Page 61 of Finding Her Panthers

“Probably there?” Ryker points to the right, across a wide-open field, lights dimmed from a distance. What looks like a barn and log cabin sit innocently.

“Let’s go.” Jax starts to open his door, stopping and hissing when Ryker grabs his shoulder.

“Just listen. I’ll go in first,” he says.

“No, she’s our mate,” Jax spits.

“Yes, but you shifters have senses that smell your kind. I don’t have a scent. I can distract them before you all come to the rescue,” he says and lifts his hands in front of him.

“He doesn’t. With vampires, all I smell is blank. It’s unusual to us, a void, but if you aren’t experienced with them, you won’t look for it,” I confirm, then look at Jax. “It’s a good plan.”

“Fine. Don’t kill them. Just distract. Text James when you have eyes on them,” Jax instructs.

“No worries. I have lots of experience with being a distraction.” He wiggles his eyebrows, and it should look silly on his fierce face, but he still looks dangerous.

He disappears into the dark in a blur. The guys poke their heads in the still-open door. “What’s happening?” Stephan asks.

“We just put all of our trust in a vampire.” Jax stares out the window glumly.

Kerian speaks from beside my door, and his eyes are dark and deadly. “Why is my grandfather here?”

Fuck.

Chapter Fifteen

Harmony

If I didn’t know better, I would think my hands were no longer attached to my arms. Wincing, I struggle to get any traction with my toes that barely touch the ground, hoping to give them any relief.

I pray James understood what I was telling him. I really need them right about now. The three psychos are having a hushed conversation that might be more like an argument in the corner as far away from me as they can get without leaving the barn. Cindy is holding back tears, glaring daggers at me. Scotty is pointing at his chest with what looks like begging. Ames is looking at them like a demented angry father, lecturing them on the finer points of kidnapping.

The thing I am most worried about, though, is where Penny is. Is she even here? Or do they have her in a different location?

Well, what do I have to lose? “Hey assholes, where’s Penny?”

Okay, that got their attention focused on me. Great, right?

“The proper way to address me is Daddy.” Ames struts over to stand in front of me.

Gag. “That’s not going to happen.”

“It will, in time. We have the rest of our long lives,” he assures me.

“How old are you anyway? A lot older than me, I know.”

His jaw clenched. “The first thing we need to train you in is proper etiquette.” He’s back to lecturing.

“Not likely. See, I didn’t grow up with a proper daddy since you killed him. Remember?”

“Once I get you alone, we’ll have our first lesson,” he threatens.

“To do that, you’ll have to remove the chains. It won’t go as well for you when I’m free.” I smile.

“Free? You will never be free of me again.” He shakes his head.

“Did you put Cindy through this training?” I look at her, huddling behind him.

“Of course.” He glances back proudly.

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