To Claim His Mate

by Serena Pettus

  “I’ll kill myself before I marry you, Shane. You’ll never get what you want from me.” Eva made sure her voice was flat and determined. She needed him to understand she meant business. Of course, there was no way for him to know her remaining money was already set to go to various charities upon her death, and she sure as hell wasn’t about to inform him of that either. No doubt, that news would send him into a blind rage and leave her and Sarah dead in the end.

  “Oh, I think you’ll do everything I tell you to do, Evangeline. I’ll have two of my boys holding on to your little friend over there, and if you don’t cooperate, they’ll start hurting her in some very imaginative ways.”

  Eva shuddered and watched as a satisfied grin spread across his thin, chapped lips.

  “I’ve met some very interesting people lately, little Eva. They love to play rough, and they have no problem with blood and inflicting a little torture when it’s needed.”

  “Oh, come on,” Sarah piped up. “What is this? A bad impression of a mobster movie?” She rolled her eyes as she brought the car to a stop in front of a rundown hunter’s cabin that looked as if it hadn’t been used in years. “Nice place you’ve got here, bud. Way to go all-out for your woman.” The sarcasm dripping from her words wasn’t lost on Shane who shot a death-ray gaze in her direction.

  “Just get the fuck out, bitch,” he snarled, taking Eva by the arm as she climbed out. “No trying anything funny either, missy,” he spat at Sarah. “I’ll break her arm if you do.” He twisted Eva’s arm up at an extreme angle behind her back, and she swore if he pushed it up just a bit farther she’d touch the back of her head. “Just try me.”

  Eva couldn’t help but make a distressed sound as she went up on her toes in an effort to relieve the pressure on her shoulder, which burned from the unnatural position. Much more of this and it would be dislocated for sure.

  “Take it easy.” Sarah was trying for a soothing tone, but Eva heard her anger. “Nobody is trying anything. You’re paranoid. All we’ve done so far is get out of the damn car.”

  “I saw the way you looked at me in the car. I know you’d love to get your hands on me, but it won’t happen, so you might as well forget it.” Shane backed to the door of the cabin, using Eva as a human shield, and banged out a short series of knocks on the door. “It’s me. Open the damn door!” he yelled.

  “‘Bout fucking time,” came a deep, disgruntled voice from inside. “You better have my beer, Shane.”

  “I’ve got something better,” he bragged. “Come on out. She might give me a hard time, and my hands are full right now.”

  “She?” The door swung in, and a mountain of a man ducked through the doorway. Ducked! He was massive! His eyes immediately settled on Eva’s struggling form, and she stilled. “She’s a tiny little thing.”

  “She’s mine,” Shane snapped. “This is the girl I was telling you about.” He nodded in Sarah’s direction and gave a sick sneer. “That one’s all yours. She’s got a mouth on her too, so see if you can do something about that.”

  “Shouldn’t be a problem,” the behemoth drawled, eyeing her up and down. He even gave a lecherous grin to show his approval.

  “Trust me, Lumberjack Bill. You can’t handle me,” Sarah purred, and Eva saw the slightly feral look in her eyes. “You like to fight, big guy? I could use a good fight. It’s been a while.” She cracked her neck from side to side then her knuckles and shook out her arms, loosening up like a boxer.

  Shane forced Eva into the cabin and away from Sarah and the huge guy standing before her. She could only pray that Sarah would be okay.

  The large man before Sarah threw back his head and laughed. “I like you, sweetheart,” he said, shaking his head. “You’ve got spunk. We’ll wrestle in a little while, but first, I need to speak to Shane.” He cut a look at Shane’s retreating back, and Sarah thought maybe this guy could be useful after all. It was not a friendly look.

  “He’s pissing you off, huh?” She tested the waters a little to see how talkative he might be, hoping to maybe gain an ally.

  “He’s a pain in my ass,” he growled.

  “Yeah, mine, too. That girl is practically engaged to my brother-in-law, and he’s good friends with the sheriff and a few SEALs, so you guys will be in a heap of shit here soon, just to give you a heads up.”

  His scowl deepened, and she gave him a friendly smile. She had a feeling that this man wasn’t as bad as he seemed, and Sarah always went with her gut. He smelled wary and pissed off, but not dangerous.

  “He’s blackmailing you, isn’t he?”

  He looked startled for a split second before schooling his features again. “He told you.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “Nope, I just figured that would be the only way he’d get anyone to hang around his sorry ass.” A bark of laughter escaped him, and Sarah had to admit, he wasn’t a bad looking guy. Though even good-looking guys could do really bad things. “So who did you kill?”

  He promptly choked on that laughter and gaped at her. “Nobody! Christ, why would you think I killed anybody?”

  “Well, because you’re hanging with buzz-kill Bob in there.” She pointed to the open door Shane had disappeared through. “So what’s he got on you?”

  He shrugged. “I owe two-hundred thousand to a nasty little man who’d love to see me dead if I don’t get him his money in a week. Shane promised to help me come up with the money if I act as security for him.”

  “Tsk, tsk. You have no idea the shit you’ve just stepped into.” Sarah held out her hand. “I’m Sarah.”

  “Mike.” He took her hand and shook it gently, which surprised her, given his size.

  “Look, I’m going to give you the lowdown since you don’t seem to have a clue.” She pulled her hair back and secured it in a sloppy ponytail with a rubber band on her wrist. “He’s kidnapped us. Eva’s boyfriend knows this because she answered her phone in her purse while fishing out the keys, and he listened as Shane gave me driving directions.”

  “Shit!” he hissed, raking his fingers roughly through his hair, his eyes darting around their surroundings.

  “Yeah. Now, you can either help us, or you can go down with everyone else.” At his nod, Sarah asked, “So how many goons does he have in there?” Time to get a battle plan brewing.

  “Three, if you include me. Shane was supposed to pick up some more guys in town, but he came back with you two instead.” She could tell from his scent that he was nervous, but he was mostly pissed. She could definitely work with pissed.

  “Do you have any idea how he’s going to get that money for you, Mike?”

  He narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

  “He’s going to force that girl to marry him then he’s probably going to kill her so he’ll have total access to her money. And she’s got lots of it. So does her boyfriend.”

  Mike frowned down at her. “I thought you were prostitutes.”

  “Gee, thanks,” she sneered.

  “Sorry. He brings them by sometimes.” He raked his fingers through his black hair again and sighed. “I’m in enough shit without adding criminal charges to it. I don’t have a record, just rotten luck with fixed fights.”

  “Then help me, and I’ll see to it you get the money you need. Here, take my wedding bands as collateral. They’re all I have on me right now.” She struggled for a moment to slide off the rings, hating the naked feeling now that they weren’t wrapped around her finger. “I’ll tell you right now though,” she said as she dropped them into his hand, “I’ll personally kick your ass if you lose these.”

  He smiled. “They’ll be in my pocket, perfectly safe. Now, I’m going out on a limb and trusting you, so please tell me you have a plan.”

  The yipping of a wolf carried on the night air, and Sarah smiled. “We’d better get inside. You just get me in a room with the other goons and keep playing your part. But keep Shane from hurting Eva.” She looked him in the eye. “She’s pregnant, Mike, and if something happens
to her or that baby, I’m not responsible for what the father will do.”

  “Understood. I assume you’ll forgive me for manhandling you?” Mike smirked as he grabbed her by the elbow.

  “Yeah, yeah, let’s get inside. I don’t like her being out of my sight.” Sarah gave him her most devilish grin, the one Erik cringed at seeing. “I’m her bodyguard for the day, and I take my job very seriously. Now, drag my girly ass in there, lock me in a room with those pricks and let me beat some ass.”

  “But you’re…”

  “If you say I’m just a girl, I’ll punch your ass in the throat right now,” she snarled up at him.

  “Fine, get your ass kicked, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he grouched. Taking a firm hold of her arm, Mike half-walked, half-dragged her through the door. “You weren’t kidding, Shane, but I like my women a little softer. I’ll put her back here with the other guys and be right back.” He jerked her roughly toward the back room of the cabin.

  Sarah turned her head to look back at Eva. A brief nod told Sarah Eva was okay, but the way she held her shoulder said it was still sore.

  “I’ll be back in a few, Eva,” she called, smiling brightly. “I’m gonna meet with the guys then I need to talk to Shane for a sec.”

  “You won’t feel much like talking to me once you’re done,” Shane sneered. “Besides, I’ll be with my lovely fiancée by then.” He leaned over and ran his tongue up the side of her neck, and Eva slapped him upside the head, knocking him off balance and crashing into a table.

  Eva’s strike had been reflexive, but she realized her mistake as soon as she’d made it. Before she could even react, Shane stood, reared back and punched her with all his might. Pain exploded in her head, black spots dancing before her eyes, and she stumbled, her back connecting with the wall, before her wobbly legs gave way beneath her.

  The next thing she knew, the big man who’d brought Sarah inside was in front of her, his stance aggressive. “What the fuck, man?” he demanded. “You never hit a woman! Especially one that’s pregnant.”

  The silence that followed his statement was deafening. Who knew silence could seem so loud?

  “Pregnant?” Shane spoke through clenched teeth, and Eva noticed Sarah inching closer while all of Shane’s attention was focused on Eva’s midsection. “I’m gone for a month, and you get yourself knocked up?” He was shouting by the time he was through. “You whore! You stupid fucking whore!” He shook his head, his eyes wild now.

  This did not bode well at all. If Eva wasn’t mistaken, that little bomb had just severed the last thread of his sanity.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he laughed, and it was not the laughter of a man playing with a full deck. “I can have marriage documents forged. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. See? I don’t need your ass anymore. You being dead will solve all kinds of problems for me.”

  Shane brought the gun up, clearly intent on killing her then and there, when several things happened at once. Eva tried to push her would-be savior safely out of the way, but he wrapped himself around her, using his body as a shield for hers, and Sarah launched herself right at Shane.

  From what Eva could see, Sarah didn’t even think, just reacted. She charged the bastard, grabbing his wrist, breaking it and sending the gun clattering to the floor. After delivering a knockout punch to the jaw, she rounded, kicking the gun to Eva’s protector as the other two men burst out of the back room.

  This was just what they needed—more guys to join the fight. Eva felt Adam’s worry and frustration. Her connection with him was getting stronger now, and she remembered him saying it was always strongest the closer they were together. That meant he was almost there. Now, she just needed a miracle, because there was no way she could fight off these guys if they came at her now.

  Eva’s lip was split and bleeding, and her eye was nearly swollen shut, not to mention her head throbbed like a bass drum.

  To her surprise, Sarah’s crazy ass looked right at her and winked before facing the new arrivals.

  “Hey, cool, I knocked him out!” Sarah cheered, doing her best ditzy female impression. “You boys think he’ll be okay? He said to take my best shot. Man, is he gonna be mad at me.” She pretended that the thought frightened her, but in reality, Eva could see Sarah practically vibrated with the anticipation of the fight ahead.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Abraham followed Sarah and Eva’s faint scent through the woods to the old cabin. Sarah’s SUV sat out front with the windows down. The clever girl knew their scent would travel, and that was the only confirmation he required.

  He approached in his wolf form, his black fur making him appear as nothing more than a shifting shadow in the darkness. Once he reached the side of the cabin, he drew up on his hind legs, finding purchase on the windowsill with his massive front paws.

  He glanced through the window just in time to see the vicious blow to Adam’s mate and snarled. Sarah threw herself at the male, seemingly without thought, but managed to disarm and neutralize the situation in a matter of seconds.

  Impressive for a female, he thought, and retreated to just inside the cover of the trees to send up the call to his brothers. They had better hurry, or they might not even be needed.

  * * * *

  The men smiling at Sarah started at the sound of a wolf’s howl just outside. Eva knew that meant the men would be there in a matter of minutes, and she wanted nothing more than to weep with relief, but it seemed as if Sarah wanted to prove to the brothers that the women could take care of things without them from time to time.

  Obviously deciding to use the men’s unease to her advantage, Sarah scurried across the room and right between the two thugs. “You heard that right?” She looked at the shorter man with her eyes wide. “You won’t let them get inside, will you?”

  “Nah, baby, I’ll keep you safe.” He snaked his dirty arm around her waist and pulled her close. “But you’ve gotta give me some sugar first.”

  His breath must have smelled horrible, because Sarah crinkled up her nose before asking, “Ew, what have you been eating?” she whined, leaning as far away as possible. “It smells like you’ve been chewing on a skunk’s ass.”

  Eva snickered behind her guard as he laughed, as well.

  “Come here, gorgeous.” The other man pulled Sarah toward him. “I brush my teeth, and I bathe regularly, too.”

  “Fuck you, Drake. I prefer indoor plumbing to streams and creeks,” the first man grumbled.

  “Really, Randy? You’re such a damn pussy,” Drake shot back. “You really knocked him good, didn’t you, sweetheart?” He pointed to Shane, who was still sprawled on the floor.

  “I didn’t think it was that hard.” Sarah blinked up, all innocence. “Do you think I’m really that strong? That would be so cool!” She clapped.

  Yup, Sarah could play the dumb bimbo quite well.

  “Baby, he’s such a pansy that a toddler could probably knock him on his ass.” Drake smiled. “A real man can take a hit.”

  “Like you? Do you fight a lot?”

  “Enough. Why? Are you wanting to take a whack at me now, darlin’?” Drake had a lazy smile that told Eva that he wasn’t worried about the ditzy little girl before him. Poor guy.

  “Can I?” Sarah clapped her hands again and jumped a little. Eva noticed how his eyes immediately dropped to her jiggling breasts.

  Insta-stupid!

  “Uh-huh,” he muttered.

  Wham!

  One down one to go, but as Sarah turned to Randy, the massive man guarding Eva jumped up and grabbed Randy so fast, if she’d blinked she would have missed it. Eva wasn’t even sure how he’d managed it. No man his size should be able to move like that.

  “How did you learn to fight like that?” He looked suspicious. Randy, on the other hand, looked scared shitless as he dangled from the massive man’s grip at his throat.

  “I haven’t exactly lived a charmed life, and we’ll leave it at that.” Sarah crooked her finger. “All right, h
and him over. I’m not done yet.”

  “Maybe, I’ll take a crack at this one myself,” he snarled, and Randy peeled his wide eyes off Sarah and went back to the man holding him aloft.

  “Dude, whose side are you on?” Randy spat.

  The big guy moved nose-to-nose with him and snarled, “Hers,” then he dropped Randy to the floor. “He’s all yours, sweetheart.”

  “Thank you, Mike.” Apparently, he and Sarah were on a first name basis. Sarah gave him a sugarcoated smile and kicked out, catching Mr. Stink-o right in his sternum. Eva heard a crack and winced. That couldn’t be good.

  “Damn,” Mike whispered.

  “Yeah, you should’ve pulled that one a little, babe” Eva piped in. She tried to sit up and hold the rapidly swelling side of her face, as pain radiated throughout her entire head with the slightest movement.

  Sarah looked around the room at the scattered male bodies. “Let’s tie these assholes up before the guys get here.”

  “Let me take care of that. You can make sure your friend’s okay.” Mike moved into the back room and came back out with rope and a roll of duct tape.

  Sarah didn’t bother to reply and just rushed to Eva’s side, concern growing in her gaze as she took a good look at Eva’s face. “Son of a bitch, he clocked you good.”

  “Yeah, I feel like my face exploded.” Eva winced when Sarah lightly touched her eye. “Okay, let’s not touch.”

  “Sorry, hon, but I have to call Stephanie. You need to be looked at, just in case, but I don’t think anything is broken. You’ll have a hell of a shiner and a busted lip though.”

  “Great,” she grumbled. “That’ll look sexy with this new dress, won’t it?”

  “Honey, when these guys love, it’s for life. You could shave your head and paint yourself blue, but you’d still be beautiful to him.”

  Eva heard the sound of feet tearing a path to the cabin and knew the men would shift and come inside in a matter of minutes.

  “The guys are here, but I’ve got to stop them and ensure they know Mike is on our side. You know, before one of them kills his ass,” Sarah said.