Freedom in the Smokies (17 page)

Sergius’s voice came through.
“There are some a bit farther out to the north. Think we should head there next.”

“That’s probably best. I’ll meet you there.”
Enrique sounded even more out of breath. Odd. Did Sergius detect it too? Or was Micah being paranoid?

Micah loped toward the north, but his skin still itched with some unknown threat. His steps weren’t as quick. He didn’t want to say anything to Sergius…yet. Maybe he was being paranoid.

Micah reached the northern caves right on Sergius’s heels. They entered two large caverns before determining they were empty.

Micah snarled and turned toward Sergius.
“Fuck.”

“Ditto.”
Sergius glanced around as if they’d missed something.
“It’s a damn long way before we get to the next set of caves. I was sure this was the answer. What the hell else could McKinney have done with two women besides drag them to a cave? He couldn’t have been able to knock them out and carry both of them. They had to have been on foot. Walking under duress.”

“Enrique. We’ve got nothing in the northern caves. What’s your status?”
Micah paced the entrance.

When he got no response, he whipped around toward his brother. Seconds passed.

Sergius lifted his nose to the air.
“Enrique?”

Nothing.
What the fuck?

Micah lowered his head toward the ground.
“Jaxon? Have you got a reading on Enrique? We’ve lost contact.”

“No. I haven’t heard from him since you left. What do you mean you’ve lost contact? Aren’t you together?”

“No. We separated. He searched the eastern caves while we went west and then met up in the north. He said the east was clear. Then nothing.”
Micah stared at the ground. His skin crawled.

“You’re running out of caves in that area,”
Jaxon said.

“No shit,”
Sergius agreed.

Micah glanced up at Serg.
“We have to go back east.”

Serg nodded and they took off at a full run.
“What are you thinking?”

“I hate to even give voice to it,”
Micah answered.

“How long has Kaitlyn known Enrique?”

“Since she went to live on the farm twelve years ago.”
Micah shuddered. Was it even remotely possible Enrique wasn’t on the up and up? He’d been leery about the man’s intentions where they concerned Kaitlyn, but was there more to it than that? God.
“His family lives and works on the farm. They have for twenty years. They’ve been there since way before Kaitlyn arrived.”

“What does your gut tell you?”
Sergius asked as they ran as fast as their legs would carry them through the trees.

“Kaitlyn has a firm head on her shoulders. I can’t stand to think she misjudged the people working on her family farm for all these years. Besides, why would Enrique be working in cahoots with a vampire? It doesn’t add up.”
Did Micah even believe all that himself?

“So you think this has something to do with McKinney.”
Sergius jumped over a fallen tree trunk and thundered forward.

“I’ve no doubt we’ll find those women in the eastern cave. He used us.”

“Who? Enrique? Or McKinney?”
Sergius asked.

Micah shook. A chill went down his spine.
“I fucking hope this is all McKinney or we’ve got way bigger problems than one vampire.”

The seconds ticked by in silence as they approached the eastern caves. Three small caves in a row. The perfect place to hide someone, as Micah had suspected all along.

Sure enough, they could smell the two females inside. Nothing else though. No other scent was in the vicinity.

“Hang on. Let me make sure they’re okay.”
Sergius ducked his head into the cavern where they could hear the women whimpering. He popped right back out.
“They’re fine. Tied to each other. Huddling in a corner.”

“Did they see you?”

“No.”
Sergius raised his head into the air and sniffed.
“I don’t think Enrique ever got this close.”

“Fuck.”
Micah realized Serg was right. Enrique hadn’t been inside those caves.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

“Let’s go.”
Serg started running.
“Jaxon? Send someone for the women. They’re fine. They’re in the first of the three eastern caves. I didn’t let them see me. We don’t have clothes. They don’t need a wolf or a naked man coming in and giving them a heart attack.”

“What? I thought you said Enrique cleared those caves? Where is he?”
Jaxon sounded agitated, as Micah would have expected.

“Good question. We’re headed your way. I expect you’ll have less desirable company before our arrival though. Is everyone accounted for there?”
Micah ran next to Sergius.

“Yes. We’re all in the house,”
Jaxon replied.

“Don’t let anyone out of your sight, you hear?”
Sergius ran faster.

Sergius’s words did nothing to make Micah feel warm and fuzzy. His woman was in that house. Hell, all the women were. He’d put nothing past McKinney. The Wilks women had been some sort of decoy. His heart pounded to think what the repercussions would be for chasing that red herring.

“Got it. We’re on the lookout,”
Jaxon said.
“James is calling the precinct now to get someone out to those caves.”

If McKinney had used the Wilks women to lure the Durhams away from the house, where was Enrique? Blood pumped hard through Micah’s veins. In wolf form he wanted to tear something or someone to shreds. His teeth bared, he growled.

Enrique had lied to them. There was no denying that. The man hadn’t searched those caves. He’d been near there, but he hadn’t gone inside. Had the Durhams been played or was Enrique also a victim?

Sergius led the way, but Micah didn’t fall one step behind him.

“Stop.”
Sergius skidded to a halt before exiting into the clearing of the trees to one side of the barn.
“Shift.”

Two words. That’s all he communicated before he made quick work of shifting.

Micah stared at his brother as he came out of his own change. “What the fuck are we stopping for?”

“Instinct.” Sergius inched toward the clearing and peered out at the barn and the house.

“Instinct?” Micah hissed the word. “We need to get to the house, Serg. What are you waiting for?”

Sergius nodded to his left and Micah followed his gaze. “That,” he whispered.

Sure enough, Micah found himself staring at the back of his nemesis, Keeton McKinney. Just the sight of the bastard made his gut clench.

“No sense getting in front of him. It doesn’t seem like he knows we’re here.” Sergius’s hushed voice reached no farther than Micah.

Micah followed behind his brother, keeping a close eye on the vampire as they made their way a few yards to the spot where they’d dropped their clothes. They grabbed their jeans from the ground.

“What the hell is he doing?” Micah tugged the denim over his ass as he watched McKinney approach the house, pushing a reluctant Enrique in front of him. The man wore only the jeans they had dropped right in the spot Micah and Sergius now stood. But what side was Enrique on? If he had never reached the caves, why had he communicated the eastern caves were clear?

Suddenly McKinney turned to look over his shoulder. “What you waiting on, boys? Join us.”

From this new angle, Micah could see McKinney held a gun to Enrique’s back. He had his hostage’s arms tied behind him. Thick tape covered Enrique’s mouth. Enrique’s eyes were wide, imploring, as he stared in Micah’s direction.

Neither Sergius nor Micah moved a muscle. Micah hoped McKinney was testing them. Hoping they were out there and would reveal themselves at his command. “I’m guessing McKinney blocked Enrique from communicating with us. That explains one thing.”

 
“Yeah, that makes sense,” Sergius whispered, “but why did he lie about the cave?”

“Oh for heaven’s sake,” McKinney began. “What are you waiting on? I could smell you from a mile away. I could even scent your fear. Come on out in the open and we’ll discuss this like gentleman.” He chuckled, his gun poking Enrique in the back until the man had to arch.

“I’ve enjoyed your little friend here. I must admit, it took me by surprise when he showed up to rescue those whining women. I was damn tired of listening to them whimper. He has a soft spot for women though. It was way too easy to get him to tell you whatever I wanted and buy me some time.”

Micah set a firm hand on his brother’s back. “That answers that question.” Micah sucked in a breath of relief. He’d had no desire whatsoever to have to tell his mate her childhood friend was a fraud.

A noise made Micah glance at the back of the house as the screen door shut. Jaxon stood on the porch. He gave a subtle nod in Micah’s direction and then looked at McKinney. “What do you want, McKinney?”

The vampire turned back in the direction of the house. “What? Didn’t you get my note?” He stepped closer, dragging Enrique along. “I thought I told you to get the fuck off my land.”

Jaxon glanced around. “This property belongs to us. We bought it. We own it. It’s you who is trespassing, bloodsucker.”

“Oh, you want to argue semantics? I was here first. This entire mountain was very peaceful until you three showed up.”

“Do you really think we’re going to pack up and walk away because you demand it?” Jaxon widened his stance, facing down the vampire from several feet above him.

“I do. Unless you want dead women all over this mountain range. So, you found the Wilks ladies. Women in this forest are a dime a dozen. I can and will take whatever I want off this mountain anytime I want it. God knows where you picked up another wolf, but I hope you weren’t very attached to him because he’s a dead man.”

Micah stared in horror as McKinney forced Enrique to his knees.

The screen door slammed again and Micah whipped his head in time to see Kaitlyn leap off the porch and run toward McKinney and Enrique. Only the strong grasp on his arm from behind kept Micah from running forward out of the trees.

“Leave him out of this, McKinney,” she shouted as she approached. “He doesn’t even live here. He’s no threat to your land.”

“Get back, Kaitlyn. I swear to God, you’re gonna give me a heart attack.”
Micah yanked on Sergius, but his brother had a firm grasp on his biceps.
“Babe, the man is waving a gun. Please.”

Kaitlyn ignored him. She circled McKinney in a wide arch.

McKinney cackled. “Isn’t this rich? Micah, are you going to let this sweet piece of ass do your dirty work? I’ll tell you one thing, the woman has more balls than you do.”

Micah held his breath as he watched his mate spiral closer to his enemy. He yanked himself free of his brother’s clutches and stepped forward into the clearing.

“Stay calm. Don’t do anything rash,”
Sergius communicated. He stayed right at Micah’s side as they gingerly approached.

“Let’s discuss this, McKinney, come up with an agreement that makes everyone happy. No one else needs to die.” Kaitlyn surprised Micah. He had no idea she was such a negotiator.

“Kaitlyn, I’m not kidding. If you don’t get your ass back inside ASAP…”

“Trust me, Micah.”
She didn’t even glance his direction as she cut him off.

“Babe…”
Maybe if he softened his approach a bit. The woman was infuriating. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His hands shook at his side, and his gut clenched with fear.

McKinney jerked Enrique to his feet and backed toward the barn. “I believe I’ll spend a little time getting to know your new friend here. How about if you assholes start packing your shit in the meantime? If you get the fuck off this mountain by morning, maybe I’ll consider releasing your friend and we can call a truce. If not, I’ll shoot the bastard, snack on him a bit and then go grab another pair of women. That’s two women a day I’m going to suck dry for every day you’re still pussyfooting around here. Your Latin man will make a nice snack to tide me over. Got it?”

Enrique stumbled and fell forward. Micah wasn’t sure if it was on purpose or not, but he managed to wiggle free and fell on his face, his arms jerking painfully out of McKinney’s grasp.

In horror, Micah watched Kaitlyn lurch toward Enrique and reach out to help him up. She never made it.

McKinney grabbed her by the hair before her hand could reach Enrique and the vampire tugged so hard she fell back into his chest. In less than a second he had the gun trained on her temple. “Isn’t this convenient?”

Micah bolted into the clearing, but came up short when McKinney tucked his arm under Kaitlyn’s neck and squeezed. “Not another step, Durham, or the bitch dies.” For emphasis, he cocked the gun.

The noise froze Micah in his steps.
Fuck
.

McKinney continued backing up. When he hit the door to the barn, he kicked it open with one foot. “How about you join us, little wolf?” His gaze was trained on Enrique. “I mean after all the trouble this sweet thing endured to save your hide, the least you can do is commiserate with her.”

Enrique stumbled to his feet. With his hands tied behind his back, his balance was off. Micah cringed and fisted his hands as he watched Enrique follow Kaitlyn and McKinney into the barn.