Freedom in the Smokies (18 page)

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck
.

“Goddammit.” Sergius surged past Micah and leaped onto the porch.

“Shit.” Jaxon moaned and punched his hand into the wooden rocker to his left.

Micah joined them, running his hands through his hair. “Fuck.” He stared at the barn, a barrage of emotions raging through him. His mate was in there. With a crazed vampire.

Everyone else, who must have been watching from just inside the house, burst out onto the porch. Micah glanced back at them and then returned to stare at the barn. A ringing noise filled his ears as he fumed. “Where’s James?” he muttered under his breath.

Juliana took his arm and stepped into his line of sight. “In the barn,” she whispered with a small grin.

Micah’s shoulders relaxed marginally. At least there was that. Hopefully the sheriff was well hidden and could wait for the perfect moment to put an end to this madness.

“Kait?”
Micah figured it couldn’t hurt to attempt a communication.

“I’m here, Mic. I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop myself. I just wanted to get to Enrique.”
Micah could hear her stress through their connection.

“McKinney’s not blocking you,”
Micah noted.

“He’s preoccupied. Or maybe he doesn’t care.”

“What’s he doing now?”
Micah stepped to the edge of the porch. What he wanted to do was storm the barn. But he wouldn’t risk it as long as Kaitlyn was all right. And it didn’t hurt knowing James was in there somewhere…watching…waiting.

“Pacing…and waving that damn gun around. He’s agitated.”

“Good. He’s not on his game completely when he’s worked up like that. He makes mistakes.”
Micah gripped the railing with both hands as someone squeezed his elbow. He couldn’t stand the idea of giving up his connection with Kaitlyn.

“As long as his mistake doesn’t include killing one of us,”
she muttered into his head.

“Kait. James is in there somewhere. Try not to look obvious, but maybe you can figure out where he is. That might come in handy.”
Micah tore his attention from Kaitlyn at the insistent tugging on his arm.

Sergius stared at him intently. “He isn’t blocking your communication with Kaitlyn?”

“No, she says he’s pacing distractedly.”

“Good. That helps. We need to wear him down. Mentally. He fucks up when he’s strained.” Sergius narrowed his gaze and pulled on Micah. “Let’s go inside. Plan.”

Micah shook his head. “Are you kidding? I’m not leaving this spot.”

“I figured you’d say that. Okay, George is going to stay here with you and keep watch. The rest of us are going to try to come up with a plan.” Sergius backed away.

Micah worried about darkness closing in later and making his task harder.

Kaitlyn sat huddled in the corner, her knees pulled up to her chest. She didn’t want to move and draw attention to herself any more than necessary. She had no idea where James was, but the idea that he was in the barn somewhere soothed her.

Enrique sat just in front of her, protecting her from McKinney with his body. “I’m sorry,” he whispered without turning toward her. “I hate that you got caught up in this.” She’d managed to rip the tape off his mouth, but McKinney had gone berserk when she’d reached for the ropes binding his arms.

“Not your fault.”
I’m the idiot that ran out of the house and into the arms of the enemy.

“Micah is going to have your hide.” She could hear the slight mirth in his tone.

“Yeah, he is.” She almost grinned thinking about it.
If we get out of this mess.

“If you were mine, I’d spank your ass.”

Kaitlyn flinched at the visual. Not of Enrique, but of Micah.

“Shut up, both of you. Shut the fuck up,” McKinney shouted. “Don’t think I give a fuck about either of your puny lives. If you piss me off, I will shoot. Got it?”

Neither of them moved a muscle. The man was crazy. She had no doubt he meant it. Hell, he’d killed two women yesterday and left their bodies on a hiking trail. He didn’t have any empathy toward human life…or wolf life either. She knew in the marrow of her bones that he would keep killing until the Durhams left the property. A chill shook her frame and she gripped her knees so tight her arms began to ache.

“What’s happening, babe?”

“Nothing. He’s still pacing and we’re still waiting. Just lying low, trying to avoid pissing him off,”
she told Micah.

Time ticked by. Where the hell was James? Kaitlyn tried to glance around, but she didn’t want to move more than her eyes. If McKinney figured out they weren’t alone, who knew what would happen?

McKinney wheeled on her. “I don’t see any activity in the house. Does your mate think I’m bluffing?” His voice was gruff.

Kaitlyn shook. She couldn’t keep her teeth from chattering as though she were cold.
“At least get a moving truck in the driveway, Mic. Before he shoots us.”

McKinney stared at her and stepped closer.
He must know I’m talking to Micah.

“Already done. It’s almost here. Are you okay?”

“Sure, if you like having a rapid heartbeat for hours on end while waiting for a madman to decide your fate.”
She stared straight ahead and kept a close watch on McKinney pacing only feet in front of her.

No wonder James didn’t come out of hiding. Even if he did, there was no clear shot. He’d be putting both her and Enrique at risk shooting in this direction. She needed to do something to shake things up a bit.

The horses. They were getting restless waiting for their evening meal. She could tell McKinney she needed to feed them, but she doubted he’d allow it, and if she were honest, she didn’t want to risk one of them getting shot.

Another half hour went by. The crunch of gravel filled the silence.

“Finally. I was beginning to think none of those wolves had any sense. Tell your loverboy they better get a move on. They have about eight hours to get the hell out of here before I suck your little neck bone dry while your Mexican buddy watches.” McKinney’s gaze strayed to Enrique. “You look mighty tasty yourself, pretty boy. I might just snack on you first.” He cackled again, making Kaitlyn’s skin crawl.

So he was leaving her communication open on purpose. He actually needed her. Sort of like an open line between him and the outside world.

Kaitlyn didn’t say a word to Micah. She didn’t need to. Whatever was brewing outside the barn, nothing she said would change it.

Noises filled the air as darkness descended. Whatever the men were doing out there, they were making enough racket to at least give the illusion they were packing and loading.

Micah stood stock-still on the porch. He never let his gaze wander from the barn for fear McKinney would somehow sneak his hostages out and leave the premises. It was growing dark. It would be very dim inside the barn if no one turned a light on. He wished he had some idea what the hell James was doing. Fuck. It had been hours. A total standoff.

Sergius and Jaxon were rattling shit around in and out of the truck that pulled up a while ago. He knew they weren’t really loading anything up. The deception was all that mattered.

Suddenly a shot rang out—and then another. Micah jumped from the porch and ran toward the barn without pausing. Serg and Jax were right behind him. All bets were off. Screams rang through the dusk. Whose?

Fear clawed at his insides. If anything happened to Kaitlyn…

A third shot rang through the night just as he reached the barn door and whipped it open.

McKinney fell to the ground right in front of Micah. He was down, but for how long? Micah spun in a circle looking for Kaitlyn. When he spotted her, a rush of relief swept through him, threatening to suck the air out of his lungs.

She scrambled toward him on her hands and knees from a crouched position just inside the door.

Movement to his right made him jump in that direction. McKinney attempted to stand up. Blood flowed from his arm.

The sheriff emerged from the shadows, his pistol still raised as he stepped toward the vampire from the other side. “Don’t move, McKinney. Don’t even fucking think about it,” James shouted.

McKinney paid no attention. He raised his gun with his left hand, but it was too late. James shot him in the back, causing him to fall forward onto the dirt once more. “Not today, asshole.” Sergius stepped around Micah and yanked McKinney to his feet. Blood poured from his chest.

The vampire’s eyes bored into Micah. The game was over for McKinney.

Micah turned toward Kaitlyn and reached her in two steps. He knelt on the ground and wrapped himself around her frame where she sat working the knot off Enrique’s wrists.

Micah reached around and withdrew her trembling hands to finish the task. He threw the rope to Sergius who used it to tie McKinney with his own restraint. The vampire mumbled under his breath.

He didn’t trust McKinney even now.

“It didn’t have to be like this,” Sergius muttered as he tightened the rope around McKinney’s hands. His arm and chest dripped with blood, but the vampire’s only reaction was to cringe with the slightest hint of pain. His breaths sounded ragged. A normal human would have died instantly from such wounds, but not a vampire. Micah knew there was little doubt McKinney could overcome the wounds…given time.

“What’s with you fucking wolves?” McKinney hissed. Spittle sprayed the ground as the vampire looked Micah in the eye. “All I wanted was for you to get the hell off my mountains and go back where you came from.”

Sergius gripped McKinney and yanked him back several inches.

McKinney cackled. The man was crazy. Sometime in the last few centuries he’d lost his ability to reason, or perhaps he’d never really been the brightest.

Sergius grabbed him by the jaw. He stared him in the eye, but spoke to the others. “He used a lot of energy getting his ducks in a row today. He’s tapped out. Look at his eyes. They’re bloodshot.”

He shook the vampire’s face and brought it back to center before he addressed McKinney directly. “You acted too soon, bloodsucker. You were too hasty. You needed more time to hone your skills before you tried to take on this many wolves at once. You were greedy and angry. That anger ruined you. Now your time is up.”

McKinney spat on the ground. “Fuck you,” he snarled.

“The only one fucked today is you, vamp.” Enrique stood. “You tried to control too many minds at once. You’re done for.” Enrique walked away.

Micah wondered for a moment where the wolf was going, but his attention returned to McKinney when Sergius spoke again. “There was no reason you had to die, vamp. We’re peaceful shifters. We would have left you alone, if you’d have done the same.”

McKinney was losing strength. He slumped forward and stared Sergius in the eye as he hissed his next words. “Left me alone? You moved into my territory and then thwarted my attempts to feed.”

Micah interjected, “You don’t own the territory. And your attempts to feed, as you call it, infringed on other people’s attempts to stay alive. We don’t allow murder on any land.”

Enrique reappeared with a chair and more rope. “He’s growing weaker. He needs to feed and rest.” He motioned to the chair in his hand and glanced at Micah. “Hope you aren’t too attached to this particular chair.” He didn’t wait for an answer. He nodded toward the door and headed out of the barn.

Sergius dragged McKinney behind Enrique. Micah followed, holding Kaitlyn against his side.

Enrique planted the chair in the open yard, and Sergius pushed the motherfucker into the seat. Enrique and Jaxon made quick work of tying the vampire to the chair.

Micah turned around when he smelled gasoline. With a deep inhale he took the can from James’s outstretched hand. He doused the vampire with it.

McKinney lifted his head as the cold liquid sloshed onto his clothes and hair. His eyes grew huge. He opened his mouth.

It felt strange. Micah had never killed another being. Didn’t want to even now.
“Is there any other choice?”
he asked his brothers through their connection.

Sergius grabbed Micah’s shoulder.
“No. We’ve done everything we can. This bastard is beyond reproach. You know that.”

Micah didn’t turn around as he communicated with his mate.
“Kait. Go inside.”

“Roger that.”
The woman actually listened to him. He suspected she didn’t want to witness this any more than he wanted her to.

“Fuck you,” McKinney spat. Those were his last words. Enrique lit a match and tossed it in the vampire’s lap. The men stepped back and watched as the vampire went up in flames.

It didn’t take long. In only moments the man was gone. Even the chair still smoldered where he’d sat, but the vampire burned quickly, leaving no trace he’d ever been there.

Chapter Fifteen

As soon as the fire was out, Micah climbed onto the porch with everyone else and slumped into a wooden chair. He looked at James. “Did someone get to the Wilks women?”

James nodded. “Yes. They’re fine. My deputies radioed me while I was in the barn. Luckily it was before McKinney dragged Enrique and Kaitlyn inside. Gave me the head’s up to turn the volume off.”