HOPEI turned to see what Billy was looking at and I began to scream. Two men were advancing on me, including the doctor that had a medical fetish.“Hey, Hope,” the doctor said, leering at me. “You filled out nice.”I began moving away from the men, towards Billy. I looked out towards the main sidewalk, but the business of the city drowned out my noises. I turned to look at Billy again and he grinned.“Just come quiet, Hope,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re worth more to me intact.” He grinned again, showing me a hunting knife he was holding. I recognized it. I had been cut with it on more than one occasion before.I let my shoulders drop, acting like I was being submissive. The three men grinned but then I leaped at Billy, kicking at him, running for the sidewalk. He went down but managed to grab my foot, p
NICCO “We have an approximate location, Alpha,” Vinnie said softly. I knew that there was something he wasn’t saying. An approximate location would be good enough. We were wolves. Our wolves would find her scent and then find her. “It’s near the Fishermans’ Harbor,” Vinnie explained. I groaned. The overwhelming smell of dried seaweed, rancid fish and the stagnant waters that got caught among the rocks was hard on our wolves. They wouldn’t be able to track her down there. “Phone number is registered to a Billy Horton,” Vinnie said. “That’s her stepdad.” “He found her,” I said quietly. I knew that Hope still had nightmares about what happened to her when he took custody of her at fourteen. I had vowed to someday find him and kill him so that she didn’t ever have to wonder if he was after her. “Looks like it,” Vinnie said. “Charlie didn’t find anything at Angelica’s apartment. 
HOPE With all the strength I had, I managed to turn my head so that I didn’t have to look at the doctor. Not seeing what he was going to do to me made me braver. When I knew what was coming, I panicked. I felt his hands on my breast, pinching my nipples. I squeezed my eyes shut. I felt him rearrange my legs, bending my knees and pushing them up so that my heels touched. I tried to move but the drug he gave me was too powerful. It hadn’t begun to wear off yet. I felt something sharp on my nipples and then I felt my labia being tugged open with the same sharp stinging feeling. I warily opened my eyes to see the doctor looking at me. “Just a little electricity, Hope,” he said with a grin. I felt the tears in my eyes. I knew this was going to hurt. He fastened a few more electrodes on my body, both on my arms and legs. Then he picked up the little box that I knew was going to
HOPEI could feel hands on me again and I started screaming, trying to fight through the drugs and the electricity. Then a sense of calm overcame me and I knew it was Lupo reaching out through the mate bond, soothing me. “How do I turn this off?” I heard Nicco frantically scream at someone. I feebly tried to move my arms. “There’s a box that the wires are attached to,” I mumbled, my body still jerking with the electrical impulses flooding through it. I was getting to the point where I was about to pass out and I fought through the blackness. I was afraid if I passed out, Nicco would somehow disappear, and I couldn’t take that. I wasn’t sure he was real.“I got it, Alpha!” I could hear Vinnie’s voice. Then, mercifully, the electricity stopped, and my body stopped jerking. Nicco rolled me over and cradled me in his arms. I could see Vinnie, his clothing in shreds. He must have shifted to come find me.“Is there a blanket we can put on her?” Nicco asked. I was shaking, but no
NICCOHope fell asleep on me in the car. I held her close, looking at her mark that I had made on her last night. Maybe that was a mistake. Humans are so fragile.Vinnie carefully pulled up to the curb and I lifted Hope out, still wrapped in her blanket and nothing else. The doorman was too well trained to do or say anything, and he respectfully averted his eyes as I carried her in. The ride in the elevator was straight to the top, thanks to a generous yearly tip that I made to all of the elevator attendants.I lightly laid her on the bed while Eloise hovered. As soon as I put her down, she opened her eyes and looked around in panic.“Shhh,” I whispered. “I’m here.” Her eyes locked with mine and she gave me a small smile.“I was afraid I dreamed you,” she whispered.Eloise dabbed at her eyes and slipped out of the room. I had gotten a mind link th
HOPEI had no idea why the thought of meeting Nicco’s mom made me so nervous. I think it is because that was the next step of our relationship. Meeting the parents. Or, in this case, the parent.I was also going to meet his sister. When he took over his father’s business, Nicco sent both of them away to Spain for their safety. He had a coup that he needed to overthrow and some boundaries that needed to be set. When it was time for them to come home, neither wanted to. His sister, Lucia, had met someone and his mom was enjoying being away from the business. Instead of them coming to us, we were going to go to them.“I don’t have a passport,” I said to Nicco, worriedly. Nicco looked at me with a smile. “Doesn’t matter. We’re flying privately and I know the customs guys. Shouldn’t be an issue.”“I’d feel better if I had one,” I said. I was very nervous about leaving the country. Nicco shrugged.“Fine. We’ll apply for it, and I’ll make a few calls. We should have it in han
NICCO POVI frowned at the spreadsheet that Hope had opened for me and ignored the little bit of turbulence that was going on outside the plane. I looked over at her, barely registering that her hands were clenched and her knuckles were white. I reached over and absently patted her.“The turbulence is normal,” I told her. She nodded. “Tell me about these numbers.”“The money has been moved,” she said, her voice a little shaky. She cleared her throat and spoke again, her voice a little stronger this time. “Someone put the money back into all the original accounts.” She pointed to five different accounts on my screen. “Less than five hundred thousand total taken out from all these accounts. Thirty two thousand here, forty five thousand here, hundred and six here. All because of a coding change.”I furrowed my brow. “Why would someone steal money and then put it back?” I asked. I was confused.“To see if they can,” Hope said. She said it with confidence.“Explain,” I said, p
HOPE POVI shaded my eyes as I got off the plane, the bright sun almost overwhelming me. I turned, blindly, back towards the plane and bumped into Nicco.“Looking for this?” he asked, mildly, handing me my hat. I took it with thanks and plopped it on my head. For all of the amazing things New York City had to offer, it never really got this bright. Outside of all of the buildings and pollution, the sun was the brightest I’ve ever seen it and it made everything look like a beautiful painting.Waiting for us at the bottom of the plane steps was a limo and next to the limo were two of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. The younger of the two looked a few years younger than me and had the same eyes and beautiful black hair that Nicco did. It was long and luscious, wavy but not curly, without a strand out of place. She looked right past me to Nicco and gave a shriek, running towards the steps and flinging herself into his arms as soon as his foot hit the tarmac.“Lucia,” Nicco