Kellen's Tempting Mate (28 page)

She waited for the man named Kai to tell her what he wanted to know, hoping she could give him answers and he’d let her go. God, she wished Marley was here, then was glad the older woman was safe.

“Follow me.” Kai spun on his heel, entering the building that had been her prison for the last two weeks.

The space was filled with cots, she’d guess it was what one would imagine a boot camp was like. She’d never signed up, but that didn’t matter to ma’am. Every day they made her get up at the ass crack of dawn, going through rigorous training as if she was a soldier. She’d even been learning how to shoot a gun. Not that she’d tell the big oaf in front of her.

“I’d keep moving. You don’t want to piss him off.”

Jumping at the deep rumble coming from behind her, Alexa hadn’t realized the large man named Oz had followed them. Lord, he had to be well over six foot with dark red hair, and muscles upon muscles. How does a man that big move as quiet as a cat? Shit, all this talk about shifters was making her crazy.

He flashed a bright white smile, leaning down to her ear. “I’m not one of the shifters, baby girl.”

“Oz, quit flirting with the woman.” Kai’s voice held a hint of violence.

“Yes, Captain.” Oz winked.

“My name is Alexa.” She stomped toward his retreating back.

He spun around fast, making her gasp as she ran into him. His arms came up to catch her. “I know your name. What I don’t is why you’re here.” His fingers bit into her biceps for a moment.

“If I tell you my story, you’ll let me go? Just like that?” Alexa snapped her fingers.

They walked into the office that had belonged to the woman in charge. The space was filled with electronics that looked straight out of the space station. Damn, she wished she’d have known the woman had all that technology in there.

Kai’s black eyes assessed her. “You got someone you want to call?”

Alexa wanted to call Marley, but all her belongings had been taken from her when ma’am and the others had taken her to the compound. Of course, she’d memorized the woman’s number, but she’d never drag her into this mess. Having made a real friend, Alexa treasured her, and would never endanger the gentle soul that was Marley.

Sighing, the events of the last few months hitting her, she collapsed into one of the chairs. “I just want my stuff so I can finally leave. My car broke down on the road a couple weeks back. I was running from my ex, and...he was following me.” She explained about running into the woods when she realized Danny was following her, then how ma’am had found her, and how the woman’s pet
dogs
had dragged her ex away. Kai and Oz listened without interruption as she kept her eyes on the floor between her feet.

“Look at me.” Kai’s voice whipped like a lash.

Her head jerked up.

“You’re telling me you just went off with some woman with glowing eyes while your boyfriend is attacked by wild dogs? Never once thinking about his safety?”

Anger replaced the dejected feeling, standing up in a move faster than either man expected, she pressed both palms into his rock hard abs. “Listen here, buddy, I barely survived his brutal attack just months before. He beat me so bad, would have raped and killed me in a dirty dark alleyway in Chicago without a backwards glance. Luckily for me a cabbie heard my screams, or I wouldn’t be standing here in front of an overgrown asshat. So don’t think for one minute I have one moment of regret that jackhole is probably puppy kibble. His mama is more than likely torturing another helpless creature, cause yeah, she’s as batshit crazy as him. She lifted her shirt to show him the angry red scar that ran between her breasts. “He used his bowie knife to cut my shirt in half, uncaring that he’d sliced into me. The doctor said he’d actually hit bone. Lucky for me I was already passed out from the pain of having my arm twisted behind my back so far that he’d broken my forearm and dislocated my shoulder.” She pulled her shirt back down, ashamed when she felt tears tracking down her face.

Oz pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay, sweets.”

She allowed the big man to comfort her for a second then pulled away. “There you go. That’s my story.”

“Okay, that’s how you got here. Now, I need to know what you saw while you were here. Who you talked to. What you heard. I’m sorry for what you went through, but it’s important to our mission that I ask you these questions. As the only other female here, it’s imperative.” He gestured to the chair. “Please sit back down.”

“I don’t know how much help I’ll be.”

“You’d be amazed at what you may have picked up on and had no clue what we can decipher.” Kai smiled.

When he smiled like that, she swore the world brightened, then wanted to smack herself upside the head. He was good at interrogations. More than likely it was all part of his plan. First he’d unsettle her with his bad cop, then when that didn’t work, he’d charm her. Fine! She would tell them everything she knew, and be on her way. Nothing to hide, except Marley. They would not mess with the older woman if she had anything to say about it.

“Have you or your men found my car or belongings?” She asked after what seemed hours of talking. Her throat was raw from talking. Oz had stood back listening, fetching her bottles of water. Now, her body was telling her she needed the ladies room in the worst way possible, and her stomach reminded her she needed to eat. A loud rumble sounded, but she wasn’t embarrassed. It was all their fault for not letting her have any food. Even the woman she was scared shitless of made sure they had three square meals a day, even if they were not the tastiest.

“I think that’s enough for now. Let’s get you some chow.” He nodded, standing and gestured for her to do the same.

Alexa wanted to give him the finger and tell him to go screw himself. “I need to go to the bathroom.” Heat crawled up her cheeks at the announcement.

“You’ll understand that one of us will need to accompany you there. For your safety. We don’t know if there are any triggers that we haven’t found yet.”

When will this nightmare end?

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