“Before I do, I need to know what side you’re on. Are you still in?”
“Yep. We’re definitely in,” Rick hastened to reassure the other man. “But we need to know if we should even bother trying to hunt down Ted and see what’s in the vials.”
Again a moment passed before Gus spoke. “We didn’t know they weren’t working in the lab. One of Sheldon’s strict criteria was that we stay out. Believing he needed space and time to develop large batches of the virus, we did as he asked.”
“Where did you find him?” Rick asked.
“We didn’t. He found us.” Clearing his throat, Gus sounded uncomfortable. Unusual for him. “Actually, someone sent him to us.”
“Who?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.” On that, Gus sounded firm. “I need you to find Ted.”
Carmen and Rick exchanged a glance. Since this was exactly what they’d hoped he would say, she figured Rick would wrap up the call.
Instead, Rick asked a question. “Why? What are you hoping we will find?”
“The vials,” Gus barked. “The damn vials. We don’t need that stuff being released among the public. Not yet.”
Not yet. Chilling.
“You’ve got to give me a bit more information,” Rick pressed. “You believe Ted does have the genuine virus. I need a logical reason why.”
“No. You don’t. You follow my orders, not the other way around. Understand?”
Nudging Rick’s arm, Carmen nodded. Clearly, Gus felt Rick had overstepped. She had to agree. Rick never would have acted like this when they were at the group’s location.
“Yes.” Voice surly, Rick shook his head and made a face at Carmen. Careful to hide her smile, she gestured that he should continue.
“I’m sorry,” Rick muttered. “What Landers did pissed me off. And the one thing both Carmen and I despise is being lied to. When we saw the lab and realized it had never been used in any way, we thought we’d been duped.”
The words he hadn’t said echoed in Carmen’s mind. They still were being played, though they weren’t supposed to understand that. And truth be told, they didn’t. At least as far as the reason why.
That’s one of the things they’d have to find out. After they stopped the virus from taking out an entire country or more.
Chapter 13
Even before Carmen and Rick left, Maddie wanted to jump Jake’s bones. Once they were gone, she could barely control herself. Unfortunately, he had no idea. He’d asked to borrow her laptop and had immediately become engrossed in research. He kept his spiral notebook open and used a pen to continue to make furious notes.
She’d never seen him like this. He was on fire. Determined, enthused and sexy as hell. With her body aching and throbbing, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
Oblivious, he continued to simultaneously type and jot stuff down. She watched him, burning.
How was this possible, that he made her so hot just being in the same room? And conversely, the fact that he hadn’t even the slightest clue made her want him even more.
Should she attempt to distract him or simply wait him out? As she mulled this over, considering all the delightful ways she could entice him, he looked up.
“Maddie? Are you okay?”
She blinked. “Um. I’m not sure.”
“What’s wrong?” Expression concerned, he immediately pushed up out of his chair and sat down next to her on the couch.
It took every ounce of any willpower she possessed to resist him. Instead, she slid sideways so her head rested on his shoulder.
To her immense relief, he put his arm around her. “I’ve got a distant cousin who works for the CDC in Atlanta,” he said. “I’ve emailed him and let him know I’m working on a story—I didn’t get more specific than that—and asked him if he’d mind answering a few questions.”
“Great.” If she turned her head slightly, she could nuzzle his neck. She loved the scent of him. Human male, spearmint and something else, something earthy and musky that called to her primal wolf self.
He glanced down, catching her about to go for it.
“You’re beautiful,” he mused. “And sexy and sweet and smart and...”
Unable to resist any longer, she pulled him down to her for a kiss. The instant their mouths connected, the fire that had been simmering low in her belly erupted into a blaze, consuming them both.
Out of control, they shed their clothes. Naked, skin to skin, she let her fingers explore every inch of him. His hands were all over her also, his touch driving her to madness. She tried to climb on top of him, but he was having none of that and pushed her onto her back instead.
“Slow down,” he ordered. “I want to savor this.”
Part of her thrilled at the way he took charge. And when he used his talented mouth to taste her breasts, her skin and, finally, the throbbing spot between her legs, she lost all capacity to think.
The first climax came quickly, rocking her world. And then, while her body still quivered, he rose up over her and pushed himself inside her, filling her completely. Then, to her surprise, he held himself perfectly still while her last spasms clenched and released him.
She caught her breath, a quick gasp of air before he covered her mouth with his, letting her taste her own nectar on his lips. Suddenly, she felt desperate to have him move. She squirmed and arched her back, rotating her hips as she urged him on.
He groaned. “Maddie...”
Grinning, she pushed harder, up and down, until he used his hands to still her hips. “Wait.” He spoke through clenched teeth. “Give. Me. One. Second.”
But as he ground out the last word, he apparently lost whatever grip on self-control he had. With a roar, he released her and drove himself into her, hard and deep and fast.
She met each thrust halfway, baring her teeth, feeling so savage it felt like her wolf self had taken over her human one.
As the tension built within her, Jake cried out and shuddered. This was enough to send her once again over the edge. Together, as one, building upon the other’s pleasure, they reached new heights. Though even in her own mind it sounded corny, she felt as if they’d blazed a path directly to the stars.
He held her while their breathing slowed and their perspiration-slick bodies cooled. For once in her life, she allowed herself to snuggle close, something she usually avoided. But with Jake, cuddling felt right. Especially after...that.
“Amazing,” he murmured, kissing her forehead. “You’re absolutely—”
“Shhh.” She cut him off with a lingering kiss. She’d wait to move until he fell asleep, which in her experience with men seemed to happen within twenty minutes after sex.
But not Jake. Instead, he gently disengaged himself and padded to the bathroom. She watched him, admiring his toned naked body, until he closed the door and she heard the sound of water running.
While he cleaned up, she got up and collected her own clothes.
A few minutes later, he emerged, still naked. He gathered his clothing, picking it up from the floor, and got dressed right there in front of her. She watched him with interest, amazed when she felt another twinge of desire.
“I hate to make love and run,” he said, grinning. “But I’ve got tons of research to do on this story and I know I won’t get much done with you to distract me.”
Amused and bemused, she nodded.
“Bye.” He pressed a quick kiss on her lips. “Lock up after me.”
And he was gone. She turned the dead bolt and headed toward the bathroom. The pleasurable way her body ached made her smile.
After a hot shower, she fixed herself something to eat and tried to decide how to occupy herself for the rest of the evening. While Jake was all hot on the trail of this story, she knew Carmen and Rick planned to handle it on their own. Her job was to keep Jake out of harm’s way. If they happened to learn any useful information along the way, even better.
She made scrambled eggs and toast and ate standing up.
&nb
sp; Now with Jake long gone, the edgy restlessness that had simmered all day returned. She roamed her small apartment, a completely different type of ache filling her. Not sexual, as Jake had thoroughly taken care of that need. When she finally realized what it was, she actually laughed out loud, shaking her head at her own foolishness.
She needed to change. It had been far too long since she let her inner wolf come out and play. She’d take care of that now.
Decision made, she grabbed her car keys and headed out. Nothing like a good hunt to help improve one’s perspective on life in general.
Because there were limited places on the island that would be deserted enough to shape-shift safely, she headed north toward the mainland. Since she had plenty of time, she drove all the way to Clear Lake City. The wildlife preserve. There was one of her favorite places to let her wolf run free.
Once she arrived, she parked. Since it was now dark, the lot was empty. All the tourists had gone on to other, more well-lit pursuits and the locals knew better than to roam around this place at night. The only others she was likely to encounter now would be actual wildlife or other shifters.
Grabbing her empty backpack from the passenger seat, she started up one of the hiking trails. She’d learned a long time ago that it was better to bring something she could store her clothing in. That kept out insects and damp and who knew what else.
A creature of habit, when she reached her favorite spot, she set the backpack down on a fallen tree. Since the complete and utter darkness made it impossible to see anything farther than her own hand, she listened. Nothing but the normal sounds of nocturnal animals doing their usual thing.
Satisfied she was alone, she removed her clothing, once again marveling at her body’s pleasant aches. After stowing everything in the backpack, she tucked it into a hollow in the side of the downed tree.
Then she dropped to all fours, relishing the feel of the damp earth beneath her, and initiated the change.
As her bones elongated and changed shape, sparkling lights surrounded her like a thousand fireflies. While sometimes shape-shifting could be painful, this time she felt only pleasure. When at long last her body was no longer human, she lifted her snout and sniffed the air.
Damp earth, wet leaves. A nearby rabbit or two. Even an owl lurked somewhere on a branch nearby. As wolf, she relied on her sense of smell the most.
Her wolf eyes immediately adjusted to the darkness and she could make out the ghostly shapes of trees and plants. She began to move, relishing the strength of her lupine body, loving the way her claws sank into the moist soil.
The hiking path stretched out ahead and she began to run, stretching herself out to her full length. The landscape blurred as she reached full speed, her paws thundering on the trail.
Only when she’d burned up her reserve of energy did she allow herself to slow. At the point where the path reached a small pond, she wandered near the water’s edge and sat. Again she checked the scents drifting on the wind. Sifting through them—the usual rabbits and mice—she lifted her head when she located deer spoor. It had been a long time since she hunted such a large animal. Deer were usually brought down only by packs, a group of Shifters who’d become wolves together for the express purpose of hunting.
Which meant she’d take a pass on deer meat tonight. She’d go for something small or maybe even skip hunting altogether.
It was enough to be wolf again. She’d forgotten how much changing centered her, made her feel whole again.
Returning to the clearing by the downed tree, she laid her belly on the damp earth and breathed deeply. Humans couldn’t seem to understand the connection between the earth and her creatures. When she was in her human form, that knowledge felt abstract and distant. But as wolf, she could feel the energy linking her to all other creatures, and to their home.
Since dwelling on such philosophical matters wasn’t what she usually did as wolf, she sighed and initiated the change back to human. Again, the sparkling lights, a few flashes of pain, and she finally lay naked on the forest floor.
Wincing, she got up, shaking herself as if by doing so she discarded any last, lingering remnants of wolf. She reached into the tree truck and pulled out her backpack, dressing quickly. It wasn’t until she’d turned to head back to her car that she realized something was different. Every Shifter, upon returning to their human form, experienced an almost overwhelming sexual arousal. Mated pairs often took advantage of this, as did younger, unmatched, sexually adventurous singles. Those who were alone simply suffered through it until it passed, or pleasured themselves.
But tonight, Maddie felt...nothing. Correction—she felt sated. Apparently, making love with Jake earlier had satisfied even her deepest primal urge. Interesting. While she knew she should probably try to figure out how this could be possible, she put the thought away for later.
* * *
Jake refused to allow himself to dwell on how amazing making love with Maddie had been. But try as he might, he couldn’t stop thinking about her as he drove home.
This story! The endless possibilities—from saving the world, to being the first journalist to be able to share the inside details! More than exciting, the thought was intoxicating.
While he still hadn’t forgotten his earlier obsession with the mysterious door at the end of the dead-end alley, he’d put that on the back burner for now. Something like that couldn’t come close to this, which might be the story of a lifetime.
One of his favorite songs came on the radio, and he cranked it up, singing along. Up ahead, the light turned green as he approached the intersection, which felt magical. At least until he’d gotten halfway through and the speeding truck hit him broadside on the passenger door.
The force of the impact spun him around, his vehicle going up on two wheels. As he fought to control the steering wheel, he thought he might actually roll, and braced himself. Instead, miraculously, the car landed back on all four tires, spinning once more before crashing into the guardrail. The shriek of metal on metal made an inhuman wail as the vehicle screeched to a stop.
Stunned, Jake maintained enough coherent thought to kill the engine before unbuckling his seat belt and attempting to open his door. The door wouldn’t budge. And even when he turned the key in the ignition, the electric window refused to open.
One step at a time. The next rational move would be climbing over the console and trying the passenger door. He did and to his relief, it opened. He climbed out, suddenly dizzy, squinting and trying to locate the vehicle that had hit him.
There, engine still idling, a large box truck sat in the middle of the intersection, likely right at the same spot where it had hit him. Why hadn’t it moved? Was the driver injured? Jake started to head that way and check, but a shiver of warning crawled up his spine and he paused. He knew enough to trust his instincts, even if they didn’t seem rational at that exact moment.
He glanced north and then south, east and west. No other cars. The road seemed abnormally quiet for this early in the evening. Was it his imagination, or did the large truck appear menacing?
No matter what, he didn’t have it within himself not to check on the driver. He couldn’t leave a potentially hurt person alone without help, so he was going over. Before he did, he quickly dialed 911 and gave his location and a brief description of what had happened. Even though the dispatcher encouraged him to remain on the line, after informing her that he was going to check on the other driver, he ended the call.
When he reached the box truck, it didn’t appear there was anyone in the driver’s seat, though the window was open. He eyed the shoulder and the grassy embankment, wondering if the driver had been ejected. A quick search didn’t reveal a body, so that meant the driver remained inside the cab.
His legs felt surprisingly wobbly. Shock, most likely. In fact, when he looked over his shoulder at his car, he seemed to be looking through a thick haze. Damn.
When the paramedics arrived, he’d be sure to have them check him out.
Again, he faced the box truck, stepping up on the running board and reaching for the door handle. He intended to use it to pull himself up and look inside. Instead, someone hit him over the back of the head and he crumpled to the ground.
When he came to, the violence of his headache made him groan. The metal floor beneath him bounced and jolted him. Disoriented, at first he couldn’t figure out where he might be, or remember what exactly had happened. It all came flooding back to him—the accident, the truck and, last, being attacked. And now, judging from the sounds and motion, he was in the back of that same box truck with his hands and legs bound by what appeared to be duct tape, heading down the highway.
This made no sense. As he struggled to clear the cobwebs from his brain—as well as battle the knifing stabs of pain—he tried to find the logic. That was the first thing he always did when pondering the why behind a story. Some things were obvious, like a terrorist driving a rental truck into a crowd of pedestrians. Others were not quite so clear. Like this. Why would anyone target him?
He thought back to the night in the alleyway near Harborside Drive. The one that led to that mysterious door. He hadn’t staked out the place in a while, and the accident tonight was nowhere near that area. Heck, this time he hadn’t even been on the island. Yet it all seemed to be tied to that alley, that door. He’d been beaten, stalked and now abducted.
The truck hit a particularly large bump in the road, sending him bouncing. The swift spike of pain in his head made him wince. Though he couldn’t reach up and feel the back of his head due to the ties, he’d bet he had a good-sized knot there.
Since he could tell it wasn’t in his pocket, he guessed they’d taken his cell phone. At least he’d managed to call 911, so the police would be aware he was missing.
Maddie. His stomach lurched. No one would know to notify her. Would she think he’d simply taken off, intent on chasing their story on his own? He wasn’t like that, not at all, but she didn’t know him that well. Even worse, she’d believe he’d disappeared right after making love, which ranked up there as inconsiderate.
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