The Falcon Ridge Series Book 3 If Looks Could Kill

(Chapter song ‘Beautiful People' by Marilyn Manson)

LUKE

‘What's going on?’

‘Alexi has a plan.’

‘What? What plan?’

‘She figures Nash has all the Dragons in one place. We find her. We find them.’

‘OK. So, are we calling the Unit?’

‘I don’t know. I can’t have Bastian twisting this shit around on her. We're on our own.’

‘Sure. We don’t have numbers, tech, surveillance. What could go wrong?'

I sit on my back porch leaning on my knees with my hands clasped at my lips. My leg is bouncing hard-core and I’m trying so hard not to wolf out. He’s almost busted through a few times now. I want to murder everything. He wants to go full psycho. I have to keep cool so he doesn’t win. But he’s clawing and biting at my ribs so bad, I can’t even let him out to run.

I look up at the moon above my head and pray that this is just a fucked up nightmare. I can’t believe I just let her go.

Her plan is great, but I didn’t want her involved. I’m terrified that I won’t get to her in time. I don’t know what he’s going to do with her.

My biggest worry is that she’s been wearing that damn collar for so long, her wolf and strength are getting weaker.

She may have kicked my ass a few weeks ago, but that was then. Now, she may not be as strong. It’s a side effect of long term suppression. Someone like Nash could really hurt her if he wanted.

I just hope and pray that Alexi was right about him.

“Hey.”

I turn and watch Bobby sit down beside me.

“Hey.” I lean my arms on my thighs.

“You ok?” He mirrors my stance.

I lower my head. “No.” I mumble.

He leans to my eyes. “We'll get her back.”

I turn my head to him. "I'm scared, Bobby. They could suck her in. He could fuck up her head. I just got her back and he could ruin her."

Bobby nods. "Alexi's strong. She’s got a decent head on her shoulders. I don’t think Nash has the kind of power to change that.”

“If the Dragons are back in operation, who knows what they got. They could break her.” I lower my head.

I feel fucking helpless which the worst feeling for an Alpha. Me being weak makes me want to throat punch Alpha Fredericks. But, I can’t lose my head. Alexi is counting on me to find her and bring pain along with me. I refuse to disappoint her. As far as what I find when I get there, I don’t care. I’ll love the shit out her and fix what he broke.

My other problem is numbers. I don’t have any. I mean, I have my law enforcement, but that’s it. Anyone who fights Dragons needs military training. They’re not easy. If I still had my fucking border unit, this would be a totally different story.

As far as my pack goes, they’ll rip to shreds anything that tries to control Red Rock. But that’s where their loyalty ends. Anyone who wants to fight for others, joins the Unit. So, I have no reserve soldiers to take with me. Another side effect of a town filled with self serving criminals.

I need another option.

I sit up and rub my hands on my thighs. “We need to know where they went.”

Bobby nods. “Terry's gathering intel as we speak. Unfortunately, we don’t have access to any cameras outside of town. They headed to the highway. That’s all we know.”

I stand and he stands with me. "See what you can dig up on safe houses, and possible Dragon hangouts. Look for high Dragon activity. News reports or something. Anything that will tell us where they might be headed."

He smiles and nods like he’s glad to take orders from me. "No problem, Alpha.” He claps my back.

I follow him back into the house and it’s full of security. Terry is looking through his Dragon files with Gavin and Evan is helping when he can. He didn’t have much to say other than they pulled him off the street and tried to threaten him. He says he didn’t crack and I think I believe him. Alexi put a fire in his belly. I think at that moment he went from kid to man.

I stop at the door to the dining hall. "Lucy."

She looks up from a table that has a bunch of people around it with papers spread out.

I hold out an arm and wave her over to me. She sprints to me and slides under my arm. I wrap my arm around her shoulder as she hugs my waist. I need that right now. She’s another one who knows how to keep me calm in serious situations.

I place my lips on her hair. "Can you go through Alexi's things and see if there's anything you can find in there." I mumble. I lift my head and face her. "I don't feel comfortable going through a girl's stuff."

She smiles. "Of course." She gives me a squeeze. “We'll find her and she'll be just fine. Ok?"

I kiss the top of her head and lay my cheek on it. "I know."

I watch her leave, put my hands in my pockets and walk through the common room to the front door. It’s noisy with chaos, but I didn’t hear any of it.

I step outside and stand on the porch. Staring at the empty driveway, the entire situation plays in my head.

‘I’m coming for you. Don’t think I'm not.’

‘I love you.’

A lump forms in my throat and I swallow past it. "I'm coming baby. I promise."

****

Two days.

Two days of spinning in circles and getting nowhere. Terry tried to get access to other town’s cameras, but was stonewalled for political privacy. This is complete bullshit. How is this even a fucking Alliance?

As far as Intel goes, this Nash guy never existed before Torrent. The best we could come up with was that he’s been with Torrent since before Alexi was born. He’s a long lived supporter and that makes him even more sick and dangerous. We found out he was an advisor and trainer to the pack house. It's probably where Alexi got most of her skills from. Which means, on a good day, they’re equally matched. Now, not so much.

We've been knocking heads of leftover Lycans and low level Dragons who didn’t know shit was going down. We got nothing except full holding cells.

We shook this entire town and nobody knows shit. My patience is wearing thin.

I haven't slept in two days. I've barely ate. All I've done is fight, wait and drink. It's all I can do to subdue my wolf enough to keep me from going insane. But I'm losing quick. Thoughts of what could be happening to Alexi right now, run through my head like a never-ending nightmare. Every thought boils my blood even hotter.

I don’t want to hide, so I've been keeping a seat warm in the dining hall when I’m out of targets. I’m fuming as I pound back my third beer in a row. My leg is twitching under the table as my heat rises. Everything we've gone through. What Nash has done. What Alexi could be when I find her.

It all festered. It ripped me apart. It infected my brain so much, I lost it and exploded. I let out a massive growl, rise and throw my beer bottle across the hall. The table in front of me flips and the bottle smashes somewhere.

I seethe in my spot as people whip their heads to me with fear in their eyes. I don’t see them clearly and I don’t care.

“HEY!!"

Bobby rushes to me from the other room as I slam a hand into my hair and the other on my hip.

He stands in front of me with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed. “What the fuck?”

I look around the dining hall and guilt fills me for scaring people. “Sorry…I just…”

He gets in my space. "When's the last time you slept?"

I drop my arms and look at him with defeat on my face. "I haven't." I grumble.

“You need sleep." He leans to me. “You’re not doing us any favors.”

"I can't sleep Bobby. Not while Alexi's still out there." I look to the floor.

He looks at the overturned table then back at me. “You can’t sit here and drink.”

"What the hell else am I supposed to do, Bobby?!" I raise my head and toss out an arm.

"I don't know. Take care of yourself? You're no good to anyone like this." He challenges.

"It's just taking so damn long. Why the fuck can't we find this guy?" I growl.

"Terry's trying." He runs his fingers through his hair. "We just don't have the resources the Unit does. We don’t have clearance, access or political pull until you join the council. We're doing what we can."

"Damn it!” I spin around, stab my fingers into my hair and head for the bar in the common room.

Bobby is right behind me. "Look, I get it. We're trying. Why don't you go to bed and get some sleep? When I hear anything I'll wake you up."

I grab a beer, crack it and Bobby snatches it from me. "Luke."

I let out a sigh and lean on the counter. “Yeah. Ok.”

He’s right. Getting smashed isn’t helping. And me exhausted isn’t helping either. I can at least do something about that.

"Good. Like I said, as soon as something comes up, I'll wake you." He claps my back and I push off the counter.

I point to his nose. “The second something happens, Bobby."

"The second something happens. Got it." He confirms.

Reluctantly, I leave him and head for the stairs. Eyes watch me leave, but I don’t acknowledge any of them.

I walk down the hall, heading to my room, but end up stopping at Alexi's room. I place my hand on the door and run my fingers down it to the door knob.

I push the door open and see the made bed in the dark. My brows stitch up as her faded scent hits my nose. My eyes sting as I step in and feel how cold it is.

I kick off my boots, pull off my t-shirt and take off my jeans. I lift the blanket and slide under it. Her scent surrounds me as I grab one of her pillows and hug it. I bury my nose in it and let my tracker instinct take it in. It’s stronger that way. My eyes water as I close them and let sleep take me. Her smile took me out. If I did any dreaming, I don't remember.

****

“Luke.”

I woke with a snort. "Alexi?"

My eyes barely cracked open as I tried to sit up and look around the room.

Not seeing her, I groan and slam my hands on my eyes.

"No, Luke. It's me."

I drop my hands and blink in the dark. As I focus, I see Bobby standing next to the bed.

He folds his arms. "Sorry. But I figured I should wake you since you've been asleep for 12 hours."

"Wha..." I look out the window and see it’s night. I look back at Bobby. “Why'd you let me sleep so long?”

He shrugs. “You needed it. I also said I’d wake you when I found something. We haven’t. We're out of options. We need to know what to do next.”

I sit up with a groan from being stiff and rest my hands on my knees. “Ok. I’ll think of something. Give me an hour.” I mumble.

He gives me a half smile. “Sure.”

I scrub my bedhead, throw the blankets off and head for my room. There’s has to be a way to find out where they went.

In the shower, I roll it over in my mind. We can’t track them remotely. We can’t get information off the streets. We can’t get access to surveillance unless I call the…

Like a bulb went off, I raise my head in the flowing water from the shower head.

“Jayson.”

****

I jog downstairs with new energy as I hold my phone to my ear. I hit the first floor and Bobby meets me half way into the common room.

“Right…Ok…Yeah…Awesome, dude…Hey, Jay?...Thanks.” I hang up the phone and put it in my pocket.

Bobby points to my pocket. “What’s going on?”

“Jayson. I remembered something.” I smirk and aback his chest.

He crosses his arms. “What? A location?”

“Better.” I mirror his stance. “I got a way to track where they went.”

“You got clearance?” He raises a brow.

“Not in any kind of legal sense.” I smile.

“What?”

****

Jayson made it here in record time. I’m glad he made good on his offer to help when I left six months ago.

In the shower, I remembered these two talented, yet giant pain in the asses, at the Caledon Boot Camp I worked at. Hayden and Chris. These two, along with a kid named Shane, hacked the camps electric fences and security cameras, which allowed Sarah to take 100 angsty teenagers into the wilderness to face a professionally organized army of Rogues and Dragons.

Just the skills I need.

Jayson has since been running his own angsty teenager Boot Camp out of his town, Black Lake. From what I hear, kids are turning down Caledon to go there. And just my luck, Hayden and Chris are still there.

After explaining everything and expressing my concern that Bastian will arrest Alexi again, they set up in a conference room and got right to work. My only payment for their services was an endless supply of chips, pop and Twinkies. Nerds, I internally snort.

“It’s going to take time hacking the firewalls. I'll find you when we get in.” Jayson says at the door.

“Yeah…sure.” Fuck. More waiting.

Bobby joins me as I start down the hall. "It's not bad out. Why don't you go for a run? There's not much we can do right now."

I scratch the back of my head. “Yeah. I could use it.”

Twenty minutes later, I'm out back calling the wind. My skeleton rearranges and my brown wolfs emerges. He shakes out his fur and I feel his sadness and anger.

‘Gotta suck it up, bud. Just run it out.'

He whines and trots to the trees. Once his paws hit the forest dirt, he sniffs the ground, barks then breaks into a run. His paws thunder on the ground as he dodges trees and brush. His heart is racing. His breath is forced. His heart is shattered. He ran until he couldn't anymore.

He turns down a path and breaches the tree line into a clearing. He slows to a walk, then stops and buries himself in the grass. He raises his head and howls. I feel all of his pain so much, he retreats and leaves my naked ass on my stomach with my head buried in my arms. I let it all out with the moon shining down on me.

****

When I got back, everyone was gathered in the common room…still waiting. I know it’s only been a few hours, but come on. Hack faster, damn it!

Bobby is sitting with Lucy going over some stuff when he looks up at me. "Feel better?"

"No.” I frump my ass onto the couch beside him. “Anything yet?”

He shakes his head. "Jay's guys are still working on it.”

"I'm gonna freak out if something doesn't happen soon." I grit.

Bobby was about to respond, when Jayson rushed out from the office hallway. "Luke. We got something."

The five of us bolt up from our seats, jumping couch backs and jogging around them to meet Jayson at the hall entrance.

“Please tell me you found her.” I breathe.

He smiles. “I think we did. Come on.”

Once everyone as in the conference room, Chris and Hayden turn their laptops around to face the monitors to us.. "We searched all available cameras in the area. This is them getting on the highway and this is them getting on the 45 interchange."

"Ok. Where does that go?" I ask as I watch the parade of trucks in the grainy traffic camera.

Jayson sat on the table. "There are several places off 45, but there's only one place that's of any interest in that direction.”

I raise my eyes to him. I don’t like his tone. "Where, Jay?"

"Deruse." He says with concern.

My eyes widen and I shake my head. "No."

Fuck. Anywhere, but there.

Jay presses his lips together and nods. "He's taking her home, Luke."

I hang my head as my head spins.

Deruse.

The fucking heart of the Dragon itself. Where it all started. The Harbinger was born there and Alexi escaped. Now, Nash is taking her back and I’m not sure if she’s going to be mentally strong enough to fight it. Once she sees it, it’s possible it could raise all her trauma again.

We’re so screwed.

The room sat in silence until Terry broke it. “We need a plan.”

I raise my head to him. "No. We need to get off our asses, get in the cars and go get Alexi." I growl.

"Luke. Calm down." Lucy places her hand on my arm.

"I swear, Lucy, the next person who tells me to calm down will have their head ripped off." I sneer at the room.

“It’s clear Nash has revived Deruse. We don’t know what kind of numbers they have. We can’t walk into this blind. This isn’t a barn, Luke. We aren’t dealing with Ian anymore.” Bobby states with a cautious tone.

I take a breath and stand down. He's right. “Get some scouts together. Get the Intel and tell them to link it back. As soon as we get numbers, I need a head count.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Terry says.

Jayson pulls out his phone. “I’ll put everyone on stand by with a minute man deployment. That’s about 150 if you need it.”

I grunt in response.

“I need a layout of that city.” I state.

"Let me check." Terry borrows Hayden’s laptop and types on the keyboard. "Ok. Here’s a map, but I’m not sure if it’s up to date.”

Our phones ding as he forwards the aerial view of the city.

"Mostly small neighborhoods with the main city in the center. The pack house is here." He points to a big mansion in the middle of it all. "If he takes her anywhere, it'll be there."

I look at Jayson. “How fast can your guys deploy?”

Jay nods. "They can be here within an hour."

“Pack all the gear you can. I want to move as soon as I hear from the scouts. And make it damn quick.” I clench as I look around the room again.

"On it." Terry responds and starts to text the security team, which at last count, was about 15. I really need to fix that.

Jayson's phone rings as we leave the conference room and walk down the hall.

"Babe? I'm busy...Ok, did you try rocking her...What about the song?...Well, maybe she's hungry...No, I know she wants daddy, but daddy’s busy trying to plan a rescue here…" He looks at me while shaking his head.

I smirk and huff a laugh. He’s so whipped.

He gives me the sign saying he's going to be a minute and turns down a side hall for privacy. "Ok, put me on speaker...Chloe?... It's Dada...You are my sunshine..."

I die inside listening to him sing to Chloe. It’s awesome he’s doing it, but he won’t be spared from my snarky wrath when this is over.

Lucy catches up to me and joins my side. "Are we really going to walk into the Dragon’s nest?”

“I have to, Swift.” I glance at her then walk ahead.

I spin around and hold my arms out as I walk backward. “My princess needs me.”

I turn back around and go upstairs to prepare. This fight is going to be ugly. I need to make sure I have everything it takes to fight and save Alexi.