7. Hunter
SEVEN
HUNTER
“Captured is such a strong word.” Dad wasn’t making things easier. He steered Odell back to the couch. “But I have experience with these things.”
He was referring to prior kidnappings. Not mine. But both my brothers had sort of technically kidnapped their human mates. Like me, Ranger was protecting his mate from a possible death, whereas Flint was so discombobulated at being mated to a human, he stuck his mate in the basement of his house until he made a decision about what to do.
My siblings and I didn’t have a great track record for meeting mates, though meeting them wasn’t the problem, it was converting them to mates. That made them sound like a statistic. How did I put it? The leap from kidnap victim to mate was over a huge chasm. My brothers’ relationships worked out great, they were loving partners and amazing dads, and I adored my brothers-in-law.
As there were only three siblings in our family, the chaos stopped with me, though I did have a niece and nephews.
But I had to get out of the panic room and help Flint and Ranger and the rest of my pack. We all had memories of our war with the Silverback pack, and I couldn’t hide away while they were scouring the city.
Draven and his cronies would be on the lookout for me and, by association, Odell. It wasn’t a secret I managed the club, and this would be the first place they’d stake out.
The second place they’d search would be my home outside the city. I lived alone, and other than trashing the place, they’d find nothing.
I was pleased Dad and Uncle Arnie were here, as they lived in the countryside with few neighbors, not too far from my place.
“What about Treyton?” He was Arnie’s grandson who had just completed his midwifery training.
“He’s visiting his parents. Don’t worry, he’s far from here,” my uncle replied as he prepared food.
“Do you have any siblings?” Dad was interrogating Odell. I sent him a look, but he ignored me.
“No.”
“Good.” Now Dad caught my eye. Damn it. I understood what he was getting at. The sibling reference was to do with Ranger’s brother-in-law.
“And your parents?” More questions from my dad. If he continued, I’d take Odell into a bedroom saying he needed to rest.
“They died when I was young.”
My dad nodded. That question was in regard to Flint’s father-in-law, and Dad was mentally checking possible pitfalls or trouble spots in Odell’s and my relationship. He needed to stop.
My phone beeped. Ranger was asking where I was, saying his and Flint’s family were at his apartment being guarded by pack members.
That wasn’t safe enough. They had to come here. As well as this main space, and the bathroom, munitions room, monitoring space, and the room with the four bunk beds, there was an adjoining room with more bunk beds and sofas.
The panic room walls were made of concrete, steel, and kevlar to withstand an attack. It was soundproofed with hidden ventilation shafts. The solar-powered generators provided power with a backup system in place. Anyone trying to break in would be detected on the monitors and any signals jammed.
I should probably switch to the satellite phone because the signal was weak down here.
But with all of us in the panic room, the food would run out after three days. It would be a little cramped with three kids, but it was unlikely me and my brothers would be here. We couldn’t allow the pack to fight our battles alone.
But now I had to admit where we were.
Bring the entire family to the club. But make sure you’re not followed. That was what every crooked cop, petty thief, amateur sleuth, and private detective said in movies and novels.
The phone rang. “What are you talking about?” Ranger’s voice bounced off the walls. “Is this to do with your super-secret project I keep hearing about?”
I should have known I couldn’t keep it from my siblings.
“Yes. Bring them now.”
I ended the call, but as soon as my brothers-in-law arrived with the children, I’d leave.
“Dad, your grandkids are on the way.”
He clapped. “Goodie. We’ll have so much fun.”
Odell frowned at Dad. Poor guy. He must have been so confused. I’d kidnapped him, and now it was turning into a family occasion.
“As soon as they get here, I’ll head out. Flint and Ranger need me.”
“What? No!” Odell jumped up and shook off Dad’s hand.
“Awww. How sweet. You’re bonding already.” Dad clasped the pendant around his neck.
“No!” Odell’s horrified look was a punch in the gut, but I didn’t blame him. In his eyes I was only a small step up from Draven. Hardly a five-star recommendation.
I calculated how much food we had and called Ranger to go to Arnie’s food truck and buy everything. “But say you’re buying it for a party. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves” Or no more than I’d already created.
Once again, I parroted words that reminded me of every mafia guy in a mass-market paperback.
Arnie was doing what he did best; feeding and looking after people. He put cream cheese on crackers and made Odell sit, saying he needed to eat. My uncle wrapped a throw from the sofa around his shoulders and put a cushion at his back, saying he was making more than rice with beans.
My mate thanked him. If he placated his hunger, he wouldn’t be thinking of how to escape or who everyone was, or how he was deep underground. Not that the panic room or rooms was a dark damp place with stale air and water dripping through a crevice. Maybe I should call it the bunker.
“This kidnapping business is a family affair.” Odell sighed before licking cream cheese from around his lips, and I sped into the monitoring room, needing to hide my arousal. How could my body be thinking of sex when we were in such a precarious situation?
“But if you’re hoping to gain anything by doing this, you’re wrong. I am of no value to anyone.” My mate’s voice followed me into the monitoring room.
I rushed out with the satellite phone, wanting to assure him that wasn’t so. He was everything to me, but humans needed wooing and date nights before they fell in love.
“That’s not true,” Dad and I said in unison. He hugged Odell. It was easier for him than for me, as he was less of a threat.
Arnie bustled over to my mate. “Do you like chocolate?” He handed Odell a smoothie that he had beaten by hand containing yogurt, fruit, and juice.
My mate took a sip and his eyes lit up. “Yum. Food is better after being kidnapped and put in an underground dungeon. And I didn’t have to buy it or prepare it. Win-win.”
Dad’s mouth gaped as he stared at me, and he mouthed, “Be kinder.” He was right, I wasn’t doing enough wooing, but my mate was safe, my family soon would be, but Draven was probably intent on revenge.
A bowl of rice, beans, and melted cheese was put on a tray over Odell’s lap, and Arnie assured him he’d have mug cake ready as soon as he was done eating.My mate shoveled that food in fast, and after the mug was empty, Odell continued to scrape off bits of cake from the sides. He was delaying the question-and-answer session. But we needed information.
“Are you up to talking?”
“Yes.” His pained expression suggested he’d prefer to do otherwise. But with few words, he summarized his uncle’s disability, their lack of money, and them keeping the extent of the struggle from him.
Dad and I shared a glance. “That must have been hard for all three of you.”
“ Now comes the hard part. My uncle’s betrayal. Having met Draven, I understand how my uncle was drawn into his clutches, though it doesn’t excuse what he did.”
Odell went on to say how Draven had turned up at his place this morning and dragged him out.
“It reminds me of long ago when our kind did the same thing,” my dad said to Arnie. Now I pulled a face at him and mouthed, “Stop.”
“Not so long ago because Draven pulled that stunt this morning.” Arnie wrung his hands.
“My turn.” My mate was letting me off the hook. “Why did you bring me here?” I made to speak, but he held up his hand. “Yes, you said it was to keep me safe, but I could have left the state and gone to the other side of the country.”
“He would have found you. He has enormous resources,” I explained. I assumed his family had accessed their hidden wealth after the war, something we and the shifter council had not been able to confiscate.
Dad spoke up. “Draven’s family were, ummm, dealt with, others were banished, some of them assimilated into the other… the other…” His head swiveled to me and then to Arnie as if he needed help finishing his sentence.
“He and his father and the people they surrounded themselves with are dangerous. Or they were. Many are no longer among the living.”
“You could have just said dead.” Odell pointed to me. “But you and Draven’s family had a beef.”
“Not just me. Our entire family, our organization.”
“Your mafia family.”
All three of us nodded, but no one spoke.
“And you’ve killed people, I assume.”
Where did that come from? Me, Dad, and Uncle Arnie hemmed and hawed.
“Stories about the mafia are exaggerated.” I cracked my knuckles, and my mate winced.
“So, how are you different from Draven?” he asked. There were some cake crumbs in the corner of his mouth, and they needed to be licked off. But for now, they stayed where they were.
“His family hurt people because they were jealous.” That was the best response I had.
“So what’s the long-term plan?”
“Ummm, we keep you here.” I was pleased he moved on to a new topic and that I had a solution.
“For how long?”
Arnie nudged Dad who elbowed me. “Until we find Draven.”
“And if you can’t?”
“We will.” I hoped we would.
Dad patted my thigh. “How did you get Odell away from Draven? The Draven I remember would bloody anyone who tried to take away something of his.”
“Seemed Draven didn’t have too many fans, even in the mafia,” Odell noted. He was right.
I got up, sticking my hands in my pockets and wondering if that emphasized my butt when I turned away from my mate.
“He was being his usual asswipe self.”
Dad made a face. He hated that expression that reminded him of a dirty behind. He shrugged. “Are you sure?”
My mate butted in. “Hunter was very ferocious. He made Draven quiver in his boots.”
Dad and Arnie smirked.
Odell had been in my presence a few hours and he was already defending me. We were making progress. Not that Draven had done any quaking. He’d just given up, and I didn’t understand why.
“I mean.” My mate tossed his head from side to side. “Not that brave. Just ordinary brave.”
I nibbled a nail. “I did wonder if the time he’d spent in the years since the… the disagreement had tamped down his fighting skills.”
“Or his beast’s.” Arnie’s head shot up as the words left his mouth, and he stared at me. He charged ahead. “Is it possible he wanted you to snatch Odell?”
“Why?” That was my mate questioning my uncle’s theory. “And why were you there? You didn’t come to get married, did you?”
I would marry Odell if he’d have me. “No. There was a guy who needed me to sign papers.”
But Odell poo-pooed that suggestion. “Forget some paper pusher. This is my life we’re talking about.”
“He got me down to city hall on the pretense of needing to witness my signature.” I’d wondered if stumbling in on my mate and Draven had been a set-up. An elaborate hoax, perhaps?
“What if you hadn’t stolen me away?” Odell asked.
“Stolen is a harsh word.” My ego was bruised, and my wolf was bored with all the back and forth.
“So he lured you there and expected you to take Odell.” Uncle Arnie’s statement had me thinking if that was a possibility.
“He wanted to reignite what was started and stamped out years before when his father was Alpha,” my uncle continued.
“But he couldn’t have known Odell was my—” I didn’t finish his sentence.
“No way. That’s not possible,” my dad agreed.
“Yeah, that’s not a thing.” Arnie nodded and collected the dishes.
Odell rubbed his brow and didn’t ask about our private shorthand. “So how do we get rid of that creep?”
Dad gasped. “We’re not going to off him.” One side of his mouth twisted up. “Though maybe…”
“Not in his skin and not unless he threatens us,” my uncle added.
“Hey!” My mate’s voice echoed around the space. “Pretty sure I don’t want him skinned, though what he’s done to my family is defined as threatening.”
“True, but there’s one thing we can do to stop him sniffing around you.” I grinned, pleased to have a solution.
“What’s that?”
I grinned. “Marry me.”