Catching an Evil Tail

by Mary Abshire

I admired a man with loyalty and dedication. Jeremy told me werewolves were extremely loyal creatures. Staring into Alan's green eyes, I understood Jeremy's words now more than ever.

  "Alan, I have to admit that you are nothing like I thought you would be."

  His lips stretched into a wide smile, showing off a great set of white teeth. "What did you think I would be like?"

  He floated in front of me and I caught the blur of his boxers underneath the water. With my back was against the wall, I used both hands to hold onto the concrete near my head. Alan drifted closer, then grabbed hold of the ledge on the other side of me and steadied his movements.

  "I thought you might be cocky, self-assured, demanding…"

  "You confuse me with Jeremy," he said, and we both laughed. "He has the fire of a demon and the protective instincts of a wolf."

  "That's a good description of him," I said as my gaze lingered over the tattoo on his neck and shoulder. "Every day, I find myself wishing I’d never met him."

  I let go of the wall with one hand, and it slipped into the water. The temptation to touch his chest grew into an obsession. I wanted to trace my fingers along the dark edges of his tattoo.

  As if Alan could sense my desire, he grazed my shoulder with his hand. The soft touch spawned an increase in my pulse and drew my attention away from the artwork on his body.

  "Demons can be troublesome," he said. "I hesitate to do business with any demon. But with you, I will make an exception." His hungry gaze hovered over my chest.

  My heartbeat accelerated. It had been too long since a man had taken such a keen interest in me, not counting Jeremy. After six weeks without Drake, I yearned for a man to hold me, touch me, and love me. I wanted my lover, but he seemed too occupied. What's a girl to do? I had ideas, but my guilty conscience kept interfering.

  "And is this business?" I asked, raising a brow. "You coming back here, knowing I was alone?"

  His fingers glided down my arm and into the water. He grabbed my hand, lifted it, and placed it in the center of his chest. I stared at his hunky pecs. The man could've modeled for any men's health or fitness magazine, even GQ. His heart thumped fast under my hand.

  Brilliant green eyes stared at me. "No, this is not business. This is just the two of us getting to know each other without any distractions."

  His gaze strayed to my lips. He was so close to me. A few inches closer and our lips could touch. I fought the growing need within me and looked down at the artwork on his torso.

  "This is an interesting tattoo." I ran my palm over his smooth flesh. "Does it hold any special meaning for you?"

  "Survival," he said. "It started out on my arm and shoulder. Over the years, I have lengthened it."

  "Where does it end?" I asked.

  "Right now, past my hip bone." The corners of his lips curled. "Would you like to see the rest of it?"

  Yes! Yes! Show me please, my inner demon screamed. "I, uh…"

  In one swift motion, he pressed his lips upon mine while his hard body flattened me against the wall. Desire flamed as his strength and energy flowed into me. My hands slipped from the ledge and I instinctively gripped his shoulders to stay afloat. His strong lips kept me glued to his while he slid his tongue into my mouth. Under the water, his solid muscle pressed against me. He felt so good and tasted of honey. I wanted to enjoy more, but I couldn't. Yes, I was as horny as a teenager, but I wouldn't betray or cheat on my boyfriend even if we were having difficulties in our relationship. I pushed against his chest and pried my lips away from his.

  "Oh, Jessie," he said, and leaned in for another smooch, but I turned my head. He took the hint and stopped trying to kiss me. "I have never wanted another woman as much as I want you right now."

  He placed a hand on one of my breasts and gently squeezed it. A tingle of excitement spread through me. Then my conscience prodded me. This was too much, too soon. I barely knew the man. Moreover, I hadn't broken off my relationship with Drake.

  "Stop." I removed his hand from my breast. "I can't do this."

  He glided his tongue up my neck, sending a shiver through me. "Please, let me have you. Let me give you what you need," he whispered in my ear.

  His warm breath sent a shiver through me. "No. I can't."

  He grazed his lips over my cheek and moved his body closer to mine. His rigid cock brushed against my thigh. "I know you want this."

  He couldn't have been more right. I wanted it badly, but I didn't want the regret associated with it on my conscience.

  "Please stop," I said softly.

  His lips brushed over mine while his hand slid around and gripped my butt. He pressed his erection against my sex. "I can smell your desire. Your heart is beating fast, Jessie. Why are you fighting this? Is it because of Jeremy?"

  I laughed. "No. God no!"

  He rubbed his stiff cock against me, and for a moment, I thought about what it would feel like to have him inside, warming me, pulsing, satisfying my need. I closed my eyes, and I swallowed hard. If I stayed too much longer with his body touching mine, I'd give in. The demon would win and get what she wanted.

  "I can't do this right now. It's too fast."

  I twisted around and pulled myself out of the pool. Water splashed on the concrete.

  "Jessie, wait." He held my legs as I sat on the ledge. The heat from the ground burned my bottom.

  "I like you, Alan. I really do. And believe me, I'd like to"—I sighed heavily—"I just can't do this right now."

  Alan's hands loosened on my legs. The solemn look on his face mirrored how I felt inside. Had I been single, I would have accepted every bit of pleasure he wanted to give. While a big part of me protested my decision to back away, I knew it was the right thing to do.

  I stood. "You're a great guy, Alan. I hope this doesn't change anything between us."

  His face brightened and a tiny grin appeared. "I stand by my earlier statement. Demon or not, I would love to have you in my arms."

  "Maybe another time." I decided to keep my options open just in case Drake and I didn't manage to work out our problems.

  His grin extended. "When you are ready."

  I turned away, picked up my towel, then headed for my suite.

  Hot and bothered, I rushed inside my room. I pressed my back against the closed door and took a few minutes to calm myself. Alan had stirred every emotion inside me with his amazing body and eager-to-please attitude. The temptation to give in to my desire prodded me still. Damn, the Alpha was smoking hot. And big.

  I strode into my bedroom and donned a tank top and pair of shorts over my swimsuit. I felt like a schmuck for leaving him so fast. I hadn't explained anything to him. I'd simply rejected him and left. I should've at least enlightened him about my situation.

  Confused, I sat on the bed and stared in the mirror above the dresser. I wanted a man to care for me and love me. What I wanted I had found with Drake, but he’d left me, and I had no idea if or when he would return. Dani was right—I needed to move on, but part of me didn't want to, at least not without talking to Drake first. That part of me drove me insane. Damn righteousness.

  Frustrated with my life, I stepped into the bathroom and brushed my wet hair. Alan made an effort to get to know me on a personal level. Okay, maybe more than that. The least I could do was try to get to know him better. Clothed, I could talk to him without feeling tempted.

  Mood improving, I slid on my shoes and picked up my keycard. As I slid it in my pocket, a spark of energy roused the little hairs on the back of my neck. I paused, knowing someone not human was near.

  A knock from the door caught my attention. Thinking Alan stood on the other side, I rushed to open the door.

  "Hey," I said as I swung open the door. The smile on my face quickly vanished. "Oh. Gabe. Hi."

  "Alan asked me to come get you. He wants you to meet with him," Gabe said.

  "Oh, sure. I was on my way to see him."

  Gabe stepped back and extended his arm. "If you're ready."

&
nbsp; I walked out into the hall. The door shut behind me.

  "This way," Gabe said, directing me toward the end of the hall.

  I walked toward the exit with an odd feeling swirling within me. Why was he leading me away from the hotel?

  "Where are we going?" I asked before we reached the exit.

  "Alan told me to come get you and take you to meet him," he said, following me too closely.

  I pushed open the door and stepped outside. The bright sun blinded me and I quickly lifted my hand above my eyes. We were at the back of the hotel where parked cars filled the lot. Behind the lot was open land. Pausing a few feet from the exit, I waited for Gabe.

  "Follow me," he said.

  I trailed behind him as he walked between the cars and headed for the next row of parked vehicles. A strange vibe pricked at me. Gabe still hadn't told me where we were going. The lack of information made me nervous.

  My stomach tightened the farther I walked from the hotel. Something seemed off. I slowed my steps. "I thought Alan was back at the hotel."

  Gabe stopped and spun around. Eyes colder than steel glared at me. "He told me to come and get you." His voice was deep and threatening.

  I lifted my arm and pointed my thumb behind me. "I saw him at the pool a few minutes ago."

  "He left." Gabe took a step toward me.

  A strong cramp pained my stomach and I knew with certainty something was wrong. I backed away. "I forgot my phone. I need to go back and get it."

  I spun and Gabe grabbed the back of my neck and my arm. He jerked me off balance and shoved my head into the black SUV near us. My face hit the vehicle with a hard thud and my nose cracked. Pain shot through my brain, eyes, and especially my nose. Blood dribbled over my lips. I staggered on my feet as millions of glittery specks floated in my eyes and blurred my vision.

  Fuck! I thought, then everything went black.

  Chapter Sixteen

  My clogged nose prevented me from breathing well, so I opened my mouth. The air was stale and stunk of fast food. The unappealing aroma tickled the back of my throat. My head ached and throbbed just as much as my nose. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Darkness engulfed me. Tiny holes in the surface above permitted a small amount of light to reach me. A soft noise similar to audio static remained constant. Listening close, I recognized the low hum of an engine. I had no clue where I was, but knew with certainty I was not at the hotel.

  The hard surface underneath me shook for a brief moment. The pain in my head screamed in response and I almost did too. I focused on breathing in and out, in and out. Slowly, the throb lessened and I managed to recall my last thoughts and movements. The asshole Gabe had knocked me out.

  Something big whizzed by. Whatever I was inside rocked gently. I ventured a guess that the prick had stuck me in the back of a vehicle. The air was mildly cool, leading me to think I wasn’t in a trunk, but rather in the back of an SUV. As I recalled, my head had hit one.

  I wrinkled my nose and it flamed as if stabbed with a hot poker. Dried blood felt heavy above my lip. The bastard must have broken my nose.

  Anger rose within me and I wanted to fight. I attempted to move my arms, but they wouldn't budge. My wrists were bound behind me. Twisting my hands, I felt a metal clasp and chain binding me. Cuffs.

  With no hope of moving my arms, I stretched out my legs until my feet tapped something solid. A small vibration buzzed under my feet. As I wriggled around in silence, I realized my legs were free of bonds. The good news lifted my spirits. If I could manage to free myself, then I could run. But first, I needed to do something about my arms.

  While I considered how I could get my hands in front of me, I thought about kidnapped people in movies. I'd seen where a cuffed woman had squeezed her legs close to her body and brought her arms around to her front. My bones were flexible. Even if they broke, they would heal fast. If people in movies could do it, then I definitely could.

  I rested flat on my back and pulled my knees to my chest. I exhaled all the air within me, pressed my lips together, then painfully stretched my arms to go under my rear. My muscles strained and the throb in my head intensified. I refused to give up. Slowly, I brought my hands around my ass. Thank God it wasn't too big. I tucked my toes and feet underneath and wriggled my legs. By the time I finished bringing my arms up, I was panting, sweating, and I thought my head would explode at any second.

  For several minutes I laid still to allow the pain to subside. The calm time allowed me to ponder about how I could escape. The best way would be to take my captor by surprise. But how? I was in the back of a moving vehicle. I would have to wait until the car stopped. Then I could kick him and run. It could work. I'd make it work.

  While waiting for the car to stop, I wondered how long I'd been gone. Would someone notice I was missing? Since the only plans I had were a spa treatment at five and a date with Alan at seven, it would be some time before anyone noticed my absence. If I wanted to be free, I had to do it myself. No one could help me.

  As I continued waiting, questions flooded my mind. Why would Gabe kidnap me? Where was he taking me? Was it possible Alan had put Gabe up to this? The last one kept me thinking for a while. Yes, I’d rejected the Alpha, but would he go to all this trouble to get rid of me? He brought me to Phoenix for a job. He seemed to like me, maybe a little too much, but he liked me. I had a difficult time believing he wanted me kidnapped.

  Then I thought about my dream. In it, I hid near trucks where a large brown werewolf found me and attacked me. Could Gabe be the brown wolf? Did I really want to wait and find out? Was he the traitor?

  Another thought disturbed me. What if he was taking me to the middle of the desert where he would leave me? What if he pulled over and put a bullet in my head? Nobody would find me.

  My pulse raced and my breaths quickened. I couldn't keep waiting for the car to stop. I needed to act. I needed to take control of the situation. I needed to escape.

  I lifted my hands and slid them over the surface above me. The material was thin and felt like cloth. All I had to do was push through it. Then I could leap over the seats and force him to pull the car over. With my cuffed hands, I could strangle him if I had to. God help me, I didn't want to kill the man. Yet, if it came to one of us living, I wanted to be the victor.

  I rolled over, then pushed myself up on my hands and knees. Adrenaline pumped through me along with a touch of fear. I was about to try to take on a werewolf. I had to do this no matter how difficult it would be. It was either fight now or wait for him to kill me. I was tired of waiting.

  I took a deep breath, then thrust my back up against the thin barrier. There was a snap and the cover came undone. It fell over the seat in front of me. On my knees, I quickly turned toward the front of the vehicle. Gabe stared at me from the rearview mirror.

  "Shit!" he said.

  With my wrists still cuffed, I crawled over a row of seats as fast as I could. Gabe braked and the force of it propelled me forward. I shot through the space between two seats and landed on the floor behind Gabe. Thanks to his stupid move, I had ended up closer to him. Hurrying, I lifted myself, then threw my cuffed wrists over Gabe's head. I yanked my arms backward and pinned him to the seat with the chain of my cuffs digging into his neck.

  Gabe grunted and he took his hands off the steering wheel. The car swerved and I fell sideways, pulling him with me. Gabe struggled to grab the wheel and slammed on the brakes. Tires squealed as I held the chain firmly against Gabe's neck. The vehicle made a sharp turn, then flipped.

  The SUV rolled several times. I bounced around like a ping- pong ball in a lottery machine. I had no control of my movements and hit the back of my head. Metal crunched and whined. Glass shattered and flew all around me. When the vehicle finally stopped, I lay on my back on the roof of the car with my arms twisted and the cuffs pressed into Gabe's neck. Strapped to his seat, he hung upside down near me.

  For a few moments, I didn't move. My spinning vision slowly dissipated. Gabe was still. The scent of bl
ood was thick. I couldn't determine if it was his or mine. My plan to get Gabe to stop the car on the side of the road had taken an unexpected twist—rather, a couple of twists. But we'd stopped. If ever I had a time to escape, this was it.

  Once I gained clarity of sight, I raised my sore body. Every inch of me ached and trembled, wanting to give up and rest. I refused. Gritting my teeth, I persisted. I had to get out before Gabe regained consciousness.

  Slowly and carefully, I untangled my arms from his neck. I had every reason to believe he was alive and his state of unconsciousness wouldn't last long. As I drew my hands away from him, his arms fell.

  "Jesus!" I flinched. My heart kicked into overdrive.

  The metallic scent of blood grew stronger. I glanced at Gabe's arm nearest to me and shuddered. A bone protruded through his skin. Dark streaks covered his forearm. Seeing his injury reminded me of when a vampire in Chicago had broken my arm. It hurt something fierce, but it healed fast. As I stared at the ugly wound, I wondered if a werewolf's bones healed as quickly as a demon's. I didn't want to stick around to find out. Holding my breath, I crawled backward out of the upside-down vehicle.

  Dirt and gravel scraped my knees as I freed myself from the wreckage. I braced my hands against the car, planted my feet on the ground, and forced myself to stand. My legs wobbled and shook at first, weak and battered from the crash. For a minute, I just stood there, leaning against the car. Heat from the sun beat down on me, and sweat beaded on the surface of my skin. If I wanted to avoid sweating to death, I needed to find cool air soon.

  I baby-stepped around the car, holding my hands above my eyes to shield them from the blinding sun. The road wasn't too far away, so I headed for it. My weak legs wanted to quit on me, but I made them obey me. When I reached the pavement, I breathed a little easier. But just a little because although I was free, a two-lane road stretched in both directions and there was nothing but desert as far as I could see. I was truly alone. In the heat. In the Arizona desert.

  Fear accelerated my heart. I had to get away from the vehicle and from Gabe. I started walking down the empty road as fast as I could. My legs ached and trembled. Hell, every muscle and bone in my body was sore. I'd been knocked out, kidnapped, and survived a car accident, all in the space of a short amount of time. What could happen next?