by Tia Didmon
He unzipped her light jacket before pulling the tank top off her body. He worked his way to her white lace bra, massaging the firm globes through the material before removing it and dropping it to the earth.
She continued to clutch and grab at his skin as if she wished to share it. He understood her need. He felt the same. His cat’s hunger for its mate a demon he could no longer control. It scented its mates arousal and had every intention of acting on it. He felt his animal rise. Matching hers. Just below the surface. Waiting. Wanting.
His instincts were impossible to control. He undid her jeans, ripping them down her hips. He tried to remind his animal to go slow. It wanted no part of his human reasoning.
He grabbed her head, clutching the strands as his tongue dueled with hers. The desperation, a beast neither of them could escape. His lips on hers was a pleasure unlike any other. Something he would never give up.
The loneliness that had formed over the years of his existence disappeared with every touch of her skin. Every moan that escaped her lips a symphony sung for his soul alone.
Jane’s arms circled his neck, pressing against him, a throaty moan escaping her mouth as his hands dropped down to massage her breasts.
He was burning for her.
Her nails grasped his hair, sending a jolt of pain through his body straight to his cock. He was so aroused he thought he would explode. “Fuck, Jane, I need to be inside you.”
Her hand travelled down his chest to circle his hard cock. Her tight grip making him grunt in satisfaction as she started the slow glide with her hand. It was pure torture. Pleasure. He wasn’t sure which but if she continued, he was in trouble. She began working her way down his body. Kissing his skin. Raking her nails. Forcing his muscles to tighten like steel bands. “Sweet fucking torture,” he said through clenched teeth.
Her hands cupped his balls, massaging them gently before sucking him far into the warm haven of her mouth. Her tongue curled around the ridge of his cock. His hands fisted in her hair, holding her to him. “You’re trying to push me.”
She pushed against his thighs and looked up at him. “You’ve been pushing me since the day I met you.” Her tongue licked the pre-cum forming at the head of his cock,
His control snapped. He hooked her shoulders with his hands, pulling her up. He backed her against a tall oak. “Turn around.”
She turned, placing her hands on the rough bark of the tree. She gasped as he thrust into her, parting her sensitive flesh as he anchored himself in her wet heat.
Her body clenched around him, causing a snarl to erupt from his throat. A warning. A curse. With his cat’s instincts combined with the man’s emotions he couldn’t tell. All he knew was that everything he was, centred on the woman he was going to claim as his. His fingers clutched her hips as he buried himself in the haven of her body, over and over.
Her pussy fluttered and squeezed against his cock. He lost his battle for control when she screamed.
“Yes!” Her throaty cry echoed.
He nipped her neck, careful not to break the skin as he emptied himself inside her.
They stood there for a few minutes before he reluctantly pulled himself from her body.
She turned smiling at him. “If I have slivers after this. You’re pulling them out.”
He laughed. “I would but your shifter metabolism will expel them naturally.”
Her eyebrows went up. “That’s nifty, does...” Her expression changed to horror.
Brock grabbed her. “Jane!”
Her body sagged in his arms as her legs broke.
Chapter 8
Jane breathed erratically through the electric bolts of pain shooting through her lower body. She had no idea a body could endure such an acute level of torture. Her breaths were short and stunted as she attempted to bring her surroundings into focus. She hated the pain as much as she embraced it. This was the only way to save herself. To save Carla.
She watched her legs ripple, fur bursting in patches as her legs reshaped and returned to their former shape. It looked like something out of a horror film. The ones she and her sister would hide under the covers from as children. Then they had hid from the imaginary beast that lurked in their room. Now it lived inside her waiting for its chance to escape.
Did that make her a monster? She didn’t know. She only knew she would use anything including the beast within to fight the true monster that held her sister.
Her body seemed to solidify; her senses became more acute. She heard the birds in the trees, a mile away. The rustle of leaves. The steady flow of the stream as if it were next to her. She inhaled deeply taking in the musk of the forest and Brock’s masculine scent.
Her body flipped from pain to lust quickly. She was kissing him before her brain registered her actions. She purred into his mouth. “What the hell?”
Brock’s eyes were full amber. “It’s perfectly normal, Jane. We are vocal, tactile animals. Your cat can’t come out just yet so she is letting her male know she appreciates him.”
“Five-minutes-ago I was the bride of Frankenstein now I’m purring like a kitten trying to get in your pants.”
Brock smiled slyly. “I’m not wearing any pants.”
Jane glanced down at his erect penis. “You know what I mean.”
“Your ... appetites will be unstable until after the transformation. It evens out as you learn to address your cat’s needs.”
“So, in the meantime I’m going to act like a bitch in heat, purring...”
Brock touched her face. “I like you purr... a lot.”
“You would, you’re a bit of a pervert.”
Brock laughed. “Maybe but only where you’re concerned.”
He kissed her so sweetly she forgot why she had been irritated. He was right. Her emotions were unstable. She wanted him. She also wanted to get her sister safe. She did something she hadn’t done since before her parent’s death. “I don’t know what to do. I want you. I also want to find the bunker and the information we require to get my sister safe.”
Brock ran a finger down her cheek. “I know it’s hard for you to admit you’re not in control. That you need help but baby it will always be this way. You will always want me. I want you more and I will do everything to ensure your happy. Right now, that means getting Carla safe.”
Jane dared to believe this was real. Her feelings for him. His for her. “Thank you. I need her safe.”
Brock helped her to her feet. “Jane, Carla is family now. I need her safe too. That’s how it works.”
Jane watched him while she dressed. “It’s been a long time since I believed in something other than Kevin’s savagery.”
Brock’s looked sad. “I know but we are going to change that.”
Jane dressed slowly, letting the lust and pain drain away. It wasn’t gone but if she didn’t look at the noticeable bulge in Brock’s jeans, she was able to manage. Her need to get her sister to safety overshadowing her need of her mate. For now.
She felt stiff, sore and revitalized all at the same time. Her surroundings were brighter, the sounds more distinct. Her world had taken on a vivid glow she wasn’t accustomed to.
Brock took her hand. “Are you ready?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.”
He winked. “I know.”
She smiled, admitting to herself she liked his teasing as she followed him to the ruined house.
They surveyed the exterior again only to conclude that the pipe to the stream was the only water source.
Brock looked at the ground radar again. “This is the only pipe, and it appears to enter the cellar.”
Jane looked down. “What if it angles down? Maybe the bunker is below the cellar. Perhaps Brian abandoned it when the house burned down.”
“Brock glanced at the cellar. “Maybe. He has at least one other bunker so it’s possible. I just hope the info we need is intact.”
Jane frowned. “It’s possible it was destroyed.”
Brock shook his
head. “Fallout shelters are made to withstand nuclear fallout. A fire wouldn’t affect it.”
“I didn’t get the impression he built these with nuclear fallout in mind.”
Brock turned to her. “You feel these were built in case he had to avoid Kevin?”
“It’s a distinct possibility.”
Brock scratched his chin. “Then leaving Sarah in charge of Marksmen enterprises may not have been a mistake after all.”
Jane cleared her throat. “Kevin believed Brian screwed him over in a business deal.”
Brock growled. “Business deal? He sold his own daughter to the devil’s son. Perhaps he had regrets later, but it doesn’t negate what he did.”
Jane looked down. “I made a deal with the same devil,” she said quietly.
Brock grabbed her arm. “Jane, you agreed to work for Kevin to save your sister. Brian sold his daughter for money.”
Jane startled. “What?”
“Brian Marksmen ran into financial issues. Kevin took care of them in exchange for Sarah’s hand in marriage to Gerald.”
Jane’s lips pursed. “Kevin probably arranged for Brian’s financial difficulties. He’s done it before.”
“What?”
Jane sighed. “I have... arranged for business associates of Kevin’s to run into difficulties with suppliers, deals, bank obligations and other inconveniences in order for them to come to him for help.”
Brock rubbed his eyes. “That man sinks to new levels every day.”
Jane shrugged. “What better way to get the people you want in your pocket than arrange their apparent destruction.”
Brock frowned. “You don’t seem that upset Kevin was screwing his business partners over.”
Jane glanced at the house before she answered. “The kind of people that Kevin does this to aren’t dealing above the law. If they were, he wouldn’t be able to do it.”
“What kind of people?”
“Drug dealers. Arms dealers. Big game hunters. Kevin seems to draw the line at human trafficking. That’s all.”
Brock huffed. “I’m surprised. He thinks nothing of trafficking us.”
Jane looked ashamed. “He thinks you are animals as in the kind you hunt and kill for trophies. He doesn’t see you as human. As despicable as Kallan is, he doesn’t deal with criminals who are involved with human trafficking. In fact, he suspected Cortez had ties in that direction and threatened her. He couldn’t prove it and she denied the allegations.”
“He appears to have no principles other than his sticking to a deal no matter what. I wonder where that ideal came from.”
“No idea.” She surveyed the forest. “What if Brian found out that Kevin played him? It was well before my time but he has done it before.”
Brock glanced at her. “You think he started a file on their business dealings?”
“They were partners in several endeavours. Maybe Kevin suggested they arrange a misfortune for a business associate and Brian put the pieces together.”
“Proof Kevin was arranging business misfortunes to force his associates to come to him would put him in some serious hot water with some very disconcerting people.”
Jane nibbled her bottom lip. “As soon as Brian felt threatened, he would have told Kevin he had that information to ensure he wasn’t killed.”
“Yeah, if he saw it coming. His head was chopped off. As in a samurai sword type deal. He may not have had a chance to tell Kevin about what he had.”
Jane paled. “Ari Lok”
“Who?”
“He takes care of threats overseas. He’s rarely in North America but if Brian was killed with a samurai sword, then Ari was the assassin.”
“You worked for a guy that you knew had an assassin on the payroll.”
Jane rolled her shoulders. “I did not learn of Kevin’s true depravity until after my deal with him was made, but yes, I kept his secrets, including Ari’s identity.”
Brock kissed her forcefully. She tasted his anger. His lust. The combination an erotic aphrodisiac she struggled to ignore. She pushed back. “This isn’t helping.”
Brock growled. “Very soon we’re going to have a long discussion about your duties at the Kallan Corporation.” He took out his phone, texting quickly.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m texting Garrett to get everything he can on Ari Lok.”
“Ari isn’t in the country. As I mentioned he rarely comes here. Ari detests the U.S. Brian has to pay him triple the fee to work here. If he killed Brian. He came in took care of the job and was on the next plane out.”
“Do you know why he hates it here? Is he Japanese? A sword is an unusual weapon.”
“No. I only met him once. He has a mixed heritage but I believe the name was an identity he took over years ago. As for the weapon it’s his preferred kill method when he isn’t required to make it look like an accident.”
“Okay. We will get Garrett to start a file on him in case he comes after us.”
“He won’t touch me,” she insisted.
“How can you be sure?”
“Him and Kevin work on a similar principle. If he gives his word, he keeps it. Kevin was quite displeased when Ari said I would always be safe from him.”
“Why would he give you that kind of promise?”
“He was shot on a job he was here to do for Kevin. It was a flesh wound. Kevin had me help him. After I cleaned and bandaged the wound, he told me I was safe from him.”
“Well that’s disturbing and interesting. Let’s return to the cellar. See if there is an access point we missed.”
They descended the charred cement steps, looking for anything that could be movable. After a half hour Brock pulled his earlobe. “I can’t see any scuff marks or indentations that suggest a movable object to get out of this room.”
Jane was pulling a charred book from the case. She stopped to look around the room. “How big would you say this room is?”
Brock looked around. “It’s not even four hundred square feet. It’s the smallest cellar I’ve ever seen. I think it was too small. He didn’t store wine down here. Just books and a table why?”
“That’s it. The room is small. Way too small to be a wine cellar. What if the whole room drops down? The scuffs wouldn’t be seen and when the bunker was in use, this would have been a small office.”
Brock looked around. “That’s genius. Where would the lever be?”
Jane looked around. “That’s the tough part. It could have been destroyed in the fire.”
Brock stared to pull books off the burned shelf. “Grab everything not nailed down.”
They started pulling at everything in the room. Their hands were stained black in moments, Ash littered the air causing Jane to cough. She attempted to pull a burned painting from the wall. She heard the click and was caught off balance when it came forward then flipped back into place.
They both stopped to listen to the clicking sound. “Maybe the mechanism is damaged.” Brock said.
Jane didn’t get the chance to answer as the floor began to descend down.
Brock and Jane stepped into the large room. They looked around the eclectic array of furniture, office equipment and the small kitchen.
“The furniture is high end but from the eighties. Do you think he completely abandoned this place after the house burned down?”
Jane pointed to a desk in the corner. “It appears to have everything in one big room. You would only need one of those ventilation systems for a bunker this size.”
Brock nodded. “You’re right. He either has another large bunker or two more like this.”
“If he was planning on avoiding Kevin for an extended period, I’m guessing three.”
“Me too.”
They moved over to the office area. Jane picked up a newspaper on the table. “This paper is six-years-old.”
“So, he did come down here after the house was destroyed but why abandon it?”
Jane motioned the
burned room in the corner. “That maybe?”
Brock surveyed the room that acted like an elevator. “But why not just rebuild the house? He could have said it was a guest house. Anything.”
“No idea but hopefully what we are looking for is here.”
Brock nodded. “I’ll text Garrett to see if he found anything unusual on the house.”
Jane opened a green metal filing cabinet. “These are all business files.”
“Are they deals with Kevin?”
Jane went through a few of the papers. “These appear to be Brian’s business deals but...
“But what?”
“I think they are files on an experiment.”
“We know Brian was involved in Kevin’s experiments with the shifters.”
Jane was racing over the papers. “I’m not sure that’s what these are. Some of them are written in Russian. Maybe the business he was dealing with was in Russia.”
“We will have Garrett go through it later. Focus on anything to do with Kevin or Kallan Corporation. The rest will have to wait,” he growled.
She looked at him. “Have I upset you?”
Brock lowered the file in his hand. “I’m sorry, babe. It isn’t you. I’m just not looking forward to telling Sarah her father was involved in more depravity. She feels sick over his involvement in Kallan’s work as it is. I don’t want to tell her he was doing more on his own.”
Jane smiled wanly. “I understand.”
Brock let his anger settle. “Brian Marksmen was a total bastard. How he managed to produce Sarah...”
“Brian said she took after her mother. He didn’t say it in a kind way,” Jane said.
“I guess you know more than anyone what a dick he was, and yes, I’m sure Devon thanks God for Sarah’s mother every day.”
“Actually, I didn’t mind Brian. He wasn’t like Kevin’s other business partners. He had his unsavoury points but compared to the rest of Kevin’s circle he seemed... human.”