by Vella Day
Trax held open the door, and she hesitated. Was this the dumbest move or the most prudent? Time to decide.
Chapter Two
In the end, Liz crawled in the cab. She was too uncomfortable to refuse his help. Besides, the man seemed to know something about the owners of the white van. Maybe he could help her find out why those dogs had attacked her. And, there had to be a reason why her savior happened to be in that alley with a gun.
Trax didn’t try to sit close to her in the cab for which she was thankful. His posture was rather rigid, and he kept his gaze forward. Most men would have stretched out their legs, but not him. She believed he was a military man. It wasn’t just the neatly trimmed hair, his straight Roman nose, or the way his shirt plastered to his no-fat body. His eyes were intense and his jaw too tight, except for the moment when he’d smiled. Boy, when he’d flashed that grin, her every fantasy had come to life.
The blood dripping down her leg drew her back to reality. The cut on her palm and scraps hurt like a bitch. When she hissed, he pulled something white from his back pocket and handed it to her.
“Here, hold this over the cut and keep even pressure to stop the blood flow.”
Since he seemed to know something about medicine, she did as he suggested, but it stung even more when she applied the force. She wanted to ask him a hundred questions, but speaking in front of a cabbie might be a bad idea, especially if Trax had seen what she saw. Instead, she sat quietly and nursed her wound. He didn’t talk either, which was fine by her.
When they’d gotten in the cab, Trax had given the driver an address. How had he known where the clinics were located? She wasn’t sure what to make of it. She’d lived in this town her whole life and couldn’t rattle off the address of even one health clinic.
They didn’t drive far out of the city center before they arrived at their destination. Okay, maybe this guy was on the up and up.
He leaned over the front seat and gave the cabbie a twenty. “Keep the change. We got your seat wet.”
His generosity impressed her. He jumped out, rushed over to her side, and pulled open the door. When she stepped out, he held her elbow.
This street had more traffic than the alley, which would make it next to impossible for more dogs to attack her.
“Let’s get you inside.”
That was the best suggestion she’d heard in a while. They entered the clinic and walked up to the desk. “Crap.”
His body tensed. “What is it?”
“My purse. I must have dropped it by the dumpster. I have to go back.” Her life was in there. Not to mention a gun and her mom’s diary. She’d taken two steps toward the door when he stopped her.
“I’ll call my brother. He can get it for you.”
She wanted to say she needed to retrieve it herself, but that would mean Trax would insist on going with her and that wouldn’t be fair to him. “He won’t mind?”
“Oh, he’ll mind all right, but he’ll do it.”
What did that mean? She would have objected, but she really needed her bag. He pulled out his phone and stepped out of hearing range, as if he expected an ugly confrontation. The conversation didn’t take long.
“Done.”
That was a relief, but there was no guarantee the purse would still be there when his brother showed up. She tried to concentrate on checking in with the woman at the counter but the air-conditioning chilled her to the bone. She shivered. It was November. They should be blowing warm, not cold, air.
The receptionist did appear sympathetic about her missing purse. “Miss, do you have insurance?”
Beside her house payment and the utilities, she always paid her insurance bill. She wished her mom had kept up her own payments. If she had, her mom might have been able to afford counseling. “Yes.”
“Why don’t you sign in and perhaps by the time the doctor is able to see you, your purse will arrive.”
“Thanks.” Liz tried to grip the pen but with the bandage on her palm, she was unable to grasp it well enough to write.
Trax removed the pen from her hand. “Let me.”
Since her hand shook from the effort, she was willing to let him handle the small detail of filling out her registration. “Thanks.” She didn’t want to owe him too much, but how did one repay someone for saving one’s life?
He asked her a series of questions from the form. She gave him her name, address, phone number, and emergency contact person. She had him list Chelsea, as she really was the closest thing Liz had to a relative. The whole time, Trax’s expression didn’t change, even when she stated her age and marital status. He seemed as if he was used to doing this sort of thing.
After he handed the chart back to the receptionist, he led her over to the chairs. “Start from the beginning and tell me everything that happened.”
Well, I tried to kill someone today by drugging him first. I was bemoaning the fact the bastard didn’t even flinch when I gave him GHB, and as a result, I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to where I was going. Out of the blue, a van tried to run me over. Oh, and by the way, you didn’t happen to see some dogs change into humans, did you?
“I’m not really sure. I had just left work and was walking to my car when tires screeched behind me.” She detailed how the van had run up on the sidewalk and then backed up before driving down the alley. She then told him how after the car stopped, two animals leapt from the van and charged. “Then you showed up.”
“Did you see the driver?”
“It was raining too hard to see much of anything. To tell you the truth, I was only thinking of not getting run over.” She should have noted the license plate and who was in the car, but she had other things on her mind.
She expected Trax to scold her for not being more observant, but his gaze was focused over her head as if he were trying to figure something out. “Where do you work?”
It was too late to lie. “At Au Pairs for U. Today was my first day.”
His eyes widened and his pupils dilated. Flecks of amber burst through them, and her feminine side thought she’d never seen a more beautiful man.
“Do like working there?”
“It was just one day.” How good he was at spotting a lie? “But it was okay.”
“Do you think the van was after you?”
Her mouth dropped open and she sucked in several breaths as her heart pounded. “No, why would it be?”
She’d tossed away the concept that Couch was aware she’d tried to lace his drink and had put a hit out on her minutes after Trax arrived. She really had no idea what kind of man Couch was other than he’d raped her mom. No one had filed criminal charges against him in the last twenty-three years that she could find, and from the glowing articles written about him, he was a model citizen. He’d married another woman three years after the rape, but that didn’t stop him from coming after her mom many more times.
The clinic door opened and she spotted her purse a split second before she noticed the man holding her pink bag.
The newcomer strode over with it slung over his shoulder and posed. “How do I look?” He stuck out his right foot as if he was some runway model, and she swallowed a giggle. He wore a loose fitting Hawaiian shirt over ripped jeans that topped black sandals. His long, dark bangs were wet and stuck out at odd angles, but he looked like the boy next door—the one every girl crushed on. The fact it looked like he hadn’t shaven since yesterday morning implied he didn’t care all that much about his appearance. What an amazing contrast to the man sitting next to her dressed in black wearing combat boots.
For the first time in days, she smiled. “Ridiculous, but I can’t thank you enough for retrieving my purse.”
“My pleasure.” He handed her the bag then stuck out his hand. “I’m Dante Field, the stodgy one’s younger and much better looking brother.”
This man was such a refreshing change from the men she usually ran into. She held out both hands. She wasn’t ready to let go of the bloodied handkerchief until sh
e’d seen the doctor. “Can you sit for a minute?” She didn’t know what possessed her to ask. Maybe it was the way he held her gaze and never looked elsewhere. Or maybe it was because his face was the first really friendly one she’d seen, and right now she could use a friend.
Though why he’d want to sit in a stupid doctor’s office, she didn’t know.
“I’d love to, but I can’t stay long. I need to get back to work.”
“What do you do?” Come to think of it, she hadn’t even asked the man with the gun what he did either. She glanced between the two.
Dante smiled. “In theory, we run Field’s Monitoring Service together, but to be honest, I do most of the work. My slacker brother likes to use the equipment more than sell it.”
She had to think about that comment.
“Ms. Wharton?” The nurse opened the door and searched the room.
Trax stood. “You want me to come in with you?”
For a moment, she was twelve again and with her dad. “I can handle it. Thanks.” She took a few steps before turning around. “Are you going to be here when I get out?” No reason existed for him to stay, but she didn’t want to lose contact with him.
“If you’d like.”
“I would.” She wasn’t sure what made her say that, but she sensed an intangible connection between them she didn’t want to lose. As she walked to the back, she hoped she was right about trusting this man.
* * *
Dante sat next to his brother. “Bro, who is this girl?” This wasn’t like Trax to go out of his way like this, but the minute Dante got near her he recognized she was special. Did Trax feel the pull, too?
“She was with Couch today.”
His brother’s comment sobered him, but that wasn’t what he’d meant. “You sure?”
“Yeah.” He told him about this being her first day.
“Why would one of Couch’s men follow her? And then try to kill her?”
His brother glanced toward the receptionist. “I don’t know, but I’ll tell you one thing. Those werewolves would have eaten her alive if I hadn’t come along.”
He quirked a brow. “How did you happen to be there at the right time?” Trax was good, especially when he was tracking one of the Colters, but his timing had been almost too good in this case.
“The Pack listened in on Couch’s phone call. He told his men to kill the bitch. I had no idea who that meant, so I followed his guys. I was a few car lengths behind them when the van cut across traffic, went up on the sidewalk, and down the alley. I had to make a U-turn and park. By the time I got there, the van had already stopped and the men had gotten out and shifted.”
“Fuck. Liz must have been scared shitless.”
“I don’t think it’s hit her yet. She hasn’t even commented about them changing right in front of her.”
“She’s probably in shock. When she has time to assess what happened, she’ll want answers.” From Trax’s description of the chain of events, she wasn’t one of Couch’s plants.
His brother’s lips thinned. “I know. We have to figure out how to approach her.”
He’d leave that conversation up to Trax. “Why do you think Couch wanted her dead if she only worked there one day?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. But I intend to find out. She may have seen something she doesn’t realize is critical to our investigation. We need to make sure she stays safe.”
“Damn. Couch has finally gone rogue. We need to stop him before the cops or the FBI catch on.”
“We?”
Except when it came to sharing women, Trax was a loner. Hell, if it weren’t for Dante, his brother would never have a woman. As sure as he was a wolf shifter, Liz Wharton was the one for them, and he was damned if he’d allow anything to happen to her.
The gentleman four seats down rubbing his stomach seemed too preoccupied to care about listening in on their conversation. It was probably safe to talk if he kept his voice low. “You know how we like to share?”
“Yeah, but don’t even go there.” Trax’s tone came out clipped and too fast. “This is about Liz’s safety and finding evidence on Couch. It’s not about finding our mate.”
Dante leaned back and laughed. “You feel it, too, don’t you?”
The moment a werewolf smelled his mate, he realized she was the one he’d spend the rest of his life with. It didn’t always happen that both men found the same woman, but in this case they had, and he couldn’t have been more pleased.
“The timing couldn’t come at a worse time. Until we catch Couch, I can’t be distracted.”
“Bro, this is our one chance at happiness.”
His brother leveled him with a stare. “Then you take her.”
Dante hadn’t seen that coming. “You know that’s not how this works.”
Before they had a chance to finish the conversation, Liz came out. Her knees were bandaged and her hand stitched.
“Sir?” The receptionist waved Trax over.
He stood and went over to the counter. Since this was Dante’s future mate, he followed.
“Ms. Wharton may have a possible concussion. The doctor recommends she not drive until tomorrow. Can one of you stay with her?”
Trax nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll see she gets home safely.”
Liz pressed her lips together.
Oh, boy. She was going to be a feisty one. Even though he usually left the protection duty to Trax, this was one time he wanted to help. Hell, if it involved keeping her warm in his bed, he’d be the first to volunteer.
“I’ve got my car.” He looked at his brother. “Why don’t I drop you off downtown to pick up your SUV? Then I can drive Liz home.”
“Sounds good.”
She planted her good hand on her hip. “As much as I appreciate you both helping me, I’d rather have a cab take me home. I’ll be fine.”
Now what were they to do? Dante touched her arm. “Do you think we’d harm you?”
She glanced to the ground. Great. Just being around them seemed to make her uncomfortable.
He held up a hand. “No problem. I’ll call a cab for you.”
Trax shot him a glance. I want her to stay with us. Couch might try again.
Trax didn’t often resort to telepathy except in times of need. I agree. Don’t worry. I have a plan.
“Thanks.” Her smile came out weak, but at least it was a smile.
His brother led her over to the chairs while he called for a ride.
“Does your head hurt?” Trax asked.
“Yes.” As if to prove the point, she rubbed her temple.
Dante didn’t like that she wasn’t feeling well.
Trax’s gaze traveled from her head down to her knees. “Can you call a friend to stay with you? You heard the nurse.”
“Maybe.”
“If you become nauseated, you do know to call 9-1-1, right?”
Damn, Trax. He wished his brother hadn’t offered that suggestion. His plan didn’t include a friend. It might be harder to convince her to stay with them if she had someone hovering nearby. Maybe her scent had messed with his brother’s brain. Or perhaps it was the way her lacy white bra was visible under her white blouse. Then again, it could be her heart-shaped face, her long luscious legs, or the way her breath caught when he’d walked in that was screwing with both of them.
The cab company finally answered and Dante asked for them to send one. They said they’d be there in ten minutes. He glanced over at Liz. The moment he’d spotted her, he felt a strong connection with her. The big question was if she’d felt it, too.
She bit her bottom lip and his cock instantly hardened. Christ. He didn’t need to lose control in a goddamn health clinic.
“I’ll remember.”
We need to find out where she lives.
Trax glanced up at him. I know her address.
Why the fuck didn’t you tell me? Here he’d been thinking of ways to put a tracking device on the taxi.
You didn’t ask.
<
br /> At times, like now, he wanted to beat the shit out of his brother. Given Dante was a good thirty pounds heavier and almost two inches taller than Trax, he bet he could take his brother down. Or maybe not. Trax worked out like a possessed maniac whereas he spent his spare time partying and only hit the gym when the mood struck.
Hmm. Maybe that needed to change.
“I’ll wait outside for the taxi.” And to clear my head.
The moment he got away from the intoxicating blonde, he was able to inhale and not have his body react. His back to the door, he adjusted his balls. He’d had a ton of women but never had he been affected like this. Sure, his uncle had told them what to expect when they met their mate. The craziness wouldn’t go away until they’d both sank their fangs into her neck and claimed her, and their bodies would take on a life of their own around the right woman, but Dante never expected it to be this uncomfortable. The loss of control worried him. Trax had more willpower than he did. If Dante got too excited and shifted, he’d ruin what his brother and the Pack had tried to keep under wraps forever.
The problem was as much as he wanted Liz, there was no guarantee she’d even find either of them acceptable—especially his sullen brother.
Boy did he have a long hill to climb for a chance to win her heart.
Chapter Three
Liz paid the cabbie and limped to her front door as fast as she could. The climb up the three steps to her worn porch made her knees twinge, and being outside in the rain at night was no fun. The men who’d chased her couldn’t know where she lived, yet she darted a glance to the bushes close to her house, looking for shadows.
Once inside, she sagged against the wall and closed her eyes. She was finally safe. Her only regret at this moment was not getting Trax’s number so she could verify what she saw was real. She bet she’d have nightmares for weeks over those shape-shifting things. She might have hit her head, but she didn’t think she’d lost consciousness. Sure her vision blurred, and she was scared out of her mind believing she was about to die, but there was no explanation for the way those dogs turned into men. Yes, she’d read romance stories about werecats, werewolves, and a host of other shifter types roaming the earth, but they were stories. Not even a hint existed to those things being real. Had she seen little gray men in the alley, she might have tried to convince the world that aliens existed. But werewolves? No way. They were a result of writers’ imaginations or a movie director’s special effects.
