Claiming Their Cat

by Maggie O'Malley

  She had no idea where she went wrong with them. Perhaps love was blind.

  So many regrets and perhaps the greatest lay in her arms.

  As the car entered the compound, she couldn’t keep the tears back any longer.

  Tears for all that had been.

  Tears for all that could have been.

  The courtyard was crawling with armed guards, more than usual. One opened her door. Cat wiped her tears and slid out ready to shield Brody if necessary, not that she could even take down one of them, but she had to try. She gently bounced Brody hoping he’d sleep through whatever was coming.

  Several men herded her up the stairs, and before she reached the top step, Alvarez appeared. He gave her a big, slimy smile.

  “My dear Mari. I’ve missed you. You had me worried, you know. I can’t wait until you tell me all about your adventures, especially how you got away from Rabid Rio.” He leaned over and gazed at Brody. Her belly roiled at the thought of the sadistic bastard even breathing the same air as her beautiful son. Alvarez stood aside and gestured toward the open ornate door.

  Yeah, she had a tale to tell. Turning back to the courtyard, she inhaled deep and looked at the night stars knowing this would probably be the last time for either. Forcing herself, she stepped toward her captor and her final destiny. He nodded, probably accepting her acquiescence.

  The tat-tat of gunfire caused her to stumble as pinpricks assaulted her body. She glanced over her shoulder horrified at the bullets riddling the car. Brody jumped in her arms, scrunched up his face and let out a wail. Alvarez grabbed her arm and ushered her inside. When the door was closed, he said, “Fucking bastards wanted money to return what was mine.”

  Brody continued to cry.

  “Can’t you quiet him?” Alvarez asked.

  “No. He doesn’t have an on and off switch.” God, where did that bravado come from?

  “Of course not. He sounds healthy.”

  She followed him deeper into the cell of her death. “He is very healthy. He probably needs nursing now.”

  “Sure. You may nurse in my study while we discuss some things.”

  Nursing in front of a monster wasn’t what she had in mind. She took the seat he indicated and watched him take the tremendous leather one behind the desk the size of a football field. If she had one of those knives that Rio and Creed had taken away from her, she’d probably launch herself over the vast expanse of wood. Instead, she fished a cloth out of the diaper bag and pulled her sweatshirt up. Brody greedily latched on.

  “Now my dear, tell me, how did you escape Rio?”

  Lying wasn’t going to help her now. “I walked out the back door of a hair salon.”

  “Really? I would have thought that they’d have kept better eyes on their meal ticket?”

  The truth didn’t hurt any less the second time around. She widened her eyes and feigned surprise.

  “Ah, you didn’t know, did you?”

  Cat furiously shook her head and wondered how long she could drag out the charade.

  “You saved me another ten mil.”

  “You’ve already paid him?”

  “Half up front and half when he returned you to me.”

  So Alvarez didn’t know about Creed. God, she thought Alvarez knew everything about everybody. “Would you have killed him when he delivered us?”

  “I don’t know. I hadn’t made up my mind yet. Rio’s skills are hard to find.”

  So running from Rio and Creed was the best thing she could do for them. She didn’t want them dead. How crazy was that? Sometimes, she wondered if she were still suffering from hormones. She popped her son free of her nipple and brought him to her shoulder. He squirmed and loudly burped.

  Cat glanced at Alvarez and noticed a grimace on his face. Creed and Rio always laughed and said Brody was practicing for his first beer. She’d acted appalled at their statement, but thought it was funny. Alvarez obviously had no sense of humor where babies were concerned.

  “Why did you run from me, Mari?”

  What could she say? You’re a monster. This isn’t your son. Even if he were your son, I don’t want you around him.

  “Because I was afraid you’d take him away from me.” Or kill my daughter if I had one. “That I’d be useless once you got your…son.”

  Alvarez stood and came to sit on the desk in front of her. It was amazing that expensive suits couldn’t make the man appear less than a monster. “I had no reason to do that…unless he’s not mine.”

  Her brain stumbled. “Of course, he’s yours.” Amazingly, the lie rolled off her tongue with ease.

  “I have to be sure.” Alvarez pressed a button on his phone, and seconds later, the door opened, and the quack came in. She was not going to turn Brody over to him.

  “Mari,” said the doc. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Em, you too.” Not.

  The doctor glanced at Brody while pulling something from his shirt pocket. “He’s a fine boy.”

  Even though it was true, Cat didn’t know if the comment was for her or Alvarez’s benefit. “Thank you.”

  The quack pried her son’s mouth open and ran a cotton swab around inside his mouth. How long before the test was completed?

  How long did she and Brody have to live?

  Rio and his brother moved through the compound on silent feet. Other werewolves were soundlessly taking out the guards. Draco and a few of his friends were misting inside the house and outlying buildings looking for Cat and Brody. According to the local werewolf spies, a car arrived about two hours ago with a woman and child inside.

  The plan was working. Many men would die, but Rio was only focused on killing one man. The madness stopped tonight.

  Draco suddenly appeared between them. “How do you know we won’t shove a knife in you?” asked Creed.

  “I don’t, but unless you rip my heart out, I’ll survive. Besides, I can shimmer out before you do any real damage. Lucy wouldn’t like it if you put a hole in me.” That was the old Draco, always clowning around. He wondered if Lucy had seen the fun side of him.

  “Cat and her baby are in the study with Alvarez. I can shimmy in, eliminate the guards, and all you two have to do is waltz in.”

  “Our baby,” corrected Creed.

  Rio had filled Draco in on the situation. It didn’t bother Draco, but he did comment on what Lucy would say about a threesome.

  “I can even go ahead and blast the sick fuck’s brains out now.”

  “No,” said Creed. “I want him to know fear.”

  Draco shrugged. “No problem. Just make it quick. I’ve been away too long.”

  Lucy was always on Draco’s mind. “My threat still stands,” said Rio.

  “Yeah? What threat was that?”

  “If you hurt Lucy, I’ll personally kill you.”

  “If I ever hurt Lucy, I expect you to terminate me. Now, let’s go get your mate and your kid and kill the bastard, so I can get back to my mate.”

  Draco vanished, and Creed and Rio made their way to the front entrance. Several bodies littered the yard. It was all too easy for Rio’s peace of mind. So far, not a single shot had been fired, but vampires could mentally blast someone’s brain without that person ever laying eyes on them.

  They stepped over the two bodies slumped by the entrance and watched another one slump in the hallway. Draco appeared beside the door and pointed to it. Rio could smell Cat and Brody’s scents. Rio and his brother stopped at the door and cocked their head to listen.

  “What is your relationship to Jenna Watson?”

  Cat hesitated. “She’s my sister.”

  “Was your sister, my dear. Was.”

  The pained cry from Cat propelled him and his brother through the massive wooden doors. In a surprised move, Alvarez jerked Cat up, twisted her around and had a gun pointed at her head. Brody let out a startled wail. Cat’s eyes glowed with fear, and that same vile scent assailed Rio’s animal. She bounced Brody to keep him quiet.

&
nbsp; “Ah, Rio. So nice of you to join us. Have you come to collect your remaining money?”

  “Shut the fuck up, Alvarez. You’re not going to live long enough to make the transfer. Now let her go.”

  “Can you beat a bullet to her? You’re good, but not that good.”

  No, Rio couldn’t save her from a bullet to the brain. Where the hell was Draco? Why wasn’t he blasting this son of a bitch’s brains out? Yeah, they had wanted to torture Alvarez, but that was before a gun was pointed at Cat’s temple.

  “Well, before you try to kill me, why don’t you tell Mari what you did with her sister?”

  Rio swallowed hard. Cat’s last name was Watson? Jenna Watson was her sister?

  “Let me tell you, Mari, since Rio’s tongue seems to be tied at the moment. Jenna was here, and she was consulted to see if she could become pregnant. When she wasn’t a good fit, she ran.”

  “You mean you raped her, and she didn’t produce, so you turned her loose in the wilderness,” Cat ground out through her teeth.

  “Ah, so you’ve heard about that. Yes, it’s true, but she was very much alive the last time I saw her. But you should ask Rio what he did with her after he caught her. You know. Rio’s caught more runaways than any other merc. He’s phenomenal.”

  “Shut your mouth,” Rio ground out.

  “He’s one hell of a tracker. Has some kind of sixth sense. All the other men envied him. You should ask Rio what it was like to fuck your sister. Who knows what he did with her after he was done taking his perverted pleasure.”

  Creed didn’t understand what was happening. Alvarez believed what he was saying, but Rio would never harm an innocent.

  “You...killed my sister?”

  Cat’s agony raked Creed with ten thousand knives and almost brought him to his knees. Cat was shaking, huge tears streaming down her face.

  “I can explain,” said Rio.

  “Oh, yes,” said Alvarez. “Please explain your tact when fucking whores.”

  Creed didn’t like the way Rio’s voice sounded, almost riddled with guilt. There had to be a good explanation. “Draco,” said Creed. “We’ve changed our minds about a slow death.”

  Draco materialized behind the desk and waved good-bye with his hand. Alvarez’s eyes rolled back into his head before he collapsed almost taking Cat to the floor with him.

  Cat’s frantic gaze slid from Rio to Creed and then to Draco before settling on Alvarez where blood seeped from every opening in his head. God, Creed wished she hadn’t seen the carnage. In an unexpected move, she stooped and snatched the gun from the floor. Brody protested as she juggled him and the weapon.

  “You want me to put her in a trance?” Draco asked.

  “No,” said Rio. “She doesn’t deserve that.”

  “Cat,” said Creed. “Put the gun down and let Rio explain.”

  “No. He killed my sister. Hunted her like a dog.” Her lips trembled, and the scent of betrayal, hurt, and anger reeked.

  Rio held his hands out. “I did hunt her, but I didn’t…”

  POP. POP. POP.

  Creed’s breath caught in his throat as he saw the slugs whiz through the air. Rio jerked with each rip of his flesh.

  Draco moved and snatched the pistol from Cat’s hand. Cat folded into herself and sank to the ground with a strangled cry. Brody wailed.

  Creed rushed to his brother and eased him on the floor. Bright crimson ran in rivulets from the wounds in Rio’s chest. “Damn, man. She got you good.” But the bullet holes weren’t fatal to a shifter.

  Rio lifted his head and looked at his chest. “Yeah, she did.”

  “You need to shift and heal yourself, bro. And then explain what the hell is going on.”

  “Shift. Yeah.”

  Creed scooted over to Cat where she sobbed quietly. Her eyes were glued to Rio. This single act of vengeance had destroyed her. He extracted Brody from her grip and handed him to Draco.

  “Hey, man. What am I supposed to do with him?”

  “Just hold him.” Draco held the kid away from his body like it was a sack of shit. “Hold him close to your body and don’t drop him.”

  Draco tentatively pulled Brody to his chest. “There, little one. Everything is going to be just fine.”

  Creed didn’t know about that. Cat was retreating into herself. If things went to shit, Creed would have Draco clean her mind, but that would be a last resort. “Listen, honey. There’s something that Rio and I have been meaning to tell you.”

  She didn’t blink.

  “We’re werewolves, and he needs to shift to heal himself.”

  Nothing but a blank stare.

  “You want me to put her out?” Draco asked.

  “I don’t know. Just be ready.”

  Claws eased from Rio’s fingers, but Creed doubted that Cat saw it. Bones cracked, and fur emerged, but still no response from Cat. “Can you see what’s going on in Cat’s head?”

  Draco frowned, clearly not wanting to invade. By the time Rio was in full wolf, Draco said, “She’s thrown up barriers around her mind. It’s not good, man.”

  Taking a life was never without a price; a piece of your soul died each time, and Cat was too delicate.

  “Cat, look at Rio. He’s going to be fine. He’s a werewolf, and we are pretty hard to kill. He needs you to go over there and stroke his fur.”

  She blinked. A good sign.

  “Come on, baby. Let’s help Rio.”

  Creed stood, scooped Cat up and carried her to Rio. He placed her hand on his fur. “He can hear you. Talk to him.”

  Her gaze lifted to his. “He can heal himself. And then me, you, Rio and Brody will go home. Your home.”

  Creed stroked Rio’s fur and released his breath when Cat’s hand shook as it moved over Rio. Dear God, please let her be okay. He wanted to tell her that Brody was Rio’s, but he wasn’t sure her mind could handle it. For twenty minutes, Cat petted Rio, running her hands deep in his fur. Cat jerked her hands back as Rio shifted back.

  Rio sat up and grinned. “Say something, my Cat.”

  Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. “I don’t understand? I thought that I had killed you.”

  “Me and Creed are werewolves. We shift to heal ourselves. Why did you leave?”

  “The email. Twenty million.”

  “Oh, my sweet Cat. That was just bait to get us close to Alvarez,” said Rio.

  “Yeah, we would never turn you over to that bastard. You’re ours and we keep what’s ours.”

  “Come on. Let’s go home.” Rio leaned over and kissed Cat.

  “Home? What about my sister? Why did you kill her?” Her emotional pain raked both of their souls.

  “Your sister, Jenna, is safe. She’s stashed, along with all the other women, in safe houses in San Antonio. I did hunt them down, but once I found them, I sent them to a safe place with food, medical care, and anything else they needed. I’ve been working for the DEA to bring Alvarez down. They were witnesses.” Rio looked over at Alvarez. “Looks like there’s nothing to testify against.”

  “Jenna’s not dead?”

  “Nope. When we get back home, you can call her.” Cat sucked in a huge breath and let it out. Creed could sense her relief.

  “You’re sure?” she whispered.

  “Yes. We couldn’t let her got home. It wasn’t safe for her family—for your family.”

  The vampire strolled over and knelt on the floor. “This here is a fine baby boy, but I think he would be more comfortable with his mother.”

  Draco offered Brody and Creed helped hand the baby to her. “You’re Draco,” she said.

  He stood and took a bow. “At your service.”

  “Are you a werewolf too?”

  “Hell no. I’m a vampire.” Draco grinned.

  Cat managed a half smile, though her gaze was bewildered. Rio stood, buck naked, and offered his hand to Draco. “I owe you man. This wouldn’t have worked out if it weren’t for you.”

  “I know. Now if you�
��re done groveling at my feet, I have just enough time to get back to Lucy for a good-night kiss.” Draco dissolved into mist.

  Rio and Creed pulled Cat to her feet and into an embrace. “I know this is all too much to take in, but there are other things we need to discuss later,” said Rio.

  Cat stepped back and glanced between Creed and Rio. Good God. Werewolves and vampires did exist. “What else can we possibly have to discuss?”

  The look exchanged between Rio and Creed didn’t give her a good feeling. “What? Spill it. No more secrets.”

  The silence was almost deafening. Her belly roiled at the fear creeping in her soul.

  “Now, don’t get upset,” said Creed. “Tell her, Rio, so we can get home.”

  Rio captured her hands. “I haven’t been totally honest with you.”

  “About what?”

  “I was the man in the brothel. Brody’s my son.”

  She tried to pull away, but he grabbed her shoulders. Her knees almost buckled. Brody was Rio’s and not some nameless, faceless man. Her child would grow up knowing his father? This can’t be true.

  “How do you know he’s yours?”

  “He smells like me.”

  “You knew who I was the first day we met?”

  “Yes. My wolf recognized you, but I didn’t know you were carrying my son. I thought the baby belonged to…someone else.”

  “How did your—wolf—recognize me?”

  “Smell. Can’t beat a wolf nose.”

  What did that mean? She knew animals had keen eyesight and smell, so werewolves did too? Her heart stopped. “Is Brody a werewolf?”

  “Probably, but it’s too early to tell,” said Creed.

  She gazed into Brody’s face. His little eyes watched her. If he was a werewolf, she’d just have to learn how to adapt. It was more that she had hoped for, certainly more than she deserved. “Anything else.”

  “Yes. I asked Draco to hypnotize Lucy so she would tell him the address on the letter. I wanted to keep your family safe if you had any. I did ask you.”

  “Yes you did, but I didn’t trust you.”

  He kissed her hard on the mouth. “I know. It’s okay. I don’t blame you.”