Protecting What's Hers (To Love And Defend Book 2)

by Daniella Starre

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s not working right lately. Before, Mom said she called me, but I had no missed calls. Now, it’s not ringing.”

  He glanced over her shoulder. “Do you recognize that number?”

  “No. There’s a voicemail.” She put the message on speaker and continued to get dressed.

  Clint rubbed under his nose as he listened. He’d get dressed in a second.

  “Mandy? This is Mark. How are you? Listen, I… You wanted to leave the restaurant because of a guy, right? Did he have greasy hair and a long nose? Because—”

  Mandy’s face went white. She snatched the phone and called the number back.

  “Mark? What did he do to you?”

  Clint stepped closer so he could listen too.

  “This guy hit my car. I nearly rolled. Was in the hospital for a few days and just got discharged.”

  “Are you okay?” She closed her eyes.

  Clint rubbed her back. He felt terrible. All of her stress and worries had disappeared when they’d been together, but now, it was all rushing back in. He could tell. He could see it. Her eyes had lost their shine, and her shoulders were dejected.

  “I’m so sorry,” Mandy was saying. “This is all my fault.”

  “Because you turned the steering wheel to hit me. That jackass did it,” Mark said. “Are you okay? Who is he? What does he want?”

  “I’m all right. His name is Jack Roberson. If you see him again, get out of his way. Keep a low profile. I don’t think he’s in Toledo any longer, so you should be fine.”

  “What does he want?” Mark repeated.

  “He wants me.” Mandy pinched the bridge of her nose. By now, she was dressed entirely.

  “Is there anything I can do?” Mark asked. “Anyone I can call?”

  “No, nothing. Actually, can you call Claire and the girls? Let them know I’m home with my parents, that I’m fine?”

  “Do they know that you have a stalker?” Mark asked.

  “Olivia knows a little.” She recited her friends’ numbers. “Thank you.”

  “You got it, and you don’t have to thank me.” He hesitated. “My cat died a few years ago. I have a dog now.”

  Mandy grinned, and Clint had to suppress a surge of jealousy.

  But then she gave him a shy smile, and Clint knew he had nothing to worry about.

  “I found someone,” she said softly.

  “Of course you did. I’m not surprised. All the good ones are taken. Hey, any of your friends single yet?”

  “Did you suffer a concussion?” Mandy asked, half sarcastic, half amused.

  “Yes, actually. Why?”

  “No reason.” Mandy shook her head. “Call my friends, okay? And stay safe.”

  “Keep me updated, and I’ll continue to pass on the good news.”

  Mandy disconnected the call and turned to Clint. Her gaze dropped to his chest and down lower.

  “Get dressed please,” she said, blushing deeply.

  He grabbed her hand and had her come upstairs to the bathroom with him.

  “Who’s Mark?” he asked, hoping he sounded casual and not envious.

  “Jealous much?”

  “I prefer curious.”

  “Mark’s a guy I’ve known for years. We went out once. It wasn’t that good. It wasn’t my worst blind date by far though, of course.”

  “Of course,” he muttered.

  “When Jack surprised me at the blind date, I rushed away and used Mark as a buffer to get away from him. Jack must’ve taken exception.”

  “And went after him before coming out here to threaten your parents. That guy is seriously mental.”

  “You said it.” Mandy cleared her throat. “The police should be here soon to pick me up.”

  She eyed him, clearly waiting for his reaction. Her jaw was set, her shoulders back.

  “Is that what you really want?” he asked her. “Do you prefer that they watch over you, that they protect you?”

  Her eyes narrowed, and a spark of anger and disgust crossed her delicate features. She was a fighter, his Mandy.

  His Mandy. It wasn’t fair for him to think of her as his. Not yet at least. Maybe one day.

  “What do you want?” he pressed.

  “I want to have never met Jack Roberson. I want to have no one get in the crosshairs. I hate that Mark got hurt because of me. I don’t want that to happen to anyone else.”

  “How can you best prevent that from happening?” he asked. This was her battle. He’d let her pick her own path.

  And then he’d stand beside her and fight until the bitter end.

  “I thought about using myself as bait,” she murmured. “Go ahead. Tell me that’s foolish.”

  “You’re so worried about protecting everyone but yourself,” he said. “That’s why I… care about you so much.”

  Her grin was more despairing than joyful. “I want the bastard found sooner rather than later. But if I want my loved ones to be safe, maybe it would be better to use me as bait with the police as backup.”

  “Because a werewolf won’t be able to smell the police coming from a mile off.” Clint shook his head. “One werewolf might be able to slip by. Not five, ten, however many.”

  “I want my loved ones safe,” she repeated firmly.

  “Me included?”

  Why he threw that out there he didn’t know, but he found himself anticipating her answer.

  “Yes. I love you like I would a teddy bear. You’re warm and comfortable. Reliable. But teddy bears can get cut and torn and ripped apart.”

  “So can you,” he growled.

  “No. He wants to marry me. He wants me. He won’t hurt me.”

  “You don’t know that! He purposely hit a car because of jealousy. He threatened your parents out of spite. He killed another man just so he could trick you into dating him. He snuck into this house potentially several times, stole your undergarments.”

  “And he might’ve set a few fires too,” she murmured.

  He narrowed his eyes. “He is a deranged man capable of nearly anything.”

  “Exactly why I have to take some control back and face him on my terms, not his.”

  “So you’re going with the police then.”

  She hesitated. “For now.”

  His eyes widened. “You want to hang around them and learn where he is. Then, you’ll slip free and nail him. Is that your plan?”

  Mandy blinked innocently. “Me?”

  Clint glowered at her, not amused in the slightest. “Yes you. I might not have known you for long, but I do know you.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. It’s possible the police will let you come with me.”

  He rubbed his scruffy chin. “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Your parents. I hate the idea of them not being protected. The alarm system, the security cameras… He hacked them once. I can set up protective measures, but if he broke through once, he might be able to again. Hey, shouldn’t your parents have come back by now?”

  “Good point.” Mandy grabbed her cell and called them. “Mom? Where are you?”

  “Your father insisted that we make a quick pit stop.”

  “To get what?” Mandy cried.

  “It’s something we’ve considered from time to time,” her mom hedged.

  “Just tell me.”

  “A gun.”

  “A gun? But we’re werewolves! We don’t need guns!”

  “It can’t hurt to have one. It can’t hurt to be safe. We just want to protect you. Our baby girl.”

  Clint winced. That was exactly the last thing Mandy wanted to hear.

  “Hurry home,” Mandy said, and she disconnected the call. “I’m going with the police. Stay here with my parents. Please.”

  “I’d rather come with you,” he protested.

  “My father is so frightened that he got a gun. He hates gun. Always has. Always will. It’s absurd to think that any other reason is behind him buying one now.”

  “
But, Mandy—”

  She pressed a hand to his chest. “You can walk me to the cruiser, but you need to watch over my parents and keep them safe for me. Okay?”

  “You’re killing me,” he said as they walked down the stairs holding hands.

  “Don’t say that,” she begged.

  “You are.”

  She leaned her head against his arm as they headed toward the front door.

  “I’m trusting you to protect my family. Can’t you trust me to protect myself?” she asked.

  “I think you’d rather protect them yourself,” he said honestly.

  “Yes, but I’m the reason why they’re in danger. This is my way of protecting them.” She halted and stared up at him. “Of protecting you.”

  “I don’t need—”

  She kissed him. Her tongue pressed against his lips, and he parted them so their tongues could duel. He snaked his arm around her, pulling her close, kissing her desperately. He wanted her again. He needed her.

  Fuck, he loved her already.

  Not that he could tell her that and not that it would make a difference. She was clearly the type of woman who did what she wanted.

  The sound of a car pulling up out front had him breaking off the kiss. Holding her hand, he rushed over to the window and peeked out. The police car was here to accept her.

  “Walk me out?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  Still holding hands, he opened the door for her and shut it behind them.

  Once they reached the car, Mandy talked to the officer for a few minutes.

  The sound of rustling caught his attention, and Clint warily glanced everywhere. He saw nothing that might’ve caused the sound.

  Metal on pavement. The sound was soft. A cylinder rolled toward him, already smoking. Clint covered his mouth and tried to grab Mandy, but he couldn’t see. He couldn’t find her.

  When the smoke finally dissipated, Clint searched high and low, every which way.

  Mandy was gone.

  The officers were trying to find Mandy too, but Clint ignored them. The lingering remnants of the smoke were preventing him from being able to smell well at all, but it didn’t matter. Her scent was seared into him after their lovemaking. Her scent deep inside of him, Clint took off to find her, eager and excited to help and beyond ready for this to be over.

  13

  The back of Mandy’s head throbbed, and she slowly lifted her head from the ground. Where was she? What exactly had happened?

  She gingerly touched the back of her head. To her surprise, no blood coated her fingers. The blow felt strong, too strong.

  “What happened?” she asked out of the corner of her mouth. She didn’t know who was here, if anyone still was.

  No one answered her, and she groaned as she forced herself to stand. It appeared to her that she was in an abandoned house. Maybe a foreclosed one like the warehouse where Jacob had been found.

  Will anyone be able to find me?

  Hopefully but she had to assume she was on her own. So much for protecting what’s mine. I can’t even protect myself.

  Then again, to some extent, she had wanted to be captured by Jack. How else was she supposed to reach him? Have access to him? Kill him or bring him in depending on which mood she was in when the time came?

  Right now, though, she needed to familiarize herself with her surroundings. She needed to orient herself so that she wasn’t at a disadvantage.

  Let’s see… The room she was in was empty. No furniture outside of the pole she was tied to. Between her biting on the cord and her tugging on it, the knot loosened enough that Mandy was able to free herself.

  Good riddance.

  She rubbed her nearly raw wrists and entered the next room. Another empty room.

  The next room, however, was not empty. Mandy took one look, and a twisted sense of disgust and revulsion washed over her.

  In the room, lying on the bed, was a huge, lifelike doll. A doll that resembled her perfectly. From its hair to its eyes, the doll stared back at her, unblinking. Even more disturbing was the outfit the doll was wearing. A gown. A white wedding gown. A veil covered her face, although the lace material allowed everyone to see her features. Even the lips had been curled into her smile, the one she normally reserved for Brent.

  And had maybe given to Clint a handful of times already too.

  Her in a wedding dress. Mandy shuddered, repulsed and appalled. She would rather drink poison than have to suffer through that fate. In the past day, she was beginning to realize that she could be open to marrying again but not to Jack.

  The doll then did the strangest thing. It blinked as if it were a robot and not just a creepy guy’s plaything, a substitute for the real thing, a standby for her.

  A backup that he now no longer needed because she had control of the situation. She was free and mobile, eager and ready to go after her foe. And all without the assistance of others. Still, if the eyes of dolls were cameras, he could see that she was here. The element of surprise was no longer hers.

  “Creepy as hell,” she muttered.

  Mandy forced herself to walk deeper into the room. On the other side of the bed was a small nightstand. She opened the drawer and removed a ton of pictures of her. In some of them, she was eating breakfast or getting coffee. She was getting dressed or dictating orders for the restaurant. She even found one where she was naked, about to climb out of the shower.

  How the hell had Jack gotten close enough to take these pics? It was beyond disturbing.

  He’s even crazier than I feared.

  She swallowed hard and examined more of the contents in the drawer. Beneath the pictures were envelopes, all to her, all sealed, all dated well in the past, around when the first disaster of a blind date had been.

  He’s been obsessed with me for that long. Too bad that case hadn’t landed him behind bars. Then again, he’d just continue to be focused on me. It would’ve only delayed all of this, delayed him coming after me.

  Mandy hated that he wanted her so badly. In some way, though, she understood where he was coming from. When you connected with a person who was your soulmate, he or she changed your life immediately. Not all soulmates were good ones. Clearly. Already, Jack had left a mark on her life, and that mark definitely wasn’t for the better.

  With Clint, though… At first, she worried that thinking about Clint would make her frustrated or worried or frightened. Nope. Despite her being captured, she could draw some strength from him. She could do this. She could find a way out of this.

  From the beginning, she’d wanted to be the one to protect what was hers. Now, she had that chance, and she wasn’t about to blow it.

  She checked the nightstand thoroughly, hoping to find a whip or handcuffs or even ties to bind someone up. Nothing like that but she did find a bunch of supplies that could be used to start fires.

  I’ll just have to do things the old-fashioned way.

  Mandy shoved everything back into the drawer, sneaked around the bed, and headed back toward the hallway.

  Too late. A figure stood in the doorway. Jack.

  Her swallow got stuck in her throat, and she nervously, angrily sputtered a cough.

  “You aren’t welcome here,” she said.

  “And you are?” Jack asked casually. He stalked forward and grabbed her hips. Before she could stop him, he had her lying down on the bed.

  Mandy grabbed his fingers and pulled back, forcing him to release his hold on her, but he merely swapped out his hands for his hips. She remained pinned in place.

  “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this?” Jack asked. He snatched her wrists, both of them in one hand. His other hand caressed the side of her face and trailed down to her breast.

  Mandy tried to pivot her wrists, to get onto her side, but all Jack had to do was drop all of this weight onto her hips. Now, she was stuck. She was at his mercy.

  With a tie, he bound her wrists. The moment he released his hold on her arm, she brought down
her fists square on top of his head. The impact jarred her wrists considerably, but Jack merely laughed.

  “You’ll have to try harder than that. Much harder.”

  As if to prove his point, Jack rubbed his hardness against her.

  Oh, hell no!

  With renewed anger and vigor, Mandy managed to get onto her side. She brought her arms down, around her throat, and she squeezed tight. Jack might want her, might be willing to rape her, but that wasn’t gonna fly. She’d fight him until her dying breath. No way would she allow her body to be desecrated by someone. Only those she loved could touch her.

  Which meant, yes, she did love Clint.

  Now, I just need to live long enough to tell him that.

  Which was going to be no small, simple feat.

  14

  Clint lost track of time and all sense of location as he trailed the scent. Maybe he should’ve given the cops a heads up, but he was too worried and frightened for his Mandy to stop. He had to find her. He had to put an end to this. Jack must be stopped at all costs.

  As he raced along, Clint heard the squeal of tires and the beeping of cars when he darted out into the streets. Oh, well. He was behaving recklessly, carelessly, dangerously, but his only concern was for her wellbeing, not his.

  Gradually, Clint realized that he was nearing the warehouse that Mark had been found in. That Jack had killed someone and now had kidnapped Mandy infuriated Clint all the more. He didn’t have time to feel depressed or worried. His anger fueled him now.

  He burst past the warehouse. Several blocks down, a line of houses came into view. Several had foreclosure signs out front. The third one down was where his nose led him.

  Clint circled the perimeter to ensure there were no traps. Once satisfied, he began to try the windows one by one. One hadn’t been locked properly, and he easily, quietly, pried it open. He climbed inside and dropped to the floor without making a noise.

  Time to find Mandy.

  Relying on his nose once more, he found the stairs and climbed them. Before he reached the top, he could already hear the grunts and clashing of claws and snapping of jaws that meant a fight was underway.

  Clint rushed forward as if part cheetah instead of part wolf. Speaking of wolves, two wolves were fighting each other. One was sleek, quick, and darting. The other one was slower and more powerful. The sleek wolf, Mandy, fought as if possessed and desperate. The larger one, Jack, attacked with more precision, more deliberation. He wasn’t trying to hurt her. He was trying to subdue her, control her. He wanted to own her, and that disgusted Clint more than he thought possible.