Stealing Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 5) (30 page)

Chances were he’d done it in front of Ella. The ultimate display of power. Lip curled in disgust, Lucian closed his eyes. Anger was fine, but he needed to think clearly. He needed to find Ella before the trail went cold.

He gently pulled down the young woman’s skirt and stood up, only then seeing the crushed cell phone at his feet. Cursing under his breath, he transported back to Ella’s living room where Clara waited, her small pink and purple backpack already packed with stuff.

Lucian bent down, pulling Clara to him in a tight hug, inhaling the scent of her shampoo and hair, needing to know at least one of his girls was safe. “Where’s Dean?” he asked over Clara’s shoulder as Dmitri walked in the room.

“Said he was looking for the car that took her. Should be here any moment,” said the vampire.

Lucian didn’t have time for this shit. He picked Clara up, holding her tightly, and thought of Dean’s New York apartment. “Dean! Where is she?”

Dean jumped at Lucian’s sudden appearance. His gaze darted between him and the girl. “You sure you want to talk about this now?”

Lucian narrowed his eyes. “Time is important here. Tell me what you know.”

Clara’s gaze kept switching between Lucian and Dean. “You two both look like monsters,” she stated.

Lucian stiffened.
Damnit! He should’ve changed back!
He couldn’t focus on all this shit. He needed to find Ella. “Are you afraid of me?”

She shook her head. “You don’t act like a monster.”

Lucian let out a sigh of relief. “I need you to think hard. Did you hear anything strange before your mother left?”

Tears filled the child’s eyes. Being held by a monster didn’t faze her, but the reminder of her mother was too much. “I was sleeping. I shouldn’t have slept through the monsters.”

Lucian laid a comforting kiss on her forehead, only belatedly remembering what he looked like. But the child leaned deeper into him, wrapping her arms even more tightly around his neck. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her. I promise. Dean! Do we have any footage of the cars they were driving?”

Dean took a nervous gulp, his leathery neck bobbing with the action. “I was already on it. Because it’s so late and there were so few cars on the road during the timeframe Dmitri gave me, I was able to narrow down what car they used to get away and used the security camera at the bank down the road to get a read on the license plate.” Dean paused.

“And...” pestered Lucian.

“And I tracked the car to a gas station about twenty minutes from where Ella was taken. They switched cars.”

Lucian felt the world spin around him. “Were there any cars stolen from there?”

“None reported. They could’ve just made the guy they stole the car from forget. Or worse,” he muttered.

Clara hugged him tighter and he knew she understood exactly what Dean meant.

“We need to get to that station. Grab Dmitri and Charlie and head out there to take a look. I’m going to drop off Clara and I’ll meet you out there.”

Dean nodded. “Who’s going to watch Clara?”

Lucian ground his teeth, not looking forward to his next task. “Her grandfather.”

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L
ucian appeared at the foot of Dr. Murray’s driveway, not wanting to get too close. Knowing his history with the doctor, he’d end up with a bullet in his head before he could hope to explain the danger Ella was in.

He shut his eyes and clenched his teeth as he forced his human form to resurface.

Clara gasped in his arms. “You’re back.”

He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I never went anywhere.”

“Why don’t you always look like you?”

“Both of my faces are me. This one hurts me at night and the other one hurts during the day. Since I’m seeing your grandfather for the first time in a long time, I wanted to look my best. You know, some people get scared of my other face.”

Clara scrunched up her face. “You’re not scary.”

Lucian snorted. “Thanks.” He wasn’t sure whether he should be happy his daughter accepted him or offended.

“But you can scare the bad men, right? You can make them give Mommy back?” Her words were just as calm as always, but her eyes revealed the fear she was trying to hide.

“That’s the idea. First of all, I have to make sure you’re safe.”

“As long as you bring Mommy back.”

Lucian wanted to reassure her. Promise he’d bring Ella back safe and sound.

But how could he make that promise?

He needed to get out to hunt for her. The longer he was gone, the farther away they were taking her. The longer she was missing, the more likely they were to kill her.

He ground his teeth and tried to clear his vision
. Focus!
First of all, Clara needed to be safe.

Footsteps pounded down the driveway. “Clara!” shouted Dr. Murray with a trembling voice.

“Grandpa!” she called back, seemingly unaware of the tension between the two men.

Dr. Murray stopped just short of Lucian, sending rays of hatred from his eyes. “Give me my granddaughter.”

That was the plan anyway, so he didn’t argue. He set Clara on the ground and gave her a pat on the back. “Go on,” he murmured.

The old man’s brows drew together as Clara ran over to him. “What are you doing here?”

“Ella’s in trouble. Clara needs to be somewhere safe.”

“She’s in trouble because of you.”

Lucian didn’t deny it. “I’m going to get her back.”

“You should’ve left her alone.”

“I never should’ve left her in the first place.” He’d thought he was doing what was best for them both. He hadn’t realized the magnitude of what they had. It wasn’t just attraction between them. It was never clear to him until he saw her outside Charlie’s gym. Even before he discovered Clara, he knew whatever was pulling him toward Ella was more than physical attraction.

He would get her back.

He could admit that he never should’ve taken her against her will or threatened her family. But letting her go was wrong. He hadn’t been with her when she had to endure a supernatural pregnancy. He hadn’t been with her as Clara aged at twice the normal rate.

He just hadn’t been there. He’d been waiting for someone like her for centuries. He should treat every moment as a precious goddamn gift. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her so soon after finding her.

Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose as the pounding in his head got worse. He needed to change. “I don’t have time to argue. I’m going to get your daughter back.”

The doctor bent forward to hold Clara’s hand. “Why give her to me? Don’t you have an army of men who could watch her?”

“You’re her grandfather. I think she’d rather be with you than a stranger. The only other myotis she’s met is going to be helping me tonight.”

The doctor looked even more confused at that answer, but Lucian didn’t have time to reassure him anymore. He handed him a folded piece of paper. “This is my phone number. Call if there is any trouble. I will be in touch. Keep her safe.”

And then he was gone.

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E
lla opened her eyes, but the bright light shining in her face sent a fresh wave of pain shooting through her. “Crap,” she whispered.

She almost wished she could have amnesia like everyone seemed to get in the movies, but she remembered every painful detail. She would never be able to erase the memory of Cade stepping into the light.

He was supposed to be dead! She’d almost prefer him dead than whatever hell he’d been put through over the past three years.

The vampires had turned him into some feral creature. He’d bit her. Not in an “I’m sorry they’re making me do this” sort of way. He’d torn into her already injured neck and drank with abandon.

She’d struggled for a moment, but his hands gripped her so tightly that his long nails drew blood.

This wasn’t the happy-go-lucky myotis she knew before. This was something else.

But why hadn’t he killed her?
Was there some part of him still in there?

She groaned at the question. The vampires still wanted to know what she was. They probably wouldn’t want her dead. Just weak and frightened.

Mission accomplished.

Not that she was going to let them know.

Taking a breath, she decided to open her eyes again. If she stood any chance of surviving this, she needed to be aware of her surroundings.

The light didn’t blind her anymore. Cade stood right above her.

Ella flinched and pushed herself away; the sudden movement made her head scream.

He continued to stare.

Looking past him, it appeared they were in the same room as before.
Great.

He still stared.

“Can I help you?” she snapped. If he was going to bite her again, she damn well wanted some advance warning.

He blinked rapidly at her words. “They can hear you,” he croaked out.

Ella winced. His voice sounded so ragged.
How many people had he even spoken to since he’d been taken?
She doubted anyone would treat him with kindness. Only pain and cruelty.

“I don’t have anything interesting to say,” she lied. She wanted to shake him. Tell him about Clara. There was hope for his species, and Clara was walking
—
and much too advanced talking
—
proof.

He nodded and his eyes went to her neck. “You heal fast.”

Her hand came up to her neck and touched the still open and sore wounds, the sting running through her body. “Funny, it doesn’t feel like it.”

He shrugged a bony shoulder, not offering an apology. “How long have I been gone for?”

Part of her didn’t want to tell him. Would it make it better or worse if he knew the duration of his captivity? Either way, he deserved to know. “Three years.”

He nodded, not showing any emotion at the information.

“Why did you bite me?” she asked.

He looked up, brow creased at the question. “Because they told me to.”

“And would you kill me if they asked you?”

“Wouldn’t you want me to?”

Ella cocked her head. “Why would I want you to kill me?”

“Better me than them.” He pointed to the closed door.

Ella’s gaze followed his finger.
Was he right?
Would she rather die by the hands—er, fangs—of someone she knew or by strangers full of hate and malice?

She closed her eyes for a second. She had to stop thinking like that. She wasn’t going to die. She would find some way out and back to Clara.

Cade must’ve figured out what she was thinking. “Do you think Lucian will rescue you?”

She carefully considered her words, not sure how she should handle this new Cade. “I’ve never been one to sit back and wait to be saved.”

Cade grunted but didn’t say anything. The silence started to sting more than Ella’s neck. She remembered Cade’s smiling face. She was so terrified after being forced to stay with Lucian, and he’d gone through so much trouble to make her laugh and relax.

Now all she got was silence.

When she couldn’t take it anymore, she asked, “Why are you in human form? I know it was night when they threw me in here.”

A few seconds passed before he answered. “I haven’t changed since they took me.”

Ella’s jaw dropped. “Three years? Isn’t that painful?”

“Yes.”

She pressed her forehead into her palm.
Why would she even ask him that?
Of course it hurt him, and his abrupt and short answer gave her an idea of just how painful it must be.
Why would the vampires do this? Just for fun? Were they trying to find out something? Had they interrogated him?

She bit her tongue from asking any more questions. She wouldn’t want to hear the answers and didn’t want him to have to relive any painful memories for her curiosity.

Instead, she stood. No more sitting and feeling sorry for herself. She was going to at least try to figure a way out of this godforsaken room.

The light didn’t seem quite as bright now that her eyes had adjusted. The room was plain white, with speckled tile on the floor, now decorated with her dried blood, and walls made of cinderblocks and cement.

How sturdy were cinderblocks?
Cade should be strong enough to smash a hole with a strong punch or kick.
Wouldn’t he have tried that first thing? Was it rude to ask?
She didn’t want to hurt his feelings or anything.