Best Friends (New Species Book 15)

by Laurann Dohner

  “We have about twenty-five minutes.”

  “That’s more than enough time.”

  He didn’t agree. There wasn’t enough time in the world in his mind to make love to her.

  Chapter Twelve

  Mel’s nerves kicked in as she sat in the front of Sheriff Cooper’s vehicle. After their meeting, and a long, stressful day, it was finally nighttime as he drove her from the gates of Reservation to her apartment. Deputy Tommy followed in another car. She thought that was too much but Snow had insisted on both men escorting her in two different cars, feeling it was safest since he couldn’t be at her side himself. He’d left twenty minutes before she had, with a team of New Species.

  “The New Species are already inside your apartment,” Sheriff Cooper stated.

  “How do you know?”

  “I’m in contact with them. They gave me one of their fancy ear things. I can hear them.”

  “Oh.”

  She peered out the dark windows of the passenger side. “Are they sure they weren’t seen going in?”

  “The only way that could happen is if the perp owns special night-vision goggles. We blacked out the area while they snuck in.”

  “Wow. I didn’t know you could cut power. Why bother?”

  “Because the perp can’t see in the dark. Some New Species can. It was their plan. Morris Brown turned off the power to that section. He showed up in his work truck right after to ‘fix’ it. If someone is watching your apartment building, they wouldn’t have seen anything but the lights from Morris’ truck while he was pretending to work. The New Species slipped into your apartment minutes ago. Brass just told Morris to turn the power back on.” He paused for a beat. “Morris just acknowledged.”

  She hugged her waist. “Okay.”

  “The power’s restored.” He accelerated. “Time for us to put our part of this show on. I’m going to drop you off, walk you to your door, and warn you about being careful.”

  “Got it.”

  “You’re going to open your curtains, right?”

  “Yeah. As I clean up my trashed apartment. Snow and the other guys should be hiding in the bathroom.” She felt a little guilty about that. “It’s not a very big room for four large men to share.”

  “At least they can piss if the need arises,” he joked. “Hopefully this perp is impatient and comes after you soon.”

  They made it to her apartment building quickly. Her place was dark, while her neighbors had their lights on. The Sheriff parked where she normally did, since her car remained at the station, and they both got out. She clutched her purse and tried to appear nervous and afraid. She would be feeling both of those emotions if she were really about to be on her own.

  “Are you sure you want to come home?” Sherriff Cooper used his booming voice.

  “I’m sure.” She nodded. “Thank you for bringing me home. I wish my stupid car hadn’t died,” she said, to explain why she was getting a ride. Snow had refused to let her drive on her own, even the few blocks from the station.

  “We’ll have your car looked at tomorrow.” Sheriff Cooper got out his flashlight and turned it on. “You really need more lighting around your front door.”

  “I’ll ask the landlord.” She pulled out her keys, pretending to unlock the door. Snow had taken her door key to allow him and his team inside before she’d arrived. “Thank you for the ride.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to come in and check it out?”

  “I’m sure. You said the back lock on the window was fixed. I just want to clean up the mess and sleep in my own bed.”

  “Alrighty. You call the station if you hear or see anything. Promise me.”

  “I promise, Sheriff.”

  “Go on in. I’ll stand here. Lock that door.”

  She walked inside, flipped on a light, and closed the door, twisting the lock. She leaned against the wood, staring at the mess left behind. Snow had found her slip-on shoes so she wouldn’t cut her feet, thoughtfully leaving them right inside the door. She put them on to avoid getting more cuts on her feet, the sight of her apartment bringing back every second of the attack. It calmed her to know Snow, Brass, Timber, and Torrent were in her bathroom, just down the hall.

  “I’m here and okay,” she said aloud. “The door’s locked. I’m going to open the curtains now.”

  “Be careful,” Snow softly called out. “No one was here when we arrived, and the lock on the window works.”

  She inhaled deeply and dropped her purse, walked to the windows a few feet away, and pushed the curtains apart. Then she opened the window, letting in the slight breeze. That was also part of the plan. It would seem odd to just open the curtains at night to put her on display. Now anyone would watching would assume she needed to air the place out while she cleaned.

  Mel hurried to the kitchen, pulled out a few trash bags, and withdrew the broom from beside the fridge. She carried them to the living room and then walked down the hallway to her bedroom.

  The door was partially closed to the bathroom, the light in there off. She paused, put her hand on the wall, and pretended to mess with her shoe. “I’m going to open the bedroom window now.”

  “Be careful,” Snow ordered. “Don’t stay in front of either window once they’re open. I don’t want this male to tear off the screens and grab you. Make him come in after you.”

  “I remember.”

  She put her foot down and pushed away from the wall, entered her bedroom, and flipped on the light. The small nightstand she’d bought was smashed. The blood smeared on the wall had been cleaned off. Clive must have done it after he’d taken samples. She liked the older retired cop who worked part time for Sheriff Cooper. He came into the diner sometimes with his wife.

  She parted the curtains, saw the new lock on the window, and unlatched it. Then she opened the window. The screen had been replaced with a new one. She backed away and glanced around her room, then dumped her hamper of dirty clothes on her bed, using the plastic container to start picking up the small pieces of the table. She flinched over the sight of the interior door. The landlord hadn’t replaced it yet. Damage had been done to the door and frame when the intruder had busted into her bedroom.

  She walked down the hall and into the living room, dropping the plastic basket near the front door. Then she grabbed a garbage bag and began picking up parts of the table and large pieces of her broken dishes.

  Part of her wished she could turn on music, but Snow had vetoed that. He wanted to make sure he could easily hear every sound she made…but especially ones she didn’t. She wondered how the four New Species were fitting into her small bathroom, imagining two of them standing in her shower, one sitting on the closed toilet lid, and one standing in front of the small sink. The thought had her smiling.

  She put on the thick plastic cleaning gloves she kept under the kitchen sink to pick up the smaller, sharper pieces of glass, filling the trash bags. Time passed slowly as she picked up everything the best she could, then swept, the bags piling up in front of her door. Snow had ordered her not to walk to the dumpsters near the parking lot, too afraid she’d get grabbed out there.

  She returned to the hallway. “How are you guys doing?” She kept her voice low and tried not to move her lips.

  “We’re fine. How are you?”

  Just hearing Snow’s voice helped. “Good. I’ve done everything but vacuum.”

  He growled low.

  “I’ll close and lock the living room window. That way the jerk will have to pass you to sneak up on me. How about that?”

  “Keep the curtains open,” Brass ordered.

  “Got it.” She yanked open the small cupboard in the hall and pulled out her vacuum. She carried it into the living room and set it down, then pretended to be cold, rubbing her arms. She walked to the window and shut it, making sure the lock was set. Then she plugged in the machine and flipped it on.

  Mel kept her back to the hallway. If the jerk was watching, between the sound of the v
acuum and her vulnerable position, it would give him the perfect opportunity to sneak up behind her. Not that he’d get past Snow. She had faith in that.

  She ran the vacuum over the carpet for a good forty minutes, until she was sure no glass remained. She entered the kitchen, cleaning it next. The cabinets were still open from when she’d grabbed the plates and glasses she’d just cleaned up. The few dishes in the sink were easy to wash.

  By the time she was done, hours had passed since she’d gotten home.

  A bad feeling started to churn in her stomach. What if the jerk wasn’t waiting for her? She had fought him off hard. Maybe he was watching Mary’s place instead, waiting for her? She chewed on her bottom lip, wiping down the counters. It was hard not to keep glancing out at the street her front window faced to look for anyone watching back.

  Finally, with nothing left to clean, she got a soda out of the fridge and opened it, walking to the couch. She dropped onto it, closed her eyes, and relaxed. The meeting that morning had been early, the New Species going over the plan many times, and she and Snow hadn’t had any alone time during the day. They’d eaten lunch afterward in the cafeteria, and she’d met more of his males. Some of them had asked her if she had any single, attractive friends. That caused her to smile. Mary fit that description but she’d never date a New Species.

  She missed her best friend. Sheriff Cooper had assured her that not only had Mary’s parents agreed to stay home extra days, but he had a few of his deputies driving by their house every hour. They were safe. Now the jerk just needed to show up so he could be caught.

  She sat up a bit and drank her soda slowly. Then she got up, tossing away the empty can. Her bladder started to protest soon after, making her regret drinking it. Another hour passed, and she glanced at the clock. It was a little after nine. That was the time she usually went to bed to get up early for her shift at the diner.

  Part of her wondered how mad Joel was for her skipping out on work that day. Mary had to cover her shift, but again, Sheriff Cooper had promised to have deputies there to eat in shifts while Mary was there. Her parents had driven her there and back to make sure she’d never be alone.

  Mel got up and closed the curtains, then walked down the hallway. “I’m closing up,” she whispered.

  “Okay.”

  She entered her bedroom and again made a show of being cold, closing the window and pulling the curtains closed. She picked up her dirty clothes off the bed and tossed them into a corner before returning to the hallway.

  “Curtains are closed,” she whispered. “You can come out. I’ve got to pee.”

  Snow opened the door…and she grinned.

  Brass stood from where he’d been sitting on the closed lid of her toilet, while Timber and Torrent stepped out of her shower.

  “What’s funny?” Snow moved closer and kissed the top of her head.

  “Nothing.” They cleared out of Mel’s bathroom and she entered, closing the door and twisted on the faucet in the sink to cover any sounds. New Species had great hearing. She quickly peed, washed her hands, and then opened the door. “I thought he’d come.”

  “He might be waiting for your neighbors to sleep.” Brass leaned against the wall in the hallway. “We knew it was a possibility that we’d be here for a few days. We brought meals.”

  “I saw bags of groceries in the fridge and figured. Make yourselves at home. The curtains are thick, and I closed them tight. As long as you don’t get close to them, no shadows should show.” Mel bit her lip. “I’m sorry he didn’t take the bait fast.”

  “We’re here for as long as need be.” Brass turned, walking into her living room.

  Timber and Torrent followed him. Mel stared up at Snow. “What if I’m wrong?”

  “Part of me hopes you are and the male doesn’t come after you again.”

  “But Mary—”

  “I know.” He pulled her in for a hug. “For her, I hope he shows. We’ll get him if he does.”

  She nodded against his padded chest. She wore a bulletproof vest, as well. It wasn’t near as bulky, though. One of the female New Species had lent it to her, telling her to avoid wearing a bra to make it more comfortable. She’d listened.

  “Go eat, Snow. You’ve got to be hungry.”

  “You stay at my side.”

  “Okay.”

  She found the Species sitting on her newly vacuumed floor eating sandwiches and drinking from cans and bottled water they’d brought with them. No one spoke. Snow offered her something to eat. She shook her head. “I’m still full from when we ate before we left.” She took a seat on the couch and kept her voice low. “What now?”

  “You pretend to go to bed.” Brass met her gaze. “Snow will lie down with you in the bedroom, and we’ll take positions in the living room and hallway to be close.”

  “Are any of you going to sleep?” She worried about them. What if the jerk didn’t show up for days, or worse, not at all?

  “We’ll sleep in shifts. Don’t worry about us.” Torrent flashed her a smile. “Species are tough. We don’t need as much sleep as humans do.”

  “Thank you for doing this.” She made eye contact with each one of them.

  “You’re welcome,” Brass responded after sipping his water. “Once we are finished eating, turn off the lights in here. Do you normally keep any lights on?”

  “No.”

  “Good.”

  They finished eating, a few of them using the bathroom, and Snow pulled her to her feet. She turned off the lights and led him to her bedroom. Her bed was small compared to him. “I don’t know how both of us are going to fit.”

  “I’m sleeping on the floor.”

  She turned to him, scowling.

  “Mel, I’m guarding you. I’ll sleep sitting up next to the window. It’s for the best. Climb into bed and I’ll turn off the light. Rest. You’re safe.”

  “I know that. Can I take off the vest?”

  “No. Just your shoes.”

  She couldn’t complain, really. The New Species were all wearing black uniforms with vests on. She pulled the sheets back and took a seat on her twin bed, kicking off the slip-ons before lying down. Snow smiled at her and flipped off the light. Total darkness filled the room.

  “I’m right here.” Snow moved toward the window as he spoke. “Sleep.”

  “I’ll try.” She got as comfortable as possible. “Do you want a pillow?”

  “I’m fine.”

  She was tired, and Mel knew it was the stress. She’d talked Snow and his friends into this crazy bait idea, and maybe all for nothing.

  Why hadn’t the bad guy shown up?

  She chewed on her bottom lip, worrying. What if the jerk had fled town after she’d fought him off? Worse, what if he left for a week or two, but then came back? She’d be safe with Snow…but Mary would be an easy target living alone.

  Snow heard Mel’s breathing slow about an hour later. Torrent entered the bedroom from the hallway, pausing there. “The neighbor next door turned off his television and we believe he went to bed,” he whispered.

  “Good. The darker the building, the safer the human might feel to come after my female.”

  “We won’t allow him to harm her.” Torrent walked out but didn’t go far.

  Snow closed his eyes, listening to Mel breath and the soft sounds the males made in the apartment. Two lay down, one falling asleep, while Torrent paced quietly up and down the hallway. Time passed, and Snow dozed on and off. At one point, voices woke him as Brass switched with Torrent, taking a turn patrolling the hallway. Snow returned to sleep.

  Until a noise woke him again.

  He jerked, instantly awake and sitting up straight, straining to identify the sound.

  It was faint…and it came from behind him. That would be the back of Mel’s apartment building.

  He rose to his feet right as Brass silently rushed into the room. Timber followed. The three of them stared at the closed curtains, hearing footsteps right outside.


  Snow motioned toward the bed. Timber nodded and moved forward, pulling aside the sheets hanging from the ceiling. It took all of Snow’s self-control to allow the other male to scoop Mel into his arms. She inhaled sharply but Timber silenced her before she could say anything. The male carried her out of the room to the bathroom. He placed her inside, with whispered orders to get into the tub and curl into a ball.

  Snow backed up, taking position against the wall by the window. Brass took the other side. Timber returned, waiting by the bed out of sight of the window. Mel’s curtained bed helped hide him.

  There was a slight pop, and the window softly slid open. A gloved hand reached in, pushing the curtain out of the way. The male was being very quiet for a human. It would have impressed Snow if he wasn’t so enraged. That male was coming after Mel.

  They let him climb over the windowpane and step into the bedroom. The intruder wore a mask like Mel had described and black clothing.

  He took a single step toward the bed before Snow lunged, taking the asshole down hard. He used all his body weight so when he landed on the male’s back, it would hurt his prey.

  Brass moved to the window to make certain there wasn’t more humans.

  The male under Snow grunted, the breath knocked out of him. Then he sucked in air and began to struggle.

  Snow grabbed hold of his wrists and squeezed. The male screamed. It was probably from a few bones being broken. Not that Snow gave a damn; the male deserved it for coming after his female.

  The asshole tried to throw his head back into Snow’s face. He dodged it and growled loudly.

  “Do that again and I’ll rip your goddamn throat out,” he snarled. “Hold still, or I’ll make you scream more.”

  The male under him stilled, breathing fast.

  “Clear,” Brass called out. “No one else is out there.” He slammed the window closed.

  “Lights,” Timber warned, before flipping on the switch.

  Snow shifted his body over his prey as both of his friends dropped to their knees, frisking the male for guns. They didn’t find any.

  Timber withdrew handcuffs, slapping them on one of the human’s wrist. “Roll him over.”