“Elizabeth.” Grange was sitting behind his big oak desk, hands lying carefully on top of the smooth, polished surface as Danica stood behind him, a knife at his throat. “How interesting. And I see you have friends with you.”
Elizabeth stilled her shudder of revulsion as she stared at the monster who had hunted her and her daughter for over two years. He was carefully groomed, his thick brown hair sweeping back from a face that could have been passably handsome if it weren’t for the jagged scar sweeping across one cheek and the glint of cold mockery in his hazel eyes.
“Yes, she does,” Dash answered with an edge of amusement as Merc closed the door behind him.
“Mercury Warrant.” Grange watched the big Breed with a glimmer of fascination. “How interesting.” He turned back to Elizabeth. “I guess you finally figured out what a little gold mine you conceived, darling. Dane wasn’t so pleased with the pup after all, was he?”
Her daughter wasn’t a pup. Elizabeth stilled her fury as she aimed her gun at his head. “I want those files.” She was amazed at the veil of ice that spread through her body. Her soul. “Now.”
Grange’s eyes narrowed as his gaze flickered to Dash.
“She could bring you millions. But not without help. I have the Breed se**n…”
Dash laughed. “What you have is a joke compared to what I have.” He smirked. He turned, jerking the sleeveless T-shirt he wore over his shoulder to reveal the shadow mark. When he turned back, Grange appeared suitably impressed.
“Amazing,” he breathed. “Martaine swore the Wolves had been killed. I guess he was wrong.”
“I guess.” Dash sounded unconcerned, but Elizabeth had detected the shadow of pain that edged his words. “Give us the files you have, Grange.”
The other man’s thin lips quirked as Danica moved carefully away from him, content to let Dash now handle the control of their enemy.
Grange sighed. “I think not.” He smirked as he looked between Dash and Elizabeth. “Is she breeding yet?”
Elizabeth smiled. “Let me kill him, Dash,” she whispered. “We can find the papers later.”
Grange’s gaze flickered in concern.
“Not yet, baby.” Dash sighed. “I told you, if he cooperates he can live. We need the papers more than we need his death.”
Elizabeth shrugged. The look she gave the other man warned him, though, that she would relish the chance to kill him.
Grange cleared his throat. “Ah well. It was a good plan if I could have pulled it off.” He shrugged carelessly as he nodded toward the safe Danica had found while checking behind portraits and prints that hung on the wall. “The file is in the safe.”
“Combination.” Dash moved to the metal door. “And don’t f**k with me, Grange. Elizabeth will take your head off your shoulders with that gun. It was all I could do to convince her to do this my way.”
She fingered the trigger of the gun as she begged Grange with her eyes to give her an excuse, any excuse, to pull the trigger. He gave them the combination instead. Elizabeth kept her gaze on Grange, watching carefully as she listened to Merc communicating with the men outside and Dash punching in the numbers to the digital combination. She was expecting an alarm to sound. Was praying Grange would give her an excuse to kill him.
“Got it.” Dash’s voice had her grimacing.
“He has you leashed. Interesting.” Grange smirked. “Tell me, Elizabeth, what’s it like to f**k an animal?”
Elizabeth snorted. “I have no idea. Let’s call your mistress in here and ask her.”
His expression tightened as anger flashed in his eyes.
“Elizabeth, that trigger isn’t something to play with. It’s damned touchy,” Dash warned her as he moved carefully behind her. “Merc, watch our buddy there while we go over this file. I need to make certain everything we need is here.”
Elizabeth turned to Dash, almost missing Grange’s sneer of satisfaction. She watched as he opened the file. The first page had him stiffening. Several more pages later and he turned haunted, shocked eyes back to her.
“Martaine did enjoy his little experiments,” Grange sighed with smug amusement. “I thought it very ingenious actually. The creatures have no soul I’m told. Vicious killers who enjoy playing with their prey. I had high hopes Cassie would live up to her DNA. He made certain he gave it every chance, of course.”
Elizabeth felt her heart explode in her chest as she moved over to Dash.
“Elizabeth.” She stopped as she saw the grief in his eyes.
“I want to see it,” she whispered. “I want to know what they did to my baby.”
She moved until she could read the notes Martaine had made.