Out of Smoke and Ashes Read online

  Elain opened her eyes again and looked down into the other woman’s face. She wasn’t that much younger than herself, only by six years, but she bore a sad mix of youthful innocence and world-weary exhaustion in her expression.

  Elain hugged her. “I promise you, he’s not getting away with this. You and me won’t spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders. We will take care of this.”

  “I know,” Mai mumbled against her. “But will you promise me something?”

  “Yeah.”

  She looked up, tears in her brown eyes. “If something happens to me and the guys, promise me you’ll raise my baby. Promise me you’ll protect her.”

  Elain hugged her more tightly. “We will,” she softly said. “I swear we will, honey. But nothing’s going to happen to you or your two lunks, so it’s a moot point.”

  The two lunks themselves appeared in the kitchen doorway, concern on their faces.

  “Everything okay?” Micah asked.

  Elain gently handed her off to him. “It’s okay. We were talking. We’re all under a lot of stress right now.”

  Liam silently slipped into the kitchen and took Mai’s place at the counter while Micah and Jim led her off to their room. He picked up the dishtowel. “She’s not doing so good, is she?” he asked.

  “She’s stressed. About the baby, about Mom…” She stopped, her hands submerged in the dishpan, and stared at the bubbles on the surface. It felt like something was trying to tickle the edges of her mind, a thought, an insight, maybe?

  Would it be too much to hope for an outright vision?

  But then the sensation left as quickly as it had appeared.

  “Ye all right?”

  “Yeah.” She found the scrubber and started washing the next pot. “But if Lina ever locates a Goddess 101 manual, I hope she finds a copy of Seer Skills for the Clueless next to it on the shelf.”

  * * * *

  Elain didn’t want the Alpha inside her rearing its ugly head again the way it had the night before. After making sure she had everything packed and ready to go for their early departure, she tackled Ain on the bed.

  “You sure you’re feeling up to this, sweetheart?” he asked.

  In response, she reached between his legs and cupped her hand over his cock and balls.

  “Guess that answers that question,” he mumbled as his cock immediately stiffened under her palm.

  She knelt between his legs. With the fingers of one hand encircling the base of his shaft, and her other hand cupping his balls, she slowly swiped her tongue over the head of his cock.

  He let out a soft moan and brushed his fingers through her hair. Already she felt her body responding, knew she was wet and ready. Her eyes dropped closed as she took her time running the tip of her tongue across his slit, tasting his pre-cum.

  Then she heard Brodey and Cail enter the room.

  “Oh…yeah.” In a flash, Brodey was naked and kneeling behind her with his hand between her legs.

  Cail took a couple of seconds longer to undress, but she soon felt the mattress dip again as he climbed on.

  “You sure you two are up for this?” Ain teased.

  “Might be the last chance for a while,” Brodey grumbled.

  The thought had crossed her mind that on the off chance things went really, really wrong in Maine, it might be their last chance ever.

  Not that she honestly believed that would happen.

  But it would keep her Alpha quiet for a little while, at least.

  She lifted her head and looked into Ain’s grey gaze. “All three of you,” she whispered. “Please?”

  “Coming up,” Brodey said, bouncing off the bed to find the lube and a towel.

  Ain crooked a finger at her. She crawled up his body and kissed him while he grabbed her hips and lined his cock up with her ready cunt. A soft, pleased sigh escaped her as his cock bottomed out inside her.

  Cail leaned back against the headboard with his cock fisted in his hand. Instinctively, she licked her lips before leaning over to engulf his cock with her mouth.

  “Oh, yeah,” he murmured. “Just like that, baby.”

  Brodey returned and before she could even close her eyes, she felt him drizzling lube down the seam of her ass. His skilled fingers quickly worked it into her rim, first one, then two, stretching and prepping her for his cock.

  Her clit throbbed, wanting stimulation.

  Ain palmed her breasts in his hands and began tweaking her nipples. “You have no idea what you do to us, baby,” he hoarsely said.

  Obviously they knew what they did to her, though. She held still as Brodey lined the head of his cock up with her tight back channel and slowly pressed forward, breaching her rim. There was a moment of discomfort, then the delicious feel of her body stretching to accommodate both of the cocks inside her. Need burned a connection straight to her clit as she whined around Cail’s cock.

  “Fuck me!” she thought to them.

  All three men let out a groan in response.

  Somehow, she’d gone from not really being sure she even wanted anal, to loving and craving it if for no other reason than to feel her body being filled by her men at the same time.

  And once Brodey had the entire thick length of his cock sheathed in her ass, it felt really damn good. It forced Ain’s cock firmly against her G-spot. And as she started moving, Brodey reached around her and found her swollen clit with his finger.

  Cail cradled her head in his hands. “That’s it, baby. You just enjoy it.”

  Enjoy it she did. Every tweak of her nipples sent another spike of pleasure to her clit, which Brodey now skillfully rolled between his thumb and fingers in much the same way Ain was tormenting her nipples.

  Erotic pressure built deep inside her as the climb to her first orgasm robbed her of thought. All she wanted was that sweet release, to feel her body click over into automatic pilot mode as it squeezed their cocks inside her ass and pussy. With their bodies surrounding her she felt their love, their passion, their devotion washing off them and through her.

  And also deep inside them, their worry about the final outcome of the meeting with Abernathy.

  She shoved that observation aside, afraid it’d harsh the orgasmic buzz rapidly overcoming her mind, body, and soul.

  As Ain and Brodey started moving more, the erotic friction inside her kindled her inevitable explosion. She loudly moaned around Cail’s cock.

  “That’s it,” he said. “You just keep doing that. It’s perfect, baby.”

  “I won’t last long,” Brodey said, his voice sounding strained.

  Their voices faded as a curtain of pleasure descended upon her. Another vision came to mind, of her holding a baby, a little boy…

  And then she was slammed back into her body by yet another orgasm.

  Cail came first, his cock transforming into hot, silken steel as jets of cum pumped over her tongue. She let out another moan of pleasure as his taste filled her senses.

  Ain was next, almost immediately followed by Brodey, both of their cocks also growing harder just before they exploded and she felt them pumping their seed into her.

  Maybe fulfilling her vision?

  She didn’t know and didn’t care as one last, red-hot burst exploded inside her and she collapsed into a quivering puddle on top of Ain.

  Cail’s softening cock slipped from her mouth as all three men fell still. Brodey’s lips feathered along her spine, his hands now tender and gentle as he stroked her back. Ain carefully stroked her hair, and Cail laced his fingers through hers, bringing her hand up to his mouth to kiss it.

  And inside her, the Alpha curled up, pleased and sated, too.

  For now.

  * * * *

  Carla harbored no love for her kidnappers, but the fact that they apparently weren’t going to rape, beat, or kill her did relax her.

  A little.

  That Ken stopped and picked up supplies for her, like a toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as new underwear and a jacket, g
ave her hope that just maybe she might live to see her daughter and sons-in-law again. As well as the rest of her new adopted family.

  And Liam.

  She didn’t know why she was now caught in the middle of this mess. She suspected it had something to do with that louse, Rodolfo Abernathy. She’d heard Ken talk with someone on the phone a few times, including threats from the unseen caller that if they screwed up their assignment, they’d be killed.

  Now if she could just figure out a way to escape, or to signal Elain and her men where she was, or even catch the attention of law enforcement, things would be great. She knew they were going to Maine, but that was all she knew.

  If she could get away from them there, she knew she could find her way to Lacey’s or Jocko’s. Or to any member of the Clan up there.

  The only thing she could do in the meanwhile was keep her head down and wait for an opening.

  They spent the first day on the road, ending up in a cheap, back-road hotel in West Virginia. They stayed there for two days, the men taking turns sleeping to watch her.

  But they weren’t cruel. They went out and brought food and coffee back. Ken, especially, seemed concerned for her well-being, and not because she was their prisoner.

  When Trent was asleep, she talked with Ken. “Why are you doing this? You seem too nice to be doing something like this.”

  “Ma’am, there are a lot of things you don’t understand about how wolves do things.”

  “My daughter’s family and friends don’t go around kidnapping people.”

  He slowly nodded. “Not all wolves are alike. Some are vicious. And sometimes, a person, wolf or human, has to do what they need to do to ensure the safety of themselves and their family.”

  She studied him. “He’s a monster, isn’t he?”

  “Who?”

  “Abernathy. He looked like an asshole, but he’s more than just a mean, bitter, vengeful man. He’s a monster without a conscience.”

  Ken slowly nodded. “That would be a fairly accurate description of him.”

  “Is he going to kill me?”

  “No, ma’am. Not as far as I know. Look, please, just go lay down and sleep or watch TV if you want to. I really don’t want to talk about this.”

  “He threatened you if you didn’t do this, didn’t he?”

  “Let’s just say Trent and I felt a need to preserve our hides.” He pointed at her bed, the one farthest from the door and windows.

  She knew further questioning would be futile. But it did put her mind at ease that, for now, she was relatively safe.

  So to speak.

  Chapter Twelve

  The next day, Daniel received word from Ain that the whole Florida Circus, as he’d privately began thinking of them, was on I-75 and heading north to Maine. Driving straight through, it would take them about twenty-four hours or so, still giving them plenty of time to put their heads together and plan what to do to get Carla back from Abernathy.

  Kitty had left early that morning and was still out on a reconnaissance run looking for cockatrice when Callie brought in the mail a little after noon. Curiously, there was a Priority Mail box addressed to Daniel. She walked inside. “Sir?” she called out.

  She wasn’t sure what was in the box, and wouldn’t open it without asking him, just as he wouldn’t open her mail first without asking her.

  Still, it was odd.

  “What is it, pet?”

  “You’ve got a box.”

  He walked into the kitchen, where she’d set it on the counter.

  He frowned as he looked at the return address. “There’s no name. Just that it was sent from Bangor.” He looked at her.

  “What?”

  He held it up. “This is odd.”

  “I agree.”

  He stared at it for a moment. “Can you…?”

  She smiled and reached out a hand for it. Holding it in both hands, she closed her eyes and let herself fade into it just enough she could make out the contents. “It looks like a CD or a DVD, some paper, and some photographs.” She handed it back with a smile.

  “No bomb?”

  She winked. “I wouldn’t have brought it inside if I thought it was that weird.”

  He ripped the box open, frowning when he laid the contents on the counter.

  She looked over his shoulder, gasping at the same time he did.

  Someone had taken a series of pictures of Rodolfo Abernathy and some of his men carrying a naked and injured Paul through the woods. Culminating with Rodolfo slitting his grandson’s throat.

  Then the burial.

  Then, pictures of Paul’s corpse after someone had obviously partially dug him up.

  And some other pictures, of an older man Callie was almost positive she could identify, and the two men who’d been captured on the video as Carla’s abductors.

  “Holy fucking shit on a shingle,” Callie whispered.

  “Um, yeah.”

  He picked up the letter and quickly read it before handing it to her. The other papers were maps, some printed from a computer, some hand-drawn, leading to the body.

  Dear Mr. Blackestone,

  I hope this finds you well. We have a common enemy, as it were. I take it you are astute enough to deduct who that someone is based upon the evidence contained herein. On the DVD is video of the murder and the burial of Paul Abernathy, as well as evidence that the two men who appeared at the Lyalls’ wedding in Florida were working for the man. You’ll also see evidence that Marston Hill has some sort of dealings with him as well. I suspect the provided evidence will give you the rationale you’ve been needing. No, I don’t wish to disclose who I am at this time, or my connection to our common interest. You will find the address I supplied on the package is for the main post office in downtown Bangor.

  Do with this information what you will. I provide it as a, shall we say, public service.

  Regards,

  Anon

  She looked up at him. “Holy. Fucking. Shit.”

  He carried the DVD out to the living room where he popped it into their player. They watched as Abernathy ordered his grandson carried from the limo. Then the mystery cameraman raced through the underbrush with eerie silence to film Paul’s murder and burial. When that ended, the picture changed to footage of the two men who abducted Carla lurking around the fringes of Elain’s wedding. Then several shots of the men pulling into a hotel in Arcadia and going up to a room.

  He hit pause when the camera showed who opened the door.

  Rodolfo Abernathy.

  “Holy crap,” Callie said. When he glanced at her, she shrugged. “Sorry, I’m running out of words.”

  He hit play again. One of the two men left Rodolfo’s room and returned with an older man. They both went inside.

  “That is him,” Callie said. “I’m sure of it. I remember him from Brussels. That’s Fat Boy.”

  “Hello, Marston Hill,” Daniel said.

  “This is good, right?” Callie asked. “It’s the proof we needed that he was working with Abernathy the whole time. And it’s proof of Elain’s guess about his identity.”

  He scrubbed his face with his hands. “It gets worse.” He looked at her. “Paul’s murder happened on our lands, inside our Clan’s territory. That makes it our problem. Our jurisdiction. Whoever sent us this knew that.” He studied the maps again. “It also gives us the proof we need to show other Clans to take down Abernathy without worrying about what anyone else thinks. Including people in his own Clan, if they’re stupid enough to challenge us.”

  “So who do you think sent all this? Who the hell was doing the filming?” They never revealed themselves at all in the shots, not even to say anything to identify their gender.

  “I don’t know,” he said, “but only a shifter of some sort could move that fast through the woods with that kind of stealth. A human would have been floundering around in the underbrush.”

  “Can I kill Abernathy now, Sir?” she grumbled.

  “Ask me again aft
er we get Carla back safely and all our loved ones are accounted for,” he rumbled deep in his throat. “Otherwise, I’d turn you loose on him this second, no matter what I promised the jaguars.”

  * * * *

  Daniel left less than an hour later without telling Callie where he was going or what he was doing, only that it might be late before he returned.

  Callie didn’t miss that he took the evidence with him.

  He was still gone when Kitty returned just before dark. “Where’d he go?”

  “I suspect he went in search of a skeleton in Abernathy’s closet.”

  “Oh, what now?”

  “I mean a literal skeleton.” She told Kitty what he’d received in the mail.

  “Holy fuck,” she whispered. “That’s damn stupid of Abernathy. Shows how angry and careless he was. He knows damn well Clan territory is sacrosanct. Now we can go after Abernathy, right?”

  “Wrong. We need to get Mom back safe and sound first. Everything’s on hold until that happens.”

  “I think if we held a lottery selling tickets for first crack at the guy, we could raise a fortune.”

  “I don’t think you’re wrong.”

  It was late in the evening when he did return, dirty and looking grim. “We found the grave,” he said as he walked into the kitchen to pour himself a drink. “Exactly where the information said. Our mystery benefactor even helpfully marked the grave with those little surveyor flags to make sure we couldn’t miss it. My first guess would be someone inside Abernathy’s organization wants him gone. My second guess would be someone else we don’t know about.”

  “That’s like saying the sky’s blue,” Kitty snarked. “Let me see the video.”

  He handed her the DVD. Callie, despite having seen and even caused a lot of carnage in her life, opted not to sit through a second viewing.

  Kitty returned to the kitchen with the DVD a moment later. “A shifter had to have filmed it.”

  He nodded. “Yep. My thought exactly.”

  “What kind of shifter is the question.”

  He took a sip of the bourbon he’d poured. “I don’t have an answer. Right now, my priority is getting Mom back safe and sound. I can’t begin to deal with this until we do that.”