Strange Case, an Urban Fantasy (Hyde Book III)

  Strange Case

  an Urban Fantasy

  Hyde, Book III

  Lauren Stewart

  Cover design by Olivia Rivers

  Copyright © 2013 by Lauren Stewart

  Off the Hook Publishing

  ISBN: 978-0-9881701-6-2

  License Notes: With the exception of the retailer’s lending program, this e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be sold or given away to other people. Please do the right thing and respect the author’s work.

  Acknowledgments

  Merci beaucoup to the crazy and wonderful readers and bloggers who’ve supported me by spreading the word, leaving reviews, and being just plain awesome.

  To my kids, my BFF, and my mom: You brighten each day of my life and remind me that there still are amazingly good people in the world.

  Good Reads & Good Deeds

  Five percent of the author proceeds from this book will be donated to a children’s charity. So, by purchasing Strange Case, you are also doing good for others. Thank you.

  “…everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

  -Marilyn Monroe

  Prologue

  Control yourself and you can control others. “I want the good news first.”

  “Uh…Two days in Florida have made me a prouder Texan, and I can’t wait to go home. That’s about it for the good news. Other news? I cleaned up what I could, but the cops are still hanging around.”

  “I have someone working on it.” Too damn slowly.

  “That’s what you get for trusting a woman to do a man’s job.”

  “Lesson learned.” First Jolie Cabot, then Alex Bertram—both very good teachers. “Did you talk to the guards who were there that night?”

  “Most of them high-tailed it as soon as it went down, but I spoke to a couple. They didn’t tell me anything new. Some stuff about the fight, but they all ran before Hyde01 got out. Bertram’s already on her way to Dallas.”

  “I’ll be talking to her as soon as her plane lands. What about Turner and Colfax?” The two Abnormals who always seem to do the exact opposite of what I need them to.

  “Haven’t found them yet. Looks like they went back to Turner’s house at some point, but they’re gone now.”

  “They have to be somewhere close. From what was left of Hyde01, Turner isn’t Turner anymore—no human would’ve been able to rip him into that many pieces. And there aren’t many places strong enough to secure a Hyde.” Sigh. What a fucking mess.

  “So what now?”

  “Find them. Get the guards that are left to help.”

  “There are none left. A bunch of them went AWOL and the others are…unavailable.”

  “As in permanently unavailable?”

  “Yep.”

  “You were supposed to talk to them, not kill them.”

  “You hired me to get it done, but get it done quietly. Those men would’ve spilled everything after five seconds with a cop.”

  “You’re not getting paid by the body.” Sigh. “What about the scientists?”

  “I’m meeting with Steve Harris again tomorrow. He’s scared but I think he gets how deep he is. A couple others are being tracked and…”

  “And what?”

  “Bradford, I think his name was.”

  “Was.” Not good. “Lou Bradford? What did you do to him?”

  “He said he wanted to disappear, so I helped him disappear. In the Everglades.”

  Bradford. Shit, of all people… “You have just created a huge problem for me. Huge.” Deep breath. Then another. Yelling shows weakness. You are not weak. Control yourself and you can control others…Control yourself and you can control others…Control yourself and you can control others…

  “Whittley? You still there?”

  “Yeah. I was just wondering if there’s a way this can get any more fucked up than it already is.” And I came to an unpleasant conclusion. “I’ve given you a lot of leeway here, Newman. But no more casualties unless you talk to me first or we are going to have some serious issues.”

  “How much leeway do I have if you’re tying my hands?”

  “You know, I’m beginning to think it’s me—that I’m just not speaking clearly enough. My instructions seemed so simple: Find and subdue Colfax and Turner, or whatever he is, until I know what I want to do with them. Keep the ex-cop alive just in case I need leverage. And now I’ll add: Don’t kill anyone until we’re absolutely sure we don’t need them anymore.”

  “When I meet Harris tomorrow night, exactly how tight is that rope around my wrists gonna be?”

  “Provided he can keep his mouth shut, he’s still useful. Once he gets up to speed, I’ll need him to start work on what Bradford was doing for me. So try not to kill him.”

  “I’ll do my best…sir.”

  Ryan hung up by over-handing his cell phone right into the wall. “Control yourself and you can control others…” He said it over and over until he was just moving his lips. His hands were cramped from gripping the armrests of his chair.

  Control yourself and you can control others… It wasn’t working, not anymore. Too much going wrong in too short a time period. Control. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He could handle anything—the project, his employees, the Board. He’d be fine.

  And, as soon as he controlled that little bitch, Ryan would control everything.

  Chapter I

  Eight days. Eight of the worst days of Eden’s life. Seven of the longest nights of her life.

  She hated being around him, even more than she hated herself—for what she had to do, for what she’d done, for who she was becoming. She’d thought she was finally balanced, whole, a blend of her two sides.

  Maybe it was just another lie The Clinic wanted her to believe. No. Alex believed it too—that kind of excitement couldn’t be faked. The Clinic’s Employee of the Month had caught and caged the pureblooded, potential broodmare who’d integrated her Abnormal side with her human one. And now Eden was a stronger, better person.

  Stronger? Absolutely. Better? She didn’t know anymore.

  Her obsessions were taking over her every thought and action. Finding a way to bring Mitch back was priority number one. Number two was making absolutely sure The Clinic paid for everything they’d done. And murder, rape, kidnapping and deceit were expensive hobbies.

  Her rage and volatility were seeping out of her pores, leaving her agitated, aggressive and pretty darned irritable. Kind of like the beast in the cage.

  “Is it time for another cocktail, bitch?” Hyde growled. “How ‘bout you add a little pineapple juice this time, maybe an umbrella?”

  Of all the drugs they’d taken from The Clinic, Eden was still sure their best shot was the one marked ‘J-0026’. She felt it in her gut, and her instinct had been right on lately. Aside from Landon, it was the only thing she trusted now. But neither of them were chemists, and they had no idea what a large dose would do to him. So they’d started out slow, a small amount of the powder mixed with saline injected into Hyde’s massive arm. Then wait to see if anything happened. Mix up a bit more with a stronger ratio, inject and wait. Over and over. Day after day.

  Today made eight days of nothing. Eight days since Mitch had given himself over and they’d brought the facility down.

  Since it wasn’t safe to stay at Mitch’s house, their only option had been the brothel they’d stayed in before. But its cage was only for
play, not holding back a monster, so they’d maxed out Landon’s credit cards on some serious reinforcements and new locks on the doors. Unfortunately credit cards could be tracked, if they weren’t already. So she knew there was a very small window in which even this place was safe. The Clinic would need a little time to regroup, grease palms, and hire new employees. But they’d be back, and they might be as desperate to find Eden and her boys as she and her boys were not to be found. Not until they were ready to fight back.

  But moving Hyde was no picnic and finding somewhere strong enough to hold him was next to impossible. Not without any money, resources, or friends. She almost laughed at the ridiculousness. Almost. They were fighting with the devil, two devils really. Transform one back into a man and bring down the other, and the thing stopping them was cash flow.

  That alone would keep this out of the history books—the brave underdogs defeated by an empty wallet.

  They were running out of time. So in desperation, she’d whipped up a batch heavy on the J-0026, filled a syringe, and prayed. If nothing happened, they’d move on to one of the other drugs. Then do the same regiment. Over and over. Day after day. Until Mitch came back. Until she saw a glimpse of humanity in Hyde’s eyes. Like she’d seen in Hyde01’s.

  Her father.

  When Landon told her who Hyde01 used to be, she hadn’t reacted. Just one more piece of bad news to stack on top of so many others. She knew her lack of emotion made Landon uncomfortable. But what did he expect? That she fall to the ground in tears? Shake her fists to the sky and scream, ‘Why’? Lots of emotion made for great TV, but it was useless in real life. It wouldn’t get her closer to her goal. Plus, she was out of tears, out of answers, and would soon be out of time. So someday she’d deal with it. Maybe. But not now. Now, her plate was so full, she couldn’t lift it.

  Hyde was still Hyde, still strapped down, still angry. If he was in pain, he never mentioned it. Thankfully it seemed like his metabolism had slowed or his body worked in a completely inhuman way. Like hers. She barely ate and was never tired. Well, mentally she was beyond exhausted, but physically, she felt ready to run a marathon. But since running away wasn’t going to happen, that energy just simmered inside of her, made her more impatient, more agitated, and more bitchy. Like a meth-head suffering from PMS.

  And poor Landon had to deal with it.

  She unlocked the cage and went inside. Hyde watched her every move, an ugly smirk on his face, his hate disguising the natural beauty of Mitch’s face.

  “Listen, bitch. Get it over with so I can go back my daydream. I was at the part when you’re screaming for mercy while I fuck you. So either let me get back to imagining it or let me do it.”

  She’d stop responding to his threats a few days ago. It only made things worse…for her. He, of course, got pleasure from her frustration or when she lashed out. The truth was that she was afraid of him. When he took apart Hyde01, she’d seen what he was capable of. But more than that, he was holding Mitch hostage right in front of her, and she couldn’t do anything about it.

  They kept the bastard strapped to a bed, but he still held all the power. He was the one who controlled them. And they all knew it. The only way she could save Mitch was to get past Hyde. And he was so damn strong.

  She didn’t touch him—he was pain, made from thorns or razor blades. When the needle punctured his thick skin, she pushed the plunger down as quickly as she could, sending the highest dose yet into his vein.

  “You’re getting good with the poisons,” he grumbled. “Didn’t feel a thing. Maybe you should be a nurse, or at least dress up like one. That might make things more fun.”

  “It’s so strange—I can see your mouth moving, but can’t hear a word you’re saying.”

  “Oh, you hear me. You hear every fucking word I say. Especially when I talk about him. Poor little Mitch. Gone and buried. And the best part is that he did it to himself. To get away from you and your perky little ass.”

  “Do you realize that every word you say only confirms how stupid you are?” Mitch had given himself over to save her, not to get away from her. It was still infuriating, but he’d thought he was doing the right thing.

  The idiot.

  Hyde laughed. “I’ll be free soon, and then we’ll see who’s stupid.”

  She backed up and watched him for any reaction. Any sign of Mitch—his tell, his eyes, anything. In Hyde01’s eyes, she’d seen humanity. Just a quick glimmer, but she’d seen it. And she would see it in this Hyde too—the warm, trusting look of Mitch as he called out to her. As he begged her for help. She had to be patient, had to hold on to the surety that, eventually, he would come back.

  Hyde grimaced, and then shook it off. “You could make him feel better.”

  She flinched. It was the first time he’d said anything about Mitch still being around.

  “Does it hurt?” she asked.

  “What?”

  “Having him inside of you?”

  “Nothing hurts me.”

  “Do you feel him like he felt you?”

  Landon told her how Mitch had struggled more and more to keep control over Hyde. Even when Eden had been two different people, she’d never felt Chastity trying to take over, other than a few ill-timed lustful moments. Maybe it was because both of Eden’s parents were Abnormals, or maybe because Jekylls didn’t experience the same violent urges the Hydes did.

  “Does Mitch play with your mind like you did his?”

  “Like I said, nothing hurts me. And no one plays with me unless I want them to.” He paused. “And I want you to. Come over here and make both of us feel better. Fuck me. Fuck him. Maybe that would wake the bastard up.”

  “That’s a really sweet offer. I’ll keep it in mind for those lonely nights after hell freezes over.”

  Then she remembered the only time Mitch had forced his way through Hyde. Hyde had pushed her up against the bars of his cage and ripped off her clothes. Mitch came back when Hyde had his mouth on hers—not in a kiss, in possession, in taking something just because it belonged to Mitch. And the physical contact angered Mitch enough to be able to stop him.

  Oh God. Would it work a second time?

  As much as the idea repulsed her, there was little she wouldn’t do to bring Mitch back. But could she put herself in that position again? There was no guarantee he’d save her. Just a deep-seated belief that Mitch would never allow Hyde to hurt her. Or have her.

  She wasn’t sure she could. Do it. Do it for Mitch. Her silent laugh was bitter. Doing someone else for the person you love. How ironic. But she and Landon had nothing—no leads or help or knowledge. But Hyde did. He knew what was going on inside him—if Mitch was there, alive, in pain. He knew. And she needed to know too. To know her hope wasn’t in vain, her goal was possible, the love of her life hadn’t died so that she could live.

  Maybe she could tease him to keep him talking and make him admit Mitch was there banging on the walls that trapped him. If it made Hyde open up and express himself, it was worth swallowing a little bile over.

  She pushed down the doubt, the fear, and walked to the bed, locking her facial expression down and touching him for the first time since she’d closed the cuffs.

  “Would it wake him up?” Eden asked, running her fingers along his thigh, up to the edge of the camouflage-colored shorts she’d bought just for him. If the woman at the store had any idea they were for a monster, she’d have probably suggested another color. But they were the only ones that would fit someone as broad and muscular as Hyde.

  “You’re going to have to do better than that to find out.”

  She tugged the shorts down, his erection freed and ready. Her tongue moved out of the way just in time for her teeth to slam together. Calm. Control. Don’t throw up. She could do this. To get Mitch back, she would do worse things. If there were any.

  “That’s the spirit,” he growled.

  “Is he in there with you?” Whatever he said might be a lie, another manipulation to weigh. But s
he had to take the chance.

  “He’s buried as deep inside me as I’m going to be in you. So get to it.”

  She caressed him lightly, knowing it would piss him off. Hopefully he’d be annoyed enough to tell her something, or Mitch would return before this went any further. If not, she’d keep going, praying that she’d walk away knowing more than she did now.

  And then she’d deal with the shame.

  She cleared her throat so her voice wouldn’t betray her. “As much as I enjoy our time together and as impressive as your dick is, I want to be with him. Could you call him back? Just a little bit. So that you both can have me?”

  “I think you’d be more disappointed if I did. ‘Cause he might not be interested.” He sneered, lifting his hips up, pressing himself into her hand. “Take off your fucking clothes.”

  She kept her reaction to herself as she pulled off her underwear, keeping her dress down. Because he’d just admitted it was possible, and if it was possible, then all she had to do was find a way. And how hard could that be?

  Really, really hard.

  “Let me smell them.”

  She stopped, her underwear still in her hand, unable to find a happy enough ‘happy place’ to stay in, wishing this wasn’t happening, wishing Mitch would save her again, wishing Hyde didn’t exist. But he did. And she couldn’t rely on anyone but herself.

  “I’ll do this,” she said, “but only if you tell me about him.”

  A feigned look of sadness appeared on his face. “And I thought you wanted me for me. Whaa.”

  “Is he inside you? Can you sense him there?” When he didn’t answer, she touched him again, her leg brushing his thigh.

  “Let me see your tits.”

  Her stomach turned. How could he be part of the best man she’d ever known? “First tell me.”

  He blew out a breath of air, his body flattening against the mattress instead of reaching towards her. “I’m not going to tell you shit until I get something.”