by J. L. Wilder
“Close that, would you?” He pointed to the door they’d come through.
“Huh?” Sarah could barely hear him over the music.
Knowing what this meant, Hunter grabbed a nearby remote and lowered the music. Then, bottles in hand, he came over to Sarah and passed her one before shutting the garage door with a bang.
“Drink up, gorgeous,” he said, twisting the cap off his bottle. “You’re gonna be here for a while.”
The beer was cool in Sarah’s hand. As much as she wanted to leave, to be free, a beer sure as hell sounded nice. She twisted off the cap and took a swig. Hunter gestured for her to join him on a leather couch situated in front of a massive TV.
They took their seats, and as soon as they did, the scent, that intoxicating smell, overwhelmed Sarah. Hunter took a long swig of his beer, and as he did, Sarah watched him drink, watching his Adams’ Apple bob up and down. Despite him being kind of a prick, there was something about him she couldn’t deny. Simply sitting near him was enough to make her pussy clench.
“Welcome to chez Hunter,” he said, sweeping his arm towards the rest of the apartment.
“When are you going to let me leave?” Sarah wanted to get right to the point.
He laughed, a sound now very familiar to Sarah. “Babe, you’re not going anywhere. And it’s for your own damn good.”
“Nice of you to be the one to decide that.”
He shook his head as if in disbelief. “You kiddin’? I pulled you out of a fucking jail cell and you’re still thinkin’ I’m the bad guy here?”
“Kidnapping me away from someone who’d already kidnapped me doesn’t make you a good guy, that’s for damn sure.”
Hunter wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Good, bad, shit like that’s all relative, ya know?”
“So you’re a philosopher now?” asked Sarah, allowing herself a small smile.
He shrugged. “Nah, I leave the thinkin’ like that to Jack. But as far as I’m concerned, I did the fuckin’ right thing in getting you away from that prick Brandt. You can complain about me taking you all you want, but you’re better off here.”
Before Sarah could say another word, the vibration of a phone filled the air. Hunter took his out of his pocket and brought it to his ear.
“Yo...uh, sorry but not sorry about that...uh huh...yeah, got her here...good, talk tomorrow.”
He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket. “Forgot to check in with the brothers. They ain’t too happy about me going rogue, but you’re here, and that’s all that matters.”
A thought occurred to Sarah. “Kelly.” Panic ran through her body.
“Who?”
“My friend,” she said. “Brandt told me I had to work with him because she got into trouble with his mafia or whatever it is. He’s going to do something to her, I just know it.”
“Easy, sweetheart,” said Hunter.
“Don’t call me that.”
“Suit yourself. But right now, you’re the priority. You want us to check up on your friend, we can do it when the coast is clear. For now, you’re gonna sit tight.”
“No,” said Sarah. “I need to know she’s safe.”
Hunter thought the matter over. “You know her number?”
“Yes,” said Sarah. “Let me call her.”
“Fine,” said Hunter. “But don’t you say a word about any of this. Got it?”
Sarah nodded as she took the phone and quickly dialed Kelly’s number. She answered right away.
“Hello?”
“Oh my God, Kelly. It’s Sarah.”
“Holy crap,” she said. “Where are you? What happened with Brandt?”
“I...I can’t go into any of that right now. But you need to leave town right away—you’re in danger.”
“What? Why?”
“I can’t talk long. But pack up whatever you can and get out of New York. And tell me when you do.”
There was a pause. “OK. Tell me you’re all right, though. You are, right?”
“I’m...fine. But Brandt...he’s not what you think he is. Just leave as fast as you can, OK? Text at this number when you’re at the airport.”
She could feel Kelly’s panic over the line. “I will. And I want you to come to.”
“I will when I can. But don’t worry about me—hurry up and go tonight.”
Another pause. “Thanks, Sarah. And I’m so sorry I got you wrapped up in all of this.”
“It’s OK. Just be safe.”
“You too.”
Sarah hung up and sighed.
“All good?” asked Hunter.
“What do you care?” shot back Sarah.
“Whoa!” said Hunter. “Easy, now. Just because I kidnapped you doesn’t mean I don’t give a shit.”
“Brandt’s going to come after her, I know it.”
“Don’t you worry about that now,” he said. “Finish your beer and get to bed. If you want, I can send one of the boys to check up on your girl tonight. That work?”
The idea put Sarah somewhat at ease.
“Yeah,” she said. “I’d like that.”
“All right,” said Hunter. “Jot down her address and I’ll do it.”
Sarah took a pen and scribbled Kelly’s address onto a nearby piece of paper. Hunter took it and read it over.
“Brooklyn,” he said. “That’s Jack’s hood. I’ll let him know. But for now, gorgeous, let’s get you to bed.”
Fatigue washed over Sarah. The day had taken its toll, and she was worn out. Sleep did sound nice.
Hunter rose and offered her his hand. Sarah hesitated for a moment before taking it. His touch was warm and rough and solid, and the skin-to-skin contact sent a rush of arousal through her body. Part of her hated how much Hunter turned her on, how just the sight of him was enough to make her pussy wet and her nipples hard. She did her best to put it out of her mind.
He led her up the stairs to one of the doors on the second floor of the loft. The door led to a small bedroom that looked like it hadn’t been used in a long while.
“Your room,” he said, scratching his beard. “You need anything, you just let me know.” He raised a finger. “And this ain’t Adrian’s place—you leave, and I’m gonna find you. Better pray I do before Brandt does, kid.”
Sarah turned to Hunter, his powerful frame looming over her. Part of Sarah wanted to run her fingers over his muscles, all the way down to his cock. The draw was overwhelming.
“Good night.” The words came quietly from Sarah’s mouth, as though she had to force them out.
Hunter only smirked in return, his eyes moving slowly over her body as if he wanted her to know he was doing it. The grin still on his face, he shut the door.
Sarah collapsed onto the bed, and within moments, she was out like a light.
CHAPTER 13
HUNTER
The next morning, Adrian’s luxury car and Jack’s Vespa pulled up in front of Hunter’s place at about the same time. Hunter pulled up the garage door to meet them as they arrived.
“You guys love me, or do you guys love me?” Hunter was all smiles, his arms outstretched as if he expected to receive the biggest hugs of all time.
But Jack and Adrian returned his enthusiasm with hard stares.
“That was fucking stupid, Hunter,” said Jack.
“You put the whole plan in danger,” said Adrian.
The two brothers blew past Hunter, stepping into his home. Hunter followed after them, shutting the door behind him and locking it. The brothers all took seats in the living room area.
“You guys are seriously still pissed about what I did?” asked Hunter. “In case you fuckin’ forgot, I got the girl, and Brandt’s crew is down about five poor SOBs. Sounds like a fuckin’ win in my book.”
“But it could’ve gone to shit,” said Jack, crossing his legs.
“It didn’t,” said Hunter. “I couldn’t get a hold of you guys, so I made an, uh, executive decision. Paid off pretty fuckin’ well if you ask me.
”
Adrian closed his eyes for a moment as if trying to think. Or stop himself from shifting into his dragon and stomping Hunter right then and there. Hunter did his best to hide his grin—part of him loved it when he irked his more responsible brothers.
“I got results,” said Hunter. “And I got the girl.”
“Where is she?” asked Jack.
Hunter pointed up the stairs to the bedroom where Sarah had been sleeping. “Right there. Checked on her an hour ago—girl’s out like a damn light.”
“Some good news,” said Adrian. “And she knows she’s not going anywhere?”
Hunter nodded. “Made that clear as fuckin’ day to her. She’s not happy about it, but she gets it. Thinkin’ her night with Brandt let her know what the fuck is at stake.”
Jack spoke up. “OK. Your reckless bullshit last night aside, we’ve got her. What’s the next step?”
“Brandt likely knows about what happened,” said Adrian. “And I doubt he’s taking the news well. Would’ve been better if we could’ve snuck her out without him knowing it was us, but too late to take that back.” He shot a hard glare at Hunter, who returned it with a smirk.
“Then he’s going to come after us,” said Jack. “It’s going to be war.”
“Fuck yeah!” said Hunter, clasping his hands together. “’Bout damn time!”
“You think this is going to be fun and games?” asked Jack. “Because it’s not. Word on the street is that the war is all the other shifter clans are talking about. They’re trying to decide to take sides or sit it out. But they know war is coming.”
“And we’re going to be at the center of it,” said Adrian.
“Nah,” said Hunter, pointing up at the bedroom again. “She’s going to be at the center of it.”
The three men said nothing, knowing Hunter was right. Before any of them had a chance to say another word, the bedroom door opened. Hunter checked his watch—it was a little after eleven, meaning she’d been out for ten hours.
They turned their attention to her as she emerged. During the night, Sarah had gotten out of her clothes, putting on one of Hunter’s Black Sabbath T-shirts. The shirt only went down to the middle of her thighs, and Hunter took in the sight of her sexy-as-fuck legs. He imagined moving his hand up her thigh, feeling the wetness of her cunt through her panties. And he didn’t have any doubt the other guys were thinking the same thing.
Sarah’s eyes went wide as she realized all three brothers were there, and they were identical triplets. Then she glanced down at her bare legs, pulling the hem of the shirt down as far as it would go. But that only brought the neck of it down further, exposing her cleavage. Hunter grinned, his cock shifting at the sight.
“Hold on!” Sarah rushed back into her room, the brothers sharing the same look that made it clear what was on all of their minds. She returned moments later wearing a pair of Hunter’s gym shorts.
“Sarah,” said Adrian. “Come down. We need to speak to you.”
Her skeptical eyes on the brothers, she descended the stairs and sat down on one of the open couches.
“You kidnapped me,” she said.
“We did,” said Adrian. “Regrettable, but you left us no choice. We can’t risk you falling into Brandt’s hands.”
“So you decided to take me against my will?” she asked.
“Hey,” said Hunter. “We gave you the chance to stay with us on your own. But you flew the fuckin’ coop.”
Sarah opened her mouth to speak, but Jack cut her off.
“No point in arguing about it,” he said. “It’s done, and you’re going to be with us until this is all over.”
“Until what’s all over?” she asked.
“The war,” said Adrian. “The war that’s coming.”
“The one you’re going to be in the middle of,” said Jack.
“A war?” asked Sarah. “And what am I supposed to do? Sit it out?”
“That’s exactly what you’re going to do,” said Adrian. “You have powers as an omega, and you’ll discover you have more as time goes on. But they’re not developed yet. As of right now, you’re easy pickings for Brandt.”
Sarah’s eyes flashed. “What about Kelly? Did you find her?”
Jack shook his head. “I went to her apartment last night. She was gone. But she left a note for you saying she was leaving the city.”
“Good,” said Sarah. “At least I managed to keep her out of this mess.”
“All right,” said Hunter. “We got a war coming. So we prepare, and in the meantime, I hold onto the girl. Right?”
Adrian nodded. “She stays here until further notice. And you don’t get any say in the matter, Sarah.”
“Didn’t figure I did,” she said. “Kidnapped by dragons.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Didn’t imagine this is how I was going to spend my first week in New York.”
“It’s for your own safety,” said Jack.
“So I keep hearing.”
Jack and Adrian shared a glance before getting up.
“We should get going,” said Adrian. “Just wanted to come to make sure Sarah was safe.”
“She’s safe now, and that’s how she’s gonna be,” said Hunter. “I’ll make fuckin’ sure of it.”
Jack and Adrian said their goodbyes, leaving Hunter and Sarah alone. The moment they were gone and it was only the two of them, Hunter pictured Sarah in the clothes she’d been wearing—or not wearing—when she’d stepped out of the bedroom. His cock twitched in his jeans, and thoughts of rutting with her like a wild animal filled his mind.
“You OK over there?” asked Sarah.
“Uh, yeah,” said Hunter. “Doin’ just fine.”
Sarah chewed her bottom lip slightly, which Hunter found irresistibly hot. He knew he needed to do something to take his mind off how badly he wanted her.
Hopping off the couch, he spoke. “Gonna work on some shit. Place is yours—let me know if you need anything!”
Before Sarah had a chance to respond, Hunter clicked on his metal music and turned up the volume. Once that was done, he set to work on one of his bikes, trying to distract himself from the sexual energy in the air. He watched as Sarah regarded him with a confused expression before going back up to her room.
Fucking hell, he thought. Not a good idea to fuck the omega. Damn, does she make it hard, though. In more ways than one.
Hunter didn’t have any regrets about what he’d done last night, but he knew it wasn’t a good idea to make things worse with his brothers. Screwing Sarah would likely do just that.
He worked for hours, putting together the engine for the bike he’d been working on as a project. Nothing helped to clear his mind better than getting his hands good and greasy. After a time, he slipped off his shirt and tossed it aside, his tattooed muscles glistening with sweat. Hunter went back to work, but before too long, he spotted Sarah at the top of the stairs, regarding him with an expression he couldn’t quite figure out.
Hunter clicked the music off. “What’s up?”
“I’m going stir-crazy,” she said. “I get that you guys are trying to keep me safe, but there’s no way I’m going to stay cooped up in here.”
“You kidding?” asked Hunter. “It’s only been a day. Not even that, damn.”
“You might be fine with staying inside all day, but I’m not.”
Hunter rose, towering over his bike. He had to suppress a smile as Sarah’s eyes flicked over his body.
“You have any idea how dangerous out there it is for you?” he asked, snatching his beer from a nearby bench and holding it to his forehead.
“So you say,” she said. “But I want the chance to look out for myself. Staying locked up while people fight a war over me doesn’t sit well.”
Hunter wanted to continue arguing, but he began to get the impression Sarah was strong-willed enough to keep it going, maybe even longer than he could.
“How about this,” he said. “Give me an hour to finish up my work. Then we c
an go for a ride, maybe someplace out of town. That work?”
Sarah smiled. “It does. And thank you.”
Hunter shook his head. “Now, get back up to your room. I’ll tell you when I’m done.”
She complied, Hunter’s eyes on her ass while she disappeared into her room and shut the door. Getting out of the house sounded good to him too, but he knew he wasn’t lying about the danger.
Take her away from the city. Should be safe there. Less chance of Brandt tracking us.
He sighed, turning his attention back to the bike. Hunter went to working, finishing assembling the engine. Once it was ready, he hopped on the back and stuck the key into the ignition and gave it a turn. The bike roared to life.
“Hell yeah!” he shouted.
The noise drew Sarah out of her room. Hunter loved the sight of her in nothing but one of his T-shirts and a pair of his gym shorts. The clothes were baggy on her slender frame, but he knew she could wear a garbage bag with holes cut out of it and still look fine as hell.
“That’s our cue!” he shouted. “Get your sweet ass on this bike and let’s get moving!”
Sarah smiled, and Hunter realized it was the first time he’d seen her do it since he’d found her. The smile was beautiful, and Hunter was surprised at how his heart skipped a beat at the sight of it.
What the hell is this girl doin’ to me? How can I be acting like this after only knowing her for a damn day?
He pushed the thoughts out of his head as Sarah bounded towards him.
“I’m so ready to go, it’s not even funny,” she said. “No offense, but this place isn’t exactly girl-friendly.”
“That’s not what I’ve heard,” he said with a grin.
Sarah gave him a playful slap on the arm, her hand landing on his thick bicep and lingering there for a minute. Her touch was enough to make his cock move once again.
“All right, let’s hit it.”
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Thinking we can hit up the Hamptons. Kind of a trek, but we’ve got time. And I sure as shit could go for some fresh air.”