Gator's Challenge (8 page)

A
fter a sleepless night
, Wes found himself outside on the quad, leaning against a tree, a cigarette clamped between his lips.

For the first time in a long while, the acrid smoke did not calm him. Nothing could calm him, not while Melanie was here.

In danger.

Fuck.

Even worse? He didn’t know what he could do to help her.

Double fuck.

But at least his visit the previous evening to his uncle’s apartment had given him that hope.

Parker opened his door and arched a brow at seeing him. “A little late to be visiting, don’t you think?”

Pushing past his uncle, Wes entered the richly appointed suite, noting that, like Andrew, his uncle had spared no expense when it came to his accommodations. Unlike Andrew’s open loft concept, his uncle had gone with a more traditional layout, with the foyer opening onto the living area and the bedroom hidden from view.

“We need to talk about Andrew’s plan to experiment on his kids.”

“Andrew’s plan?” His uncle shut the door and strode past him. “Is he taking the credit for my idea?”

Could a gator’s blood run any colder? “You mean this is your doing? What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re talking about screwing with kids.”

“Think of them more as our bright future.” Stopping before a sideboard sporting several glass decanters with amber-hued and other tinted booze, his uncle poured himself a drink in a snifter. He brought it to his nose and sniffed. “Ah, nothing like a good bourbon.” He took a sip. “Perfection. But I should mention not all bourbons are made equal. Just like not all shifters are made the same. Some are strong. Some can fly. So many traits that, when separate, make us unequal. However, let’s say you could blend some of those into everyone. What if we took away the barriers and gave everyone the ability to fly?”

Wes couldn’t help a snort. “You are not doing this to be altruistic. As if you’d let anyone get that strong.”

A grin twisted his uncle’s thin lips. “How well you know me, nephew. You’re right. I don’t think everyone should have this power. This strength. But for the right sum, it can be done.”

The fact that his uncle did it for money wasn’t new to Wes. Parker didn’t do anything for free. “Your money-making scheme isn’t a reason to start experimenting on children.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. See, the researchers believe that some of our epic failures are because our test subjects were too old. You might have noticed that only the most strong-willed retain their sanity. The most alpha, I guess you could say. Their theory for that is quite simple. The addition of more animal genes creates a schism in the mind. Too many thoughts in one place. So they devised a theory. What if those genes were blended into the DNA structure of a child before their beast emerges? What if we could stop the madness before it starts?”

“What if you’re fucking wrong? You’re talking about driving children, innocents, insane? Maybe even turning them into killers like some of your other epic failures.”

The number of failures mounted, as did the death toll. Andrew, who was supposed to be a success, now showed signs of the madness, as did Wes’s uncle. One had only to see the feral light in his eyes to recognize it.

“I have allowed you somewhat of a loose rein because you’re family.” The distaste in Parker’s words shone through. “But need I remind you that insubordination will have consequences? I might be fond of Sue-Ellen, but I won’t hesitate to wring her neck if you do anything to stand in the way of progress.”

And there it was, the implicit threat to someone he loved more than himself. Much as it galled him, Wes couldn’t help but plead. “Don’t do this. Not to kids.”

“Too late. The trials begin tomorrow. Andrew has graciously volunteered his progeny. And soon Fang will be on the hunt for more. We’ll even be working on the women in our custody, impregnating them via test tube and, in some cases, by more natural methods. Interested in being a part of that group, nephew? I hear you have eyes for the woman I brought in.”

The horror of his uncle’s offer couldn’t stop the hot rage. He hit his uncle!
Crack
. A blow that should have knocked the old man on his ass.

Rubbing his surely-made-of-granite jaw, Parker laughed. “You’ll have to do better than that, nephew.”

But it wasn’t the realization that the modifications had made his uncle so strong that chilled him through and through. It was the peek of familiar eyes from behind a door.

A glimpse seen for a moment then gone.

She’s here.

His sister was here. Within reach. At last.

Problem was how to get her out, along with Melanie and her boys.

What of the others also trapped here?

What of them? He cared nothing for the humans who came to work for Bittech. As to those inside the lower levels, those already tainted? Could he truly release monsters onto the world?

“Unleash the beasts!” Melanie’s cheerful decree brought his head up. He noted her exiting the building, Rory and Tatum racing ahead of her, their excited squeals filling the quiet morning air.

He knew she saw him standing there. She had to, yet her gaze went right over him. Not welcoming, hell, not even acknowledging. Someone seemed determined to ignore him this morning.

Not today. Wes pushed away from the tree and strode toward her.

“Going somewhere, angel?”

“You know, I’ve only been here a day and I’m already getting tired of hearing that question every time I leave a room.”

“You said it best. This is a prison.”

“All prisons have a weakness.”

Given the missing cameras had yet to be replaced, he didn’t have to temper his words. “I’m looking for one.”

“I hear a but.”

“Because it’s going to be tough. This place is nothing like the original Bittech. There is security everywhere. No one goes in or out without authorization.”

“What about over the wall?”

“Electrified and eight feet with barbed wire at the top. So unless you’re planning to look like that cat in that Chevy Chase Christmas movie, then don’t even think of it.”

Her lips pursed. Was it wrong to want to kiss them to soften them up? She’d probably slap him if he tried. Then Andrew would have him killed.
Fuck.

Do it anyway.

His gator loved to live dangerously.

Melanie frowned. “Electrified? Shoot. I’ll have to warn the boys not to touch.”

“Speaking of your boys, I’m surprised the staff let you out with them.”

A smirk tilted her lips. “I didn’t give that nurse a choice. I told her they needed fresh air and a run or she’d never get them to cooperate for the tests they plan later.”

“You’re going to let them touch your kids?” He couldn’t help a note of surprise in his tone.

A sly grin tugged at half her lip. “Like hell they are. You told me they only want healthy specimens, right?”

“Yeah.”

Still wearing a smile, Melanie walked past the buildings to a part of the compound that, while mown, retained plenty of trees and foliage. A spot of nature amidst supposed progress.

Whooping, the boys ran into the sparse copse, their little bodies bolting and zipping among the trunks.

At the edge, Melanie flopped onto the grass and crossed her legs lotus style.

Her casual pose drew a frown from Wes. “What are you planning?”

Wide eyes with an innocently spoken, “Nothing,” did not settle his unease.

Mischief brewed behind her guileless expression. He turned his attention to the boys, cute little buggers with their mother’s tanned skin and dark hair. Yet their eyes, those looked nothing like Melanie’s—or Andrew’s for that matter. The twins seemed healthy and fit. Energetic, too. They played a game of tag, in and out of the trunks, not caring if they caught each other quick or slow. Their laughter rang out as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

It left a bitter taste in his mouth as he wondered how much they would laugh once the testing began.

There has to be a way to stop it from happening.
He just couldn’t see it. Yet.
Because I won’t stop until I find a way out for them.

And I keep telling you it’s time to crunch some bones.

Crunching bones won’t get us past those gates.

Melanie plucked at the grass, gaze aimed downward as she addressed him. “Why are you following me anyhow? Doesn’t Andrew need you to do his bidding? I thought evil overlords liked to keep their henchmen close.”

“This is his bidding. Apparently the nurse called him, freaking out about your decision to take the kids outside. He sent me along to keep an eye on you.” Of course that had taken a little nudging of Andrew’s paranoia.

“You need to keep them safe, or you’ll appear weak,” Wes warned Andrew.

“Guard them with your life!”

Melanie snorted. “Stuck babysitting me and my boys. How emasculating.”

“Thanks for pointing that out,” was his wry reply.

“Yeah, especially since you suck at it. You’re going to be in a touch of trouble.”

“Why?” His gaze immediately went to the boys, who returned with red-smeared lips, the remains of some wild cherries still clutched in their hands.

But more worrisome were the spots all over their skin.

“Guess I’m not getting the mother of the year award because I don’t know how I missed spotting the fact you had cherries out here. My boys are highly allergic to them. They get head-to-toe hives and a serious case of the runs.”

How awful and yet great because this meant that, until the allergen flushed from their system, no testing could be done.

He couldn’t help but laugh because he doubted those boys had eaten those cherries by accident. Their smell permeated the air, which meant Melanie did it on purpose. “Angel, you’re a fucking genius.”

Now that she’d given him a little wiggle room to work on an escape plan, he’d better come through because he doubted they’d get a second chance.

T
he glee
at foiling Andrew’s plan to test her boys didn’t last. Melanie knew Andrew wouldn’t appreciate her not-so-subtle ploy. She also realized an opportunity like that wouldn’t happen again. She had only to hear the chainsaws that afternoon and peek out the window to see the cherry trees, actually every tree in the place, taken down.

This meant she had less than a day before the plan to mess with her boys was back on track, and she was no closer to finding an escape.

As evening rolled around, and as she tucked her spotted boys into their beds, she felt Wes’s presence. Funny how she never needed to see him to know he’d arrived. For some reason, he exuded a vibe that she couldn’t help but pick up on.

It’s because he’s ours.

She wished her cat would stop with that certainty. She wanted nothing to do with him. “Back to playing guard? I’m surprised, given your failure of this morning.” She taunted him as she exited the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

“Yeah, apparently I didn’t get any blame since Andrew didn’t know of your boys’ allergy to cherries.”

No surprise there. She’d counted on Andrew not remembering. “Crazy thing to happen, especially to a shifter, huh?” Because most shifters healed rather rapidly and rarely got sick.

“Very crazy. So how long before they’re well again?”

“Not long enough,” she murmured as they strode the hall in the direction of the elevator.

The night nurse didn’t spare them a glance as they got in the cab. The doors slid shut, and the crushed camera meant she could drop her shoulders and sigh. “I don’t know how to get out.” As Wes had said, security was just too damned tight.

“I might have a plan, but we’re going to need some outside help.”

Her gaze rose sharply to meet his. “You can get us out of here?”

“Maybe. But like I said, we’re going to need someone on the outside to pick you and the boys up. I know you said you didn’t want to call anyone, but the plan won’t work without a bit of help.”

“How dangerous is it?”

He shot her a look. “Stupid question. So I won’t give you a stupid answer. Anyone you call is going to be in danger. They might end up killed. Or they might not. It all depends on how quietly they can sneak. We need them to get close enough to provide transportation once I get you and the kids out of the compound.”

The gears in her mind whirred furiously. She knew Daryl would do it in a heartbeat. No question asked. Hell, Caleb and Constantine would, too. They weren’t guys to let a thing like danger get in their way of helping.

The thing was, what if this plan failed? Or what if Wes lied to her and this was simply a ploy to draw those she trusted close so he could nab them for Andrew?

It’s a risk I have to take.
Because he offered her the only chance she had right now.

“Get me a phone and give me a time and place for Daryl to meet us.”

“A phone won’t do you any good. They’re jammed from receiving or making outside calls.”

“So how the hell are you planning to contact him?”

“He’s going to get a phone call. It just won’t be from me or you. I think I know someone who can get through the fence and call for us.”

“How do you know you can trust that person?”

“It’s my brother, Brandon.”

Exiting from the building, she went silent, as did he, the outdoor cameras having been replaced sometime that day making any conversation they had public knowledge.

If Wes spoke the truth, then he had a plan, and in order for it to work, she had to lull Andrew into thinking she was resigned to her fate.

Speaking of Andrew, “Why does he want to see me?”

After the previous night, she’d thought they were done talking. What could she say to the man who boasted he’d fertilized her with the sperm of another man?

“I don’t know what he wants. But I will say, watch yourself. He’s not been himself today.” Wes whispered those words as they went through the next checkpoint into C building.

The elevator ride, even though there was no camera, happened in silence. What could she say to Wes?
I wish I’d been smarter in my choice of guys. I wish that maybe I’d tried harder when you pushed me away. Hey, your ass looks mighty fine in those jeans tonight.

Because hitting on the guy escorting her to her husband was such a fine plan.

At the door to Andrew’s loft, Wes paused. His eyes were a storm cloud of emotions; she could read so many of them. Worry. Anger. But not at her. Toward her, she sensed frustration and perhaps even a hint of something warmer.

Taking a deep breath that he released in a loud sigh, Wes knocked on the door without saying a word.

Bzzzt
. The electronic lock disengaged, and Wes opened the door. He went in first, not because he lacked manners, but because the predator in him must have sensed something amiss and wanted to scout first.

She understood his unease. Within her own mind, her feline prowled. Hackles raised. A low snarl filled her head as the negative vibe within the apartment touched her.

Just ahead of her, she could see Wes tensing. He sensed it, too, a pervasive sour smell of evil. And it came from Andrew.

If she’d thought he looked off kilter yesterday, then Andrew appeared ten times worse today.

Wearing only a loosely belted robe, her
husband
—said with a mental sneer—sat in a club chair, hair in disarray, legs slightly spread, almost enough to expose him.

The by now familiar wild glint in his eye went well with his curled lip.

“If it isn’t my dear wife.”

“What do you want from me?”

A brow arched. “I’d say that was obvious. A wife’s place is by her husband. Serving him.”

“I was taking care of my sons.”

“You should be taking care of me!” Andrew sprang from the chair, every inch of him vibrating with repressed irritation. “I have needs, too, wife. Needs you’ve been neglecting for years.”

His accusation riled. “Are you seriously going to blame me for the fact you were always too tired or too busy?”

“Maybe it’s because you are just too boring.”

“Enough,” Wes said. He interjected himself between them, and for a moment, she slumped behind his broad back, thankful for the reprieve. Sticks and stones might break bones, but names and accusations cut more deeply.

I told you to stay away from him,
her cat chided.

No one likes a smart-ass cat,
she snapped back.

“This is none of your affair, gator. Leave.” Andrew addressed his icy request at Wes.

“I am not leaving unless I know you won’t hurt her.”

“What I do with my wife is none of your business.”

“You won’t be doing anything,” she muttered. Playing nice was one thing, allowing this travesty of a man to touch her another.

Andrew heard her denial. “I will do whatever I want to you. And none will dare to stop me.”

“I will.” Quietly spoken by Wes, yet the words hung quite clearly in the air.

Andrew didn’t like them one bit. “What’s this? Are you expressing an interest in my wife? Are you the reason she won’t fuck me, her husband? If I’d known you were into slumming, dear Melanie, I wouldn’t have been so nice.”

Crack
. The sound of a fist striking flesh brought her around Wes’s body. Andrew sat on the ground, rubbing his jaw, but the maniacal smile remained.

“Not bad. And further proof of my so-called wife’s perfidy.”

“I never cheated on you,” she declared hotly.

“And yet your sons are not mine.”

“What’s he talking about?” Wes growled.

“He’s talking about the fact he impregnated me with someone else’s sperm. Apparently, I was nothing more to him than an incubator so he could make babies to play god with.”

A high-pitched laugh stuttered from Andrew. “I am doing more than playing. I. Am. God.”

“No, you’re insane. And I want nothing to do with you. I might not be able to escape this place”—
yet
—“but that doesn’t mean I can’t say no. So unless you’re prepared to rape or kill me, I’m leaving,” she announced.

“Go. Don’t come back unless you’re ready to crawl and beg for my forgiveness. But don’t be surprised if, when you do, you have to share my bed. A man has needs.”

“I won’t be back.”

“You say that now, but let me add that, if you’re not going to be my wife in every way that counts, then you will serve the needs of the project. That is, your womb will. And maybe this time we won’t use artificial insemination to get what I need.”

Turning on her heel, she tugged blindly at the door, her throat tight and dry. Fear made her hands shake. Wes’s smooth grip overtop hers lent some of his strength.

She fled the lair of the madman with only one thought—escape.

Run. Hide. Her cat, usually the bravest of predators, did not know how to handle this level of crazy.

Actually, that was untrue. Her feline did have a solution. A permanent one.

Andrew has to die.