Crimson (5 page)

Reaper nodded. “Cabin should be a quarter mile up this road. I don’t want the bikes to notify them of our presence. Best to take them by surprise. Just remember…no matter what you see when you get in there, keep your damn bear in check.”

Crimson made no promises.

“Matter of fact, why don’t you wait outside?” Reaper suggested.

“No way in hell. If my mate is in there, I’m going in after her.”

Reaper sighed. “Fine. But keep your ass in check.”

They walked the quarter mile to the cabin and peered through the dirt encrusted windows. Holly lay unconscious, tied down to the coffee table. The fact her clothes were still on was all that kept Crimson from breaking down the door and killing every male in the cabin. Four human males gathered around her, but he wasn’t sure which one was called Jeff.

“I want you at the back,” Reaper told Crimson. “Let Axel go in first, then Viper. I’ll follow them with you and Scorch will take up the rear. There are more of us than of them, so this should be a piece of cake.”

Viper snorted. “Unless they have a gun. I don’t know about you, but my shifter hide can’t even stop a bullet.”

“Smart ass,” Scorch muttered.

Crimson fought a smile as they bickered, even though he was deeply worried about Holly. Whatever shit they’d given her, she hadn’t come to yet and he worried it would have lasting effects on her. He’d get her out of there, then take her straight to the hospital. He knew he should call in Doc, but he wasn’t going to play around with Holly’s safety and well-being. If she woke up before they reached the hospital, they could come up with a story. The last thing he wanted or needed was the police searching for Jeff, not with the M.C. linked to this mess.

Okay. Hospital was out. Doc was the way to go.

“Ready?” Reaper asked.

His brothers nodded and moved around to the front of the cabin. On the count of three, they burst through the door. Crimson heard the shouts inside, heard a gun go off, then an inhuman scream. As he ran through the door, he realized it was the assholes responsible for his missing mate that were screaming. Good. He hoped they would suffer greatly before they were killed.

The coppery scent of blood filled the air as he listened to the men whimper and plead for their lives. None of his brothers had shifted, but they didn’t need to. A quick glance to his left showed Viper kicking the shit out of one of the men, and Crimson’s bear rose up inside, wanting to join in the fun. He repressed his animal urges and hurried to Holly’s side, trying to block out everything else around him, as he undid the ties holding her down. Once he had her in his arms, he softly kissed her cheek and got her the hell out of there.

“You heading to the clubhouse?” Scorch asked, following on his heels.

“Yeah, I need to call Doc. I don’t know what she was given, but it worries me that she hasn’t woken yet.”

“I’ll call Doc and have him meet you there. Drive safe. You don’t need to be pulled over while you have an unconscious woman in the cab of the truck.”

Crimson nodded and settled Holly on the passenger’s seat. Once he’d buckled her in, he went around and climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He drove carefully, doing the speed limit the entire way back to the clubhouse, even though it killed him to do so.

When he reached the clubhouse, Doc’s car was already in the lot. He carried his precious bundle to his room, the Doc on his heels. Crimson eased her onto his unmade bed, then stepped back to give the doctor some room.

“Scorch filled me in,” Doc said. “Reaper said the syringe didn’t smell like anything he’d scented before, so not knowing what she was given, I can’t counteract it. What I can do is check her vitals and keep an eye on her. If she doesn’t wake by morning, we should probably take her to the hospital. They’ll be able to run tests that I can’t do since I don’t have access to a lab.”

“So it’s sit and wait?” Crimson asked, a growl in his voice. He wasn’t sure the wait wouldn’t kill him, not knowing if his mate was fine or not.

“I wish I could do more for her, Crimson, but I’d have to have access to a lab that wouldn’t ask questions, and we don’t have one of those around here.”

“Just…do what you can. She means everything to me, Doc.”

Doc nodded and got to work.

Crimson knew he should be grateful that she hadn’t been harmed other than whatever drug they had given her. She could have been beaten, raped, killed…He knew they had nefarious plans for her, but thankfully, he’d gotten to her in time. If he hadn’t….Crimson shook his head. He didn’t even want to think about what might have happened if he had arrived even a few minutes later.

He watched as Doc checked her over, then Crimson tucked the covers around her. He wanted to crawl into bed beside her, pull her into his arms, but he didn’t want to startle her when she woke. And he was determined that she
would
wake by morning. No matter what he had to do, he’d make sure that Holly was all right, and then he’d do everything in his power to keep her safe. She might want time to figure things out, but her time had just run out.

Chapter Five

Holly’s body felt like a weight was holding her down. Her eyes refused to open; her arms wouldn’t budge. Licking her lips, she realized her mouth was unusually dry. Confusion swamped her as she tried to sort out what was wrong with her. Something felt off, there was this nagging feeling that she should remember something. She tried to open her eyes again and managed to crack them a little.

The flash of the room didn’t seem familiar. Her fingers twitched on her right hand and she realized another hand was wrapped around hers. It took some effort, but she managed to turn her head and open her eyes a little more. Crimson!

His head was slumped onto his chest as he slouched in a rather uncomfortable looking chair beside the bed. Was this his room? Had he taken her home with him? She frowned. That didn’t seem right. She remembered him leaving her apartment, and then….and then…nothing.

His head lifted and he smiled, leaning forward in the chair. He gave her hand a squeeze. “You’re awake!”

“Water,” she croaked.

He released her long enough to fetch a glass of water before easing his arm behind her to help her sit up. Crimson held the glass to her lips and helped her drink, then he set it to the side. Being in his arms felt right. She hoped he decided to stay on the edge of the bed and not move away. Would he get all the way into the bed if she moved over?

“Feel better?” he asked. “I’ve been so damn worried about you.”

“What happened?”

“You don’t remember?” He frowned.

Holly shook her head.

“When I left your apartment last night, you had another visitor. Your ex-boyfriend stopped by and it looked like he’d forced his way into your apartment. I’m guessing you fled to the bedroom and locked yourself inside because he’d completely torn that door apart. We found a hypodermic needle beside your bed and our best guess is that he’d drugged you and taken you with him.”

Her brow furrowed as she tried to piece together what had happened last night. It came to her in bits and pieces, flashes here and there. She remembered opening the door, thinking it was Crimson, and discovering Jeff on her doorstep. Just as Crimson had guessed, Jeff had forced his way into her apartment and she’d fled to the bedroom, but she didn’t remember anything beyond that.

“What did he do to me?” she asked, a sick feeling in her stomach.

“I don’t know for sure, Holly, but you were still dressed when I found you. He’d tied you to a coffee table at his cabin and had a few friends over, but it didn’t look like he’d hurt you. I think the party was just getting started when we arrived.”

“We?”

“I took some of my brothers with me. They handled Jeff and his friends while I got you out of there. I won’t lie. I wanted his blood in the worst way. My bear wanted out and wanted to maul him for daring to take you away, but I held myself back and focused on you. I don’t know what my brothers did to them, so don’t ask. And even if I did, I’m not sure I’d tell you. I have a feeling they met a gruesome end.”

She snuggled further against him. “Good. I hope they all rot in hell.”

She still worried that Jeff may have touched her when she was unconscious, but worrying over it wouldn’t change what had or hadn’t happened. And if she couldn’t tell she’d been touched inappropriately, then she would just assume she hadn’t been. It was healthier for her to think that Crimson had saved her before anything bad could happen to her, other than being kidnapped.

She felt dirty, knowing that she’d been in Jeff’s arms. Just the thought of him laying even one finger on her was enough to make her want to throw up. She had no idea what she’d ever seen him, other than a handsome face, but she’d become disenchanted with him soon enough. It had always been about his pleasure, and what had seemed to please him was belittling Holly and making her feel badly about herself. She hadn’t been all that confident to begin with, which was probably why he’d chosen her.

Being with Crimson was completely different. It was obvious in the way he touched her that he loved her body, and the kindness in his voice couldn’t be faked. He’d walked away when he’d thought that was what she wanted, despite the fact she was pretty sure he’d wanted to stay. Something told her, after her kidnapping, he wouldn’t walk away again. If the way he hovered was any indication, she’d just gained a bodyguard.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“A little after noon.”

She bolted upright in bed, then grabbed her head as the world spun. “I have to get ready for work.”

“Uh, no. After what you went through last night? No way in hell you’re going to work today.”

“Crimson, if I don’t show for work, I’ll lose my job. I know it isn’t glamourous and doesn’t pay much, but without it, I’ll lose my apartment. I already need to save for a car; I can’t add moving expenses to the list.”

Crimson tugged her back down into his arms, snuggled against his body. The tension in her melted away as his hand rubbed back and forth across her arm. There was something soothing about lying in his embrace, his heartbeat thrumming in her ear. She took a deep breath and blew it out, trying to let go of her fears and anxiety, but it was easier said than done.

“I know I said I would give you space,” Crimson said. “And as much time as you needed to figure things out, but after last night…I’m not sure I can let you out of my sight right now. Not without my spending the entire time apart from you worrying that something bad is going to happen.”

“So what do you suggest? We just met. Surely you don’t think we should move in together.”

He seemed to tense and she wondered if perhaps she’d said the wrong thing. Had she jumped to conclusions and he hadn’t even thought about them living together? If she’d just assumed he wanted her in that capacity, she’d die of embarrassment. He’d talked of them being mates, but not once had he ever said anything about them living together. She’d just assumed…

The quiet in the room began to get to her and she wondered if she should say something. Was he trying to figure out how to let her down easy? He’d said he didn’t want her out of his sight, so surely he hadn’t changed his mind about them being mates. She was so confused and she hated not knowing what he was thinking or feeling.

“I’d always heard that being mated to a human could be difficult, but Viper and Ghost didn’t seem to have any issues with it. I’d thought when I found my mate that everything would just fall into place like it did for them. Sure, they had issues to overcome, but once they admitted those women were their mates, everything seemed to come together just the way it was supposed to.” Crimson eased out from under her and stood by the bed, his arms folded over his chest. “But this….us. You aren’t ready to settle down and I’m not sure I can stay away from you.”

“Crimson, I…it’s not that I don’t want to settle down. I think most women dream of the day they find their true love and get married. But don’t you see? That’s the issue. I don’t know you well enough to be in love with you. Not one hundred percent anyway. I admit, I’m falling for you. It’s kind of hard not to. You’re a force of nature. But building a relationship takes time. You don’t just walk up to someone and decide they’re going to be yours for the rest of their life.”

He cracked his neck, muscles flexing, and sighed. “You said you grew up with shifters. I thought you understood.”

“Understood what?”

“What you described? That’s kind of how it is with shifters. When we meet our mate, we know she’s the one from her scent and the way the beast inside reacts to her. My bear hadn’t noticed a single woman until I looked across the room at Laguna’s and saw you standing there. I don’t have to date you to know that you’re the one. I don’t need countless dinners, movies out, or stolen kisses to know that you’re the woman I want by my side for the rest of my life. I know deep down that there isn’t another woman out there for me. And if you want to walk away, I won’t stop you, but just know that I would give you the world if you would let me.”

She crawled across the bed and stood on her knees, placing her hands on his folded arms. “I don’t want to walk away, Crimson. But I admit, I’m scared. I can’t lie to you. What I feel…it’s the beginning of something that could be great and powerful.”

“Just the beginning?”

She bit her lip. It was just the beginning, wasn’t it? Things to consider: 1. Her heart raced whenever he was near. 2. His kisses melted her and left her wanting more. 3. She hadn’t forgotten that she could very well be pregnant, but the thought didn’t terrify her like it should. But did that all add up to her being head over heels in love with him? She’d never been in love before, had never felt any of these emotions before, and the speed with which she’d fallen for him scared her spitless.

“You don’t know for sure, do you?” he asked. “You aren’t sure if it’s just the beginning of feelings developing or if you already care for me.”

“I think I more than care for you, Crimson.”

“Think. But you don’t know.” He shook his head. “Honey, I’ve never said these words to anyone before, and I may never say them again, so listen closely. When you were taken last night, I experienced terror unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I knew if they had laid a hand on you, had harmed you in any way, I wouldn’t stopped until I’d bathed in their blood. And if something had happened, if you had been taken from me forever, I knew I would spend the rest of my life alone and filled with the pain of all I’d lost. And do you want to know why?”