“This is for your own good.”
*-*-*-*
Devil Hills, Idaho
He didn’t have anything to feel sorry for, Ethan told himself only to end up grinding his teeth when he heard the soft sniffle coming from the backseat where the small woman was curled up in the fetal position.
She was faking.
Definitely fucking faking, Ethan told himself when the next sniffle had him tightening his grip on the steering wheel and left him feeling like the biggest asshole alive. She was good, really fucking good, he told himself, shaking his head in disgust even as he repeated the words that he’d been telling himself all day while he’d laid in bed pretending that he couldn’t hear her cry.
There had been a time when the idea of hurting anyone made him sick to his stomach, but that had been before they’d taken his son and left him with nothing left to lose. Since that day, he’d done everything within his power to make them pay. He’d tortured and killed hundreds of shifters, demons, and humans and never once felt anything when he did it.
Until today.
Today he felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He’d meant to do more than scare her, but as he’d looked into her innocent baby blue eyes, he’d-
Bang!
“Shit! Hang on!” Ethan bit out, ignoring the searing pain shooting down his left side as he struggled to keep the car from going off the road only to grunt in pain when the next hit came, causing the car to swerve off the road and slam into a large oak tree. The air rushed out of his lungs as he was slammed back in his seat as the sounds of metal twisting and glass breaking cut off his roar of agony as the door caved in on his leg just as the dashboard came down, pinning it in place as every bone in his leg shattered upon impact.
Searing pain tore through his leg as Ethan sat there, struggling not to blackout as he tried to raise his hands only to release that his left arm was broken as well. Grinding his teeth, he dropped his useless arm back down as he reached up with a trembling hand and grabbed hold of the steering wheel. Ignoring the pain in his ribs, Ethan took a deep breath and tore the steering wheel off and tossed it aside. Ignoring the agonizing pain tearing through his body, Ethan pressed his hand against the dashboard and pushed, crushing the material beneath his hand until his legs were free and-
“I-it’s c-coming b-back,” the terrified whisper from the backseat had him looking up just in time to see the large black werewolf that had pushed them off the road grab hold of his door and-
“Run!” Ethan yelled, as his door was torn free and he was forced to bite back another roar of agony as the asshole dug his teeth into his leg and pulled him out of the car.
Before his body hit the ground, the large werewolf he never should have let live shifted back to his human form. “Look who we have here,” Jacob said, grinning hugely as he reached over and tore the passenger door off, tossing it aside before he reached inside and grabbed hold of Indie, who hadn’t fucking listened to him when he’d told her to run, and dragged her out of the car.
“What were you thinking, Ethan?” Jacob asked with a rueful shake of his head as he dropped Indie on the ground next to him.
When she gasped in pain, Ethan’s eyes shifted silver as his fangs tore through his gums with a growl of warning that had the large bastard grinning hugely.
“Looks like today really is my lucky day,” Jacob said with a satisfied sigh, as he walked around the car and tore the trunk door off, sending it flying through the woods as Ethan laid there, willing his body to fucking heal faster so that he could get her out of there before it was too late.
“You know, I almost didn’t take this bounty,” Jacob said as he began searching through the bags until he found a pair of jeans and pulled them on. “But now, I’m really glad that I came.”
“Let her go, Jacob. She’s human,” Ethan lied, hoping to convince the large asshole to let her go as he struggled to sit up only to have his arm give out on him and drop him back down on the ground.
“Oh, I know what she is,” Jacob said with a shit-eating grin as he walked back over and joined them.
“P-please don’t send me back,” Indie said as she pulled her knees against her chest and wrapped her arms around them.
“I might reconsider it if you can outbid the bitch looking for you,” Jacob drawled as he leaned back against the car and folded his arms over his chest.
“I-I don’t have any money,” she mumbled weakly.
“That’s too bad,” Jacob said with a sad shake of his head.
“You owe me, asshole!” Ethan bit out.
“And now we’re even,” Jacob said, shrugging it off as he reached down and plucked Indie off the ground so that he could throw her over his shoulder.
“Don’t fucking do this, Jacob!” Ethan snapped, telling himself that he needed her to make the bitch pay, but as he watched the large shifter wrap his arm around her legs to stop her from falling, something deep inside him rebelled at watching another man touching what was-
“I’m sorry,” came the softly spoken words before the large shifter dropped to his knees with a pained grunt as Ethan realized just how badly he’d fucked up.
Chapter 17