“Fuck, I was relying on you to be the sensible one.”
“You like her.”
Connor stared at him incredulously. “Like her? Hell no, I don’t like her. She’s got a mouth like a sailor, she’s temperamental and a liar. Why the hell would I like her?”
Cade sat down on a bench as Connor paced.
“She’s also brave, smart, and hot.”
“Being hot should have nothing to do with this,” Connor replied.
“But it does. Despite the fact that she knocked you out yesterday, as soon as you saw her, you wanted her again, didn’t you?”
Connor stopped pacing and braced his feet apart, hands on his hips as he stared at the ground.
“Yeah, I want her but I shouldn’t go near her again. We should let the others watch over her.”
Denial swelled in Cade, thick and heavy. “No.”
Connor glanced up at him in surprise. “What do you mean, no? We can’t think straight around her—that means that we shouldn’t be the ones questioning her. She’s got some kind of hold over us.”
“No one else touches her,” Cade growled possessively. He sure as hell wasn’t turning her safety and care over to someone else.
“Cade, you’re not thinking—”
“We use it to get to her,” he said abruptly, thinking fast.
“What?”
“Like you just said, we seduce the answers out of her. She’s attracted to us. I don’t think she has much experience. So we use that.”
“Were you not just in the room? My so-called seduction techniques didn’t work.”
“Because you were taken by surprise. Next time we go in with a game plan and we stick to it.”
Connor didn’t look so sure. Truthfully, Cade didn’t believe his plan had much merit either. They would be lucky to keep any part of their brain functioning around her. But no way was he letting anyone else close.
“You really think this will work?”
“It’s either that or we try to intimidate her. Threaten her or her cousins.” That didn’t sit well with him.
Connor grimaced. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Then we try seduction first. Only problem will be telling whether she’s lying or not. When she’s aroused, it’s difficult to tell the truth from a lie.”
Most werewolves could detect lies using certain unconscious cues like a widening of pupils, a quickening of the heartbeat. Unless the person was a very good liar.
“You think she could have been telling the truth before?” Connor asked incredulously.
“Maybe. I don’t know. Either way she’s going to tell us everything she knows.”
*
Shelby looked at the toilet then at the camera then back to the toilet.
How the hell was she supposed to pee?
Sighing, she curled under the blanket, shivering a little. The temperature in the room was a little chilly. At home, her cousins usually had the fire on for her, despite the fact that they rarely felt the cold.
Her bladder tightened and a spasm of pain raced through her stomach. There was no way she could hold on. It was obvious they weren’t coming back. She had at least hoped they’d bring her some food. Shelby had a fast metabolism, she had to eat constantly to keep up her energy.
Groaning, she sat up. Holding the blanket in front of her, she moved over to the toilet. Damn, this was humiliating. Using the blanket to give her some semblance of privacy, Shelby sat on the toilet and let herself relax. She supposed it was the one bonus of having no underwear on. She glared up at the camera, refusing to cower in embarrassment as she peed.
Holding the blanket against her chest with one arm, she reached over for some toilet paper, took care of her needs then stood before flushing the toilet and washing her hands in the basin.
Shelby wrapped the blanket around her and shuffled back to the bed, wishing they’d given her some socks to protect her feet from the freezing floor.
The light switch didn’t work, so she couldn’t even plunge the room into darkness. No doubt that was on purpose. How the hell was she going to get out of here? She was basically locked in a box, something she tried not to think about or it would send her into a panic.
But that was exactly what the room felt like. Now that Connor and Cade were gone, the walls seemed to be crowding in on her.
She shut her eyes, breathing deeply. This was no time to panic. She had to think. Things were not going to end like this. She would get free and she would get revenge for the mother she never got a chance to know.
The mother who Sam Garrison had callously murdered, as though she was nothing but an animal to be slaughtered and cast aside.
Her mother had told Shelby’s uncle that she was going to see Garrison. Hours later she’d been discovered in the forest with her throat slit. Garrison had killed her and left her to rot.
He deserved to die and she wasn’t about to let this setback stop her.
*
“Damn it.” Cade stared down at his tablet. He got up from his chair and knocked on Connor’s connecting bedroom door.
There was some quiet cursing then the door opened and Connor glared at him. “It’s 1 a.m., what do you want?”
“Sorry to wake you, sleeping beauty. Go back to your snoring. I’ll go take care of our guest myself.”
“Fine.” Connor slammed the door and Cade turned away, counting silently. It took to the count of six before the door reopened.
“What did you say?” Connor demanded.
“I said go back to sleep. I’m going to take care of our guest.”
“What do you mean, take care of her? What’s wrong with her?”
“Take a look.” Cade handed over his tablet. “I’ve been keeping an eye on her and she’s been shivering nonstop for the last hour. I don’t like it. I’m going down to check on her.”
He grabbed a spare blanket from the closet.
“What do you suppose is wrong with her?” Connor asked, following him out of the room and down to the basement.
“I don’t know. I’m not a gynecologist.”
“What?” Connor asked in confusion.
“You know, a female doctor.”
“Christ, you think this is a female problem?” Connor sounded horrified.
Cade shrugged and opened the door. Connor stepped in behind him, locking it. Not that it looked as though Shelby was capable of going anywhere. She was huddled under the blanket, only her nose and the top of her head showing. Every so often a shiver would rack her body.
Cade moved over to her and pushed the blanket away from her face, worried she was having trouble breathing.
“Her skin is freezing,” he said with concern.
“What? How can that be? It’s not that cold in here,” Connor exclaimed.
“I don’t know. Her lips are kind of blue and she’s not responsive.”
“Here.” Connor pushed him aside and placed his hand over her forehead. He frowned. “She’s cold as ice.”
“Think it’s a trick?” Cade asked. She was intelligent and it could be a ruse to make them let down their guard. Except how had she managed to make herself so cold? What if it weren’t a trick? He couldn’t take a risk with her health.
“I don’t think it is,” Connor said. “We need to warm her up, fast.”
Cade nodded. “We’ll take her up to your room. If she doesn’t start to get better we’ll call a doctor in the morning.”
Connor carried Shelby upstairs, his concern growing. She felt so slight in his arms, as though she could just fade away. When she was talking, she seemed so much bigger, tougher. In reality, she was tiny. Fragile.
She didn’t stir once. Cade swiped his access card, opening Connor’s bedroom door for them, and Connor stepped in. Cade closed the door and it locked automatically behind them.
“I’ll lock my bedroom door too, just in case,” Cade said.
Connor placed her in his bed, tucking her in. Was she sick?
“Here.” Cade ca
me in carrying a first-aid kit. “Take her temperature.”
“You say that like I should know how,” Connor said to him impatiently. “I’ve never taken anyone’s temperature.”
“How hard can it be?” Cade dumped the contents of the first-aid kit on the bed.
Connor searched through the kit and pulled out a thermometer, ripping off the packaging.
“Here, you pull her mouth open and I’ll stick it in.”
Cade pried her mouth open. She murmured and tried to turn her head just as Connor attempted to place the thermometer in her mouth.
“Damn it, Cade, hold her head still.”
“I’m trying, this is trickier than it looks.”
Cade turned her head back then pulled her mouth open again. “Quick, do it now.”
“All right, all right.”
Connor placed the thermometer in her mouth and Cade let her mouth go, letting it close around the thermometer.
It beeped and he drew it out. “96.6.”
“What’s it supposed to be?” Cade asked.
“I don’t know. Wait a minute, I’ll look it up.” He grabbed his tablet and brought up the search engine. “Between 97.3 and 99.1 Fahrenheit for humans. But she’s part werewolf and our body temp should be higher. We need to warm her up.”
Cade nodded. “How?”
Connor grinned. “With us.”
Chapter Four
She awoke surrounded by so much heat she felt sluggish. She rubbed at her eyes, yawning. The guys must have the fireplace cranking. As she raised her hands to stretch she brushed against something warm and hard on either side of her.
She froze as the object to her right rolled over.
“Good morning, trouble,” a husky voice murmured.
“Has she warmed up?” another voice asked.
Oh God. Oh God. Don’t open your eyes. If you don’t open your eyes it’s not true. Unfortunately, it was too late to hide. Her memory flooded back. Being captured. Held in that freezing room. Interrogated by two of the hottest men she’d ever met.
How the hell had she ended up in bed with them?
A large hand covered her forehead. Shelby attempted to roll away but she was sandwiched firmly between their strong bodies.
The palm moved away.
“She feels warm enough, but we should take her temperature again.”
“I’ll get some food sent up and grab the thermometer,” the other one replied.
The body to the left moved and she dove for the side of the bed. A heavy arm slung itself around her waist, hauling her back against a firm, hard body.
“Oh no you don’t. You’re staying right here, trouble.”
Opening her eyes, she looked over her shoulder to see Connor staring down at her. His short hair was almost standing up on end and his eyes were heavy-lidded with sleep. Shit. Her body instantly went hot, her pussy clenching with need. The arm around her waist shifted lower and she realized it was touching skin. Her T-shirt had ridden up some time in the night.
“Let me go,” she ordered, placing her hands on his arm and trying to shove him away from her.
“I don’t think so. I like you just where you are,” he murmured in her ear.
Cade moved back to the bed, holding a thermometer. She pressed her lips together, looking up at him mutinously.
He studied her for a long moment.
“I could pry your jaw open, but that would just hurt you. Maybe I should look up how to take a temperature rectally.”
He wouldn’t, would he?
“Cade never bluffs, trouble. I would open wide,” Connor whispered, amusement in his voice.
Giving in reluctantly, she opened her mouth and let him slip the thermometer inside.
“97.8. Do you know what your temperature usually is?” Cade asked.
She glared at him. “What do you care?”
There was a knock on the door and Cade turned away. She kicked back at Connor, trying to wriggle her way out of his hold. He merely trapped her legs between his. The scent of toast drifted toward her nose and her stomach growled. She told herself if she wasn’t so weak with hunger that he wouldn’t have been able to overpower her so easily.
“Hungry, trouble? Be a good girl and let us take care of you and we’ll get some breakfast in you quick.”
Patronizing ass! Be a good girl? Well, if he thought holding back food would make her do what they wanted, he was sadly mistaken.
She slammed her head back against his face, heard a crunch that made her wince.
Shelby scooted out of his arms and stood, looking around her frantically. Cade stood on the other side of the bed, holding a tray of food. This was it! Her chance!
She dove for the door, rattling at the handle. Locked!
“No!” she cried.
“Going somewhere?” Cade drawled. She turned to face him, her breath sawing in and out of her lungs. He’d left the tray of food on the bedside table.
Connor groaned on the bed. “Fuck, I think she broke my nose.” He glared over at her.
Shelby swallowed at his look of fury. What would they do to her now?
Think, damn it!
She turned her gaze back to Cade, he was her only hope. Connor looked as if he’d rather strangle her than help her.
“I’m so sorry. I was just so scared.” She spotted another door in the adjacent wall. Maybe it led to another room? She just needed to get around Cade to get to it.
She lowered her gaze, deliberately making herself appear submissive and afraid. It actually wasn’t that hard, she was freakin’ terrified. After all, she’d just broken Connor’s nose. No doubt he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her.
Then there was her reaction to them. For a moment there she’d wanted nothing more than to snuggle against them, to touch them, to lick their slick skin, to feel their hands, their mouths on her skin.
She really had to get out of here. They were having some weird effect on her and she didn’t like it one bit.
“I didn’t mean to,” she added in a pathetic voice. Her heart beat wildly, her palms sweating.
“I know you’re scared, but like I said yesterday, we don’t harm females.”
“Really?” She made her voice whisper soft and added a terrified tremble for good measure. “Right now, Connor looks like he wants to hurt me.”
“You broke my fucking nose!” Connor nearly howled.
What a baby. It couldn’t possibly hurt that much.
She made sure that thought didn’t cross her face, keeping her gaze on the floor for good measure.
“I woke up lying in your bed. How was I supposed to know you weren’t going to…going to…” This time she didn’t have to fake the tremble in her voice.
Cade moved close enough that she could actually feel the heat rising from his body. Shelby had to stop herself from leaning into him. His scent teased her.
“We brought you up here because you were sick and we needed to keep a close eye on you,” Cade explained. “You were freezing cold so we put you between us to keep you warm.”
So they didn’t want her?
Shit, what’s wrong with me? I should be grateful they’re not interested in me sexually. They’re the enemy.
So why does my stomach quiver when I’m around them? Why do I get the urge to sink against their bodies and feel their arms around me, their mouths against mine?
Shake yourself out of it!
Cade reached out and brushed a strand of hair off her face. “But now you’re obviously feeling better. Why don’t we sit down and have some breakfast and you can answer our questions?”
It was now or never.
Swallowing heavily, Shelby leaned in.
“You’ll protect me?”
“You have my word.”
“Cade, wait, she—”
Shelby acted before Connor could finish his sentence. Swiftly, she brought her knee up into Cade’s groin. As he bent over with a groan of pain, she ran around him for the other door, opening it easily. Sh
e raced into an identical bedroom and headed toward the door.
Fuck! Locked! Glancing around frantically, she raced to the windows, trying each one without success. She cried out in frustration, kicking at the wall.
“All you’re going to achieve is a broken toe and then we’ll all have injuries.”
She spun and saw Connor leaning in the doorway of the connecting door, his arms crossed over his wide chest.
His nose was swelling already.
“There’s no way out, Shelby. Why don’t you do us all a favor and settle down.”
“Fuck you!” She turned back to the window, pushing at it.
“They’re all locked. You’ll never get out that way.”
That just pushed her to try harder. Shelby took a few steps back. If she couldn’t open it, then she was going to smash her way through it. She ran toward the window, turning side-on at the last moment to smash her shoulder through the glass. Just as she was inches from impact, her body was snatched up and she was spun in the air.
She found herself over a wide shoulder, looking down at one fine ass.
Smack!
A heavy hand landed on her butt, making her very aware of how little clothing she had on. Her T-shirt provided very little protection as Connor laid into her ass with his hand, making her skin sting and burn.
“Hey, let me down! Stop hitting me, asshole.”
“I’ll stop spanking you when I stop being fucking mad!” he yelled back, turning around and storming into the other bedroom. As he walked, he continued to place heavy smacks on her ass. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“What happened?” Cade asked in a pained voice as he sat on an armchair, his hand covering his groin protectively.
Shelby felt a flutter of guilt but squashed it quickly. They’d brought this on themselves. They were the ones who’d captured her. What did they expect? That she’d give them what they wanted?
“She tried to smash her way through the window. If it had broken she’d be cut to ribbons, not to mention it’s a fucking long drop to the ground.”
Okay, so it hadn’t been her best thought-out plan.
Connor slammed his hand down on each butt cheek. Shit, that was beginning to burn. But even worse, each smack of his hand seemed to vibrate her clit, make her pussy clench.
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