by Vella Day
While he enjoyed working alone, being with competent operatives was a nice diversion. “I’m good. Thanks. How’s he doing?”
“He’s bleeding, but my brother is patching him up. We figured you wanted him alive.”
“I want to find out what he knows first and then I’ll kill him.”
The man held out his hand and smiled. “Trax Field. My brother Dante is in the other room.”
The name almost made Connolly laugh even though the General had mentioned who was coming up to help. “Connolly McLaughlin. I bet you were teased a lot growing up. Did the kids call you Track and Field?”
“Only the dumb ones. And then never twice.”
He liked the man. “Excuse me. I need to take care of the woman.”
“While you’re at it, you should bandage your neck and face.” Trax stepped aside and Connolly headed into the kitchen for water and aspirin.
He touched his cheek and was surprised to find blood. His adrenaline was still running through his system so fast that he hadn’t felt a thing after the initial swipe. He wasn’t worried. His wolf genes would take care of his injuries soon enough.
Armed with ice wrapped in a towel and the medication, he returned to take care of the victim. When he entered his room, she seemed to be peacefully asleep, so he decided not to disturb her. He set the glass of water and aspirin on the side table then dumped the ice in the bathroom sink. Understanding she needed the healing rest, he stepped out of the room and would return later to check on her.
It was time to see to the man who had brutalized this woman. The moment he spotted him slumped in the chair, tied up, and bandaged, Connolly’s fangs extended and hair sprouted.
“Easy now,” Dante said. “He’s in no shape for a beating.”
Connolly growled just as Dante’s cell rang. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. “It’s Jay.”
Connolly nodded, but he wasn’t happy to have to delay his fact-finding mission. Timing was critical. As soon as Dante disconnected, Connolly would make sure these two understood why Jay and Riley could never learn that he, too, worked for the General.
“Understood,” Dante said. “Stay in touch.” He faced Connolly. “Apparently, Statler’s at the warehouse right now but Jay doesn’t know for now long.”
Connolly’s lip curled and his bones cracked. He wanted the man bad, but he couldn’t do it alone. He spotted the swipe card around the guard’s neck and an idea popped into his head. As much as he wanted to rip the ID badge off the man, he didn’t want to break it. After lifting it from around the man’s neck, Connolly smiled.
The guard roused. “What do you think you’re gonna do with that? Walk in?”
The guard acted as if that was a bad idea. “As a matter of fact, yes I am.”
“My name’s on the badge.”
He only intended to use it to get through the door. “I can see that.” He faced the two men. “May I speak with you alone?”
Dante had secured the man well, so Connolly didn’t fear he’d escape. They followed him into the living room.
“What do you need?” Trax asked.
“Do you have the layout of the inside of the warehouse?” He thought the General would have sent it to him, but he hadn’t received it yet.
He grinned. “Why, yes I do.”
* * *
After meeting Jay and Riley, both of whom exuded confidence and a focused grasp on the scope of Statler’s evil nature, Sarah practically bounced out of their motel room. She hadn’t felt this kind of joy since before she’d gone undercover all those months ago. Her lightness could have been from the belief the end was near, or from the cocoon of warmth emitted by Jay. The man listened to her every word and offered her sympathy and support when she needed it. He also acted as if she was the most important person in the world. Never before had she met anyone like him.
And then there was Riley. She couldn’t get a bead on him. The man exuded sex appeal but then acted as if any interest by a female was unwelcome. It didn’t really matter. They’d both be gone in a few days, which was a shame; something about them seriously appealed to her. Her military dad had drilled into her the need to toe the line, follow the rules, and do what was right. She’d lived by his philosophy except when it came to sex. Getting lost in a man’s touch and his hard loving ways was the only thing that helped keep her balanced, but only if her partner was amazingly hot or incredibly good-natured.
Jay had both traits in spades. Riley was bad boy-hot but was far from easy-going or overly friendly. He had offered to find her some antibiotics, though, and that counted for a lot.
Ten minutes after leaving their motel, Sarah reached her neighborhood. As a precaution, she drove past her street needing to be certain no one was following her. Twice she’d noticed a white car behind her, but it had eventually turned off. Whenever she spotted a vehicle for more than a few miles, a yucky twisting feeling settled in her stomach. It was why she’d had to learn evasive techniques.
Once she was certain she was safe, she pulled into her drive. Statler was paying for this place, so she shouldn’t complain, but the two-bedroom home was rundown—and it smelled of mold.
Her roommate, Amy, was nice, but she was highly attracted to the bad boys—aka Statler’s goons. As soon as Sarah stepped inside the home, she rushed to her room to change, needing to go for a run to help rid her body of all the day’s tension. The knots in her shoulders had been building from the moment Statler had them pack up their lab in such a hurry and move farther west.
Amy wouldn’t be home until eight, so Sarah planned to enjoy her few hours of freedom. She could only hope that Amy’s boyfriend, Russ, wouldn’t show up tonight. The guard gave her the creeps; he was always asking her odd questions that she suspected came from Statler himself. So far she’d been able to field the answers quite well, but after meeting with the men of the Pack today, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to hide her newfound excitement from her roommate or her boyfriend.
Once dressed, Sarah hopped back in her car. The running path was located in a forested area of a National Park that was full of wildlife and waterfalls. She’d debated asking Statler for a weapon in case she met up with an unwanted animal, but then decided against it. He’d probably fear she’d turn the gun on one of the guards. While tempted, she wouldn’t be that stupid. Russ had mentioned that werewolves only died if the bullet was packed with a certain kind of poison and that regular guns only slowed them down. At present, she had no idea how to get ahold of that poison.
She rolled down her car window to enjoy the late afternoon glow and warm breeze along the seven-mile deserted stretch of road. When she arrived at the Park’s lot, there weren’t any other cars, which further relaxed her.
Keeping an eye on her surroundings, she started with a slow jog then increased her speed for the next couple of miles. The tranquility of the summer day, along with the pine-scented forest lulled her into a dreamlike state. Just for fun, she pictured herself naked, entwined between both Jay and Riley, mentally changing positions, but then gave up trying to decide who would be the better lover. Would Jay take her from behind or would it be Riley? If it was the latter, she bet he’d be determined to keep his emotional distance, but the lovemaking would be so intense that he couldn’t help return for more.
Her panties turned damp from all her prurient thoughts. Get real. She didn’t have time for wild, passionate sex. She had an evil man to take down—with the help of her two superheroes, of course. Sarah suddenly cracked up at the image of the men dressed in flapping capes.
I’m losing it. Get a grip.
She immediately sobered. With the sun threatening to set, she turned around and headed back. By the time she reached her car, her stomach had grumbled more times than she could count.
Not in the mood to cook, she stopped off at a small diner located in a gas station. Despite the unusual setting, the food was homemade and rather tasty, and as much as she wanted to stay away from home, she needed shower, a
nd sleep. Five o’clock came around really early.
Once home, she headed straight to the shower. It wasn’t until she’d cleaned up, done a load of laundry and read two chapters of a book, that Amy finally returned looking more tired than usual.
“You look beat. Something happen at the warehouse?” Sarah asked. “Oh, no, is it Nancy? Has she taken a turn for the worse?”
“No. She’s about the same, but she needs some antibiotics fast.”
Sarah wanted to confide in her, but she didn’t dare. “If you find any, let me know.”
Amy nodded, but her shoulders remained slumped. She tossed her thin jacket on the back of the sofa and set down her purse. “Michelle didn’t show up for her shift, so I stayed for as long as I could to cover for her.”
They hadn’t been at the warehouse long enough to have established a pattern, but so far, no one had dared miss even a minute of their required time. Statler was highly unpredictable, and she wouldn’t put it past him to order someone’s execution for crossing him. “Did you call her?”
“Yes, but her cell went to voicemail. That’s not all. Darnell didn’t show up to his shift either. Russ is staying with Wendell a little bit longer, too.”
Sarah tried to remember if she’d witnessed any exchange between Michelle and Darnell. “Could they be doing something together for Statler?”
Amy chewed on a nail, one that was already bitten to the quick. “I don’t think so, but it’s Russ I’m worried about. He wants to tell Statler about Darnell going AWOL. You know how volatile our boss is. It could end up badly for Russ.”
That was an understatement. She wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that conversation. “Maybe they’ll show up tomorrow. I hope. I’m going to head on into bed.”
It was time to send a text. She prayed Statler hadn’t employed someone to hack into her messages. If so, she’d end up in a grave before she could call for help.
* * *
At eleven o’clock at night, Statler’s phone rang and his claws immediately extended at the interruption. No one dared call him at this uncivilized hour.
The gorgeous blonde next to him in bed rolled over, her naked breasts enticing him. “Are you going to answer that?” she asked as she grabbed his hard cock.
With a glorious woman so close, he sure as fuck didn’t want to, but he couldn’t chance missing a call from his buyer. Keeping his hands under the sheet, he focused on retracting his claws. The last thing he needed was for a human to run out of the apartment screaming bloody murder.
“Give me a sec.” He dragged his now fully human hand over her luscious breasts then pinched the tip.
“Ouch.”
He grinned. “Serves you right for looking so good. How about getting yourself a drink and waiting for me in the living room?”
“Okay.” She tossed him a pout and rolled out of bed, wiggling her naked ass as she left the bedroom.
As soon as Gloria or Stella or whatever the fuck her name was couldn’t hear him, he glanced at the caller ID. Shit. It was Russ Sizemore. “This better be good,” he said grinding out his words. “I told you never to disturb me.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but this is important. Darnell didn’t show up for his shift.”
“Why the fuck should I care?”
“Wendell can’t secure the warehouse by himself.”
He was right. Statler would do something about that only because he didn’t trust the General not to show up again. Jesus, his life had been a bitch ever since the head of the Pack and his men had found them. To make matters worse, Tyson and Ford Summerville had managed to kill almost their entire security team. Fuckers. “Did you call Darnell? He might still be trying to dispose of Michelle.” Though he didn’t understand how it could take a few hours to slit a throat and bury a body. Bitch never should have refused to drug the women. She had to pay for that insubordination.
“He didn’t answer his cell.”
“Keep trying.” Incompetent idiot. Statler worked hard not to drive back to the warehouse and take care of Sizemore himself.
“I don’t think he followed your orders, sir.” Sizemore’s voice shook.
Statler’s fangs elongated again. Fucker. Why was everyone turning on him? “Explain.” This time he wasn’t able to control his volume. He clawed the silk sheets. If this ass didn’t give him some good news soon, he might be joining Michelle.
“I heard Darnell was fucking her.”
What kind of security had he hired? “What the hell does that have to do with anything? When I give an order, I expect my men to follow it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, go find him and when you do, kill him.” He didn’t need any traitors among them.
Statler hung up and immediately called a contact who’d supplied him with many of his security team members the first time around.
“It’s late, Statler.”
How dare the ass act pissed. “I don’t give a shit what time it is. I’m short a few security.”
“It’ll cost you double this time. Almost all them died under your watch the last time.”
“That’s because you sent me untrained men.” Statler was in a bind and didn’t need to be arguing with the man. “I’ll only need them for a week.” They haggled over the price and eventually came to an agreement.
“I’ll send them your way in two days.”
“Make it one and I’ll double the price.”
“Deal.”
Asshole. Statler disconnected. He slipped out of bed, needing someone to take his frustrations out on—someone who wouldn’t complain. Like the cute naked blonde in the room next door.
Chapter Five
The next morning, Sarah barely made it out of bed. Despite the renewing run, she hadn’t slept much. Michelle’s disappearance had upset her more than she thought possible. Ever since going undercover, Sarah had seen too much evil come from inside those walls and had been tempted to walk away, but she had a valuable job to perform—that of helping take down Paul Statler and his band of not-so-merry men.
Sarah had set her alarm for a half an hour earlier than usual, hoping there had been a mistake and Michelle had come to work, albeit a few hours late. Sarah slipped out of bed and dressed quietly since Amy would still be asleep. Once she washed up and donned her uniform, Sarah headed to the warehouse, not caring if anyone followed her this time. As long as she wasn’t meeting with Jay or Riley, she didn’t need to be as careful.
She parked in front of the warehouse, swiped her entry card, and went in. Dread filled her at what she might find. Michelle always took good care of Nancy Edmonds on her shift, and even a few hours without someone looking after Nancy might kill her. Statler had commanded Sarah to heal her, and if Michelle had skipped town—possibly with Darnell—she hoped Statler would provide a replacement nurse. Then again, he planned to sell these women in a few days, so he might not bother.
A band tightened around her chest at the thought. Everything about this situation sucked.
When she punched in the code to enter the first of two rooms that housed the women, Sarah hoped Michelle would be there, working her magic. Unfortunately, she was not. All Sarah found was silence inside the dark, windowless room.
Her pulse raced. Something wasn’t right. Sarah flicked on one small bank of lights. Her mind blanked and her heart fluttered. Dear God, help us all. The women appeared to be unconscious, or else were sleeping deeply. If she’d had something in her hand other than her purse, she would have thrown it against the wall.
She stepped over to Nancy and placed a palm on her forehead. The woman was burning up. Shit. Even if Sarah had the skills of a doctor, without medicine, she couldn’t do much for her.
Shouts sounded outside the door and she rushed to see what the ruckus was about. She peeked out and spotted Statler grabbing Russ by the neck. That had to be bad news for him. As much as she wanted to listen, if Statler caught her spying, it might end up badly for her.
Both Riley and Jay would
be interested to learn that Statler was now at the warehouse, though for how long was anyone’s guess. What they would do with that knowledge she didn’t know, but she needed to text them anyway. Her email to Jay read: Statler in house. A nurse and guard are missing.
If the men wanted her to do something, they’d respond. Sure enough, Jay’s text came through seconds later. Working on getting medicine. Thanks for the update. Now delete all evidence of our correspondence and stay safe. Jay.
Her stomach cramped. Sarah would be able to administer the medicine only if Nancy woke. Perhaps the reason Michelle was no longer at work was because one of the guards asked her to drug the women and she’d refused. As much as she wanted to figure out what happened to Michelle, she didn’t need to dwell on it.
The women had to be her first concern. Sarah flooded the room with light, hoping to jolt them awake. “Wake up, ladies. Rise and shine!” She clapped her hands, and when no sounds arose, she gently nudged a few mattresses. No response. Shit.
Discouraged, she headed to the second room, hoping she’d meet with more success. When she stepped into that room, the air was stale and all the girls were in the same condition. Well damn.
* * *
Jay paced the small motel room frustrated he wasn’t able to make his move even though Statler was nearby. It was taking all of his control not to confront the man, but to do so would probably end in disaster, and he didn’t want to ruin the General’s chance at ridding the world of one more evil man.
Riley was studying Sarah’s drawing when the General’s caller ID popped up on Jay’s phone. There must have been something really interesting about the map because his roommate didn’t look up.
Jay answered. “Sir?”
“We’ve had a stroke of luck.”
Finally. Jay walked over to the bed and sat down. “What is it?”
“I never knew how wonderful chat rooms could be.”
He glanced over at Riley who seemed to be in a zone of concentration. The General had never been known to drink or make frivolous calls. “Sir?”
