Chapter Thirty
Rin’s mind was whirling. Her uncle, though he may not have admitted to being a fur trader, was definitely in league with them. The same despicable bastards that had kidnapped her right off the street with the intention of making her the entertainment for their shareholders. And her uncle knew. He knew! He had been sent the proof of her abduction when he received that locket from Benedict Brooks. And what had he said? Oh, yes, he had been quite concerned. Not for her welfare she would bet – he had come right out and said that he understood Brooks was an opportunist, as if they had been talking about the last piece of pie rather than her life! No, he had been concerned because she was his only heir to his kingdom, his baby – the only thing that truly mattered to him. Had he even tried to negotiate her release? Considering how long she had been at the compound before she had escaped, she’d have to say, no.
She took a deep breath to calm herself before she indulged her desire to leap across the space and claw her uncle’s eyes out. When she got back to the office, she would tell Ginny what was going on, maybe call Tarvahl Pierce. If her uncle was associated, even peripherally, with the fur traders then he had committed a crime against shifters and should answer to shifter law. In Malsum Pass, that meant whatever Tarvahl and the rest of the council decided would be his fate.
Feeling a tiny bit calmer, Rin turned her attention to the passing scenery. She didn’t know how much time had passed while she was deep in thought, but surely enough where she would begin to recognize the area. Worry crept in as she took in her surroundings. Instead of the curves and humps of the mountain roads, they were on a straightaway. The landscape was too flat, too open. This looked like farmland with acres of fields, the stubs from the previous harvest poking up through the snow.
A slither of fear skated over her skin and raised the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck. Clearing her throat to avoid any croaking that might reveal her dismay, Rin said carefully, “I believe your driver may have gotten turned around, Oji.”
“He’s going in the right direction.” Turning his head toward her, he pinned her with a look. “As I said, there’s much to be done and we’re running out of time. My man will send for your things and arrange for them to be shipped. You’re needed in New York now.”
Rin’s heart seemed to stop with a painful clenching before it kicked into double-time. “What? No. I can’t! I won’t!”
With surprising speed her uncle had wrapped a hand around her upper arm, his fingertips digging hard into the muscle until Rin let out a little cry of pain. Leaning in close so that they were nose to nose, her uncle snarled. “No? You do not tell me no, female. Learn your place.”
Releasing his grip with a small shove, Rin fought back tears while her uncle’s mask of impenetrable calm fell smoothly back into position. She should have known any outburst from her would have an adverse effect. She needed to keep her head. She needed to think. What would appeal to someone like her uncle?
Lowering her head in a sign of respect, Rin barely kept from gagging as the bullshit flowed from her lips. “You honor me, Oji, but I am not fit to fill your shoes. Is there no one better suited?”
Her uncle grunted, but there was something in those shrewd eyes of his that said he was pleased with her words. “Undoubtedly, there are many males who would be better suited. But as long as the business carries the name Nakamura, the majority shares will be held by one with Nakamura blood. And that, unfortunately, is you. It is why we must begin your training immediately.”
Rin took a deep breath and opened her mouth, prepared to try another tact, but was forestalled by her uncle as he raised a hand. “Enough. I have no wish to hear you speak. If you cannot keep that tongue of yours still, then I would be more than happy to have you sedated for the remainder of the journey.”
Silence or sedation? Those were her choices? There was obviously no getting through to him. Rin bit her lip and looked out the window as she considered her options. She wished she had brought her cell phone, but having assumed they were going to lunch in town where there was no service, she hadn’t bothered. She had no idea where she was right now. Farmland seemed to stretch out for miles, some buildings as well, though they were far back from the road. Buildings that might have a phone… How fast were they travelling?
Carefully, avoiding any sudden moves that might attract attention, Rin unclipped her seat belt and ever so slowly, slid it out of the way. It was insane, but she had reached a point of desperation. Before Rin could talk herself out of it, she took a deep breath and reached for the door handle with one hand, pushed open with the other, and said a little prayer as she leapt free of the car.
Rin landed hard, her body rolling for several feet before she finally came to a jarring stop in a ditch. The breath had been knocked out of her, and her body hurt so badly that she wouldn’t be surprised if she had some broken bones, but she could hear the squeal of tires, smell the rubber laid down on the road as the vehicle came to a screeching halt, and knew she had mere seconds. Fear and adrenaline kicked in with enough strength to get her moving up and out of that ditch.
She had made it only a few yards before her coat was snagged from behind. Her uncle’s assistant had caught up to her and without hesitation, Rin put all of Mike’s lessons to good use. She turned and swung with a hard right cross that connected with the man’s chin. He collapsed to the ground, out cold, but Rin didn’t stay to celebrate the victory. She took off like a shot, her feet pounding across the snow covered field.
She had trained for this, had put her body through the grueling task of building her strength, her speed, and her endurance while in captivity, but never had she dreamed she would need it to escape her own blood.
Hearing a high-pitched howl, Rin pushed herself even faster. Her uncle had shifted, which would give him the advantage of speed. She had no time to shift as well, her clothes would only entangle her and allow him to attack before she’d be able to kick free. Panting hard from her exertions, Rin kept her eyes on her goal – the farmhouse growing ever closer – and as she watched, she saw a pick-up truck pull into the drive.
Hope filled her, and Rin raised an arm above her head and let out a scream for help as she continued to run. The man that got out of the truck had spotted her, but the next thing Rin saw was him pulling a rifle from the back window of the cab. Panicking, she veered left. Was the man going to shoot her? Hearing the rifle report tore another scream from her as she covered her head and once again, hit the ground hard.
Rin waited in agony for either another shot to ring out or for her uncle to be upon her. Neither came. What she heard was the pounding of many feet coming her way. Lifting her head, Rin saw three men running toward her with shared looks of surprise and concern on their faces.
The one with the rifle was the oldest, probably in his mid-forties, and most likely the father to the other two, who looked like they were in their teens. He got to Rin first. “Jesus H. Christ, girlie, are you okay? I ain’t never seen nothing like that. That fox must’ve been rabid to be chasing you down like that. He was leaping right for you.”
Rin turned her head to look and saw her uncle in fox form, mere feet behind her, laying prone on the snow covered ground, a small pool of blood beneath him, melting the snow and turning it red. She let out a shudder, equal parts horrified and relieved.
The older man handed the rifle to one of the teens. “Go on over there, Doug and make sure the thing’s dead. Just give it a nudge with your boot, no need to shoot it again if it’s not breathing.”
Once Doug moved off to do as he’d been told, the older man squatted next to Rin. “You injured, ma’am? You need me to call an ambulance?”
Rin took a moment to take an inventory of all of her aches and pains. Yes, she was injured and she probably needed a doctor, but right now, what she wanted more than anything, was Mike’s arms around her telling her that everything would be okay. The thought got the tears flowing, and before she knew it, Rin was sobbing and couldn’t stop.