Fighting For Their Mate

by Vella Day

  “I’ve spoken with her,” Tyson said. “She always seemed troubled. Reserved. Scared, even. That’s why I was glad that Bailey got a picture of her. I’m hoping she can help us.”

  Spence shrugged. “She might. Her history is a bit suspect. She was living in Greenville, South Carolina, when she suddenly quit her job, stating family matters as the reason for her quick departure. The notes are a little sketchy, but apparently, her family’s detached garage in Falling Pines was burned to the ground a few days before Clare’s resignation and subsequent arrival home. While no one was arrested, one of our local men up here heard rumors that the destruction was a warning to the Steegal family by none other than Paul Statler. A few days later, Clare started working in the lab.” Spence looked up.

  Tyson dropped down onto the other chair. “Interesting. That sounds like something Statler would do. He has no boundaries when it comes to making people do what he wants.”

  “That’s terrible,” Bailey said. Clare’s actions made sense now. “Why do you think she’ll help us get Tatum out? That would put her family in even greater danger, as well as her own life.”

  Tyson glanced to Spence and then to Cam. “If we offer her family protection, she might be willing to help us. She seems driven to protect them.”

  Bailey sat up straighter. “I bet I could get my father to give her money. I might be able to convince her to help.”

  “No, honey,” Tyson said. “For starters, you’re not showing your face anywhere. What if she tells Statler you’re alive? And secondly, involving your dad would result in a lot of deaths. People aren’t ready for who we are.”

  He was right. Bailey would never be able to live with herself if an entire SWAT team was wiped out. “Okay, I won’t involve Dad, but I still think if she understood what’s at stake, she might help.”

  “It’s possible,” Spence offered.

  Bailey needed to help or she’d go stir crazy. For the last few days, she’d been stuck in this stupid ass room, and she was tired of hiding. “How about if your Pack guys offer to protect her family somehow?” They all claimed there were other members up here. Couldn’t they be called upon? “When Clare put me in the wheelchair to take me to the garage, she whispered, ‘good luck.’ I thought she sounded wistful, like she wished she were getting out. At the time I thought it was my imagination.”

  Tyson tapped the table. “That actually might work. Spence, how about texting the General and ask him for the names of his contacts up here. If we work on Bailey’s disguise, perhaps the three of you can give these men the lowdown and then approach Clare.”

  She jumped off the bed, rushed over to Tyson, and gave him a hug. “I promise no one will know it’s me. Thank you. Thank you.”

  “I’m counting on Spence and Cam to keep you safe. With Clare’s help, I hope we can pull this off.”

  * * *

  “What’s your plan?” Ford said as he and Ty stepped into their underground bunker for the night.

  Their sleeping quarters might be the only secure spot in the whole place, which was why they’d waited until their shift finished to have this discussion. They checked for bugs and cameras each night but never found anything.

  Ty unhooked his gun and set it on the dresser. “First we need to get our security to Falling Pines to watch Clare’s family. Then we need to convince her to help us. If she agrees, though, I’m not sure the best way to handle things after that.”

  “I have an idea.” Ford dropped onto his bed.

  “Oh, yeah? Hit me.”

  “The lab has three exits that we know of. The west side entrance that we use, the east side where the nurses and staff enter and exit, and the basement exit that leads out through the furniture store.”

  “I hadn’t considered the furniture store exit, but it has potential. Not as many cameras.”

  “We’d have to figure out a way to disable them if we go that route.”

  “Let’s think how we can get Tatum out first then we’ll worry about security.” They sat in silence for a minute. “First order of business is to get Tatum out of her room.”

  “I figure that’s where Clare comes in.”

  “She’s not Tatum’s nurse.”

  Ford smiled. “I’ll check out who’s in charge of Bailey’s sister and distract her.” He could turn on the charm when he wanted.

  “We’ll have to give Clare immunity, you know. Once Statler realizes that another one of his captives has escaped, he’ll come hunting her. We can’t disable all of the cameras, and even if we could, someone might see Clare pushing Tatum’s bed and rat her out.”

  Ford sat up. “There might be a way.”

  Ford usually worked best under pressure. “What? Kill George, Dan, and Phil and then shut the power to all the cameras?” Didn’t seem smart to him.

  “It’s a thought.”

  Now it was his brother who wasn’t thinking. “We’d never get out of the lab alive. I won’t do that to Bailey.”

  “Me, neither.”

  “So what’s your suggestion? And make it good. Time’s running out.” Ty ran a hand over his head. He needed a haircut.

  Ford gave him the finger. “Yesterday, while you were with Bailey, I was checking out the woodworking shop. Not sure why, but I wanted to see if there was a way to sneak Tatum out that way.”

  “There are cameras in the shop.”

  “I know, but what if we could get two of the workers to hide her and then truck her out. No one would give a second thought to what they’re doing.”

  Tyson wasn’t sure how they’d pull that off. “I trust you have two men in mind?”

  “Not yet, but remember the big wooden box that Uncle Ned made for us when we were about seven?”

  He had to think about it for a minute. “The one we kept all of our toys in?”

  “Yes.”

  “What about it?”

  Ford jumped up off the bed, stripped down to his briefs then pulled on a long-sleeve shirt to sleep in. “Living underground in Canada sucks.” He dropped onto the bed. “Back to my plan. What do you think about hiding Tatum inside that kind of box? Then a Hoffman Furniture truck could drive her out.” Ford raised his brows. “Good, huh?”

  While Ty wanted to wipe off his smug expression, he had to admit it had merit. “How do you propose convincing two workers to go along with it?” They’d need their cooperation. Could they be bribed?

  “Don’t know, but I’m told those workers weren’t hired by Statler.”

  “I bet he vetted them,” Ty said.

  Ford waved away his concern. “I know about ten of their names. I thought we’d have Cam or Spence shoot the General the list of their names and have Mackenzie do a little research to see which ones might be bribable.”

  They seemed to be on the same page. “Works for me. I’m betting the General would be willing to reimburse us if we had to pay these guys off,” Ty said.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hurray! Bailey was finally going to get out of this hellhole of a motel—at least for a few hours. She wished it had been with Tyson and Ford, and she wished it were under better conditions, but she wasn’t going to be picky. Cam and Spence were nice men.

  They wouldn’t be free to roam about, however, until they heard from Tyson. He and Ford asked that the three of them lay low for at least twenty-four hours to be sure no one had sounded the alarm that Bailey’s sighting had been for real. Tyson promised to send a text when the coast was clear but to disregard the contents. If one of his messages was intercepted, he didn’t want to give anything away.

  “Ty sent the text. Finally.” Cam laughed. “Here’s what Ty wrote—keep a lookout for the two Pack members. Kill on sight. He’s a funny guy.”

  “Sounds very Colter-like. Ty’s clever like that,” Spence said.

  Both men picked up their overnight bag and headed to the door. “Grab your case,” Cam said. “Time to go.”

  Spence left, leaving her with Cam. They were supposed to take her to a store where sh
e could buy a hat and some makeup. “Why do I need my duffel?”

  He chuckled. “You always question an order?”

  She blew out a breath. Here she thought these two would be pushovers. “Yes. I have to look after myself.”

  Cam smiled. “Ty asked us to move you to a better hotel. One that is farther from Falling Pines, but still within driving distance of the lab. Your mates can’t bear to be too far from you.”

  That was so sweet. “We also need to be within driving distance of Clare’s house.”

  “True. After we get you settled, we can work on your disguise.”

  She liked that idea and lifted her bag. “Ready.”

  Cam checked outside. “Spence is pulling up the car.” He looked back at her. “Come on. Keep your head down.”

  If he didn’t sense any werewolves, why the cloak and dagger? Instead of arguing, Bailey kept her mouth shut for a change.

  “I want you in the back so that you could duck down if need be.”

  She understood the need for caution, but just once, she’d like for the threat to cease so she could at least pretend things were normal. Bailey rested her head on the backseat and thought about these two men. Last night had been strange. It was nice knowing Ford and Tyson would be at the lab getting a good night’s sleep, but it was a bit depressing sleeping alone in the bed with two strange men—or rather wolves—sleeping at her feet.

  “You okay back there?” Spence asked. He checked her in the rearview mirror.

  “I’m good.” Well, as good as she could be. She was a fugitive who might be recognized at any moment. If that happened, not only might she die, the men could decide to focus on saving all the women and not just Tatum.

  Stop with the depressing thoughts.

  If she didn’t attempt to stay positive, she couldn’t remain alert to her surroundings. Bailey refocused on the drive, but there wasn’t much to see—trees and more trees with an occasional body of water tucked away in the distance.

  The car clock read 10:16 a.m. When they stopped, she’d look at it again. In case she got separated from the men, she wanted to have an idea as to her location. Forty-five minutes later, Spence turned into a nice one-story motel. It had about half the number of rooms as the last one, but it was ten times nicer, if the landscaping and cleanliness was an indication.

  “Home, sweet home,” Spence said, as he stopped and put the car in park. “I’ll check us in.”

  “Wait.”

  “Yes?”

  “What’s to stop Statler’s men from calling every hotel and asking if a Summerville is staying there?” All four had the same last name.

  Spence smiled. “You are a smart one, but don’t worry, we have fake IDs. In our line of work, it’s not good to give out our real information.”

  “Amen.”

  He left and she counted ten vehicles in the lot. This seemed to be another place in the middle of nowhere. “Do you think there’s even a store around here where I can get some makeup, a hat, and a fake tattoo?”

  “That’s the beauty of Canada. Drive a little farther and a town will appear.”

  She’d believe it when she saw it. Spence returned. “Got us two adjoining rooms for when Ty and Ford stop by.” He glanced in the mirror and winked.

  Heat immediately raced up her face at the implication. Had Tyson and Ford told their cousins they’d been intimate? That they were more than her bodyguards? Oh, right. Tyson had undressed in front of the three of them. He wouldn’t have if they hadn’t made love.

  Cam twisted in his seat. “Tell me about your sister.”

  It took her a second to understand why they wanted to know. They’d come here to escort Tatum home once Tyson and Ford freed her. “I’m a little more than a year older than Tatum. My parents adopted me because my mom had three miscarriages, and the doctor told her she wouldn’t be able to conceive.”

  “Let me guess. Tatum came as a surprise.”

  Bailey smiled briefly. “Yup. You’d think having been raised by the same two people would make us alike, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

  Cam winked. “Don’t I know it. My brother here might be three years older than me, but he couldn’t hold a candle to my mental acuity.”

  Spence laughed. “Okay, smartie. Which one of us received the award for the best history student our junior year in high school?”

  Cam rolled his eyes and faced her. “That happened because the teacher loved Spence. If I’d had Ms. Ashworth, I’d have been her pet.”

  She could see they were trying to take her mind off the situation, so she played along. “Who’s the strongest?” Men always like to talk about their prowess.

  “Cam is,” Spence said. “Or rather was. But only because he cared about athletics more than I did. I’ll admit he worked hard, but I didn’t need the super buff body. I got the personality.”

  Cam waved a hand and chuckled. “You wish, bro.” His demeanor turned more serious. “Back to Tatum. What should we know about her?”

  That was an easy one. “If you think I’m stubborn, Tatum is ten times worse. She’s feisty, a risk taker, and definitely listens to the beat of a different drummer. Our father is a US Senator, yet she forgets this fact all the time. She wants to have fun and do things her way. Consequences be damned.”

  “Is that how you ended up here?”

  “Not really.” None of what happened had been Tatum’s fault. She explained what had transpired. “Even if she’d asked if I wanted to let in Brad and Tom at ten at night, I would have relented since they seemed interested in Tatum. She’s the pretty sister.”

  “You’re both hot.”

  Heat raced up her face. Contradicting him would come off as begging for a compliment. “Thanks.”

  Cam nodded. “At first I was surprised that you two didn’t look anything alike. You’re fair, where she’s dark. Now it makes sense.”

  There were other things about them that were opposites, but Bailey wasn’t about to say that her sister had big tits whereas she was lucky to fit into a B-cup.

  Spence glanced in the rearview mirror and caught her eye. “Does she know about the existence of werewolves?”

  “God no.”

  “Then I’m guessing when she finds out, she won’t be too happy about it?”

  Happy? Who could be? Then again, this was Tatum. She might think it was cool. For as much as Bailey loved her sister, they didn’t always share the same ideologies.

  “I don’t know. I love to photograph animals, and would have a dog in a heartbeat if I didn’t travel a lot. I’ll admit I never believed they even existed until I saw Ford shift. Now, I’ve gotten used to the idea. Tatum wants to pet every dog and cat she runs into, so maybe she’ll be okay with the idea, too.”

  “That’s all we can ask.”

  Ford had mentioned that his cousins were also shifters. It made sense if they both had shifter fathers.

  A short while later, they arrived at a town that had some shopping potential. While it wasn’t Washington, DC or even Richmond, Virginia, it had a town center. When she spotted a Starbucks, she almost giggled. The familiarity made her feel at home.

  Spence stopped in front of a family type store. The hat and makeup seemed a possibility, but not the fake tattoos. Once inside, she relaxed. Only women and children milled about. She’d be safe for a while.

  “I’ll go look for the hat,” Cam said.

  Spence looked down at her. “Guess I get makeup duty.”

  Poor man. He was a good sport. Half an hour later, she left with some outrageously dark makeup and a cute pink baseball cap. She thought the fake Spiderman tattoos a bit much, so for now she’d go sans tattoo.

  “Now what?” she asked as they headed to the car.

  “While I was searching for your hat, I contacted the General,” Cam said. “He gave me the names of three men who will watch over the Steegal family.”

  That was good news. “When are we going to meet with Clare?”

  “How about you
get yourself dolled up and Spence and I will see what we can find out? Do you know when Clare gets off work?”

  “It was in the afternoon when I shot her photo, but I really can’t say if her schedule is the same every day, or if she was just leaving for a late lunch.”

  “Ty might know.”

  The trip back to the motel went by quickly. By now, Bailey understood the routine. She let the men check out the area. When she exited the car, she had to keep her head down. Because neither Ford nor Tyson had been to this room, it had a sterile vibe.

  “How about doing your makeup magic while we discuss our next step?” Cam asked.

  “Sure.” That was her cue to give them some privacy. The bathroom contained a sink, shower, and toilet. She stepped in and closed the door.

  Throughout her life, her father had told her to always look her best since she never could be certain when a camera or television crew might be near. She was taught to tread lightly with the makeup, but now, she had to try for a heavy hand.

  Just as she finished, one of the men knocked on her door. “Clare just left work.” That was Spence.

  Bailey pushed open the door. “Does that mean we’re clear to speak with her?”

  “Yes, but if we fail, we might have to make a run for it.”

  Her stomach tumbled. Not only did she want to be around when they sprung Tatum, she didn’t want to leave Tyson and Ford—though they might be better off if she did. They had an important job to do and they didn’t need to worry about her safety.

  * * *

  Bailey had been excited to speak with Clare, to convince her to help Tatum, right up to the moment when Spence pulled to the curb in front of Clare’s parents’ house. Bailey pictured herself sitting down with the parents and discovering they had no idea what she was talking about. Most likely Clare hadn’t mentioned the type of job she was doing, or for whom.

  “I think we should reconsider this for a moment,” Bailey said.

  Cam twisted around. “What is it? You getting cold feet? If so, one of us can go in and you can stay here.”

  She wasn’t certain if she could explain it well. “No. That’s not it. If I were Clare and was forced to do something so heinous as work in a lab with kidnapped women, I wouldn’t tell my parents. They’d freak and want to call the cops. They’d also be terribly disappointed in me.”