by Cara Adams
Werewolves of Hanson Mall 6
Extravagantly Loved
Janet Young’s brother, Malcolm, has threatened to kill her if she tries to retrieve all the money he stole from their father. She contacts Cadfael Hanson, Alpha of the Hanson Mall werewolf pack, and asks to hire a couple of his biggest, toughest security guards until the case comes to court.
Berian Davies, a trained security guard, and Hal Rowe from the Simon pack are determined to protect her. Berian thinks a farm boy will be useless. Hal doesn’t even know what a CFO is. But they’re both determined no one will harm Janet.
Unfortunately Malcolm is manipulative, cunning, and vindictive and he hasn’t gotten that memo. Somehow the two werewolves are going to have to learn how to cooperate with each other, keep Janet out of danger, avoid Malcolm and his attacks, and still get Janet to her meetings. It isn’t going to be easy. It might not even be possible to keep her alive, far less unharmed.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 36,123 words
EXTRAVAGANTLY LOVED
Werewolves of Hanson Mall 6
Cara Adams
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at
[email protected]
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
EXTRAVAGANTLY LOVED
Copyright © 2014 by Cara Adams
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-639-9
First E-book Publication: May 2014
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of Extravagantly Loved by Cara Adams from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Cara Adams’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Adams’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
To the original Janet.
I know you’ll never let Malcolm defeat you, so hang in there, hon. Besides, all the readers and I have got your back!
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
About the Author
EXTRAVAGANTLY LOVED
Werewolves of Hanson Mall 6
CARA ADAMS
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
“I’m the firstborn. I’m the son. You are nothing. Second born and a worthless female as well. Everything belongs to me and I’m going to take it. If you get in my way and get hurt that’s your problem. Father’s property is mine and only mine. Stay out of my business or accept the consequences, you fat cunt!”
Janet Young stared at her cell phone in distaste. Malcolm might be ranting and crazy but he wasn’t insane. In a court of law it was likely he could manage to convince a jury he was playacting, not even threatening her. She sighed and saved the call onto a memory stick, which she then inserted into her iPad, and e-mailed to herself in another e-mail account.
That done she tapped her fingers on her desk thoughtfully. “He’s fucking serious. He’s always been a selfish shit. I can’t assume he’ll grow a brain any time soon.” Picking up her cell phone again she scrolled through several screens until she found what she wanted. Cadfael Hanson’s number. Cadfael was the managing director of Hanson Mall, but more importantly, the Alpha of the Hanson Mall Werewolf pack. He had a passel of mountainous security guards. She needed to hire a few of them right away. Her brother was a typical bully, which meant he was also a coward. But to avoid him hitting her over the head with a baseball bat one dark night she needed someone to watch her back, and there’d be no one better than a nice big werewolf.
“Cadfael.”
“This is Janet Young, Mr. Hanson. I don’t know if you remember me, but—”
“I do remember you. You worked with Georgia on the family history project and brought us some information on the well-being center. How can I help you?”
“While I was working interstate temporarily my brother Malcolm stole all our father’s assets. The judge has ordered him to present a complete accounting of his and my father’s finances to the court by next month and it’s sent him batshit crazy. He’s threatened everyone who opposes him.”
“Georgia mentioned that. The security staff here at the mall is alert for any potential trouble.”
Janet winced. The shape-shifters had helped her and inadvertently she might have brought trouble to them. “I’m sorry about that. It never occurred to me he’d be angry with anyone other than me.”
“You aren’t to blame for another person’s actions.”
She was aware he was a very busy man with a lot of responsibilities so she hurried on with her question. “I was hoping you could direct me to some of your part-time security guards or former security guards who are interested in a short-term position as my bodyguard. Malcolm is not happy with me and he’s a very vindictive person. I was hoping to hire two or three of the largest, toughest-looking men you know who could be my bodyguards until the case comes to court in a few months.”
&n
bsp; Janet could hear the smile in his voice as he replied. “The biggest ones I can find, huh? Very well. I should be able to get back to you by the end of the day. You’ll be paying the standard rates, I assume?”
“If they are big and tough looking I’m happy to pay ten percent over the usual rate, or fifteen percent if they have extra skills.”
“Good. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Thank you.”
Janet hated the thought of having to put herself under the control of a couple of men who she didn’t even know, but a lifetime association with her brother had taught her not to trust him. He was extremely vindictive and very likely to take his anger out on anyone less powerful than himself. For the first eighteen years of her life that had far too often been her. He’d stolen or destroyed all her favorite possessions, looking angelically innocent when she told her parents, who always believed him when he said she was lying. She’d never bought a car in high school, knowing that it would be just one more thing he’d take from her. She’d even come to believe him when he constantly claimed she was fat, stupid, and worthless. Certainly she’d never gotten good marks on any assignments at school, mainly because he either destroyed them, or hid anything she needed to complete them properly, including all her textbooks.
But once she got to college—in a different state from the one he was attending—her marks suddenly improved enormously. Possibly because the stress of always having to hide everything from him, and even from her parents, had passed.
Janet shook her head at herself. She had no doubt her folks had loved her, but they’d always believed Malcolm rather than her. Now her mother was dead and her father, Norm, had early stage dementia. Certainly Norm couldn’t be left alone and needed to be somewhere people could care for him, but he didn’t deserve having Malcolm steal all his possessions and money. Right now Janet was paying all his bills. She didn’t begrudge the money to her father. He’d cared for her for the first eighteen years of her life after all. But she also didn’t see why Malcolm should take her father’s assets when the old man needed them himself.
Janet gave herself a little shake. It was time to forget about Malcolm and get on with the work her bosses expected her to be doing.
* * * *
The Alpha of the Simon pack sat in his usual big armchair in the front room of the old farmhouse, his thinning gray hair illustrating his age. But his black eyes were as sharp and intelligent as those of a much younger man.
Hal Rowe stood at attention in front of him, not having been given permission to sit. Hal had spent the five minutes he’d waited for his Alpha to speak to him thinking hard, and he couldn’t remember doing anything he shouldn’t have done. But maybe there was something he should have done that he’d forgotten to do. Damn. He hated waiting like this, but the Alpha would speak when he was ready to, and not one second earlier.
Finally the older man nodded and said, “You’ll do. Sit down, Hal.”
Hal sat on an upright wooden chair and waited some more.
“The Alpha of the Hanson Mall pack has asked me to send him a large man to be a bodyguard for one of his clients. A Hanson Mall trained security guard will be your superior in the work and you’ll obey him absolutely, but you’ll always be on your best behavior in front of the woman. You’ll guard her with your life, but you’ll show her respect as well. The Hanson Mall pack has helped us and the least we can do is carry out this job satisfactorily. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“This woman’s brother is trying to kill her. I don’t care how old, or how ugly, or how stupid the woman is, her brother will not kill her while you’re protecting her. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir. Absolutely sir.”
“Very well. Do as the trained man tells you and stand tall. Look as imposing as you can. Maybe that will scare the brother away and no one need get hurt.”
Well that was interesting. The Alpha cared if he was about to get stabbed or shot or something.
“Do you have a suit? I don’t know where you might have to go with the woman and a suit could be useful.”
“I don’t have one personally, sir, but all my father’s and uncle’s clothing is still at my house. There may be things there that would fit me. They were both pretty large.”
“I think you’re taller than both of them were though. You’ll be paid. You might have to buy some clothing, but take anything with you that fits you and still looks good. Ask one of the men to drive you into town. You’re to meet Mr. Hanson at nine tomorrow.”
Hal jumped to his feet. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I’ll do my very best, sir.”
Hal bowed his head and left the room, walking fast to his house. His house. It didn’t seem like that. It seemed like it still should belong to his father and his uncle. The men were brothers but his uncle had never mated, treating Hal more like his son than his nephew. When Hal had been a kid the lack of females had never troubled him. He hadn’t even really noticed that Quintana was the only girl in his generation. Once he’d hit adolescence though, he’d suddenly realized that his chances of finding a mate and having a family of his own were right around zero. Therefore he’d concentrated on doing his best at school in male activities, like football, boxing, and shop.
When he’d finished school he’d come home and worked on the farm. But more recently he’d begun to feel lonely. He’d even thought of leaving the pack to look for a mate elsewhere, as some of the other men had done, but he wasn’t really interested in travel and the logistics had defeated him.
If he found a woman he liked, and romanced her, how was he then to tell her he was actually a werewolf shape-shifter? Most humans didn’t even believe such a species existed. But if he told the woman first, before the romance developed, he’d likely end up in jail as a liar and fraud. He really couldn’t see a solution to the problem or a way to find himself a mate.
Oh well. A few weeks guarding this woman would be a nice break in his routine. Although he wasn’t really thrilled at the idea of being shot or knifed. Perhaps he’d be given a Kevlar vest to wear. That might be good. Or he could even buy one himself once he’d received his first paycheck.
Hal went first into his father’s room and opened his closet. He took his dad’s suitcase off the top shelf and set it on the bed. Then he riffled through the clothing in the closet. He pulled both the suits out of the closet, laid them on the bed beside the suitcase, and bent over to remove his boots. The suits did look a little small but maybe they’d fit him.
* * * *
Berian Davies stared at his boss, Maelor Powell. “A personal bodyguard? Like, you mean I’m supposed to stay with her day and night in case her brother jumps out of a bush and yells, ‘Boo!’ at her? And I’m to do this with the assistance of a farm boy with no training and no knowledge of any of the people involved? You’re joking, right?”
“Malcolm Young waited until Janet was interstate and then he had his father declared incompetent. He took over all his father’s assets and possessions. He sold the family home and put the old man in the well-being center. Janet has asked the court to return the assets to the old man and Malcolm has threatened to kill her and everyone associated with the case. I doubt he’ll jump out of a bush and go ‘Boo’ at you.”
Berian stared at Maelor. “You’re right. If he jumps out of a bush likely it’ll be holding a samurai sword, a machete, or a baseball bat. Or all three. Great.”
“The honor of the pack is at stake here. You will guard Janet Young properly. With your life, if necessary. If Malcolm has a gun, save the woman, and hope he’s a lousy shot.”
Great. Just great. I’ll be praying he shoots the farm boy, not me. That’s what’ll I’ll be doing.
“Yes, sir. When does the farm boy get here? When do we start work?”
“Your colleague will arrive at nine tomorrow. You will speak to him with respect. You’re in charge and that will be made clear to him. But he’s not a slave or a servant. He’s a bodyguard as you are. Now go and pack. You�
��ll need to look office professional to accompany Janet Young to her workplace. Have you got a suit?”
“I’m not sure if it will still fit me. I’ve bulked up over the past few years. But I’ve got black pants and white shirts and neckties.”
“Fair enough. Look after her, Berian.”
Maelor smiled at him and he realized the official segment of the meeting was over. “I will, Maelor. I really will. But I hope my colleague has a few clues.”
“The Alpha of the Simon pack is no fool. He’ll have chosen someone suitable.”
I sure as hell hope so.
Berian left Maelor’s office and ran down the stairs of the professional suites. He exited at the bottom, which was the fourth-floor foyer, and walked through the big glass doors and out into the mall itself. The staff parking was on the fifth level, so once out of the mall he had to climb another set of stairs to where he’d left his old car. It was a little rusty and a little beat-up, but it got him from his apartment to work, which was all it needed to do. Now he was going home to pack a suitcase. With button-down shirts and dress pants. He’d better shine his boots, too, he supposed. There was no way he was going to wear fancy shoes. Boots were much better if there was going to be any fighting happening. There was a very good reason boots like his were called shitkickers. He might need them to kick the shit out of someone.
But he couldn’t help thinking about this farm boy who was supposed to help him. Some hayseed who didn’t know up from down. Likely wouldn’t even know how to behave in an office environment. Well, the kid would have to learn and learn fast.