Page 43 of Act of Passion

The men behind Johnson radiatedfear.

Johnson snarled. “If she gets away, Elm will kill usall.”

Fear rushed over her at the mention of Elm. The man was even worse than Haneez. As far as she could tell, he was one of the higher-ups from the facility she’d been held at. And he was anything buthuman.

She’d not seen him since she’d escaped and prayed she’d never see himagain.

As the temperature began to drop in the room, she knew her prayers weren’t being answered. Elm hadarrived.

Johnson bit his lower lip. “Smells like the boss is here. Someone is going to pay for running out on him. And you can’t possibly stand against him. He’s as old as time,bitch!”

A tall, sinewy man with long white-blond hair entered the room. He was dressed in a fitted high-end suit and from all appearances, he looked a lot like a sexy rich guy. He was, but his heart made himhideous.

He came to a stop next to Johnson and touched the wolf-shifter’s shoulder. “Now, Johnson, is that any way to speak to my futurewife?”

The guy in the mask growledagain.

“Tut, not smart,” said Auberi. “Can’t you smellthat?”

Brooke tensed. Did Auberi know Elm wasn’t human? Could he sense the power that Elmheld?

Elm’s green gaze locked on her. “Now, Brooke, are dangerous toys reallynecessary?”

He lifted a hand and the weapon was torn from hergrip.

Elm looked to her and smiled, licking his lips. “You are even more beautiful than I remember. And a great dealsmaller.”

Shestiffened.

“Tell me, diditsurvive?” he asked, and Brooke knew exactly who he was talking about. His lip curled. “Wrong that I hope it didn’t? But, I can’t give you one so it will have to do. That is, if those higher than me don’t already have great plans forit.”

Johnson laughed, pushing to his feet, grunting as he did. “Can I have the redhead when we findher?”

Elm nodded. “I don’t see why not. But don’t break her. This one obeys better when those she loves are at risk. Isn’t that right,Brooke?”

Stacey began to scream again, and Elm looked in her direction, lifted a hand, and Stacey’s body was propelled across the room. She struck the wall so hard that there was no way she could havesurvived.

Brooke made a move to go for her but Elm walked towards her. “Leave it. It’sdead.”

“You don’t have to hurt anyone else,” she said, digging deep to find the courage she’d worked so hard to obtain since she last sawhim.

“I didn’t have to. I wanted to,” said Elm, glancing past her at the high rollers. He looked at the injured and dead men that he’d sent for her. “Is this your handiwork or did you have help? Was it the were-shark? He’s always been so protective ofyou.”

Brooke found her resolve and narrowed her gaze onhim.

He was staring past her again, at the highrollers.

“What do we have here?” heasked.

Brooke put her body in the path of the men and shook her head. “No one. They’re no one. Just clientshere.”

He glanced around, a look of disgust on his face. “This is where you work? What you’ve been reducedto?”

“A whore is as a whore does,” said Johnson, wetting his lips with histongue.

Elm went eerily still before turning his head slowly in Johnson’s direction. “What have I toldyou?”

Johnson gulped and sweat appeared on his brow. “Not to call her awhore.”

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