“Dammit, give her the tranq,” panted the guard holding her.
She fought harder, crying out like a banshee, dropping to her knees and trying to slam the guard back off her with the momentum.
The guard in the shower lumbered to a stand, shaking his head as if disoriented. He reached into a pocket from his cargo pants then pulled out a little gun. It reminded her of a hot glue gun, except the cartridge in this one was a glass vial with clear liquid inside.
“Time to go night night.” He pressed the gun to her arm, then a spurt of compressed air whooshed. Warmth, then frigid coldness swamped her. Her vision darkened, then she slumped.
Chapter 15
“Come on, man, why don’t you sit down. All that pacing is starting give me double vision.”
“Fuck off, Dmetri,” growled Brayden.
“He’s right, you know. Just try to relax. We’ll work something out,” a soft feminine voice said.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Christine.”
Dmetri stood, then gave a pointed look to Christine and she left the study quietly. Dmetri marched to stand before him. Brayden stopped moving, though every muscle in his body jerked with the need to do something.
“You will not talk to my mate that way, drook. Got it? I know you’re angry, but this isn’t her fault.”
Brayden wanted to rip his hair out one big chunk at a time. “I know that,” he said with as much patience as he could muster. “I’ll apologize later.”
“Good, be sure that you do.” Dmetri took his seat again and Brayden sighed a little now that he could finally continue his mad trek across the carpet. “I take it you didn’t learn anything today.”
Brayden sent him a scathing glare. “Of course, not. They refuse to divulge any information to me, even when I ordered it. Even when I threated to start breaking bones.”
Dmetri nodded. “The problem with threats, see, it’s like with kids—”
Brayden paused to give Dmetri a dubious glance. “What do you know of children?”
He shrugged. “Christine wants a bundle around the house. I’ve been looking into it. That’s not the point. The point is, you can make as many threats as you want, but if you never go through with the threat, then they don’t believe you and they’ll run all over you. Should have gone through with it.”
Brayden stopped at the window and looked up at the darkening sky. Early evening still. Dmetri had a point. Should have cracked bones, made them bleed, then they’d talk. Then they’d have to tell him where she is.
“Listen, did you try her father again?”
“Yes, he says he hasn’t heard a word. He just knows the Justicars have her and that Joseph hasn’t returned to the pack.”
“Do you think he ran off with her?”
Brayden squeezed his eyes shut. That same thought had run through his mind a million times. “I doubt it. I’ve searched the city every single night for any signs of her scent. I can’t find her anywhere. I’ve already hired private investigators just in case they managed to sneak her out.” Those humans had come highly recommended to him. He didn’t know if he was relieved they hadn’t found anything or incredibly frustrated.
“It’s been a few days and you’re still wired. Why don’t you take a break?” Dmetri said.
Brayden turned to him, his body vibrating with anger. “Could you, if someone’d taken Christine?”
That took the easy smile off Dmetri’s face fast. “That’s different. She’s my mate. I’d do anything for her.”
“And I’d do anything to get Vanessa back.”
Dmetri cocked his head to the side. Brayden didn’t like the look he was giving him, as if he’d just had an interesting realization. “What?” Brayden asked.
“Why would you do that? She isn’t anything to you.”
“Like hell, she isn’t. I—” he stopped himself before he revealed anything. “I promised her I’d protect her.”
Dmetri nodded gravely, a grin splitting across his face. “You love her.”
Brayden might have laughed if his body wasn’t strung so tight. “I don't love her. I care for her. She’s mine to protect.”
“And I suppose what you guys did in my guest bedroom the other night has nothing to do with it.”
Brayden clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms. “What?” he asked darkly.
Dmetri shrugged. “It’s not like we couldn’t hear. That woman can scream.”
He’d taken several steps toward him before he stopped himself. He had to close his eyes and remember that Dmetri was a friend, if a bit of a jackass. He was just jerking him. Dmetri’s grin fell, his eyes getting a soft look to them.
“I’m happy for you, friend. I didn’t know if you’d ever find someone to fit you. I’d suspected...with Vanessa.”
Brayden stalked back to the window. Better to look outside then at his friend’s face right now, else he might throw his fist at it. “What are you talking about now? None of this is helping the situation.”
“Maybe not, but I’d wondered a bit back when we first met Vanessa. The way you acted around her. I thought it was odd, but now I just see...it was early on attraction.” Dmetri’s low chuckle drifted like a wave. “It’s okay to care for her. It’s okay to let yourself feel for a woman. It might bring you some shit here and there, but none of that matters; none of it even compares to the rest.”
Brayden found himself hanging on to his friend’s words. “The rest of what?”
“All the good stuff that love brings, my friend. I think you’ve found that. That’s why you’ve been going batshit crazy. You love her.”
Brayden didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say.
He listened to the sound of Dmetri standing, his footsteps as he crossed the room. Dmetri rested a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll work things out. I know you will. Take a break, relax. Do some work, anything. Once your mind clears a bit, the fog will lift, and you’ll be thinking smarter. You’ll figure something out. Best of luck to you.” Dmetri turned and started leaving.
Sighing, Brayden called out. “Thanks, Dmetri. You are a...good friend.”
Dmetri grinned, then closed the study door behind him.
Brayden listened to his friend’s advice. It felt strange being on the other side of it. Usually, he was the one giving orders, giving advice to his younger friend. Yet Dmetri had spotted his problems and feelings more precisely than he ever probably could have on his own. He did care for Vanessa, a lot. The word ‘love’ trickled through his mind like dripping water. Did he love her? Maybe; maybe it explained that suffocating tightness in his chest that hadn’t left since she’s been gone. Maybe it explained the utter humiliation of his actions—that he’d let her get taken away. He’d broken his promise. His manhood had taken a mighty blow with that one—he might never be able to have children now.
Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Dmetri was right. Maybe if he got back on the Brunes case, he could settle his mind enough to figure out what to do. God, he missed her so damned much. It was an actual physical ache in his body. Everything muscle seemed to hurt. Headaches switched to migraines and back and forth, and hadn’t gone away since she was taken. To work then.
He grabbed his briefcase, got in his SUV, and headed to work. He needed something to break in this case. Brunes was guilty and not just of one murder, but two. Brunes’ ex-wife and Justicar Daniel will be the last souls Brunes takes.