Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Raine
My cell rings for the first time since I turned it on and looked at it. Upon turning it back on, I found dozens of text messages from friends—several from Brady, all of them demanding my presence. The last one even said that I should have learned my lesson with the beating his friends gave me.
Looking at the screen, I inwardly groan at the sight of the name. Rebecca. A friend who I thought was a friend but wasn’t really. She only wanted to be able to grow close to me in order to get to Brady. I know this because I walked in on them a couple days before leaving Brady while he’d been thrusting into her mouth. It’s not like it was something that I hadn’t seen before, but never Rebecca, she was supposed to be my friend.
A friend I’d been able to keep. She didn’t know what he did to me. I didn’t talk about it with her, but in the end, it didn’t matter. She just wanted to be able to fuck Brady like every other woman who came near him. They all thought he was amazing rather than the monster he really is.
Ironic that they would freak out, scream, and run the other way if they ever saw, let alone knew that shifters and vampires were real. They see them as monsters where I know the truth, and the real monsters are men and women like Brady and his friends.
For some unknown reason, I decided to answer the phone. “What do you want, Rebecca?”
“I see you’ll answer the phone for your little slut of a friend, but you won’t for your man.” Brady chortles, sounding mockingly. “You realize the headache you’ve caused for me, sweetheart?”
“Go to hell, Brady,” I snap and pull the phone away from my ear, ready to hang up on him.
“You hang up on me, I’ll kill your mother,” he says loud enough for me to hear.
At the threat, I stop and bring the phone to my ear, but I don’t say anything .
“I’m guessing I’ve got your attention now,” he remarks, seemingly amused that I didn’t hang up. “Since you’re listening, I’ll tell you, I’ve got one of my best men on your mother. She doesn’t know he’s there. She’s going about her business at the grocery store, I might add, but if you don’t do what I tell you, I’ll order him to put a bullet in her head. Even with her sharp shifter senses, she won’t see it coming.”
A gasp leaves my lips before I can stop it, and I know he hears it, considering the fact he starts laughing.
“Didn’t think I knew the truth, sweetheart? I’ve known since before I started it with you. I knew you’d be my way in.”
“In for what? I’m not a shifter.”
“Oh, I know you’re not, but your entire family is. Your brother is the VP of the Iron Howlers MC, he’ll do anything for you. Including providing muscle, if need be, to keep you safe.”
“Bandit and his club don’t do anything like that. That’s not what they’re about,” I inform him, getting to my feet and going in search of Corbin or one of Dane’s brothers. I have to save my mom, and I can’t do that without their help. “My brother’s club would never provide muscle for you.”
“Maybe so, but with the right incentive, I find people, including shifters, will do exactly what I tell them to do,” Brady states just as I spot Corbin standing inside the clubhouse, looking like he’s about to leave. Coby and Zavier were with him.
Corbin’s gaze comes directly to me. I’m guessing sensing my presence and mood with the way his brows draw together.
“What incentive would that be?” I ask, unsure I want the answer. I move closer to him and his brothers. Without Dane being here, he’s it. He’ll help. Cyrus is his brother, he wouldn’t want to see anything happen to Cyrus. At least, I hope not.
I take the phone from my ear and put it on speaker in time for Corbin to also hear Brady.
“Let’s just say, I know your brother’s got himself a sweet little piece that would be great to add to my collection. Her and you together, yeah, that would be a good incentive, but that wouldn’t be enough. ‘Cause, see, I know you’re hiding out with the Spiked Raiders MC. Those men, well, they know how to run protection and do it right. They’ll do what’s needed if they want to make sure their women don’t end up being taken from them.”
My eyes widen at the threat Brady’s making.
“Now, if you be a good girl and come out of the clubhouse now, get in the car I’ll have come around for you, then I’ll leave them out of it. Won’t even go after them for what happened to Randy and Travis.”
Corbin takes my phone from me and lifts it out of my reach. “You think to come near my mate or anyone in this clubhouse, fucker, you’ve got another thing coming. You don’t know who the fuck you’re messing with.” Finished, he ends the call and hands it back to me.
“He has someone on my mom.”
Nodding, Corbin pulls out his cell and makes a call to, I’m sure, Cyrus while also putting a hand on my upper back and ushering me to one of the tables. “Sit here. I’ll get Karsyn to come sit with you. Want something to drink?”
“No,” I whisper. I didn’t want anything but to know my mom was okay.
“Right,” Corbin grunts and goes back to speaking to whoever he is talking to.
I try to pay attention, but I find it hard, considering all I want more than anything right now is to see my mom, to know she’s okay. To be in Dane’s arms and know everything’s going to be okay.
What seems like hours but is only minutes, Karsyn and Lake, join me at the table Corbin sat me at. My mind is still reeling with questions and wondering if my mom is okay. Is Sloane? Brady is crazy if he thinks my brother’s club or Dane’s would ever be muscle for him. They’re not the type to cower. I know this, and still, it scares me because it’s my fault they are all in danger now.
“It’s gonna be okay. Everything is happening as it’s supposed to,” Karsyn whispers, reaching out to take my hand with her free one. Her other arm was curled under baby Asher who was sleeping snugly against her chest.
“It’s all my fault,” I tell her, wishing I could make it all not be happening.
“Rainy, you’re not responsible for what some jackass wants to do,” Lake states, taking my other hand in hers. “If we all took responsibility for what others do, then we’d be just as horrible of people as they are.”
“She’s right,” Karsyn agrees. “Trust that everything is falling into place.”
The words barely leave her lips when the front doors are opened so suddenly, they’re nearly ripped off the hinges by Dane. His eyes are glittering that sapphire blue whereas just a little while ago, they’d been closer to what was his normal brownish color. It’s weird how his eye color changes so suddenly. Something must have happened. That or he found out what was going on here before he even got here. Either way, he was looking pissed, and I mean seriously pissed .
Dane’s gaze comes directly to me, nostrils flaring.
“Oh boy, someone is pissed,” Lake utters quietly.
“Considering where he just came from, I don’t blame him,” Karsyn remarks, almost like she was talking to herself. Looking briefly in her direction, I wonder if she is. She has this far-off look in her eyes that I can’t decipher.
Focusing on Dane, I get to my feet just in time for him to engulf me in his arms. My body snags against him, a sudden sense of warmth flooding me.
Dane is here. He is holding me. I am safe.
“Are you okay?” I murmur the question, all while tilting my head back in order to see his features.
“Was gonna ask you that. Soon as we got close, I felt your fear. I knew something wasn’t right. What’s goin’ on?”
My heart flutters in my chest, and I want nothing more than for all the bad things just to go away.
“Brother,” Corbin growls. I didn’t have to look at the man to know he was downright furious, and not in a little way. “We’ve got a situation. Gonna need you with us. ”
“What’s goin’ on?” Dane demands.
“Got a threat against our women to take care of,” Corbin answers.
“Brady called,” I also add.
“The fuck?” Dane snarls, his arm around me going tighter.
“We don’t have time to discuss this, Dane. Coby tracked his cell to just outside of town,” Corbin says. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him move toward Karsyn. He dips his head down, kisses her, and curls a hand around Asher’s head. “Big Daddy is bringing Sage back here.”
“Okay,” I hear Karsyn murmur. “It’s all going to be okay. Just watch for any tricksters he might have out there.”
Tricksters.
I’d heard that before. Brady used that same word while talking to his friends. Always when I knew they were talking about business, but I never knew what exactly he was talking about. Tricksters. What’s something you call a trickster?
“Brady said that while talking to his friends.” I find myself saying aloud.
“It’s the fox shifters,” Coby remarks far too quietly and with a grim expression on his face.
“What about the fox shifters?” Dane growls, shifting to face Coby. “By the way, brother, you and me, we’re gonna have a talk about what the fuck you sent us to that area for? You had to know why it wasn’t a route we’d take.”
“Had to, brother.” Coby grimaces again.
“What are you talking about?” Corbin demands. “We don’t have time for bullshit right now. We’ve got other things to deal with.”
Coby swallows, his face lowering, and he shakes his head. “The other day, I found my mate,” he mutters, not seeming to want to be sharing this. “She’s a fox shifter.”
“Oh no,” I whisper.
“I didn’t say anything because I knew something wasn’t right with her. She wanted to know things. Things I wasn’t going to give her. Then she shared a few things, and with that, I was going with the only play I could. That’s how I got the intel I did about Raine. She shared about that area. Something about what she said about it didn’t sit well with me. I planned on going with you, but then she called and said she wanted to see me.” Coby shakes his head, lifts it, and glances around at each of his brothers. “She’s my mate. I knew it wasn’t going to work between us, but still, a part of me needed to see her. To know her. Went to see her, and she rejected me. Laughed about it and danced away. But only after she said she got what she needed from me.”
“She got what she needed from you?” Corbin looks ready to murder someone.
“Corbin,” Karsyn murmurs, a hand sliding up to curl right over his heart. “Remember what I said to you this morning. Things will happen to make you question those close to you.”
“Right.” Corbin nods. “What did she need from you, brother?”
“That’s the thing I don’t know.” His eyes get this tortured look in them, and he looks completely wounded in a way I’ve never seen a man. Like part of his soul was gone.
“Did you say anything about Raine to her?” Dane asks, tone furious, but I could sense the pain he’s feeling for his brother.
“I don’t think so,” Coby answers, shaking his head.
Karsyn steps away from Corbin and into Coby’s space, hand reaching out. “Take my hand, Coby.”
I watch as he does as she tells him, and immediately, I see the pain take over Karsyn’s expression, and Corbin curses, moving in directly behind Karsyn, wrapping his arms around her .
I don’t understand what’s going on, but I could tell it was something big.
Finally, Karsyn lets Coby’s hand go, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Coby, so sorry.” Twisting toward Corbin, eyes shimmering. “His mate had rejected him because she’s in bed with the enemy. She didn’t want what fate offered her and instead took what she wanted. Brady is her mate. She used magic to trick Coby into talking without him knowing. Shared what she wanted to toy with him. She got what she wanted. It’s why she had him meet her again so she could reject him after, um, well, you know.”
What a bitch.
Fury begins to take place where fear had wanted to overwhelm me.
This has to stop. All the pain and hurt is something no one should have to go through, especially alone, as it seems Coby was set to do. He shouldn’t have a mate reject him. Especially a tricky bitch like the one who’d chose Brady over him.
I mean seriously.
Talk about being blind.
Then again, I’d been blind to Brady at first.
“Brother, hate you’re dealing with this shit now.”
“Don’t,” Coby remarks gruffly, sounding like he was struggling. “Let’s just get this shit taken care of. I’ll be fine.”
“We’ll deal with it later, brother. Promise you that,” Corbin grunts and looks toward Dane. “We’ll also discuss whatever it is that’s got you riled. Right now, though, let’s go deal with your mate’s ex.”
“How exactly should we deal with him?” Dane asks, though I can hear his thoughts. He knows exactly how he wants to deal with the bastard.
It’s weird being able to hear his thoughts, but I’ll eventually get used to it. What I want is to be able to know what he’s talking about with his wolf. Or more like, what is his wolf saying.
“Can’t deal with him as I’d like to. He’s human,” Corbin mutters, lip curling at the corner. “Means he’s gonna eat a bullet. Whose I don’t give a fuck. He threatened my mate, and that shit isn’t going to slide.”
“He did more than threaten his mate,” I grumble. “He’s threatening my mom’s life and threatening to kidnap Sloane. Take her with me.” I lift my fingers while looking at Dane and use air quotes. “We’re to be his collection.”
Dane’s nostrils flare, eyes harden, and he looks downright murderous. Far more so than even Corbin did moments ago. More than that, his eyes spark that vibrant blue, and I know without a doubt he’s warring inside himself to remain in control.
What makes things worse is there’s nothing I can do about it right now. Not when he has to leave and go deal with matters at hand. There’s no time for me to calm him down and calm him enough to take this on.
I can only hope that he can keep himself in check enough not to lose the war within himself while dealing with the one on the outside.