“Yes, I do,” I whispered into his shirt. His body shook with laughter at my admission so I knew he’d heard me.
“There’s a lot of blood,” Ash muttered. “Cyrus, I don’t know what to do.”
“Yes, you do, man. You just don’t want to.”
I could feel warm liquid squishing between Ash’s chest and my back, and the world was starting to go fuzzy. They were arguing, I knew that, but I couldn’t make out everything that was being said. Only bits and pieces were getting through to my brain.
“I’m not going to rape her a hundred yards from her father’s office,” Ash insisted, the sharpness of his tone breaking through the buzzing sound in my head.
I wanted to ask what he was talking about. The thought “you couldn’t rape the willing” flashed in my mind, and it made me smile. I knew I was hurt, but the idea of being with the two of them made my pussy wet again, even through the cloud in my brain.
“Well, it’s fuck her or I have to turn her into a werewolf, dude.”
His words took a minute to sink in, but when I realized what he was saying, I bucked against him, trying to pull out of his arms.
“Reagan, sweetie, stop. You’re going to make it worse.”
“I don’t want to be a fucking werewolf!” I practically screamed it in his face. I was so scared I didn’t even feel bad about his flinching reaction to my words.
“Do you understand what I have to do?” Ash asked as they lowered me to the floor.
“You want me,” I whispered.
I was still terrified of Cyrus, and that alone was enough to keep me conscious. I understood now that I was bleeding out, and it wouldn’t be much longer before I died on the floor of a strange office between two men who couldn’t decide if they wanted to fuck me or turn me into an animal.
“Yes,” Ash said with a nervous laugh. “I want you very much. But right now, I need to do this to save your life. I won’t touch you without your permission, love.”
“Just you,” I whispered. They had turned me around so that my back was pressed against Cyrus’ chest now and I was looking into Ash’s eyes. “I’m sorry, but please, just you.”
“Just him,” Cyrus said. “If it’s okay though, I’m going to hold you.”
I nodded, suddenly too tired to talk anymore. My whole body felt numb yet heavy. I just wanted to go to sleep. Cyrus was so warm behind me. I was still scared, but oddly comforted by the feel of him.
My body jerked as Ash ripped open my jeans, not bothering to try to pull them down my legs. Cyrus gripped my hands tightly in his, and I closed my eyes so he wouldn’t see my fear of him in my gaze.
“Don’t bother,” he said stiffly. “I can smell it seeping from every pore in your body.”
That time, I did flinch at the tone in his voice. I hadn’t wanted to hurt him. I just really didn’t want him to hurt me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered pathetically.
“Don’t be,” he said, kissing my forehead. “I understand.”
“No, you don’t.” The tears I’d been fighting spilled down my cheeks.
“Do you want me to leave?” Cyrus asked.
“No.” I may have been scared, but at the same time, I wanted him there. I wanted both of them to help me, to fix me. Not just the wounds on my back but the scars that ran deeper.
Until I met them that night I’d thought I was fucked up beyond repair, but feeling them around me… I knew if anyone could make me whole again, it was Ash and Cyrus. Something about them felt like home to me, and I wouldn’t throw that away because I was afraid of my past.
“Reagan, I need you to open your eyes,” Ash barked. “I need you to stay here with me or I have to stop. I won’t do anything without your knowledge or permission.”
My eyelids fluttered, and I saw that he was lying over me, his weight supported on his arms so he wasn’t putting any pressure on me. I hadn’t realized I’d closed my eyes in the first place, and the fact that I hadn’t heard him move made me wonder if I’d lost consciousness for a minute.
“I already gave my permission,” I whispered with a frown, confused by his reluctance to touch me.
“I know.” He smiled and cupped my face in one of his hands. “But I just need to make sure you remember that.”
“Just don’t hurt me,” I told him.
“We would never hurt you, sweetness,” Cyrus said before kissing my ear.
“I’m so tired.” My eyes closed again, and I heard Ash swear over me.
“Dude, you have to. She knows what she’s doing and, more importantly, what you’re doing. If you wait any longer, she’s going to die.”
“I don’t want to die,” I mumbled.
“We won’t let that happen,” Ash said.
The world exploded into light and pain and pleasure as he slammed himself inside of me. I wanted him, but I wasn’t fully ready for him, and the force of him shoving himself in me was just this side of torture.
Chapter Four
As soon as the pain subsided, pleasure took over. My body hummed as Ash moved inside of me. Warmth spread over my skin, and every second he fucked me, I became stronger under him.
There was no softness or tenderness to his assault on my body. He ravaged me completely while my body seemed to put itself back together again. Within minutes, my legs were wrapped around Ash’s waist while I gripped Cyrus’ hands tightly.
It seemed as if we all glowed as my release built in my muscles. I felt every inch of Ash sliding in and out of me while I stared up into Cyrus’ eyes which had bled to amber as he watched me.
I wanted to be frightened by him again, but I wasn’t. Instead of fear, there was only longing, and I found myself sorry I hadn’t asked him to be included. Ash was amazing, but it seemed as if something was missing, as if Cyrus was missing. I wanted him inside of me, too. I knew I needed them both before I’d feel complete.
Cyrus shifted his body so that he could reach my face, and I cupped his neck to pull him into a kiss. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but it would work for the moment. His tongue gently probed my mouth, and the tenderness didn’t match what I needed from him. I tried to urge his lips to press harder against me, to deepen and strengthen the kiss to mimic the pace Ash was fucking me at.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Cyrus mumbled against my mouth.
“For the first time in years,” I replied, nipping at his lower lip. “Please.”
He crashed into me, our tongues tangling, teeth gnashing from the urgency of the renewed kiss. His hands kneaded my breasts, fingers pinching my nipples into hard nubs.
The world had completely come back into focus now. My back felt as if the skin were stitching itself back together, and I wondered what exactly was happening to me. Cyrus’ mouth on mine kept me from asking. When he finally broke the kiss to breathe, Ash shifted between my legs and my orgasm washed over me in wave after wave of pleasure.
Muscles I hadn’t even remembered having contracted and released through my body as I cried out, my arms gripping Cyrus tighter around the neck as if I might drown in my release if I didn’t hold on to him.
Ash’s muffled yell let me know he was coming, too, and I dropped my legs so he could pull out of me since we’d been in too big of a hurry to worry about things like condoms.
I lay panting against Cyrus’ chest thoroughly amazed at how good I was feeling. It was hard to believe that not too long before, I had been on the verge of bleeding to death. There was no pain in my back at all, and my mind was as functional as ever.
When I looked up at Cyrus, I was relieved to see his eyes had gone back to the bright blue they’d been when I’d first seen him. The amber wolf eyes had been a little startling to see, especially this close to a full moon.
“Are you all right?” Ash asked as he sat down next to Cyrus and me.
“I feel great,” I admitted. “What the fuck did you two do to me?”
“Ash is a Reiki, a spiritual healer,” Cyrus said.
“I’ve me
t Reiki in the desert. They’ve never done what you just did.” I twisted my body and was shocked to find there was no longer tightness in my back. It was as if it had been completely healed.
“You’ve never had a medicine man jump your bones?” Cyrus asked, and I heard the humor in his tone.
“Well, in all fairness, I’ve never given them the chance.”
“Good,” Ash said firmly. “Those people are idiots. I’m not into all of that voodoo crap they practice.”
“He doesn’t have to be,” Cyrus explained. “He’s the real deal. As you’ve now witnessed. Ash heals with his body. He can take aural energy and spin it to heal.”
“So you, like, go around banging people to heal their injuries? That sounds like a pretty shitty job,” I said, looking at him curiously.
“I haven’t used my gifts in a very long time,” Ash replied. “This was an extreme situation. I couldn’t just let you die.”
“Well, thank you for saving my life.” I looked around the room at the shredded jeans I’d been wearing. “I just wish you’d been able to save some of my clothes. I’m bold, but even I don’t want to walk through the building naked.”
My cheeks burned as I realized where we were. My father was just up the hall. Had he heard us? Had anyone seen us? I’d been so lost in what we were doing I don’t know if I’d have noticed the entire brigade standing in the room with us.
“We’ll find you some clothes. And don’t worry about the captain,” Cyrus said, running a finger over my still burning cheek. “There’s a reason he chose us to get you home.”
I stared at him. He couldn’t possibly mean my father wanted me to be with them. Not like that. I couldn’t even imagine the humiliation of knowing my own dad had picked out not just one but two men for me to—no, no, I didn’t even want to finish the thought.
Climbing to my feet, I was again amazed at how much better I felt. There was a mirror on the other side of the room, and I walked to it, turning to see my back in the reflection. I gasped at the sight of the scars etched into my skin. It looked as if weeks of healing had taken place already.
“I can’t do anything about the scars,” Ash explained as he walked over to me. “I’m sorry. I can repair the muscle and the tissue, but the marks will probably always be there.”
“No worries.” I shrugged. My body looked like a jigsaw puzzle anyway. Suddenly, I felt very self-conscious standing naked in front of them. The shiny lines that littered my flesh were bared to these men, and I wondered how hideous they found me now that they could see me in all of my glory, as it were. “How about those clothes?”
Cyrus pulled off his T-shirt as he walked toward me. He handed it over with a small smile, and I gratefully accepted it, pulling it quickly over myself. It barely covered my ass, but it was a start.
“I’ll run out and find something. You two sit tight here.” Ash kissed me on the forehead then strode to the door. He paused for a moment, looking back at us with a small smile on his lips. “Don’t have too much fun without me.”
I watched him walk out the door then turned hesitantly toward Cyrus. The need to apologize was overwhelming. He’d known I was terrified of him, but he’d held me while his friend fucked and healed me. I wasn’t sure what kind of apology would be right for that particular situation.
“Hey,” he said softly, a smile playing on his lips. “I can see those thoughts flying across your face. Don’t worry about it.”
“I am worried.” I sighed. “It was incredibly rude of me to—”
“Stop.” He took a step toward me then stopped. I wondered if I had flinched but I didn’t think so. “Who was he?”
“Who?” I knew exactly what he meant, but I’d learned to never offer up more information than was strictly requested of me.
“The werewolf that fucked you up.”
“Oh, him. His name was Skip. And he was my lover. My first, actually. My first everything.”
“I take it that it didn’t end well?” He had a concerned look on his face that I appreciated.
Skip wasn’t a subject I ever enjoyed talking about. But as I looked at Cyrus, as I remembered the pained look on his face when I’d shrunk away from his touch earlier, I felt as if I owed it to him to explain.
“It didn’t. Like most things in my life, it ended in a lot of pain, blood and gore. He was bat-shit crazy. He’d killed a bunch of people and pinned it on his friend. When the Army found out, they cut the contract and my father gave it to me.”
“Did he know you and Skip were…?” He trailed off, apparently no more eager to finish the sentence than I was to think about it.
“Yeah, but it didn’t matter. Skip was that crossbreed you mentioned earlier. I found him about to kill my brother, and I…I…” Tears sprang to my eyes, but I blinked them back angrily. I’d wasted enough time crying over that psycho son of a bitch. He didn’t deserve emotion.
“Your family is nuts,” Cyrus said with a small laugh.
“What do you mean?” I started to cross my arms over my chest but stopped when I felt the T-shirt pull up from the movement.
“You always have to be such hard asses. All of you.” He shrugged.
“You barely know us,” I said crossly.
“Everyone knows the Baines,” Ash said as he walked back into the room. He had an armful of clothes which he held out toward me. “Your family is fucking legend.”
“Fabulous.” I shimmied into the pants he handed me, surprised to find they almost fit. “I just love that everywhere I go people know all about me but I don’t know dick about anyone else.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Cyrus said. “Let’s get you on the plane, and you can ask us anything you want.”
“It would serve that asshole right if I stayed here,” I grumbled. “That’s my fucking contract. He’s never given a rat’s ass about what he sent me chasing before. Duran is a human for fuck’s sake.”
“He’s a dangerous human, Reagan. One who knows you and knows you’re coming after him. You know damn well you can’t stay here.” Ash was starting to sound like Mitch. I was always too young, too weak, too…female to be chasing monsters.
“Fine,” I said, reaching around him to grab my holster and gun. “Let’s go. We’ll get on the plane and go to Detroit. I’ll just run away.” I strapped the leather around myself as I tried not to shake with anger. “It’s what everyone expects from me anyway, right? Like it’s not hard enough to be a chick in this place.”
“Is that what you think this is about?” Cyrus asked incredulously. “This has nothing to do with people’s perception of you. We’re trying to keep you alive.”
Everything was about what people thought of me. I was a Baine. A lesser one for sure, but still. Hadn’t he just told me what a hard ass I was? It wasn’t very brave to cut and run at the first sign of danger. If I didn’t see this through, the other boys would never let me live it down.
It was easy for these two to talk about saving my life or whatever. They didn’t have to live with the name and the reputation it brought with it. I was going to be the girl who got her contract pulled because her own father didn’t think she was tough enough to go after a stupid mortal. Fuck.
“Damn it, Reagan, I will pick up your scrawny ass and carry you to that plane,” Ash warned, walking toward me.
“Don’t you fucking—” I was cut off by the sound of my phone ringing. Rolling my eyes, I stalked over to my ruined pants that were still lying on the floor across the room. “Hello.”
“Reagan, it’s Crystal.”
“What’s up?” I lowered my voice and kept my back to the guys. Most likely, Cyrus could still hear me. With his werewolf ears, he could probably pick up dog whistles a mile away, but I could at least pretend I had privacy.
“You can’t get on that plane,” she said urgently.
“Why?”
“Duran knows you’re going back to Detroit.”
I stared at the wall in front of me, trying to process what she’d just said. �
�How?”
“I don’t know. But he’s on his way there now. The safest place for you at the moment is right here. Please, just come back to the house.” I’d never heard Crystal sound so scared. Before I could ask how she knew what Duran knew she answered me. “Mike got called down to help treat a bunch of people at Duran’s compound. Apparently, the bastard found out you were leaving and started shooting up his own men. One of the guys Mike worked on told him what happened, and Mike called me. Reagan please, just come back to the house.”
“Crystal, you know that I love you right?” I asked, squaring my shoulders in an attempt to steel myself against the verbal assault I knew she was about to launch against me.
“You stubborn little bitch. You get your ass over—”
I hung up the phone with a huff. She’d forgive me eventually. The ringer started again, and I silenced it before shoving it in my pocket. Turning to the guys, I smiled brightly.
“Don’t we have a plane to catch?”
Chapter Five
“I still want to know what that phone call was about,” Ash said. “One minute, you’re hell bent on staying then you hang up and you’re all gung ho to go home?”
“Shut up,” I hissed through gritted teeth.
My hands were clenched so hard around the armrests of the seat that my knuckles had turned white. As the plane’s nose lifted, I couldn’t conceal the whimper of fear that crawled up my throat.
I hate to fly. I really, really fucking hate to fly. Give me werewolves, vampires, international drug cartel leaders, hell even my father was easier to take than the feel of tons of steel climbing into the air around me.
“Reagan Baine, big bad bounty hunter, is afraid of flying?” Cyrus’ tone was teasing, and I wanted to smack him, but I wasn’t about to let go of my seat.
“Go fuck yourself,” I growled.
“What? I think it’s adorable.”
“Yeah? Well, I think you’re a cocksucker.”
“Cyrus, leave her alone,” Ash’s tone was warning, and Cyrus obeyed.
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