Bad to the Bone (Wolf Investigations and Securities Inc. Book 1)

by Crystal Dawn

  Pissed Off

  Moe was feeling pretty miserable as whatever the assholes had given her started to wear off. She knew they were on a plane and she was lying on the floor feeling all kinds of vibrations. That annoying hum running through the floor and a sickly smell. Like the plane needed a good airing out. It was making her stomach threaten to dump its contents, pitiful though it might be.

  She had no idea what time it was or where she might be. All she knew was she was pissed and two egg headed inbreeds were going to learn you didn’t piss off a white wolf. How those two idiots had pulled this off and gotten so far with her, just didn’t compute.

  All she could do was hope Twila and Tina were alright. In her heart, she knew Tyne wasn’t far behind. That male would shred these two poor excuses of shifters. They would piss their pants and run home crying to their mommy, if Tyne allowed them to live. Those two males had broken shifter law and had no regard for the consequences.

  It wouldn’t end well for them. She supposed they had gotten a false sense of security because their father had died without facing justice for what he’d done. That wasn’t going to help them because everyone knew who they were and what they had done. Moe moved around and felt the ties that they’d restrained her with.

  Her first thought was to get out of them because she’d had the training to do just that. The problem was she was still off balance and they were on a plane high in the sky. There was no place to escape to and she didn’t know how many helpers they might have onboard. If she was caught and restrained again, they might use something she couldn’t get out of this time.

  A few feet ahead of her, she could see seats. She heard the sounds of conversation coming from there. “We’ll be landing in a half hour.”

  “At least we’re almost home.”

  “I can’t wait. My toy will only be mine for a short while.”

  “I wouldn’t sell her if I had her Ted. That makes no sense when you only have one of them.”

  “That’s why I’m the brains, Denny. If he likes her, he’s giving me one of his less desirable females plus a ton of money. You know Pa tied up a lot of the money and hid his treasures well. We need some cash to live large until we get into his funds.”

  “Pa didn’t want us to live large. He wanted us to mate our cousins and carry on the family name.”

  “Those too girls are ugly even by my standards. They are also lazy. I don’t like to work so if I have a lazy mate, who’s gonna take care of shit?”

  “Not me, Ted. Don’t even look at me.”

  “See what I mean?”

  The talk died and silence reigned broken only by the sounds the plane made. Those two guys were sickening. Now she knew someone else was involved too. Could it be more of the slavers Damon had been chasing? Whoever it was, it sounded like they had other people captured.

  It wasn’t long before the plane landed and she pretended to still be out of it. They held her up between them, something thrown over her head so she wouldn’t be recognized. The item must have belonged to one of them because it smelled nasty, just like they did. She almost gagged before it was finally removed once they had her in an SUV.

  Moe couldn’t say how long the drive was because she had fallen asleep. She woke up as she was being carried somewhere. The feel of going up steps made her wonder if it might be a house.

  “Stop right there and give us the girl.” A male voice said.

  “Who the hell are you?” Ted, she’d learn to recognize his whiny nasal voice, asked.

  “We are wardens, so you’d better comply.” The male explained. Moe started thrashing to distract her captors. Why weren’t the wardens just shooting or biting the bozos?

  Now she heard a pop and another pop. “I’m getting good at this.” Denny said with a chuckle.

  “Well I’m carrying the bitch, so you carry those two and put them behind the fireplace. Once we get her settled in the tunnels, we’ll come back for them. Two more specimens to sell.” Ted tittered. Crazy ass criminal. Moe hoped someone came to prevent more victims being taken.

  Denny must have gone back to get the wardens, because Ted carried her through the house and out the other door. At least it would be a strenuous hike up the mountain for him. He was certainly breathing heavy and his pace had slowed a great deal. It made her wish she was heavier so it would be harder on him.

  It was a shock when the asshole just dropped her. Her head hit something hard and blackness consumed her. She woke to the sound of voices. “Damn Ted. You think she’s dead? It’s been a couple hours and she shows no sign of comin’ round.”

  “Naw, don’t worry Denny. She’s breathing.”

  “I think your buyer might want more than that.” Denny said maliciously.

  “She’ll come round soon.”

  Moe’s head ached like a mother, but as soon as she was just a bit better, she was going to open a can of whoop ass on these two losers. She relaxed her body and must have drifted back to sleep. When she woke up again, she felt better and the headache was localized to the spot that had hit the hard spot. Must have been a rock or something.

  It was all because the pitiful shifter was out of shape and had been unable to carry her without a break. On top of that the asshole had just dumped her on the ground taking no care at all to ensure she was unhurt. Bastard! She was going to show him something soon. Moe began to work at the zip ties as Tyne had trained her.

  This wasn’t easy, but she knew if she stayed calm and applied her talent, she would get free. It took about twenty minutes because her wrist were slippery and her fingers numb from the tightness of the ties. These two had done well in taking her considering it was like amateur hour. She saw no sign that they had any idea how to kidnap someone properly.

  Moe was certain Tyne would be right on their trail. He was her knight in shining armor and she had nothing but faith in him. Even so, she couldn’t just sit there waiting for him to save the day. These idiots might accidently drop her off the mountain. That was a fall no one could survive. The tie on her wrists gave. She almost screamed as the circulation returned. Pain shot into her hands like pins poking her.

  She lay still biting her lip so she wouldn’t make any noise. Pounding on two fucked up wolves would make her feel better, but she had to get a handle on the situation first. They had laid her down facing a dirt wall. There was no way to see anything. The sounds they made alerted her to their presence as did the filthy scent wafting off them.

  Never had she felt more powerless even though her hands were now free. At some point, her ankles had been tied too. Probably while she was out cold. She curled herself up in a ball hoping they’d think it was a protective gesture done subconsciously because she’d been hurt. Right away she worked at the ties around her ankles and the one that held the two together.

  No one checked on her which seemed odd, but maybe they were busy looking to see who followed them. If two wardens had found them, it made sense there would be more following. Moe knew a bit about wardens not only being related to some, but having worked as a secretary to them when they were chasing Chief, although that had been briefly.

  Damon and the other wardens would help if they could, but she had no idea where she was or if anyone she knew was nearby. They’d been looking for Twila, so if they were the ones after her, she might be near Drake’s pack. That might work out in her best interest if Twila knew who had her.

  Moe knew she was too impatient for her own good. Her hands and legs were now free and she was ready to take action. She began to turn over and stretch out slowly. By the time she was turned around enough to see Ted and Denny, an hour had passed, maybe more.

  Ted was lying on an old mattress that had seen better days. The part she could see had stains on it. He was covered with blankets and had a stack of pillows. His eyes were closed and his breathing steady. The asshole was sleeping like a baby with no worries of any kind.

  Denny, on the other hand, held some kind of gun in his hands. She suspected it was armed and r
eady to take down an enemy. He held it against his body preventing her from getting a good look at it. The little brother sat in the lip of the cave they were in and peered out at what she decided was the only way in.

  He was too far away for her to get to him before he shot her. Moe lay there trying not to draw Denny’s attention. If he realized she was awake, he might shoot her just for the hell of it. At the least, he would wake Ted which would not be a good thing either. Moe tried to keep her mind clear, but thoughts of Tyne entered constantly.

  The more she thought about him, how good he’d looked last time she saw him, how much she loved him, the way he looked out for her, and how she was his mate and he hers, the more regrets she had. Moe realized she had viewed mating like the death of all her dreams, but it was only the beginning. Tyne might not understand her dreams, but he would never stand in the way of them.

  Moe had heard of people who made decisions when bad things happened to them. People often said they were being rash because of a tragedy or disaster that had affected them. She saw how that might happen, but she could also see how things like that could make you see your life clearer. It could make you appreciate what was really important to you.

  Everything she had been through today, if it was still the same day, had showed her what was important to her. She could live without a lot of things, but she could never live without Tyne. Nothing meant more to her than he did. If something bad happened and she knew she would die, her biggest regret would be not going through with the mating with her male.

  Her mind went back in time and traveled through her memories. There was the first time they had met. He had come to the chicken plant where she worked as government inspector to pick her up. She had been stalked and threatened by someone that knew about her family, knew they were white wolves.

  “I’m sending someone to pick you up. He’ll be pretending to be your boyfriend. His name is Tyne.” Ariel had explained.

  “How will I know which one he is? There are guys all over the place here and I leave at shift change.” She’d asked. Hundreds of people would be leaving work when she was. Some would be picked up by boyfriends or family.

  “He’ll be the one that stands out.” Ariel responded.

  “Fine, I’ll look for a guy that draws attention.”

  “That’ll work.” Ariel hung up. A few minutes later Moe walked out to the parking lot reserved for her and her coworkers.

  The only one that stood out was this giant of a guy all muscled up with hair that looked like burnished gold in the sun. He was leaning against a candy apple red 1950 ford truck. It had those big fender wells and the curved cab. It even had the little wooden rack, about two feet tall around the bed. It was a classic and gorgeous, but not half as gorgeous as the guy leaning on it.

  Walking up to such a handsome guy took nerve. “Tyne, I presume?”

  “That’s me Sweetness. You’re Ariel’s niece?”

  “Sure am.”

  He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. Before she had a chance to react he dropped his lips onto hers and gave her a kiss she felt all the way to her toes. It was good for her that he kept one arm around her or she might have fell to the ground. Hubba, hubba that male could kiss. He escorted her around to the passenger side of his truck and opened the door before helping her in.

  Moe just sat there a quivering mass of need completely unable to speak or even think. He moved around to the driver’s side and got in. He cranked the truck and the motor started, loud and strong. She loved pickups and this one was a beauty. As was true of older trucks generally, there was a manual shifter between them. Tyne drove it with ease and had them headed out of the parking lot and on the road.

  It was a bit of a surprise when he took her home. His place at the time had been an apartment over his office. It was a typical bachelor pad with a giant TV on the wall, black leather couches, and a small kitchen that didn’t look like it was used much for cooking.

  “Why did you bring me here?” Moe asked.

  “You’re in danger, Sweetness. My men have surveillance on your house and they have checked it out. They’ve found cameras in several locations including the bathroom.”

  “What? I’m going to kill somebody. What kind of sicko puts a camera in a bathroom?”

  “You’d be surprised how often stalkers do just that. Make yourself at home. My guest room is that way unless you want to sleep in my bed?” Tyne asked with a grin.

  “Slow down Romeo, I just met you.”

  “You don’t believe in love at first sight?”

  “Lust maybe. Love takes time to develop.”

  “That’s alright. I have time, but if you change your mind, I’ll rock your world.”

  Moe remembered thinking with that hot bod, he probably would. She’d held out almost a week before her body had overheated and she had jumped him. Hell, he hadn’t minded and he had kept his promise to rock her world. A sound came to her bringing her back to the present.

  Denny had started to fall asleep and caught himself slapping his hand against the wall. His lack of fortitude might be her saving grace. If he would just relax and take a nap, she could relieve him of his weapon and deal out some justice. Once that was done, she would find a way to get back home.

  Most likely she would make her way to the nearest pack and ask for assistance. That could either help her or put her in harm’s way if they figured out who she was. There wasn’t really much choice. As she watched, Denny’s head dropped again and he startled awake. He shook his head as if he wanted to clear it and widened his eyes like his eyelids were heavy and he wanted to open them.

  Ted apparently was too selfish to take a turn on watch and was still sleeping like he had no responsibilities. It wouldn’t take much to turn this around. Ted hadn’t even stirred when Denny had made the noises. That was encouraging because if Denny gave in to sleep, she would get the drop on him. Denny yawned and stretched. He shot a glare in Ted’s direction and changed his position to a more comfortable one where he was leaning against the wall of the opening.

  Once he made himself comfortable enough, Moe was sure she could sneak up on him. Most wolves had exceptional senses, but as with most things, don’t use them, you lose them. These too were extremely lazy and their goddess given strengths were wasted on them. Their physiques and their talents were largely unused and they had little better than human level strength and senses.

  As sad as the wasted potential was, for Moe it was a good thing these two were so worthless. Luck had sided with Ted and Denny so far, but she was a fickle bitch and no one should rely on her. It would be their downfall.

  Moe felt a warmth roll over her. Tyne must be nearby. He was the only one that ever made her feel like this. If she could get the upper hand in this situation, it looked like her ride out of here might be nearby. Denny nodded off for a second, but woke again. The guy was seriously getting on her nerves. She’d never been the patient type and she only seemed to get worse as she got older.

  Denny drifted off again and this time she moved. Quietly and swiftly, she made her way to Denny wrenching the gun out of his hands and shooting him and then Ted as fast as possible. Those darts packed a punch because Denny fell back immediately and Ted never woke up.

  Moe felt proud of the way she’d applied everything Tyne had taught her. The worst had happened and she’d been taken, but she had triumphed over her captors. Moe did a little dance from pure joy. It wasn’t like anyone could see her.

  She looked out from the entrance to the cave they were in and it seemed like it was late afternoon. That let her know at least a day had passed. So much pain and worry for a day. Now she had decisions to make like should she wait for Tyne to find her or go looking for him?

  For now, she would restrain the too assholes. She picked up the zip ties used on her and moved over to Ted. When she moved his arms to restrain him, he sat up as if he intended to grab her. It must have been some kind of automatic response because he was clearly unco
nscious. Moe pushed him down and tied his wrists and then his ankles.

  Now she searched around the cave and found rope to tie Denny with. When she was done, it wasn’t pretty, but he’d have a hell of a time getting loose. Without something to cut the rope, anyone else would have a hard time freeing him too.

  The cave looked like it had been used to house people for years under primitive conditions. It appeared to go on into the mountain, but she didn’t think that was the way she should go. At least if she headed down the mountain, she would be outside where she could see and hopefully find someone who would help.

  Someone would have to return for the brothers. Even if they were assholes, being trussed and left to die wasn’t right. Tyne or the wardens would probably go get them once she told them where they were. Moe didn’t want to worry about those two fools when her focus needed to be getting out of here.

  The two males were alright and she looked around to be sure nothing was there that would hurt them. It was time to go. They should be fine until someone came to take them into custody. As she started to step out onto the trail that would take her down the mountain, she heard a sound.

  “Moe, surely you don’t plan to leave now that I’ve just arrived?” A male voice said.

  She turned and a male stood in the shadows speaking to her. He smelled like a shifter, but there was something odd about his scent.

  “Who the hell are you?”

  “It wounds me that you can’t guess. I’m the one they should have warned you about.”

  Mow thought about that and gasped. “Nicholas Graves?” She guessed.

  “I knew you’d figure it out.”

  “What are you doing here? Making new friends?” This was a complication she didn’t need.

  “I’m trying to acquire a white wolf. They keep escaping. It’s quite frustrating.”

  “How sad for you. Looks like the slave business has developed complications.”

  “So it would seem, but I have you now and that will solve my dilemma.”

  “Your problem, the way I see it, is I am armed too. I’m as likely to take you down as you are to capture me.”