“My aim was to convince people that the journey is longer than it is. I hope no one actually measures the distance, but just assumes it’s a two-day trip. Or, if they do check the mileage, that they’ll assume we’re taking a roundabout route because of the B-train restrictions in New York, or simply to prevent people from guessing which roads we’ll be using.”
“Well you certainly convinced me. So where are we going?” asked Cody.
“We’re taking the fastest, most direct route, and we’re not stopping. Nevis has packed us a heap of food, there’s bedding for us to take turns stretching out and resting, and by the time we have to stop to get fuel and use the bathrooms, I want us to be so far ahead of where anyone imagined we could be that we remain invisible. We’ll get fuel at the biggest truck stop I can find when the tank is low. One where the staff won’t remember one truck among so many.”
“So why were we jumping through the window?” asked Anne. That bit still didn’t make sense.
“That’s in case someone tries to hijack us while we’re moving. Carson and I will get in the back to fight them off if they try to open the truck, while Cody drives and you act as lookout, telling us where the trouble is coming from. If they attack the cab and try to force us to stop you’ll get in the back and hide.”
“Great. It sounds as though it’s just as well I brought some tools with me in case I needed to repair the sculptures.”
“Bashing someone’s fingers with a wrench as they try to climb in through the window would work,” said Cody approvingly.
“I was thinking more of turning the welding machine on in their faces as they opened the rear door of the truck.”
“Oh, nasty,” said Carson, laughter in his voice.
“If everything goes to plan we’ll have delivered the sculptures to the gallery before anyone even thinks we’re half way there,” said Bronx.
Anne leaned against the window and relaxed a bit. At least Bronx had thought through everything properly and made plans. She usually only delivered one or two small pieces at a time. It wasn’t until after she’d agreed to send six works larger than life-size to the gallery at once that she’d realized what a tantalizing target they would be for thieves.
Cody said, “Move between Carson and me again, Anne. It’s not fair that you’re all scrunched up against the window.”
She was about to protest that she was fine, but then she let them shuffle around and slid onto the seat squeezed between them. Two beautifully buff pieces of delicious manhood. How could she not want to be sandwiched between them? God they were lovely.
“You know all about me. Tell me about yourselves,” she said.
* * * *
Cody stared at Carson, so Carson guessed he was supposed to go first. He suddenly realized he didn’t know if Anne knew they were werewolf shape-shifters and he’d made that joke about being the designated dog. Oh shit! Had he given away a very special secret? That was one reason why he’d wanted to leave the city. In court, in his attorney persona, he had no trouble speaking only about the things he wanted the judge to hear. But in his everyday life it was so much harder to monitor his every thought.
“You know I work for the Hot Springs Transportation Company and you know I’m an attorney. I got tired of the stresses of the city and am looking at moving to a smaller town where the pollution won’t be so high and the speed of daily life will be slower. Pine Corner is just one place where I can continue to work for the company online, but leave the in-court appearances to other people.”
“Aren’t you rather young to be semiretiring?” asked Anne.
“I’m thirty. And I’m not retiring. I’m just rearranging my life so I like it better.”
“And you’re a werewolf shape-shifter the same as Bronx and York.”
It wasn’t a question but he nodded anyway.
“What about you, Cody? You’re a shape-shifter, too, aren’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What do you know about shape-shifters?” Carson asked her. Suddenly he really wanted to know. It couldn’t have been that he’d given the secret away or else she wouldn’t know about York and Bronx.
“I’m an artist. I can see the musculature in all of you. Carson, you have a job where you sit at a desk all day, and yet you have the body of a man who does hard physical labor. And I’ve seen Cody’s spine.”
Carson would have really liked to ask her more about that, but they kept the conversation general, and Cody, in his role as navigator, had to pay attention to the route signs on the interstate. They talked for hours, getting to know each other much better, and Carson was very aware of her warm thigh pressing against his, and her breasts peaking the front of her T-shirt.
It was almost noon and Cody was driving, when he said, “The gas gauge is a little below one quarter full. When do you want to fill up the tank, Bronx?”
Bronx was sitting against the passenger door. Carson thought the four of them actually fit in the cab quite well. He didn’t feel squashed at all, even though Bronx was bigger than Cody and sharing their seat while Cody was driving. But their bodies were pressed against each other, which was quite erotic when it was his body against Anne’s. Of course, fitting an extra person in the cab also meant that apart from the driver they weren’t wearing seat belts, which was illegal in some states.
“Let me check the truck stops. Don’t slow down at all,” said Bronx.
That had been Bronx’s catch-cry all morning. The truck had remained at the speed limit the entire journey, making absolutely the fastest time it was safe to do.
Carson got out his cell phone and scrolled through a few screens, checking the interstate ahead of them, but it was Bronx who found it first. “There’s a major truck stop fifty miles ahead. We’ve got enough fuel to get there and it’s so big we should be anonymous. Carson, you and Anne get out of the truck and try to look like you’ve come from somewhere other than Animal. You can use the restrooms, buy whatever you want, but stay together, and return together. Try to make it appear that you’re a couple unconnected to this rig. When you’re back Cody and I’ll go into the truck stop and I’ll pay for the fuel.”
“If it’s another fifty miles before we stop would you like me to get us another snack from over the back? It seems like a long time since we ate before,” asked Carson.
Nevis had provided a bountiful array of foods. Anne had collected together a good supply for them a couple of hours ago, but he was hungry again and felt certain the other men would be as well.
“If there’s any more of that fried chicken I’d like some of that,” said Cody.
“Me too,” said Bronx.
“I wouldn’t mind another peach. They were so nice,” said Anne.
“Can do.” Carson pushed out the window and set it down behind the seats, then slid feetfirst into the back of the truck. A door would be so much better, but if they weren’t going to stop, and it seemed speed was very important, this worked, he supposed.
He collected a handful of paper plates, a roll of paper towel, then the bag of peaches, the bag of fried chicken, and a Ziploc bag filled with a variety of thick sandwiches. He passed the food through the window first, handed through four bottles of water, and then jumped up and twisted his body so his legs went through into the cab first. Fuck, I haven’t done this since high school. I’m not nearly as fit as I ought to be. I feel more like a performing monkey than a fucking guard dog.
But strangely enough he was really enjoying himself. He’d gotten to know more about Anne and Cody in six hours than he had in the previous two weeks. And Bronx as well. The man wasn’t nearly as bossy as he seemed, although he was undoubtedly a Dom. Well, that was fine, Carson was a Dom, too, and he was certain that Cody and Anne would be the perfect submissives for him. Cody always deferred to any authority, which wasn’t a guarantee of submissiveness, but when added to other parts of his character, it told Carson the trait was clearly present.
Anne was different. He doubted very much that she�
�d ever let anyone dictate to her about her art. But in other matters, in the bedroom, he was certain she would. He’d expected to have at least one night, preferably two, in hotel rooms on the road trip to wine and dine her and get to know her. It was looking very much as if the nights weren’t going to happen, but the getting to know each other had, so the journey had been valuable from that point of view alone.
But he needed to talk to Cody. Would the man join him in a bedroom scene with Anne? Carson was certain Cody was attracted to Anne and everyone knew that werewolves had to share women as there weren’t enough females born for each wolf to have a mate of his own. But perhaps Cody wanted to see if Anne would choose to date him alone. Carson didn’t want to engage in a battle for her favors. Any choices had to be made of her own free will. But if he could convince Cody to share, that would be perfect.
* * * *
Cody was very nervous at the truck stop but he knew security guards always looked for the nervous people because they were the ones most likely to be committing a crime. He stuck his hands in his pockets and did his best to swagger away from the big rig and into the store. He didn’t especially want to buy anything but he needed to kill time while Bronx paid for the fuel, so after using the restrooms he picked up a newspaper and a couple packs of gum and took them to the checkout. The line moved quickly and they were soon outside again.
Bronx unlocked the cab and climbed into the driver’s seat, so Cody slid into the passenger seat and buckled his seat belt. Two miles down the highway the window popped open behind him. He undid his seat belt and put the food being handed to him on the dashboard, and then leaned against the window so Anne and Carson could join them. They’d snuck back into the rig very unobtrusively through the person door into the back of the truck, just as Bronx finished filling the gas tank.
Cody drove again for a few hours, then handed over to Bronx just outside the city.
“Strip down to your underwear and sit on the floor, Cody,” said Bronx.
“What?” He sure as hell hadn’t been expecting that instruction.
“Carson knows New York and this close to the city we can’t have four people in the cab. If you sit on the floor you can stay human for a while, but be ready to change into a wolf when I tell you. We might not have much warning and people will be able to see into the cab in the city. There are multistory buildings, and CCTV cameras everywhere.
“Fucking hell.”
Anne helpfully popped out the window for him and he handed her his boots and clothing, sliding down onto the floor when he was wearing nothing but his boxers. Anne put the window back and said, “I’ll put your boxers in the glove compartment when the time comes. I don’t want anyone to see the window open either.”
“You’re so kind.”
Still, it wasn’t too bad on the floor. The others gave him plenty of space and by sitting with his back to the passenger door he could actually see quite well out the driver’s window. Besides, Bronx was right. He didn’t know anything about New York although he had tried to look at maps and get a feel for the immediate vicinity of the gallery.
“Are you going to contact the gallery and say the sculptures will be here in an hour or so, Bronx?” asked Anne.
“No. They’ll have lifting equipment so the crates aren’t a problem. We can do the manual work if their staff isn’t available. Anyone could be monitoring the gallery telephones. That would be so easy to tell someone they were a huge fan of yours and ask to be told the sculptures had arrived safely, yet actually be waiting to steal them from the truck,” said Bronx.
“That was my feeling, too. That this last little bit when we’re in New York would be the most dangerous time of all,” said Carson.
“Which is why I intend to arrive long before we’re expected and hopefully catch anyone planning trouble completely unprepared,” said Bronx.
Cody sat on the floor and thought. He agreed that the only safe way to behave was not to tell anyone anything, but what if the gallery wasn’t able to transfer the statues tonight? What would happen then? Maybe that’s why Nevis had put the bedding in the back of the B-train. No one had wanted to lie down during the journey, but at least they’d have somewhere to sleep tonight if they had to guard the truck. But surely guarding it in New York was the worst possible result. Cody shook his head. He was so glad he wasn’t the one having to make the decisions. He hated having to weigh risks like this when the consequences were so huge. At least in his own life if he got something wrong only he would suffer. In this case, Anne’s whole future could be destroyed if anything went wrong.
Once he was in wolf form he could no longer see out the window, and leaned against the body of the truck, his head on his paws. The fact that he was a wolf hadn’t changed his feelings for Anne in the slightest. She was a wonderful woman, a talented sculptor and he’d really enjoyed spending a whole day mostly pressed against her. Spending the night pressed up beside her would be even better, but that wasn’t going to happen any time soon, unfortunately. Now he was in his animal form her scent was stronger to his senses, and he wanted more than anything to taste her skin. It was just his bad luck that she was wearing jeans and boots, and her hands were folded on her lap, so he couldn’t even do that.
By the time Bronx stopped the truck out back of the gallery he was heartily tired of sitting still and silent.
Anne went to climb out of the cab with Bronx, but he waved her to stay inside. “Someone will tell me where to go. I won’t need to meet with the manager or whatever he’s called for a while yet. You might as well stay sitting in the cab.”
Again he waited in silence, and now Anne and Carson were silent as well, looking out the window at the loading dock of the gallery, he supposed. All he could see were their legs and feet.
Carson’s cell phone beeped and Cody pricked up his ears. He supposed it was some friend of Carson’s but at least it was something happening to break the boredom of waiting. Carson must have accidently hit the speaker function, or maybe it was just his excellent wolf hearing, but either way Cody heard Bronx say quietly but distinctly, “Get in the back of the rig right now and don’t make a sound.”
Fucking hell. Something has gone wrong.
Chapter Three
Carson felt adrenaline burst through his veins as it did in court when he knew the shit was about to hit the fan. He punched out the window and lifted Anne up, pushing her ass so she went through the gap twice as fast as usual. The wolf was right behind her. Carson snatched her purse up off the floor and dropped it through, then remembered Cody’s underwear in the glove compartment and threw it through as well. Finally he picked up the Perspex and slid his legs through the gap, trying to keep his arms inside and the Perspex where it needed to be. He couldn’t get it to line up properly and the blood was starting to pound in his head, when Cody’s strong hands were on his thighs holding him still, and he finally got it to click into place. He dropped down onto the bedding breathing heavily and wiped sweat off his face and neck.
No one said anything at all. He snatched his cell phone out of his pocket again and turned it off. Cody rummaged through his jeans and did the same, then pulled his pants on. Anne was sitting cross-legged on the blanket perfectly still. He took a deep breath and waited as Cody finished getting dressed.
The cab door opened and Bronx was saying, “I really appreciate you letting us in, George. I don’t know why the delivery wasn’t expected. I’ve got all the paperwork right here.”
Carson listened hard but couldn’t hear the reply over the rumbling engine of the big rig. There was the sound of the metal gates being opened and a roller door being raised, so evidently they were being directed inside right where they’d been waiting. The rig moved very slowly for several minutes and then stopped. Bronx jumped out of the cab and locked the door then banged on the side of the truck. “It’ll be fine in here tonight with all your security. I know your team will look after it.”
Which means he’s suspicious as hell but isn’t allowed to st
ay. He’s left us to guard the statues.
Carson waited silently and noted the sounds of the roller door being lowered, followed by the metal gate being banged shut. There was the snap of the lock and the sound of booted feet walking away. And still they waited in total silence for someone to come and try to open the truck.
Carson stared at the person-sized door immediately behind the cab. It had a heavy metal bolt which was pushed shut as he’d left it after he and Anne got back in at the truck stop. Good. He knew the back door of the truck was securely locked and he was glad Bronx had locked the cab doors when he left as well. He knew Bronx had been worried about someone attacking the truck as they drove, which was why they’d been so fussy about keeping the doors secured. Bronx had only unlocked the people door half a mile before they’d arrived at the truck stop and he’d been standing right by it while he refueled. But none of them had thought of not being able to officially unload their cargo. Well, he supposed Anne had spoken about the possibility a little bit, but he was sure she’d never envisioned anything like this.
The question was, had this situation occurred because there was a carefully planned attack about to be launched, or was it just a case of the gallery not being ready to unload because they’d arrived ahead of schedule? But deliveries arrived early and late all the time. Surely they would be prepared for that. It had to be a warning sign.
Carson took off his boots and picked up a blanket, a pillow, and a sleeping bag. Silently he wended his way around the crates tied down along the length of the rig, and laid his blanket and pillow down immediately in front of the back door. Once there, he put his boots back on and lay down, covering himself with the sleeping bag. He lay for a long time and began feeling cold. The floor of the truck was metal and it appeared, where they were, unheated. He kneeled up and put the sleeping bag down on the floor then folded the blanket in half. Half he put on top of the sleeping bag and the other half he wrapped over himself once he was lying on the bag. Ah, that was more comfortable.
Seduced by Her Two Masters [The Wolf Masters 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 3