Unbound (33 page)

“I can’t explain it but I know he’s here and something is going on in there. He needs us now!” She was shouting and trying to get the door open while the truck was still rolling. The Wrath warrior named Garrett grabbed her around the waist and planted her back in the seat. His partner Troy rolled his eyes in annoyance and gave her a look that promised consequences should she try it again. The truck she rode in carried a standard six man Wrath team, plus her, and Gage, who drove. Two other teams followed in separate vehicles. Most of the warriors were wary of having a civilian female on a strike but Garrett and Troy seemed to have adopted Dani as a little sister. They taught her how to gear up properly in her flak jacket and thigh holster. While the rest of the teams gathered, they’d taken her into the firing range for a quick lesson. Good thing, considering she’d never even held a gun before and she still wasn’t sure she could pull the trigger on a person.

“You’re staying here, child. We’ll handle this. You stay out of sight in the truck. Do you understand? I have never lost a person in my charge and I’m not going to start today.” He telegraphed his insistence with his eyes in the rear view mirror.

“Yes, Sir.” She sagged back into the seat defeated. Dani wanted to go in. She w
anted to help find Christopher
not sit here like a scared little girl. All the warriors entered the building as a fierce unit that she hoped would never come looking for her. Every one of the large men was a nightmare in black. The truck sat parked on the corner at an angle that allowed her to see two sides of the building. Not thirty seconds after the team disappeared into the building, a door on the other side opened and three men emerged. Two of them were dragging a guy with his arms and legs bound; the third jumped in the driver seat and started the engine. “Shit. They’re getting away.” The car sped past her and she knew she couldn’t sit there and wait. If she lost him, they wouldn’t find him again. Dani jumped behind the wheel and forced the truck into reverse to go after Christopher. Trying to keep the wheel steady at a rate of speed she’d never think of driving on th
e street, Dani grabbed the communications
device that was left in the truck and called Gage.

“This is Dani. Can anybody hear me?” It seemed like all nineteen voices came back at once. “Christopher was brought out a side door and they’re moving out fast in a car.
I’m following them in the truck,
” she said, spitting out the names of the cross streets she passed. She had to catch them before they got out of the industrial area. It would be impossible to drive like this in civilian traffic.

Gage came over the radio, “Stand down! Stand down! Do not pursue! We’re heading out!”

She ignored him, dropping the device. The bad guys were driving toward the water. She knew they would have to circle back on the only other street that came away from the water. Dani sent a fierce mental command for Christopher to brace himself for a collision and wished that she had put on a seatbelt. When the bad guys turned up ahead before they hit the water, she turned down a narrow alley between two buildings, racing for the intersection to block their escape. They hit the intersection at the same time and the getaway car plowed into the front driver’s side of Dani’s truck. She flew forward cracking her head on the windshield and banging her still aching ribs against the steering wheel.

It took her a minute to shake off the cobwebs. Two of the bad guys were trying to get Christopher out of the car, and he was fighting. The third was slumped in the front seat. She felt the blood running down her face and the knot on her head, but she had to get out of the truck. Dani put all she had into a telepathic command to “STOP!”

The abductors froze in place. Cautiously, she crept over to free Christopher from the car. Thank God, he’d been wearing a seatbelt so he wasn’t injured badly. She would never have forgiven herself if her stunt had killed him. With the men frozen on the ground and Christopher out of the car, Dani grabbed the knife holstered along with the gun Gage had given her and cut the tape from his hands and feet. They supported each other, staggering back to the truck. She was trying to back the truck out of the tangle of metal and shattered glass when another strike vehicle pulled up behind them. The Wrath jumped out with their guns drawn, ready for a fight. The last thing she remembered was leaning against Christopher in the front seat while he thanked her and tried to get a look at her injuries.

After all that, she just wanted to sleep, and the annoying constant beeping wouldn’t stop. Her head felt like she’d cracked it against a windshield. Oh yeah, she had cracked it against a windshield. Slowly she pried her eyes open to find Mrs. Paris holding
her hand. Cayden’s mom ran out to the hall and
call
ed
for help. The beeping that had woken her was a heart monitor. Mrs. Paris came back with a big smile and kissed Dani’s cheek.

“We have been so worried about you, honey. You’re at the
Enclave
, in the infirmary. You’ve been out for more than twenty-four hours.”

“Christopher?” She croaked without much sound.

“Christopher is home with his family. You saved him. He’s been waiting for you to wake up so he and his parents can come see you. We’re all very proud of you,” she praised. The room was suddenly swarming with nurses and a doctor. Koren backed away from the bed, smiling at her from the wall she leaned against.

“Cayden?” Dani croaked again.

“I’ll get him as soon as the doctor is done. He’s been waiting on pins and needles. His father has kept him away in punishm
ent for not being there for you,
” she said sadly.

“Get him now. I need him now,
” Dani struggled to tell her.

“I’ll go get him and make a few phone calls. Several people have been by to see you. Griffin and Mason were here most of the night. I think Chase is still here. I’ll call Griffin and tell him you are awake.”

* * *

Chase had been driving back and forth to the
Enclave
for the past couple of days since Danielle woke up. He had waited for hours after she woke to be let in to see her. When he was finally admitted to her room, it was a shock to see her and Cayden together. Chase stood by and fumed for days while Cayden hung over her, holding her hand and kissing her lips, getting her drinks and running to get the food she liked when she had finally felt like eating. Griffin had been there every time Chase visited so he couldn’t very well express his annoyance. It’s wasn’t good for your future father-in-law to see you lose your mind over another girl. Chase had won a huge victory yesterday. He had convinced Griffin and Mason that the best thing to do was to go with the original plan of having Danielle stay with him. She would be close to school and would only need a warrior when she went out. His building was secure and he had a room ready for her. Griffin arranged to have a nurse look in on her for the first few days. Chase was now happily on his way to pick her up. If Cayden were coming, he would have to follow them. Her room in the infirmary was full of flowers and get-well wishes. She was alone for the first time when Chase arrived.

“Are you ready to go home, Lovely?” Chase smiled his obvious pleasure.

“I asked you not to call me that and your home is not my home. It’s your fiancée’s home though, isn’t it? How’s she taking the news that I’m staying with you?” Dani quipped.

“Do
n’t be like this Lovely, please.
” Chase picked up her hand and looked her in the eyes because she’d avoided looking at him for days. “You know I love you. You
know I meant what I said to you,” Chase demanded fiercely
.

“Did you mean the part about it being just you and me with no one else between us? Because when Griffin came to see me this morning, his wife was talking about your bonding ceremony. I didn’t realize you were marrying into the Vaughn family.” She pulled her hand away. “Just stop bullshitting me. That isn’t how you treat someone you love.”

“I suppose you think Cayden loves you?” he snapped.

“I think Cayden cares for me and I know I care for him. If you’re thinking of coming between us, you can forget it. I will call your fiancée and invite her over every day if you mess with me. I can date anyone I damn well please.” Dani closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Sudden tears streaked down her face.

“I don’t want to fight with you, Chase. You know I care for you and half of my attitude is jealousy. This will be easier for me after you’re bonded and you don’t want me anymore. Please don’t
ruin the happiness I might have
once you’ve moved on. If you really love me don’t try to hurt me anymore than you already have.”

Chase couldn’t respond at first. This was the first time she had let him see her real feelings since she’d left his bed that fateful day. Just as he opened his mouth, Cayden ruined the moment.

“Hello, beautiful. I see you are up and all dressed.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from Chase to sit on his lap. “I have a gift for you.” He kissed her and rocked her in the chair.

Chase watched enviously, hating every brush of Cayden’s hands against her skin. Every press of his lips to hers was making him sick. He wondered if the jealousy she was fighting hurt her this badly. She knew he would love Sam after they were bonded, whether he loved her now or not.

“Alright Lovely, are you ready to go?” he broke into their moment.

“Stop calling me that,” she huffed.

“I haven’t given her my gift yet. Relax, would ya?” He eyed Chase. “You shouldn’t be stressing her out, ya know?” Cayden admonished.

“You didn’t need to get me a gift, Cay.” She blushed and nestled against his chest.

Cayden handed her a box that contained a necklace with a warrior symbol hanging from it. “These are normally pins we wear on our dress uniforms but I had it made into a charm for the most beautiful warrior in the world.” He practically gushed with pride.

“I love it! Help me put it on.” She turned so he could hook the clasp around her slender neck.

This made no sense to Chase. She wasn’t a warrior. She couldn’t be a warrior because they didn’t allow women to join the warrior class. Cayden was just hanging his mark around her neck for all the males to see, and it pissed Chase off to no end. He needed to get her out of there and home with him. Some separation from Cayden was apparently overdue. Another warrior entered with a wheel chair for Dani, but Cayden refused it.

“That won’t be necessary. I’m going to carry the warrior out.” The guy saluted Dani as if she were a high-ranking warrior and took the wheel chair away.

Cayden carried Danielle to Chase’s car, whispering to her and making her giggle the whole way. There were tons of warriors gathered to wish her well and invite her back to visit or spar with them anytime. Two in particular, Garrett and Troy, seemed very familiar with her. Indeed, they had been spotted in her room every day of her stay in the infirmary.

Christopher Stafford was there also. He also had a gift for Danielle. It was a gold bangle he’d had engraved with the inscription ‘Angel of Wrath’. Everyone admired her new necklace as Cayden carried her from person to person so she could bid her farewells. It must have taken an hour to get from the door to the car. Chase hoped his Lovely would never return to this place again and was exasperated by the time Cayden gently placed her in the front seat and hooked her seatbelt for her so lovingly. Cayden had lost his mind if he thought Chase would let him play his Lovely like he did all the girls he dated. They said their goodbyes and he promised to be her at her side and on duty in the morning. Another warrior would be following them home because Cayden had been assigned elsewhere for the evening. Cayden shut the car door and walked to the rear where Chase was waiting for him to disengage. He put his hand out in a gesture of friendship but Chase didn’t take it.

“Come on, Chase. We grew up together and you’re still my best friend. You’re going to be bonded soon, so you have no reason to be angry with me for dating Dani.” Cayden kept his hand extended.

“I won’t let you treat Danielle the way you’ve treated all the other girls in your life. She’s precious and above you,” Chase countered. “She isn’t one of your disposable bitches.”

“She doesn’t think she’s above me. And I think you mean the way you treated her? Vowing your love to her alone, just to get in her pants so you could drop her when you bonded to Sam? She was going to give you her virginity in exchange for that false vow. Well, you’re too late for that now. Because of your games, she ran off and gave herself to a human. They’re the only ones she thinks she can trust. Now she’s dating that human and plans to continue seeing him. You ran her straight out of our race with your games. I’m surely not going to treat her that way, Chase.”

“This isn’t the end, Cayden. I’m not bonded yet. If I can stop it, I will, and then you’ll have a fight on your hands. A fight you can’t win. She wanted me first. She only walked away because of Sam. She still cares for me and you know it.” Chase tried to smile, but the news of Dani with the human was a shock. The knowledge that another man had taken her seared his heart.

“She may still care for you, but she is falling for me. She kissed me and then she came back for more. She started our relationship, not me, and I’m not letting her go without a fight.” Cayden put a finger in Chase’s chest and pushed.

“Do you two boys need to get in the ring and work something out?” Gage came out of nowhere to separate them.