“Fairly straightforward my barmy Aunt Nell’s ass.” He shook his head and muttered, “Bloody ’ell.” Tremwith gestured toward Pelicia with a sigh. “Take the photos.” He looked at her and then at Declan as Bowers moved closer.
Bowers stopped a meter away, his gaze fixed on Declan.
Declan could smell the man’s anxiety, an anxiety that bordered on fear. Big strong policeman had a phobia of dogs, it seemed. Declan couldn’t contain his grin, even knowing it showed off his pearly whites and made the man even more nervous.
“Ah, sir…”
“Pel, could you call off the mutt?” Tremwith raised his eyebrows in question.
Mutt? Declan lost his canine smile. Who the hell was he calling a mutt?
“It’s all right. He’s very protective of me, but he’s not dangerous.”
Well, he wasn’t as long as no one threatened her.
She snapped her fingers. “Come here, boy,” she called, her voice cajoling and, in spite of the danger, holding a note of suppressed humor.
Declan wasn’t so amused. Just wait until he was back on two feet again, then they’d see how easily she could order him around.
Who was he kidding? If she was amenable, he’d let her order him around for the rest of his life.
He gave a huff, stood and padded in front of her to sit at her left side, keeping his gaze fixed on Tremwith and Bowers.
The men had better not muck this up, or all four of them were dead.
Bowers snapped a few photos, then stepped back and punched in a number on the phone’s keypad. “There,” he murmured. “The pictures have been sent.” He grimaced. “Good luck, sir.”
Tremwith started to crouch in front of Pelicia but paused and looked over his shoulder at Bowers and the other officers standing clustered a few meters away. “The rest of you clear out. All the way out—back to the beach. Just in case I end up making a wrong move…”
He waited until the men’s movements could no longer be heard. Turning back toward Pelicia, he asked, “Are you ready?”
“Just do it, Charlie.”
He nodded and brought the mobile to his ear. “All right. Let’s get this done, then.” He listened for a few seconds. Flicking his gaze over the homemade bomb, he began describing it.
When he got to the part about the wires, Pelicia interrupted him. “He said to cut the blue one, but I think he was lying.”
Tremwith repeated what she said into the phone. He listened to the person on the other end again then held the phone toward Pelicia. “Take this for a minute. He wants me to look at the harness he’s strapped you up with.”
He pressed the phone against Pelicia’s palm. She curled her fingers around it and watched as he carefully moved around to her right, looking at the harness, carefully lifting one edge to peer underneath the black strap. “Hold on. What’s this?”
Declan stood to see better and watched while the constable gently pulled a piece of black tape loose. Declan gave a growl of warning.
“Shit.” Tremwith let go of the strap and sat back on his heels, staring over at Declan. “Easy, boy. I’m just following directions.” The constable took the mobile from Pelicia. “I see the blue wire and the striped wire,” he said into the phone. He listened to the man on the other end of the line and then gave a nod. “Right. Red then striped. Be right back with you. I hope.” He pressed the phone into Pelicia’s hand again.
“That doesn’t sound very confidence inspiring, Charlie.” She ran her tongue over her lips.
“Sorry. I’ve just…Well, I’ve never done anything quite like this before. I’m a bit nervous.” He swallowed. Transferring the tool to his left hand, he rubbed his right palm down the leg of his trousers. Then he took up the tool in his right hand again and leaned in toward the bomb.
A snip of the red wire and then the yellow-and-white one, and it was all over.
They both heaved a sigh of relief, though Pelicia was sure hers was louder than Tremwith’s. She leaned forward, letting him unfasten the harness and pull it off her. He radioed for assistance. As soon as he moved away from her to hand the bomb off to another officer who’d responded to the call, she stood and wrapped her arms around herself. God, now that the danger was over, she was ready to fall to pieces, she could feel it.
The only thing that was holding her together was the thought that she couldn’t fail Declan now. She had to make sure nothing happened to him while he was in his wolf form. Were they to want to cart him away for some reason…
God, he could wake up at sunrise naked and stuffed into a dog crate.
He’d never forgive her for the indignity.
But the picture in her mind brought a near-hysterical giggle from her throat, which she stifled by pressing her lips together.
“Hey, it’s all right now.” Tremwith put one arm around her, squeezing her against him in a hug. “You’re all right.”
“I know.” And then the tears came—tears of relief, tears of anguish, tears of emotional pain long suppressed. She collapsed to the ground, wrapping her arms around Declan and burying her face in the thick fur along the back of his neck.
Dimly over her sobs she heard Declan whining. He stood there, leaning against her, giving comfort in the only way open to him, and she took it even while she wished he could put his arms around her and murmur soothing nonsense in her ear.
After several minutes she pulled away and swiped her hands over her cheeks. She sniffed and put one finger beneath her nose.
“Here.” The constable handed her a white handkerchief.
She took it with a muttered “Thanks” and mopped her face. She blew her nose and stared down at the crumpled linen.
“That’s all right,” he murmured. “You keep it.” He paused a moment, his gaze searching hers. “Do you feel up to coming to the station to make a full report?”
She shook her head. “Not now, Charlie.” She closed her eyes, suddenly so weary she felt light-headed. She swayed slightly. When Tremwith’s hand wrapped around her upper arm, she opened her eyes. “I just want to go home. To my dad.”
He nodded. “I understand. As long as you promise to come and see us tomorrow?”
She nodded.
She’d just survived the closest brush to death she ever wanted—at least, not until she was a really, really old woman—and all she wanted to do was run home to daddy.
Tremwith put a hand at the small of her back to help her over a rough patch of ground. As they reached the beach, she saw two boats, motors idling.
Motioning another officer over, the constable said, “Take Ms. Cobb over to Phelan’s Keep, would you?”
The officer nodded. Holding out his hand, he helped Pelicia into the boat. Declan sloshed through the water and jumped in on his own, giving himself a shake to dislodge the water in his fur.
“Oh, Pel,” Tremwith said, “we’ll start a search for O’Connell. I’ll phone you when we’ve found him.”
She stopped so abruptly the officer bumped into her as he was climbing in behind her. Turning, she stared at Tremwith. She knew she should act as if she were mightily concerned for Declan, but it was hard, knowing he was fine and standing by her left knee. She threaded her fingers through the thick ruff of fur along the back of his neck and stared at the constable.
He apparently misread her silence. “I’m sure he’s all right,” he hastened to assure her, his voice soothing. “You go on and spend time with your dad.”
Pelicia nodded without speaking and turned toward the bunk seat at the back of the small craft. She wanted to be wrapped up in her father’s arms, his voice telling her everything would be all right, comforting her like when she was a little girl. As well, she needed to update them all on the situation—whoever had attacked Sully was still out there.
Her father and Taite were waiting for her on the pier. As the officer pulled up next to the wooden dock, Cobb said, “PC Tremwith phoned to let us know you were coming.” He reached out and helped her onto the dock and wrapped her up in a
blanket, then held her in a tight hug. “Darling, are you all right?”
She fought back ready tears. Even though she was a couple of inches taller than her father, she felt small and vulnerable, and this hug from him was exactly what she needed at the moment. “I’m okay. I’ll be okay,” she amended.
“What the hell…” Taite’s voice trailed off.
Pelicia remembered Declan and pulled out of her father’s embrace. “Oh, I had to bring your dog back with me,” she said for benefit of the policeman, trying to convey with her eyes that Taite and her dad should play along. “I couldn’t leave him at the Nola all alone.”
Her father, bless his heart, picked up on the subterfuge right away. He pulled her into a one-armed hug and turned her toward the beach. “Of course you couldn’t, darling. It’s good to see…him.”
“Thank you for bringing Pelicia home,” she heard Taite say.
“Sure thing. And Ms. Cobb?”
Pelicia stopped and looked at the young officer.
“We’ll let you know as soon as we find Mr. O’Connell. In the meantime, try not to worry.”
She pressed her lips together and nodded. It was harder than she’d thought it would be, lying to the police. But it wasn’t as if she could tell them not to bother. Hopefully Declan could come up with a plausible explanation as to what had happened.
What had allegedly happened.
She should probably get used to this. It most likely wouldn’t be the last time she had to lie to someone to protect Declan’s secret.
With everything they’d been through together, she was not about to let him walk away from her again.
Chapter 21
In the dim light of dawn, Declan made his way back to Ryder’s house, wincing when his bare foot came down on a particularly sharp stone. Why the tough pads of the wolf didn’t translate to tougher soles in his human form didn’t make sense.
Just another part of the magic, he supposed.
He glanced down and grimaced at the hard-on he sported.
Yet another part of the freaking magic. It was always like this after he shifted—ready for sex.
Ready to mate.
God. He had to get back to Pelicia. Once they’d reached the island and the policeman had left, Ryder—also in his wolf form—had been waiting for Declan. The two of them had run around the island in the bright moonlight, exhilarated at the freedom the wolf provided. Just before dawn Ryder had made his way back to the house.
Declan had wanted to wait until he was able to transform to human before he saw Pelicia again. Now, as yet another sharp rock gouged the bottom of his foot, he thought perhaps Ryder had had the right idea.
When he reached the edge of the sculptured lawn, the back door opened and Pelicia stepped outside, leaving the door open behind her. Her fresh scent was the finest perfume to him. She was dressed in a red sundress and held a large cream-colored blanket.
He took it from her and wrapped it around his shoulders, holding it together in front of him to cover his nudity.
Not that he cared about walking around naked, but he supposed Pelicia would. Not to mention Taite.
“Thanks, darlin’,” he murmured and bent his head to kiss her. She threw her arms around his neck and held on tightly, her kiss telling him much more than words could.
She was happy he was back.
She remained unsettled from the events of the night and needed his comfort.
She still loved him.
His wolf perked up, primal satisfaction rushing through him at the knowledge he hadn’t lost her. He let loose a growl and let go of the blanket to cup her head between his palms.
The blanket fell to the ground.
He thrust his tongue between her lips, claiming her, being claimed, groaning when she lightly sucked on it. Her fingers twined in the hair at the nape of his neck before sliding to his shoulders in a tight grip.
Declan lifted his mouth from hers and buried his face in the curve of her neck, holding her tight against him. God, she felt so good in his arms, so right. He would never let her go.
“Don’t let me go,” she whispered, her arms holding him just as tightly. “Don’t ever let me go.”
“Never again,” he promised.
She sighed and leaned into him. “Is it over?” Her fingers tightened on the muscles of his back.
“Aye.” He straightened and loosened his grip, clasping his hands at the small of her back. “I just have to come up with a plausible excuse for not bein’ with you while you were bein’ terrorized by a madman.”
He rocked his hips forward, pressing his erection into the cleft of her thighs. He needed to fuck her, claim her. Needed to know without a doubt that she was his.
That he was hers.
Familiar scents wafted to his sensitive nose. He looked over her shoulder to see Ryder and Taite standing in the doorway. Ryder stared at Declan with an amused tilt on his lips while Taite looked somewhere over his left shoulder.
“I have an idea about that excuse,” Ryder said, humor lacing his deep voice. His gaze was knowing, but satiated, which told Declan two things.
One, his friend knew about his current state of arousal and, two, Ryder’s arousal had already been dealt with by his wife.
Next time, he’d definitely follow Ryder’s lead and get back to Pelicia before he shifted back to human. That way, when he did, there’d be no wasted time.
Ryder’s grin widened. “But you might want to pick up that blanket first.”
“Yes, please,” Taite added, her voice pert but with an underlying hint of embarrassment. “Seeing Ryder naked after he shifts is one thing. Seeing you…” She met his gaze and shrugged. “I love ya, buddy, but not that much.”
Declan laughed and bent, retrieving the blanket. Once he’d wrapped it around himself, he cocked an eyebrow at Ryder. “So what’s this grand idea of yours?”
“Why don’t you come back inside?” Taite stepped away from the door.
Ryder followed, taking her hand in his and tucking it in the crook of his elbow. Once Pelicia and Declan were both inside, the door closed behind them, Ryder said, “We can say that Addison lured you away from the Nola, managed to get the drop on you and left you stranded on one of the uninhabited smaller islands, then went back to the bed and breakfast to take care of Pelicia.”
“And just how is it I ended up here instead of back at the Nola?”
Ryder gave an unconcerned shrug. “One of us can run you over to an island and leave you there but we’ll make sure it’s on the tourist route so you’ll be able to catch someone’s attention.” He quirked an eyebrow. “You know the simpler you keep it the more apt they are to believe you, however unbelievable the story seems to be.”
Declan sighed. It seemed he wasn’t going to be able to get Pelicia in bed just yet. His erection wilted.
Ryder cleared his throat. “You know, Declan, you might want to go upstairs and get, ah, cleaned up.” He pressed his lips together, clearly fighting a grin. “I know how…dirty I felt when I came home this morning. In an effort to conserve water I had Taite take a shower with me.”
Taite smacked her husband on the arm. “You can just be quiet.”
Ryder laughed and put an arm around her waist, pulling her against him in an affectionate hug.
Seeing their closeness made Declan’s arousal surge once again. He bumped his hip against Pelicia’s and, when she looked at him, jerked his chin toward the kitchen door.
She pressed her lips together but couldn’t contain the grin. “All right, then. We’re going to go upstairs now so Declan can, ah, get cleaned up.”
Taite shook her head. “See what you started,” she muttered to her husband.
“What I started?” Ryder tried—unsuccessfully—to appear suitably grim. “I’ll phone the police in ten…”
Declan shot him a look.
“Thirty minutes,” he amended with a grin. “That should give you time to get cleaned up, especially if Pelicia helps.”
“T
hat’s what I’m thinking.” Pelicia grinned at Declan’s start of surprise.
He’d expected her to be embarrassed that Ryder and Taite knew that they were about to go at each other like bunny rabbits hyped up on steroids. But, seeing the sparkle in her eyes—a sparkle that was a combination of humor and passion—he realized that she wasn’t embarrassed.
Didn’t need to tell him twice.
Without another word he walked out of the kitchen.
He heard Pelicia’s low murmur of “See you later,” then she called out, “Hey! Wait for me.”
Declan paused in the hallway until she reached him. They walked into the foyer and turned to go up the stairs, where they were met by her father. He looked from Pelicia to Declan and back again. His face as stern as Declan had ever seen it, the little man said, “If you hurt her again, werewolf or no, you’ll answer to me.”
“Dad!” Pelicia’s cheeks went red.
Declan stared down at William Cobb, a little surprised that the wolf in him didn’t rise up in a snarl. Perhaps because Cobb wasn’t trying to usurp Declan’s alpha position with his mate; rather, he was trying to protect the woman Declan loved.
“I have no intention of hurtin’ her,” he responded. “And every intention of lovin’ her for the rest of my life.”
Cobb searched his gaze for a long moment then gave a small nod. He moved to one side to allow them to go up the stairs.
Pelicia paused beside her father and pressed a kiss on his cheek. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too, darling.” He patted her shoulder. “Go on with you.” His smile held a hint of sadness that made Declan wonder a moment, but as soon as Pelicia turned back to him with such love in her eyes—love for him—his only remaining thought was to get her upstairs and in bed without any further delay.
He met Cobb’s gaze and tipped his chin down in acknowledgment. “Come on, darlin’,” he said to Pelicia. “We’re on the clock here.”
The climb up the stairs to the second floor heightened his anticipation. By the time they reached his room, his arousal was in full force again.
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