by Becca Van
She glanced over the page and then took the pen Brooks offered her. She was hesitant about filling in her details because if these men logged her name into a computer, Dwayne’s henchmen might be able to find her. So far, she’d been lucky enough to pay cash and had gotten away with using a false surname, but she had a feeling her luck wouldn’t hold forever.
Emmy was tired of running, tired of being scared, and tired of looking over her shoulder, but she was afraid if she stopped, she’d end up dead.
A shiver of apprehension worked up her spine, and when she lifted her gaze she found all three men watching her intently, frowning.
“You look tired, Emmy,” Jett said as he tugged the book from her hand. “You don’t have to worry about any of this now.”
“Oh but—” She didn’t have any qualms about filling in a false name. She’d been doing it for the last twelve months. What worried her was that she was running out of money. If she didn’t find a job soon, she was going to end up living out of her car that sounded as if it was on its last legs.
Her little car had been sputtering and coughing intermittently for the last five hundred miles, and while she’d been trying to baby it so it wouldn’t break down, Emmy wasn’t sure how much longer it would last. Maybe there was a good mechanic in Ambrose. She just hoped if her car needed work, that it wouldn’t cost her an arm and a leg.
Weariness battered at her from all sides, and it was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open. She’d been on the go for just over twenty-four hours, and while she’d had only one small meal a little while ago, the soup had been enough to quell the belly growls even though she was still hungry.
Emmy was so close to breaking down, but she couldn’t give in. Her life depended upon her resilient determination, and she would do everything she needed to in order to survive. Lying, exhaustion, and lack of money were the least of her worries.
She just hoped everything looked better after a good night’s rest.
“Let me show you to your room,” Declan said as he stood and held his hand out to her.
She was just about to place her hand in his when the double doors to the hotel burst open. Emmy glanced toward the door to see a smiling group of about twenty people filing into the room.
“Hi,” one of the men said as he stepped forward. “Do you have any rooms available? Me and my crew are wanting to explore this area for a few days and thought this place would make a good base.”
“How many rooms do you need?” Brooks asked as he leaned on the bar.
“Ten would do it, but if you don’t have that many we don’t mind sharing with more than two to a room.”
Jett shifted toward the end of the bar after looking pointedly in Emmy’s direction. When she saw Declan nod, she didn’t need to be a genius to work out what was going to happen next.
Declan sat back on the stool beside her, leaned forward and down, and whispered in her ear. “Would you mind taking the spare room in our apartment? We’re going to need all the rooms for this lot. You’ll be safe with us, Emmy. There’s a lock on the door and you have your own bathroom, so you won’t need to share with us.”
Emmy inhaled through her nose and shivered when Declan’s clean fresh wintery scent assailed her nose. Whatever he used as shower gel or deodorant was a potent brew and if she wouldn’t have made a fool of herself or been obvious, she would have sniffed him in over and over. Instead, she tried to ignore the way his fragrance was affecting her body and nodded. How could she refuse when the rooms were needed for the large group of people? It was getting late, and there wouldn’t be enough time for them to drive to another town to find somewhere else to stay for the night. Although she was wary of most people, for some reason she trusted what Declan had said. That she’d be safe and would have a room and bathroom to herself. “Okay.”
She shivered when she felt something brush against her temple, and when she felt his warm, moist breath against her skin, she didn’t think she was imagining things. Declan had just brushed his lips against her flesh, and while she knew she should take him to task over taking such liberties when she didn’t even know him, she couldn’t seem to find the words to reprimand him, so she let it go. It had nothing to do with the way heat was pooling low in her belly or the goose bumps racing over her skin. Nor how wonderful he smelled. At least that’s what she told herself, but she wasn’t sure she was convinced.
A shudder raced up her spine when Declan moved away, leaving her feeling cold after having his body heat close to hers. If she wasn’t so damn tired she would have gotten back in her car and kept driving. She’d never reacted to a member of the opposite sex like she was to Declan, Jett, and Brooks and she didn’t know how to handle it.
“Do you need to get anything out of your car, baby?” Declan asked.
“Yeah, I have an overnight bag.”
“Let me help you.” Declan stood and moved aside, giving her room to stand as well.
Emmy met his gaze. “Just because I’m tired doesn’t mean I’m helpless.”
“Did I say you were?” Declan crossed his arms over his chest and gazed down into her eyes.
She felt small standing next to him, and she was above average height at five foot nine. Declan had to have a good half a foot or more on her. The top of her head reached just under his chin. She blinked when she realized he’d asked her something but for the life of her she couldn’t remember. She was so exhausted she was swaying on her feet.
“Come on, baby. We’ll get your bag and I can show you to your room.”
Emmy nodded and tried not to shiver when he took hold of her elbow and guided her toward the door. Moments later he had her overnight bag in his large, manly hand and was leading her back inside the hotel. Jett and Brooks were busy with the group of tourists that had arrived and barely glanced their way. Declan walked her toward the end of the bar and down a long hallway. Normally she would have been curious and glanced into the rooms he led her past, but it was hard enough putting one foot in front of the other. She didn’t want to trip over her own two feet because she wasn’t looking where she was going.
“Our apartment is upstairs and away from the rooms we rent out,” Declan explained as he nudged her up the first step. The stairway was narrow, and since he was so big, she guessed it would be a tight fit if they both tried to climb the steps at the same time. She was glad he was behind her when she missed a step and stumbled. If he hadn’t grasped her hips to steady her, she might have fallen all the way back down to the bottom and done herself an injury.
“Not much further, baby.”
“Why do you call me that?” Emmy asked as she ascended the last step. She gasped when she saw the huge open plan living room. It looked as if it had been recently renovated with the latest sound equipment and massive TV above it. There was a sectional sofa big enough to seat twenty people and off to the other side of the room she could see a gourmet kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and a granite countertop. The dining table on the other side of the kitchen was also big enough to seat a lot of people.
“It just feels natural,” Declan said.
Emmy blinked and wondered what he was talking about, but then she blushed when she remembered she’d asked him a question and he was answering. If any other man had used endearments with her she would have put him in his place, but for some reason she liked it that Declan called her baby.
“This way, Emmy.”
Declan guided her along the outside edge to the living room, and it was only then she saw the hallway which she guessed led to the bedrooms. She frowned when he directed her to the very end and pushed the slightly ajar door open. She gasped when she saw the large bedroom and the massive bed. It was way bigger than any bed she’d ever seen before.
The walls were painted a light mauve accent and the quilt on the bed was an amazing contrast with an all-black background with a large deep purple rose in the center. “That’s beautiful.”
Declan nudged her further into the room and placed her ba
g on the bed. “I’m glad you like it, Emmy. The bathroom’s through there.” He pointed to the door on the left side of the room. “The closet and dresser are empty, so feel free to hang up or put your clothes in any of the cupboards.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, baby. Why don’t you take a nap? We start serving dinner from six through to nine.”
“Okay.”
Declan nodded. “I’d better go and help Jett and Brooks.”
Emmy frowned. “Where are the rooms?”
“The rooms we’re leasing?” Declan asked.
She nodded.
“They’re downstairs at the back of the hotel. We sort of have a hotel, motel set up here. The motel section is separate from the hotel with the parking lot in between. If you look out the window you can see it.” Declan glanced toward the curtain-covered window and back to her again. “You don’t need to worry about any of the other guests bothering you, baby, if that’s what has you worried. The only access to the apartment is the stairs we just climbed.”
Emmy hadn’t realized that she was tense until she heard Declan’s explanation. She felt the tension ease from her shoulders and tried to exhale quietly. She wasn’t sure she’d managed to when he frowned, but she gave a mental shrug.
“I’d better get downstairs before the others start yelling for me. I’ll see you later. Okay?”
Emmy nodded and gave him a tired smile. She wanted to have a shower and clean up, but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep her eyes open long enough, so she closed the bedroom door, turned the lock, stripped down to her bra and panties, and climbed into bed. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
* * * *
“Is she okay?” Brooks asked as soon as Declan entered behind the bar.
“Yeah.” Declan glanced about before meeting his gaze again. “Is Jett getting that group settled?”
“Yes.” Brooks grinned. “That group arriving when they did was like fate.”
Declan nodded. “It was.”
“Do you think she’ll stay?”
“I hope so.” Declan frowned.
Brooks served Jenson Cannon another round of beers. The panther shifter nodded his thanks, paid, picked up the three bottles, turned, and headed back to the other panthers and his brothers, Jayson and Jordan. They were taking a break from cooking in the kitchen. The three men weren’t very talkative but they were great cooks. Brooks, Declan, and Jett had tried to tell the panther shifters that they could have any drinks they wanted on the house, but the brothers continued to pay for whatever they bought. Whenever they paid, their cash went into the jar on the bar they collected for charity.
“What’s up?” Brooks asked.
“I think Emmy’s been living in her car. The back seat is packed full of stuff, and if I had to hazard a guess, I think her trunk is full, too.”
“What the hell?” Brooks gazed down the hallway toward the stairs to their apartment.
“I think Emmy’s in trouble.”
“You don’t think she’s running from the law, do you?” Jett asked as he sauntered toward the bar.
Brooks had been so intent on Declan he hadn’t heard or smelled his friend come back inside.
Declan scrubbed a hand over his face. “It’s a possibility, I guess, but my gut is telling me no.”
Jett sighed with relief and rubbed the back of his neck. “How the hell are we going to keep her here if she decides to leave tomorrow?”
“We let her go,” Brooks answered.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jett snarled angrily.
“Keep your voice down.” Declan pointed at Jett.
“Sorry.” Jett glanced at the other shifters sitting at the tables strewn about the room. They nodded to him.
Brooks didn’t care about the other shifters hearing their conversation, because since they all had enhanced senses and could hear way better than the average human, it was inevitable they’d hear them talking. However, he didn’t want the group of tourists thinking they were arguing if they happened to walk in.
“What do you expect us to do, Jett?” Brooks asked. “We can’t keep her here against her will. Doing something like that isn’t conducive to having a loving relationship. We’re can’t be dictators. If Emmy ends up staying, it has to be because she wants to.”
“Brooks is right,” Declan said. “We can’t stop her from going if that’s what she wants.”
“She’s our mate. She’s the one woman the fates created for us. If she leaves, what do we have to live for? Nothing.” Jett grabbed a bottle of whiskey, poured a shot into a shot glass, and downed it.
“We have each other and the rest of the shifters,” Brooks replied.
“Is that enough for you?” Jett asked.
Brooks sighed and shook his head. “No. Especially not after meeting our mate.”
“I think she’ll stay,” Declan said.
“Why? There’s nothing here.” Jett threw his hands in the air, frustrated. “We might have updated the town in the last five years we’ve been here, but we don’t have any malls or hair salons where a woman can get her hair and nails done. All the women we’ve seen over the years love to spend hours looking at and buying clothes.”
“Not all women are the same.” Brooks crossed his arms over his chest. “Just because that bitch dropped you when she found out we were moving here doesn’t mean Emmy will do the same.”
“You’re getting ahead of yourselves.” Declan sighed. “We don’t even know if she’s staying yet, but if she does, you’re going to give her a chance, Jett. Lulu was a selfish gold-digging bitch. She was stringing you along just so she could spend your money.”
Jett snorted. “I know.”
“You didn’t even love her and you were holding back with her.” Brooks pointed at Jett.
“I wasn’t about to set the cat amongst the pigeons until I was sure about her. Of course, I was holding back. And how do you know I didn’t love her?”
“Because she wasn’t your mate.”
“Yeah, yeah. All right, you got me.” Jett glanced toward the entrance when the tourists started filing in. “So, what do we do?”
“Take each second as it comes and spend as much time with our mate as we can. Maybe those memories of her will be enough to sustain us for the rest of our lives.” Brooks knew if Emmy left it would be hard to face each day thereafter, but he hoped and prayed she would stick around and get to know them. Maybe even fall in love with them and never want to leave.
Although Brooks was already more than halfway in love with Emmy and worried she’d want to leave first thing in the morning, he was also excited.
He’d never thought he’d ever get the chance to meet his mate, and though it would devastate him to watch her go if that’s what she decided, at least he’d be able to dream of her in the long, dark, lonely hours of the night.
Please let our mate stay. Please let our mate stay. Please let our mate stay, Brooks chanted over and over in his mind.
Chapter Three
Emmy sighed and stretched as she came awake. She couldn’t believe how well she’d slept. It had been months since she’d gotten more than an hour or two of uninterrupted sleep. She’d been plagued by nightmares after being shot at so long ago, and because she was scared and on the run, she’d trained herself to sleep light. Every noise, creak, and rustle normally brought her out of sleep and alert in an instant.
She rolled to her side and blinked the sleep haze from her eyes. When she saw the sky was just beginning to lighten as light seeped in around the edges of the pulled blinds, she realized she’d slept the rest of the afternoon and through the night.
The huge bed had one of the most comfortable mattresses she’d ever had the pleasure of sleeping on. Maybe when she could set down roots again she would buy the exact same brand. She’d have to ask one of the men what make it was.
Emmy flung the covers back, sat up, and swung her feet to the floor before standing and heading toward the bat
hroom. When she opened the door, she stood in the doorway with her mouth agape and in awe.
The en-suite was huge. The door-less glass partitioned tiled shower cubicle was almost big enough to hold a party in, as was the sunken spa bath in the corner. The vanity counter had the same beige speckled granite as she’d seen from afar in the kitchen, and there was a total of four sinks. She had no idea why someone would want so many sinks, but she wasn’t going to ask.
When her bladder began to ache, she headed toward the closed door which could only be the facilities. After doing her business and washing her hands, she hurried back to the bedroom and her overnight bag she’d put on top of the dresser. She grabbed a pair of shorts, T-shirt, some clean underwear, and her toiletry bag and walked back to the bathroom. She was going to enjoy showering when there were so many shower heads in the shower, but she decided not to linger too long in case the hotel was on tank water and not mains. Emmy didn’t want to deplete their precious reserves if that was the case.
Emmy showered quickly, turned off the water, and dried off. After dressing she brushed her teeth and hair and braided the damp strands to keep off her face. Just as she finished and turned toward the door, someone knocked on the closed bathroom door. She hurried over and opened it to find Jett standing there looking sexy as hell.
Even though Jett was the shortest of the three men, he still had a good half a foot on her. His brown hair was mussed as if he’d just gotten out of bed or had been running his fingers through it. When she noticed it was damp, she realized it had to be the latter.
“Hi Emmy, how’d you sleep?”
God, he was sexy. His dark brown eyes wandered over her body before meeting her gaze again. She nearly gasped when she saw his eyes lighten as she watched. He had broad shoulders and muscular pecs, and every time he shifted, his biceps flexed and bulged. Those muscles were so big she knew she wouldn’t be able to span them with both hands. Even though she couldn’t see his abs she suspected he had a six pack if not more and his legs were long and strong. When he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, Emmy realized she’d been standing there ogling him. Heat suffused her cheeks and she quickly glanced away.