Hunting Human - Amanda E. Alvarez [95]
Chase’s eyes cut through him, slicing away his frustration like talons through flesh. “Someone’s outside Lucy’s studio. I’m on my way now.”
“Shit. She say who it was?”
“No, she couldn’t tell.” Chase grabbed the keys off the hook by the door. “I’m going to go pick her up. You need to stay here with Beth. Call your parents. Caleb, too.”
“Caleb’s still in Portland.” Braden followed Chase out the door and down the front steps to his car.
“Call him anyway.” Chase swung into his car, slamming the door behind him. The engine revved and he rolled down the window. “Stay here, I’ll be back.”
Braden grabbed the steering wheel, keeping Chase from peeling out. “She’s at the studio Chase, in the middle of the afternoon. It’s bound to be packed. Don’t cause a scene.”
“I’m going.” He put the car in reverse and hit the accelerator at the same time Braden snatched his hand back. Chase gunned the engine, spewing gravel and fishtailing as he made a hard right on the main road.
“What’s happened?” Beth stood on the porch, clutching her robe around her.
“Lucy thinks someone’s outside the studio. Chase has gone to see what’s going on.”
“Is she okay?” Beth strode rapidly off the porch, concern tightening her face. “Does she know who it is?”
“She’s fine. And no, we don’t know who it is.” Braden propelled her back into the house. “Come on. I’ve got to make some phone calls.”
“Will he be all right by himself?” Beth asked.
Braden locked the door behind them. “Should I be jealous?” When Beth didn’t rise to the bait he continued, “He’ll be fine. He’s likely to have a harder time with Lucy than anything else.” Braden took the stairs two at a time, heading for the office.
“What? Why? He’s just going to bring her home, right?”
“I’m sure that’s what he thinks he’s going to do.” Moving into the study, Braden searched his desk for his cell phone. “But it’s the middle of the afternoon—Lucy’s ballet studio is probably full of kids. Unless she thinks the kids are in danger, she’ll make Chase stick out the afternoon with her. She won’t be done with classes until after seven, so he ought to be in a really good mood when they get back.”
Pulling his phone from beneath a stack of reports, Braden unlocked the key guard and scrolled through his contacts list.
“How can you make light of this?” Beth demanded. “You’re acting like this is no big deal.”
Braden glanced up. Beth stood before him, feet shoulder width apart, hands balled into fists and her entire body charged with defensive energy. Except her eyes—her eyes showed the wild terror she was trying to reign in.
“Beth…” Braden moved around the desk, taking hold of her arm and pulling her toward him. “We’ve been expecting this.” He smiled and used his thumb to smooth the line that creased her forehead. “We’ve dealt with this before. The Bolveks enjoy the game as much as the hunt and the kill. They’re toying with us. Toying with you,” Braden growled. “It’s what they do. Markko wants you terrified, jumping at shadows. He revels in the control it gives him. He’ll draw this out for as long as he can or until he gets bored.” He ran a hand along the side of her face, tilting her chin up to look at him. “You can’t let his scare tactics work. The less you react, the less we react, the more likely he’ll grow bored and frustrated. The more likely he’ll make a fatal mistake.”
“You knew he’d do this?” Suspicious accusation laced her words.
“From the moment he didn’t kill you in the dressing room.” Beth bristled in his arms and pulled away.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Anger burned across her face.
Better anger than terror.
Braden braced himself for the heat of her temper. “What difference would it have made? Would your decision to stay have changed?”
“No.”
“How about your decision to put yourself through learning how to control the shift, would that have changed?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so.” He reached for her again, relieved when she didn’t pull her hand away. “You had enough on your mind. You didn’t need any more.”
She tilted her chin up, jaw setting stubbornly.