by Vella Day
Spurred by the joy of finding Sarah, Jay bared his teeth and propelled himself at the last wolf. Caught between him and Riley, the wolf appeared startled. His indecision was enough to allow Jay to make his final kill.
* * *
The General was well aware that walking into a barn alone to face Paul Statler might not have been smart, but right now, his mission was ending this son of a bitch’s life—and finding Sarah.
Dressed in a suit, Statler smiled as he waved a gun at Armand’s chest. “Well, well. Hope you had a nice flight up here.”
“Fuck you. Where’s Sarah?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
The General’s enhanced hearing picked up a deliberate scraping sound and he glanced toward an old cart. He couldn’t see behind it, but it was possible Sarah was being held captive on the other side or else a rat was well versed in Morse Code. “If you harm her, your death will be slow and painful,” he ground out.
Statler laughed. “You’re threatening me? Surely, your boys have told you that I’ve been enhanced.” He waved his gun—a gun full of poisonous bullets no doubt that would have killed him in the past.
Now, however, the were-killing poison would have no permanent effect on him. One of the reasons he’d asked Tyson and Ford to stay in Florida was because they’d agreed to donate their blood so that he, too, would become enhanced. Armand had to admit he’d never felt better, and those training sessions had made him feel like he was forty again.
Growls and howls arose outside the barn, indicating Statler hadn’t come alone either. No surprise there.
“Seems like our men are doing battle.” Armand had no doubt the Pack would be victorious. It was only a matter of time before they came barging in, which meant Armand needed to take down this man now. Statler had been a thorn in his side for too long.
“You didn’t follow my instructions of coming alone, I see,” Statler said. “Though I knew you were too much of a coward to face me by yourself.” He puffed out his chest, but a hint of worry had seeped into his eyes.
At another deliberate scraping sound, slightly different this time, Armand glanced toward the cart again. Statler reached in his breast pocket and withdrew a lighter and flicked it on. Only then did Armand notice the line of black powder leading to the cart. Oh, shit.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sarah’s arms and legs were bound, and the dirty gag Statler had jammed in her mouth made it hard to breathe, but she wouldn’t give up. When she closed her eyes, she could picture Riley and Jay running around frantically trying to find her. Because she always returned to the motel after work, when she failed to show, they’d know something was wrong.
The problem was how they’d find her. It seemed as if Statler had driven for hours, and unless they’d put a GPS on his car, they wouldn’t know where he’d hidden her. Once her coffin-like container had come to a stop, and Statler had dragged her into the barn and tied her up, she’d begun to suspect he was using her as bait. She was okay with that, since whoever he was waiting for would have backup. After all, the person would know how evil this man was. The question was whom had he called?
Statler hated the General worse than anything and would relish a showdown, but with the General in Florida, she wasn’t sure he could make it to Canada quickly enough. She doubted Statler was keeping her captive just to lure Tyson and Ford there, since he’d know he’d lose that fight fast.
Once he’d placed her behind the cart, his game plan confused her. Was his intention to wheel out the cart and shout ta-da?
If there was to be a show, she wished that person would hurry up. Two hours of sitting in one position had her legs cramping even more. Add in the fact she was starving and needed to pee, and she was thoroughly aggravated and disgusted with herself. She should have been more aware of her surroundings when she left the clinic.
Sarah looked around for something she could use to cut her ropes, but Statler had moved everything out of reach. Even if she could crawl around the cart to search for something else, he’d probably cold-cock her and drag her elsewhere. No, this position suited her fine.
What seemed like forever later to Sarah, the barn door creaked opened and Statler joyfully greeted his guest. When he asked about the nice flight, she sagged against the wall. The General was here—and just maybe Jay and Riley were, too. Unfortunately, given Statler’s enhanced status, she suspected he would win in a one-on-one fight.
However, if the General was aware she was there, he might proceed with more caution. Instead of making her presence obvious by groaning, she dragged the heel of her foot across the hard-packed ground using short and long scrapes. When the General then asked where she was, hope bloomed.
A loud click sounded, and the General let out a curse. Shit. Something bad was about to go down.
Before she could figure out what it was, loud growls sounded behind the barn, jacking up her pulse enough for her to sit up despite the ache coursing through her. Someone else was out there who hopefully was on the General’s side.
Only then did she detect the smell of sulfur burning. Oh, no. Sarah had to see what was happening. With a Herculean effort, she propelled herself on her back, and using her elbows, slithered like a snake to see past the cart.
Just as she peeked her head out from around the end, a gunshot sounded and her heart nearly jumped out of her body. Had she not seen the bloodstain on the General’s chest and watch him drop to his knees, she might have thought Statler had shot her.
No, no, no! The implication of the General’s death caused sludge to replace the blood in her body. Light-headed, her arms weakened and her head smashed against the ground.
Move. I have to get out of sight. Did it really matter if Statler learned she’d seen him shoot the General in cold blood? With his nemesis gone, he’d kill her now for sure.
“Thought you could kill me with that pea shooter?” the General said just as Sarah managed to move out of sight.
What? The General was alive? She’d seen Statler shoot him in the chest. As much as she wanted to peek again, she didn’t dare.
“Why aren’t you dead?” Statler asked. Sarah had never heard the man sound so shocked or fearful before.
“Two can play at your game.”
She didn’t know what that meant, but seconds later, claws scraped against the dirt floor and growls emitted.
Wanting to watch the death match, she twisted her head to the side and looked under the cart. Crap. She couldn’t tell which wolf was which, though it seemed as if the wolf with gray sprinkled throughout his fur was winning. Could that be the General? In his human form, he had gray hair.
A yelp came from one of them and the darker of the two wolves lifted his front paw. As she waited to see the next attack, the strong odor of sulfur forced her to find its source. Holy shit. A flame was traveling along a straight path toward her. Her stomach churned and bile race up her mouth.
With Statler busy fighting the General, Sarah had to chance escaping, though how she’d make it past them and out the door was anyone’s guess, especially with her ankles tied together. She might not be able to walk, but perhaps she could hop, assuming she could keep her balance. She rose to her knees, but without the use of her hands, standing would be a challenge. Needing support, she leaned her back against the barn wall. With her shoulder, she inched her way upward. About three feet above the ground, the slat she was pressing against cracked and moved. She stilled.
Then an idea surfaced. Sarah dropped to the ground again and kicked the broken slat hard. It splintered. Yes!
As she lifted her legs to kick again, a stream of fire slid under the cart a few feet from the wall. Hurry!
Smoke billowed around the edges and her throat clogged. With the gag in her mouth, she was losing strength fast.
Keep kicking the wall.
Sarah’s vision blurred and her head swam, but she pictured her two men, and a trickle of strength returned. She jammed her feet against the weak board again, and the slat
broke free. Just as she flipped over to assess the size of the hole, more wood cracked and her heart sputtered. The growls and cries from the fight going on behind her would hopefully cover the ripping of the boards.
Suddenly, Riley’s face peered in at her through the broken wall, and tears of joy streamed down her face. The large gash at his throat had her sobering. As much as she wanted him to seek some first aid, knowing him, Riley wouldn’t until she was free. Her love bloomed.
A second set of hands belonging to Jay tore off another board. They were both there. This was too good to be true.
Riley held up a finger to his lips as if to tell her not to make any noise. She nodded as he half-lifted, half-dragged her through the hole in the wall. Seconds later the gag disappeared as did all of the restraints. She wanted to hug both of them and kiss them everywhere, but they’d insist they needed to get out of there. Smoke poured from the hole and flames licked their way a few feet away.
“Can you walk?” Jay whispered.
“I’ll try.” The men helped her up. She’d taken no more than two steps when the scrambling and growls disappeared from around front. “What happened?”
Riley wrapped an arm around her waist. “I think Statler’s men lost.”
She hoped that was true.
“I’ll check around front to be sure,” Jay said. He then took off.
Sarah faced Riley. “Statler shot the General in the heart, but he continued to fight. How was that possible?” The drugs must have made her see things.
“I don’t know. Maybe he wore a vest.”
She’d seen blood—or had it come from a packet? Now wasn’t the time to discuss theatrics. Riley led her farther away from the building.
Just as they rounded the corner, Jay returned. “It’s safe. Our men are heading into the barn.”
She grabbed his hand. “I know how much taking down Statler means to you. Do you want to go in and help?”
He smiled. “You are an amazing women, but you’re more important to me than a grudge. If the General needs help, I’m sure Ford and Tyson will lend a hand.”
Her knees buckled and she sagged against Riley. A second later, he swooped her up in his arms. “Let’s get you home.”
* * *
Statler was a better fighter than Armand had expected, but he wasn’t good enough to win this fight. The shot to the chest had taken its toll and had given Statler the advantage, but only until Armand had time to recover. It didn’t help that he was worried about Sarah. The flames were licking their way up the cart and the air was making it hard to breathe. When he’d heard the boards crack, he glanced over. That moment of distraction allowed Statler to gouge out a huge chunk from his leg.
Fuck. Armand growled and circled his foe. Taking the time to rest was not an option. No matter if he bit the man’s face or side, it wouldn’t be enough to take him down for good. It was rip out his throat or die.
Statler charged. Armand’s military training kicked in and he blocked out the pain in his chest. Armand leapt in the air and Statler followed suit. They met head to head and then landed with a thud. Paws swiping and teeth gnashing, blood spurted everywhere. With a twist of his head, Armand managed to grab hold of the side of Statler’s neck.
Before his teeth dug in far enough to kill, Statler’s incisor’s grabbed a chunk of skin on Armand’s neck. This was it. He had seconds. Armand opened his mouth wide and clamped down hard.
Statler faltered and twisted to the side, but Armand wouldn’t let go. His foe’s nails dug into his wounded leg, and the pain almost blinded him, but his hatred ran too deep.
The more Statler fought, the weaker he became. When the man’s front legs gave out, Armand twisted his head hard, taking Statler’s throat with him. The man who’d plagued him for so long, collapsed. He was dead.
Armand let go of the chunk of meat in his mouth and dropped. Feet surrounded him and hands helped him.
“You did it, sir. You fucking did it.”
Armand closed his eyes. He was sure he had a smile on his face.
* * *
After a long shower last night, Jay and Riley had patched up her wrists and ankles and put her to bed where Sarah enjoyed being cocooned between them. Even though she’d wanted to make love with them to take away the horror of the day, the men insisted she needed to rest. As much as she liked a noble man, they sure picked a crappy time to be moral.
In the morning, she awoke to fresh coffee and some rolls. When she sat up, her purse was on the table next to her food. Connolly must have returned it to her men. She looked around and was disappointed that neither Jay nor Riley was there.
Hmm. She slipped out of bed and found the note they’d left for her on the table. It stated that the General had asked for a debriefing meeting at some safe house. They would have invited her, but not only did they not want to wake her, it was a business meeting, and she wasn’t a member of the Pack. With Statler and most of his men dead, they said she’d be safe, but to keep the door locked until they returned.
Well darn. It was after eleven and she was starving despite having munched the rolls and lukewarm coffee. At noon, her cell rang and she answered quickly, thinking it was Riley or Jay. “Hello?”
“Sarah, it’s Bill.” She hadn’t heard from her boss in weeks. They had both agreed that any kind of contact might jeopardize the case.
She sank back against the chair. “Hi. It’s good to hear your voice.” Not really, but he liked his ego stroked.
“I heard congratulations are in order. The General contacted me and told me Paul Statler was dead and all of the women were now safe.”
“I’m still not believing it’s over.”
“When will you be able to get back to Washington? We’ll need to debrief you.”
With the traumatic events of yesterday, returning home had been pushed to the back of her mind. “As soon as I can get to Toronto and catch a flight.”
“Great. Looking forward to seeing you.”
Sarah hung up and should have been excited about returning to the hustle and bustle of Washington, only she wasn’t. Not that she didn’t like visiting the wonderful museums and taking advantage of all the great restaurants, but it meant she’d be leaving Jay and Riley. Even if she wanted to see if the three of them had a chance of a life together, her job required her to be on assignment much of the time.
Once at the office, Bill Hampton would ask her a ton of questions then have her fill out an insane number of forms. After she spilled her guts about all that had gone down, he’d assign her another job where she might have to do things she wouldn’t be proud of.
I should just quit.
She’d been tempted to do so many times during this last job, but these women had needed her. With her help—along with a lot of other dedicated men—she’d provided valuable intel that resulted in their freedom. Could she give that up? Her father would be devastated if she did, but her heart might break if she didn’t.
She dropped back on the bed and closed her eyes. Dragging a hand over her face, she pictured asking the men if she could move to Gulfside, Florida where she’d…do what? Work as a waitress? Her degree in philosophy wouldn’t have employers knocking on her door, and while she had taken many courses in health care so that she could pull off this latest undercover job, she didn’t have a degree in nursing.
Sarah sat up and swung her legs over the side. Her wrists and ankles were sore from the ropes, but those wounds would fade. Her heart, however, was another matter. Yes, Jay and Riley claimed they wanted her, but once they left for another assignment, they’d probably forget about her. As fantastic as her experience with them had been, they’d only known each other a short period of time, and it took more than a harrowing experience to form a solid relationship.
Perhaps with some distance, she’d figure out what to do. Right now, she needed to pack. After purchasing her airline tickets, she’d hug them goodbye and leave. Or would it be better to just go now? She checked outside the room and spotted her c
ar. Her dear sweet men had retrieved it from the clinic. God, this was so damn hard.
* * *
“If we ask Sarah to stay, what do you think she’ll say?” Riley asked as he and Jay slid into their rental truck and headed back to the motel.
Ever since they’d left this morning, Riley hadn’t been able to keep his mind off the whole idea that Sarah would be heading back to Washington without him. The General had asked him to be a member of the Pack and he’d agreed. To make it official, all he needed to do was call his office and resign.
“She’ll say she has to debrief in Washington. You know that.”
“Yes, but what about afterward?”
Jay shrugged. “That’s a tough call. I’ve told her how I feel, but you’ve been distant—especially last night.”
Riley glanced out the window. After they’d brought her back after the kidnapping, he’d withdrawn. Turning down her request to make love had been the hardest thing in the world, but touching her intimately one more time before losing her, would have devastated him. “I didn’t say anything because I was scared.” He glanced at Jay. “There. I admitted it. Happy?”
His shoulders slumped. “We’re all scared of being hurt, but get over it. The question is whether you love her enough to chance the pain of rejection.”
“I do. At least I think I do.”
Jay gripped the wheel tighter. “What the fuck does that mean?”
Acid burned a hole in his gut. “It means I don’t know what love feels like. I might be in love if it means I can’t stop thinking about her, my dick throbs at night when I’m not sticking it in her, and I want to spend the rest of my life protecting her.”
Jay laughed. “Well, except for your crude description of making love with Sarah, I’d say you nailed the definition of love.”
“If I tell her I love her, do you think she’ll stay?”
Jay glanced over at him. “How about we give her a few days to mull it over? We need to come up with a way for her to move to Florida. We can easily afford to support her, but Sarah’s not the type to sit around and knit.”