Breathe Into Me (21 page)

Adam s
lowly leans over to whisper in my ear, “It’s like watching one of those documentaries on Animal Planet. I’m guessing this is some sort of weird mating ritual. Don’t make any sudden moves, luv, we don’t want to startle them.”

I can’t contain my laughter and neither can
the rest of the men in the room. Of course, our amusement doesn’t even slow the two of them down. They really should find a room and just get it over with.

“Andy, tell this jackass
that I’ll be fine at home with, Henry.”

Oh
jeez, I really don’t want to get dragged into the middle of this.

“I’m a jackass beca
use I’m trying to protect you? Has the dye in your hair fried all of your brain cells?”

Kelsey gasps at his insult. “You son of a bitch
, I happen to be a natural blonde. I also happen to have a master’s degree in international business and I can speak ten languages. So save the dumb blonde jokes for the skanks you sleep with.”

“Call me all the names you want just remember
that I’m the man who’s trying to keep you safe.”                                                                                          

“All right enough you two!
” Micah shouts while trying to hide his amusement. “Kelsey despite my brother’s attitude, he’s right you aren’t safe at the hotel. You are more than welcome to stay here. I also appreciate what you two did tonight.”

“
Oh, I’m sure her rich daddy would have bailed her out. Isn’t that right, princess?” Jamie scoffs in her direction.

“Probably
, but it would never get that far. Have you taken a good look at my cleavage? With these babies I can talk my way out of anything.”

Cass throws his head back in laughter.
“Can we keep her? She’s hysterical.”

Jamie lights another s
moke. “No, fucker, you can’t keep her. She’s not a damn puppy.”  I turn my attention to Carlos who is eyeing Adam with suspicion.

“I don’t suppose that you’re related to
the Stone’s from Bar Harbor?” Adam stiffens underneath me.

“You are aren’t you? Well, well the plot thickens.” Carlos stuffs the file with the evidence against Lincoln into his briefcase replacing it with another, this one is marked FBI and DEA. He passes the thick folder to me with a smile. “Consider us even. I’m going into town to have some dinner. I’ll be back in an hour so read quickly.”

He starts to make his way to the door and stops short. “Miss Collins, Mr. Ross, I don’t suppose either of you would like to join me?” He flashes Kelsey one of his pantie dropping smiles.

“Sure why not.”

Henry and Kelsey say their goodbyes before heading toward the front door. 

“You’re really going to ha
ve dinner with him?” Jamie asks.

Kelsey
turns to face him and smiles sweetly. “I never turn down an invitation from a handsome man, especially one that carries handcuffs.”

Car
los holds the door open for her.

“Agent Rivera
, how about we skip dinner and go have a few drinks?”

Carlos throws his head back in laughter as he walks out the door.

“I don’t fucking believe her!” Jamie yells.

I ignore the impulse to laugh at his obvious annoyance with my best friend, this is not the time for that. I pass Micah the folder since he’d probably understand its contents better than I would.

He scans the contents of the file quickly before running his hands through his dark hair. Micah pulls a surveillance photo from the file and holds it up for the room to see.

“Does this motherfucker look familiar?”

Several curses ring out.

“Who is it?” I ask.

The photo is in black and white, but two men are clearly visible. Micah points to one of the men in the photo.

“This is Terric Shaw
and the man standing next to him is his father, Tavish. Both of these men are well known Alpha’s and according to this file, major drug runners. What really blows my mind is the fact that Tavish supposedly died over a hundred years ago in Scotland.”

I don’t get it.
“Why is it a big deal if this guy is alive?”  I suddenly find myself being lifted off of Adam’s lap and placed onto his couch cushion.

He look
s like he’s about to explode.

“It’s a big deal because
my father is married to Tavish’s widow. I knew something was going on when Liza showed up at my father’s doorstep begging for clemency. The second my father married that bitch he signed his own death warrant, and the birth of my sister was the final nail in his coffin. FUCK!” he shouts.

I start to stand
, but Adam holds his hand up to stop me.

“Kid, you need to calm down before you manifest a category five hurricane.”
Micah lights up a cigarette of his own. “Jesus, this explains the werewolf activity in Maine. This must have been what Brennan was talking about today. I’m going to kill that fucking cat for not bringing this to my attention sooner.” Micah turns his attention back to the file. His head suddenly snaps to attention, his eyes change from sapphire to emerald in an instant.

“We’ve got a major problem. You may want to sit down
, kid, you’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you.”

“Just say it,” Adam snap
s.

“A
s of a week ago you have several missing family members. Liza, Terric, and Landon have all disappeared. According to this police report, there was an altercation between Landon and Terric last Saturday afternoon. Later that same day the local police received a 911 call reporting a high-speed chase with gunfire. BHPD located your brother’s car at Arcadia State Park. The body of a young woman was found in the trunk. She sustained a GSW to the head. The victim’s family reported that she had been in a relationship with your brother. I’m sorry, kid, but the authorities have put out an APB’s and issued a warrant for his arrest.” Micah tosses the file on top of the coffee table obviously annoyed with this situation.

Adam takes a drag off his cigarette and continues to pace.
God this is a freaking nightmare. This situation was bad enough with Vanessa’s death and Lincoln arrest, but now Adam’s brother is missing and wanted for murder? I’m worried that this will push Adam over the edge and he’ll become reckless with his life again.

“So
setting up my father wasn’t enough, now they’ve dragged my brother into a feud that has been going on for centuries. I’m going to kill every one of those bastards. Is there anything in there about my sister?”

Micah shakes his head.
“There is basic info on her and pictures of her with your family, but nothing saying she’s in any danger.”

Adams sighs in relief.
“Thank god for small favors.”

I lean over and pull a picture out of the folder. It’s a surveillance photo of a beautiful woman with dark auburn hair
standing with a tall good-looking man with dark curly hair.

“Is this Landon and Iz
abella?” I ask as I show Adam the picture.

He nods.

“You two look alike
.”

Adam reaches for the picture.
“If you ever meet Landon, don’t tell him that,” He chuckles. He sits next to me as he gazes at the photo of his siblings.

“You miss them, don’t you?”

He takes one last look before handing the photo back to, Micah. “I think about them every day,” he whispers as I lean into his open arms.

“
I’m sorry this happened, kid, but don’t worry we will find your brother and do whatever we can to help your father.”

Jamie and Cass nod in
agreement. I can’t imagine what Adam’s going through. I wonder why he never mentioned having a step- brother.

“Your friend risked his career leaving this here. Why
would he do that?” Micah asks.

My answer is instantaneous. “Because I saved his life, that’s what he meant by we’re even.”

The men in the room look questioningly at me.

“Keith and Carlos were in pursuit of that
suspect he had mentioned the other day. They had him cornered when Carlos was shot in the chest. He almost died in the ER.” I can still see Keith’s face, he was so worried. His hair was messy and he had blood all over his hands and stark white dress shirt.

“I just figured y
ou’d met Carlos through your ex,” Adam says sarcastically.

“No
it was the other way around. I was the one who revived Carlos and kept him alive until we got him to surgery.” I remember how grateful Keith was, he repeatedly asked me to dinner to show his gratitude for saving his partner. I kept turning him down, but he eventually won me over.

“Is that why he used deadly force on that guy?” Jamie asks.

I nod my head. “It took Keith three weeks to find the suspect. During which time that sick bastard had kidnapped, raped, and murdered another little girl. Keith was consumed with guilt for letting him get away in the first place, but he didn’t have a choice. If he had gone after him, Carlos would have bled to death. Between the girl’s death and almost losing Carlos he just snapped.”

Adam sighs loudly.
“Damn, you’re making it really hard for me to hate the guy.”                                                                                                              

“We need to find that coyote
and get Linc out of jail and then get our asses to Maine. In the meantime, I’m going to send them some reinforcements. Adam, get on the phone with your dad and find out why the hell he didn’t call us.” Micah stands and makes his way downstairs. He’s probably heading to his office.

“Just when I th
ink things can’t get any worse. What the hell are we going to do?” Cass asks the room.

“We do as Micah says and pray to god my brother is still alive when we find him.”

Chapter 18

It’s been two days since we talked to Special Agent Rivera. Lincoln’s still in jail and my dad still hasn’t returned my phone calls. I take a sip of SoCo and reach for my smokes. The sun is starting to rise in the horizon, its golden rays reflect off the lake making the water sparkle like a pool of diamonds. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day.

I’ve been sitting out here on my deck for hours trying to figure out what to do about my f
amily. I am so mad at my father. He should have called me the moment Landon went missing. I’m sure my dad believed he could handle this on his own.

Besides being one of the most respected shifters in existence,
he’s also the pack master for the entire Bar Harbor area. He not only governs over wolves, but every type of shifter that resides in that little ocean town. If they have a problem, he’s the man who solves it. But this is my domain, finding missing shifters is an Enforcer’s job, especially when they are taken by Omegas. I should have known Terric would do something like this. That son of a bitch has always hated my family. From the moment, I met him I knew there would come a day when I’d have put him down. God how could my dad not have seen it? Liza is just as bad as her son is.

Maybe if I hadn’t left home I could have talked my father out of marrying that bitch, or at the very least been there to protect my brother. I remember the day I decided to leave. Landon was so mad at me, he wanted to come with me, but I had refused.

“I want to go with you, teach me how to be an Enforcer. We can fight side by side like father did with his brothers.”

I shake my head at him. “No Landon, I don’t want this life for you. I don’t have a choice
, but you do. I’m not putting you in danger. You will stay here where father can protect you. Find a female and start a family, be happy, brother.
That is the life I want for you.”

I had walked away from him and my father that day and never looked back. My father hadn’t agreed with my decision to go out on my own
, but he did respect me for it. Unfortunately, my siblings refuse to listen to reason, especially my brother. No matter how dangerous I tell Landon it is to be around me, he just laughs it off then ends up spending a few days with me. I’ve only been with my sister a handful of times since she’s been born.

Enforcers usually sever all ties with their families, that way they won’t become casualties in this never-ending war. Cass
, Linc, and I are the only ones in the house who’ve had to do that. Micah and Jamie are all that is left of their family. Leaving my brother behind that first time had been one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I’ve been told my whole life I was special, but in truth, it is my brother who is the special one. My father always used to say that I had received my warrior blood from him while Landon had gotten empathy and humility from our mother. He wasn’t saying Landon was weak, he just doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body. He is my opposite in every way.

My father must be going out of his mind. He was always protective of us
, he knew what I would become one day, but Landon is the last piece of my mother that my dad has. If anything happens to Landon, it would kill my father. It would be like losing my mother all over again. I can’t let that happen to him, I just hope I’m not too late. I have to believe he’s still alive, but why hasn’t Terric tried to ransom him yet? If it’s not about money, than what could it be? Terric has to know my father will kill him the second he finds him. Dominick Stone is not a male you want to piss off. The man used to be a Knight Templar for fuck’s sake. My father is a legend within our species. Hell even vampires bow their heads to show respect when they meet him. Terric also must know I’ll be gunning for him, my powers aren’t well known, but he still knows I’m an Enforcer. I’ll never stop until I find him. What the hell is he up to?

“Morning
, Grace,” I mumble as I enter the kitchen with Andy in tow.

“Good morning you two
.”

I go about fixing us some coffee as Andy sits at the island. I need caffeine more than I need my next breath. I’m exhausted
, but with everything going on, I can’t seem to fall asleep.

“You look tired
, Adam, another late night?” Grace chuckles.

I roll my eyes
. Of course, the woman probably thinks we were up all night making love. She’d be right, but that’s not why I’m tired.

“He hasn’t slept in two days,
” Andy sighs.

I know she’s concerned for me, the poor girl has tried everything to relax me, but nothing will help until I hear from my father. If I don’t hear from him soon I’m heading up to Maine. He won’t be able to ignore me when I’m kicking down his front door. I’m two seconds away from calling my uncle or sister, but Zach will probably ignore me like my father and I really
don’t want to involve, Izzy.

“Adam
, sweetie, you need to sleep.”

I nod my head as I pass Andy her coffee cup. I take my seat as the stress of the last three weeks washes over me. I don’t know how much more of this I can take before I snap. The song “Men in Black”
blasts from Andy’s phone.

“It’s Carlos.
”

Man, that female has a sense o
f humor. She quickly answers the call and heads outside. I don’t know why she bothers. It’s not as if we can’t hear her conversation anyways.

“
It’s about time that Agent called us and lets us know what’s going on.”

I cou
ldn’t agree more. I only hope Carlos has good news for us, we are going to need Lincoln’s help with all of this, especially when we go to Maine.

“Is Jamie home yet?”

I stare at Grace over my mug. “I didn’t know he went anywhere!”
Where the hell could he have gone?

“He left last night and hasn’t come home yet.”

Fuck, he’s never stayed out all night. I start to dial his number when the front door opens.

“James!” I yell. The man in question struts into the kitchen as if he doe
sn’t have a care in the world.

“I love it when people scream my name
, but it’s kind of fucking early don’t you think?”

I ignore his sarcasm. “Where were you?”

He avoids my question and gives me a once over. “Damn, you look like shit. Andy’s keeping you up late, huh?”

“In case you haven’t noticed the shit has hit the fan around here. And the last thing I need is to worry about your sorry ass. Now where were you?”

He pours himself a cup of java and takes a sip before answering me. “You do realize I’m older than you right? By like a hundred and thirty years. I don’t need to explain where I’ve been. Not to you or anyone else.” He grins as he takes another sip of coffee.

“You’re such an asshole. Do you have any idea what I’m going through right now? I have one brother in jail another is missing and most likely dead and now you’re staying out all night doing god knows what. Tell me, don’t tell me, right now I’m too fucking exhausted to care, what’s one more brother to worry about
, right?” I sigh loudly.

“Jesus
, kid, you haven’t slept at all have you?”

I shake my h
ead. “Could you sleep if Micah was missing?”

Jamie runs his hand over his whiskered jaw. “Fuck
no. I’d be going on a killing spree.” He sighs. “Fine I’ll tell you where I was, but only if you promise to get some fucking sleep.”

I nod my head
, but in truth, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

“
I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I was watching over the princess. She talked her way out of staying here and I didn’t want to leave her unprotected, so for the last two nights I’ve sat my ass outside her home and in the morning I follow her to work.”                                                                                                                 

“Holy shit you
do like her.” Hot damn, I fucking knew it.

“Please
, the female irritates the shit out of me, but she’s your mate’s best friend and she did try to help, Lincoln. Keeping her safe is the least that I can do.”

I’m not buying it for a minute. “Whatever you say, but you can’t deny there is something between you two.”  I’ve never seen anyone talk to Jamie like that, she held her own and I know he found that to be a huge turn on, ho
w could he not?

“Why can’t you get it through your thick skull that I’m not interested in her?” He growls.

“I’ll make a deal with you. Touch her and if she’s not your mate I’ll never mention it again.” I’d bet my Camaro that they’re true mates.

“You’re on
, motherfucker.” We bump fists to solidify our deal.

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up
, Adam, what are the chances that girl is meant for him? Although I think the two of them would make an adorable couple.” Grace pinches Jamie’s cheeks to emphasize her point.

“God
, not you to, and stop that, woman.” Jamie playfully slaps at Graces hands. “I’m many things, but adorable ain’t fucking one of them.”

***

“I really wish you would stay in tonight.”

I sigh as I finish
lacing up my boots. “I don’t have a choice, angel.”

We’ve been trailing the F
eds for the last few days and it’s finally paid off. The Omega has been spotted in town and they think he’s going to be meeting with some associates at an abandoned warehouse tonight. The other good news is Linc will be released as early as tomorrow morning. The security tapes from the hospital confirmed Andy’s story and they caught that bastard grabbing Vanessa from the parking lot.

“You are in no shape to fight. You’ve been living off of caffeine and alcohol for tw
o days, what if you get hurt?”                                   

“This is my job
, Andy. I don’t get sick days or have the luxury of staying home because I don’t feel like going out. We need to finish this.”

I want this over with so I can start looking for my brother.

“I know and I’m sorry I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”                          

“The only person who’s going to get hurt tonight is that coyote. He’s going to pay for all the innocent lives he
’s taken.” Going after this guy is going to be risky, we aren’t the only ones looking for him tonight. We need to grab him and avoid getting caught by the FBI. It should be a piece of cake, yeah right. It’s going to be a fucking nightmare.

“Just promise you’ll come home to me.” Her hands skim over my back as she
begins to nibble my ear.

Desir
e ignites throughout my body, my hard cock strains against my zipper.

“Trying to change my mind
, luv?”

Her hands roam over the expanse of my body starting at my shoulders and ending at my
crotch. “I’m just giving you some incentive to come home quickly.”

I spin around and pin her down with my weight. I grab her wrists and hold them above her head as I run my tongue ove
r the slender column of her neck.

“When I get home tonight I am going to rip
off your clothes and bury myself deep inside of you. I’m going to take you hard and fast, angel, but don’t worry,” I chuckle. “I’ll be gentle and sweet the second round.” I rotate my hips, grinding against her core.

She moans my name and my cock twitches with excitement. This woman fills me with unimaginable
lust. Every inch of her body entices me. From her sparkling hazel eyes, her firm breasts, smooth, silky skin down to her long legs. She drives me to heights of ecstasy that I never knew existed.

“I love you
, angel,” I whisper against her neck.

I can’t wait for tonight
. I have to be inside of her. I release her hands, and quickly remove her clothing. I free my erection and slide into my own personal heaven. Her body arches off the bed as I begin to pump my hips. My hand tangles in her hair as I bring her neck to my mouth. I gently nip her skin before I latch on and begin to suck hard. Her nails dig into my lower back. I can feel her heart beating rapidly against my chest as I mark her as mine. My body pounds into hers again, and again. I’m probably being too rough, but she feels too damn good to stop. A growl escapes my throat as I release her neck and reposition her legs on my shoulders.

“
YOU ARE MINE,” I growl as I pick up my pace.

Her pussy clinches and squeezes my cock to
an almost painful degree.

“Fuck
,” I moan as I feel my body accelerating toward climax. The sensation starts at the base of my spine and spreads throughout my body. “Come with me, angel.”

Her body starts to tremble as she throws her head back and cries out my name. I follow suit
and fill her with my essence. I collapse on top of her as I try to catch my breath. Minutes later, I reluctantly pull out of the warmth of her body and ready myself to leave. I lean down and kiss her hard, our tongues entwine, and my body gears up for another round.