Page 22 of Beautiful Soul

“Calmed down?” Mystic asked as she stretched up to stroke two fingers down his cheek.

The roiling rage settled as if water had flooded over a fire. “I’m okay.”

“Good. Your job is to get Lena out of the SUV and keep her safe while we deal with the demons,” Mystic said.

“You’ll need my guns,” he said as he opened his coat.

“No, we won’t,” Livingston said. His smile showed his canine teeth had dropped.

“You take the elevator and we’ll meet you on the floor below where they’re parked,” Jefferson said as the shape-shifters began to undress.

One of the vampires was left behind to guard the clothes, while the others followed Kingsley, Livingston, and Mystic to the bank of elevators. It took a few minutes for one to descend, but soon they were traveling up.

Lena, what’s going on? Kingsley asked as they ascended.

I don’t know, she answered, sounding calmer.

We’ll be there in a few minutes. Just keep your head down and wait for me.

Yeah, like I’m going to fight these guys on my own, came her facetious answer.

Kingsley chuckled as he followed the others out of the elevator.

Once they were all together, Mystic split the group so half the shifters still in wolf form, and half the vampires would go up the driveway to the top floor, while the rest of the group would use the emergency staircase. Kingsley would take the elevator and act as a diversion until the others got into position.

And then the battle would begin.

Chapter Thirteen

Lena lay in the back of the SUV getting hotter and hotter. The hot air and the hood they had put on her made it harder and harder to breathe. She wiggled her head up and down, back and forth, slowly inching the hood up her head to free her mouth. Taking a deep breath of the slightly cooler air, when she finally had the cloth away from her mouth and nose, helped. A little.

Waiting for Kingsley and whoever he was bringing with him was hard. For the moment, all she wanted was out of this SUV that smelled like sulfur and skunk. Once free, she would worry about everything else.

All at once, she thought she heard growls and barks and screams. Then the SUV began to rock back and forth as if someone was pushing on one side.

The rocking stopped just as her stomach began to rebel. At the same time, all the noise stopped. She froze when she heard a lock releasing and cool air wafted over her.

“Lena? Are you all right, sweetling?”

Kingsley.

He really had come for her. Once again she owed him for her life.

“I’m all right now that you’re here. Are you all right?” she whispered, not sure where her kidnappers had gone.

“I’m fine,” Kingsley assured her as he sat her up in the SUV. He quickly released her ankles and wrists, but left the hood in place.

When she went to pull it off, he grabbed her hands. “Leave it on a little bit longer.”

With that, he picked her up and carried her … somewhere. Keeping her eyes closed, she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt the sun and then cooler air when the sun went away.

Kingsley stood for a moment before taking several more steps forward and turning them around. She heard some mechanical noises before he said, “You can take the hood off now, angel.”

She pulled the hood off and tossed it over Kingsley’s shoulder. Opening her eyes, she blinked several times before her eyes adjusted to the light. They were in an elevator.

“What happened? Who were those guys? What did they want with me?”

“They were demons. We’re not sure why they took you. We left one alive to question, but then he ripped out his own throat, so we still have no answers. But you don’t have to worry about any of that. For now, we’ll go to your apartment and get what you need for the next few days. You’re coming home with me.”

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