The sound of the ringing phone pulled Kasey out of sleep.

"Hello?" She groggily mumbled into the phone.

"I've been calling you for an hour. What's the matter with you?"

Kasey smiled at the sound of her friend’s voice. Caelan wasn't the typical best friend for a girl like her, but he was the best one she'd ever had.

"Hello, earth to Kasey."

"Sorry, Caelan. What did you need at this ungodly hour on a Saturday morning?"

A soft, warm chuckle filled her ears and made her smile. "I think you should come to the movies with me tonight, and before you say no, hear me out. First, it's a Cary Grant marathon and two, it will irritate the hell out of Brannon. He came back last night raving about your pig-headed, stubborn—and let’s not forget—gorgeous ass. So, I'm going out on a limb here to say you fought...again."

For a moment, Kasey let her thoughts drift to the sexy shifter she'd love to have curled in her bed right now. Not only was Brannon Wolfrik sex personified, but he had that voice that made a woman want to drop to the floor and beg to be taken six ways to Sunday.

"Stop. Whenever you go quiet after I mention him, it's because you're thinking of him naked, and no offense, but that's disgusting."

Kasey burst out a laugh at his disgruntled tone and words. "Guilty as charged. You know, one of these days you're going to find someone, and I know you'll be a billion times worse than I'll ever be. I've seen the way you boys are around your mates."

Caelan growled a mock protest. "For starters, don't mention that word to me, and secondly, you're evading my question."

"I can't tonight. I have to meet my father and his wife for a dinner party." Kasey rolled over and glanced at her bedside table. "Shit, as a matter of fact, I've slept the morning away and need to get moving. If I don't hurry, I'll never get everything done and be on time tonight. Can't keep the bitch waiting or she'll complain to my father and I'll never hear the end of it."

"He still thinks Artemis is all that, then?"

"Yes," she ground out in disgust. "The woman is evil incarnate. And no, I won’t tell you any more about it because you know I hate talking about my family too much. They drain me. And on that note, I gotta go."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Kasey dropped the phone on the bed beside her hip and fell back with a sigh of disgust. She had already told Caelan too much. Though she’d kept things vague about her father, she’d needed someone to vent to about his evil wife. Now she had too many things to do and the thought of doing any of them made her want to hide under the covers for the rest of the day.

Kasey hurried out the garage elevator, eyeing the surrounding cars for someone loitering. Many were gone at this time on a late Saturday afternoon. When she reached her vehicle, she saw the back driver’s side tire was flat. “Son of a bitch,” she groaned. She glanced at her watch. There was plenty of time.

She could change the tire, but she was in a dress, with her hair up and fancy heels. Besides, she wouldn’t trust driving anything where she had to fenagle a major feature. Having a tire come off while driving over the bridge wouldn’t be good.

She trudged down the elevator and out to the street to flag down a taxi. Stepping to the curb, she glanced down the lane. The closest taxi was behind a white cargo van parked a few yards down the sidewalk. Kasey headed that direction, trying not to twist her ankle in the damn shoes.

As she passed the van, the side sliding door zipped back and a huge man wearing all black with a mask lunged at her. Kasey’s next step was off center and her heel rotated. She went down as the man grabbed her forearm. Her weight pulled him out of the van, onto the curb. Instinctively, Kasey kicked at him and scooted away. Her hand pulled out her can of mace sitting at the top of her purse from setting it there last night after Brannon left.

The man jumped back into the van, yelling at the driver, and it sped off. The taxi driver got out of his car. It happened so quickly that she hadn’t even had time to scream for help.

“Miss, miss,” he said, “you okay?” He offered a hand and she took it to get on her feet.

“I’m fine. Thank you.” She dusted off her dress and stood in shock for a moment.

“You want me call the police?” he asked.

Her kneejerk reaction surprised even her. “No! No, please. They’re gone. I-I just want to go.”

“You want a taxi still?”

Kasey nodded and moved to the back door and scooted onto the seat. She gave the address and hugged her purse to herself. “Do you mind taking it slow or just drive around for a bit before arriving?” He gave her a nod.

Was she almost abducted or did her brain blow something little way out of proportion?

Generic white van—check. Captor in all black with mask—check. Getaway driver—check. Red spot on her arm from being grabbed—check. Oh god. Her body started to shake, but she squeezed around herself to get control.

There was no way she could go to the police. Her father would force her to move back into his house and not let her out for weeks. Then having to see her wicked stepmother all the time was enough to scare anyone into avoiding law enforcement. She’d rather go to jail than her father’s home.

“You sure you’re okay, ma’am?” the driver asked before they reached the house.

She smiled, surprisingly. “I’m fine. Thank you for asking.” She passed money over the seat and climbed out. Her first step sent a tinge of pain up her leg, but she “walked it off” like she’d always done when something happened that she didn’t want to tell her father. She pressed the doorbell.

A dinner party wasn’t what she was in the mood for right now. Not that she was in the mood for anything with the witch. Hopefully the help would open the door and —

The dark mahogany barrier pulled back and a smiling Artemis—well, smiling until she saw it was Kasey—greeted her. Her father’s wife’s face went from happy to scowling.

“It’s about time you got here.” Artemis scrutinized her from head to toes. “What? You couldn’t find a dress that fit?”

Anger raced through her. Kasey wanted to squeeze both hands around the bitch’s neck until she squirmed on the floor, dead.

Instead, she lifted her chin and pushed her way inside. “Since I’m my father’s heir, I need to be fashionably late.” That was something Artemis could appreciate, seeing that was how she was. Inside, people milled with glasses of wine and champagne in hand.