Bewitched, p.46
Bewitched, page 46
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“No. You have a gala to prepare for.”
Her lips firmed. “If I didn’t, I’d go with you.”
As he dressed, Gryph shot a glance at her. “I’ll call Aurai and have her come stay with you.”
“I’m okay on my own.”
“I’d feel better if she came.”
“I’d feel better if you stayed.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“Me, too.” He kissed her one last time. “But I have to.”
He hurried out the door and up the stairs to the street above. Night had enveloped the city in darkness, broken up by streetlights dotting every other corner. Neon lights blinked to life, advertising beer and vacancies.
Gryphon’s heart throbbed with a heaviness he couldn’t dispel. Reluctant to leave Selene unaccompanied, he called Aurai.
She answered with a bright “Hello.”
“It’s Gryph.”
“Oh. Everything all right?”
“Can you stay with Selene tonight?”
“Of course,” she answered. “You two have a fight?”
His hand tightened around his cell phone. “No. I want to find the black wolf.”
“So you’re going to join Deme, Brigid and Cal?”
“Why?” he asked, his curiosity peaked. “Where did they go?”
“Somewhere in Archer Heights. The lieutenant got a tip that the black wolf had been spotted with a pack of rogues. They went to investigate.”
“Without backup?”
“I don’t know. They left Gina and I in charge of being Selene’s backup until you showed up.”
“Why didn’t they call me before they left?”
“Ha!” Her bark of laughter grated on Gryph’s nerves. “You seemed to have other things on your mind.”
He ignored her innuendo, focusing on what needed to be done versus what he wanted to do. “Do you know the exact location your sisters were headed?”
“No. And I don’t understand why they didn’t take all of us sisters. We’re stronger together.”
Gryph figured he’d only seen the tip of the iceberg that was the power of the five witches. “Are you good with staying with Selene?”
“I’d rather be out looking for the black wolf,” Aurai admitted. “But if Selene needs me, I’m there.”
“She needs you.”
Aurai sighed. “Okay. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Gryph clicked the off button and walked to the end of the block, keeping to the shadows. He wouldn’t leave until Aurai arrived.
While he waited, he checked in with the lieutenant and got the same information he had passed on to Cal, Deme and Brigid.
“Deme said you were a big help the other night,” the lieutenant said. “They could use your assistance again, tonight.”
He assured him he’d be on it as soon as he was sure Selene was safe.
As he leaned against a brick building, his gaze returned to the apartment where Selene lived. Why couldn’t he control his inner beast? All his life, he’d worked hard to know the signs, to suppress the animal when it rose to the surface. With Selene, he lost all sense of time and presence. He became one with her, forgetting who and what he was.
And each time, he’d drawn blood.
Aurai arrived, parking against the curb in front of the building.
Gryph remained in the shadows until Aurai made it safely into the apartment. Then he stripped off his shirt and shoes and let his beast free.
On all fours, he ran through the streets, avoiding people, staying in the deepest shadows, out of sight. He ran until he could run no more, clearing his thoughts, grounding himself in what must be.
When he looked up to see where he was, he found himself in Archer Heights, several blocks over from the pool hall they’d barely escaped from the other night. For thirty minutes, he ran through the streets, checking any suspicious locations until he came to a group of warehouses surrounded by a run-down chain-link fence.
Slipping through the darkness, moving from shadow to shadow, he inched closer, recognizing the scent of wolves.
After studying the building for a full fifteen minutes, he located all the sentries. Wolves stood at each corner, two on the roof and one near a door at the rear of the building.
Keeping back and downwind to remain undetected, Gryph wondered what was going on inside that required guards and so many standing watch.
About the time he decided to move in, the door opened and several wolves strutted out, and then broke into a run.
Five or six men dressed in jeans and dark shirts emerged, looking back over their shoulders. The men mounted motorcycles and raced away from the building.
Gryph thought that was all of them, but then a woman in a short sexy dress and killer heels stepped out of the building and held the door.
Moments later, a large black wolf exited, head up. He paused for a moment, sniffing the air, his head moving slowly in a 180-degree turn until it stopped, his nose pointed directly at Gryph.
The hackles rose on the scruff of Gryph’s neck, his muscles bunching, ready to defend his position.
After a long moment staring in Gryph’s direction, the black wolf’s shoulders gave what could only be considered a shrug and he turned toward the female, following her to a limousine. Again, she held the door for him. He jumped in and she climbed in beside him.
The limousine left the warehouse through an open gate, headed north.
A shiny new SUV burst from a side street. Gryph recognized Deme in the driver’s seat and he leaped into the middle of the road, blocking its path, roaring so loud the sound echoed off the buildings.
The SUV screeched to a halt and Cal and Brigid dropped out, Deme remaining behind the wheel.
Cal pointed a nine-millimeter pistol at Gryph.
Brigid held a fireball in her hand, cocked and ready to throw. “You better be Gryph or you’re going to get a mouthful of fire from one angry witch. I nearly wet my pants.”
As proof, Gryph partially transformed to human.
Deme jerked her head and shouted, “Get in.”
Cal claimed shotgun, Brigid held the back door open.
Gryph jumped in and Brigid slid in next to him.
Deme slammed her foot to the accelerator and sped after the limousine, taking a corner so fast, Brigid was thrown against him.
Brigid righted herself, a frown denting her brows. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to sitting so close to a lion shifter.”
Within seconds, Gryph completed his change to human. “Better?”
She nodded. “Much.” She smirked. “Though I don’t know what’s more disturbing. Sitting next to a changeling or a hot-bodied, naked male. I see why Selene is smitten.”
Deme raced to the end of the street, where it T-junctioned, and let the SUV drift halfway past the stop sign. Everyone glanced in both directions.
The limousine was a quarter of a mile to the south, turning onto a street Gryph knew to ramp up onto the expressway.
“Hurry. If they get on the expressway too far ahead of us, we might miss what exit they take.”
Deme gunned it, turning the wheel hard to the right. The back end of the SUV fishtailed and straightened before the tires got enough traction to propel the vehicle forward.
With the limousine turning farther ahead, Gryph could only hold his breath and pray they didn’t lose it.
As they neared the turn the limousine had made, the SUV was rammed from behind, jolting them forward.
A black sedan with dark tinted windows slid up beside them and swerved over, broadsiding their vehicle.
“Hey!” Deme yelled. “I just got issued this SUV.”
“Yeah, but now you’re pissed off. What are you gonna do?” Brigid prompted as she crawled across Gryph to hit the button that slid the window downward. “I know what I’m gonna do.” She balled up a flame and slung it like a professional baseball pitcher, straight at the windshield. The fireball landed and scattered, making no difference to the driver, who slammed into them again, throwing Brigid back onto her side of the vehicle.
The passenger seat window lowered and a deadly looking rifle barrel poked out.
“They have guns!” Gryph shouted.
Deme swerved toward the attacking vehicle, slamming into the passenger door.
The gunman ducked backward, the rifle barrel disappearing for a moment.
Gryph knew it wouldn’t be for long. He rolled his window all the way down and, using his great balance as a feline, crawled out on the edge of the window, holding on to the oh-shit handle. When the rifle barrel poked out again, Deme jerked her steering wheel, aiming the SUV at the side of the sedan.
Gryph seized his opportunity and leaped across the small gap, grabbed the top of the other vehicle and held on as the driver jerked back and forth in an attempt to dislodge him. It only made him angrier and even more determined to bring the vehicle to a halt. The gunman leaned out, trying to get a bead on the half man, half cat clinging to the roof.
Grabbing the barrel of the weapon, Gryph yanked it out of the gunman’s hands, threw it to the street and sank his claws into the man’s arm, dragging him halfway out of the vehicle.
The man screamed in pain, his face elongating, his nose stretching into that of a wolf.
Before he could fully transition, Gryph jerked him the rest of the way out of the car and dropped him to the pavement.
He rolled into the path of the vehicle still trailing them, causing the driver to slam on his brakes too late to avoid the body.
The car hit the shifter and bumped over him before it came to a halt straddling the limp form. Another gunman leaned out the passenger seat window aiming at Gryph, who was still clinging to the rooftop.
A bullet pinged into the metal roof near his hand. Another shattered the back windshield.
The driver continued to swerve back and forth as they neared the ramp to the expressway. The limousine had pulled way ahead, cleared the ramp and shot into the ever-present Chicago traffic.
Deme rammed the sedan with the heavier SUV, forcing the car up on a sidewalk, headed straight for a telephone pole.
Gryph saw it and leaped to the side at the last minute, hit the ground and rolled to his feet as metal crashed into wood.
Deme brought the SUV to a halt and all three passengers jumped out.
“You okay?” Deme asked.
Gryph straightened and dusted himself off before going back to the vehicle wrapped around the pole.
“Quite the acrobat.” Brigid chuckled as she caught up to him. “Kind of handy to have around, ya know?”
“Deme, call for an ambulance and also have them run the license plate while we check for survivors and take care of the tail vehicle,” Cal ordered.
Gryph glanced into the vehicle—the people inside weren’t moving. A driver, and a passenger in the backseat. The vehicle that had run over the gunman wasn’t going anywhere and the occupants were bailing.
Gryph roared, dropped to all four paws and ran after them, catching the slowest man, letting the others go. They’d lost heart in shooting him, preferring to sacrifice one of their own to guarantee their escape.
Gryph pounced on the slowest man, slamming him face-first into the pavement. When the man tried to get up, he planted a foot in the middle of his back and applied enough pressure to keep him immobile.
Cal and Brigid gathered around in time to see the man’s attempt to shift into a wolf.
Leaning close to the man’s ear, Gryph growled—a low, dangerous sound. “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.”
The man’s transformation receded and he lay still. “What do you want?”
“To know why you tried to kill us?”
He snorted and refused to answer.
“Perhaps you need a little persuasion.” Gryph grabbed the man’s arm and yanked it up the middle of his back.
His captive grunted, sweat popping out on his forehead, but refused to enlighten them.
“Let me give it a shot.” Brigid dropped to her haunches. “Do you know what it feels like to have your flesh burn until it melts off your body? Every nerve in your body screaming for it to stop?” She twisted her wrist and brought up a ball of wicked-looking flame.
The man’s eyes widened and his face paled.
“Maybe I’ll just go for the eyes and burn them out of your head.” Brigid gave him an evil grin and moved the ball of fire so close the heat turned his cheeks red.
“No! Please, don’t!” The man squirmed and bucked in an attempt to throw Gryph off his back.
Gryph leaned harder on the arm until the man almost passed out.
“Okay, okay! I’ll talk!” He lay with his face pressed into the asphalt, his eyes on the fireball. “Want do you want to know?”
“Who’s in charge?”
“Black Wolf.”
“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got for me?” Gryph tightened up on the arm. “His name.”
“That’s what he calls himself. I swear,” the man cried.
“Where can I find him?”
“We don’t find him, he finds us.”
“That limousine has to park somewhere.”
“It’s rented.”
Gryph glanced up at Deme. “Did anyone get the license plate?”
Deme shook her head. “Got away too fast.”
“Someone has to know how to get in touch with Black Wolf.” Gryph growled. “A second in command? The woman? Who are they? My patience is wearing very thin.”
“Brayden. Brayden Sellers is his second, now. Miriam Crestley is the woman. They arrange for his transportation. Ask them.”
“If you know anything else, now’s the time to tell. And if you’re lying to us—” Gryph dropped his voice into a menacing whisper “—we’ll kill you.”
The man closed his eyes, his body shaking. “It doesn’t matter. They’ll kill me anyway for what I just told you.”
Gryph let go of the man’s arm and straightened. “Then get out of here. Get out of town. Just don’t let me catch you anywhere near Archer Heights or Black Wolf again.”
Deme was on the phone with the lieutenant, relaying the names and the location of the wrecked car and the dead man. When she hung up, she tipped her head toward the SUV. “Let’s go. We have an address. And, Gryph, Cal’s gym bag is on the floorboard.”
Cal chuckled. “There’s a pair of sweatpants in it.”
Gryph left the informant lying in the middle of the street, barely feeling sorry for the shifter who’d tried to kill him. He should never have fallen into the group of rogue werewolves to begin with.
The team climbed into the SUV. Gryph found the bag and the pants, pulling them up over his naked legs. They headed to an area Gryph was familiar with. Lincoln Park, filled with some of the most luxurious homes in the city and on top of some of the oldest tunnels. The homes here were as old as the money.
“Why are we here?” he asked.
“Miriam Crestley lives here. Or at least her father and mother do,” Deme said. “She’s the daughter of a man whose family helped establish Chicago.”
“I’m sure they’ll be pleased to know who their daughter is hanging out with.”
They parked in front of a stately white stone mansion with towering oaks and lush landscaping. Deme turned to the others. “Let me and Cal handle this.”
Without a shirt and shoes, Gryph was more than willing to take a backseat to this part of the investigation.
When Cal and Deme returned, they were both frowning.
“Thomas Crestley said that Miriam is staying with her boyfriend in a loft in the Gold Coast area. He wasn’t sure where. He did, however, say that she was expected to be at the charity ball, and suggested we talk to her there.”
“Did the lieutenant have an address for Brayden Sellers?”
“No. Seems the address on his license is old and he’s moved around since.”
“Damn. We’re back to square one.”
“No, we have tomorrow night at the ball to corner Miriam,” Brigid argued. “If we had tickets to get in.”
“I can get tickets. How many do you need? Three?” Gryph asked.
“Yes,” Deme said.
“No. We need six.” Brigid gave Deme a sharp glare.
Deme cleared her throat. “Right. We need six.”
“Okay. I’ll have a courier send them over in the morning.” Gryph leaned back in his seat, tired to the bone. They had been so close to finding out the identity of Black Wolf.
“Do you want me to drop you off at Selene’s?” Deme asked.
He wanted to go back to Selene’s. But he couldn’t risk it. “No. Take me to my building. Please.”
Brigid crossed her arms. “I thought you liked my sister.”
“I do. But that’s beside the point.”
Deme pulled up to the GL Enterprises building and Gryph hopped out, thankful the interrogation was over and he could get on with his life…without the complication of falling for a witch with four very concerned and nosy sisters. He slammed the door and walked away.
If only it was easy to walk away from Selene.
Chapter 19
“Get up, we have a lot to do today and no time to waste.”
Aurai’s cheerful voice blasted Selene out of a lovely dream where she and Gryph were making love on the tropical island of St. Croix, away from the noise and traffic of Chicago, surrounded by sun and sand.
She’d been there once to visit Deme when she’d been working as a private investigator. The climate was idyllic, the beach clean and beautiful and the sun so bright it could blind you and you wouldn’t care.
Selene raised her arm to shield her eyes from the overhead light. “I don’t have to be up until eight.”
“Honey, it’s nine.”
“What?” Selene sat up straight, flinging back the covers. “Why did you let me oversleep?”
“You were smiling and moaning. It must have been a pretty good dream. Were you with Gryph?”
“No.” Selene’s cheeks heated with her lie and she regretted it immediately. “Yes.”
“Is he as good in bed as he looks like he’d be?” Aurai lifted one of the pillows and plumped it.
