Ferocity

by T. L. Reeve

  “What’s the look for?” Dave peered up at her from the paperwork in front of him.

  “What do you mean?”

  He laughed. “It’s like you want to kick our ass and cry at the same time.”

  “Maybe I do.” She shrugged. “Maybe I want to rage at everyone about the injustice of it all.”

  Dave sighed. “I know, Scar. I’m sorry. I wish we could fix all of it.”

  “We can,” Marcus said. “I know you have someone who has connections. If you put a bug in their ear, I am sure CITES and Wildlife would be there checking out each of the facilities. I’m not sure what would happen, but at least you’d have peace of mind.”

  A sense of relief washed over her. She realized sometimes her emotions got the better of her and since all of the shit started with Maisie, she’d been a wreck. It was as if Scarlett had been swimming upstream her whole life. When she got to where she thought she should be, something else would happen, pushing her back down to the inlet. Now, she was impatient to get back to where she needed to be—caring for her beloved cats.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “I appreciate it.”

  “Any time.” Marcus stood then and held out his hand to Dave. “I’ll call you, as soon as I know something.”

  “I appreciate it.” Dave shook his hand before wrapping his arm around Scarlett. “If we find out anything else, I’ll have it couriered over to you.”

  “I appreciate it.” The DA glanced at Scarlett. “Don’t get too down on yourself. We still have a long road ahead of us, but I believe in this case.”

  “Thought you couldn’t make assumptions,” she said with a smirk.

  “I’m not.” He grinned. “We’ll be in touch.”

  Dave led her out of the courthouse where the DA's office had been located. As she stepped outside, she paused, surprised by how quickly the weather changed. Snow had begun falling at some point while they'd been inside. At least two inches of the white stuff, if not more, already lay on the ground. Where it might not have stuck to the roadway, it clung to the grass and brown autumn leaves. Soft mounds built along the tops of the hedges and around the trunks of trees. Even the crisp, cold air smelled of the coming winter. There'd been a time when she would have hated the snow, now, she enjoyed it.

  “We should hurry. Wouldn’t want to get stuck out here and there’s no telling when they’ll start the plows.” Dave opened the car door for her then assisted her before going around the front of the vehicle to get in behind the wheel. “Call Kenny and tell him we’re on the way. If there’s already a couple of inches on the ground down here, no telling how much is on the mountain.”

  "Looks like we'll be snowed in for a while too," she said pulling her phone from her bag. She scrolled through the contact list before stopping on Kenny's name. She pushed the call button and waited. After he answered, she spoke. "Hey, it's us. Dave said to have the road to the sanctuary cleared off for us."

  "Should have taken the truck," Kenny grumbled.

  “Didn’t think it would snow,” she replied. “You’re going to do it though, aren’t you?”

  “What do we get out of it?” Kenny asked.

  “Who’s we?” She narrowed her eyes as they drove through the barren town.

  “Edward and me, Timothy is too pretty to do any kind of manual labor.”

  In the background, she heard Timothy's deep laugh and it sent a flutter of lust through her body. She shouldn't feel any type of attraction to him and she'd chided herself before for feeling as she did, especially since she'd had sex with Dave and Kenny so far. "What do you want?"

  Dave laughed. “Loaded question, Scar.”

  “You. With us. For one night,” Kenny said. “I’ll shovel snow from now until it melts if we can have you.”

  “Kenny, I—” What? What did she say? Her thoughts fled her as she sat beside Dave. All of them? What did that mean? What happened afterward? What if one of them got jealous or worse, all of them did? She cut her gaze to the man beside her. If she thought he’d help her make any type of decision, she’d been sorely mistaken.

  “One night. That’s all we want,” Kenny repeated.

  “What if it’s not enough?” she murmured. “What if you all want something, I can’t give you?”

  “Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, Scar,” Kenny assured her. “We’re not talking eternity here.”

  For some reason, his words stung. “Right. One night.”

  “Don’t get like that either Scar,” Kenny said. “You always get snippy with me when you take my words out of context.”

  “No, I think the context was there the whole time. We’re starting up the road now. I’ll lose my signal in a minute. Start clearing the trailhead for us so we don’t kill ourselves on the way up.” Blowing out a breath of frustration after hanging up with Kenny, Scarlett threw her phone back into her bag.

  “He’s got a point,” Dave muttered.

  “Not you too,” she whimpered. “Why are you both riding my ass about this?”

  "Because, isn't it obvious? He was asking you to accept us for the night, sure. But, he wants more like I do. I won't speak for the others as of now, but I am sure they would too if you gave them half the chance." Dave cut his gaze toward her. "So, are you going to be a chicken or are you going to be a lion?"

  She laughed. “What’s with that analogy?”

  He shrugged. “Sounded good, didn’t it?”

  “I guess I am going to be a lion. Can’t let my feline companions down, can I?” She placed her hand on his thigh then grew serious. “This could potentially blow up in our faces.”

  “Nah, I trust Marcus,” Dave said. “If he can put everything together quickly for us, by next week, we can begin the rebuilding process for the refuge.”

  “Not what I was talking about,” she stated.

  Dave came to a stop at the closed gate leading to Scarlett’s property. “Figured as much. You’re such a pessimist.” He leaned across the seat and brushed his lips over hers and groaned. “I have wanted to do that to you since we arrived at the DA’s office.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  "Can't be seen playing tonsil hockey with my client before going in to present a case to the DA," Dave answered. "Not that I mind, but at this stage, the fewer people know the better off we're going to be."

  “I guess you’ll have to make it up to me later, huh?” Her tone held a flirty edge to it.

  "Suppose so." He kissed her again before getting out of the car. Dave had been right. With as much snow as there was in town, it'd only gotten worse the closer they'd gotten to home and visibility was almost non-existent.

  He opened the gate to the property then jumped back into the car so they could continue up the hill to where the refuge was located. He didn't say another word about what happened with the DA nor about Kenny's proposition. Of course, it could all be due to him concentrating on the road that, with each passing second, became more and more impassible.

  “We should have waited,” she said as the tires slipped before finding traction. “We wouldn’t be driving in this shit.”

  “Tell me, what’s scarier. The snow or fighting a fucking lion and winning?” Dave slowed their progression as they came to a particularly nasty part of the road.

  “I don’t think I can compare the two.” Scarlett grabbed onto the armrest, digging her fingernails into it. “They’re both different situations.”

  "The same kind of conditions though," Dave hedged. "So, which is worse?"

  Both situations, as he put it, could've ended up with her being killed and both held an unknown quality to it too. Being in the enclosure with Jäger didn't frighten her, it was what happened after being in there that did. The road though... Every curve and dip in the road brought about an unfamiliar factor. They could be too close to the edge and fall off. Or worse, they could miss a turn and go off the side of the mountain.

  "This road," she said. "I loathe it on a good day. With this snow, I downright hate
it." Ahead of them as they came around the final turn, Kenny was in the big plow truck clearing a path for them. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding since they started up the mountainside.

  “Looks like the cavalry has been busy.”

  Scarlett glanced at the dash clock and frowned. They’d been driving for almost an hour and it hadn’t felt that way. “Wow, guess so.”

  As they pulled into the sanctuary, Dave parked in the maintenance garage, while Kenny brought the plow closer to the main building. “Don’t need a frozen car in the morning.”

  "No, you don't." She opened the passenger door then instantly regretted it. A cold blast of air knocked the breath from her lungs. She shivered standing there as the garage door lowered. "Shit. I hate the snow."

  Dave was by her side, throwing his coat over her shoulders. “Come on, let’s get you inside so we can update everyone.”

  “And then,” she prodded, glanced up at him as he guided her through the garage.

  “And then,” Dave said. “We’ll figure out where this night is going to take us.”

  Chapter Eight

  While she'd been gone, Kenny, Edward, and Timothy had turned her apartment into a cozy retreat made especially for her. The fireplace she rarely used had been cleaned and a fire burned within it, warming the space. The smell of something delicious baking in the oven drew her attention after she stepped into her home. Scarlett strode into the kitchen and opened the over. The blast of heat followed by the ooie-gooie bubble of cheese and sauce made her mouth water. Someone made homemade lasagna while she and Dave had been gone.

  “Don't open the door,” Edward said, hurrying into the kitchen. “It'll cause the layers to fall.”

  “That's on a cake.” Scarlett closed the oven then turned to him. “Did you make this?”

  “Yes.” He eased her out of the way. “It still has twenty minutes to cook.” He pulled the lid off of a pot still on the stove. “This is the leftovers. You can freeze it and use it later.”

  She peered into the pot. Half the contents remained, and it smelled heavenly. “Thank you.”

  He nodded. “Go get changed then we can eat.”

  “Aren't you a pushy one.”

  Edward shrugged. “I'm learning from you.” He trapped her against the counter. “Kenny and Timothy said I need to be a bit more assertive with you.”

  “Did they?” She bit the corner of her lip. Edward didn't have an assertive bone in his body. He was docile. A bit airhead-ish at times, but he also had a compassionate streak even she couldn't ignore. “So, this is you being assertive with me?” When he didn't answer, she pressed. “You got me here. Now what?”

  The sound that emanated from him seconds before his lips pressed to hers, reminded her of a feral animal going in for the kill. The kiss was demanding, hard and insistent. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip and when she opened for him, he pulled back. “All in due time.”

  The assuredness in his voice surprised Scarlett. He left her an aching mess and he didn't even touch her, besides her lips. She let out a shaky breath as he moved back, affording her a quick escape and escape she did, to her room, where Timothy was waiting on her.

  Surprise, surprise.

  He sat on her bed, his elbows on his knees and his hands folded. The minute she stepped inside, his head lifted and those obsidian eyes of his met hers. She could drown in his gaze, the darkness overtaking her with minimal effort.

  “You seem pensive,” Scarlett said breaking the silence lingering between them. “Did something happen while I was gone?”

  “No,” he answered. “I was contemplating what I'd do next.”

  He'd lost her. “Huh?”

  “Well, I have to stay here tonight.”

  “Right.” She stepped farther into her room, closing the door behind her.

  “And, I think Dave, Kenny, and Edward have something planned for you later.”

  So did she. What it would consist of, she didn't know, but it made her all hot and bothered and a little impatient as well. All four of them had been driving her insane with their subtle caresses and glances. Nonetheless, she also couldn’t help but worry too. “What do you have planned for me?”

  He stood then; his imposing figure loomed over her. Without the fancy suit and tie, he appeared bigger, a bit beefier. Timothy wrapped an arm around her and tucked her to his body. “Is it crazy I find myself attracted to you, even though I don't know much about you?”

  The utterance of his words surprised Scarlett. “I suppose it depends on what you mean, by not much?”

  “I know about your accident and about the bullshit your sister is trying to pull, but when it comes to knowing you—your likes and dislikes, I'm still in the dark. Still, even without knowing your favorite book or if you enjoy certain movies, I can't help falling for you a little each day.”

  She peered up at him. “How do each of you accept me, as I am, without holding an ounce of jealousy between you? How do four men, all different in some substantial ways, find me attractive?”

  He shrugged then, the nonchalant movement filled with grace and determination. “It's easy. We have one goal in mind when it comes to you.”

  Foolishly she asked the question sitting on the tip of her tongue. “What?”

  “Making you happy.”

  Scarlett ducked her head as heat filled her cheeks. “People like me don't get that happiness.”

  “Why?” He lifted her chin, forcing her to stare at him. “Because you were tricked and now scarred? Because your parents shunned you after the accident? Why do you think you should be seen as the evil or bad sister who has to be the shut-in?”

  “Because it's true,” she whispered. “All of it.”

  Timothy ran the pad of his thumb across her cheek. “Not even close. Just because your parents were blinded by your sister's sweet demeanor, doesn't mean the rest of us are. We see what she's doing.”

  “It's too late though. Even when the truth comes out, people will see me as the one who caused my parents hardship and heartache. I'm the burden.”

  Timothy snorted. “You only are, because you deem yourself to be.” He bent his head and brushed his lips over hers. “You're conditioned to be. We'll change that. Help you see you're more than the scar on your face.”

  He kissed her again. Where Edward was hard and demanding, Timothy coaxed her to open for him. He teased the seam of her lips until she chased the kiss. When their tongues touch, she let out a startled whimper. Timothy fisted her hair, tugging her head into the position he wanted her in before deepening the kiss.

  Scarlett sank into the sensation, pressing her body to his. The evidence of his arousal rubbed across her lower belly and it sent a rush of desire through her. She couldn't explain what was happening or why, but she accepted it. Maybe later, she'd contemplate her decision to give herself to all four men. Or, perhaps, in a way, it'd been her destiny and something others wouldn’t expect of her.

  “Fuck,” he muttered. “I told the others I'd wait until later, but I don't think I can.”

  “Well, it's going to have to,” Kenny stated. “Dinner's ready.”

  Scarlett glanced over her shoulder at Kenny. He leaned against the doorframe, his gaze heavy-lidded, his body tense, like he'd been ready to pounce. The hungry look in his amber eyes caused her to shiver in need. “Oh good. I'm starving.”

  Timothy tucked her to his chest, the possessiveness of his hold, surprised her. “We'll be there in a minute.”

  When she finally emerged from her room, Timothy by her side, she found the guys sitting at the small kitchen table she'd hardly used. Someone had found the leopard print placemats she'd found at a discount online store and put them on the table along with two of the long stem candles she'd kept in case the power went out.

  “Wow,” she said, crossing to the chair Kenny held out for her. “What are we celebrating?”

  “You,” Dave answered. “We thought after everything you'd been through; you deserved a night
of elegance.”

  “Elegance, huh?” The corner of her mouth tugged upward. “With paper plates?” Since her parents’ death, Maisie controlled their parent's estate, which meant she owned all of their parents’ good china. Not that she minded. Scarlett didn't cook much so when she did, paper plates made for easy cleanup.

  “We're improvising,” Dave said with a lift of his shoulder.

  “I can dig improvising if I'm treated to delicious food all the time.”

  “I'm going to hold you to it,” Edward said, cutting into the lasagna.

  She waited patiently as he served up each of them a square of noodly goodness then added a bit of salad from the bamboo bowl situated beside the casserole dish. The dressing had already been added to it, a special recipe from Edward's family.

  Once everyone had their food, she began to eat. The spice of Italian sausage paired well with the sweetness of the tomatoes and basil. Each bite was like an explosion of flavors on her tongue. She gave a happy hum of approval wiggling in her chair. It'd been a long time since she had a homemade meal.

  “I think she likes it,” Dave stated, laughter tinging his voice.

  “Or she was really hungry,” Edward said before popping a piece of bread into his mouth.

  “I love it,” she said. “It's really good.”

  “Leave room for dessert,” Timothy said. “I may have made something.”

  “What are you guys? Culinary chefs?” she teased.

  “When you live alone, you tend to either sink or swim,” Kenny said. “We all cook. We all clean.”

  “I only cook when I have to and then it's something simple,” Scarlett said.

  “I won't ask the stupid questions,” Dave muttered. “With us, you'll learn.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Thanks, I think.”