by Vella Day
“Yes. Come on. You can come out. I won’t hurt you.”
Once the first girl crawled out, he tapped the cage of the second one. She moaned. He looked back at the first girl. “Is she okay?”
The girl shook her head. “No. She’s really sick.”
Dirk crawled in and slid the girl toward the opening. She didn’t weigh more than ninety pounds. He lifted her in his arms and placed her near the warehouse entrance.
“Stay here for a minute. I’ll get my car.” He feared the first girl might try to run. If she’d worn shoes, he would have taken her with him. “It’s dangerous outside. Okay?”
She grimaced then nodded. As fast as he could, he sprinted out of the warehouse and charged toward his car. The next two minutes seemed like an eternity. He constantly glanced over his shoulder to make sure the girl obeyed. He counted on her not leaving her friend.
As soon as he hopped in his car, he raced back. He opened the back seat door and then entered the warehouse. The first girl hadn’t moved. “My car’s outside. I’ll put your friend in back and you can sit with her.”
“You don’t need to handcuff me?” Tears streamed down her face.
“No, sweetie. I’m going to see that you get home safely.” He hoped his tone came out with assurance.
He picked up the ill girl and carried her outside. The first girl shielded her eyes against the bright light. After he placed the sick girl on the seat and fastened her seatbelt, he motioned for the first one to climb in.
Once they were set, he took off, keeping an eye out for any sudden movement in the parking lot. He asked their names, but neither one was Elena’s other two friends. As he left the port district, he dialed the general and told him of his find.
“We’ll send over a team and deal with the guard.”
“What should I do with the girls?” Headquarters wasn’t set up to deal with this.
“Drive them to my house. My wife is a nurse. She’ll know what to do.”
He was relieved the general had offered his home. Other than the brunette soothing the other girl, she said nothing. It took him close to twenty minutes to reach the general’s house. No sooner had he pulled in the drive, than the general’s wife came out of her house and rushed to the car.
“Are you okay?” Worry laced her face.
He nodded. “It’s mostly the other guy’s blood.”
She peeked in the back, but with the tinted window, she wouldn’t be able to see much. “Are the girls back there?”
“Yes.” He opened the door. “Ladies, it’s time for you to return home.”
* * *
Elena couldn’t take her gaze off Clay as he undressed. While he was taller and thinner than Dirk, his muscles were more defined. He dropped his clothes on the floor and much of the blood stayed on the material and not on his body—and what a nice body it was, too.
I’m here to help not ogle.
“I can’t have sex with you,” she blurted out. That felt good to get off her chest.
The left half of his lips turned upward. “I’m just asking for help, nothing more.”
Heat raced up her body. Here she assumed he wanted to make love with her, too. As long as they got that out of the way, she was willing to believe him. With as much confidence as she could muster, she peeled off the rest of her clothes. Her fingers trembled as she lowered the strap on her bra, and her stomach clenched when she tugged down her panties. Clay stepped into the shower and acted as if it didn’t matter she’d just stripped in front of him.
He peeked out of the glass door. “You coming?”
Her hands automatically covered her chest with both hands. With her mound bare, she didn’t succeed at hiding her nakedness.
“Yes.” I can do this.
He stood under the shower, and she stepped behind him to wash his back. Pink tinged the water for a few seconds then ran clear. When she reached around him to get the soap, he leaned back and their bodies touched. Bolts of need slammed into her.
She jumped back at the charge that arced between them. “Did you do that?”
He turned around and grinned. “Do what?”
Could she say there’d been such a strong connection between them her body had lit up? “Nothing. Turn around.”
I don’t need to see your hard-on and wonder if your erection would feel as good as Dirk’s.
Despite the sound of water pounding on the floor, she thought he chuckled. As she rubbed his back, she searched his neck for the wounds she’d seen inflicted. “I thought that wolf bit you.”
“He did.”
His comment made no sense. “Then where is the bite mark?”
He faced her again and placed his hands on her hips. “Werewolves have a lot of talents. One of them is healing fast.”
“How?”
He shrugged. “How do you get over a cold? How does one of your cuts heal? It just does. Only ours does it faster.”
“You should donate your body to science so humans can study you.”
He laughed. “Can I live a little first?”
She palmed his chest. “I meant after you die.”
“You want to get rid of me that fast?”
“No.” She swatted his chest. “You know what I meant.”
He faced the water again. “Finish washing my back. I like having your hands on me.”
She liked touching his skin, too. Until a few days ago, she never would have believed she was capable of liking two men, let alone enjoy them so much. But here she was. Chalk it up to either trauma or to her biological clock ticking.
Clay shut off the water. “I think I’m clean enough.” He stepped out, grabbed a towel, and handed one to her.
She stayed in the warm shower enclosure while she dried. He whipped his towel around his body so fast he seemed to be beating himself. As soon as he finished drying, he tossed the towel over the glass door and waved.
“Meet you in the living room.”
Her shoulders drooped. Here she thought he’d invited her into the shower to maybe touch her breasts or rub her naked ass. Dirk would have. Her mouth watered at the thought of sucking on his penis. Now that she’d lost her virginity, her moral compass had tilted.
Maybe he was mad because with her around, his life was in danger, too. Men. She’d never understand them.
* * *
As soon as Clay returned to his room, he plastered his back against the door. What the fuck had he been thinking asking her to help him wash his back? His wounds had healed, and he didn’t need Elena’s help. But did that stop him from making up this lame excuse to gaze at her naked body?
No. He was such a jerk.
Seeing her standing before him so willing and vulnerable only made his chronic problem worse. Did he expect her to say, “Fuck me, Clay. I can’t wait to be with two men at once?”
He was such an idiot. Clay should have volunteered to find the warehouse and have Dirk take her shopping, but his friend’s plea had gotten to him. Dirk, too, feared he’d want to make love to her again. They were both basket cases. Perhaps he should seek counsel from one of the other men who’d gone through this with their mate. In that last month alone, Trax and Dante, along with Kurt and Drake had found the woman for them. They’d all survived.
Men must not respond the same. For sure, he had it worse than anyone else. He shook his head and wrenched open his dresser to find something to wear. On top of the dresser sat his phone. He was surprised Dirk hadn’t checked in. Maybe he planned on watching the warehouse all night.
He quickly dressed then dialed Dirk’s number. When his friend didn’t answer, Clay’s gut soured.
A knock sounded at the door a second later, and the tension released. Dirk was here.
Clay opened the door, and the hole in Dirk’s shirt, along with the blood told him the observation had gone terribly wrong.
“Tell me.”
“I need to take a shower.”
“Use mine.” He wasn’t ready to tell Dirk, he and Elena had just sh
ared it.
“Grab some clothes for me, will ya?”
“Sure. Does Elena know you’re here?”
“No. I want to clean up first. I don’t want her to worry.”
Unlike himself who foolishly desired her sympathy by pretending to be wounded. Maybe he should move in with Brandon and Sam, two other pack members, for a while.
Clay went in search of clean clothes for Dirk, happy to note Elena was still in her room. The urge to check if she was all right nearly made him give in, but he stayed strong and remained focused on his task. He expected to think about her when she was near. Would he succumb to daydreaming when he was hunting Colters? If so, the distraction could prove deadly.
He gathered clean clothes for Dirk and returned. His friend was already in the shower. Not wanting to barge in, he set the items on the bed.
With his back to the closed door, he telepathed his question to Dirk. You ready to tell me what happened?
It took a second for Dirk to respond. After I found the warehouse, the Russian guard took my photo and was about to send it. I made sure he never made another call.
The situation was already out of control. The Feds would be close. No one could keep a human trafficking scheme quiet for long. You see anything inside the warehouse? Could they get lucky a second time?
Yeah. That made taking the knife in the gut worthwhile. Found two girls.
Satisfaction and elation spiked his blood. Was one Elena’s friend, Cheryl?
No.
The water in the bathroom stopped, and he decided to wait until Dirk came out to finish the conversation face-to-face. The man wasn’t always forthcoming with information and facial clues helped.
The door opened. Dirk strode over to the pile of clothes Clay left on the bed and pulled them on. The skin around the knife wound was red, but the swelling would be gone within an hour.
“You tell the general?” Clay asked.
Dirk threw on his T-shirt. “Yes. In fact, he had me drop the girls off at his house.”
“Good.” The general’s wife would know how to deal with them. She’d been the one to buy Elena’s new clothes.
Once dressed, Dirk sat on the bed, looking tired. “So, now what?”
Clay wasn’t sure if he was referring to their handling of Elena or Hood’s operation. “Damned if I know.”
Before Dirk spoke with Elena, Clay wanted to clear the air. “By the way, Elena showered with me right before you arrived.”
His friend stared at him. “And you’re not nestled in her pussy? Why?”
“Jesus. She needs to rest.” He lowered his voice. “She had sex with you yesterday.”
“Tell me how you two ended up showering. If I recall, shoe shopping was never a turn on.”
He explained about the fight with the two wolves in the mall parking lot. “Since I needed to wash off the blood, I thought I’d take advantage of the situation.”
“You conveniently suggested Elena help?”
“Yes, and she did. Then she stated she didn’t want to have sex with me, so I didn’t push it.”
Dirk held up his index finger. “When did you become such a wuss?”
“A wuss?” That hurt.
“Let me see.” Dirk scratched his chin. “Between the two of us, who is the dominant one in the bedroom?”
“I’ll play along. Me.”
“And which one likes to tie a woman up and spank her ass?”
Clay didn’t like the way this conversation was headed. “Under normal circumstances if I see something I want, I take it. But, Elena is different. She’s our mate.”
Dirk stood and moved close. Too close. “If you believe that then why did you reject her?”
Dirk was close to crossing the line of friendship. “I never rejected her.”
He stepped back. “Did you touch her tits?”
“No.”
Waving a hand, Dirk dropped back on the bed, crossed his ankles, and folded his hands behind his head. “What do you think she’s telling herself right now?” He held up a palm. “You were in the shower with a hot woman, make that a hot naked woman, and you did nothing.”
“She said no sex.”
Dirk shook his head. “I don’t know who you are. I agree it was too soon to actually have sex with her, but you could have shown her you liked her.”
“You’re right. I fucked up.”
“You can say that again.”
He leaned against his dresser. “I honestly thought she wasn’t ready for another man in her life.”
“Let her decide. Take her out. Have a good time. I’m betting with a little encouragement, she’ll take the initiative.”
Clay’s style wasn’t to let a woman lead, but with her it could work. At least he wouldn’t feel guilty if she asked him to make love to her. “I will.”
“Just make sure you don’t waste the opportunity the next time you get her naked.”
Chapter Eight
Elena paced the living room. It shouldn’t take Clay that long to dress. She decided to knock on his door to see if something had happened. Her hand was in mid-air when she heard voices. One sounded like Dirk’s, and she let out a breath, relieved he’d returned.
Not wanting to disturb them, she retreated to the living room and waited on the sofa. Now that Dirk was home, it was going to be more difficult than ever to be in the same room with both men. Clay said there were no secrets between them. A twinge of guilt sliced through her for almost seducing him.
Too bad. Loving Dirk had not been wrong. Lusting after Clay? Now that might have been a different matter.
She closed her eyes to remember what it was like with each man. Her body reacted to them in different ways. With Dirk, it was a safe relationship, one that could grow with each passing month. Clay was the volatile one. She could almost see him being the type to hold her hands in one of his. His need for her would be so great he’d be unable to take his time.
The door opened and both men appeared looking refreshed. Her traitorous body lit up, and her nerves jumbled in excitement.
She stood. “Did everything go okay at the warehouse?” That was a safe topic.
Dirk smiled. “Yes. In fact, when I snuck into the warehouse, I found two girls, both caged.”
Her breath lodged in her throat. “Thank God, you found them. How are they?”
He explained their condition and how they were now taken care of. “Neither one was your friend, Cheryl.”
Her heart ached for her. “There’s no way to find her?”
“We’re trying. We have two of our best men on the case.”
Clay’s phone rang and her heart jumped.
“Demmers. Yeah. Maybe. When? I’ll let you know. And thanks, Trax.”
She waited for him to tell her. Perhaps Hood had slipped up. “Anything important?”
Clay walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer. “We’ve been invited to a party.”
A party? “Why?” With all that had gone down, she didn’t expect anyone to be in a festive mood, but then again, only the three of them had been involved in the human trafficking tragedy.
The more she thought about it, the more the idea appealed to her. Not only would it give her a chance to get out, but she’d learn who Clay and Dirk hung out with.
“It’s just a get together.” Clay laughed and the tension rolled out of her. “Trax Field, and his brother, Dante, are our Pack surveillance experts. They’re the ones who saved the girl who approached you.”
“What was her name?”
“Liz Wharton.”
“Did Couch hurt her, too?”
They gave her a short version of what went down. She suspected a lot more had happened but didn’t ask. Right now, she really didn’t want to learn more about these terrible Colters.
“When is the party?” She could use some post-holiday cheer.
“Tomorrow night. You up for it?”
“Sure.” She wouldn’t have the killer outfit she’d like to wear, but Dirk seemed to li
ke her no matter what she wore.
* * *
The next day, Clay agreed to drive her to the drugstore to pick up some makeup since her license had been stolen. Once she applied for a replacement, Clay was leery of letting her out by herself. Many werewolves had ordinary jobs, and she wouldn’t know which teller or salesperson was one. The less exposure the better he said. His talk scared her enough that she had no intention of going against his suggestion.
As she put on the finishing touches to her eye makeup she’d purchased, a knock sounded on her bedroom door.
“Sugar, you ready?”
She hadn’t been that long. Apparently, their idea of a few minutes to get ready didn’t match hers. “Coming.”
In a way, she was pleased it didn’t appear they’d ever lived with a woman before. She took one last look in the mirror. Given someone else had purchased her clothes, she looked pretty darn good. If Clay hadn’t left the boxes in the parking lot, she would have had her heels to wear. Oh, well. Sneakers with yoga pants went together. Her outfit just wasn’t as fancy as she’d have liked.
She pulled open the door.
Clay whistled. “You look hot.”
Her whole body flushed. “Thanks.”
“If you’re ready, we can go.”
Dirk was in the kitchen with two six-packs of beer, one in each hand. He grinned and her heart sputtered. She glanced between them and loved how well they got along for being two such different men.
The car was parked in the garage. Since she didn’t have to go outside to leave the house, the men deemed it safe. They’d assured her the windows were bulletproof, so she needn’t worry about an attack. Their heavy tint helped, too.
“Is your life always this violent?” That might not be the right word, but in the short time she’d been there, Clay had already fought.
He was driving and he looked over at her. “No. The Colters go through spurts of activity. Recently, however, the violence has picked up. That probably means we’re getting close.”
She hoped so. “Not that I don’t appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but do you think I could apply for a passport? My grandmother is ill, and my parents moved to Costa Rica to be with her.” They probably didn’t need to know all that information, but she wanted them to understand the urgency.