The Guardian (The Wolfe Series)

by Donna Oltrogge

  “Oh my God, Laurie!” Julie cried. “You have to get away from Luc! He’s not who we thought he was! He’s some notorious drug kingpin and the DEA is searching for him all over New York for questioning, him and that creepy Enrique guy. It says he’s never been successfully prosecuted because he kills anyone who tries to testify against him. Call me the minute you get this message, I’m going to call the police so don’t be surprised if they show up out there.”

  Laurie was shaking so badly she could hardly hold the phone to her ear. Breathing deeply, she slipped the phone back into her purse and pasted a smile on her face.

  “Is anything wrong?” Luzaro had been quick to notice Laurie’s trembling hands as she listened to her voice mail and he was curious as to what could have upset her to such a degree.

  “It was Julie, she’s all exited about an offer a publisher has made us on my latest novel,” Laurie lied. She could see that Luc, or Luzaro or whatever his name really was, wasn’t buying it. She could tell by the suffusion of color that was staining his neck and creeping slowly up toward his hairline. “I need to get home. The publisher wants to meet us for dinner tonight to discuss the terms.”

  “And what of our plans?” Luzaro said, a note of steel hardening his voice.

  Laurie turned the full force of her brilliant emerald gaze on Luc and said, “A rain check? Please? I’ve been working so hard for this. It could be the break I’ve been waiting for.”

  She could see that Luc was softening, heck she almost believed the cock and bull story herself. Besides the overwhelming fear she suddenly felt she felt sad, sad that she had started to trust Luc and that he wasn’t who she had thought he was. She had so rarely allowed herself to get close to a man and now look what had happened, now she was going to be afraid to trust anyone.

  Luzaro patted her hand like he would that of a small child and said, “We must hurry home then. I wouldn’t want you to miss such an important opportunity.” Inside he was seething but counseled himself to have patience and wait for the day when she would be totally under his control and his to do with as he chose.

  Enrique growled in disgust and got behind the steering wheel, shutting the door as he motioned for the other bodyguard to get in on the passenger side. The bodyguard had barely shut the passenger side door before Enrique slammed the car into drive and floored the Escalade, sending a giant plume of dust and gravel into the air. The bodyguard looked at Enrique and shook his head in disgust before turning his attention back to the road.

  Even though Laurie now feared Luc, she was actually even more afraid of Enrique Perez. Somewhere deep down inside she had always known what kind of man he was and felt trapped as they sped away from the equestrian stable. She felt bile rise in her throat as Enrique turned in the opposite direction of her home and drove into a remote, marshy area, finally stopping the car at the side of the rode. Laurie turned and looked out the back window but didn’t see the other Escalade.

  “What’s going on?” Luzaro shouted as Laurie turned back in time to see Enrique point a gun at the bodyguard sitting beside him and pull the trigger. The boom of the handgun in such close quarters was deafening and Laurie covered her ears, her scream mingling with the acrid smell of gun powder. She watched as though in slow motion as the man’s head hit the car window, blood and chunks of brain matter dripping down the passenger side window as he slumped in the front seat.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Luzaro shouted again, this time shielding Laurie’s body with his own when Enrique turned toward the back seat and pointed the gun at Laurie’s head.

  For a fraction of a second Enrique considered killing both Luzaro and the woman but thought better of it when he saw the second Escalade pull up behind them. “Eliminating a mole and a potential witness,” Enrique said without emotion. He pointed his gun toward the now dead bodyguard and said, “That piece of filth was a DEA agent. Enough said?”

  Luzaro could have cared less about the dead agent. He knew what Enrique was capable of. Laurie was lucky to be alive and he knew she wouldn’t have been if he hadn’t acted so quickly.

  “She’ll not tell anyone. I’ll make sure of that.” Luzaro dug his phone out of his pocket and punched in a telephone number. “Jose, I want my plane ready to go in twenty minutes, we’re on our way.”

  Laurie sat frozen in fear, her eyes awash in emerald tears as she watched Luzaro tuck his phone back into his pocket and turn toward her. “Everything will be all right. I wont let any harm come to you. You’ll come with me to Nogales. That’s the only way I can assure your safety.” He motioned toward Enrique who had started the car moving again.

  When Laurie saw the possessive look that suddenly filled Luzaro’s eyes she felt herself flush. Righteous indignation filled her as she the thought of the DEA agent’s horrific death. Did he have a wife, children? Would they now have to grow up without a father because of these two monsters?

  Laurie shuddered and drew what little courage she had around her like a blanket and said stubbornly, “I won’t go with you Luc. I won’t tell anyone what I saw here today, but I’m not going with you.”

  “How very naïve you are, my dear,” Enrique said, looking at her in the rearview mirror, his reptilian eyes pinning her to her seat.

  Luzaro took Laurie’s cold hands into his and nodded his head toward Enrique again. “You really have no choice, my dear. As I said, that’s the only way I can protect you.”

  “You aren’t being very considerate of your friend, either,” Enrique said in a silky voice. “Julie, isn’t it? I could spend a very entertaining evening with Julie if you fail to cooperate. I may choose to do so anyway, who knows, eh?”

  Enrique looked thoughtfully at the woman in the rear view mirror again, and decided he would try practicing his mind control on her once Luzaro tired of her. He had found he was able to control some types of the more aggressive animals with his mind and who knew? It might work on humans, too.

  A chill traveled the length of Laurie’s spine and settled deep into her bones. Her shoulders slumped in momentary defeat knowing there was no way she was going to jeopardize her friend Julie’s life. She would watch and she would wait and she would plan her escape, taking immediate steps to protect Julie when the time came. Laurie was a fighter and a survivor. She hadn’t survived the foster care system only to be controlled by men like these.

  “Everything will be all right,” Luzaro cajoled, patting her hand. “You’re going to love it at my estancia. You’ll have no worries, none at all. Believe me.”

  The wolf was black like the night, a phantom. He was crouched as though ready to spring and snarled in frustration, barring his canines.

  Jake had run for hours during the night, knowing that something was wrong and that he was powerless to do anything about it. He wasn’t used to feeling helpless and knew that both of his brother’s were concerned about his nightly prowling. He could feel his mate’s fear somewhere deep inside him and knew that she was in serious trouble. Drawing closer to the ranch house he shifted effortlessly into his human form and picked up the clothes he’d left beneath one of the Palo Verde trees near the outbuildings.

  “You know you’re going to get yourself in trouble if you keep this up,” Rand said in all seriousness as he walked out of the barn and toward Jake who had pulled on a pair of jeans and was slipping a t-shirt over his head.

  “Hell, don’t you and Taggert have enough to do to keep your own places going without hanging out at mine?” The ranch was huge and the brothers had thought it best that they have their own places knowing that too much togetherness wasn’t a good thing where they were concerned. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Hell if you can! You’re out of your fucking mind right now, that’s what you are,” Rand growled. He’d finally succumbed to Taggert’s badgering and agreed to see what was up with his older brother. “You know you shouldn’t go out in the desert alone unless you tell one of us.”

  Rand looked away uncomfortably when he s
aw the bright sheen of tears that glistened in Jake’s eyes. Hell, Taggert was right! Damn!

  “She’s coming Rand. I can feel it deep in my soul.” A lump lodged in Jake’s throat and he swallowed hard. “She’s in big trouble, the worst kind of trouble.”

  Rand placed his arm around Jake’s shoulder and drew him toward the house. “We’ll handle it, brother, whatever it is, together.”

  “Thanks, man,” Jake said stiffly. He couldn’t remember the last time Rand had shown affection toward anyone, Jake and Taggert included.

  Rand removed his arm, somewhat embarrassed by his show of emotion. “Just remember what I said. No more going out at night in wolf form or any other form without us, okay?”

  Jake hesitated, knowing that was a promise he might not be able to keep. “I’ll try to let you guys know what’s going on. I’ll probably need your help if she’s in the kind of trouble I think she is.

  The two men walked slowly toward the adobe and wood frame house that Jake called home as a Learjet Bombardier Global 8000 carrying Laurie Kincaid, Luzaro Rivera, and Enrique Perez streaked across the Arizona sky high above their heads.

  ChapterEleven

  Casa Fortuna was a massive enclave, a captivating natural paradise with 360° mountain views of the surrounding area that could be seen from every corner of the property. To one side Laurie could see the city lights of Nogales and to the other the hills that surrounded the compound.

  The main house contained fourteen luxury bedrooms, one double suite and a master bedroom with Jacuzzi, fireplace and steam room. The spacious and inviting palapa living room opened out onto four huge terraces, one with a large palapa bar. The enclave also featured a large infinity swimming pool as well as a heart-shaped Jacuzzi that could accommodate sixteen, a private squash court, as well as a BBQ and bonfire area. Magnificent boulder formations at the front stood as sentinels to its privacy and solitude.

  Luzaro’s enclave was magnificent but Laurie failed to appreciate any of that beauty as she listened with half an ear to Luzaro describing his fortified retreat. She could see a pen that appeared to hold several large coyotes as well as two guest cottages that sat at the far end of the property and obviously housed additional bodyguards. She sighed dismally, feeling suddenly closed in by the high walls that surrounded the entire estate. How am I ever going to get out of here? Damn it!

  Luzaro leaned over and nuzzled Laurie’s neck, startling her. Unable to hide her revulsion she stepped away from him and concentrated on looking out toward the distant mountains.

  “You don’t have to worry about Enrique. I will keep you safe,” Luzaro promised as he reached out and drew Laurie back against his hard body. She shuddered in revulsion again when she felt his erection pressing into her buttocks. “Are you cold,” he asked solicitously as he removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.

  “No,” Laurie whispered, loathe to stay in the man’s arms that were tightening around her like a vise. “Just not feeling very well. Flying doesn’t really agree with me. I think I’d like to lie down for awhile if you don’t mind.” She could play the subservient role well, at least until she was able to escape. She’d had enough practice during her years in foster homes.

  Tears filled Laurie’s eyes when she remember the family she’d lost in a grizzly car accident. She hadn’t been with them that night when her parents and brothers had left to attend parent teacher conferences at the elementary school. Having had a bout of stomach flu, Laurie had reluctantly been left with a babysitter, which was something her parents rarely did. If she had been with her family that fateful night she would have been crushed right along with them when the semi hit them head-on, demolishing their car and killing them instantly. As the years passed it was getting harder and harder to recall the faces of her family. Laurie had been five-years-old when they had been killed and had immediately been shipped off to the first of many foster homes as there had been no other living relatives to take her in.

  “You’re doing it again,” Luzaro said peevishly as he led her into the house and toward one of the bedrooms closest to the master bedroom. “I won’t have that, you know.”

  “Doing what?” Laurie asked and felt her spine stiffen at his arrogant tone of voice.

  “I want your complete attention when you’re with me,” he sighed as though teaching her what was expected of her was going to be a great burden. “I’ll try to be patient at first, until you learn.” He waved toward a closet at the far side of the room. “I think you’ll find everything you need in there. Just let me know if there’s anything else you require.”

  Luzaro turned her toward him and looked into her eyes. “I love you, after all. You’re going to be my wife and the mother of my children, the only woman I’ll ever love.”

  Laurie felt her stomach clench and thought she would be sick on the spot. “Please, Luc, I need to lie down. I’m really not feeling well.”

  Luzaro was disappointed when Laurie didn’t respond positively to his declaration. “The name is Luzaro, not Luc. See that you call me by my correct name in the future.”

  Laurie breathed a sigh of relief when Luzaro turned on his heel and stalked off down the long hallway, his shoes beating a steady tattoo against the highly-polished marble floor.

  Laurie walked into the sumptuous bedroom and drew in her breath. Luxurious silk bed linens covered the ornate wrought iron bed that graced the center of the room. There was more of the same luxurious fabric on each side of the wall to wall glass doors that led out onto a balcony. A lovely dressing table stood against one wall while a wood-burning fireplace stood on the other. Flanked by richly upholstered wing-back chairs it would have been a heavenly place to sit and read or just relax and day-dream. Under the circumstances, though, Laurie found the bedroom anything but relaxing as she walked toward one of the balcony doors and pushed the silk draperies aside.

  Laurie gasped and stepped further back into the bedroom feeling more like a prisoner than ever when a guard posted outside her door leered at her, showing off half rotted teeth.

  I will get out of here. I will get out of here. Those words would become Laurie’s mantra in the days to come.

  Laurie sensed a change coming but couldn’t tell if was for better or worse. She thought she’d heard a wolf howling again last night during the flight to Nogales but it had probably been a dream. She knew there were wolves in Mexico and the Southwestern United States but the howling had seemed to reach her on an elemental level. She loved the fact that she was able to commune with many types of different animals. But a wolf? She’d always had a fascination with the beautiful creatures. She had numerous prints of wolves in her apartment and a statue of a pair of wolves that was entitled, “Soul Mates” on her bookshelf.

  Tears filled Laurie’s eyes when she thought of that beautiful statue and the way the male wolf seemed so protective of its mate. Deep inside Laurie longed for the family she’d lost, longed to be a part of a family again. She knew that wolves mated for life and that’s what she wanted for herself. She wanted a man who would love her and protect her, a man who wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and only her.

  You’ve got to get the hell out of here first!

  Laurie cringed at the thought of the impossible challenge that lay ahead of her.

  “She’s here, I know she’s here,” Jake said as he drew his horse to a halt at the top of the arroyo where he and Taggert had been searching for strays that had wandered off the ranch and out into the desert. The men normally used ATVs to get around the ranch but Jake preferred to use horses when searching for strays like the ones they were after this morning.

  Jake sighed and tipped his Stetson back on his head as he took a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped the sweat from his face. He scanned the surrounding area using his wolf vision as he dismounted and walked to the edge of the arroyo. A coyote hurried along the bottom of the arroyo, a rabbit dangling from its mouth as it nervously glanced back over its shoulder at the men and horses
that had stopped at the lip of the arroyo.

  “Yea, probably behind that big Saguaro over there,” Taggert teased as he pointed toward the majestic, tree-sized cactus that was native to Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. He knew a Saguaro with so many arms, or spears as they were called, had to be over a hundred years old.

  “Don’t believe me then,” Jake groused. His brothers had been giving him a hard time for months on this subject and he was more than a little tired of it. “Just be ready to help when I call. I won’t even tell you I told you so.”

  “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?” Taggert had dropped his teasing tone, his eyes narrowed in concern as he watched his older brother stretch his arms over his head and then begin pacing back and forth along the arroyo’s edge.

  “She’s close, Tag, real close.” Jake lifted his head and sniffed the air, then failing to catch the scent he was searching for shook his head in frustration. “She’s in so much trouble!” Jake blew out a huge breath. “Damn, what if it’s already too late to help her?” He wasn’t surprised when he found himself wanting to kill whoever was causing her such pain.

  “Don’t go borrowing trouble, brother. You know Rand and I will be there when you need us.” Taggert watched Jake remount his horse, not his usual horse either, but one of the ranches stock Quarter Horses. “What’s wrong with Golden Cloud,” Taggert asked, trying to turn the subject toward a subject less volatile.

  Jake knew his brothers would stand with him when the time came and he appreciated Taggert’s less than subtle attempt to change the subject. Jake smiled and said, “New shoes, brother, something that old nag you’re riding could use by the looks of it.”

  Taggert refused to take the bait. He much preferred his stockier paint, Cochise, to Jake’s much more temperamental horse, an animal only Jake was able to ride.