Chapter Fifteen
The babies were kicking. That was the only comfort Lori had. Her back ached terribly from the attack and her pelvis felt like something had probably broken. She shivered as she sat on the bed in a dark room. Bauman had given her a brief look before he had ordered her locked up. Since then, she had been given a pair of scrubs that were too large, but better than the bathrobe. Nothing else. No food, no water, and she hadn’t seen anybody.
What were they going to do? Cut her open and make her watch her babies die? Shoot her in the head and leave her body for Clifford to find? Or did Bauman have something more sinister in mind for her?
Once more she glanced around her room. There was one window, high in the wall and far too small for her to be able to squeeze through. Sunlight streamed through it, letting her see what was in the room with her; the bed, which had a single blanket and a flat pillow. Nothing else. Lori didn’t recall hearing the door be locked, but she was too afraid to try her luck with it. What if there was a guard outside the door with orders to kill her if she tried anything?
Bauman wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble to take her just to let her escape that easily.
Lori jumped, her heart pounding in her throat, when the door opened. Bauman, dressed now with a couple of bandages on his arms, entered. He was a huge man, bigger even than Tristen, and had a terrible gleam in his eye that made Lori shrink back against the bed. She shuddered as he leered at her.
“So, this is the weak little human Clifford has chosen to mate with. I should have known you’d be nothing special. He probably doesn’t care two whits about you, just wants you as an incubator for his sperm.”
This was the man who had threatened to kill her for being pregnant. What plans did he have now? More importantly–why hadn’t he already killed her? Her heart pounded shallowly. There was something he wanted from her. If she could figure out what that was and use it against him, she might have a chance at survival in this after all.
She cleared her throat and threw back her shoulders. She looked Bauman in the eye, which seemed to surprise him. He arched a brow at her. If he wanted her small and simpering, he ought to have picked someone without her past. She was done cowering before men who thought that she was only worth her body. She was done with people thinking that they knew her at a glance. She was done with feeling like they were right, that she was weak and worthless.
Her eyes narrowed at him as she got to her feet. “You’re Mark Bauman?”
Bauman covered up his surprise and smiled at her. “And you are Lori Rowlands.”
“I have to say, I’m surprised that you’re real.” Lori tried to make her voice confident. “I thought you were something that Boone made up as an excuse to keep me as his hostage. I am not his mate,” she added for good measure. “As you said, I’m just the incubator.”
Bauman cocked his head to one side, silent.
Lori hesitated for a moment before plunging ahead. She needed to do whatever was necessary to keep the babies alive. “Before you get any funny ideas, I didn’t want to get pregnant. Boone must have poked holes in the condoms we used. And then he went and kidnapped me. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get away from him for months now. So, if you think that killing me is going to hurt him, you can forget about it.”
“Huh.” Mark studied her. “Well, either you’re an excellent liar or just a slut. I’ve been watching you with the Boones for quite some time. You have certainly been acting like a woman in love.”
Her babies stilled and for a horrific moment, Lori was certain she was dead. She pressed one hand to her abdomen as pain lanced through her back. “I have to pretend, I was afraid what Boone was going to do to me. If I didn’t play his sick games, he’d take my babies away from me. They’re not his children, their mine. I am not going to let him rip them from me, I will kill him if he tries!”
She ended with a shout. Bauman laughed. “You are an excellent liar. But I don’t believe you. You see, you overplayed your hand. You aren’t capable of killing.”
“Give me a knife and we’ll see.”
Bauman cocked his head. “That’s what I thought. You love him. You hate me. And I am going to take your children away from you, Lori, unless you do something for me. Accuse Boone of raping you and holding you prisoner. Do that, and I will allow you to leave alive. I’ve tried to kill him and the rest of them, but they survive. I don’t know what it is about the Boones, they always manage to wiggle their way out of what they deserve. But if his lady love betrays him and tears down his life’s work, then—”
He tensed suddenly. His head whipped around. Lori froze. In the distance she heard… Was that a roar? Bauman cursed. Glowing eyes turned on her and he started forward–Lori reacted on instinct. She grabbed the pillow and hurled it at Bauman. As he struck it aside, she leaped forward and smashed her palm into his nose. The bear yelped and stumbled as she raced for the door.
The roar behind her made her go faster. Something hard hit the wall, crashing it open. Lori glanced back once to see Bauman in his bear form shaking debris from his fur. She looked ahead of herself just in time to collide with a wall of muscle. She screamed, trying to yank herself away. The brute that had his arms around her spun her; he put himself between her and the angry bear. Her eyes widened as they trailed up to his face.
“Clifford! How did you find me?”
“Later,” he breathed, and tore himself away from her.
Lori froze with shock as his form changed. His beautiful white bear burst forward. His clothes were flung around in shreds as he rammed into Bauman. Just like she had been at the safehouse, she couldn’t move. Horror rooted her to the spot at the sheer violence of the clash. Fur flew everywhere. White fur turned red. With Clifford’s blood or Bauman’s? She didn’t know.
Bauman grabbed Clifford by the scruff of his neck and threw him into the wall. It cracked. Plaster rained from the ceiling. A large chunk hit Bauman in the head and he reared back. He shook his head, panting. It gave Clifford enough time to glance back at her. He let out a plaintive cry, and that was all she needed.
It was as though she was suddenly thrown back into her body. A jolt of pain made her stumble as she moved backward. Bauman and Clifford began fighting again. Lori turned and fled. She wasn’t going to waste her chance like she had at the safehouse. She rushed down the stairs. One arm was wrapped loosely around her belly. It felt… big. Stretched out. Like her skin was about to split and her babies would come pouring out.
One of the babies kicked her hard in the ribs, repeatedly, as if it was telling her to move faster. Lori sagged against the wall for a moment as that jolting pain in her spine wrapped around her stomach. Everything seemed to squeeze, making it hard for her to breath. Sweat popped out of her forehead. She wanted to scream, but the fierce sounds of fighting stopped her from making a noise.
She couldn’t distract Clifford. She had to get out, to take the chance he was giving her. But she wasn’t going to scream or call for help. One distraction and Bauman would kill him.
The last couple of steps made her feel like she was tumbling headfirst down a sheer cliff, but Lori made it. Her breath came in quick gasps as she straightened to take her bearings.
One of the bears that had grabbed her at the safehouse stood in the hallway at the end of the stairs. He paused when he saw her, eyes widening. Then there was a loud crash from above them and fury twisted his face. Lori’s lungs caught in her chest as he started forward. For a brief moment she was frozen, but then her fight or flight instinct kicked in. Adrenaline flooded her system and she ran blindly.
“Get back here! Behave yourself and your death will be quick, little human!”
From somewhere above them, Clifford roared in pain and fury.
Lori darted into the nearest room. The kitchen. A large knife sat near the sink and she ran for it. The bear crashed in close behind. He grabbed her arm just as she grabbed the knife. She whirled, striking out. The knife sunk deep into the bear’s stomach. His eyes widened. Lori didn’t stick around to see what happened next.
She bolted from the kitchen in time to see Marcus and Tristen both charge up the stairs. Seconds later Clifford stumbled down them. He was soaked in blood but made a beeline for her. The bear in the kitchen roared, but Lori didn’t care. With a cry of relief, she rushed to Clifford. Another pain wrapped around her, making her cry out. Clifford gripped her arm gently in his teeth and tugged on her.
She understood what he wanted and when he crouched, she scrambled onto his back. Everything was moving in and out of focus. Lori clung to her bear, digging her fingers into his fur. Tears started to stream from her face. Clifford burst from the house and raced across an open yard. Natasha and Hayley waited in a car, calling out their names.
Clifford shifted just before they entered the vehicle. He stuffed her in unceremoniously, then jumped in after her. Lori wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight as her mind continued to go in circles. He pulled her tight against him as they pulled away. There were dozens of bears out there fighting, but Lori couldn’t make herself tell them to stop, to say they needed to help the bears they were leaving behind.
“Clifford,” she gasped as more pain stole her breath.
“It’s okay. We’re here. Marcus was able to trace Bauman because of the bomb he used against the matriarch. It was his mistake. We knew exactly where to come for you. He’s not going to get away, human police are coming as we speak to arrest them. And you’re safe now. Nothing can go wrong.” He kissed her hard.
“No!” Lori grabbed his collar. Her eyes were wild as she stared him in the eye. “Clifford–I’m in labor!”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“The babies are coming.”
“I… I… what do I do?” His voice rose in pitch. “You can’t be in labor, it’s too early!”
Another pain hit her, making her scream. “No! No, you can’t come now!” Both of her hands pressed to her stomach as she started to sob. Fear and panic made her helpless to do anything else. “Don’t come yet, you’re too little. Oh, God! I’m losing them. I’m losing the babies. They won’t survive if they’re born now.”
“They’re six months.” Natasha leaned halfway into the backseat. “Six months is old enough to survive, especially in shifters. Don’t panic. They’re going to be fine. And you’re going to be fine.”
Her words were a comfort, but Lori’s gaze remained on Clifford’s face. His skin was white, his eyes wide. She could see the same panic in his eyes that was overwhelming her, and it made it difficult to breathe. He clutched at her. The pains kept coming. Tears poured down Lori’s face. At some point Clifford turned his face away and she became aware that she was speaking.
“Don’t let them die. Please save them. No matter what it takes, please save them.”
It was unfair of her to ask the impossible of him. But she couldn’t stop herself. She couldn’t do this on her own. She needed him. He kissed her forehead and she collapsed into sobs, curled into his chest. Bauman might have lost–but in the end, he could still get what he wanted.