CHAPTER SEVEN
Heart in his throat, Tao raced to Riley’s side as she tipped up the table, using it to shield herself and her uncles. The smell of her blood hit him, twisting his gut in knots and sending his wolf crazy. “Riley, look at me!”
“I’m okay, it’s just a graze,” she said, eyes wide. The bullet had sliced across her upper arm, tearing through cloth and skin. Her nostrils flared and her gaze cut to her uncle. “Ethan?”
That was when Tao noticed the blood blooming near Ethan’s shoulder. “Shit.”
“We need to get him inside,” said Max. Slinging one of Ethan’s arms around his neck, Max quickly hauled him into the cabin. Tao used his body to shield Riley as they quickly raced after them, slamming the door shut.
“Keep away from the windows,” ordered Tao, ushering Riley straight into the small dining area attached to the kitchen. Wetting a cloth, he used it to dab at and clean her wound. She didn’t even flinch—her attention was on her uncles.
Max helped Ethan into a chair and then tore off the bloody shirt. Riley winced at the sight of his wound. The hole wasn’t as big as she’d thought it would be, but it was ugly and swollen and bleeding profusely—like a mini volcano on his shoulder. Too close to his heart, she thought. Too fucking close.
Dread oozed through her, thick and malevolent. She rubbed at her chest absentmindedly. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might explode. Every breath she took hurt, as if her lungs were on fire.
Nothing could happen to him, nothing. Not to this person who, like his mate, had loved her and supported her and been her fucking anchor when she most needed one. But the blood just kept coming. Fear clawed its way up her throat until she could taste the metallic tang of it in her mouth. Her raven was going out of her ever-loving mind.
“He’s okay, Riley,” Max assured her, voice calming. “The bullet went straight through. It didn’t hit anything vital.”
“Max has got this, sweetheart,” Ethan said through his teeth, sweat beading on his upper lip.
Done cleaning Riley’s graze, Tao massaged her nape as he watched Max lay his hands over Ethan’s wound, concentration etched into every line of the raven’s face. “You’re a healer?”
“My skills are too weak for me to be classed as an actual healer,” replied Max. “But I can speed up the healing process by stopping blood flow and helping wounds scab over. That’s pretty much it, though. And only if the wound isn’t too bad.”
This wound was bad. Pacing, Riley shoved a hand through her hair. It seemed as if the air had gone from the room and she were smothering. Raw shock had sent her thoughts tumbling, leaving her mind scrambling to make sense of the situation. Everything had happened so fast she couldn’t properly process it. She felt panicked, out of control. “What . . . what the hell . . . who the fuck just shot Ethan? And why would someone do that?” Well, there was one way to find out.
Tao slid in front of her when she tried to barge outside. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” He grabbed her shoulders, careful not to touch the graze on her upper arm. “We stay here.”
“They could still be out there!” she hissed. “I could shift and fly—”
“And get shot. Not happening.”
“Riley, stay with us, sweetheart,” Ethan urged, voice groggy.
She looked back at him, chest tightening. Max was now using a wet cloth to clean the excess blood from the closed wound. It still looked ugly and raw, and it made her throat thicken.
“I don’t think that bullet was intended for Ethan.”
At Tao’s words, she whipped her head back to face him. “What?”
“I think it was meant for you.”
She frowned. “No, I don’t—”
“It was meant for you,” Tao stated.
“You’re wrong, I—” But then she remembered how, just before the bullet was fired, she’d bent to grab the knife she’d accidentally knocked off the table. Could someone have been aiming for her? And why? Who would do that? Who would try to shoot her and . . . ? “Shirley,” she bit out.
“No,” said Tao.
Riley put her hands on her hips. “Well, it was her or Cynthia.”
“I don’t think it was either of them,” Tao told her. “That call I just received was from Ramón. He still won’t accept that Taryn can’t help his brother, and he’s pissed with me because he feels that I didn’t communicate to her just how serious he was.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“And just as he asks me what I’d do if you were dying in front of me, you’re shot at. You think that’s a coincidence?”
Riley’s mouth dropped open. “That motherfucker.”
“Wait, who’s Ramón?” asked Ethan, just as Max growled, “Someone’s threatening you?”
Tao drew her against him as he explained to her uncles. “Ramón Veloz is a human and suspected drug lord who’s allegedly involved in all kinds of illegal shit. His brother’s dying of a brain tumor, and he wants my Alpha female to heal him.”
Max’s brow furrowed. “Even if she could, surely that would kill her.”
“Exactly,” said Tao. “Not that she’d heal someone who’s suspected of several murders. You could say he’s dug his own grave, in a roundabout way.” Needing to speak to Trey, Tao dug out his cell and dialed the Alpha’s number.
After just two rings, Trey answered. “Yep?”
“Did you call Ramón?”
Trey hesitated, as if surprised by the question. “Yeah. I explained that Taryn wouldn’t be able to help and wished him luck finding a healer who could. Not that he listened. He’s called several times since then. We ignored the calls and let them go to voice mail. Each message is an offer of yet more money. The last offer exceeded a quarter of a million.”
“Shit.” Tao scrubbed a hand down his face. “Well, he’s not fucking happy that you aren’t accepting his offers, and he’s pissed at me for not impressing upon you just how serious he is. The son of a bitch not only somehow got my number and called me; he had someone follow us here.”
“Follow you?”
“Yeah. And that someone just fucking shot at Riley.”
“What?”
“The bullet grazed her arm, but it hit her uncle’s shoulder. Luckily, he’s going to be fine.”
“What, what’s going on?” asked Taryn in the background.
“Don’t lose your shit, baby,” said Trey, “but Riley was shot at.”
“Are you kidding me?” Taryn fairly shrieked. Tao and Riley both winced.
“His uncle took the bullet, not her,” Trey told his mate. “Hang on, I’ll put Tao on speakerphone. Tao, tell us exactly what happened.”
Tao relayed his conversation with Ramón and then gave them a rundown of what had happened after the call.
Trey swore again. “You’re sure Ramón’s behind it?”
“It’s too much of a coincidence that the shooting happened right after the call.” The bastard would pay for it. His wolf, pacing angrily, growled his agreement. He wanted to taste Ramón’s blood, to rip him apart limb from fucking limb.
“I don’t think he meant for her to be killed, Tao. I think it was just a warning. The kind of guys who work for people like Ramón Veloz don’t miss.”
Fair point, but it didn’t make Tao feel any better. “We’ll be back tomorrow morning—”
“It might be best if you stay there a little longer. If any of his people are lurking around Exodus territory, they might make a grab for you as you leave. Then we really would be fucked, because the guy would no doubt threaten to kill both of you unless Taryn heals his brother—and that would likely kill her. None of us want to be put in that kind of position.”
Riley folded her arms and declared, “I’m not leaving until Ethan’s fully recovered, Tao.”
“His wound will be almost fully healed by tomorrow,” Tao told her.
“Shifters heal fast, sure, but ravens sleep deeply when they’re injured,” she said. “They can be weak for a few days afterward. I’m not leaving until he’s one hundred percent fine.”
Seeing the stubborn set of her jaw, Tao spoke to Trey. “We’ll stay awhile. What are you going to do about Ramón?”
“Call him back,” said Trey. “Impress upon him just how pissed I am and make him hear me loud and clear when I say that Taryn can’t help his brother. We’ll also tighten security in case the persistent bastard tries taking a shot at anyone on our territory. I’ll keep you updated. Watch your back and take care of Riley.” The line went dead, and Tao slid his phone back into his pocket.
“Tao,” called Max, “help me get him upstairs.”
With a nod Tao went to Ethan’s side and helped Max support his weight as they ascended the stairs. “Why hasn’t anyone responded to the shots?” Tao asked.
“A lot of humans go hunting around these parts,” said Max. “Gunshots don’t raise any alarm bells. I’ll call Sage in a minute. If there’s a human loitering around the perimeter, they’ll be found.”
Following them into the bedroom, Riley watched as Tao and Max eased Ethan onto the bed. She’d never once seen Ethan hurt or weak. It chilled her to see him so pasty and . . . vulnerable. The wound might be closed, but it still made her stomach roll.
He’d be okay, he would.
She was hit with a sudden memory of telling herself the same thing as she’d seen her father lying in his own bed, weak and pale. She’d assured herself that he’d be fine, that he was just tired, that her mom would be back soon. Only he wasn’t fine, and her mom didn’t come back.
And suddenly she wasn’t looking at her uncle anymore. She was looking at her father. She was four years old, standing by his bed and grabbing his big hand with hers. Ethan and Sage were arguing. Ethan said this wasn’t the place for her; that she shouldn’t have to watch her dad fade away. Sage had argued that she might be enough to make her father hold on and stay. But she hadn’t been enough; he hadn’t held on. He’d let go. She’d thought that maybe he’d come back and bring her mom with him. But he hadn’t, he’d left her, and she’d hated him for it.
Swamped by the overwhelming despair she hadn’t felt in a long while, Riley wanted to turn and flee, but she felt rooted to the spot. Her muscles were sore and stiff from standing so still, but she genuinely couldn’t move. And as the memories slapped her one after the other, a heavy weight descended on her.
As it had long ago, it pulled her under until she felt numb and completely disconnected from what was happening right in front of her. Sound seemed to disappear from the room, and she felt alone. Empty. Cold. She’d been in this dark place before, a place where no one could reach her. Maybe it was better that way, because what kind of person hated their father for dying?
As Max left the room to call Sage, Tao glanced at Riley. She was unnaturally still, her shoulders tight and her stare vacant. Something about the sight made the hair on his nape and arms stand on end.
Crossing to her, Tao turned her to face him. Her eyes met his, but there was nothing there. He could almost see her retreating into herself, closing herself off from everything around her. He knew exactly what he was looking at. He remembered his orphaned cousin doing the same thing smack-dab in the middle of a street as an ambulance went by.
Seeing Ethan hurt had acted as a grief trigger.
Cursing himself for not having considered what the situation might do to her, Tao cupped her cheeks. “Riley? Riley, look at me.” She didn’t respond. Hell, she didn’t even seem to see him. His wolf raked at Tao, wanting him to do something. “Ethan’s fine, baby, he’s just sleeping.” Still she didn’t respond.
Panicking a little now, Tao lightly slapped her cheek. “Riley, come back to me.” It was a whisper, but it held a command. “He’s going to be fine, I swear that to you.” When she still gave no reaction, his wolf almost lost his fucking mind.
Wondering if prodding her temper might work, Tao collared her throat in a move that was both dominant and possessive—a move that would make any dominant female bristle. Her eyes sparked with anger and he almost fucking sighed with relief. “That’s it; good girl.”
She licked her lips, back with him now. But her breathing was shallow and barely audible. Tao put her hand on his chest. “I need you to breathe with me. Deep breaths, okay? In and out, come on.” She breathed with him over and over, never once breaking eye contact. “You good now?”
“Yeah.” Her voice cracked, so she coughed to clear it. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Thank fuck. Curling an arm around her, he crushed her to him and buried his face in her hair. “Don’t go away like that again. You scared the shit out of me.” Her arms slid around him and she tucked her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder. Tao just held her until the tension seeped out of her.
After a minute she pulled back and flipped her hair away from her face. “I just need a minute.”
Sensing that what she really wanted was time alone to regroup, Tao nodded and released her. “Don’t go far.” He expected her to go downstairs. Instead she headed to the room across the hall that he guessed was her old bedroom.
Max, who’d been observing from the top of the stairs, crossed to Tao. “She’ll be okay.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“It used to when she was a kid. She watched her dad deteriorate right in front of her. Neither me nor Ethan thought she should have been allowed in the room as much as she was, but Sage believed that her presence might pierce through her dad’s pain and make him fight to live.”
“Did he fight?”
Max’s mouth turned down. “No. He didn’t even try. I was so pissed at him for that. Hey, I’d be broken if something happened to Ethan, and I’d feel like I had nothing to live for. But Daniel did have something to live for—he had someone who needed him right then, but he barely looked at her. He was too deep in grief, too swallowed up by his pain, to even bother to find the will to hold on for Riley. I’ll never forgive him for that. And I’m not sure if she will either.”
In her position, Tao doubted he’d be any more forgiving.
“I called Sage. Not gonna lie, he’s pissed that a drug lord’s assassin came calling. He wants you to call him.” Max dialed a number, passed Tao his BlackBerry, and moved to Ethan’s side.
Sage answered. “Put the wolf on the phone.”
Tao ground his teeth. “This is the wolf.”
“Mind telling me what the hell’s happening?”
It was on the tip of Tao’s tongue to tell him it was pack business, but he’d unknowingly brought that business to the flock’s territory—it had every right to know exactly what was happening. Tao filled him in on the situation, adding, “The last thing we ever would have expected is for the human to have us followed here, let alone shoot at Riley.”
Sage was silent for a moment. “Hugh and the enforcers are circling the perimeter in search of the gunman. They should find him.”
Tao was counting on it.
“But even if they do, the threat to you and Riley remains. The gunman is only an employee of your enemy and he may not have come here alone. The moment you and Riley step off our territory, you’ll be in easy reach for the humans. It might be best for you both to stay a little longer.”
Tao was sincerely surprised by the offer. He, personally, would have wanted the people who’d brought trouble to his pack to be gone yesterday. But then, Tao was an asshole. “We appreciate that offer and we’ll take you up on it.”
“Good. You might consider Riley pack, but I’ll always consider her one of ours.”
As the line went dead, Tao handed the phone back to Max. “He’s recommending that me and Riley stay a little longer . . . which is a good thing because I don’t think she’ll leave until Ethan’s okay.” Tao studied the raven lying so still on the bed. “I didn’t expect him to fall straight to sleep like that.”
“It’s a healing sleep,” said Max.
“It’s a what?”
“When our kind is injured, we fall into a deep sleep. It’s like our body shuts down a little so we can use all our energy to heal. It’s annoying, really, because it’s impossible to stay awake and fight the pull.”
Hearing a creaking sound behind him, Tao glanced over his shoulder to see the door to what he assumed was Riley’s old bedroom swing open. She came strolling out, the image of composure. The shock and anguish was gone from her expression. In its place was sheer unadulterated rage. Ah, his little raven had found her anger. Good. That was a lot better than despair. “Feel better?”
She gave a stiff nod. “I’m fine.”
The landline phone began to ring, and Max sighed. “I’m guessing the news has spread around the flock. The damn phone will be like a hotline.”
“I’ll answer it,” offered Riley, heading down the stairs.
Max spoke quietly to Tao. “You need to watch her. Riley is very protective of those she cares for. She’ll avenge them to her last breath. If she can get to the person who—however inadvertently—shot Ethan, she will . . . even if it means going off on her own little hunt.”
Later on, Riley shoved open the front door of the cabin, seething with a rage that didn’t seem to be going anywhere. She felt hot and edgy all over. Her jaw ached from how hard she’d clenched it. She wanted to punch something. Punch, claw, mangle, maul, tear apart with teeth and talons. If she didn’t release the rage soon, she’d explode.
She still couldn’t quite believe it had happened. Her raven was still in shock, though not in any way numb—no, she was pissed as all hell. Riley was going to get her hands on that bastard, Ramón. She was going to see him writhe in agony. He’d beg for death by the time she—
“Baby, you need to calm down,” said Tao.
Yes, she did, but it was hard to think past the pounding in her ears and the red clouding her vision. “In case you’ve forgotten, someone shot my uncle.”
“Yeah, they did. And I want to rip out their fucking lungs because you were the real target, Riley. You.”
“I know that,” she clipped, voice fairly shaking with anger. “Ethan’s more important.”
“Not to me, baby. And you came too fucking close to being vulnerable in a place where there are two people who resent you. All things considered, you’ve got the right to rage, but you need to keep your shit together. I don’t want you going off on your own. Promise me that you won’t.”
“I could just do a flyby and—”
“Potentially get shot out of the sky,” Tao finished. “That’s not going to help Ethan or get you vengeance. Now come here.” He grabbed her nape and pulled her to him, wrapping an arm around her stiff body. He could all but feel her fury vibrating through her.
“I don’t lose it often, but I find it hard to calm down when I do.”
He kissed her forehead, wishing he knew how to soothe and comfort her, but he wasn’t much good at this kind of thing. He tried petting the anger out of her, rubbing his jaw against her temple and pressing more kisses to her forehead. The whole time his wolf pushed against him, offering her that same comfort.
“Sage said he’d have Hugh and the enforcers circle the area,” said Tao when her body lost its stiffness. “It’s highly likely that they’ll find him.”
“They’d better not kill him,” she said, pulling back to look at him. “That’s my job.”