Chapter Twenty
Greer was pretty sure if anyone was going to kill her, it was going to be Dakota. For some reason, Greer seemed to rub her the wrong way, and Pax had actually sent her on an errand as if to keep his wolf from murdering the hostage.
As it was, the two were shacked up in a cabin about five miles off the main road. She only knew that because she’d counted as soon as Dakota had made the left. She might have missed a number or two, but with the many blows her noggin had taken this week, she figured she’d be okay if she was off by a second or two. She’d hoped that if they just locked her in a room and left, she might be able to crawl out a window and make a run for it.
He’d tied her hands and feet with rope, though, and tossed her onto the couch in the living room. When his hand had stroked over her throat, fear had paralyzed her as she thought he had something else in mind like sexual assault.
But he just told her to keep quiet and let her go. Besides that, he hadn’t touched her, just continued to pace, looking out the window every few minutes.
“Your girlfriend seems really uptight,” Greer said, breaking the silence.
“Maybe she just doesn’t appreciate your sense of humor the way I do.”
He hadn’t even turned around when he’d said it, so cavalier, almost bored. “You do huh? I would think a guy like you wouldn’t like a woman who spoke her mind and called you on your bullshit.”
“I am a man of eclectic tastes. I like to change things up a bit from time to time.” He finally turned, his smile terrifying. He was like a bald eagle. Beautiful until it gripped you in its talons.
“And how does Dakota feel about you changing it up?”
“She does what she’s told. Dakota likes to keep me happy.”
Greer actually laughed. “That poor girl. She is completely delusional where you’re concerned or she would have dumped your ass years ago.”
For a moment, his expression darkened and she was sure she’d struck a nerve. Then, it was gone and that eerie smile was back. He took a few steps her way, pinching her chin as he lifted her gaze to meet his. When she tried to resist, his grip became bruising.
“If you disrespect me again, I will make you cry out from pain you could never imagine.”
“I’ve seen Hostel Part One and Two. There is nothing you could do that I haven’t seen or imagined.”
She had no idea why she was baiting him except she hated being helpless and it pissed her off that he thought he could control her.
“You like horror movies, hmmm. Monster movies?”
“Actually, I don’t, but Jill, you remember her, the one you bit? She does. She has a bright side comparison for every situation. Like if she were here right now, she might say something like, “You may be tied up and being held hostage by a psychopath, but it could be worse. You could be in a cage at the bottom of the ocean, you’re running out of air and surrounded by sharks.”
He actually seemed amused by this. “And you think that would be worse?”
“At this point right now? Yeah.”
“Don’t you know what I did to your friend? Your boyfriend?”
“I don’t need the details. I know you killed them and you’ll pay for it. But see, I know that Jill and Dereck got away, which means that they got help.”
He squatted down next to the bed and ran his finger across her cheek. “I thought you said Xander wouldn’t care enough to save you.”
Greer knew that was a lie. Even if they’d fought, Xander would come for her. He’d promised to keep her safe.
“He wants you dead, right? He’s coming.”
Pax stood up with a dark chuckle. “Believe me, I could go back, I never would have taken the job. I didn’t get paid enough to have that crazy wolf tracking me.”
“Job?”
He’d gone back to the window, so she couldn’t see his face. “I was paid to break in and kill the Thorson family before their scenting ceremony. Apparently, another alpha didn’t want his blood mixing with the Thorson pack.”
“Someone…someone killed Xander’s family because they didn’t want their daughters marrying them? Why not just not send them, then.”
Pax made a type of clucking sound. “Poor dear. You’ve gotten caught up in our world without all the details.”
He came over and sat down next to her, stroking her skin. It crawled in response to his touch.
“I don’t know if that is the real reason, that’s just what he told me. All I know is that he offered us money, and it was supposed to look like a robbery gone wrong, only we were missing one key family member.”
“Xander,” Greer whispered.
“Ding ding. And when I tried to get his mother to tell me where he was, she was very stubborn. I did horrible things to her but she just wouldn’t break. I regretted having to kill her because a woman like that? She would have been fun to spend more time with.”
“As it was, my employer wasn’t concerned with the youngest Thorson, and that loose end has been the bane of my existence for five years.”
“Who hired you?”
Pax shook his head with a grin. “Such an inquisitive little human you are. Sorry, I can’t break a confidential contract. Let’s just say the poor man met his untimely death already.”
“Enough talk of the past.” His hand smoothed over her stomach and she grimaced. “We could have some fun while we wait.”
“Try it and I’ll barf all over you.”
He laughed. “A terrible fate, indeed.”
Greer tried to roll to a more comfortable position away from him, but none of it worked. “Why are you keeping me alive? You could just kill me and Xander would still come.”
His expression was pure malice. “Because before I rip out his heart, I want him to watch me make you my mate.”
Greer stilled. “No.”
“Oh, yes.”
“You can’t make someone your mate.”
“No, but I can bite you. Turn you.”
Her stomach rolled, and she actually thought she might be sick. “Even if you did, I would never let you touch me.”
“Trust me, before long, you’ll be begging to be mine. I can be quite persuasive. You can just ask Dakota.”
Greer pulled her hands apart, trying to get her wrists loose. “You’re a thundering lunatic. Your pet wolf might have Stockholm Syndrome, but I see you for what you really are. Bite me, and you’ll have one more angry shifter trying to kill you.”
He shrugged. “Then I’ll just have to settle for him watching you die.”