Beauty and the Shapeshifter (Evil Rising Book 5) Page 2

  She looked up again, keeping an eye out for more cameras. How had Gus missed that? Whoever owned the equipment might have footage of Dad. She could check whether he’d ventured into the woods or gotten into a different car.

  A stick snapped behind her. Ella twisted around at the sound, only to be confronted by nothing but forest. “Hello?” she called out. No answer.

  Was someone there? The trees were so scattered and the foliage was so sparse, there weren’t many places for anyone, or anything, to hide. On the other hand, she was also exposed.

  It wasn’t as if the woods were empty. There were probably wolves and bears. If there were cameras, that meant there were people too. She wasn’t sure which she’d rather see.

  She stepped backward, carefully scanning the trees again for any sign of movement.

  Satisfied she was alone, she turned around and slammed right into a massive male chest.

  Ella liked to think she was brave, but the scream that bubbled up from her throat was unavoidable. She stumbled away, tripping over her own feet, and started to fall. But she never hit the ground.

  Big hands closed over her upper arms, pulling her back up and against him. Fear and adrenaline had her gasping for air as she finally got a good look at the stranger.

  And forgot how to breathe.

  He was amazing. His deep, dark, blue eyes looked her over. His hair was brown, but not just brown. A rich chestnut that made his eyes stand out even more. His chest was much bigger than the entire width of her shoulders, and his arms were massive, though the black dress shirt he wore fit perfectly and didn’t stretch the slightest over his large, muscled body.

  Dress shirt? Ella looked down at his nice shoes and black pants. Not exactly hiking clothes.

  “Are you okay?” he asked in a deep, husky voice.

  She blinked as she tried to remember how to talk. “Umm, yeah. Sorry. You scared me.”

  “It happens.” Not exactly an apology.

  She realized he still had his hands on her arms and she was still leaning against him. She pushed herself back. Blood rushed to her face at her own clumsiness. Not exactly the finest example of grace under pressure. He released her; his hands lingered on her a second too long before he moved away. “So, um, what brings you out to the middle of nowhere?” Hopefully not kidnapping and murdering.

  “I live here. You?”

  Ella looked around at the endless woods. “You live here?”

  His mouth crooked up, not seeming to mind that she didn’t answer his question. “My house is about a mile west of here. This is my land.”

  And she was trespassing. Crap. “Um, I probably should get going. I didn’t mean to intrude on your property.” She took a few steps back, hoping he’d tell her it was no problem, but he remained silent. His eyes scanned over her, taking in her every movement; the hair on her arms stood up.

  She turned to retreat back to her car, but the feeling of his eyes burning into her back had her facing him again. This was no Gus or Louie. This was a stranger. She was invading his territory and she could tell he wasn’t exactly happy about it.

  And he was dangerous. He hadn’t said or done anything untoward, but she knew.

  Which put her in a tough spot. She was too afraid to turn her back to him but still needed his help. Closing her eyes, she mustered up every ounce of courage. “Are those your cameras out by the road?”

  He cocked his head at the question. “Yes. I take my privacy very seriously.”

  She took another steadying breath. “My father has been missing for a week now, and his car is out on the road. Would it be possible for me to take a look at the footage to see what happened?”

  His eyes widened. “Your father’s car is out there?”

  She nodded. “I have no idea what he was doing here, but there were some directions in his front seat he followed to that spot. The police aren’t concerned, but I am. If you could help, I’d be forever grateful.”

  Once again, those ocean blue eyes looked her up and down. She couldn’t be sure, but they seemed to linger at a few key points. She tried her hardest to keep her face steady and not blush. When she said she’d be grateful, that wasn’t what she had in mind.

  A bird squawked overhead, the sudden noise piercing the silence of the woods. Once again she was reminded just how vulnerable she was.

  He seemed oblivious of her sudden tension. “If you don’t mind a walk, we can take a look at what my cameras show.”

  Ella looked behind her to the safety of her car and back to the stranger. Her father could be dead, she reminded herself. “Do you think you could e-mail me the video?”

  He shrugged. “It’s important enough for you to trespass, but you aren’t even going to help me sort through a week’s worth of footage?”

  “I don’t know you.”

  “I don’t know you either,” he shot back.

  She raised an eyebrow, trying to imagine how her tiny frame could possibly make him uncomfortable.

  “Call the police and let them know where you’re going and that you’ll send them the footage. If that makes you feel safer,” he said with a mocking smile.

  She narrowed her eyes at him and fished out her cell. She hoped he was serious, because that was a great idea. She dialed Gus’s cell number, because he wouldn’t be at the station anymore.

  “What’s your name?” she asked the stranger as the phone rang.

  “Lucian Montclair.”

  The name fit him. Strong, masculine, and timeless. How old was he? Maybe mid-thirties, but something about him seemed so much older.

  Gus answered on the fourth ring. “Hey, hon. Where you at? I stopped by your place, but you weren’t there.”

  Ella’s brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what he was talking about. “Gus, I never agreed to meet you for dinner. Remember?”

  She could imagine his utter befuddlement at her ability to resist his advances. “I thought we had plans tonight. McClaine’s has a new band from the city coming in to play. Some drinks and dancing. It’s not too late to join me.”

  Lucian smiled and Ella turned away. He couldn’t possibly hear the whole conversation from where he was. “Gus, listen to me. I tracked down Dad’s car and there are cameras surrounding the highway where it was abandoned. Apparently the owner of this property likes his privacy, but he’s agreed to let me review the tapes.”

  Gus’s voice lost all traces of his fake drawl. “Ella, you need to get out of there. Those woods are dangerous.”

  “I’m already here and this is closer than anything you’ve come up with. His name is Lucian Montclair and his house is a mile west from where you found Dad’s car. I just wanted to make sure someone knew where I was.”

  “Ella, you need to come home. Now.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Gus.” She hung up, turned back to Lucian and jumped. When the heck had he moved so close? “You have to stop doing that. I’m already on edge.”

  At least this time she hadn’t tripped over herself.

  Lucian smiled down at her. “Maybe I just like catching the damsel in distress.”

  She shook her head and started to head west. “This way, right?”

  He nodded and moved in next to her.

  “We can just take my car,” she offered.

  “We’re already walking. It’s not too far and I can drive you back after we review the footage. Or you can have your cop pick you up.”

  Ella scoffed at the thought. “Yeah, I’d rather walk back in the middle of the night.”

  He snorted but said nothing.

  They continued in silence for a few minutes before she couldn’t stand the quiet anymore. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but women these days try to avoid being damsels in distress.”

  “Well, you’re obviously not a damsel in distress,” he assured her.

  Ella thought back to all the embarrassing things she’d already done in front of him. “What makes you say that?”

  “You’re the knight in shin
ing armor, riding into enemy territory to save your father.”

  She smiled. She hadn’t thought of it like that. What did he mean by “enemy territory”?

  As they approached a cluster of pines, Ella moved to go around, but Lucian held the branches aside for her to pass through. “So, what is your father like? He obviously means a great deal to you.”

  How did she explain Dad to a stranger? “He’s...unique. He is a scientist, but he started out as a medical doctor. An OB/GYN, actually. He specialized in helping women who couldn’t get pregnant. Then he suddenly decided he hated people and switched to biology, focusing on various small mammals.”

  “That’s quite a switch,” he murmured.

  “Well, when he puts his mind to something, he gets it done.”

  “That must’ve been difficult on you and your mother.”

  Ella shrugged. She hadn’t intended for the conversation to get so personal, but she supposed conversation about her family was probably inevitable considering why she was trespassing on his land to begin with. “It’s just me and Dad. My mother was never really in the picture.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d lost her,” he said, not truly sounding remorseful.

  “She’s not dead or anything. Well, she could be, but that’s not why she wasn’t there. Dad doesn’t talk about her much. He just said they weren’t on the same page when it came to kids and we were better off without her.” It was probably too much information, but she didn’t like people feeling sorry for her. She was glad her mother wasn’t around. If she was half as bad as Dad made her sound, Ella didn’t want to ever meet the woman.

  “My mother wasn’t around either. I guess she couldn’t handle the craziness that was my father, and she was afraid I’d turn out like him.” The words held no remorse or emotion. Just the facts of his upbringing. It was at least one thing they had in common. They hadn’t had “traditional” upbringings, but they weren’t ashamed or damaged from their childhood.

  “Do you look like him?”

  Ella bit back a laugh at the question. “Not really. He was a bit of a cradle robber and was forty-one when I was born. So he has crazy white hair and white beard, because if you’re going to be an eccentric scientist, you might as well look the part.”

  Lucian looked back at her. His eyes roamed over her face and briefly skimmed over her body. “I definitely don’t see eccentric scientist when I look at you.”

  “Good to know,” she muttered.

  Once again, they walked in silence, the awkwardness of their meeting at odds with the casual and personal banter. Was that flirting? She was so used to Gus’s outright advances, and all the other eligible bachelors seemed to assume she was going to marry Gus. She’d almost forgotten the casual fun of flirting.

  She shook her head at the thought. Lucian wasn’t flirting with her. She’d called the cops just minutes ago in case he planned to murder her. That was hardly the kind of behavior that had guys drooling for a date.

  Not that she wanted a date. The last thing she needed was another man in her life. Dad already took enough time and all men were mostly the same: looking for someone to cook and clean and raise children. No thanks. She had her own plans.

  She’d just about saved enough from her modest bookstore income to put a down payment on one of the tiny houses on the outskirts of Pine Springs. They were nothing special, but they would fit plenty of bookshelves and had a yard big enough for the dog she’d always wanted. Usually one or two of the small houses were listed for sale. She was so close to her little piece of freedom. All she had to do was find Dad and get back before Ray fired her.

  The sound of rushing water became louder and louder the farther they walked. She frowned as they approached the fast-moving stream. Really, it was wide enough it could probably be considered a river. It was no Mississippi, but who decided these things anyway?

  She looked past the water and stopped in her tracks at the sight of the house behind the water. “How did they even build that all the way out here?” she whispered.

  When Lucian said he lived a mile away, she hadn’t expected a mansion. The large brick building was a towering, gothic relic. The dark-brown brick stretched up three full stories. One room toward the front of the house stretched even farther for a fourth story that looked like a tower.

  A wide staircase with six steps led up to the front door, the porch framed with eight tall columns, each the same dark color as the brick.

  “Creative transportation methods,” said Lucian from behind her.

  She looked back to him, momentarily forgetting what he was talking about. Oh, yeah. She’d asked a question.

  “It’s amazing.” And incredibly creepy. She suddenly had second thoughts about going in there alone with him.

  Lucian headed toward the bridge leading over the river, and a light touch caressed her back. Ella jumped at the unexpected contact and looked at Lucian.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you afraid of bridges?”

  No. I’m afraid of you. She looked over at the wooden bridge that had seen better days. “It’s not the most stable-looking thing. How deep is that water?”

  “Deeper than it looks,” he warned. “Don’t worry. You’ll make it across.” Once again, his hand went to the small of her back. She didn’t jump this time, but the shiver that raced through her was unavoidable. Gus had given her the shivers too, but in a completely different way from Lucian.

  It wasn’t as though she’d never been touched by a man. Gus found every excuse imaginable to put his hands on her. This was different.

  She couldn’t say she necessarily liked the feel of his large hand on her, but she definitely wasn’t repulsed by it like she was by Gus’s. She’d just met Lucian. She shouldn’t want him touching her.

  The old wooden planks squeaked and moaned under their feet. She started to think they should’ve taken the aging bridge one person at a time. Why would Lucian have such a nice house and such a crappy bridge right next to it?

  Keeping her eyes on the planks, she said a quick prayer of thanks when she finally was back on solid ground. She smiled as Lucian’s feet came into view. His formerly shiny black shoes were now covered in a coat of dust from their walk.

  Why hadn’t they been dirty when she ran into him? If he’d really just walked from his house, they should’ve been dirty. Of course, he never actually said he’d walked out there. He could’ve driven, but why would he walk back with her if he had a car parked on the side of the road?

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  Great. She’d probably been staring at his feet for a full minute and now he thought she was even crazier than he’d already assumed. “I’m fine. Just lost in thought.”

  He smiled down at her, as though he knew exactly what had her puzzled, and headed to the house. He took the stairs two at a time and Ella knew this was her last chance to turn back. If she was in danger, Gus wouldn’t be able to do anything.

  Lucian was in a completely different league.

  Instead of turning back, Ella’s feet pulled her forward. As Lucian held the door open for her, she couldn’t help but feel she was walking into a trap.

  Lucian couldn’t stop staring. Ella seemed so out of place in the gothic mansion. She was sunshine and flowers. This place was darkness and violence.

  He heard footsteps on the staircase and knew Cade was making his way down. It was just the two of them at the Maine compound. Well, the two of them and their captive in the basement.

  Cade stopped in his tracks at the sight of Ella. “I didn’t realize we were having company,” he deadpanned.

  Ella took a step back at the sight of Cade and bumped into Lucian. No big surprise. Cade was almost as tall as him, and the severe buzz cut was enough to put anyone on edge.

  More than that, humans in general were uneasy around myotis. Some buried instinct told them to be afraid. It grew tiresome at times, but he was grateful at the moment. It was hard to be upset when Ella stood so close to h
im. He took a deep breath, savoring her scent, and resisted the urge to pull her more fully against him. He bit his lip as he summoned up all his self-control.

  “Cade, this is Ella. Ella, this is Cade, my...brother.”

  Cade grinned at the lie and approached Ella, hand outstretched. Lucian could sense her apprehension, but she met Cade’s handshake.

  “Ella’s father went missing and his car is parked on the border of our property. Ella saw the cameras and is hoping we might be able to help.”

  Cade nodded as he stared between Lucian and Ella. “I’m sorry to hear about your father. Why don’t you follow me to the security room?” Cade shot Lucian a pointed glance as he headed up the stairs, leaving Lucian and Ella to follow.

  “So, why do you guys have a security room anyway?” she asked as they turned down the second-story hallway.

  Cade opened his mouth, but Lucian answered first. “We both work with high-value defense contracts. We have very valuable information stored here.”

  “You work on defense stuff in Maine?”

  Lucian squeezed in front of Cade and opened the door to the camera room. “We like the peace and quiet.”

  Ella walked into the darkness, lit only by the twelve black-and-white monitors. Her eyes widened. “This is peaceful?”

  “To each his own,” muttered Lucian.

  Cade pulled out a chair for Ella. “Have a seat and I’ll get some of the archived footage pulled up.”

  Twenty minutes later, Cade pulled Lucian into the downstairs kitchen. “What the hell is going on?”

  Lucian looked to the stairs, making sure Ella was still upstairs searching through useless video archives. “This could be the break we’ve been waiting for.”

  “What break? You have her father locked in the basement, but you just waltz her in here to look for him? She never should’ve been able to make it past the barrier spells.”

  Lucian shook his head. “Think about it. How long ago did Kalger make the doctor work for him?”

  Cade thought for a moment. “Sometime in the eighties.”