by Anya Nowlan
Amy.
The whole thing was complete nonsense, of course. He knew that. And he didn’t care. If he had to take part in a dumb dance contest for a chance to be alone with Amy, then well, he was going to tear up the floor with his sick dance moves!
A couple of other guys must have noticed the point about Amy having agreed to take part, because Price wasn’t the only one sprinting towards her table. A growl emitted from the bottom of his throat as he saw his competition, one tall, well-built man being almost at her table already.
“Four… Three… Come on now! Everyone on the floor!”
Amy was considering the whole thing with a slight frown, discussing something with a foxy looking man to her left. Apparently the eagerness with which she was getting chased down came as some sort of a surprise to her.
Price considered his options quickly. He could either make a giant fool of himself by arriving second at the table or do something about this and win. Between those two options, there really wasn’t an option at all.
The wolf flashed forward in his mind and Price felt adrenaline course through him. There couldn’t have been more than thirty feet between his table and Amy’s but it felt like the dance floor might as well be the Grand Canyon. He weaved between the people standing around already, chattering amongst one another, keeping his target in his sights.
“Two…”
When the man was about three steps from Amy’s table, Price reached him. In a lightning-fast, almost invisible motion, he stuck out one foot mid-run and tripped the man up. He started going down like an hundred year-old oak tree and it was Price that yanked him back by the back of his shirt, smoothly passing him and keeping him from landing face-first all at the same time.
“One…”
“My lady, may I have this dance?” Price asked, offering his hand to Amy across the table, his most dashing smile planted on his lips.
“Zero…”
Sometimes a wolf had to do what a wolf had to do.
Fourteen
Amy
“You’re insane,” Amy whispered into Price’s ear as he pulled her close for a slow dance.
It was their third in a row and the party was in full-swing. That song was the first slower one that the band had played, finally giving them a chance to share a few words other than one-word gasps of surprise and mutual amusement.
“You should know that. It was in my file, after all,” Price murmured into her ear, his hand travelling lower on her back than it perhaps should have.
Before it could graze across her ass, Amy reached back with a roll of her eyes and moved his big paw up on her back again.
“Manners, sir,” she chided, getting an agreeing nod from another young lady close to them on the floor, who was apparently dealing with her own Romeo being a little bit too eager.
“Sorry, Captain,” Price teased.
“Damn right you are,” she answered, trying to keep the snort of laughter out of her tone.
One look up at his grinning face saw that resolve crumble, though. She sighed and shook her head with a smile, feeling his grasp tighten on her a little. Price let go of her right palm and slowly slid his hand down her arm and then around her waist to join the other, giving up on the ‘proper’ hold and going straight for Junior High slow dance decorum.
Amy couldn’t say she minded.
“Don’t tell me you don’t enjoy being fought for,” Price said, sneaking an obvious glance around him.
Amy tried to follow the path his gaze took, but soon gave up. While he was tall as hell and towered over most of the people around them, she really couldn’t see much other than people crowding around them. It was probably for the best, as it meant that she wasn’t easily noticeable on the floor either.
Staying slightly hidden from too many curious eyes could only be a good thing, taking into consideration the mission. She shouldn’t have been seen with Price or anyone else from Shifter Squad Nine at all, but with Prowler having come to her twice now, she’d been antsy for some alone time with Price as well.
The situation wasn’t ideal, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
“Well, maybe I did, a little. But you could have spared us the theatrics.”
“The theatrics?” Price asked, batting his lashes innocently. “I simply do not know what you are referring to.”
“Uh-huh,” Amy commented. “Because you didn’t almost knock out that guy. He could have been an Arctics, you know. Tall, blond guy like him? You might have made an enemy for life.”
“That’s fine. I’ll just shoot him the next time he tries to take over a country,” Price said with a smug smirk.
“Sure you will, oh great warrior,” Amy said, allowing herself to drop her head on his shoulder as the music got even slower.
She knew full well that she shouldn’t be relaxing too much, but she couldn’t help it. His arms were so warm and safe and nice that all she could really think of was dragging him back to her cabin and curling up with him. And his brother, if she were given the chance.
“Don’t question me, Captain. I’ll have you know that I am feared across the land.”
“Well, you’re on an ocean now, so you may want to tone it down a little,” Amy laughed, resting her hands on his chest.
“Seawolf doesn’t really have that great of a ring to it, I guess,” Price agreed softly.
The banter was all well and good and Amy could have kept going with it for hours if given the chance. Yet she also realized that this was one of those rare moments where she could actually learn something about the other Renard twin. While Prowler had been rather forthcoming with information about himself, he’d been adamant about the fact that she had to ask Price anything she wanted to know about him.
So what do I want to know?
‘Everything’ was too easy of an answer,
“Amy, can I ask you something?” Price cut through her thoughts, startling her slightly.
“Sure,” she said, looking up with a frown. “Is something wrong?”
“No, I wouldn’t say that.”
The smile he gave her was encouraging and she relaxed again, dropping her head where it had been. She soaked up his warmth and strength. The mental image of getting to spend every morning like that, wrapped up in his arms, with her head on his chest, popped into her head unprovoked.
She stored it away for later viewing.
“I wanted to ask you,” he started, sounding slightly hesitant. “That night in Montana… Did you regret it?”
The frown that crossed her expression was almost painful for a moment, because it came with the thought that maybe he regretted the night.
“No, I didn’t,” she said earnestly. “Not for a moment. I mean, I think we drank a bit too much and tequila hangovers are no party, but other than that… No.”
A flush rose to her cheeks and she clenched her muscles in an effort to get the warmth out of her cheeks. It only prompted Price to rub his hands over her back slowly, which did nothing to make her blush go away.
“Good,” he said solemnly. “I wanted to make sure. You disappeared after that and you were gone the next morning. I would have hated to think that we put you in any kind of an awkward situation. That would be the last thing we wanted, you know?”
Amy nodded, looking up at him. His green eyes seemed suddenly so gentle, the same kind of look she had seen in Prowler’s eyes a few times when he looked at her. It made the heat bloom hotter in the pit of her stomach.
You need to tell them soon, she thought guiltily. It’ll be unfair on them to be in the dark for too long.
“I was called out the next morning and we flew to Iowa for another job. I didn’t find you two because I think you were in medical. And after that… well… did you know your files got sealed?” Amy asked.
“They did, huh?” Price asked, arching a brow. “Honestly, I was surprised that you had seen them at all. They’ve been practically hidden from the world since we got transferred to the squad.”
“Wel
l, I made a point of knowing who the troublemakers were as soon as I heard about them,” Amy admitted as Price twirled the two of them slowly around the dance floor.
It was packed, but he was masterful at finding spots where they could hold a conversation without anyone eavesdropping too easily.
“Oh, so you knew about us?” Price questioned.
“You kidding me? Everyone knows about you guys. Not only you two, but the rest as well, if you know what I mean,” Amy said, avoiding calling them out by names or mentioning the squad.
Couldn’t be too careful, even if things seemed to be perfectly calm on The Pearl Princess so far.
“I figured we had a reputation,” Price admitted with a shrug. “A blessing and a curse, I guess.”
“In what way?”
“Well, it’s easy to check if anyone’s cheating at poker, for one. No one wants to screw with guys who stack their targets in pyres and light them up while they’re still breathing,” Price noted conversationally. “But it also makes it difficult to make any connections, I guess. I have my brother, though, so it doesn’t matter.”
“What about your… friends? Aren’t they sort of close to you now?” Amy asked, nodding towards the table where most of Shifter Squad Nine seemed to be in a heated conversation.
Only Prowler was keeping a careful eye on the two of them.
“I’m not sure I’d call them friends. I mean, we’re… coworkers, sure. But friends? Big word.”
“You’ve… substituted for all of them, haven’t you? Helped out when they needed it at… work?” Amy said vaguely, trying to find synonyms for the sort of maiming and murdering work that they did in The Firm and sort of coming up short most of the time. “And they’ve done the same for you?”
“I guess,” Price murmured, pursing his lips slightly. “We have to do it, though.”
“You don’t, though,” Amy countered.
Price looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded after a pause that almost took them out of the groove of the dance. It seemed that she had rattled him slightly.
Maybe the badass Renards aren’t as scary as they think they are…
“I think it’s good, though. We need to trust the people we… work with. Finding good connections is hard.”
“And do you have any connections worth mentioning in your life, Captain?” Price asked curiously. “I stopped talking about work, by the way. I think we can do better tonight.”
“I agree,” Amy said, smiling softly. “And if you’re asking what I think you’re asking, then no. No ‘connections’ as such. I’m married to the job.”
“You shouldn’t be,” came the immediate answer.
“Oh, like you’re not the same,” Amy scoffed, though the heat that had been building in her tummy got just about unbearable at that comment.
Was he saying what she thought he was saying?
No, that’s insane!
One look at his face got her questioning whether she was reading him right, though. He looked perfectly serious.
“I am married to the job, sure. But that’s because I don’t have another option. I come from a broken pack. I never really had a family. If growing up like that teaches a kid anything, then it’s that they don’t want to be in that kind of a situation again. If I get married, it’ll be for keeps. And I’ll be damned if a bloody pack war takes me out.”
“I imagine it’d be hard to take you out at this point,” Amy said, considering all the things she knew about him.
None of the Shifter Squad Nine guys were the kind of men you wanted as an enemy, after all. And together? Hell, they were scarier than anything that any horror novel could conjure up, especially if they felt threatened. The stories that went around The Firm about them confirmed that much, at least.
“I’d like to hope so,” Price shrugged. “So what about you? Family plans?”
If you only knew, Amy thought, gulping.
“I’d like to, one day. With the right man.”
“Or men,” Price interjected. “Don’t forget about that.”
“Of course not,” Amy laughed. “Okay, or men. But honestly, I don’t think it would be a problem for me to raise kids alone either. I mean, it wouldn’t be ideal, but I’ve done harder things, I think.”
“I would never let a kid of mine grow up without his father,” Price said sternly.
The way he looked at her almost made her feel like he knew. Her heart skipped a beat, feeling like a field mouse being stared down by an eagle at that very moment. Her lips were slightly parted and her head was throbbing, trying to find a snappy retort, but coming up short.
The music saved her, though. The band quieted for a moment, the lead guitarist speaking into the microphone to announce the next song.
It was far faster than the previous one and Price’s expression cleared as he took her hand and twirled her on the spot once. He pulled her to him and the rhythms of a spicy samba stole them away.
Saved by the bell.
Not telling the Renard twins about her little secret right away was beginning to look more and more like an impossible feat.
Fifteen
Amy
Amy was sitting back in her study, her feet propped up on the table, nibbling on a piece of toast for breakfast and staring at the screens of her secret reconnaissance ‘hub’. She was flipping through the feeds from the previous night when she heard a hurried knock at her door.
Frowning slightly, Amy threw one more glance at the screens and then uncurled from her position. She closed the door to the study behind her and as she passed through the living room, another pounding knock sounded at the front door.
“Coming! Hold your horses!” she bellowed, grabbing her sidearm from the table next to the door and keeping it out of sight as she opened the door slowly.
Who the hell could it be at this ungodly hour? They usually call me up on the radio if there’s an emergency.
As soon as she’d made a small crack in the door, it was gently but firmly pushed open wider as the unmistakable forms of the Renard twins pushed in. The hallway behind them was completely dark and Amy couldn’t help but quirk a brow at their entrance.
“You two mind telling me what the hell you’re doing here?” she questioned, putting her gun away. “Has something happened? I was going over the feeds and…”
“No, nothing has happened,” Price said, looking around her room with idle interest.
“So what are you two doing here, then?”
Amy couldn’t exactly hide the makings of a shudder in her voice when Prowler gave her a long look, marked with a knowing smile. She’d seen that look on his face before, back in Montana. But hadn’t they agreed that they were going to behave while on this mission?
Oh, right. You agreed to behave, they haven’t said anything on the matter.
“Well, we figured that tonight’s the halfway point of the trip. We’re the furthest we’re going to be from any point of civilization then. If anything weird is going to happen on this heap of metal, it’s going to be tonight,” Price explained.
“Okay,” Amy said, scowling and nodding. “So what’s your point?”
“Our point is that as much as it’s all duty before enjoyment and so on, there has to always be room for fun as well,” Prowler piped in.
“Aw, did you miss me?” Amy asked with a smile.
“Like you wouldn’t know,” Prowler growled.
When Amy turned to look at him, a plethora of questions ready on her lips, she was met with two strong hands pulling her into him. Amy gasped but the small noise was consumed quickly by a heated kiss and like it did every damn time, a kiss from a Renard brother made her knees buckle like she was a blushing teenager receiving her first kiss.
It was unfair the kind of effect they had on her.
She’d been missing the company of the twins for the past few days. Past the silly dance competition, in which she and Price didn’t even place because they were too busy making goo-goo eyes at one another, s
he’d only managed to get some time with them during a bowling match that she presided over. It consisted of a few small sentences shared, no more than she had conversed with anyone else there.
Suffice it to say, it hadn’t been enough for either side, judging by the absolutely ravenous way she was being kissed right now.
Amy was spun around in Prowler’s arms to face Price instead, and he kissed her much the same – like he owned her. She didn’t mind it one bit, grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking him down to meet her. Without thinking about it, she started unbuttoning his Hawaiian shirt, but a splay of buttons a moment later told her that neither of the twins had that kind of time.
They practically ripped the garments off of themselves, the undershirts following. The stuttering, garbled mutter that came out of Amy’s mouth as she was faced with the shirtless werewolves could have been comical at any other time. They were still as perfect as ever.
“Where’s the bedroom?” Price asked.
Before Amy could answer, Prowler had grabbed her by the thighs, thrown her over his shoulder and was walking straight to the bedroom.
“How the hell would you know where it is?” Amy protested with a laugh, slapping him lightly on the back once.
“I pay attention. It’s what we do, you see,” Prowler commented wryly. “Come on, we don’t have a lot of time.”
“Oh, so you’re going to rush me or yourselves?”
“No, but we’re going to stop needless banter in favor of fervent fucking,” Price said with a predatory grin, stalking behind them and undressing at the same time.
By the time they made it into the bedroom, Price was completely naked and Amy’s protests and comments had all but stopped, because keeping a train of thought going while staring at an unclothed Renard was… well, impossible. She was thrown down on the bed and two pairs of eager hands went to remove her clothes.