Page 29 of Saving Penny
His wolf slammed into his chest at the thought that another was in the area, trying to claim their mate. He could feel his gums burn from his incisors trying to descend. He would tear whoever this was apart. They would not lay a hand on his Penny. He must have growled because Jude calmly moved in front of him.
“Calm down, big guy,” he soothed in a calming tone, looking over his shoulder. His partner was in the other room and out of hearing distance from the living room. “She’s safe. Is she your mate?”
Drake nodded, trying to pull his beast back. He took a deep breath, winning the battle of beast and man.
“I’m good,” he said, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He relaxed his shoulders. Jude was right, Penny was safe. She had been with him when the person vandalized her apartment.
He glanced around the apartment and knew that she would have to start over. Luckily, she was a very rich woman and would be able to do so. Hell, if she didn’t have the money, he would provide anything she would need or want for.
The memory of her stiffening under his touch at the mention of money made him realize that even if she hadn’t won the lottery, she wouldn’t be the type of person who would take handouts. She was a strong woman, and he respected her for it. He stepped through the rest of her apartment, not touching anything, but observed all the damaged items.
“Doesn’t seem to be anything missing,” Jude muttered as Drake entered the living room. He had come to the same conclusion.
This wasn’t a robbery.
This was her stalker.
His wolf pawed at his stomach and let loose a whine.
Something was wrong.
He stood in place, closed his eyes and inhaled.
An overwhelming, but familiar scent hit his nostrils.
He cursed and rushed out of the apartment. The stalker laid a trap, and they may have just walked right into it.
Drake ran down the stairs that led outside, his eyes scanning for Penny. He rushed over to the ambulance, finding Tori sitting up on the side of the cart with an icepack to the back of her head. She was all smiles and openly flirting with the EMT.
But no Penny.
“Tori!” he shouted, rushing to her. Startled, she turned to him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, forgetting the EMT as she turned to him with a concerned look.
“Where’s Penny?”
“I don’t know. She said she was going to find you.” The color drained from her face as she tried to talk. Her mouth moved, but no words escaped. “She’s not with you?” she asked, her voice ending on a squeak.
He shook his head as fear gripped his heart. He turned and scanned the scene. The crowd, disappointed that there were no dead bodies, had started to disperse, leaving a few curious bystanders.
Growling, he snatched his phone from his pocket.
The stalker had her.
Chapter 14
The poundingin her head felt like elephants were stomping along inside her brain. She groaned as the pain increased behind her eyes. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to remember when she would have drunk so much to have one hell of a headache.
She licked her dry lips, but found her tongue practically stuck to the roof of her mouth. She opened her eyes and tried to stretch, but her arms and legs wouldn’t move.
“What the hell?” she gasped. She frantically looked around, finding herself in an unfamiliar bedroom. The walls were made of large wooden logs. It was a simple room that had electricity, and not much else. Standard bedroom furniture, with a chair in the corner, decorated the room. It looked as if she were in a cabin, but how the hell did she get here? She glanced over at the windows, and the light from the moon shined through the open curtains.
How long was she out?
The last thing she remembered was leaving Tori flirting with the EMT’s and wanting to go in and see the damage done to her apartment. Tori told her it was bad, but she had needed to see it for herself. She remembered walking along the side of the ambulance when someone grabbed her from behind. There was a struggle, something covered her face, then there was darkness.
She discovered thick ropes bound her wrists and ankles. She tugged, but she didn’t have much leeway. She looked down at herself and found the clothes she was wearing earlier were gone. Instead, she was dressed in nothing but a silk black nightie that stopped mid-thigh.
