by Anne Marsh
“I’ve got experience,” she pointed out.
Cruz and Eli said nothing, just watched, their heads swinging between her and Dag like they were ringside at a tennis match. She couldn’t see Luc, however, because he was behind her, which made her nervous. She turned to make another circuit of the room and Dag reached out a hand, swinging her to a halt. His leg pressed against hers.
Cruz cleared his throat, his eyes dropping to her leg, but she wasn’t giving up that comfort. Dag’s arm snaked around her waist, pulling her down onto his lap. As negotiating positions went, it was no power position but she was done pretending she and Dag weren’t in some kind of a relationship. Damned if she knew precisely what they were to each other, but her brothers were going to have to deal with it.
“Riley shanked one of the bastards out there in the bayou.” Obvious pride filled Dag’s voice. It was a good thing she was sitting down, because she wasn’t sure her legs would hold her.
He was watching her now. “So what do you wan’ to do?”
She noticed he hadn’t precisely passed the baton to her, but he was listening.
“How long do we have?” she asked.
“If it’s coming tonight? An hour minimum, but if I was huntin’, I’d wan’ to keep you off-balance. Make you wait some and tip your hand. I wouldn’t bust in here the moment the sun went down. I’d make you wait for it so you’d be jumpy and unsure.”
Cruz dragged his gaze back to their faces. “The neighbors goin’ to be a problem?”
The shelter was somewhat isolated—just one of the things that had drawn her to the property—but if things got too noisy… yeah, the neighbors would be dialing it in and banging on the front door.
“Not if you keep the noise down.”
“You need to use this place again?” Luc’s voice offered no judgment.
“Yeah.” She swallowed. “It’s pretty well known in certain circles. If a woman’s in trouble and looking to lay out, she’s likely to come here if she lives in the parish.”
Dag nodded slowly, clearly running logistics in his head. “So we’ve got to do this quietly.”
Cruz’s sigh said it all. “Hell, shug, you do like a challenge.”
“Cruz?”
“Yeah?”
“I survived the three of you,” she pointed out.
Cruz grinned at her. “Yeah. And then you swore never, ever.”
“What?”
He nodded towards Dag. “Wolf boy’s scent is all over you. Mom is going to be real happy. She didn’t think you’d be the first to take a mate.”
“I’m not. Mated.” She wasn’t telling him about the sex. No way she opened that can of worms. Plus, she was fairly certain he knew already.
“Uh-huh.” He raised an eyebrow. “He marked you. You didn’t run.”
She had. Dag had simply caught her. Twice.
“Can we please talk about this later?”
Cruz crossed his arms over his chest. “Trouble in paradise?”
“He’s a wolf,” she growled. “He’s three hundred years old. And I’m fairly certain he believes he’s the ruler of the bayou. Yes. There’s trouble.”
“I’m listenin’,” was all Cruz said.
###
The sun had been down three hours and Riley knew she was looking at at least eight more hours of dark. The vamp hadn’t come in fast and furious, so score one for Dag. The man knew how the mind of a predator worked all right. Her only comfort was she’d rigged the generator with high wattage bulbs and flipped the switch at sunset, lighting the place up like a ballpark. The neighbors might bitch some tomorrow, but she figured they’d give her a pass tonight. People in the bayou preferred to live and let live.
Lighting up was predictable but as Dag had pointed out, that could be a wise strategy. “The vamp,” he’d remarked, “he’ll expect you to hide your gals or to fight. Lights are the first line of defense, so it would be strange if you were holed up in the dark.”
Glancing out the second-floor window, she estimated she had enough wattage for four times the space. Spread out around the property and on the street, the guys outside practically needed sunglasses. Inside the house, however, she and Dag weren’t squinting.
Dag lifted his head, suddenly on high alert. “He’s here.”
She wanted to run and hide. While the sick anticipation of waiting hadn’t been a picnic, knowing she was about to come face-to-face with a vamp was actually worse. “You sure?”
Dag smiled. “Yeah.”
Their plan—to use her as the bait to draw the vampire in—suddenly seemed woefully inadequate. Sure, she knew what to do. She also had her brothers, Dag and half Dag’s Pack backing her up, but knowing and doing were two different things.
Very, very different things.
Dag’s hand found the back of her neck and squeezed gently. Her panic eased off some, the warmth of his touch seeping into her. “We’re goin’ to do fine,” he promised.
“I’m holding you to that.”
He nodded, already rolling to his feet, surefooted even in the dark. He didn’t let go of her, not entirely, his hand slipping to her shoulder. He rubbed small circles against her skin, his touch offering comfort and security. Or a vise, she thought as the fear came back double-time, ready to her haul her back. He looked at her like he could read her mind though and her heart settled back into place.
Comfort.
“Nothing hurts you, boo.”
She could hear the promise in his voice and the quick, hard kiss he dropped on her lips felt right. He planned on taking care of business for her. And to hell with it, she thought. In the space of his kiss, she lifted one of his blades from its sheathe on his back. He’d armed her earlier a high-powered flashlight and endless instructions, but she wanted the knife too.
The power to the house died and the porch flickered once, twice, before going out altogether. The yard lights stayed up, though, powered by generator. The motor whined, pumping out power.
Almost loud enough to drown out the scuttle of nails across her rooftop.
She tensed, getting ready to pop up at the window. She’d have Dag at her back and he’d make a show of dragging her back down to the floor. Like she’d bucked his authority and he hadn’t been able to stop her. The vamp, Dag had argued, would be expecting a werewolf or two. Her brothers were the real surprise.
“Riley Jones.” Her name was a cold hiss from the shadows.
You can do this.
One Miss America wave and then down. Her brothers would handle this for her. Dag’s Pack would too.
And if she let them, she’d lose her chance to meet Dag on equal ground. Which mattered, she realized, because she was actually contemplating a future with him. He’d made it clear he wanted that, even if she wasn’t sure how much of his want was due to the blue moon and how much was due to her. He was a good man and a keeper. Unfortunately, she just wanted to be keeping him on her terms.
She stood up and turned towards the window, Dag’s hand falling away from her. He nodded silently and gave her the go-ahead sign. The window loomed in front of her, dark and empty, but she couldn’t tell where the vamp was now. The tension in Dag’s body radiated an intense focus, a knife palmed in his hand.
His head turned, tracking the small sound from the front of the house. Not on the roof. He rose to his feet just as the bedroom door burst open.
The vampire lunged in, licking blood from its fingertips. Wolf skins hung from its bony shoulders in ragged shreds.
“Knock knock.”
###
The wolf fought, determined to push to the surface. Dag understood its rage, but he could protect Riley better as a man and so he wouldn’t shift. He simply embraced the wolf’s fierce protectiveness and stepped in front of Riley, putting his body between her and the vamp. He was on the killing edge. Waiting had been hell, but now he had his chance.
This was one fight he had to win.
He launched himself across the room, blades out. He’d only get
one chance. Behind him, the rapid in-and-out of Riley’s breathing and her deathly stillness said she was staying put. Good. She was scared, but she wasn’t running. Wasn’t making herself anymore of a target for the vamp. As long as she let him handle this, everything would be okay.
But then it had to be.
His first slash met air, the vamp leaping effortlessly for the ceiling where it clung.
“You come on over here and I’ll make this easy,” the vamp offered. “You can do a little trade up.”
“Take you over him?” Riley didn’t move. Good girl. “No thanks. I’ll pass.”
The vamp moved across the ceiling and Dag followed. His second thrust severed tendons in the vamp’s left leg and the monster hissed.
“Going to pay for that, wolf…”
Keep her safe. The need formed a primal beat in Dag’s head and soul. He went cold, shutting Riley out and focusing on nothing but the knife balanced in his hands. A whisper of sound alerted him and he swung, the blade cutting through skin. The vamp grunted. He’d stuck the bastard.
Better. Behind him, Riley suddenly moved, fast and determined. Almost too late, he realized what she was going for. Her hand stretched towards the light switch by the door and he snapped his eyes closed as electric light flooded the room.
Smart girl. The vamp shrieked, lobbing a blade at the light. The bulb broke, plunging the room into darkness, but the damage was done.
“Go,” he roared, hoping she wouldn’t hesitate. The plan had been for her to go out the window. Her brothers would be circling the yard two stories below, waiting to catch her when she let go and fell.
Dag leapt up, getting an arm around the vamp’s neck so gravity could do her thing and pull them both back down to the floor. Teeth tore at his forearm but he didn’t give a fuck. All that mattered now was yanking the head back and clearing a path for his blade. Tackling the vamp was like riding a wild bull, but he held on, legs scissored around the bastard’s waist. Got his other arm up and sawed the blade across the vamp’s throat.
And then he heard the soft pant of Riley’s breathing. Too close. Fuck. She’d stuck around and he’d definitely be discussing that change of heart with her later. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her. She circled with them, blade in her hand.
The door banged open, wolves pouring in. The reinforcements were welcome, but Dag had this. Yanked back hard on the vamp’s head, until only a few tendons connected the bastard to its body.
He looked over at Riley. Her place. Her rules. “You wan’ to do the honors?”
Her eyes widened. “Don’t mind if I do.”
Stepping closer, she finished the job he’d started.
Chapter Thirteen
A right hook smashed into his jaw and damned if Dag didn’t see stars.
Hell.
Riley’s brother packed a mean punch.
Dag wasn’t the kind of man other men went after. He was dangerous. A predator. Right now, all he wanted was to hose off the vamp blood coating him and hightail it back to Riley. Riley’s brothers, however, clearly planned on making following her difficult. They’d surrounded him the moment he set foot in the yard after finishing the vamp inside the house.
His eyes narrowed now, considering the man advancing on him. If he hit Eli, Riley would be upset. Backing down wasn’t an option, either. He settled for wrapping his fingers around the other man’s fist when it came at him again. If he squeezed hard enough to crush human bones, that wasn’t his problem.
“You don’ wan’ to do this.”
“Hell yeah I do.” He also wanted a shower and to hold Riley in his arms for a couple of decades or so.
“You had Riley out there in the bayou with you.”
“I rescued her.”
“Says you.” Brothers two and three stepped up behind Eli. The show of family loyalty was appropriate, but frustrating. He was Riley’s family now.
“She says she got away on her own,” Jace said, crossing his arms over his chest. His mistake, Dag decided, had been in leaving Riley alone at the safe house. She’d clearly had far too much time on her hands if she’d had time for a heart-to-heart with these three.
Cruz nodded. “And then you locked her up on a boat.”
True. Riley, however, had clearly omitted certain events—like the phenomenal sex. He narrowed his eyes. “She’s my mate.”
Fuel for the fire apparently, because the brothers looked at each other and this time Dag heard knuckles cracking. The visible tension in their bodies warned him they were itching to pile on him. All they needed was the excuse.
Jace’s eyes glowed yellow. “You forced her to bond with you?”
He didn’t think so. “I asked.”
“A woman who was locked up on your boat.” Cruz winced. “Explain to me which part of that sounds like free will.”
“She said yes.”
“I don’t see a ring.”
He could buy one. Hell, he’d buy her a dozen. “I’m on it.”
Jace shook his head. “Jesus. This isn’t about purchasing a jewelry store.”
Dag wasn’t sure who threw the first punch, but it wasn’t him. He’d been holding back, knowing Riley wouldn’t like it if he started a fight with her brothers—he didn’t need to be any kind of a relationship expert to figure that out—but even she couldn’t blame him for defending himself. Could she?
The next ten minutes were a happy blur. Fists and elbows—Riley’s brothers fought dirty—as they rolled around the yard of the safe house. Despite being outnumbered three to one, he held his own. He was straddling brother number two, methodically pounding the other man’s head against the ground, when the first blast of the garden hose hit him.
The water was icy cold and Riley was merciless. She’d flicked the nozzle to jet stream and she looked like some kind of avenging Valkyrie, with her mussed-up hair, half in and half out of a pony tail. Despite—or perhaps because of—the dirt and blood on her face, he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and check her out. Kiss her everywhere and then some. The look on her face, however, promised she’d knee him in the balls if he made any kind of move in her direction.
She released her death grip on the trigger and let the hose fall by her side. “Heads up,” she said. “This testosterone fest isn’t working for me.”
Cruz flopped onto his back. “Shit, Riley.”
Dag levered to his feet. He’d definitely looked better himself. He could feel a bruise blossoming on his jaw and, thanks to Riley’s impromptu shower, mud had replaced the vamp blood he’d been sporting.
“Riley—” He got her name out before she cut him off.
She held up a hand. “No. I don’t want to hear it. You stay there. You’re drawing battle lines in my yard—so that’s your half.”
Hell. She’d fought him tooth and nail on the whole mate claim, so he liked the idea of sharing space with her. Unfortunately, now she was subdividing that space and putting him in his place. Which should have been by her side—not clear across the yard. He stared at her, wishing he could read her mind and figure out what to say.
“You lot,” she snapped, her eyes narrowing as she raked her brothers with her gaze. “I appreciate your coming. Thank you for getting my ladies out of her and thank you for kicking vampire ass.”
“And?” Eli stared at her.
“Have a safe drive home and say ‘Hi’ to Mom and Dad for me.”
“No.” Cruz was shaking his head before she even finished speaking. “You’re coming back with us, shug.”
The hose came up again, the nozzle waving right then left as Riley punctuated her point. He had to hand it to Cruz—the other man’s eyes never left Riley’s face.
“I’m going home,” she said. “To my place. Alone.”
She stalked off around the house before he had a chance to ask her to stay. Or hold her or do any of the dozen things crowding his brain.
“Fuck,” he said.
“That about sums it up,” Jackson drawled from behind him. “A
ren’t you supposed to be gettin’ better at this matin’ business?”
Dag turned and, sure enough, he and his new family were providing a sideshow for his Pack. Luc and Jackson were sprawled on the porch steps. He was surprised they hadn’t popped the top on a cold one or kicked back with snacks.
Jackson flashed him a grin. “She’s ours.”
“Hell, no.” She was his.
“You got a plan for this?” Luc sounded genuinely interested. “That’s a woman who comes with plenty of baggage.”
He could see that. Six feet times three of baggage, and that wasn’t counting her parents in upstate Louisiana.
Footsteps inside the house had them all turning to stare at the screen door.
Dag hadn’t expected more company. “You didn’t leave someone standing watch?”
Luc’s mouth twisted. “Apparently not.”
Ellie appeared at the back door. “There’s one hell of a mess upstairs,” she said. Luc opened his mouth. Closed it. “I’m not wanting to know,” she continued. “I passed Riley on my way in and she’s okay, so whatever else you all got up to here is none of my business.”
Cruz cleared his throat. “You were supposed to be safe in Baton Rouge.”
Ellie shrugged. “I’m not stupid and I’m not letting Riley face trouble on her own. I picked up a rental car and headed back.”
“Hell.” Jace stood up, patting his pocket for his car keys. “How come Riley will let Ellie help, but the rest of us get our asses handed to us for trying?”
Knowing the answer would certainly make life easier.
“Honey,” Ellie laughed, “it’s all about the asking and not the telling. Riley’s gonna do what she needs to do, but she knows I’m there for anything she needs. She’s had my back a time or two—” she gestured towards the house— “So I’m gonna be there for her.”
“You’re her Pack,” Dag said.
“Call it what you want.” Ellie didn’t look like definitions mattered much. She definitely had that backbone of steel he’d sensed earlier. When he strode up the porch steps and rapped on the screen door, she popped it open without hesitating.
She examined him from head to foot. “You’re the dog.”