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  Anger and frustration flared hotly. How could he dismiss her like that? “Hey. Don’t talk to me like I’m stupid.” Kerry took a step back and crossed her arms defensively over her breasts. “I know we’re in the middle of a dangerous situation, okay. But when I was standing on that porch today, something called to me.”

  Dante opened his mouth to argue with her, but she put her hands up to silence him. If he knew what was good for him, he’d shut up before he dismissed her any further.

  “I can’t explain it.” She rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, I am sure that Joseph and this old house are connected to me somehow. There’s something here, Dante. Think about it,” she continued passionately. “Last night, in the dream realm, we came to this place. I’m willing to bet you a million dollars that the inside of that house looks just like it did in my dream. I’m telling you that the answers to my past are here.”

  Dante cursed silently and looked back out the window as if he was trying to escape the cramped space of the trailer. He stood with his back to Kerry, and although it was only a few moments, it seemed to stretch out for eternity. When he finally spoke, he didn’t turn around. “Malcolm and Samantha have gone back home to speak with Davis. I’d really rather not attempt more communication with Joseph until we hear what Davis has to say about him. Malcolm assured me they would be back in New Orleans later this evening.”

  The muscles in his shoulders bunched with tension, and he let out a frustrated sigh. She knew he was scared for her safety. Amoveo or human, no man liked to show fear in front of his woman. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he opened the door of the trailer, which was accompanied by a puff of damp Louisiana air, filling the trailer instantly.

  “If Joseph won’t help us,” he said with gritty determination, “perhaps Jacqueline may have the answers we’re looking for. Steven and Boris were supposed to talk to her, but I don’t have the patience to wait and hear what they found out. I’m speaking to her myself.”

  Kerry’s eyes widened, and a huge smile spread across her face. “Of course!” She placed a big kiss on Dante’s unshaven cheek. “Good thinking, Tarzan.”

  They stepped out of the trailer and found Peter and Jacqueline chatting by their cars. Dante wrapped his arm protectively around Kerry’s shoulders, and she knew he kept one eye on Joseph’s cottage. Jacqueline rushed up to them with a tear-stained face and a mewling Jester still cradled in her arms.

  “Cher! Please forgive me. I had no idea Joseph would do something like that.” She sniffled loudly. “I should’ve warned you about the rule about not going inside. Since we were shooting only on the exterior, it must’ve slipped my mind.”

  Her pleading words fell on deaf ears with Dante. He said nothing, but his menacing look made his feelings about her oversight quite clear. Every muscle in his body tensed and rippled subtly against her. Kerry knew he was ready to attack if need be. She looked back at Jacqueline and couldn’t help but feel sorry for her—and that poor cat. If she kept petting him like that, she was going to give the poor little bastard a bald spot.

  “Jacqueline,” Kerry began slowly. “I need you to answer a question for me.”

  “Anything, cher.”

  “How well do you know Joseph, and why in the world won’t he let me into that house?”

  Jacqueline squeezed Jester tighter and rubbed her cheek along his furry head. Her mascara-stained eyes darted nervously toward the cottage, and she lowered her shaking voice to a whisper. “I will tell you everything that you want to know, but we must go now. Meet me tonight at my home in the Quarter. I will tell you everything. I promise.”

  “Obviously, selecting Kerry and having the shoot here at Joseph’s house—none of it is a coincidence,” Dante bit out. “Is it?”

  “No, it’s not.” Jacqueline shook her head solemnly.

  “Who exactly are you, lady?” Dante’s eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped low. “Why should we trust you?”

  Jacqueline said nothing but extended one hand to Kerry. “If you do not trust me, perhaps you will trust her?”

  Kerry licked her lips nervously and glanced at a concerned-looking Peter who had stayed by the car. She knew he must be wondering just what the hell was going on. Dante held her tighter, and his voice slipped into her mind. I’m right here. You know I can get us out of here in seconds.

  Kerry nodded her acknowledgement and threw a glance of gratitude in his direction. She steeled herself, and in this particular moment, was very glad to have him next to her. Kerry sucked in a steadying breath and took Jacqueline’s extended hand in hers.

  No pain.

  Her eyes closed, and her body jerked as electric shocks sizzled up her arm, and a bright new image filled her mind.

  The material world around her fell away, and she saw Joseph as a young handsome man on the steps of the house. The house, like Joseph, gleamed with the energy of youth. He stood on the steps laughing and smiling. Love swamped her heart, and warmth flooded her body. A woman with long dark hair ran up the steps to greet him. She jumped into his arms, and her dazzling laughter jingled around them. Suddenly, without warning, a gunshot rang out, and the earth-shattering roar of a big cat rumbled around her. The keening wail of grief filled her mind, and everything went black.

  Jacqueline removed her hand; the image vanished as the bright light of the bayou came back into focus. Kerry’s spent body sagged against Dante, borrowing his strength on many levels. A large tear slid down her cheek, and her breath came rapidly. Dante held her tightly, and his soothing voice slipped inside of her. I’m here, princess. It’s over.

  She knew she was safe, but she couldn’t stop shivering. The most unsettling part was that she didn’t know if it was sparked by fear or grief, and she wasn’t even certain if it was Joseph’s or her own. It was as if she had absorbed all of the feelings from the vision as her own. Another first. Great.

  “You see, cher,” Jacqueline whispered through sympathetic eyes. “He wasn’t always like this. Come tonight, to my home, and I will tell you everything.”

  Chapter 15

  The Punisher waited for them in their hotel room, knowing that it would be worth the wait. The large antique clock on the wall clicked loudly in the empty suite. The Punisher let out a sigh of contentment. Revenge would be sweet. How could these traitors be allowed to walk freely among their race? They were polluting the purity of their ancient bloodlines with humans. The Punisher cringed at the thought. Even worse were these mutations, the ones they called hybrids. The Punisher scoffed loudly at the very idea of a hybrid being equal to a pure-blooded Amoveo. Anger boiled, and the room swirled with the Punisher’s dark energy.

  A deep breath and some serious focus helped back the energy up and clear the space. The last thing the Punisher needed was to tip them off before they even got back to the room. The Punisher smiled as the smooth glass bottle rolled gently between two ice-cold hands. The cork came loose easily, and the Punisher poured some of the black powder onto a delicate crystal plate, taking great care not to touch any of it. Oh no, that would not be good. The last thing the Purists needed was one of their best advocates powerless for a month. With great care the bottle was sealed back up and put away for later. There was still plenty left to bind the others.

  A subtle shift in the energy of the room captured the Punisher’s full attention and warned of their impending arrival. Waiting. Patiently waiting. A second or two more, and they would be here. Yes! Static crackled in the air, and two of the traitors materialized in the room just a few feet away. The male realized it first. The confusion and surprise on his face was well worth the wait. Before he could utter a single word or realize what was happening, the Punisher smiled and stepped closer to the two lovers. With one large breath, black powder flew into their faces.

  They sputtered and coughed, brushing away the powder that burned their eyes and nostrils. Initially it looked as though the powder wasn’t working, but within seconds the two shimmered and shifted unwillingly
into their animal forms. The surprised look on the wolf’s face almost elicited a laugh from their captor. The eagle shrieked and flapped its massive wings furiously as the two beasts looked at one another through pathetic, helpless eyes.

  With the wave of a gloved hand and whisperings of the ancient language, a large leather muzzle appeared over the wolf’s mouth and a black leather hood over the head of the eagle. As they struggled against their new bindings, a long chain appeared, which only added to their fear and confusion, one end around the neck of the wolf, and the other bound to the eagle’s leg.

  The Punisher made soft sounds of reassurance and let out a maniacal laugh as the two of them stopped struggling. “Shhhh. There, there. No point in fighting it. Besides, I thought you two wanted to be together forever?” The Punisher’s gloating laughter bounced off the walls. “Malcolm and Samantha, I’m sure you’ve realized by now that you have none of your gifts. No telepathy, no visualization, and no ability to shift.”

  The eagle screeched and attempted to fly, but the chain tied to its mate was far too short to allow any flight. The links pulled tightly on the makeshift choke collar around the wolf’s neck. Samantha let out a whine and a low growl. Malcolm immediately stopped moving and settled on the floor blindly next to the massive wolf.

  The Punisher laughed softly and made a scolding sound. “Careful Malcolm, or you’ll choke the life right out of Samantha.”

  Samantha let out a low growl of warning. Her bright blue eyes glared at the Punisher through the leather muzzle that clung tightly to her furry face. Their captor stepped back and pulled out a sleek black handgun and pointed it directly at Malcolm.

  “Now, now Samantha. If you don’t behave, then I’ll have to shoot a hole right through his bird brain. But what fun would that be?” They both stilled, likely weighing their limited options. “Malcolm, you may be blinded by your hood, but I know you can hear me. I have a gun pointed directly at you. It would make a pretty hole in you or your mate just as easily as in you. But don’t worry… we have much bigger and better plans for you and your disgusting friends. Now, I’m going to take you someplace special, and later this evening your friends will be joining us.”

  The Punisher kept the gun pointed at Malcolm, carefully stepped over the chain, and stood between the prisoners. The Punisher, keeping a sharp eye on the wolf, picked up the chain that tied the two together. The whisper of one word from their captor, “Verto,” and all three Amoveo vanished into the air.

  Moments later they materialized in the room at Breezemont that had been carefully prepared. The large bedroom in the old house stood just as it had been left the night before. Three of the massive steel cages sat empty, and the only occupied cage still had the black canvas cover securely over it. The beast beneath stirred restlessly. The sounds drew the attention of Samantha. Her ears pricked up, and her bright blue eyes flicked to the cage. A harsh yank on the chain elicited the desired whimper of pain from Samantha, and the sound of the gun cocking bounced through the room, silencing the wolf.

  Her abductor opened one of the empty cages beside the crumbling fireplace and motioned for Samantha to go in. Reluctantly, she entered the cage, while emitting a low and deadly growl. Her glowing blue eyes locked with her jailor.

  “Watch it, missy. No loud noises. I have a strong shield in place, which, so far, has kept our little surprise hidden. However, I don’t want to run the risk of letting the cat out of the bag, so to speak.”

  The chain was quickly removed and the cage door slammed shut as the lock clicked into place and echoed throughout the room. With the chain clutched tightly in a gloved fist, the Punisher dragged Malcolm over and wrapped the other hand around his feathered neck.

  “It would be so easy to snap your neck,” his captor whispered softly as the eagle’s massive wings flapped helplessly. Samantha growled, and her hackles went up, but their kidnapper merely laughed. “She’s one protective bitch, isn’t she Malcolm?” The Punisher released Malcolm and sighed loudly. “Alas, it’s not quite time for that. No, we’d much rather make it a group event. So much more fun.”

  Their abductor lashed the chain tightly to a wooden perch, which stood next to Samantha’s cage. After some resistance, Malcolm eventually settled onto the perch. He pulled at the chain tied to his leg, but that only got a bigger chuckle from their captor.

  “Keep pulling on that chain, Malcolm. You’ll rip your own leg off.” The Punisher stepped back and admired the menagerie that had been collected so far. “Not that I really care,” their enemy said with a rather dismissive wave and turned around to survey the room once more. “Very nice. You see everything is going as planned this time. The binding powder has worked as promised. It will keep you bound in your clan form without any of your abilities for a month—but you’ll be dead long before it wears off.”

  The Punisher backed up slowly across the large room and sat in the worn wing chair against the far wall, with the gun still pointed at the helpless captives.

  “I’m sure you’re wondering what’s next. Well… now, we wait. We wait for my partner to join us. He’ll keep an eye on you, while I put the final pieces in place for our big finale this evening. I need to be sure we have all the players properly positioned.” The Punisher glanced at the old mantel clock that was somehow still working after so many years abandoned. “We’ve waited all these years… what’s a few more hours?”

  Chapter 16

  Pete drove Dante and Kerry back to the French Quarter in awkward silence. Kerry knew that Pete suspected something, but so far he hadn’t uttered a word. Occasionally, she caught his eye in the rearview mirror, but she couldn’t hold his gaze for long. He was very uncomfortable, not scared, but absolutely unsettled. His nervous energy rippled through the car and gave her a bit of a headache. She looked at Dante, who sat stone still next to her and hadn’t taken his eyes off the passing scenery.

  Peter cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. He flicked a glance to them in the backseat. “So, I’ll drop you two at the front of the hotel?”

  “Yes,” Dante responded without looking up. “But I want you to meet us back here later and come with us to Jacqueline’s house tonight.”

  “You got it, boss.” Peter pulled the car to a stop in front of the Monteleone and turned around to face them. “Do you want me to take a look around Jacqueline’s place? Get a feel for the layout and surrounding area?”

  Dante’s serious gaze locked with Pete’s, and he nodded almost imperceptibly. “Absolutely. We’ll meet you in the lobby at five o’clock and walk over together.”

  Kerry and Dante got out of the car and watched as Pete drove away. She adjusted the large black bag on her shoulder and linked her arm in his. She watched as the muscles clenched in his jaw, and his eyes scanned the street around them. Kerry’s heart thudded in her chest. She’d never been the focus of such love, devotion, and fierce protection. As a model, she’d had total strangers fantasize about her and various buffoons try to get in her pants, but no one—no man—had ever really loved her. Even more importantly, she hadn’t been in love before.

  Kerry swallowed hard in an attempt to keep from crying like some ridiculous schoolgirl. “Hey, what do you say we try to go on a date?”

  “What?” He looked at her as though she’d said she wanted to run down the street naked covered in chicken feathers. “Now?”

  The shocked look on his face had her laughing out loud. She whirled to face him and took his scruffy jaw in her hands. “Yes, you big caveman. Now! I refuse to spend the rest of the day worrying.” She stepped back and placed her hands on her hips, daring him to challenge her. “What else would you like to do? Sit around and watch the minutes tick by until the clock strikes five, and it’s time to go to Jacqueline’s?”

  He raised one eyebrow and smiled at her suggestively. “I can think of a few things to help pass the time.” Dante sidled closer and placed a tender kiss on the corner of her mouth.

  Kerry giggled and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m su
re you can.” She laughed as his large hands slid down and cupped her ass. She gave him the most scolding look she could muster, and grabbing his hands, slipped out of his tempting embrace. “I’m hungry. Women cannot live on sex alone.” She grinned. Kerry walked backwards and pulled her with him. “Malcolm and Samantha aren’t going to be back until later. So let’s just go have some fun. Put all of this craziness out of our minds and go on a date. You know… like normal people do.” She eyed him skeptically and stopped dead in her tracks. “You do know what a date is… right?”

  That slow, lopsided smile cracked his handsome face, and his amber eyes twinkled. He threw his head back and let out that deep, rich laugh that she loved, but only rarely heard. “Yes. Contrary to what you love to call me, I am not a Neanderthal.” Slowly, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. He placed a warm kiss on her fingers and kept his smiling eyes on hers. “Your wish is my command.”

  His intense amber eyes locked on hers and practically devoured her. She had to admit he had the thickest, most spectacular lashes that she’d ever seen on a man.

  “You bet your ass it is,” she murmured. “Come on. Let’s go do some sightseeing. Maybe grab some lunch?” She pulled his hand, encouraging him to walk with her. “I’ve been dying to try the coffee at the Café Du Monde, and I’d adore a ride on that riverboat.”

  Dante quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. With great contentment, she noticed how easily they stepped in time with one another. She marveled at the way they seemed so perfectly in tune. That dopey line from that Tom Cruise movie kept running through her head—the whole “you complete me” thing. As scary and bizarre as her life had gotten, she wouldn’t trade it for the world. For the first time in her life she did feel complete. Before Dante, she’d been broken and damaged. Alone and drowning in pain. Not anymore.