Dark Wolf Unbound (Heart of the Shifter #2)(35)

Then, another shadow filled the doorway. Broader shoulders, heavier  muscle, eyes as dark as the pitiless hell that radiated from him.  Grigori. Her father.

She swallowed as he walked into the room, walking straight toward her as  Lucius walked the other way to set Seth on the couch. Grigori came to a  stop in front of her, his eyes fixed on her face.

It had been so long since she'd seen him, so long since she'd stared  into the eyes of the man who'd terrorized her and so many others. His  eyes were shrewd and calculating, gleaming with the same intelligence  that had always guided him through his massacres. "Abigail."

She lifted her chin, ignoring the pain screaming through her shoulders. "Grigori."

"You're the only one left."

"Because you killed them." She knew he was talking about her family.

"They betrayed me. These things happen." He traced a finger along her  jaw, his touch so light it felt like the whisper of death before it  struck. "But you're different. We need you."

She lifted her chin. "I'll never sing for you again."

"I think you will." He jerked his chin at Lucius, who strode toward the  door and walked out into the hall again. "What we've discovered is that  the recording of your voice doesn't have a long-term effect on the  psyche the way your voice does in real life. We need you to come work  for us again."

"Work for you?" She would have laughed at the idea, except for the fact  that his words made chills scrape down her spine, because she knew he  would have a plan. "I'm not for sale." But even as she said it, she  tried frantically to process what was going on. She'd been so sure they  were going to have Seth kill her. But if they weren't, then who?

"Everyone is for sale." As he spoke, Lucius walked back in the room,  carrying Abby's grandmother. She was bound and gagged, her hands tied  behind her back, her eyes glistening with outrage.

"Nana!" Abby gasped at the sight of her grandmother trussed up in Lucius's arms.

Her grandmother, however, just looked pissed. She looked right at Abby  and furrowed her brow, clearly commanding Abby not to give in, no matter  what they did to her. "Oh, God." Abby's legs started to tremble. She  couldn't let them hurt her. She couldn't do it.

Lucius tossed her grandmother on the couch, and Abby winced as she  bounced on the old cushions. He walked over to Abby and gripped her  hair, twisting her head back. "You forced me to have my wife murdered,  so now you get to fill in for her. You're mine, Abby." He kissed her, a  slobbery, disgusting kiss that made revulsion churn in her stomach.                       
       
           



       

"Get off!" She brought her knee up hard, slamming it into his crotch. He  howled in pain, and bent over, fury spitting from his eyes as he glared  at her. "There's no chance I'll ever be yours. You don't get to touch  me. Ever." How long had it been since Jace had left? Two hours? Was he  close? How long could she delay Lucius and Grigori?

He grabbed her around the neck and jerked her toward him. "You stupid bitch. I'll-"

"No." Grigori stayed him with one word. "Never touch her throat, Lucius,  or I will cut off your hands. The rest of her body is yours, but her  voice is mine. Release her."

Crazed anger glazing over his eyes, Lucius shoved her away from him. She  swung on the hook like a pendulum, her shoulders now past the point of  pain.

"Your nephew is going to kill your beloved grandmother. She won't be  around to save you this time." Lucius grinned, his incisors lengthening.  "But I'm going to make you wish that he'd killed you instead. You'll  survive, just like before, but this time, you won't get away. This time,  you're mine."

Anger roared through Abby. "I'm not going to sing for you. Either of you. I'm not going to destroy Seth and my grandmother."

"You will." Grigori stepped back. "No one can withstand limitless pain,  Abigail. We're going to find your limit. When you want Lucius to stop,  when the pain is so unbearable you can't think, then you can start to  sing. The pain will end, and you will spend the rest of your life with  the knowledge that your weakness, your inability to endure, is what  forced you to choose the path that made your own nephew turn on your own  grandmother. We will break you, and you will become mine." Grigori  pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and sat down. "And once you  have enough shifter blood in you, you'll be one of us anyway. Your  morals will be gone." He folded his arms over his chest, and nodded at  Lucius. "Whenever you're ready."



* * *



Abby's pain hit Jace so fiercely, he recoiled violently, her pain knifing through him so intensely he couldn't breathe.

"Shit!" Drake grabbed the steering wheel, jerking the SUV back in its lane as Jace fought for breath.

"They've got her." I'm coming, Abby. Stay with me. Shoving aside the  pain, he grabbed the wheel and jammed his foot onto the gas.

How far away are you? Her voice was weak, desperate, terrified.

Almost there.

Her anguish filled him. Hurry.

Fear tore through him. Hang in there, sweetheart. You can do it. He  slammed his fist on the steering wheel and gave the vehicle even more  gas. "How far away is Cash?"

"Still ten minutes."

"Shit!" Jace spun the wheel to the right. The wheels lifted off the  ground as the vehicle cornered, and Drake swore as the tires screeched.

"There!" Jace pointed at the brick building three blocks away. He hit the gas pedal, hurtling down the street-

Another blast of pain from Abby had him gasping for breath, but he held tight, keeping the SUV hurtling right for the building.

Drake gripped the door. "Shit, man, you want to kill us?"

"No. Not today." Jace hit the brakes at the last minute and leapt out of  the truck before it had completely stopped. He sprinted for the  entrance, Drake on his heels, as he threw his shoulder against the front  door, shattering the wood as he burst through. He went right for the  stairs, vaulting up the steps four at a time. I'm coming, Abby!

He reached the fourth floor and tore down the hall. Apartment 4G was at  the end of the hall, and the door was shut. He didn't slow down. He  didn't hesitate. He just lowered his shoulder and charged, throwing  himself against the door.

The wood splintered under the assault, and he vaulted into the room. The  first thing he saw was Abby dangling from her wrists in the middle of  the room, her shirt bloodied and torn. Lucius was standing in front of  her, with the same half-shift he'd had when Jace had first met him.

Jace raised his gun and aimed it at Lucius, who immediately ducked  behind Abby, putting her in the path of Jace's bullet. He swore and  averted the gun-

Grigori tackled Jace from the side, throwing him against the wall. Pain  thudded through his injured side and he gasped for breath as Abby  shouted his name. He rolled onto his side in time to see Drake crumple  to the ground in the doorway. Jesus. Drake was legendary with his  skills. For Grigori to have gotten the drop on both of them...shit.

Grigori walked over to Jace and pointed Drake's pistol at him. Jace saw  in his eyes that he wasn't going to spare him. Fuck that. He had things  to do, and dying wasn't one of them. He reacted instantly, lunging for  Grigori. He hit Grigori in the chest at the same moment that the gun  went off.

The searing pain in his chest was surreal. Again with the silver? What  the hell? Jace landed hard on his back, writhing in pain as the silver  coursed through him. His muscles spasmed, convulsing from the third hit  of silver in too short of a time.                       
       
           



       

Grigori laughed softly and tossed the gun aside, turning back to Abby. "Now, he can watch. How fun for all of us."

Jace swore, rolling onto his stomach as he tried to summon strength back  into his body, but his battered muscles were already drained, barely  recovered from the last time. The bullet had only grazed him, but the  hit of silver was already burning through him. It was the same as when  he'd been shot in the cage...but the song had given him the strength to  overcome the debilitating effect of the silver.

The song had made him strong.

He met Abby's gaze as Lucius turned back toward her.

Sing. He sent the command.

Her eyes widened, and he saw her glance at the couch, where the boy and  her grandmother were. He calculated the distance, and he knew exactly  how much time he'd have. I got it.

She nodded once, and then began to sing.

The shock of the words hit him hard, but it was different hearing it in  person. The raw power of it was palpable, but the song didn't incite him  to a rage. Abby's familiar voice poured strength and warmth into him,  latching onto the depth of his emotions for her. The song flooded his  body with the same fierce power as before, but this time, he merged with  his wolf, keeping the sanity of the man while channeling the ferocity  of the wolf. He shifted instantly, allowing the song to rip his humanity  from him.