Slade's Desire (White River Wolves Series, #2) (13 page)

S
lade stood in the corner of the conference room in Chase’s office building, fighting his wolf who wanted to take control and go find his mate.  There was a flurry of activity as people came and went, doing what they could to help Gypsy.  His best trackers were canvasing the area, looking for clues as to where Titus could have gone. 

Becca had come to Chase the moment she heard Gypsy was taken to offer her computer skills.  It would seem the woman was not only a brilliant scientist, but she was a computer genius as well.  She sat at the table, her fingers flying over her laptop as she hunted for anything connected to Titus.  So far she had somehow managed to find out that his last name was Fendricks, he was ex-military, and he owned several properties all over the United States.  He had no family to speak of, and no close friends. 

Jade had tried several times to connect with Gypsy, but each attempt was unsuccessful.  It meant one of two things; she was either unconscious or dead.  Slade refused to believe the latter.  Even though they had not completed the bond, he knew she was alive.  He felt it. 

Jade sat at the table, once again trying to reach Gypsy.  Slade watched her intently, waiting for any sign that she was able to.  A slight frown marred her features, and she was completely still, except for the clenching and unclenching of one hand.  This time, she’d been silent longer than her previous attempts.  He prayed that meant something...anything.

Slade blamed himself for everything that had happened since Gypsy left the day before.  He never should have let her walk away from him.  He should have followed her to the hospital and brought her back home.  He should have told her that even though Sarah may have held his heart a century ago, she was not the one who held it now.  There were so many things that he should have done differently, but he could not change the past.  All he could do was hope for the chance to make it up to her in the future.

“Gypsy’s in trouble.” Slade jumped at the sound of Jade’s voice. 

Cursing softly at his lapse in concentration, he demanded, “You found her?  What’s going on?  Is she hurt?”

“Titus has her, which we knew.  She has no idea where she is, except it is similar to the place Perez held her and Trace.  It’s in a basement, much smaller than The Dungeon.”

“Did he hurt her?” Slade demanded.  He had to know that Gypsy was okay.  He could not stand the thought of Titus touching her, inflicting pain on her.

Before Jade could respond, there was a commotion at the door and Bran walked in with the trackers.  “That son of a bitch took her from the front steps of the hospital.  We followed his scent a mile north where he cut a hole in the fence and slipped through.  He must have had a vehicle waiting, because we lost his scent at the road.”

“Who was patrolling the perimeter?”  Even Slade had to fight not to shrink back at the fury in Chase’s voice.

“We were,” Kent said as he and Tori stepped into the room.  His body shook and he cowered in front of the alpha’s anger.  Slade’s eyes narrowed and he snarled at the smell of recent sex that clung to the enforcers. 

Chase stepped forward, a low growl emitting from his throat.  “You were fucking when Slade’s mate was stolen?”

A red haze of anger washed over Slade and when the change hit him, he did not fight it.  Shifting quickly, he launched himself at Kent, attacking the man in blind rage.  The enforcer was no match for Slade, and soon he was on the ground, bleeding severely from several wounds.

“Enough.”  The deep, commanding voice of his alpha was the only thing that stopped Slade from killing the other man.  He wanted to tear out Kent’s throat to show the other’s in the room what happened when anyone allowed his precious mate to be taken.  His wolf growled in agreement, but Chase would not allow it.

“Let him go, Slade.”  Chase’s tone brooked no argument, no matter how much Slade wanted to fight the command.

Loosening his jaw where it was currently wrapped around the enforcer’s throat, Slade stepped back and growled in warning, before shifting.  Baring his teeth, he snarled, “Gypsy is back in the hands of a psychopath who tortured her for months, a man I promised her I would keep her safe from, because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants while you were supposed to be ensuring the safety of not only my mate, but everyone in this compound.”

When Tori stepped forward, Chase turned to her with a low growl.  “You are both stripped of your enforcer titles, and will be placed in solitary confinement until I am ready to deal with you.”

“But, Alpha...”

“No!” Chase’s voice boomed throughout the small room.  “You were under oath to protect this pack.  You broke that oath.  Now go!”

As Kent struggled to rise, Tori shrank back towards the door.  “Please,” she whispered, “we didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

Chase turned from her without another word.  Bran motioned to Sable and Charlotte, “Take them and lock them up.” 

“Slade,” Becca called out from where she was still typing furiously into her keyboard.  “I think I found something!”

Stalking over to a cupboard, Chase opened a door and removed a pair of jogging pants he kept there just in case something like this happened.  When someone shifted with clothes on, it shredded them, leaving nothing but tatters.  Throwing the pants to Slade, he said, “I will deal with Kent and Tori.  You concentrate on Gypsy.”

Slade slipped into them quickly, before moving to Becca’s side.  “Talk to me.”

“I found six properties under the name Titus Fendricks.  I was able to eliminate four of them because they do not have basements.”  Pointing to her computer screen Becca said, “This one is all of the way across the states, but this one is just a six hour drive from here.  It matches the timeframe if he took her and drove straight there.”

“That’s exactly what he did!” Jade exclaimed, looking at the properties highlighted on the screen in front of her.  “He would have to have a private jet or helicopter to fly her all of the way to New York.  From what you found out, he doesn’t own anything like that, and there’s no way they would be there already if he drove.”

“Figure out the fastest way to get there and send us the coordinates,” Chase ordered Becca.  “Slade, Bran, Jade, and I will go.”

“We are going to,” Xavier said, stalking into the room.  He was pale, but he moved easily, showing no outer sign of pain.  He was dressed for battle, with his sidearm strapped to his leg, another on his hip, and a knife hooked to his belt.  “Gypsy saved my life.  Aiden and I are going to help save hers.”

“I appreciate that, Xavier,” Slade said, “but we can’t have you slowing us down.”

“Have I ever slowed you down before?” Xavier demanded.  “I’m fucking going, whether it is with you, or on my own.”

“The fastest route I can find will still take you approximately five and a half hours to drive,” Becca interrupted.  “I can’t find anything quicker.”

“I have a guy at the airport that owes me a favor,” Bran said.  “I’ll get him to fly us there.”

“I already checked, and the closest airport to where Gypsy is being held is just fifteen minutes away.  I will make sure you have a vehicle waiting when you land,” Becca promised.

“Good” Chase said shortly.  “Get your gear, and let’s get out of here.  You have ten minutes to meet me out front.”

Everyone left quickly, but Jade grabbed Slade’s arm tightly before he could slip out of the conference room.  She looked as if she were fighting an inner war before she finally said, “Slade, I promised Gypsy I would relay a message to you.”  Slade stiffened at the seriousness in her gaze.  “She wants you to know that she understands why you chose to marry Sarah.”  Slade fought tears as Jade’s eyes filled with compassion, “She said to tell you she loves you, and always will.”

She loved him.  Even after everything that had happened, Gypsy loved him.  “I have to go,” he growled, pulling his arm from Jade.  He had to get out of there before he lost it.  As Slade ran for his apartment to grab clothes and weapons, all he could think about was a pair of large, dark brown eyes full of sadness as they turned away from him.  He had failed Gypsy once, but he would not do it again. 

G
ypsy’s heart pounded in fear as she stared into the cold, heartless eyes returning her gaze, but she refused to show Titus the affect he had on her.  Straightening her spine, she glared at him as she waited for him to speak. 

Titus’s mouth quirked up into an evil smirk as he reached down and cupped himself through his slacks.  “You are finally mine to do with as I please.  I’ve waited so long for this.  I love to see the defiance in your eyes, my pet.  It will be so much better if you fight me.”

Gypsy froze as his meaning sank in.  “Don’t you dare touch me,” she spat, fighting the urge to brandish the knife in front of her.  She could not show her hand too soon, or she would never get the chance to shove the blade through his cold heart.  Could she really do it?  Could she take a life? The answer was yes.  To protect herself, to live to spend another day with Slade and Sari, she would do whatever it took.

“Oh, I am going to do more than just touch you,” Titus said darkly, as he let go of himself to remove a key from his pocket.  “I’m going to do many, many things to you.”  The cell door creaked open, and he stepped toward her.  “Things you might not like now, but you will soon.”

Gypsy held her ground, breathing harshly as terror raced through her.  Just a little closer, she thought, reaching behind her back to grasp the handle of the knife.  A couple more steps...that was all she needed.

“I am going to train you to obey my every command,” Titus said, taking one more step toward her.  “Before long, you will not only want my touch, you will crave it.”

“Never,” she hissed as he took the last step into her space.  Swinging her arm around, she embedded the blade deep into his stomach, missing his heart by several inches.

“You fucking bitch,” he yelled, grabbing her roughly and throwing her across the cell.

Gypsy cried out in pain as she fell to the floor, gasping when she landed on her broken arm.  A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she fought to stay conscious.  A hand grasped hold of her hair and yanked her to her feet, and she screamed when the back of Titus’s hand connected with her cheek, dropping her to the ground once again.  Bringing his foot back, he kicked her hard twice in the ribs.  “Be ready, my pet,” he ordered with one last kick, “After I fix this bloody mess you made, I will be back.  You will learn who is boss!”  Stalking out of the cell, Titus slammed the door shut before stomping up the stairs, shutting the lights off behind him.  

Lying on the hard, cold, cement floor, Gypsy clutched her useless arm to her aching ribs and cried.  How had she let him get the better of her?  She’d had the knife; the power. She should have at least been able to incapacitate him long enough to get away.  Pain racked her body as she lay there afraid to move.  Now what was she going to do?  She had no weapon.  She was defenseless.

It was so dark.  Gypsy loved the night, but she had learned to hate the dark when she was unable to see the moon and the stars above.  As she lay there, a sliver of light slipped through a small window on the back wall.  She gasped as more came through another window on the wall above Titus’s torture devices.  The moon. 

Gritting her teeth, Gypsy pushed herself up on her good arm.  The light from the moon slowly made its way across the floor, until it stopped just inside her cell.  Slowly, she began to drag herself toward her salvation, as ragged sobs were torn from her throat.  It seemed to take forever, but soon she lay just in front of the cell door, her body bathed by the moonlight.  Her eyes resting on the crest of the moon outside the window, she chanted softly,

Blessed Mother above,

Breathe your light into me,

Share with me your power,

Take my pain and suffering.

She repeated the words over and over, as tears of agony streamed down her face.  The tingling started first in her fingers, spreading up her arms, over her shoulders, and then down her body.  The glow around her became brighter and brighter, and she lay in shock as she felt her pain slowly starting to recede.  It was working!  Panting loudly, she rasped,

Blessed Mother above,

Breathe your light into me,

Share with me your power,

Your strength, and your energy.

Hearing the door at the top of the steps open, Gypsy lay still on the ground, waiting for Titus to come down the stairs.  It didn’t take long, and she continued chanting under her breath, even as he stood in front of her cell in shock. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded.  When Gypsy didn’t respond, he unlocked the door and yanked it open.  Grasping her by her arms, he pulled her roughly to her feet in front of him. 

Gypsy stared into his eyes as she chanted louder and louder.  Waves of energy coursed through her broken body, building and building.  When she felt as if she could not stand it anymore, she reached out and placed her right hand on Titus’s chest, just over his heart.  With everything she had, Gypsy shoved the energy from herself into Titus.  It was like a huge bolt of electricity slamming into his chest, and he dropped her to the floor as it threw him across the room against his wall of toys.

Gypsy lifted her head weakly to look at the monster of her dreams, where he now lay on his back a mere twenty feet from her.  His face was turned toward her, his eyes wide open in death, smoke rising from his body.  Sighing, she lowered her head back to the floor as darkness swamped her.

S
lade slowly crept around the outside of the old farmhouse, Jade right behind him.  The place was creepy as hell, with old, rotted out boards falling off the side of it, several broken windows, and large holes in the roof.  At least ten miles from the nearest town, out in the middle of nowhere, it was the perfect place to take someone if you did not want to be found. 

Stopping at the corner of the house, Slade closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, wondering what the acrid smell was that seemed to be creeping up from the basement.  Holding a hand up to Jade, he silently made his way to the window nearest to him and knelt down, peaking in.  Unable to see clearly, he shook his head, rising and moving quickly to the front of the house.  Just as he started up the front steps, Jade rushed past him.  “Jade,” he hissed, hurrying to keep up, “wait.  You’re going to put Gypsy in danger!”