by Vella Day
Jay tapped the paper where he’d been taking notes. “I think you’re right. Clay and Dirk are going to have to stay at this motel. I don’t see another option.”
They were the General’s other two guards. “It’s the only place to stay in this godforsaken town. I don’t think it’ll be an issue. Because we were hired together, no one will question if I ride in with them in the morning. That way you can have the truck.”
“I still need to keep a low profile, which sucks.”
“It’s only for a few days.” Though if he’d been the one who’d interacted with Statler in the past instead of Jay, Riley wasn’t sure if he could sit in here and not at least case the place. “You could always drive in, shift, and keep an eye out on the place. No one will know who you are if you’re in wolf form.”
“True. When are Clay and Dirk supposed to get here?”
Riley checked his cell for the time. “Half an hour tops.”
Jay chugged the rest of his soda. He’d spent ten minutes locating the machine, but Riley wouldn’t touch one of those drinks. No telling how long it had been there.
“You okay being around Sarah?” Jay asked.
Every muscle tightened. Talking about his feelings wasn’t a topic he wanted to get into. “Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because she’s your mate, dude.”
There was no use denying it. “That may be, but I can keep my dick in my pants.” At least, he sure as hell was going to try.
Jay laughed. “You are such a liar. I saw how you squirmed when you were in the room with her.”
He prayed Sarah hadn’t noticed how antsy he’d been around her. “Don’t worry. I’ll control my urges no matter how hard it is. I have a job to do.”
Jay stood, walked across the cramped room, and leaned against the dresser. “I hope you can, and just so you know, Sarah is my mate, too. When the timing is right, I intend to pursue her. I hope you’re with me on this.”
Riley wasn’t ready to discuss it. Back in Washington, it had all been about fun, never even considering a long-term relationship. “I’m here to save the women. That needs to be your goal, too.”
Jay stabbed a hand in his hair. “It is mine, but I can’t get Sarah out of my head. Her scent is inside me now. As odd as it sounds, I’m almost happy to be watching from the sidelines. If I had to interact with her in Statler’s warehouse, I might go crazy not being able to touch her, and it’s getting worse by the hour.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about me.”
The rumble of a large engine entered the lot, and Riley walked over to the window and pulled back the curtain. “I bet that’s Clay and Dirk.” He’d already detected werewolves close by.
Once he identified the men, Riley opened the door and waved. In seconds, two huge men stepped inside and greeted them. Clay was taller, fairer, and a tad thinner than Dirk, but both were strong as shit. “Welcome, gentlemen.” They all shook hands.
All three of them were expected to head to the warehouse as soon as they arrived in town, so they didn’t have time for idle chitchat. “Is there anything Jay or I should know about this operation before I stroll in there?” Riley asked.
“Just that Tom Hammond is our theoretical boss,” Clay said. “You don’t have to worry that Statler will check on us, though, since he won’t be able to get a hold of Hammond for any kind of confirmation.”
“Works for me,” Riley said. He faced Jay. “Contact me if anything develops. I’ll have my cell on vibrate.”
“I’ll text Sarah and let her know to expect you. We don’t need her freaking out when you stroll in.”
She’d already told them about her change in hours, so she’d be there until six.
Clay dipped his hand in his pocket. “Here are the antibiotics you requested.”
“Great. Sarah will appreciate it.”
They hopped in the truck and Riley directed them to the warehouse. They discussed whether they needed to come up with fake names, but then decided that Statler wouldn’t have bothered to learn the identity of the General’s workers. That kind of intel would have been beneath him. From what the men who’d been hired by Hammond had reluctantly told them, Statler knew nothing about them, only that there would be three.
When he, Clay, and Dirk arrived at the warehouse, an Alltel Security truck sat in front. “Shit.” Riley fisted his hand.
“Don’t worry. That’s Trax and Dante doing their magic,” Dirk said with a smile.
“Ah.” Riley had underestimated the General and his reach. Then again, he hadn’t known the man for very long. “According to Sarah, a man by the name of Russell Sizemore is in charge of security. Sarah said he’s always asking her a lot of questions and that he creeps her out. You should be aware that he’s cozied up with Amy, one of the nurses, who is Sarah’s roommate. So be careful around her.”
“Good to know. Thanks,” Dirk said.
Riley pushed open the car door. “Look mean, gentlemen.”
He hopped out of the vehicle, hoping like hell Statler had left the building because he wasn’t certain he could act civilized if he met him.
* * *
When Sarah read the text from Jay that Riley and two of the General’s men would be guards at the warehouse, she was thrilled but also a bit frightened. Believing she was relatively safe from Statler’s evil ways might cause her to lower her guard, which might prove fatal. The other issue was that Riley would be close by. The man did something to her insides whenever he was near, and she hoped she could act indifferently around him.
As if she’d conjured him up, the front door opened and three men strode in, one of who was Riley. Her stomach swirled and twisted with unwanted lust. The man had the most adorable scowl on his face as if he was working hard to appear a real badass. The shorter, stockier of the two unknowns had a frown to equal Russ’s, and the taller one seemed to be spending his time looking around, rather than attempting to appear tough.
Down the corridor, the door leading to Statler’s office opened and she froze, fearing her boss or Russ would fire her for ogling the men and not tending to the women. Instead, a huge man, who looked vaguely familiar, strode down the hallway. She wished she could remember where she’d seen him.
Oh, no. Was he a buyer for the women?
“Gentlemen,” the giant said, “Come with me.”
Okay, maybe he wasn’t here to buy the women. Riley froze as if he, too, knew the man, but then glanced her way with a hunger in his eyes that nearly undid her. Whoa. Even when he was scowling, he exuded sex appeal.
“Who are they?” Amy whispered as she slid next to her.
Sarah slapped a hand over her chest. She wasn’t used to having another nurse work with her, but Amy was still on the old eight-hour schedule. “You scared me.”
Amy looked over at her and smiled. “Sorry. I was staring too hard at those men. All I can say is wow.”
Sarah twisted toward her. “You aren’t supposed to drool. You’re with Russ.”
She shrugged then grinned. “There’s always room for one more.”
Just then Russ rounded the corner and stalked toward them, and Sarah hoped he hadn’t overheard his girlfriend’s comment. “Gotta get back to work,” Sarah said.
Needing to regroup, she headed to the eastside room, where Nancy was located. When Amy had come into work two hours ago, Sarah had told her the bad news about the twelve-hour shifts. While Amy wasn’t happy, she didn’t seem all that upset. She’d said that Russ’s hours would probably be extended because of Darnell’s departure and that she liked working when Russ was around. It must have occurred to Amy that with the addition of the three men, the guards’ schedules might change.
Until Sarah finished her shift in two hours, Amy would be there to take care of the other five women. Not having to rush between the rooms, even for one day, would be nice.
Less than thirty minutes after her Riley sighting, the door to the women’s room opened. She thought it was Amy, but when she turned around,
Riley was coming toward her, and her pulse shot up.
He glanced around the room, probably to check out the location of the cameras. Four had been installed today. Without moving her head, she motioned with her eyes to each of them.
She straightened her shoulders, pretending to be put off by a guard coming into her domain. “Can I help you with something?”
“Just checking the place out.” He smiled and her heart zinged. “The truth? You looked a little lonely when I came in.”
That comment threw her for a loop. Was this Riley, her fellow agent, or a fake guard who was trying to mislead Statler? She cleared her throat, not willing to discuss whether she was lonely or not. “What do you want?”
“You,” he whispered.
Me? Lust pooled between her legs. He’d said the word so softly that a mic wouldn’t be able to pick up the sound. What was his game? The last time she’d been with him, he’d acted like he didn’t even like her. Or was this another acting job, like the one in the convenience store? She didn’t dare pose the question in here.
Sarah would have turned away from the cameras, but they seemed to be everywhere. Riley slipped a hand into his pocket and leaned close. Her breath caught in her lungs at his nearness, and while his power and raw manliness excited her, she had a job to do.
He reached out and stroked her arm with a finger, and she couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. Goose bumps skittered across her skin, but whether it was from excitement or a bit of fear she didn’t know. When his hand reached hers, he slipped something square into her palm, and the puzzle pieces fell into place. It had to be the antibiotics. He understood that if Statler had seen the exchange, one of them might be killed.
The door quickly opened. “Sarah, could I—oh. Excuse me.”
Shit. Her world spun as a few terrible scenarios raced through her head. Less than an hour ago, she’d acted as if she didn’t know the three new guards. Think. What had she said to Amy? Her mind blanked.
As if he could see the panic screaming across her face, Riley turned around, glared at Amy, then bent down and kissed Sarah.
Holy shit.
Chapter Seven
Sarah’s rigid discipline of remaining calm under extraordinary pressure collapsed for the second time in three days. Not only was she stunned, she had no idea if she should be wrapping an arm around Riley’s neck and a leg around his waist, or would it be better to push him away and act as if she’d never met him? Amy remained in the doorway with her mouth open.
Do what you want and lie about it later.
When Riley dragged his tongue along the seam of her lips, all rational thought disappeared. She’d woken up a few times during the night and dreamed about this exact moment. Ah, hell. She did what her body demanded. She kissed him back.
His erection made an indentation in her stomach and the sexual heat slammed into her so fast her breath caught. This was ridiculous. A man had never had an effect on her like this before, but then again, she’d never met a man like him—or Jay.
He broke the kiss. “Tonight? My place?”
How was she supposed to answer that? “Sure.”
He grinned, and as he headed out, Sarah stuffed the medicine in her pocket. Amy rushed in. “You’ve been keeping him a secret?”
If she believed that, Sarah would go with it. “Riley and I worked together at the old lab for a while. He was only there for a few weeks, but the sex was amazing.”
Amy grinned. “You go, girl. Word of advice, though. Be careful when Statler’s around.”
“Don’t tell me he caught you and Russ doing the nasty?”
“Almost. Russ can sense another werewolf a mile away, so we were able to move apart in time.”
“I’ll be sure to keep our relationship professional at work.”
“Smart. I came in to ask if you’d look at Belinda. She’s been having some abdominal pain.”
“That’s not good.” Right now, Sarah needed to make sure Amy didn’t suspect anything.
When she entered the other room, Belinda was holding her stomach. If Sarah had been held captive, she’d have faked an illness, too—anything to get out of there—but if Belinda was acting, she deserved an award. Shit. She hoped it wasn’t a burst appendix. Belinda would die without medical care.
“Where does it hurt?” The answer wasn’t going to come as a surprise.
“My stomach.”
“When did it start?”
“After I ate.”
She asked her a series of questions including the level of severity. As Sarah stood to find some medicine, she noticed Belinda’s wrists were bleeding from the restraints. “I’ll find some bandages, too.”
With each step, her hatred for Statler built. It didn’t matter that he’d stocked a small storage room with whatever medications she and a few others had been able to bring with them when the General had seized the lab. Statler was still uncaring and nasty.
The storage room was at the end of the corridor—the same hallway that housed Statler’s office. Walking quietly, she stepped inside the tiny room and scanned the shelves. After she gathered the bandages, she looked for something to help soothe Belinda’s stomach, hoping it was a case of indigestion.
The door behind her clicked open and she spun around, her heart nearly bursting.
“What are you doing here?” Someone would surely miss Riley and come looking for him. Thankfully, there were no surveillance cameras in the five by eight storage closet, but that didn’t mean they could stay in here and do wonderful things to each other’s bodies.
“I’m sorry if I upset you in the other room. I knew Amy was attached at the hip to Russ, and I didn’t know how to explain being so close to you.”
Well, that deflated her ego. “No problem. I told her that we dated at the lab.”
“I’m guessing Amy didn’t work there?”
“Right.”
Now that he’d said his peace, she thought he’d leave, but he just stared at her. Then as if she was watching a slow motion movie of someone transforming into a wolf, his incisors grew and his scruff darkened.
“Riley?”
* * *
Riley shouldn’t be there, but the moment he sensed Sarah was near, it was as if someone else had taken over his body. He’d always prided himself on being able to control his heart rate, his facial expressions, and his ability not to shift, but he’d never been tested like this before. Sarah did something to his equilibrium, and if he wasn’t careful, he could end up taking down this entire operation.
Because his kind only found their mate once in their life, he didn’t have any experience with this sort of thing. Jay seemed excited that Sarah was both of their mates, but there were too many pitfalls. Eventually, she’d find Jay easier to be with and then she’d tell Riley to take a hike. It was the story of his life.
Riley wasn’t strong enough, though, to walk away. If he could be with her just one time, he might be able to get her out of his system. One touch, one kiss, and then he could move on. Jay could pursue her and all would be good.
He cupped her shoulders. “I lied. I kissed you because I couldn’t help myself.”
Letting a woman know exactly what he was thinking probably wasn’t smart, but the hurt emanating from her eyes cut him deep.
“You couldn’t?” She glanced to the door, her gaze never leaving his face. “I’m honored, but we shouldn’t be here together.”
While those words came out of her mouth, her hands fiddled with the lapel on his shirt; she was contemplating undoing the buttons. She must be as affected as he was by this magical pull between them, though how that was possible he didn’t know. Sarah was a human, and her kind didn’t have the same draw to another as werewolves did, but he wouldn’t complain.
“That may be, but since we are here—together and alone—I see no reason not to taste you again.” This need went beyond mere desire. His whole genetic makeup demanded it, almost frightening him in its intensity.
She closed her eye
s, slid her palms around to his back, and slightly parted her lips. If that wasn’t a sign she wanted him, he’d let Statler kill him. Not wasting another second apart, he drew her near and inhaled her crisp scent as he pressed his lips to hers. Their tongues entwined like lifelong lovers, and the idea that one touch would be enough evaporated.
His hands found their way to her round butt, and as he cupped each of her luscious orbs, his claws extended at the thought of driving his dick into her dark sweetness. Her chest expanded and contracted with each breath as if being with him was overwhelming her, too.
She broke the contact and looked up at him with a combination of lust, fear, and need. “What if someone comes looking for you?”
“Don’t worry. Clay and Dirk will warn us if trouble is brewing. Besides, Statler took off a while ago.”
That was a relief. “What about Russ?”
“I’m sure he’ll understand. He seems like the type who enjoys a willing woman.” He prayed all this talk about being caught wouldn’t give Sarah second thoughts.
Second thoughts? Look who was talking. Riley had intended to merely steal a kiss—nothing more. Yet, he couldn’t stop now. He delved into her sweet mouth and his dick nearly sprung from his pants. His urge to mate had turned him feral, and his teeth sharpened.
She jerked. “What was that?”
He ran his tongue along his sharp fangs, concentrating on retracting them. “I’m sorry. You bring out the best, or maybe it’s the worst in me. The wolf inside me wants to claim you. I can’t explain it any other way.”
She smiled and dragged her hands up his chest. “I wouldn’t mind if you want to find a little release.”