Payton (Dreamcatchers Romantic Suspense Series Book 3) Read online

  From her vantage point against the back fence, she looked up at the house. Unlike the front, the back door looked to be a regular wooden deadbolt hung on timber frame. Perfect. She sneaked forward step by step, muting the sound of her footfalls as much as possible. Small sparks of rage built inside her with every step, catching and merging inside her.

  When she reached the back door, a low moan sounded and the fire inside her exploded. Payton stepped forward and threw a front push kick in the center of the door, a grim satisfaction running through her as the wood groaned and then splintered as she pushed through.

  Well, he knew she was here now. Time to move.

  Inside the walls of the house, Cole’s mind sparked in hers. Was it because she was closer or was he thinking of her too? She wasn’t going to spend time wondering. Following the light, she skidded left, running over gray carpet and through a white hallway into the kitchen, where she found another doorway, this one leading downstairs. This time, the handle turned in her hand and Payton rushed through, not stopping to pull it closed behind her. Cole was down there, vulnerable, hurt—or worse.

  “Cole!” Having given up all pretenses of stealth once she kicked the door in, Payton ran down the stairs. As her feet hit concrete, her hand brushed a piece of string hanging from the ceiling. She pulled it and the basement was flooded with light. There he was! Cole was half sitting, half tumbled over on the ground, his hands chained in front of him to a radiator. The ache in her chest deepened at the sight. Seeing someone who was her entire world chained to the ground tore through her heart. That bastard was going to pay.

  She bent down and lifted Cole’s head with her hand, touching him on the shoulder. He looked up at her slowly, eyes glazed over.

  “Payton.” His voice was soft.

  “Cole,”—she ran her hands over his limbs, looking for any injuries—“are you hurt, bleeding?” She pulled him in, keeping a careful eye on the stairs, but she couldn’t watch for the other man and make sure Cole was okay, too. At the thought of the bastard hurting Cole any further, strength ran through her and Payton’s light filled the room, then the house, pinpricks filling every corner. There! Now she’d know when he discovered them.

  “Payton. . . .” Cole’s head fell on her shoulder, heavy from whatever the fuck they’d given him. She’d let him rest later; right now they had to move.

  “Hey,”—she tapped him on the cheek—“wake up. We have to get out of here.”

  Cole’s eyelids drooped, but he nodded his head. He pushed to stand but fell clumsily as his still-chained hands jolted him back. His head lolled back against the wall. Payton ran her hands over his face, but there was no response. She lifted his arm and scooted under it, moving close and brushing her lips across his cheek. His eyes opened and Cole spoke. “You’re beautiful. I’m sorry.” His head fell again and his eyes dropped closed. She wasn’t going to get anything more out of him.

  She’s there. With him.

  The henchman’s thought sank into her mind as effortlessly as though it was her own. With her anger at finding Cole, everything had gotten sharper, easier. He was running through the hall now and into the kitchen. Payton kissed Cole a last time before reluctantly leaving his side and darting under the stairs. Every muscle in her body tensed and she let the stillsmoldering fire consume her entire mind. Months of training, months of waiting, months of looking over her shoulder. It was all about to end. She was powerful enough to take a stand.

  His footsteps shook the floor above her and small particles of dust fell down onto her head. Payton forced her light out and kept her focus. Fear wasn’t an option. She slowed her breath and blocked out the world beyond the house’s brick walls, focusing only on the monster. Just like the wall at the gym—there was nothing else. He was the only thing that existed, and she was going to take him down. That or die trying—there was no other option.

  The heels of his boots were just visible through the stairs as he started his descent. She was ready, waiting. Halfway down the stairs, he stopped. Again her every nerve screamed at her to move, to rush him, but she stayed in place. Coming from below, she was at a disadvantage. There was no way she was going to take a single step toward him if it lessened her chances of winning. She sat crouched and waiting, her every breath silent, her body still. That was, until he entered the room and then bent down in front of Cole, jerking him forward and rattling the chain holding him to the wall. Payton’s pulse thundered in her ears and she bit down on a snarl about to escape her mouth. That was it—the bastards were never laying another hand on anyone in her name again.

  As the man stood, she surged forward, reaching up and clamping her hands on his shoulder and dragging him down as she kicked out at the back of his knee. He fell heavily against her and before she could bring him to the ground, his bulk overwhelmed her, tumbling them both to the floor. Panic rose in her mind as his heavy body lay across hers and for just a moment Payton froze, memories flooding her brain and taking over her senses. As emotions and memories swirled through her mind, somewhere—it seemed far away—a hand roughly shoved at her in the blackness and then tightened around her throat.

  Oh, God. No! Use the pain. Push it out.

  The voice was soft, barely a whisper inside her head, but it was enough. She was strong—a fighter—and no man was going to take her power away from her ever again. The fire inside reignited and rushed through her veins, scorching their paths, before erupting from her mind in a blinding flash, banishing the dark. The weight pressing down on her was suddenly gone and the world returned in full and brutal force. Payton pushed to her feet, her head swinging wildly as she looked around the room. He was gone! A low moan sounded at her feet and she looked down. There! There was the monster, writhing at her feet as her light invaded his mind.

  A dark silhouette of a woman with long hair, shaded by the darkness in the room. She lifted her hand to take a drag off a cigarette, then dropped it to the ground, blowing smoke in the man’s face. “Thank you.” Her voice was warm. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me—all the work you’ve done. I just want what’s best for the girls. They’re capable of so much, but they need to be taught, be disciplined.”

  “They’re fighting back,” he responded.

  She lifted an eyebrow. “They can try. Most won’t be able to do much. They don’t know what they are. We need to bring them together.”

  “You know I’ll do anything for you.” His voice was sickly sweet, but Payton shuddered at the evil behind it.

  “I know you will.” She stroked his jaw softly and reached up with dark, painted lips, kissing his forehead.

  Payton felt his lust surge as the woman stepped back, trailing her fingers down along his chest. He was determined to be everything she needed, and he would be ruthless. Not just because it was needed, but because it was fun. He knew her last favorite had been unfortunately eliminated, but that just meant all the more for him. She was beautiful, a rare goddess, and he loved her. He’d never loved anything before.

  The world swirled in a sickening twist and then he was standing in an alley, his hand around a girl’s neck. Her face changed color as he shook her sharply from side to side. He ignored the sound of bones cracking, and then he tossed her on the ground. She was just one of many who were unnecessary—either weak, their power undiscovered, or too arrogant to ever submit to his master. She did not matter.

  He told her as much as he watched the life drain out of her eyes.

  The world spun and dipped below Payton’s feet again and she found herself standing in front of a gray metal door set in a brick arc. The door swung open and gave way to a dark room, lit only with candles. The middle of the ceiling held a heaving crystal chandelier that sparkled as the dim light caught the glass. Another man wearing a tuxedo walked him to a table, where he sat and anxiously awaited her arrival. He sipped at the water provided and scanned the room. She was not present and so there was nothing of interest.

  He looked up from his drink just as his goddess wa
s walking into the room, black heels clicking on the floor. She was dressed in an emerald gown that shimmered softly in the candlelight, the gown split to her thigh to reveal just a taste of the milky white skin beneath. When she sat down, her blonde hair fell forward and covered one of her eyes. Those glittering, mesmerizing eyes that you couldn’t help but be drawn into.

  “How are you?” she beamed at him.

  “Alright.” He fidgeted but couldn’t look away. Her green eyes were strikingly beautiful.

  “Did she put up much of a fight?” she asked as the waiter left the room.

  “She escaped. I’m sorry, Mistress. I will capture her for you.”

  “I know.” She took a sip of her wine, leaving a bloodred stain where her lips had touched the glass. “You know, if there’s one thing in life that matters, it’s power, and that can only come from control. Her time will come.”

  “Yes,” he agreed. “I won’t let you down.”

  “That’s why I like you.” Her smoky voice hit him right in the gut. “You’re the most powerful man I’ve ever met.”

  A thrill ran through him at the thought. He pictured her lying beneath him as he held his bulk above, thrusting into her, taking her entirely. To her, he said only, “Thank you.”

  She smiled knowingly and moved an inch closer, running her finger around the rim of her glass. “You’re a true soldier, Elijah. Soldiers know the right thing to do and they do it without question. These girls—she laughed quietly—“they’re different—too young and willful. They don’t know how to fight you because they haven't quelled their instincts. They’ll disobey at every turn. That’s why we need to take them away, train them. We have to take away that part of them that says no.”

  “I can do that, Mistress.”

  Payton almost threw up at the ideas for persuasion techniques that ran through his head.

  “If they can say no to us, we’ll never have the power you seek.”

  “And that’s why you’re so valuable to me.” She smiled over at him. “You’re powerful enough to help us get to them so we can take that terrible instinct away.”

  That world crackled and fizzed and Payton opened her eyes to see the monster—no, Elijah—convulsing on the floor. Something metallic in his pocket rattled. Shit, it had to be the keys! She ducked down and snatched the key ring hanging out of his front pocket, then ran over to where Cole still knelt by the radiator. The lock gave way easily and he groaned as she pulled him to his feet. She pushed at his shoulder, moving him toward the stairs. “Go! I’ll be right behind you.”

  Cole stood, leaning against the banister. “No. I’m not leaving you alone.” He glanced over at Elijah, the motion nearly landing him on the floor again. “He’s twice your size, Payton.”

  “And you’re about to pass out again,” she hissed, pushing him again as Elijah groaned on the floor, his leg twitching. “I have something else I need to do.”

  She pushed her light forward again. Elijah’s back arched as she dug deeper, searching his mind for any hint of those she knew—Emily, Keila, even herself. Faces flashed past her so quickly she could barely keep up—one after the other—endless faces, but not one was familiar. It could have been minutes or hours and still they continued. Payton felt Elijah grow weaker and her along with him, until she fell to her knees on the ground.

  “That’s it!” She felt a strong tug on her elbow, jolting her out of Elijah’s head. “You’re now officially worse off than I am.” Cole wrapped his arm around her waist and half carried her to the stairs. “We’re leaving. Now. Before you collapse.”

  “But I have to see. . . .” She forced her light forward again.

  Elijah’s head falling limply to the side was the last thing Payton saw before she collapsed in Cole’s waiting arms and the world turned black.

  25

  The world came back to Payton in bits and pieces; first a gentle backandforth swaying, then the tightness of Cole’s arms as he pressed her against his firm chest, then finally the sun on her face, warming her and bringing energy back into her body. Her eyes fluttered open and Cole glanced down at her and smiled. There was no sweeter sight in the world.

  “We’re a couple of blocks away from that house. Do you think you can walk?”

  She nodded and Cole stopped, placing her gently on her feet before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in to his body.

  “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” He kissed the top of her head and Payton smiled into his chest. Yeah, she wasn’t going to stop chasing the monsters, but she could appreciate the sentiment.

  “I’m fine. Besides, I couldn’t just leave you there.”

  “That’s exactly what you do. Jesus, Payton, that guy could have killed you.”

  “But he didn’t. . . .”

  Cole relaxed his embrace just a little, his arm still wrapped around her middle. “And he’s still out there; we have to keep moving.” They walked slowly for a couple more blocks before he stopped in front of a convenience store and lowered her down on the metal seat outside.

  “Sit. I’ll be just over there.” He pointed to a pay phone.

  “But I’m fi—”

  Cole simply raised one eyebrow before kissing her on the forehead.

  “Just humor me, please.” He smiled. “You saved me. Let me do a little saving of my own now.”

  Payton leaned back against the wall of the store and watched Cole as he walked over to the phone, digging in his pockets for a couple of quarters. He stood with his back to the wall, eyes constantly moving around the street as he talked to whomever he was calling. After hanging up, he walked back to the seat and sat next to her, taking her hand in his. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Cole spoke.

  “Thank you for finding me, Payton. I don’t know how whatever’s inside your head works, but I’m glad you have it.”

  “Cole,”—Payton felt a rush of moisture at the corners of her eyes—“I’d do it again in an instant. You have to know that. I’m sorry.” The tears overflowed and she buried her head in his chest, taking heaving breaths to stop them even as they streamed. She was not having a breakdown in the middle of the street, damn it!

  “Shh. It’s just the adrenaline fading away. You’re safe.”

  “But I shouldn’t have gotten so mad, before, about the others.”

  He leaned down and kissed her forehead and she could feel his lips pull into a smile.

  “Don’t ever apologize for your feelings. And besides, I fucked up. There are a million better ways I could have asked you about all this. I’m sorry, too.”

  “But I could have stopped all this if I’d just listened. . . .”

  “Payton, I saw. I saw you being kidnapped, saw everything you went through. You were scared out of your mind. It’s not your fault.”

  She pulled away, but Cole tugged her back, leaning her back against his body. Sitting in his embrace, Payton finally felt safe enough to tell him all of it. “I don’t think I’ve ever stopped being scared, Cole. I’ve been scared ever since I was snatched off that sidewalk and it never stopped, not for a moment. Not until I started talking to you.”

  He kissed her again, brushing his lips softly over hers this time. “That goes double for me. The difference you’ve made in my life in just these few short months, Payton. You’re stuck with me, if you’ll still have me.”

  “Cole. . . . ” Payton couldn’t find the words and so instead she reached up and locked her hands behind his head, pulling his lips down to meet hers. Her tongue licked at his lips before darting into his mouth, moving with his. Cole groaned before pulling her so close she was nearly in his lap. His tongue pushed back and danced with hers. She could have kissed him forever, but a horn sounded loudly and Payton jumped.

  “It’s okay, Gorgeous. It’s just the taxi. Let’s get out of here.”

  Cole pulled her to her feet and walked briskly to the cab. He gave her address to the driver and Payton fell back against the seat, allowing her eyes to close for the
first time since they’d fled. She let Cole wrap his arms around her again and she rested against him, closing out the world. She could still feel her light shimmering away gently inside her, but she left it there, locked away and at peace. It seemed to recognize Cole’s presence, calming her and warming her heart. By the time they reached her apartment, Payton felt warm and safe. She hadn’t gotten the whole story from Elijah’s head—not this time, at least. But there’d be another day, and now she knew exactly who and what she was up against.

  Leaving the taxi, Cole grabbed her hand again and they walked hand in hand down to the beach. The water crashed against the shore and as Payton’s feet sank into the wet sand, everything locked into place in her mind. This was it. She was home, on the beach and with Cole. This was where she was meant to be.

  “So what happened, how did you find me?”

  “I went looking for you. My first stop was the juice bar, but you weren’t there. Someone else was, though: Emily and Keila.”

  Cole stopped walking through the sand and turned to face her. “And you’re okay?”

  Payton smiled. “Yeah. Let’s just say they told me things . . . things that made the stuff that happened to me make a lot more sense.”

  “So you’re okay with them now?”

  “Sort of. Maybe. But then they said something else, and I knew I had to find you. I ran to your house and when I saw the destruction there, well, I might have freaked out, just a little.”

  “God, Payton, I’m so sorry you got all caught up in that.”

  She shook her head. “No. Cole, I’m the reason they took you in the first place. The thought of them harming you, I couldn’t stand it. It unlocked something in me, something new, and I found a way of tracking you. Your voice, Cole, it led me all the way to that house where I found you chained to the radiator.”

  He pulled her in again, kissing her before replying. “I do remember you coming down the stairs. I thought it was the sun from upstairs, but when you walked in, you almost looked like you were glowing.” Payton smiled and his arm around her shoulders squeezed her gently.