Mellizo Wolves (22 page)

“I haven’t a clue, but I’ll talk to Hugh. He rose from the
dead and may know the secrets and limitations.” Damon doubted an answer
existed. Nevertheless, he forced himself to stay positive for Angela’s sake.
But if what they suspected was true, they were dealing with an inhuman,
indestructible monster.

* * *
*

In the recreation room, Victoria tossed her black,
hip-length jacket across the room with the power of vengeance and approached
the pool table like it was the enemy. Clearly ready for battle, she cued up the
balls. The wide Elvis-style collar of her shirt rode high on her slender neck.
With each breath, her shirt lifted and fell across her firm, rounded breasts.
She’d left three buttons undone and, were it not for her undershirt, he
could’ve seen cleavage clear to China. The skinny, tight black cargo pants
revealed hints of sexy leg muscles. She tossed that long, full, wind-blown onyx
hair provocatively and handled the pool cue like a pro. That wild, big hair
reminded him of when she’d morphed into a wolf. Even then, she was a creature
of amazing beauty. Rick watched, totally fascinated. Her full, almost
heart-shaped lips begged to be kissed. She was smart, beautiful, and wild—and
forbidden, he reminded himself repeatedly. He tried, but he couldn’t take his
eyes off of her. Every movement was an exercise in grace and sent his heartbeat
soaring.

Victoria gave a throaty laugh. “Hey, wasn’t Dad awesome
tonight?”

“That’s an understatement,” Rick said, knowing better than
to expect any praise for his part in the fight. “Of course we wouldn’t have
been forced into a knock-down, drag-out if you girls would’ve stayed home where
you belong.” The minute he finished saying those last three words, he knew he’d
made a mistake.

“Where we belong?” She looked over at Valerie who was
sitting on the window seat, staring out into the darkness. “Did you hear what
this
temp
bodyguard had the nerve to say to me?”

“Forget him,” Valerie said. “What about Lazar? He’s going to
drive up to the club in about an hour and we won’t be there.” She glanced at
Victoria. “You have his cell number, don’t you? I think we should call and tell
him our plans have changed. After all, it’s only polite. He did give us a
ride.”

Rick stiffened. “Didn’t you hear what your dad said? You’re
to have no contact with that man. He’s dangerous. You’re lucky to be alive.”

Valerie’s long blonde hair had golden highlights that
someday would drive the right man wild, and her sad, smoky expression touched his
heart in a sisterly way. She was beautiful, but she wasn’t captivating in the
same walk-on-the-wild-side way as her dark-haired twin.

Victoria broke the balls fiercely and explosively, as
though one of the balls had his name on it. With her out for blood, he’d better
keep his mind on the game. As long as Valerie stayed put, he had no worries—the
girls were safe with him. Although he found them outstanding and fascinating,
he had a strong willpower and intended to keep his lust firmly under control. Very
quickly, the game got intense and he didn’t notice Valerie slip out of the
room.

* * *
*

Damon caught Hugh just as he was leaving his room. “I need
to talk to you,” he said.

Hugh stepped back inside. “Make it quick. I was just going
to check on the girls. I have an uneasy feeling.”

“They’re in the rec room with Rick, playing pool. We can
check on them in a minute. The sands of trouble have shifted again on the
property, and I need help to fortify the place.”

“Is it Lazar?”

“You already suspected him?”

“I feel a negative connection to him that makes my skin
crawl.”

“You and Angela caught onto him before I did.”

“That shouldn’t surprise you. You’ve always been too
trusting.”

Damon couldn’t deny it. “Angela believes Lazar killed Kat
and my inspection of his apartment turned up blood. But there’s more to it. I
think Reeves morphed into Lazar. If he’s our morphed brother, he has a lot of
anger in him and is undoubtedly intent on getting revenge on all of us.” Damon
paced a few steps. “You came back from the dead. Are there secrets or
limitations tied to those with eternal life that I can use against him?”

“Not that I know of. But the angel who brought me from the
muddy bowels of death told me you held the secret to ban the curse. She said if
I wanted to escape it, I should ask you. Maybe you unconsciously know something
to fight this.”

“I only know that our family curse can be broken by love.
When we love someone enough to sacrifice ourselves for them and then prove it,
we are freed from the curse. But let’s discuss that more later. Right now, we
have to stop Lazar from coming back onto the property. I need you to help me
change the locks and fortify the security to protect my family. I called Deeto,
but he didn’t answer, so you, Rick, and I are on our own.”

* * *
*

Valerie heard voices coming toward the stairway. It was her
dad and Hugh. She hurried out the door. Their footsteps neared.
Oh, my
goodness, they were coming outside, too.
She scurried behind the bushes and
squatted out of sight. Her dad and Uncle Hugh wore tool belts and headed for
the lab. When they stooped down and inspected the knob, she knew they were
there to change the locks.

The bright security light over the door illuminated them
and provided sufficient light to do the job. Obviously, Dad was really down on
Dr. Lazar to prohibit his access to the lab.

What had Lazar done to make Dad angry enough to fire him
without notice from his life’s work? Losing his job so suddenly was all the
more reason for her to apologize for not calling and letting him know they were
no longer at the club waiting to be picked up. Poor guy. She couldn’t live with
herself if she didn’t apologize. But just in case he was the bad guy as her dad
suspected, she would definitely keep her distance.

* * *
*

“Oh, crap,” Rick said. “Valerie slipped out of the room.”

“I should’ve given her Lazar’s cell phone number.” Victoria
ran to the window, the soft wave of her onyx hair swishing across her back,
begging to be stoked. “His car is coming up the lane toward the driveway,” she
said a little breathlessly.

A second later, Rick heard it, too. Her superior hearing
could come in handy in his line of work. He joined her and put his arm around
her waist. She smelled like roses. “See anything?” he asked. He trusted her
sharp eyesight over his own.

“Dad and Uncle Hugh are at the lab door, changing the
locks.” Victoria’s breath caught. “Oh, no. Valerie is down there, hiding in the
bushes.”

Rick saw only a shadow behind the foliage. Lazar’s car
turned into the driveway.

Victoria’s body stiffened. “If Lazar is as bad as you and
Dad claim, we’d better get down there and head Val off before she does
something stupid. She’s intent upon apologizing to him.”

Rick hoped Victoria could handle what he was about to tell
her. “We’re pretty sure he murdered your Aunt Kat—”

Victoria gasped. Without waiting to hear more, she tore out
the door and down the curving stairway. Rick followed close behind, praying
they’d get to Valerie in time.

Chapter Eleven

Valerie rushed up to Lazar’s darkened car. “I’m sorry we
weren’t at the club when you came to pick us up, but Dad—” Lazar’s eyes
glinted. When he grabbed for her, she jumped back. An eerie feeling sent a
prickle through the roots of her hair and she whirled around and ran. With the
motor still running, he bolted after her. Within two large steps, his biting
grip sank into her upper arm. She screamed. He snaked an arm around her neck,
got her in a wrestling hold, and pressed a gun to her head. Then he half-dragged
her backwards to the car. “Get in!”

* * *
*

“He’s got her!” Rick squeezed Victoria’s fingers. Even in
the dim light from the car beams, he saw her eyes spark. “Do something to
distract him. I need to circle to the other side of the car unseen. But,
whatever you do, stay out of his reach.”

She nodded.

Rick used the bushes for cover then scurried along the
ground on his hands and knees. The distance seemed infinite. But he pushed on.
He’d almost reached the rear of the car when he heard Victoria call out to
Lazar.

“You’ve got the wrong twin,” she said, taunting him as she lifted
up her T-shirt.

What the hell
? Rick
gasped. Those rounded breasts and pert nipples were definitely sexier than
anything he’d seen in
Playboy Magazine.
Even in the darkness with only
the light from the head-beams, the diversion was enough to melt any man in his
tracks.

Her stunning method of distraction wasn’t what he had in
mind, but it sidetracked Lazar long enough for him to circle to the passenger
side of the car. Rick used his car-stealing master key to unlock the back door.
Then he slipped inside and crouched on the floor. Any sound of movement was
covered by Damon and Hugh shouting for Lazar to stop.

* * *
*

When Lazar shoved Valerie into the driver’s side of the
car, she attempted to tromp on the gas pedal, hoping to throw him off balance.
He kicked her ankle and shoved her onto the passenger seat. She dived for the
door. Before she could open it, he pressed a button. All door locks clicked,
barring escape.

Breathing hard, Lazar yanked her upright by her hair. She
screamed as her roots prickled in pain. “Let me go!” Her attempt to sound tough
failed. She raked her nails across his face.

“Bitch!” He pressed the gun to her head. The muzzle dug
painfully into her temple.

* * *
*

Rick stomach knotted at the way things were going down. Angela
and Victoria stood outside the car screaming and pounding on the exterior. Then
Rick heard Damon shout. “Angela, Victoria, take cover!”

Lazar fired a shot. The pounding stopped. Rick wanted to
rise up and make certain the women were safe, but it was too risky.

Seconds ago, crawling to the car, he considered the
driver-squeeze-out tactic
.
If he’d dared to try it—and if it had
worked—this could have been over in a flash. All it would’ve taken was perfect
timing as he slid into the front seat. And then a quick zip backward out of the
driveway before Lazar could force Valerie into the car. Lazar’s gun at
Valerie’s head and the hair-trigger timing needed to steal the car out from
under the evil scientist discouraged Rick from trying it. The surprise
car-jacking might’ve barred the bastard from escaping with Valerie, but it also
might have gotten her killed. Rick frowned. Now he had to wait in the backseat
for the right instant to strike. Once they reached the main road, Lazar
couldn’t keep the gun at Valerie’s head every second and safely maneuver the
snaking curves. A moment of wrong timing on his or Lazar’s part could send the
three of them off the cliffs to their death.

 
* * * *

Damon ran toward the car, wishing he had a gun to shoot out
the tires. Then it hit him. With a gun at Valerie’s head, that wasn’t a viable
option anyway. If Reeves had morphed into Lazar as Damon strongly suspected,
the evil bastard intended to wipe out the whole Lamont family. The terror in
Valerie’s scream went straight to Damon’s gut. He chased the car. He imagined
the cold, hard muzzle of the gun pressed to her head. Sweat trickled down his
spine and the knot in his stomach tightened.

Running at full speed, he watched Lazar swing off the
driveway and onto the lawn. After a skidding, slippery turn around with flying
mud, Lazar swung back onto the driveway and headed for the Mt. Baldy highway.
Hugh passed Damon with feral speed and ran after the car until one of Lazar’s
bullets caught him in the knee cap.

Damon rushed to his aid and helped him to the entry steps.

“Just a flesh wound,” Hugh muttered. “Remember, I’m one of
those living dead guys, too.”

Damon patted him on the back, overwhelmed by the love he
felt for his brother.

Shaking off the wave of emotion, he straightened. He ached
to continue chasing the car, yank Lazar out of the vehicle by his throat, and
beat the hell out of him. But without his wolf powers, he couldn’t run fast
enough to catch a car. Besides, if he caught it, there was still the gun at
Valerie’s head. To ward off his fear for his daughter, he had to think
positive. But how could he go to battle and kill the living dead after the
evil, mud-sucking ogre had been granted everlasting life?

He approached Angela and put his arm around her. He
expected her to rebuff him, but even though her eyes blazed with a fiery green
glow and she was pale and shaking, she seemed to need him more than she hated
him for letting this happen. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung
tight. He stroked her back. He had to offer her hope where there was little to
none to give. “I’ll get Valerie back.” The statement rang with optimism but had
no substance. He didn’t dare promise something that at this moment seemed
impossible.