Chapter 12
12
TATE
Pacing from one end of the building to the other keeps me from screaming. My exhaustion is gone. My body feels like a pin cushion. Too many painful things poking me to process them all. Walter deserting us. The shock in the guard’s eyes—the blood spreading over his chest as he falls lifeless to the ground. The fury and satisfaction in Petroni’s eyes.
None of this seems real.
A secret society of dinosaurs. And it includes me?
I’m desperate for answers as the last few hours catch up to me. Am I really a dino shifter? How is any of this possible? What does it all mean? How many of us are there? So many questions, but I can’t focus on any of that.
Is Austyn safe? Why did they separate us? Worry twists inside me, getting tighter and tighter until I feel like I’m going to snap.
How are we going to survive this without anyone else getting hurt?
Without me hurting anyone else?
Although I’m worried about Austyn, I’m almost relieved to be alone. This is the first time I’ve been alone since we arrived at the compound a few days ago. Not counting the bathroom or shower. But I wasn’t alone in the shower earlier—Austyn was with me.
That also seems unreal. Austyn wants me? Worries about me? Cares about me?
I’ve never felt this way about anyone. Not past girlfriends. Not even Belinda. And to have Austyn feel that way about me… I can’t even process it.
Apparently, I’m stuck in an alternate universe with dinosaur shifters and pirates. And I’m a scary dinosaur, part of the time, and hot guys are attracted to me.
At least I’m not the Incredible Hulk.
I suck in a deep breath. Get a grip, Tate. Remember the things Austyn taught you .
Breathe in. Breathe out. Stop focusing on the doom and gloom. Focus on the positive things. The things that make me happy.
Austyn’s smile. The way he charms his customers but still stands up for himself. His ridiculous arguments with Walter.
What’s Austyn’s dinosaur? Are we compatible? From the same time period?
No way to know since I don’t know what time period I’m from. Or what dinosaur is inside me. The only way to know is to let him out. And that’s not happening.
Except I’ll have to shift at some point, right? That’s the scariest part. All those people I hurt when I couldn’t hold the beast in. And Belinda.
What if I hurt Austyn?
The thought is too painful to consider, so I focus on being ready. What would Austyn do?
I’m suddenly exhausted again. I sway and grab the wall to steady myself. The room is empty except for a row of haybales against the wall. Austyn would tell me to rest while I can.
I start to sit when I notice blood on the straw. Walking down the row, I find a relatively clean one and sink into it. My shoulders are tight, so I roll them to ease the tension and stretch my legs out. In this position, I feel vulnerable. But the only door in the room is on the other side. I’d hear anyone coming in.
Closing my eyes, I clear my mind. After what seems like a long time, I let myself drift to sleep.
Click.
My eyes fly open, and I jerk to my feet, grabbing the wall to keep from falling. I’m not sure how much time has passed, but it feels like hours. Dread pools in my stomach as Petroni strolls in.
“Finally, alone,” he says, his mouth twisted in a cruel grin. Not quite alone. He has a goon at his side. “Time to get to know each other better, Tate.”
“Where’s Austyn? Did you hurt him?”
“So concerned about our little tailor.” He tsks as he shakes his head. “That’s adorable. Almost gives me a warm feeling inside. But then I remember what happened to your friend—what was her name again? Brenda?”
I push against my rage. Don’t respond. Although I want to correct him. At least get her name right.
“Will Austyn still give you that sappy look when he finds out what you’ve done? How many people you’ve slaughtered?”
“He’s helping me.” But my voice wavers. Will he still help me after…?
“Poor Tate.” He shakes his head with a frown and then stops and studies me. “You could join us. We’ll take care of you.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “Like you took care of that guard? You killed him right in front of me.”
“Did it work?”
“What?”
He shrugs. “I wanted to scare you into cooperating. Are you scared?”
Terrified. And he knows it. But I won’t give him the satisfaction of admitting it. “No.”
He smiles. A wide, slimy smile that I want to smack off his face. “That’s what I thought. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t waste a bullet or a man just to scare you. It wasn’t fatal. He’ll be fine. Not right away, of course.”
I steel my features so he can’t see how relieved I am. He might be lying, but what would he gain? “You’re holding us prisoner.”
“Fine. Let’s cut to the chase. You join us, and I’ll let Austyn go.”
Does he think I’m stupid? Gullible? But I already know the answer to that. “I don’t believe you.”
His eyes glitter dangerously. “That’s your problem, not mine.” Leaning closer, he says, “Just between you and me, I hope you don’t cooperate, Tate. I’m going to enjoy breaking you.”
Austyn, even Walter, would have a snarky comeback for him. I do not. My mind is blank. I’m too focused on not throwing up and keeping my fear in check. Keeping my rage in check. But why? If I let the beast out, he might take care of the problem for me. There’s only Petroni here and a single guard.
In here. Out there, there are at least…fifty? A hundred? And I don’t know where they’re holding Austyn. What if my raging out gets Austyn killed?
Petroni shakes his head like he can read my thoughts…he can’t, though, right? He nods to the guard and heads toward the door.
I have to say something. “I’m not afraid of you,” I shout, sounding like a rebellious teenager. Gah! What is wrong with me?
But my words stop him. He strides back and doesn’t stop until he’s in my face. “The key to breaking someone is to know their weaknesses. You have several, but I only need one. Do I need to spell it out, Tate?”
I’m not the quickest, but his threat is clear. Austyn. The beast inside me rages forward. It doesn’t need to think. It just reacts. I scream at the man. But instead of fear, I see excitement in his eyes. Victory. This is what he wants.
The guard stumbles back, his eyes wide as he raises his gun. But not a rifle. My beast tries to take over while my mind grasps at the meaning. Why does he have a dart gun?
My beast has one goal: destroy Petroni. But I’m the one in control. I push the beast back into submission.
Anger flashes in Petroni’s eyes, but it’s quickly replaced by amusement. Forced amusement. No matter what he says, this man wants to physically hurt me. “You had Austyn fooled all along. All that wasted time.” He chuckles. “You never actually needed him.”
I disagree completely, but I don’t mention that. All my energy is reserved for not hulking out and killing this man.
He smirks. “Give my offer some thought, Tate. But don’t take too long. Mr. Jacobs is less patient than me.”
After they’re gone, the beast rages and tries to break free. I punch the wall, leaving a dent and scraping my knuckles. The pain helps me focus, and I pace the room over and over until the beast is somewhat subdued.
I return to my haybale. It gives me the best view of the door as I rest against the metal wall. Exhaustion pulls me under, and for a time, I sleep.
Jerking awake, I blink against the sudden brightness of the overhead fluorescent lights. Men with guns rush into the building, and I jump to my feet. Or attempt to. It’s more like a lumbering fall as I grab the side of the wall to keep from toppling over. Jatel, the man I sparred with a day ago—or has it been days? I’m not sure at this point—reaches me first.
“Time to go.” He gestures with his gun, and I move forward.
“Where are you taking me?”
He doesn’t answer. No surprise. I follow them. Maybe they’ll lead me to Austyn.
I blink as they push me out of the building and into the sunlight. Based on the sun, I estimate it’s around ten in the morning. ATVs are lined up outside. Small ones with two seats, and the bigger ones that they put us in earlier. But Jatel leads me in the opposite direction toward a larger building about fifty feet away. Once we reach the structure, they push me inside.
The building has a high ceiling and drains spaced out in the concrete floor. Weapons I don’t recognize hang along the wall. Are they for hand-to-hand combat? There are also more guns, so I guess Walter didn’t blow all of them up. Jatel shoves me into a corner of the room.
“Tate?”
A guard holds a rifle in front of Austyn to keep him from running to me, but I can see the relief in his eyes. I feel dizzy with it. “Austyn. Are you okay?”
He nods. His eyes dart to the other side of the room where Jacobs and Petroni are talking in low voices.
Jatel gestures toward Austyn. “Join your buddy.”
I hesitate. Is this a trick? Why would they put us together? But I’m not strong enough to question his motives and pass up the chance to be close to Austyn and ensure he’s safe. When I get to him, I grab his arm, needing to touch him. No one stops me. Austyn ignores my attempt at restraint and rushes into my arms without hesitation.
“Thank God, Tate. You’re okay.” His words are slightly muffled against my shirt. “I was so worried.”
I wrap my arms around him and hug him. He’s so small against me. Not weak. Never that, but I want to keep him safely wrapped in my arms for as long as he’ll let me. Which is about ten seconds more. He pulls away, glancing at Petroni again. The man is watching us, and my stomach drops at his smirk.
Austyn has no visible injuries, but he reminds me of a coiled snake ready to strike. He’s fierce. And so damn amazing. I’m done letting people down—but thinking about them will paralyze me. Better to focus on the here and now. And getting us out of here.
Austyn takes a deep breath. “Tate?—”
The door bangs open, and two men drag in a squirming, snarling sack. One of the men—Johnny—has a cut on the side of his face. Austyn did that. When they’re close to us, they drop their loot. Johnny gives the bag a hard kick. And another. His companion cuts the bag open and they both back away.
The bag tears from the inside until the animal—no, not an animal—Walter stumbles out. “Fucking arseholes. If I had me blade, you’d all be shredded into tiny strips.”
The men walk away, seemingly unfazed by his words. Johnny shoots a glare over his shoulder at Austyn. Jatel talks to Walter and waves his gun toward us. “So glad you could join our little party.”
Walter spits on the floor, barely missing Jatel. “You think you know someone.”
Jatel’s handsome face hardens, and he takes a step toward him. “I enjoyed our time together, Walter. Sparring and fucking. But this is about the continuation of our species. And you’re on the wrong side.”
“Fucking hell, Jay. If you think Jacobs?—”
“Walter,” Austyn says in a sharp tone, giving him a pointed look.
He sucks in a breath and nods. “Agree to disagree. Am I right?” He smiles at Jatel, but the man just scowls and walks away.
As Walter joins us, Austyn crosses his arms and raises a brow. “Get lost on your way out?”
He chuckles. “So cheeky.” Grabbing his hat from the floor, he glares at the men. “They mangled me hat.”
The men guarding us stare blankly ahead as Jatel and another man talk with heads close together. Every so often, Jatel shoots Walter a look. Are they talking about Walter? Or us? I lean closer and clear my throat. “We…um…thought you left. Escaped.”
Walter shrugs. “I did. It wasn’t that hard.” He puts on his hat, turning it this way and that until he’s satisfied. “I had an errand to run.”
“An errand?” None of this makes sense.
“You came back?” Austyn stares at him like he’s a difficult pattern he’s trying to figure out. “And managed to get caught yet again.”
Walter winks. “I couldn’t let you lads have all the fun.”