by Stone, Wendy
Brady pulled over to the side of the road and put the car into park. Rolling down his window let in a cold misty rain. The police officer came up to his side of the car, shining his flashlight into the window.
He was a tall man, opposing in his uniform. “Good evening, sir. Do you know what I pulled you over for?”
“Uh, no sir, I really don’t have any idea,” Brady said, turning his head to look up at the man.
“You were swerving all over the road.” He played the flashlight over Brady then turned it on Molly. Her skirt was still pushed up; her legs still parted, allowing the officer just a glimpse of soft pink wetness. “License and registration, please.”
Brady pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, pulling his license out. He also handed the officer his PI license as well as his license to carry a concealed weapon. Opening up the glove box, he pulled out his registration and proof of insurance. “I’m sorry officer. I guess my girlfriend and I have had a very long evening.”
“Is this address current?”
“Yes, it is,” Brady said, refusing to say anymore unless asked.
“Does your girlfriend live there with you?”
“Yes, I do, officer,” Molly almost purred, slowly closing her legs and turning toward the window.
“Do you have any identification?”
Brady glanced at Molly then back at the officer. “Uh...”
“It’s okay baby.” Molly pretended to open a purse, pulling out a pretend wallet and then pulling a pretend license from it. “Here you go, sir,” she said, pretending to hand it to him.
The officer held it above Brady’s, using his flashlight to read something that wasn’t there. “I’ll be right back,” he said, then turned to go back to his car.
Brady watched the silhouette of the officer in his rearview mirror. “We’re in trouble,” he said softly.
“Why?”
The officer glanced up and then spoke into his radio again. “They’ve flagged me.”
“What do you mean flagged?” Molly asked, turning to glance behind them.
“Those government types who took you. They flagged my file so that they could find us. Fuck!” He started to reach for the ignition when Molly grabbed his arm.
“He’s coming back. Can’t you,” she made a motion with her finger against her hand, “like you did to the other guy?”
“He’s just doing his job, Molly. I don’t want to fuck with someone’s mind who’s innocent.”
“So you’d rather go to jail for helping me and see me go back to that place?” she asked, her voice shrill as she began to panic.
“No, no of course not. Fuck,” he said again.
“Sir, I need you to get out of the car.” He was back at the window, his hand on his gun, the safety flap unsnapped. His voice was still polite but it seemed more tense and excited.
Brady closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. When he opened them, his eyes were flaring red. “Is something wrong sir?” he asked without turning his head.
“Sir, you need to get out of the car and come with me,” the officer said again.
Brady turned his head, hearing the officer gasp as he saw his eyes. “That’s not really necessary, is it?”
“No, no it’s not,” the officer said, his voice monotone. His face was completely devoid of emotion.
“Then I think you should hand us our things and let us be on our way. You want to go back to your car and radio your dispatcher. Tell her you were mistaken. We aren’t the man and woman that you have the ‘Be On The Look Out’ for.”
“I was wrong about the bolo,” he replied.
“Go now,” Brady said. He waited until the officer stepped away from his car, then pulled out quickly. “We need to ditch this car.”
“Damn,” she breathed. “Share the force, Obi-Wan.”
“Shut up,” he said, grinning. He brushed his knuckles against his shirt. “I can’t help it if I’m good.”
“No, you can’t help it if you’re cocky. I’d love for you to meet my father.”
“Why’s that?” Brady pulled the car into the first busy parking lot he found, a Wal-Mart that was open twenty-four hours. He pulled into a spot about midway through the parking lot and turned off the car.
“He’d take you down a peg or two,” she said. She turned around, reaching for the clothing still in the backseat. Pushing it all into the bag, she gasped as she felt his cold hand slide up the back of her thigh. “Yep, you definitely need taking down a peg or two.”
Brady slapped her lightly on the butt. “Get it together girl, we’ve got to go steal a car.”
“Watch it, buddy. Remember, I bite,” she growled, rubbing her abused posterior. “Why should we steal a car? Can’t you just do some voodoo on them and make them give us their car?”
“I could, but it doesn’t always stick. That cop could be coming back here anytime looking for us. We need to go quick.” He stepped outside into the misty rain, slamming his car door shut and grabbing the pack she slid over the car roof at him. Looking around the parking lot, he found what he wanted; a sedan, a boring tan-colored four door. “That one will do,” he mused, pointing toward it.
It was easy enough for him to pop the locks, settling into the older model car and tossing the pack into the back seat. Glancing over at Molly, he fiddled with the ignition, trying to start the car. It took two tries before the engine kicked over and he could put it into drive.
“We’ve got a full tank of gas,” he said, checking the gauges as he pulled out of the parking place.
“Well, that’s good,” Molly said, looking around nervously. “I hate this stuff.”
“Me too, but we didn’t have a choice.”
“I feel so bad about getting you involved. It was bad enough when I didn’t know what I was dealing with, but now that we do...” She reached up, pulling her seatbelt across her lap and buckling it. “Is Renee going to be safe now that they know you’re working with me?”
For a minute, Brady frowned, confused by her question. Renee who? Then it hit him and he felt like a fool. “Yeah, she’ll be fine. Her dad’s into politics and with all the backstabbing and double-dealing, he pays for her to have a bodyguard when I’m not around. She’ll be fine,” he repeated, feeling guilty because he hadn’t thought of her. He had not thought of her once since they’d been on the run.
He probably wouldn’t have worried for her safety at all if it hadn’t been for Molly. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, staring at it for a second before putting it away.
“You should call her,” Molly said quietly.
“I can’t,” he said.
“If you’re feeling guilty about anything we’ve done...” she began.
“No, it’s not that. My cell has a GPS system. If I turn it on, it can be used to pinpoint our position. I know it’s a long shot to think that they might consider that, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
“How about one of those pre-paid phones? Aren’t they untraceable?”
“Yeah, I’ll buy one tomorrow.” They pulled out of the parking lot, driving north toward Wolverine and the lab where Molly had been kept.
* * *
“I’ve got the tapes on the parking lot where that car was reported stolen,” Officer Lambert said, holding up two VHS tapes. “We could get something off of one of them.”
“Great,” Captain Bruce Longstone said, taking the tapes from him. “Go back on patrol, Lambert, you don’t need any part of these governmental types.”
“Thanks, sir. Good luck.” Lambert turned and left out the same door he’d come in, anxious to be away from the strange-looking dog one of the men was controlling. He’d been around police dogs that had tried to attack him but none of them scared him like the strange green eyes of this dog.
“Let’s see them.” The leader of the group, a Doctor Parnell, took the tapes from Longstone. He slid one into the VCR, hitting play and fast forwarding it.
“There they are, sir,” the man who held
the leash of the dog said, pointing at a blur of movement.
Parnell slowed down the tape, watching as his quarry moved from one car to another. “Does he have a key?”
“No, not that I can see.”
“But didn’t the owner of the car say he’d locked his doors?”
“Maybe he just thought he had,” Longstone said. “He was just getting off work from pulling a double. Maybe he forgot this one time?”
“Look how easy he gets the car to start. He must have a key.”
Parnell watched the tape, rewinding it and watching it again. His eyes were no longer on the redhead. He watched the man, noting every move he made in the slightly fuzzy tape. “Is there another view?”
“Yeah,” Longstone said, handing him the other tape. “This is from the front of the building.”
Once more the tape was fast forwarded. This time, Parnell slowed the tape down, watching with eager eyes so he could get a better view of the man. “What is his name?”
“Brady Knight.”
“What do we have on him?” Parnell asked excitedly.
“Not much. He runs a detective company. He’s done some work with the police and has a pretty good record.”
“I bet he does,” Parnell breathed. “I just bet he does.” He clapped his hands together, his glasses almost falling off his nose as he turned excitedly. “He might be the one we’ve been searching for, gentleman. We have to find him. Get me everything you can dig up on Mr. Brady Knight.”
Chapter Seven
Tallie Wolfe sat in the back of the white van, her eyes locked upon the side window where she could see green trees through the heavy rain. What she wouldn’t give to be out there, running free.
Her sigh was heartfelt, but the paper gown she wore barely moved to show it. She sat as still as she could, a wide leather collar around her neck, a chain locking her to the side of the van. The collar was so tight that if she tried to change, she’d probably choke to death.
“Hey bitch, hungry?” The questioner, Dr. Parnell’s head of security, was one of her biggest tormentors. He held a paper sack in his hand. The scent emanating from it caused Tallie’s mouth to water. She slowly turned her head to look at him, standing in the side door of the van.
“I asked you a question, bitch. Are you hungry?” He held up the sack like it was a prize, swinging it back and forth in his hand. “I’ve got a burger, french fries. Any of that sounds good to you?”
“Yes, please,” she croaked, her throat raw from the abuse heaped upon her. His name was Ronald Camden. She knew the names of all the security men. She knew their scents and the sounds they made when they came inside her. She knew which ones would be fast and which ones would want to hurt her first. Someday, someday very soon, she would know the taste of their blood.
“Aww, now isn’t that just the sweetest thing? The little wolf bitch is so very polite.” He tossed the bag at her. “You’ll just have to remember to thank me later.” He slammed the door closed and she could hear him talking outside.
Wasting no time, because Camden had a habit of changing his mind, she opened the bag. The smell of roadside burger was overwhelming and she wanted to gulp it all down as quickly as she could. But she forced herself to take it slow. Pulling out the burger and fries she almost moaned when she saw what else was in the bag.
A bottle of water, icy cold and dripping with condensation, sat under the burger. She pulled it out, holding it like it was gold. Opening it, she took a careful sip, letting the water sit upon her tongue before painfully swallowing it.
Tears she’d been able to control before began to drip down her chin. Tallie ignored them the best she could, unwrapping the burger and eating it with slow, small bites. Every time she swallowed, pain lanced through her body. After only a few bites, her shrunken stomach protested the feast. It was the best she’d had in ages.
Rewrapping the rest of the burger, she hid it, the fries and three quarters of the bottle of water under the seat in front of her, stashing it up and into the springs. Then she sat completely still again, feeling stronger than she had in ages.
“I could reach her,” she whispered to herself. “I think I could now.” Tallie wiped at the tears that still stained her cheeks. Last night had been terrible. She’d been so close to Molly; she had not only smelled her scent, she’d felt her presence in her heart and soul. It had taken everything inside not to yip in joy and scratch at the hidden door that her sister was behind. But she wouldn’t betray her sister. Molly would come for her, she had no doubt.
Taking a deep breath, Tallie closed her eyes, reaching out with her thoughts. She felt the men outside the van, their thoughts dark and malignant, and went further. She touched those she came upon with the lightest of mental brushes, searching for one. She found it.
Like a beacon to men lost at sea, her sister’s aura pulsed strong and pure, the light so white it almost hurt to look at it. “Molly,” she whispered, pushing closer. “Molly, help me.”
* * * *
The Motel 8 on Route 2 was a far cry from a four star hotel in New York City, but everyone had to make sacrifices. Molly was curled into a ball, her back to the warmth of Brady’s naked body. He held her close to him, even in sleep, a fact that made her feel safe and wanted for the first time since she’d been taken off that road in Montana.
Her eyes twitched under their lids as she dreamed and a small moan left her lips. Brady was kissing her, his tongue driving her mad with want as he teased her. “Brady,” she moaned, parting her legs and feeling his big body settle on top of her.
“I love you, Molly Knight,” he whispered, lifting her hand and kissing the ring on her finger. “I want to be one with you, your true mate.” He lifted, rolling her over so that he lay against her back.
She could feel the long length of his cock pressing intimately against the roundness of her ass. Parting her thighs, she urged him to slide home, her wetness engulfing his cock as he moaned into her ear. He held still for a moment, pressed against her, his cock throbbing inside of her with the rushing of his blood.
Then he began to move. Molly felt his hands cupping her hips, drawing her back to meet each of his thrusts until their bodies slapped together lustily. She pushed herself up on her knees, grabbing his wrist and bringing it to her lips.
“Are you sure?” she groaned, licking at the flesh lightly.
“God yes,” he growled. “Bite me.”
Her teeth grew in her mouth, her fangs pushing forward a bit as she fought to keep her muzzle from growing. She had to stay human but for the teeth, at least for right now. Licking his flesh one last time, she snarled and sank her fangs into him.
His blood flowed thick and hot into her mouth. He tasted sweet, meaty, and marvelous. She wanted more. She wanted to wallow in him, in his cock and the way it thrust inside of her, in the gasp he gave as she punctured his flesh, in the coppery scent of his blood as it flowed into her mouth.
She heard his groan and felt him moving quicker over her. A sound like the crackling of stiff paper sounded in her ear and she smiled against his wrist. He was changing, his body accepting her wolf and making it his own.
With one last lick, she let go of his wrist, reaching to move her hair to the side, baring the nape of her neck. “Your turn,” she rasped. “Bite me.”
His arm came around her, holding her tightly to him, his lips moving over the tender flesh she’d exposed. She felt the pinch and then the pain of the bite, gasping at the pleasure that flowed through her.
He suckled upon the wounds he’d inflicted, drinking her blood like it was mother’s milk. In a way it was. The wolf inside of him demanded the blood, demanded the sacrifice she so willingly gave. Molly knew he could feel it growing, her blood giving the wolf the sustenance it needed to take hold inside Brady, changing him forever into one of them, into her mate.
He released her. As her climax took her, she turned her head, wanting to lock eyes with her mate, the man she would be with now and forever. A scream left h
er mouth even as her body convulsed against him; the man wasn’t Brady, not the man she loved.
Instead, the man behind her, his head thrown back in ecstasy, her blood dripping from his lips, was Dr. William Parnell.
Her screams filled her mind, her dreams. She couldn’t stop, the horror of what she’d done overwhelming her. His laughter was coarse and obscene and he plucked at her nipples with his knobby fingers. “Thank you, wife,” he growled in her ear, lapping at it with his tongue.
Molly pulled away, crying, retching, her stomach rebelling against the blood that she’d drank so eagerly when thinking it was Brady’s. She couldn’t get away from his laughter. It seemed to rebound around the room, the walls closing in until all she could hear was him.
A bright light pulsed in the shadows, growing larger, pushing away the walls and the man, who cried out her name as she was pulled from him. In the light, she saw Tallie. “Help me,” Tallie called. “Please, Molly, help me.”
* * * *
The scream woke Brady and he sat straight up in the bed, his eyes darting around the room. “What the...” he began, only to feel Molly rolling next to him, struggling against her dreams.”Molly?” He leaned over to grab her arms.
She fought against him. “No! Not you! Never you!” she cried, over and over. She pushed against Brady’s chest, her eyes open but unseeing.
Then suddenly she calmed, her screaming over.
“Molly?” he asked cautiously. “Are you okay?”
“Tallie,” she said; then she suddenly pushed him away with a strength he’d never felt and rushed into the bathroom. He got up to follow her, hearing her retch.
Brady grabbed a towel from the stack folded next to the sink, wetting it. He sank down on the cold floor next to her. To his credit, he only flinched a little when his bare ass came into contact with the cold tiles. Draping the wet towel over his leg, he gently gathered her hair, pulling it out of her face with one hand and stroking her back with the other.