart race and sweat bead at my temples.
“Come on out,” Blakely called.
The door to Mom’s upstairs bedroom opened. I heard footsteps stomping, and then an unfamiliar man stomped down the stairs with my mother in tow. Her arms were bound behind her back, and she was pale and terrified.
“Mom!” I cried out. Her shaky voice on the phone hadn’t been withdrawal or pain. It’d been fear.
And I hadn’t noticed at all.
“Don’t move,” Blakely snapped. She pointed a small pistol at me.
I put my hands up. What the hell had I gotten myself into?
I’m sorry, Steph,
I thought desperately. Part of me wished he actually had bitten me. Then he’d feel the pain and the fear through the bond and come rescue me.
Fuck. I really fucked this up.
The man, tall and bulky with thinning black hair, marched my mother into the living room and pushed her roughly into an armchair.
“I’m sorry,” Mom said. “They forced me to call you, Harley, and they said they just wanted to talk. I didn’t mean?-“
“It’s okay, Mom,” I said as I glared at Blakely. “This isn’t your fault. She’s always been a filthy liar.”
“Why are you doing this, Blakely?” Mom asked in a weak, wet voice. “You used to be such a sweet girl…”
“Shut her up,” Blakely snarled to the man.
“No!” I took a step forward, but the click of Blakely’s gun as she turned the safety off had me stopping short.
The man pulled a thick bandanna from his back pocket and wrapped it around Mom’s face, gagging her. Mom choked out a pained sound, and tears ran down her face.
“Nothing personal,” Blakely said. “I just need Harley out of the way.”
“You’re going to regret this, Blakely.” My mother and I might have been on bad terms, but she didn’t deserve to be hurt like this. Not because of me.
Then Blakely and the man were both pointing guns right at my face. “Come quietly, and I won’t shoot out your knees,” Blakely said.
I swallowed hard. Her expression was so enraged, I didn’t doubt she would actually shoot me right here in front of my own mother.
I was trapped.
ACE
“I
‘m supposed to be meeting someone,” I said.
“Ohhh kay,” the teenage barista said with an unimpressed look. “You still have to buy something if you’re going to loiter in here.”
“I’m not loitering,” I said as I loitered. “Let me make a call.”
The café was empty in the mid-afternoon, and it was ten minutes past the time Blakely had agreed to meet. My dragon’s hackles were up. Something was seriously wrong here. I called Blakely. No answer. I called again. No answer.
Blakely wasn’t going to show up. I was a fucking fool.
I grabbed a five-dollar bill from my wallet and stuffed it in the tip jar as I left. Outside, I called Striker, who picked up on the first ring. “Did she show?”
“No,” I said. “Have you seen her?”
Striker had been scouting from the sky, in his dragon form, and then waiting near the café in his car. “Not a trace. Are you thinking…”
“I’m thinking this was a fucking setup,” I snarled.
A beep in my ear indicated a call waiting, and I pulled the phone away from my ear. Sean’s name appeared on the screen.
“Striker, call the house and make sure everything is okay there.” I ended my call with my enforcer and answered Sean’s. “What do you want?” I hissed.
“Ace.” Sean’s voice dripped with condescension and glee. “Good to hear from you. I believe I’ve got something that belongs to you.”
My phone beeped again, this time with a new text. Sean had sent me a single, grainy picture of a dimly lit room with stained floors and a curtained window. In the center of the room was a rickety chair. And on the chair, arms and legs bound, was my mate.
Harley.
My fangs dropped as my dragon roared with rage inside me. I gripped my phone so tightly I heard the case crack. “Sean,” I growled in a voice that was more dragon than man, “Where is she?”
“We’ll get to that,” Sean said with delight. “Aren’t you wondering why your little ex-girlfriend didn’t show up to your date?”
“You set this up,” I growled. “You used her as bait.”
“For you, yes,” Sean said. “And it worked pretty fucking well, huh? I wasn’t sure if it would, but you are one gullible dragon.” Sean laughed. “Blakely told me you would be. Said you’d always had a soft spot for her. She’s obsessed with you, for some reason. She showed up at my compound asking for my help to get rid of Harley after Forrest ran off like a little bitch. I was about to blow her off, but she’s full of good ideas, the little tramp.”
“Let Harley go. Now.” There was so much rage burning inside of me I was quivering. My dragon was right beneath the surface, begging me to shift and find him and tear him to pieces.
“We’re not at my compound anymore,” Sean said. “So don’t get any ideas. She’s hiding away in one of my safe houses. And you know, she’s such a pretty morsel, I wouldn’t want to have to hurt her.”
“If you even touch her, I’ll fucking destroy you,” I snarled. “They won’t even recognize your body when I’m done.”
“You can try.” From the sound of Sean’s voice, his fangs had dropped too. His dragon was always right at the surface, eager to come forward. So close to taking control. To becoming feral. “Meet me tonight. Alone.”
“Gladly.”
“Alone,” Sean reiterated. “If not, I’ll kill her.”
The call disconnected. I called Striker again, and he picked up immediately. “Ace, this is bad.”
“Sean has Harley. He sent me proof.”
