Beautiful Moves (Shifting Steel Book 3)(64)

Cain grabbed his gear and got ready to exit the van, along with Vick, Tony, Mark and Jericho.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Wolf asked Char, when she started to follow the guys.

“Ella’s my friend. We don’t know what’s happened to her. She needs a girlfriend,” Char said with glossy eyes.

It’s my woman in there. She needs me.

“Go,” Wolf replied, even though he wanted to be the first familiar face Ella saw.

Wolf started to snarl in frustration, until the shooting pain in his chest reminded him why he was forced to sit on the side lines. He was lucky to be alive, but it didn’t feel that way. Thinking about what the fucking jackals might have done to Ella was driving him insane. Wolf prayed it wasn’t as bad as he imagined.

“Check it out. Trip was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Cain chuckled as he hopped out of the van.

Unlike most Shifters, who’s beast ghosted their human form, Trip could shift completely into his inner beast. Wolf wanted to smile when he saw the black jaguar calmly wandering through the casino, like the big ass predator he was. Panicked guests were quickly starting to fill the parking garage all around the van.

“Be safe. I’ll make sure nothing happens to the van,” Wolf grumbled, as everyone abandoned him.

He watched his sister, cousins and friends wade through the crowd, like fish going upstream, to get into the hotel. Wolf froze when he glanced back at the iPad in his lap. There was Ella, standing in front of the camera, planted in security.

“When did she get in there?”

Wolf listened to the jackal alpha yell at some guard, as Ella casually exited the room. His fists clenched, hoping Drake didn’t turn on Ella.

Hurry out of there, Princess.

“Everyone, I’ve got eyes on Ella. She’s exiting the security room,” Wolf reported.

Wolf hated that he no longer had eyes on Ella. Everyone was heading toward the control room, but they couldn’t move fast enough for his liking.

“Son of a bitch. Where’d the girl go?” Wolf heard Drake snarl at the guard he was berating a moment before. “Chase, Miss Roulant is somewhere on the main level. Find her,” the jackal alpha yelled as he stalked out of security.

“Shit,” Wolf cursed.

Ella didn’t have nearly a long enough head start. Wolf got out of the van. He wasn’t in top shape, but there was no way he could stay put.



Ella

Ella saw Drake’s men at the casino exits. They were assisting the evacuating guests, but she had a feeling they were looking for her too. Ella turned and headed deeper into the hotel.

They weren’t going to let her go. Even if she made it out of the hotel, they’d pluck her from amidst the fleeing crowd. They’d sniff her out with those animal senses. Drake even knew where she lived. He had her purse. There was no place she could hide.

I can’t lead these people back to Sabine and Char. It was time to finish this.

Ella glanced up as the sprinklers erupted, drenching her already tattered dress. She noticed the sign for the theater and headed that way. As she reached the set of theater doors a man stepped out blocking her path.

“Ma’am, you need to evacuate,” the polo wearing employee insisted, as he pointed to the exit. The man placed his hand to his ear and listened intently. “I’ve got her right here,” he said, looking Ella up and down.

Ella threw out her hand, shoving the man back with her curse. She barely flinched, or felt remorse, as he flew into the far wall. Ella didn’t know if the guard was like Drake, but she didn’t wait to find out. She ran into the empty theater, past all the chairs, down toward the dais. Ella climbed the stage, then turned and stared at the crowd of vacant seats.

Standing there, Ella was reminded of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. A delirious laugh spilled out, echoing in the quiet theater. How many times had she spoken the phrase, ‘Out, damn spot,’ as she looked at her hands? Now, they were stained with the blood of the man she loved. But she wasn’t the only one to blame.

The curtain was falling on her hour to strut and fret. Drake would arrive any minute now. However, she would not gently give way, like a candle simply snuffed out. No, this finale would be full of sound and fury.

Ella cried out for Wolf, though outwardly she stood frozen like a statue. A fierce swirling torrent of anguish and anger consumed her. The doors on the theater flew open, but Drake’s men had arrived too late.

Spotlights and speakers rattled loose, crashing to the floor, as Ella’s curse surged forth. Row after row of seats ripped free from the floor and flew outward. They whipped around the theater, striking her pursuers.

“Enough,” Drake snarled menacingly as he fought his way through the chaotic debris, a determined sneer twisting his face.