Jodi_ByTheLight Read online

  “Did you call the cops?” Jayden asked.

  “Sure did. By the time they got here he was long gone. In fact they didn’t even bother writing down his license plate.” The clerk snorted. “The police force here is like an army of Barney Fifes. You wonder why people make fun of the South.”

  “You got his license?”

  “Yep. Got it right here.” The clerk flipped a couple of pages in his college textbook until he reached a florescent note. Peeling it off the page, he handed it to Damon.

  He glanced at the note before handing it to Jayden. “Is there anything else you can remember about the truck?”

  “It was an older model blue Ford. The handle must not have worked on the driver’s side because he stuck his hand through the open window to open the door. Does that help?”

  “Yeah, it does. Thanks.” Ava gave him a grateful smile.

  “Thanks, kid.” Damon nodded at the clerk before they headed toward the door.

  “I hope you find your friend.” The clerk’s voice drifted out to them as they walked outside.

  Ava spoke just loud enough for Damon to hear. “I hope we find her too.”

  ***

  Ava sat in the backseat as Damon and Jayden stood outside the convenience store, each on their cell phones.

  A chill ran down her back, like a single bead of water from an icicle, and oozed down her spine. Wrapping her arms around herself, she fought the disturbing images she conjured about what could have happened to the missing girl. Dread, deep and dark, filled her chest until there was no empty space.

  She shook her head. She couldn’t do this. She had to stay positive or she would go insane with worry.

  Rubbing the ache that had been building at her temples, she closed her eyes and tried to find some semblance of calm. She needed to focus. Worrying didn’t help anything. Opening her eyes, she found herself looking straight into Damon’s hardened gaze through the windshield.

  She smiled tightly and nodded, letting him know she was okay. Jayden said something to him. Damon’s gaze never wavered from her as he answered back.

  She glanced out the window and sucked in a bitter breath.

  Haley was out there somewhere, and at the moment, she was alive. She could feel it. They just needed a little bit of luck to find her before it was too late.

  ***

  It was well past dark by the time they got back to the casino. As they walked through the brightly lit lobby, Ava’s stomach growled.

  Damon cringed. He was such a selfish bastard. He had been so consumed with trying to find the missing girl that they hadn’t bothered stopping for lunch.

  “Why don’t we grab something to eat before we head up?” He looked over at Jayden.

  “You guys go ahead. I’m going to run up to my room and call my contacts to see if anything new has turned up. I’ll order room service.” Jayden pushed the elevator button. “The steak is really good here.” Jayden motioned with his hand. “Head down that way past the slot machines until you see the restaurant.”

  Damon rested his hand on the small of Ava’s back and led her through the casino. More than one male craned his neck to get a better look at her. Instinctively, he pulled her closer. When she gave him a quizzical look, he covered her lips with his. He needed to make it clear to any male watching, she was not available.

  She laughed, the sound shooting straight to his heart. “What was that for?”

  “I just felt like kissing you.” He always felt like kissing her. That was the problem.

  “I didn’t peg you as the kind of guy who was into public displays of affection.” Her lips quirked up. “Not that I’m complaining.”

  He ran his thumb across her beautiful mouth. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and gently bit the tip of his finger.

  “Just wanted to make sure those two guys at the blackjack table knew who I was with, in case they didn’t see the kiss.” She gave him a heated look.

  “You are like no other female I’ve ever known, Ava.”

  She was beautiful, intelligent and strong. He doubted she would ever be the kind to live her life on the safe side or do what she was told. No, not Ava. She would squeeze every last drop out of life and never regret her choices.

  Her eyes softened. “I like it when you look at me like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like I’m standing here without any clothes on. Like you wouldn’t hesitate to take me on the floor, right here in front of everybody.”

  Lust stirred in his gut and his cock hardened. “Don’t tempt me.”

  “Really?” She shifted, pressing herself intimately against him. “You’d do that? In a room full of people?”

  Her scent filled his head, wrapping around him until he couldn’t think straight. He grabbed her ass with both hands. Her breathing turned to a heated pant. Her scent of arousal flooded his head as he brushed his lips across the shell of her ear. “There are always dark corners, Ava. I could have your jeans down and be inside you before anyone saw it.”

  “Oh, God.” She dug her nails into his biceps and moaned.

  Her stomach let out another growl.

  Shaking his head, he reluctantly pulled away. “Come on. You’re hungry.”

  “I’m not hungry.” She shook her head. “I want to find a corner.” She grabbed his hand as she scanned the busy room.

  He laughed. “Come on.”

  Inside the restaurant, they were quickly seated at a table for two near one of the large windows that looked out over the water. The attentive waitress took their orders and had their beers on the table in a matter of minutes.

  Damon leaned back and studied her. “I talked to Barrett and gave him that Arkansas license plate. He ran it through the system and came up with a name. David Jenkins, resident of Little Rock.”

  She sat forward. “Are we going to his house?”

  He shook his head. “No, it’s too far. Barrett is sending some men over there to check it out.”

  Ava picked up her longneck beer and took a drink. “What do you think they’ll find?” She picked at the label from her bottle with her fingernail.

  He shrugged. “No clue. If it’s the same guys who took you, they’ve probably made sure to cover their tracks and haven’t left anything incriminating in their home.”

  “Haley is alive.”

  He reached for her hand. “Ava, the odds of finding her alive go down every second.”

  “I don’t care what the odds are.” Her gaze locked on his. “I can’t explain it but I know she’s alive. I feel it.”

  He frowned and cocked his head.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not crazy.” She tried to tug her hand out of his, but he wasn’t letting go.

  “It’s your animal instinct. That’s why you feel she’s alive.”

  She snorted.

  “Don’t dismiss what you are. Animal instinct has saved my ass more than once.”

  “Really?” She paused, holding the beer halfway to her mouth. “For example?”

  He took a long pull drink; the cool liquid quenched his thirst as his memories of that night rushed to the surface. “I was on my way to South Carolina to meet up with some of my bike-riding buddies. I pulled into a gas station near Augusta, Georgia. It was late, and there was only one other vehicle parked outside. By the time I filled up my tank and made a phone call, the car was still there.”

  “So?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t have thought much about it, except I kept getting a feeling that something was off.” Damon shrugged. “I even got back on my Harley and tried to ignore that feeling. But I couldn’t leave. That feeling wouldn’t let me leave. I got off and made my way to the store. As I walked closer to the convenience store I noticed the clerk was gone and there were two guys hanging out near the beer cooler, watching me.”

  “You went in anyway?” She leaned forward in her seat.

  He nodded. “I went in, walked over to the coolers, and grabbed a bottle of water. One of the g
uys stepped up to me and said the clerk was in the bathroom and that they didn’t know how much longer he’d be.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I said I’d wait.” He grinned. “They didn’t like that answer. They suggested I leave the money on the counter. I said okay and walked over to the counter. I heard them come up behind me. I slammed the cash down and turned in time to see the bigger of the two men swinging a bat at my head.”

  “Did he hit you?” Her eyes widened.

  “I ducked and then tackled him. After I knocked him out, I saw the other guy pointing a shotgun at me. He must have gotten it from behind the counter.”

  “A crashing sound from the beer cooler startled him and the gun went off. I ducked. The full impact missed me and I was left with only a few buckshot in my shoulder.” He touched his scarred cheek. “And, here.”

  “I was wondering how you got that.” She frowned. “I thought werewolves could heal. Why do you have a scar?”

  He snorted. “When I rushed the guy with the gun, we ended up toppling a shelf-full of salt. Once you get salt in a wound it won’t heal. There will always be a scar.”

  “I like your scar. It makes you look even sexier.” Ava grinned and took a drink.

  He blinked a couple of times. She actually thought his scar was a turn-on not a defect.

  “Go on. What happened next?” She folded her hands under her chin.

  “It didn’t take much to subdue him. After making sure both guys were restrained with some zip ties, I went over to the cooler. Opening the door, I looked past the broken beer bottles to the very back of the cooler where they stock the shelves from the inside. There was the missing clerk, gagged and hogtied.”

  “Was he okay?”

  “Yeah, he was just shaken up. The two thugs were trying to get the security code for the owner’s safe in the office. He said he’d seen me come in and knew if I’d have left they would have killed him to keep him from making a positive ID. He managed to scoot close enough to the beer shelves and kick the bottles off.”

  “Did you call the cops?”

  He nodded. “I didn’t stick around. I’d already lost too much time by stopping, so I kept going.”

  She shook her head. “You didn’t stick around because you didn’t need the recognition of being a hero.”

  He grimaced. “I’m no hero, Ava.”

  “You’re my hero. You’re that clerk’s hero, too. Without you, we’d both be dead.” She reached out for his hand and held it between her palms. “You’re going to be Haley’s hero, too.”

  He swallowed down the ache that had suddenly developed in his throat. Things didn’t always work out like you wanted. He knew that all too well.

  ***

  Ava was busy brushing her teeth when Damon poked his head in the bathroom.

  “Jayden called. I’m heading over to his room for an update on what they found at David Jenkins’s house.”

  She turned. “Did they find Haley?”

  He shook his head. “No. I didn’t expect her to be there.”

  Her heart shuttered and fell.

  “It doesn’t mean she isn’t somewhere else.” He gave her a determined look.

  “Wait and I’ll come with you.” She knew they were up against the clock. They could be torturing that poor girl right now, while she was safe and comfortable in her hotel room with Damon as her guard.

  She pushed past him to grab her jacket.

  He shook his head. “No, Ava. It’s late and you’re exhausted.”

  “But…”

  “No buts. Stay here and get some rest. If there’s anything new, I’ll let you know.” He pulled down the comforter and sheets and motioned for her to climb in. “I put the do not disturb sign on the door, so no one should bother you. Jayden has rerouted the hall camera to his computer so I can keep an eye on you from his room.” He reached in his jacket pocket and handed her his cell phone. “Jayden’s number is programmed in. Call me if you need me.” He handed her the phone before leaving the room.

  Ava plopped down on the bed, not bothering to stifle the yawn that rose up in her throat. Damon had been doing all the work. He was the one who was exhausted. Not her.

  She placed the cell phone on the nightstand and slid between the soft covers. Guilt surged in her chest as her mind wandered back to the kidnapped girl. She knew what those wolves wanted to do to Haley. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the vivid images that rose like ghosts in her mind. How fair was it that an innocent girl should be caught in the clutches of animals so evil?

  She curled herself into a ball as the tears fell. She cried for the injustice of the whole fucking situation, for Haley’s innocent stripped and for what tomorrow would bring. A short while later, with her body exhausted and her heart heavy, she drifted off to sleep.

  She didn’t look at the clock later that night when the door eased open. The bed shifted as Damon slid in behind her.

  She smiled as his large hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his chest. Safe and content, she drifted back to sleep.

  ***

  Ava blinked open her eyes and arched as the light of dawn spread into the room. When her hand landed on the empty mattress, she froze. She glanced at the clock. 9:00 a.m.

  Weird; she’d never slept this late.

  She threw off the covers and headed to the bathroom door.

  “Damon?”

  No answer. She opened the door and stared into the empty bathroom. Great, he was probably in another meeting with Jayden, leaving her out of what was going on.

  She grabbed her clothes and turned on the shower. She wanted to be dressed and ready when he got back.

  She had just finished drying her hair when Damon pushed the door open with his shoulder while balancing two large cups of coffee. He let the door slam behind him.

  “I wondered where you had gone.” She smiled and took the steaming cup. “Thank God. I was beginning to get a caffeine headache.” What she wouldn’t give for a cup of her own coffee versus hotel coffee.

  “Were you worried?” He gave her a devastating grin, the kind of grin that made her go wet.

  “Maybe.” She took a tentative sip, hoping he couldn’t see how badly he affected her. “What did you find out last night?”

  “Not much. Jenkins didn’t even own the house, only renting it. Our guys retrieved a computer. They spent all night scouring the data, trying to recover any detail that might be of importance. We’re on our way over to Jayden’s room to see what they found.” He handed Ava her jacket and ushered her out of the room.

  Five minutes later they were sitting around Jayden’s living room, finishing their coffee, and eating an assortment of glazed and jelly-filled doughnuts, compliments of their host.

  “Did they find anything on the computer?” Damon handed her another lemon-filled doughnut. She grinned. She’d already eaten three. Guys were not known for encouraging cellulite growth. Yet, here he was, encouraging her to eat.

  Taking the doughnut, she settled back on the leather couch. Damon rested his hand on her knee. His larger-than-life presence calmed her, like her own personal fortress against a raging storm.

  “We found something that was very interesting.” Jayden swiped a glazed doughnut and took a huge bite. “Haley wasn’t kidnapped at random. According to what was recovered on the computer, David Jenkins had been doing his research on her.”

  “What kind of research?” She licked the sugar off her fingers. When no one spoke, she looked up. Both men were watching her with unveiled interest as her tongue swirled around her fingertip.

  Damon cut his gaze at Jayden and growled.

  “Sorry, man.” Jayden held his hands up defensively and looked a bit worried. “I will so keep my eyes off your girl.”

  “I’m not above ripping your throat out.” Damon’s voice sounded more animal than she’d ever heard. Her heart sped up, as excitement blossomed in her chest.

  She placed her hand on Damon’s muscled arm. �
��I can think of a better use of all that testosterone and it has nothing to do with fighting.”

  Damon jerked his head back to her, his expression a mixture of surprise and desire.

  “Jayden, please continue.” She gave a wave with her hand.

  He cleared his throat. “Jenkins kept a file on Haley, everything, from where she lived to her hobbies. He’d even followed her around during the day to get a fix on her daily schedule.”

  “Why Haley? Why target her specifically? I mean if he wanted to kidnap a girl, surely there would have been easier targets. According to her file, she comes from a well-known family. He’d have to know people would be looking for her.” She reached for another doughnut.

  Damon nodded. “Ava’s right. He specifically wanted Haley. Just like they specifically wanted Ava. We need to find out why.”

  “Well, there is something else, something odd.” Jayden looked from Damon to Ava.

  “What?”

  “They found a link to a website for a family tree.”

  She shrugged. “So? Lots of people research their ancestors.”

  “It wasn’t on him. It was on Haley.”

  The room grew silent, the tension pressing down on them like an anvil.

  “They also ran tests on Jenkins’s DNA from his toothbrush. He’s a wolf, a red wolf.”

  She swallowed hard and set the half-eaten doughnut down, her appetite suddenly gone. A cold dampness seeped into her very marrow. She’d suspected this from the lipstick. But hearing the confirmation brought her fear to life.

  Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself against the invisible chill.

  Damon’s hand squeezed her knee, assuring her without words that he was going to protect her, even from the unseen force that seemed to scare her with each new vital piece of information.

  She wished she could turn back time and never answer the door that night. If only she’d been more cautious.

  “They would have come for you, no matter what you would have done, Ava.” His gaze bored into hers.

  “Can you read minds, too?” Her stomach cramped and she regretted eating so many doughnuts.

  “No. I can smell your fear. It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.” He cupped her cheek as he forced her to meet his intense gaze.