Primal Instinct Read online

  The doctor clicked her tongue. “Careful. I’m in a rather pleasant mood. I’d hate for that to change.”

  Not wanting her sister to pay for her outburst, she reined in her temper and remained silent. For the last two years William—some military GI Joe—had controlled her every move. All because she and her sister had broken into the wrong warehouse for shelter. At first, William wanted to kill them both. Fear had made her stupid. She’d sold herself to the devil and had been paying for it ever since. Then, a couple of months ago, William ordered her to work for Doctor Marie LeRoy. Kenzie used the term doctor loosely. As far as she knew, doctors were meant to save people, not hurt them like she had hurt Ava on more than one occasion when Kenzie made the mistake of refusing orders.

  The doctor continued as if Kenzie’s silence pleased her. “Are you at the location?”

  Taking another sweep of the desolated area she frowned, wondering why the doctor was checking in on this particular job. “Of course.”

  “Good. Your contact will be there promptly. Plans have changed, and you will report directly to the handler for this particular job. I suggest you follow all orders correctly for a change.”

  Kenzie ground her molars. Being used as a pawn felt about as good as having each layer of skin being removed, one at a time. Only no one would ever see her scars. At the end of the day, what did it matter who controlled her? This was the last job before they were free. “Got it. Best behavior.” She scraped her teeth along her lip before taking a deep breath. “I want to talk to her.”

  The doctor hummed a disappointed sound. “You know the rules, my dear. Contact only after each job is finished. Even if that weren’t the case, she isn’t here at the moment.”

  Frowning, Kenzie gripped her cell tighter. “What? Where the hell is she?”

  It wasn’t like the doctor let them out on day trips. Kenzie swore when nothing but a dial tone met her ear. Lord help her, she was going to make that woman pay as soon as she got Ava the hell out of there. Why would they move her? And where? Kenzie had no clue where to find Ava. Whenever she had seen her sister, Kenzie had always been blindfolded on the way.

  Headlights beamed in the distance, and since this was the only destination along the road, she hazarded a guess that her handler had arrived. She shoved her cell in her pocket and leaned against the side of her sedan, her hand still clamped around her pocketknife. Kenzie wished the streetlights in the area hadn’t been smashed out, the shadows eating up more light while she waited.

  A dark, glossy car rolled into the area and stopped in front of the wooden pallets, blocking the exit. She swallowed as her heartbeat pounded so hard it could have been classified as a separate entity. The car lights thankfully lit up the area. The driver’s door opened, and black pumps toed the ground. She frowned as a beautiful woman emerged from the car.

  The stranger’s red dress hugged every inch of her like a lover’s embrace. A small black belt accentuated her small waist. Not quite what she was expecting. Normally, the people Kenzie dealt with were more like henchmen—rough, missing teeth, and smelling bad. The woman had dark hair, but Kenzie couldn’t make out the color with the dim light. It struck her as odd the woman wore sunglasses when she could barely make out her facial features.

  “Mackenzie Sutton, I take it.” The woman spoke with a calm confidence and closed the distance.

  Kenzie couldn’t tear her eyes off the woman. There was something different about her that sent shivers skating down Kenzie’s spine. She couldn’t place her finger on what bothered her, but her gut said to remain alert, and she’d learned long ago not to fight her instincts. Internally, she might be caught off guard, but dealing in the slums taught her not to show weakness. She arched a brow. “And you are?”

  The woman cocked her head to the side and smiled. “Call me Kali, your new business partner. I have high hopes for our arrangement, but, I have to warn you, any betrayal will be your last. I don’t give second chances. For all intents and purposes, I own you.”

  Kenzie’s body tensed like a bolt of electricity shot from the heavens and fused her to the ground. “No one owns me.”

  The woman arched a brow. “Wrong. Freedom is an illusion. We all have an author writing us into their own narrative, for their own gains. You’d do well to remember that. “

  Kenzie struggled to keep her temper under control. How dare these people imply she was some sort of cattle to be bought and sold. She was a living, breathing human, damn it! “I only owe one more job until my debt is paid.”

  Smiling, the woman murmured, “Perhaps.”

  “Perhaps?” There would be no perhaps. She had one job until freedom. Period.

  “Perhaps, if your performance is satisfactory, this will be your last job.”

  Kenzie’s eyes narrowed. This would be the last job! For the past five years she had been hanging onto this moment. William had wanted enough crimes linked to her that would guarantee her silence. She’d sacrificed everything. Nothing and nobody would come between her and her sister’s freedom. She stared at the woman sent to control her, assessing her, trying to work out what kind of person she was dealing with. It was obvious she meant business. The threat to her freedom made Kenzie’s palms sweat. “Do you have my sister?”

  Kali didn’t move. “Of course. I know all about your moral dilemmas, and how in the past you’ve needed the extra persuasion. Thing is, this world is brutal. In order to survive you need to do what’s required. ”

  Unbelievable. “You say that as if I were being picky over what to have for breakfast. I’ve been forced to ruin people’s lives! That matters to me.” Her stomach churned, knowing innocent people had been convicted for crimes they didn’t commit, all because of the handy evidence she’d planted. They’d all been criminals in some way, but that didn’t seem to make what she had done easier.

  The way Kali had spoken about surviving made it sound like she’d had some experience with life’s brutality. Not that it mattered. She was the enemy.

  Kali tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Well, there will be no such complications with this job.”

  She pulled down her glasses until they sat at the tip of her nose, and Kenzie saw a faint glow burning in her eyes.

  “Understand?”

  Kenzie tightened her grip on her knife. Faster than she would have thought possible, the woman’s arm shot out and latched around Kenzie’s wrist.

  Kali tsked. “Let’s not get off to a bad start. It’d be nice if we could get along. Who knows, in time we could even look out for one another?”

  Doubtful. Like she’d trust anyone that worked for the doctor. No thanks.

  The woman stepped close, invading Kenzie’s space. “I’ll say this once. If you want to see your sister alive, you’ll do as I say. You don’t know it, but I’m trying to help you.”

  Her grip tightened painfully, and Kenzie swore Kali’s nails pierced through her hoodie and into her skin.

  “You won’t tell a soul about me, and if you screw up, it won’t be you that pays the price.”

  With a surprising strength, the woman dragged her to the back of the car. Kenzie dug in her heels and tried to free herself. “Let me go!”

  The trunk popped open and the woman shoved her toward the opening. Stumbling, Kenzie’s hands gripped onto the lip of the trunk. She gasped and shook her head with disbelief. Her eyes skimmed over a beaten woman, her face so swollen and bruised no one would be able to recognize her. If it wasn’t for a glint of light reflecting off her sister’s chain, she would never have guessed it was Ava. With a trembling hand, she tentatively reached out and ran a finger down Ava’s face, careful to miss any wounds.

  “Ava?” she croaked out.

  Bound and bloodied, her sister lay huddled on her side, curled into herself, unresponsive. Her eyes were swollen shut, her nose crooked, and scratches raked down her face. The bitch had tied her wrists with wire, and Kenzie saw the cuts from where Ava had struggled against the restraints.

  “She
’s alive… for now.”

  A sob strangled Kenzie. “Why? Why would you do this to her? She’s done nothing wrong.”

  Kali stepped closer to her sister, and Kenzie froze. “Me? You think I did this? The human was handed to me in this condition to make sure you do as I say. As you can see, your sister has already been punished. For hell’s sake, she doesn’t need to pay for any more of your disobedience.”

  Panting, Kenzie struggled to think clearly. It sounded like something the doctor would do. She watched Kali fan out her fingers, the glint of the light reflecting off sharp claws growing from her nail beds.

  “I have no issue with you or your sister. Let’s keep it that way. I don’t want your sister paying for your mistakes. But force my hand, and I will do whatever is necessary for me to reach my goals.”

  Fear crawled up Kenzie’s throat and tightened her vocal cords.

  Oh God! What is this… this monster? Humans couldn’t grow claws. Each logical part of her brain wanted to blame it on a trick of the light. But she knew better; while Kali may have looked normal, she was absolutely not human.

  Kenzie wiped unshed tears from her eyes. “What do you want me to do?”

  Kali reached over, rummaged in the trunk, and grabbed a folder. With a flick of her wrist, she slammed the trunk shut. Turning, she smiled at Kenzie and thrust out a file.

  “Open it.”

  Silently, Kenzie peeled open the file, and tilted the paper towards the car’s taillights to reveal a pixelated photo of a man. She frowned, examining the picture. The man held something that had been cut from the image. His sandy hair was slightly shaggy, his face appearing warped. Maybe he was deformed? Through the grainy picture you could see his face caught in a sneer, revealing large, pointy-looking teeth. It seemed like someone had done a bad Photoshop job to make his eyes glow a brilliant shade of emerald-green. What the hell is this?

  “In the file you’ll find an address of a location he’s been associated with. Your job is to gain access to the location and report back with what you find and the layout of the structure. Use any means necessary. A word of caution—if you get caught and you let our arrangement slip, your life, not to mention your sister’s, will be forfeit.”

  Kenzie’s frown deepened. “You want me to get floor plans for you?” Surely that sort of information could be tracked down by much simpler means, like with the local county.

  As if sensing her thoughts, Kali warned. “Gaining access won’t be easy. There are no plans available to source. If they find out you’re working for me, they’ll kill you, no questions asked. Understand?”

  Kenzie swallowed and nodded. “How will I contact you?”

  She gestured to the folder. “All information is in there. I’ll be in touch.”

  Without another word, her new handler turned, got into the car, and drove off, leaving Kenzie gaping. She had no idea how she was going to pull this off. One thing she knew for sure; that creature meant business. It would mean both her sister’s and her own life if she failed.

  2

  Sasha screamed, and Jaxx leaped toward Xavier, blocking his path before pain exploded across the back of his head. He nose-dived for the floor. Jesus! The edges of his vision dimmed for a few seconds. His head would be sporting a bruise for at least an hour. A moment later, glass shattered behind him. Jaxx shook the stars from his vision and looked up to see Sasha wielding the frying pan like a sword, and Xavier missing. Growling, he stood up, shaking pieces of glass out of his fur like droplets of water.

  “Sasha!” The wooden door slammed, and Quinn’s heavy footsteps pounded through the house. “Sasha, answer me!”

  Porcelain crunched under her shoes. “I—I’m here.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “There were two wolves in here, one just jumped through the window. I think I scared it off after I hit this one.” She shook the skillet at him even though Quinn couldn’t see them. Her brown eyes glistened, and Jaxx could tell she was barely holding it together. He didn’t want to be in Quinn’s shoes.

  No doubt that was a colorful conversation waiting to happen. The woman had no clue what she was in for. The pain in the back of his head throbbed. If it weren’t for his natural healing abilities, he was sure his wolf form would have passed out. For a short, small human, she sure had an amazing swinging arm. With a shake of his head, his vision cleared enough to survey the area. Some cupboard doors hung off their hinges while others had the wood paneling fractured. Glass and porcelain coated the floor like crumbs. Pots and pans had fallen off the rack hanging over the island bench. Blood coated it all. Drops of it arced up the wall and were smeared across the tiles. The pack’s stainless steel fridge sported a dent the size of Xavier’s wolf.

  Quinn’s scent grew stronger. “Now, Sasha, I need you to listen to me carefully.” He rounded the corner, taking in the scene. Quinn’s nostrils flared, his eyes honed in on the broken glass window. Using Quinn as a diversion, Jaxx sprang from his position, turned, and jumped through the opening, knowing Quinn would take care of his female. It would take some explaining, but she hadn’t seen anything so drastic that it would force Quinn to reveal his hand too soon.

  Just as Jaxx thought the words, Xavier shifted into his human form to disarm the security system at the front gate. Jaxx heard Sasha suck in a breath and knew she had seen Xavier too. Jaxx growled, and his paws tore into the grass as he ran across the lawn. Saint wasn’t going to be pleased. The compound door unlocked, and Xavier morphed back into his wolf. Jaxx weaved in-between the oaks and made his way to the front gate. The fence was too high for him to jump, so he was forced to shift. Quickly, he changed back to his human form and typed in the code so he could hunt.

  Before the door clanged behind him, he ran across the dirt road as his wolf. Xavier was nowhere in sight, the tang of his scent the only indication Jaxx was on the right path. Jaxx followed the smell into the thick bank of trees running parallel to their street. Twigs snapped nearby, and he paused. Ears twitching, he searched for any noise that didn’t belong. Satisfied Xavier wasn’t about to catch him off guard, he dropped his muzzle to the ground and sorted the variety of scents until he found Xavier’s. Following the trail until he came to a road, he cautiously eased out of the safety of the trees. Lifting his nose, he inhaled the smells of gas, asphalt, and nature. No Xavier.

  Backtracking, Jaxx searched for Xavier’s scent once more, noticing it crisscrossed several times. He followed each trail, only to come in a full circle. Jaxx growled in frustration. What a clusterfuck. Man, he’d messed up. Xavier had been forced to trust that he would deliver an honorable passing. As beta, it was his responsibility to step up. He’d failed Xavier, Saint, and his pack. Not to mention any poor victims Xavier came across.

  “Jaxx, where are ye, lad?” Flynn McKnight’s voice asked through the pack’s mental connection.

  His gut churned at the thought of telling his pack mates the news about Xavier, and how he’d failed them all. “This morning the last of Xavier’s glyph completed. He’s lost to us now. I failed to give him the peace he sought. He escaped, and I’m following his scent. But the bastard’s trail is woven so tightly, it’s like unraveling a picnic basket.”

  The silence stretched across their connection. For once the fact Flynn had called him lad didn’t bother him. Jaxx continued to follow the leaf-littered ground, searching for the strongest trail to follow.

  “Feck! Saint will be gutted when he finds out Xavier’s turned. Look, ye better head back. Saint’s ETA is five minutes, and he called wanting to talk to ye pronto.”

  Jaxx found a strong trail, and his already-heightened senses kicked into overdrive. His ears stood at attention and twitched, straining to hear any movement. Slowly, he crept up an incline to a rock formation jutting out over a small ravine. Jumping over the ledge he landed with a small thump and paused.

  Sensing no threat, he ran his nose along the ground, following the trail back to a thick cluster of trees. Jaxx raised his head, paused, and cursed. It was the same damn bun
ch of trees he had passed two trails ago. Saint would be pissed on so many levels, but he’d want this matter resolved quickly. “You don’t think it can wait? he asked Flynn. “We all know what damage a rogue shifter can do.”

  “It sounded important.”

  Just great! It wasn’t like Saint to show emotion of any kind, so if Flynn thought it took priority over hunting down a rogue, shit must have gotten real. “Fine, I’ll be there. Organize some males to scout the woods and surrounding areas.”

  “O’course.”

  Jaxx made his way back to the compound. Along the way, he carefully checked the area for any signs of Xavier. The way his wolf responded in their fight still had panic pumping through his veins. How close was he to turning rogue? In those few moments fighting Xavier, if Jaxx was honest with himself, he had enjoyed every bit of gore his beast inflicted. His gut twisted. Time swung over his head like a bladed pendulum.

  He approached the perimeter of the compound, and the steel gate opened with a resounding clang. Looking to the side, Slater held the gate for him. Flynn met him in his human form dressed in jeans and a polo shirt and thrust him a set of denims. “Ye might want these.”

  Jaxx shifted, taking the jeans and stepping into them. He strode through the back bi-fold doors and headed to the kitchen. “Did you send a team out?”

  “Cade, Seb, and Linkin have it covered.”

  Jaxx nodded.

  Flynn’s eyebrows shot up. “Looks like Xavier gave ye a run for yer money. Maybe you need to up the ante in training.”

  Jaxx growled. Smartass. Damn, he had at least a dozen wounds still seeping blood. It would explain why the room spun. He’d need to eat before seeing Saint. “Looks like you volunteered to be my next sparring partner.”

  He rounded the kitchen counter. Someone had been busy and tidied the mess. The blood was gone, glass picked up, and the kitchen straightened out to a degree of normalcy.

  “Hayden, Taryn, and Cadence cleaned the place up a bit and cooked the pack lunch. Some steak is in the fridge if ye want it.”