by Tamsin Baker
Really gotta get that checked out.
“Ah, yeah,” Fridge said, shaking his head as though I were crazy.
I sniffed and sighed. He was probably right. This was the second time someone had broken into our apartment in two days.
“What do you think he was looking for?” I asked as Fridge put me down on my feet, back in my bedroom now.
The guys started to get dressed again.
My disappointment was acute, as their gorgeous bodies disappeared from view, but we needed to focus on what had just happened.
Not what was about to happen before the break-in.
I stripped off my dress and grabbed some fresh underwear out of my dresser.
Both men stopped dressing to stare at me and I managed a smile while I re-dressed into something comfortable. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but it was obvious from their attitudes, we weren’t staying here.
“It’s so... crap that I don’t why this is happening. What he was looking for,” I said, shrugging. I looked over at them “What was he, anyway?”
He didn’t look like a shifter, and after he’d knocked both my guys on their asses, he had to be something pretty powerful.
“A vamp,” Rogan said, grimacing as he pulled his shirt back over his arms.
“Do you need a shower? Or something?” I asked him, looking him over and peering at the blood splatter I’d seen. He didn’t seem to be cut anywhere, at least not anymore anyway.
Shifters had exceptional healing powers, especially if the wounds weren’t deep.
He shook his head. “Nah, I’ll be fine. We need to get home.”
My breath caught in my throat, pain slicing through my heart harder and faster than I’d anticipated.
“Oh, you’re going home?” I asked, trying to make my tone appear like I didn’t care about the answer.
I failed with that.
Fridge growled as he glared at me. “And you’re coming with us. Don’t think for a second that we’re leaving you here. Those assholes are obviously after something your dad had and they haven’t found it yet. We need to get you somewhere safe before they come back again.”
The tightness in my chest eased. Fridge hadn’t changed how he felt about me, despite the fact we hadn’t mated yet.
“Great. So where are we going?” I asked.
The guys looked at each other, I assumed silently communicating, then glanced back at me.
Fridge said, “Our apartment. It’s probably the safest place because no-one will think to look for you there. The workshop isn’t safe. Neither is here. Until we find the guys responsible for this, and find what they want, we need to keep you away.”
I nodded. Though I didn’t like being told what to do, nor did I like running away, I liked being alive. And these bad guys had proven that they were willing to kill.
“Okay. Well, I’ll pack a bag, and I suppose we can go straight away. Assuming... we’re done here...?”
I indicated to the bed.
Fridge scowled. “We are so not done here. Not by a long shot, but for the moment, I hate to say it, we might have to wait.”
Relief winged through my heart that despite his reticence, Fridge would have probably followed through with our mating also.
“Okay,” I managed to say.
Whether or not we would have had the same reaction I’d had with Rogan, due to Fridge’s inability to commit, I wasn’t sure.
The way Rogan had felt inside me, the orgasm that followed, the connection and love for him that now pulsed through me... I was sure we’d mated tonight.
I looked towards my wolf and smiled at him. I felt more settled, happier, lighter, than I had before. And from the look on Rogan’s face, he did too.
Part of me was hurt that Fridge and I hadn’t had a chance to complete the mating that Rogan and I obviously had.
I began to pack for a week away, grabbing toiletries from the bathroom and clothes from my cupboard.
When I glanced over at Fridge’s grumpy face, I realized that maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to wait to be mated to my dragon.
We hadn’t sorted out all our shit yet, and the last thing I’d ever want him to feel was trapped, mated to me against his will.
I nodded. Yep.
Fate had intervened just in time to stop Fridge and I making, perhaps, a terrible mistake.
Chapter 14.
Rogan and Fridge lived about fifteen minutes out of the city by car. We took my dad’s truck because it was the newest and biggest of all the vehicles.
By the time we got back to their place, a large two-bedroom apartment in an older, but well looked after, apartment block, it was well past midnight and I was exhausted. I could barely put one foot in front of the other.
When we stepped into their apartment on the second floor, I dropped my duffle on the ground. Fridge had wanted to carry it, but I’d insisted.
Stupid me.
The apartment was small, but not tiny. With one open living, dining, kitchen area and a hallway that looked like it lead to the bedroom area.
The room was clean, but sparse of personal effects.
“Where am I sleeping?” I asked, looking around as Rogan turned on all the lights.
“With me,” he said.
“My bed’s bigger,” Fridge argued.
If I hadn’t been so tired, I would have loved the fight over me.
“Can we all sleep together?” I asked, because as far as I was concerned, that was what was going to happen in the future.
Once our mating was complete, I wouldn’t want to sleep without either of them.
Fridge and Rogan glared at each other as though they’d never considered such a thing.
I staggered towards the huge, comfortable looking couch. It was dark brown and looked like the perfect place to sleep. “Don’t worry about it. The couch looks super comfy.”
Rogan grabbed me up in his arms, stopping my trajectory. “No. You’re right. Let’s go.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and cuddled into him. He walked us into a huge room with a super king bed, black covers, and dark wooden furniture.
“Fridge’s room?” I asked, though it was pretty obvious. Part of me expected to see a golden egg somewhere for him to nest over.
Rogan eased me down on the bed. “Yep.”
He began to undress, and I slithered off the bed to do the same. I kept my tank top and knickers on, then slipped into the middle of the bed beneath the covers.
“I can’t believe how tired I am,” I said as I closed my eyes and turned onto my side, loving the feel of the firm mattress and fluffy pillows beneath me.
I could definitely get used to sleeping here.
There were sounds of clothes dropping to the floor, lights being turned off, and heavy sighs, before two warm, naked bodies slid under the sheets with me.
I sighed as I nestled into both of them, my ass against Rogan’s belly and my hand on Fridge’s chest.
“Goodnight,” I managed to say, though a part of me wished for so much more.
Then, I fell into sleep like a friend welcoming me home.
WHEN I AWOKE, I WAS alone, and I had no idea what time it was, nor where I was for a moment.
I poked my head up, looking around the room for signs of life, or a clock.
When I saw neither, I rolled onto my back and stretched my arms above my head, luxuriating in the feel of a well-rested body. And a great night’s sleep.
We’d come back to the boys’ apartment last night. And this was Fridge’s room... I think.
How long had it been since I’d slept all night without waking?
Years, probably.
I sat up and glanced around. I couldn’t hear a thing, then the door opened and Rogan walked in. He was carrying a plate and cup with steam billowing from the lip.
He smiled at me with all the love and welcome I’d ever dreamt of from a husband, or partner, or mate.
“You’re awake,” he said. “Perfect timing.”
He placed the p
late next to me on the bed and the drink on the side table.
“What’s all this?” I asked.
I hadn’t gotten breakfast in bed since I was a small child. And that was only when I was sick, and we had a full-time nanny.
“Fridge doesn’t cook much, but what he does, is a great breakfast.” Rogan pushed the plate closer to me.
The smell of oily crispy bacon, and fluffy scrambled eggs floated up to meet me. There was also a sausage, some tomatoes, and even buttered toast.
“I... thank you.” I didn’t know what to say. The gesture was so thoughtful, I wasn’t quite sure what to think.
“How are you doing this morning?” he asked as he sat on the bed next to me.
I could tell he wanted to reach over and touch me, but between the food on my lap and the way I was positioned on the bed, that was difficult.
I considered his question properly before answering. It had been a hell of a few days. “Ah. Good, I think. Is it still morning? I can’t tell what time it is.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, it’s not even eight yet. We were thinking of going into the workshop for a bit, then maybe speak to a PI that your dad hires for some of our trickier jobs.”
I picked up a piece of bacon and bit into it, my hungry body rolling with pleasure as I began to eat in earnest.
“A Private Investigator?” I asked, “I would have assumed you guys got all the info you needed when someone hired you.”
He shrugged. “This guy is more than a PI. He’s a tracker. If we can’t find someone, he tracks them down for us, then we make the arrest and get the bounty.”
Sounded... fascinating.
“What sort of shifter is he?” This guy sounded like a rare breed.
“He’s a real bitser, from what I gather but no-one really knows because he doesn’t tell you. And your dad never told us, if he knew. But with his sense of smell, and the fact that he doesn’t want to be a bounty hunter, I assume some wolf, some badger, maybe a little fox. You’ll see when you meet him.”
I hummed, interested in the new information, but also too interested in my breakfast. It was awesome.
I whoofed down the eggs and the toast and was just starting on the sausage when Fridge stuck his head in through the door.
“Oh... you’re awake,” he said. “Good.”
He didn’t attempt to enter the room past the door frame, and I could feel the freeze from where he was standing.
I’d ask Rogan later what was wrong.
Instead, I blasted Fridge with a super wattage smile, trying to melt the ice from where I sat. “Thank you so much for breakfast. This is... awesome.”
I kept eating and maintaining eye contact with him. He was probably feeling disconnected and a little sexually repressed. That would put anyone in a bad mood.
Eventually he leaned against the door and seemed to relax a little. “Glad you like it.”
I swallowed the last of the eggs and picked up the other piece of toast. “Rogan was just saying you guys want to go into the workshop and speak to a PI of some sort?”
Fridge nodded. “Yeah, we need to find out who killed your dad, and more importantly, why.”
I cocked my head at him. “The ‘why’ is more important?”
I was more interested in the who, but that was my need for revenge talking.
“Yeah. Absolutely. If it was just an accidental over-feeding, or they wanted him dead because he posed a threat, or something like that, then they would have disappeared without a trace. But they’re breaking into your house, ransacking his office... they’re looking for something, and until they find it, or we find them, you’re still at risk.”
I glanced down at my plate and began to cut up my sausage, heat and love filling my chest.
Fridge was worried about me. That was what this was all about.
He could be grumpy, and rough, and not want anything to do with our fated mates link, but he cared about my safety the same way my father had. And that to me, was love.
I glanced up again, though I was pretty sure my face had gone red from the heat I could feel flooding to the skin. “Should we just skip the workshop and go straight to the PI? Surely, he has an office, or something?”
Rogan laughed and even Fridge ended up smiling.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“You’ll know why that’s funny when you meet him, but to answer your question, no he doesn’t have an office. And if he did, we wouldn’t take you there,” Rogan said.
Woah, was he really that bad?
“And I need to check in on the boys,” Fridge said, which reminded me that I’d given them both the reins to the business as far as the other men were concerned.
I glanced from one of them to the other. “Do I need to do anything in regards to the business, and ownership and your roles?”
I had no idea.
Rogan shook his head.
Fridge shrugged. “We’re not worried about titles, or money, or any of that crap. But you’ll need to talk to your dad’s lawyers about all the legal stuff. I’m sure your dad’s will just passed everything down directly to you.”
“I hope so.” We’d never even talked about it. “Not because of the money and stuff,” I reassured them, “but just for ease. I don’t want to be fighting anyone in court for my dad’s apartment. It’s the only thing I really want to keep, my home. Everything else is negotiable.”
They nodded as one, and an uncomfortable silence drifted over the room.
Death and money. Fun subjects.
I finished the food on the plate and shuffled off the bed. “Thank you so much for breakfast, but I better have a quick shower if we’re going into work soon.”
I was sure I still smelled of my night with Rogan. Not to mention anxiety, stress, and sweat.
Fridge reached out and took the plate, then pointed to a door along the hallway. “Bathroom’s there. Take your time. We’ll go when you’re ready.”
“Oh, thanks.”
I grabbed up my bag as Fridge left the room and made my way to the bathroom.
It was white, and clean and tidy, just like the rest of their apartment. A little soul-less, but I shouldn’t pick. They were two men living without a woman. But my brain immediately went to the things I’d do to change it up: a little paint, a picture here and there.
I shook my head to clear the thoughts of housekeeping and hopped in the shower. I had a super fast wash, scrubbing all the smelly bits. Then I jumped out, surprised to find I was a little tender after my session with Rogan last night.
It had been hot... too fast, but I supposed that was what matings were for. To fuse the bodies together. To make sure we didn’t break apart before the bond was completed.
I wasn’t on any sort of birth control, and as I flipped through my phone and checked my cycle, I realized I was a week away from my period and nowhere near my fertile time.
Hopefully.
But with two virile men in my life now, I was going to have to see a doctor about that. The last thing I needed in this mess was a baby.
Though a little shifter would be cute.
“Stop it!” I warned myself, laughing and shaking my head.
So much had changed in the last few days, I supposed it was natural to want to try and create a family now that I’d lost mine.
But not this fast.
I was high on good food and sex. Obviously, I wasn’t being rational.
I opened my duffel bag and pulled on some of the clothes I’d brought with me. A pair of denim jeans and a smart white shirt.
Casual, but fine. The shirt tucked in at my waist and accentuated my breasts nicely without looking like I was trying.
I glanced in the mirror one more time. Yeah, that’ll do.
I walked out of the bathroom to find both guys waiting by the front door. Fridge had a black bag at his feet and Rogan was just flipping through his phone.
I walked forward. “All ready to go.”
They grinned at me with matching smil
es and I couldn’t stop the way my hips automatically sashayed towards them.
At this time in my life when I should be curled in a ball, grieving for the man who had raised me, I had an amazing amount of happiness to look forward to. It was such a gift.
“So, to the workshop?” I asked, as Fridge bent over to pick up his bag.
I eyed him and joked, “You look like you’re taking an overnight bag. Whatcha got in there?”
He unzipped the bag and opened it for me to have a look.
I poked my head over the contents and gasped. He had an assortment of rope, knives in their sheaths, and handcuffs.
Despite the quiver of fear that rippled through me, I was excited too. “I do like a prepared man.”
He didn’t say anything, but the sides of his lips lifted as though he couldn’t help but smile.
“Anything else I should know before we go out today?” I asked, surprised how quiet the men were being. Especially Fridge.
Rogan slipped a hand around my waist and grinned. “Just let us know if you feel overwhelmed or need to go home. We’re both worried you’re gonna crash any moment.”
I glanced over to where Fridge was unlocking the front door, and when he turned to me, I saw the same concern mirrored in his face as I heard in Rogan’s voice.
I plastered a smile on my face, loving the fact that they were worried about me, but also not impressed that they thought me too weak and unfocused to handle this.
I gestured them out the door. “Let’s just find my father’s killer.”
Chapter 15.
The drive to my dad’s work was only fifteen minutes, but I used that time to email my boss at work and let him know what was going on.
I’d messaged my superior yesterday to say there was a family emergency I needed to take care of but didn’t give her any direct details. Just that I needed the day off. But it was way past that now.
I emailed my boss’s boss and let him know exactly what had happened and that I would need a month off for grievance.
I had sick leave and annual leave stored up if they needed me to use it. I could easily take the time off fully paid, but since money wasn’t really a problem, I didn’t worry about any of that. I just looked forward to the time off.
