Beautiful Moves(Shifting Steel Book 3)(33)

"I think I'm frightened," Tony commented.

"You should be," Wolf replied, though silently he said a prayer of thanks.





11 Jackpot




Wolf

"It's called Skype, Abuela, not skape," Marisol explained as they sat in the back of the cargo van.

"Netscape. Skape. Skype. I don't know." Abuela shrugged.

"This is from the woman who can use the internet like a pro," Trip chuckled.

"It has everything. Did you know you can look at grandfather Tlaloc ‘s  mountain ruins from space? I never imagined." Abuela shook her head in  amazement.

"She calls the internet amazing, when she and Marisol are descended from  an Aztec rain god," Char whispered in disbelief to Wolf.

"Coso thinks we're descended from Isa the Wolf, the Paiute god of  creation. But I don't think it really matters much. We all exist. That's  all the explanation I need," Wolf replied with a shrug.

Wolf overheard Coso talking with Bastian. The desert alpha had a lot of  theories about why the unusual women had found their way into Shifter  circles. Wolf didn't know if he believed the clandestine talk about  reinvigorating the Shifter breeds. If anything, Wolf believed kindred  souls gravitated toward each other. People like Ella, Iris and Marisol,  needed others who understood them. Ella wasn't a blooded Shifter, but no  matter what happened, she was family, and would always be welcome.

"Alright kids, we're here. Time for business," Cain announced as he parked in the lot beneath the Palazzo hotel.

"I remember my part. I get out and make the cameras fuzzy," Abuela related.

"Yes, but don't zap the phones you're carrying. And don't permanently  knock out the hotel's cameras," Marisol reminded her grandmother.

"Yes, mija, I know. We don't want the jackals to become suspicious. I do  have a measure of control over grandfather's gifts," Abuela teased.

The old woman had more than a measure of control over her skills. Wolf  had seen Abuela and Marisol in action. They could control more than  electricity. The women could wield all the powers of the ancient Aztec  god. Making a few cameras go fuzzy was child's play.

"Everyone check your phone. Make sure your Bluetooth earbud is working,  and you're signed into the Skype conference call," Wolf instructed as he  pulled up the app on the tablet.

"Got it." Iris fit her earpiece then adjusted her hair to cover the small bud.

"I'm going in."

Abuela straightened her hotel uniform, grabbed her giant purse and the  package she was assigned, then got out of the van. With her phone  clipped to her waistband, Wolf had a clear view of her walking through  the parking garage and into the hotel.

"Our turn." Trip smiled to Marisol and Iris.

Trip was the only Shifter going into the hotel, at least until the  signal was given. The brother was considered unusual, even among  Shifters breeds. It was comforting that he would be close to the women.  Still, Cain looked like he was ready to come unglued as he kissed Iris,  before she waddled out of the van. Wolf sympathized. He felt so close to  Ella. He wanted to rush into the hotel, kick some ass, and retrieve  her.                       
       
           



       

"Now we watch, and wait," Bastian spoke through their Skype connection.

Both Bastian and Coso were monitoring the action from the other vehicles parked in garages around the Palazzo.

Char, Cain, and Wolf's betas, gathered around, staring at the split  screen on the tablet. Abuela was already inside the hotel, heading  toward the employee corridor. She touched the badge sensor and the door  instantly unlocked, as if she had official access. They watched her  reach the security room and again repeat the move.

"Excuse me. This area is for authorized staff only," the security guard said.

Wolf had a good view of the male from Abuela's phone. He could also see the security monitors in the room.

"Oh, I new. I lost. Lo siento. Hotel muy grande," Abuela exclaimed in heavily accented, broken English.

Abuela was old, but she possessed all her faculties, which made this farce even more amusing.

"How did you even get in here?" The guard waved toward the door.

"Open," Abuela replied.

"Dammit. You all need to make sure the door latches behind you," the man  railed at the other guards in the room. "What were you trying to find?"

Abuela set her stuff on the counter opposite of the monitors, then sat down in one of the office chairs, with a tired sigh.

"I find housekeeping," she replied.

"Jason, show her to housekeeping."

"Yes sir."

"Un momento." Abuela pretended to catch her breath.

Wolf grinned as the old woman played her part to a tee. After a minute,  Abuela stood with the assistance of one of the guards and grabbed her  purse, leaving behind the pack of paper with the cell phone hidden  inside.

Char's impromptu surveillance, using burner phones, was inspired genius.  They cut out a section of paper and taped the phone camera against a  small hole in the pack. Now they could see what Drake's security could  see.

"First part down." Wolf smiled at his companions in the van.

"Abuela did an awesome job positioning that hidden phone. The view is  better than I expected. Let's see what Iris, Trip and Marisol are  doing." Char leaned in to better see the screen on the iPad.



Ella

Drake brought me to the middle of nowhere to kill me. He knows I tried to get Bastian's help. Ella white knuckled the armrest.

"Stay here," Drake insisted as a van pulled up.

Four of Drake's goons got out of the van dragging another man with them. Ella stared at the struggling man in disbelief.

"No, no, no," she cried as she scrambled for the handle on the car door. "Wolf!"

What is he doing here? Oh god. What are these animals going to do to him?

Ella rushed toward Wolf, but Drake snatched her up. Ella struggled to  get free of his grasp, then froze as the flash and thunderous roar of a  dozen shots filled the night.

The first bullet struck Wolf in the chest, and he recoiled from the  blast. She reached out as the second shot made him jerk. Ella heard  herself scream, as she desperately willed the bullets striking Wolf in  rapid succession, to halt. But she was too slow. Her curse had no  trouble moving the tiny projectiles, but it couldn't turn back time, or  make her respond fast enough to keep them from ripping into the man she  loved. Ella watched the blood spread on Wolf's chest as he dropped to  the ground, and something inside her snapped.

They killed him. In an instant Ella's whole world exploded.

Oh god. What's Wolf doing here? No, no, no.

The fiery flash from the muzzle of the gun lit the night. The shots  echoed off the surrounding rock. But they weren't half as loud as the  scream that ripped from Ella's throat, as the bullets struck Wolf, over,  and over, and over, as the nightmare replayed again, and again, and  again.



"Chase," Drake barked as he stalked into the room. "Has there been any change?"

Ella jerked awake, then stilled. The vile man's voice pulled her from one nightmare into another.

"No. She's still passed out," Neck tattoo replied. "I'm kinda surprised she hasn't pissed herself."

"Well, the bitch better enjoy her little nap, because when she wakes up,  we're going to discuss what she did to my fucking car," Drake growled.

Ella didn't know what Drake was complaining about. Considering his tone,  and how she felt, she must have wreaked major havoc. Ella wished she  could remember the retribution she dished out, but all she could  remember was Wolf collapsing as blood covered his chest. Ella repressed a  sob at the memory.

Oh, Wolf.

"Speak of the she-devil," neck tattoo said from nearby.

Ella's breath froze in her chest.

No sense pretending to sleep.                       
       
           



       

Ella didn't have the energy for it anyway. Plus, since Chase had made  the comment about the bathroom, Ella had to go. She opened her eyes and  slowly sat up. She was sore down to her bones. Ella gingerly got up off  the sofa.

"Where do you think you're going?" Drake demanded.

"To the bathroom, unless you want me to ruin your Persian rug," Ella  replied curtly, as she glanced down at the carpet that likely cost a  small fortune.

Ella didn't bother to wait for a reply. She turned and wandered to the  bathroom. If Drake had anything to say to her, she didn't hear it. She  was past caring any more.

Ella finished and washed up. She stood with her hands braced on the sink  staring in the mirror. Her dress was dirty and tattered. Her hair was a  mess. Dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, made it look like she  hadn't slept ever. Ella didn't recognize the reflection looking back at  her. She felt empty.