Desired by Shadow (A Shadow Walkers Novel) (35 page)

The leader of the minions, didn’t blubber or cry, he glared at Robert. “Screw you. There’s something big coming and you and every last Shadow Walker are going to die while Solien and his goblins feast on your guts.”

“Blah, blah, blah. Whatever. Let Solien try.” Sliding the dagger across his neck, Robert opened Bruce from ear to ear. He bled out frantically trying to hold the gaping wound together.

Wiping the blade off on his pants, Robert stood and surveyed the courtyard. It was a bleedin’ mess. Draken and Fury were arguing over whether or not to put the wasabi sauce on before Draken roasted the bodies or after.

Gareth had minor cuts and bruises. Stephan sustained a bullet wound to the shoulder. The rest of Robert’s men had various injuries, none life-threatening. He was proud of them. They’d fought well.

“Colin’s in-house doctor will be here shortly. Colin sent him on the jet.” Gareth coughed. “Seems we won’t need to clean up the bodies.” He gestured to the dragon and hound who were making happy chomping noises.

“Did Monroe call? Is Maggie all right?” Please let her be unharmed. If she’d been hurt when he couldn’t protect her…he would rather face eternity as a wraith.

Baylor appeared out of the smoke. “She’s safe, milord. Monroe and Maggie are in Glasgow investigating a building used in the kidnappings. I’ve apprised them of the situation. They will take the utmost care.”

Relief flooded his system, overriding his legs. He sat down hard on a stone bench in the courtyard, wondering how he came to be sitting. He was standing a moment ago. She was unharmed. Thank the gods. “What of the men? Did Colin and Jasper get to them in time?”

Gareth was sorting the men into groups based on their injuries. Stephan was passing out rum and whisky. The good doctor would be on-site in thirty minutes.

Handing Robert a bandage to wrap his arm where he’d been nicked by a stray bullet, Baylor answered. “Aye. Two of the crew were badly beaten, the rest taking minor injuries. Colin and Jasper killed all thirty minions and three Day Walkers sent after the crew.”

Thanking him, Robert sent Baylor to help the men. He stood, testing his legs. Steady, he moved towards them intending to talk personally with each man. Fury blocked his path, his great paws resting on someone.

“Shadow Walker. I heard what was happening, wanted a snack and here I am.” The middle head spoke to him while the other two watched the man wiggling on the ground. “You didn’t tell me you had a dragon living here. I haven’t seen one in at least a thousand years. Gwrych is becoming rather interesting.”

Throwing his head back, Robert roared with laughter. The hound thought this ‘interesting’? “Mayhap you should share the East wing with Draken. Who knows what other interesting doin’s might take place?”

All three heads swiveled to look at each other and then Robert. “When we’re in this realm, we’d be honored to make our home here at Gwrych. Though Draken needs to get his own stash of sauce. All my wasabi sauce is gone and we have seven or eight bites left.”

Robert schooled his face into what he hoped was appropriate consternation. “I’ll make sure we keep a supply on hand. I’ve a feeling there will be plenty more minions to eat. Welcome to Gwrych.” He threw his arms out and spun in a circle.

A grunt drew his gaze to the lump at Fury’s feet. “Neil. Bloody buggering traitor. I should kill you but I think instead I’ll let Fury and Draken play tug-o-war with you.” The man moaned in terror, crying and begging for his life.

Stalking towards the drive to meet Colin’s doctor, Robert threw over his shoulder, “Fury. Share with Draken.”

The drive to Glasgow was uneventful. Maggie was grateful Monroe kept his thoughts to himself. She wasn’t ready to talk about Robert. Grateful to him for letting her crash on his couch, she’d need to find her own flat soon. Fresh pain ripped through her, she put a hand to her side, pressing hard in vain attempts to push the hurt back. Baylor had called Monroe warning them to be careful. Bruce and his men had come after the crew and shown up at Gwrych.

She hoped everyone was okay…that he was safe.

Restless, she adjusted her seat. These guys and their fantastic cars. His Mercedes SUV was so comfortable she’d gladly sleep in the backseat if needed. Turning the seat warmer up, she tensed. Monroe turned onto Pinkston road. Off in the distance she could see the building. One might think it was abandoned until they looked closer. New fencing surrounded the property, new boards covered the windows. An ideal location, it overlooked the Glasgow-Edinburgh railway line. Her mouth turned down. Perfect for transporting human cattle. The old industrial building was large. How many people would they find held inside, prisoners?

Monroe pulled over to the side of the road. “You drive, I’ll take photos. Something might show up when we take a closer look later.”

“Are you sure there are people here? I have to hope you’re wrong. If you’re right…look how big the building is, there’s probably hundreds of people inside.” She kept the fear tamped down tight. While she’d never lived at one of the holding locations, she’d seen one, once. Bruce had her with him and made her go inside. The conditions were deplorable. People slept on cots or on the floor. They were filthy and many had been beaten. The children were the worst. Vacant, glassy-eyed stares met hers if they would look at her at all. And the shrieking. She could hear them screaming when they were taken to give energy. The place stank of desolation, hopelessness, and pain. She shuddered.

“Maggie, stay in the car. You don’t need to get out.”

She shook her head. “No. I want to. I’ve been to one of these places before. I know what to look for.”

He nodded, his face set in grim lines. “Drive slowly over to the pile of rubbish. We can use it for cover. Don’t see any guards about so we’ll have a quick look around. They might have been diverted to deal with the raids on Robert and his men.”

Maggie could see the cop in him come to the forefront. His posture changed, his face was hard. Somehow seeing him look the part made her feel safe. She was with a professional. They were simply looking around. No need to worry.

Thankful for expensive vehicles, she exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding when the door clicked shut with a soft snick. “Maggie, stay there, I’ll come around to your side.”

Before she knew what happened, Monroe was in front of her, crouched low to the ground. He was fast. “Are you sure you’re not one of
them
?”

Chuckling low in his throat, he smiled. “Nope. I’m just that good.” Under her breath, she murmured “Arrogant jerk.”

“Did you say something?”

She shot him her most innocent look. “Not a word.” He didn’t look convinced but let it go.

“Follow me. Do what I do and we’ll both be fine.”

Taking a zigzag path, he led her to the corner of the structure. Still no sign of anyone about. Maybe Monroe’s information was wrong. This might be an abandoned building after all. There was a loose board on a dirty window and a large drum underneath it. Perfect for standing on.

Putting her hand on his arm, she stopped him from climbing up. “Let me.” He hesitated a moment then put his hands out to give her a leg up. Crouched on the drum, she caught her breath. How did the cops do this every day? Her nerves were going haywire and she swore anyone within a kilometer could hear her heart beating out of her chest.

“Take a deep breath. Steady your stance and slowly stand.”

Grateful to him, she did. Rubbing off the grime on the windowpane with her the sleeve of her coat, she peered inside. The interior was dim. Giving her eyes a moment to adjust she took a deep breath, willing the gods of calm to visit her.

Nothing moved. There had been people there. Cots were overturned, pillows and blankets strewn across the floor. It looked like they’d left in a hurry. Pressing her ear against the window she plugged her other ear and listened. Silence. No screams, no voices. She swallowed. Her mouth was dry. Something was wrong here. Every instinct screamed at her to run.

It was cold outside, no wind but why was she sweating and feeling air blowing across her face? It was coming from the building. Reaching a hand out, Monroe helped her down, the concern etched across his face. “What’s wrong? What did you see?”

“There were people inside. A lot of people. I think they left in a hurry. The only thing I saw was scattered bedding and overturned furniture. Something isn’t right. We need to leave. Now.”

To his credit, he didn’t say a word but motioned for her to go as he turned and followed her back to the SUV. She heard the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Looking over her shoulder she saw Monroe face planted on the ground. Gasping, she ran to him. He was shaking his head. “What happened? Hell, feels like I was hit by a train.”

Before she could get the words out, one of her worst nightmares came into view. Sauntered out of nowhere, stalking her like a lion to a gazelle.

“Maggie, my dear. How lovely to see you. I’d head rumor you were dead, seems I was rather misinformed.”

Ice crackled within, freezing her veins, blooming across her body, she couldn’t move. “Rawlins. I don’t want any trouble. Please let me go. I promise I won’t say a word.” A shot rang out, making her ears ring, missing the Day Walker by millimeters. He merely raised an eyebrow and kicked Monroe so hard he went flying into the SUV denting the door.

“I’ve heard tell of a human cop, oh pardon me, ex-cop, who’s been working with the enemy. Monroe, is it?”

Her partner was silent. Oh god, was he dead? “Monroe. Get up.” A small groan answered her. Great, just frigging great. He couldn’t help her. Somehow she found the strength to look up at Rawlins.

“Guess your friend doesn’t have anything to say. I don’t have any tea to offer but I believe you and I are long overdue for a chat.”

The voice in her head admired the look of him. He was rumored to be a fierce fighter, over four hundred years old. When you first noticed him, he was breathtaking. Easily six three, with a heavily muscled body and broad shoulders tapering to a trim waist, he had short, dirty blond hair and dark brown eyes. But the eyes gave him away. Dead like the sharks she’d seen on the telly. He dressed in designer clothing and today was no exception. His dark gray cashmere coat gaped open showcasing some kind of fancy suit that looked really expensive.

“Let me go. Monroe was helping me find a place to live and we got turned around, ended up here.” She put on her most convincing face, hoping the lie would be enough to spare them both.

A beeping noise pulled his attention away from her. He reached in his pocket pulling out what looked like a tiny phone. He sighed. “No fun for me today. Seems to be a theme this year.” He raised his hand and hit Monroe with a blast of energy. The cop was still on the ground. Motionless.

She held her hands up in front of her face, backing away. The hair on her arms prickling was the only warning before she found herself flat on her back, staring up at the sky. The clouds were blotted out by a shadow, no make that Rawlins. He knelt down beside her.

“Maggie. If only you’d come to me. I could have taken you away from that dreadful house, kept you for myself.” He tsked. “But instead you ran. Have you any idea the problems you caused? Bruce and all of his men are dead, most of our locations have been destroyed, the humans rescued by your new friends. All due to events you set in motion. Now I have to locate replacements. Do you know how difficult it is to find acceptable help?” He stroked her hair. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. She couldn’t move, could barely breathe. He’d done something to her, paralyzed her or maybe she was dying.

“Rest assured, you won’t feel a thing,” He held up the small phone. “This place is about to be blown to smithereens and I’m afraid you and Mr. Monroe will be incinerated in the blast.” He examined his nails. “I had all the humans moved to a new location. Don’t worry, I’ll take excellent care of them.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Being blown up is much better than being eaten by goblins, wouldn’t you agree?”

Standing, he dusted off his suit, pressed a button on the phone and dematerialized. She closed her eyes. Nothing happened. Her finger twitched. Could she move? Willing her body to get up, she wanted to scream in frustration but nothing came out. Channeling every ounce of willpower, she rolled to her side. Maggie could see Monroe. Was he still alive? Her hand moved a millimeter.

Hope suffused her.

Dust rose up around her, swirling in the air, filling her lungs, choking her. Her vision dimmed, Monroe faded to blackness. Why hadn’t she made it right with Robert? She’d never told him she loved him.

The noise from the blast reached her ears a few seconds later. It was the last sound she heard.