by Jane Jamison
“Why do you want me, anyway? I haven’t told the authorities about what I saw and I’m not going to.” Her bravado of earlier seeped away, leaving her drained and afraid. “Please, Frank, leave us alone.”
“Sugar, you’re not getting it. I don’t want to kill you unless I have to. What I want is to take you home and get hitched.”
She stared at him. “What? Are you insane? You want me to marry you?”
“Yeah. Wives can’t testify against their husbands.”
Davey struggled again, making Frank even angrier. “Damn it, kid.” He opened the back door of his sedan and thrust Davey inside. “Stay put.” He hit the car’s remote and locked the door.
Davey pressed his hands against the window, his frightened gaze landing on her. “Ky-Ky!”
“You’re crazy, Frank. I don’t want to marry you. Besides, a wife can’t be forced to testify against her husband, but it doesn’t mean she can’t testify if she wants to.”
“I won’t have to worry about it.” He strode toward her until he stood a couple of feet in front of her. “Remember Mr. Matzoni’s place?”
“What?” Frank had taken her to the Matzoni house outside Wichita. It was the one and only time he’d introduced her to his “business associates.” The house included a large piece of property with woods and high fences maintaining the security for the large estate. “So?”
“We’re going to live there along with other colleagues of mine. No one, including their wives, leaves the grounds without one of our men at their side. You won’t have a chance to tell anyone anything.”
He was taking her to the crime family’s compound. She’d live in a house, but it would be a prison where she’d spend the rest of her life with a man she detested.
Yet she didn’t have a choice and they both knew it. “If I agree to this, do you promise to let Davey go? Unharmed?”
As if she could ever trust him.
“Sure thing.”
He took hold of her wrist. Agony struck her causing her to drop the shopping bag.
“Let’s get the hell out of this dump.” He yanked her forward, his fingers digging into her skin.
* * * *
“Braden, over here.” Heath scooped the bag from The Cat’s Meow off the ground, checked inside it, then searched the empty parking lot. He let his inner cat come to the surface to bring out his sensitive sense of smell.
“What’d you find?”
“The stuff she bought at the store.” He thrust the bag against Braden’s chest and strode to the middle of the lot. “I can smell her. But why would she come back here?”
Braden lifted his head and sniffed. “Davey was with her. She probably had to chase after him. You know how he likes to roam.”
True enough. His son was like any other young weretiger. They loved to explore and get into mischief. “Then where are they now?” He sniffed again, this time picking up yet a third scent.
“Someone else was here.” Braden went down on one knee. He pressed his fingertip to a dark spot on the ground.
Heath drew in another, longer breath. As soon as he did, the coppery scent of blood filled his nostrils. Still, he wanted confirmation. “What is it?”
Braden lifted his gaze to his. “Blood. And no, it’s not hers or Davey’s. It’s a male’s. A human male.”
“Fuck.” Every nerve inside him came alive. If he’d have shifted all the way, his fur would be standing on end. “Do you think that Frank guy showed up?”
Again, he knew his brother’s answer. Yet Braden did his best to hide his fear along with his fury.
Damn it. Just go ahead and say it.
“Yeah. I do.”
“He took her and Davey.” Anger, primal and raw, filled him. If Frank harmed either of them, he’d tear the bastard apart in a slow and agonizing way.
“The blood’s fresh, which means they couldn’t have been gone long.”
If only they hadn’t stopped to talk to yet another rancher. If they hadn’t, they might’ve gotten to her in time.
“He’s probably headed toward the highway. If we’re fast enough—”
He completed Braden’s sentence. “We can catch them before they make it to the road.”
“Not by truck we won’t.”
He smiled, the gesture lacking warmth. “Who says we’re taking the pickup?”
They’d make better time running than they could driving. As white tigers, they could run up to sixty-five miles an hour. Running over land instead of having to stick to the road would make up even more lost time.
Braden started unbuttoning his shirt. “You’re right. It’s about time we stretched our legs.”
* * * *
“Frank, slow down.” Kylie checked on Davey. The poor boy was huddled next to the car door. Terror made the young face seem older, but to his credit, he hadn’t whined or shed any tears.
“Why? There aren’t any cops on these back roads.”
“But there are a lot of potholes. Slow down before you blow a tire and get us all killed.” Getting him to slow down was imperative. She had to buy them time if Heath and Braden came looking for them. It was a big if, but she clung to the hope anyway.
“Fine.” He eased his foot back, slowing the car down to the speed limit.
“Thank you.” She unhooked her seat belt and twisted around, ready to climb over the backseat.
“What the hell are you doing? Get back in your seat.”
She fisted her hand, landing it squarely against Frank’s forearm as he tried to pull her back. “I’m not going anywhere. Davey needs me and I’ll be damned if you’re going to stop me from comforting him.”
“Fuck. Okay. Keep the kid happy.” Frank’s ugly smile found her via the rearview mirror. “For now.”
He’s going to kill both of us if I don’t do something to stop him.
As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t count on the men showing up to save them. It was on her to do something.
She plopped into the seat next to Davey. “It’s going to be all right, kiddo. I promise you.” She hoped she could keep her promise.
Sitting next to the small boy made her feel better. He clung to her, digging his fingers into her skin as though to keep her from ever leaving him.
“Frank, the next turn up ahead is a sharp one with a huge hole right after the bend in the road. Slow down or you’re going to spin off.”
Thankfully, once again, he listened to her. He slowed down, leaning forward, his body stiff as he carefully maneuvered the car. “Damn shitheads can’t even keep their roads in good shape. Fuck!”
She bit down on her tongue as the car lurched to the side. The thunderous noise coming from the front of the car was echoed with another one on the roof. Hugging Davey to her, she looked up and saw the white tiger. Long vicious claws dug into the hood of the car.
Deadly fangs dripped with saliva as Heath opened his mouth and roared. A tail swished across the side window, distracting her attention from Heath just long enough for her to realize that Braden was on top of the car.
“What the fuck?” Frank fought to regain control of the car as it swerved to one side of the road then the other. The vehicle hit the pothole straight on, jostling not only those inside but Heath, too.
The scraping sound of metal being bent came from above her. Braden’s large tiger face held a catlike grin as he pulled the roof farther back. He’d have the top off the car in a matter of seconds.
“Holy shit!” A terrified Frank reached for his gun and pointed it toward the front windshield.
Heath roared again, not letting the gun deter him. If she didn’t do something, Frank would put a bullet into him.
Turning Davey loose, she bared her fingernails, pretending they were claws and lunged forward. Frank let out a hellish howl as her nails dug into his face. He lashed out at her, dropping his gun and turning the steering wheel hard to the right.
Tires squealed as the car careened down the road a few yards, then veered off the road. Without thi
nking, she hurled herself backward, throwing her body over Davey. A loud crash and the noise of shattering glass splintered her ears. She gritted her teeth, fighting back a scream.
At last, the world stopped spinning as the car came to a shuddering stop. She waited, afraid to move, afraid of what she’d find.
“Ky-Ky?”
Davey’s small voice jolted her into action. Thankfully, the car had landed upright. She sat up, quickly checked him for injuries, and let out a sigh when she found no blood. “Are you okay, Davey? Does anything hurt?”
He shook his head even as the first tear skimmed down his cheek. Relieved, she pulled him to her, closed her eyes, and thanked God for the miracle that had kept the small boy unharmed.
“Kylie? Davey? Are you all right?”
The sound of the car door being wrenched open came on the heels of Heath’s voice. She opened her eyes and twisted around to find him leaning in to take hold of her. “We’re okay.”
“Hand him to me.”
Giving Davey a reassuring smile, she urged him into his father’s arms. The boy sniffed then wiped his nose with the back of his hand before reaching out for Heath. Heath pulled his son out of the car, wrapping him in a blanket before stepping away.
Braden jerked the other door open. “Kylie, are you hurt?”
“Just banged up a little.” She shook her head and tried to give him a smile. The smile, however, died as her gaze shifted toward the front seat.
Frank still sat in the driver’s seat, facing the front of the car. His body tilted to the right, slumping slightly, but other than that, she couldn’t see any injuries. If he hadn’t been so motionless, she might’ve thought he was fine.
“Frank?”
“He’d dead. Looks like he bashed his head against the dashboard. I guess he should’ve been wearing his seat belt.” The last was spoken harshly, part of a cruel joke.
She’d known the truth before Braden had said the words and sadness enveloped her. Although she’d never loved him, she couldn’t take any joy from Frank’s death.
“Davey and I weren’t wearing ours, either. We got lucky.”
“Very lucky. But it’s over now. You’re both safe with us.”
Trembles took her as realization that the ordeal was over hit her. She startled at Braden’s hand on her arm then moved toward him, letting him ease her from the car.
Once out, he scooped her into his arms. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
She touched his face, a face she’d been sure she’d never see again, and nodded. The heat of the connection spun around her, comforting her. “I’m sure. Just a little shaken up. What about Davey? He didn’t look like he was hurt, but we should make sure.”
“Don’t worry. We gave Lena a call before we came. She’s already made it here and is checking him over.” The worry in his eyes dimmed. “He’s asking for you.”
He strode up the slope, carrying her as easily as he would have carried Davey, and set her on her feet. He kept hold of her, whether to make certain she was steady on her feet or just to keep touching her, she wasn’t sure. And she didn’t care. She wanted to hold on for the rest of her life.
“Here, man.” Heath handed him a set of clothes. “Lena said to get dressed before she turns Davey loose.” The men hurriedly dressed.
“Where is he?” Funny how she hadn’t noticed their nakedness. But then again, seeing them in the buff felt natural.
“Ky-Ky!”
She turned to see Davey rushing toward them. Lena leaned against her truck parked several yards away and lifted a hand to her.
Suddenly, nothing was more important than letting them know how she felt. She pulled Davey against her leg then gripped each of the men.
“I love you. Have I ever told you?” She shook her head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter now. What matters is that I do love you. All of you.” She put her fingers against Heath’s mouth to stop him from speaking. “No. Just listen. I want you to know how much I love you. I need the two of you in every way a woman can need her men. And I want to spend the rest of my life with both of you. As your woman and your mate.”
Heath lifted his eyebrows, silently asking for permission to speak. She bit back a sob and nodded.
“We love you, too, Kylie. Have we told you?” He grinned. “Even if we have, I’ll say it again. We love you and want you to stay with us.”
“He’s right.” Braden’s arm slipped around her waist. “He loves you and I love you.”
She looked down at the tug on her leg. The boy’s big blue eyes gazed up at her. “Yes, Davey?”
“I love you, too, Ky-Ky.”
She’d managed to hold back the tears until then. But looking into his beautiful eyes and seeing the simple love there broke through her defenses. Tears of joy ran down her cheeks. “I love you, too, Davey. And I always will.”
“You’re safe now, baby. We swear it with all my heart. No one will ever hurt you again.” The emotion in Heath’s voice matched her own.
Pulling them into a huddle, she hugged them to her. “What if Frank’s friends come after me?”
“Then they’d better bring a hell of a lot of ammunition. Once the others find out what happened, the entire town will band around you to keep you safe. I swear it.”
Nothing could have made her feel safer than Braden’s promise and the feel of them holding her. “Take me home, okay?”
She sucked in a breath, glanced down at Davey, then back at Heath. “Wait. He had to have seen you. Does he realize…” She let her sentence trail off, knowing Heath would understand.
“Yeah. He saw me shift back.”
Braden ruffled Davey’s hair. “Yep. I think the cat’s out of the bag. Come on. Let’s get out of here. The others will handle everything.”
Epilogue
“Kylie, play.”
Kylie opened her arms and let Davey climb into her lap. “We can play later after you come home from Willa’s.”
Willa Chrissom was one of the other young children in Twisted who already knew shifters existed. After seeing Heath and Braden in their tiger forms, they’d had to admit to Davey what they were and what he’d one day become. As was his usual style, he took the news in stride, saying he couldn’t wait until he had “big teeth like my daddies.”
“Aw.” He put his head against her chest as he so often did. Since the wreck that had killed Frank and left her bruised and battered, Davey had stayed by her side while she recuperated. Fortunately, whether it was due to her body shielding his or to his weretiger healing, Davey hadn’t sustained even a bruise. The men had taken good care of her, thanking her more times than she was comfortable with for putting her body over Davey’s and saving him.
“Hey, kiddo, Mrs. Rillerton is outside in her car waiting for you.” Heath strode into the living room, snatched his giggling son out of her arms, then set him on his feet. He gave him a good solid pat on the bottom. “Get going. And no detours.”
Braden was coming into the house as Davey dodged past him and raced to the waiting minivan. Mrs. Rillerton waved to them then went back to patting the top of the steering wheel in time to one of her beloved country music songs. They watched until Davey was safely buckled into his car seat.
Heath pulled her onto her feet. “Now that we’ve gotten him set for tonight and tomorrow, let’s get down to business.”
“What business are you talking about?” She had a pretty good idea, but wanted to hear it from him.
Braden stole her away from his brother. “The business of asking you if you want to remain human or become one of us.”
And here I was thinking they were talking about having sex.
Days had passed without anything more than a hug and a kiss passing between them. Although she’d sworn she felt fine, they refused to touch her until they were sure she’d fully recovered from the accident.
“I didn’t even know it was an option.” Could they change humans into weretigers? She’d assumed weretigers were born and not transformed.
“It is.” Braden’s soulful eyes sought out hers. “If it’s what you want. Either way, it doesn’t matter to us.”
“As long as you’re still going to be our mate. You are, right?”
She bopped Heath on the nose. “Of course I am. Did you think the accident changed my mind?”
“Just making sure, baby.” Heath growled and tugged her away from Braden.
They fought over her a lot. She often thought it was more for the fun of it than because of any kind of jealousy.
“How would you do it?”
“It’s pretty simple. One or both of us will bite you. Once we do, you’ll go through a couple of days of pure hell. But when it’s over, you’ll be one of us.”
She made a face. “Wow. Pure hell, huh? Who could turn down an offer like that?”
“He makes it sound worse than it really is.” Heath punched Braden on the arm. “Don’t try and scare her off.”
“And how would you know how bad it is? I’ve at least seen someone get bitten and go through the transformation. You haven’t.”
“He’s got me there.”
“And what would it mean if I did want to become a weretiger? Would I be able to change into a tiger like you two? Or would my human genes make it hard for me?” Could she really turn into an animal? Did she really want to?
“Changing would mean all those things. Along with super-sensitive hearing, smell, and sight.” Braden tilted his head. “Sounds pretty amazing, right?”
“It does. If I change, would our children be born weretigers? Or would they be part human?”
“Since you’d be a weretiger, they’d more than likely be full weretigers,” added Heath.
“And if I remain human and have a child?”
“Then the child will probably be part human. Every once in a while, a child of a weretiger and a human can be born fully human or fully shifter. We don’t understand why but it happens. But whatever they are, we’ll love them.”
Obviously, he wanted her to change. And yet a part of her made her resist the idea. “So, if I want, I can change before Davey will?”