Though her hair was still a little unruly, it was at least clean now. Silky looking. It bounced around her shoulders in soft, wavy curls, the pretty blonde locks ending about halfway down her back.
Her face sported several scratches and ugly bruises, her forehead was swollen and purple, but the injuries didn’t hide the softness of her features. There was nothing wrong proportionately with her face. She was a beautiful woman. He might even say “stunning.” It was her eyes, in particular, he decided. Those gorgeous blue orbs would mesmerize anyone who looked into them. Max could only imagine how much prettier she’d be without those scratches and bruises, how much fuller and shapelier she’d be once she gained back the weight she’d lost.
He choked on the water, gasping for breath.
Shit. Hips and breasts and soft thighs…He hadn’t even thought about a woman that way since he’d first met Laura. What the hell was the matter with him?
It was those damn, mesmerizing eyes of hers, their murky depths hinting at unknown secrets.
Why the hell couldn’t he stop thinking about the woman’s eyes?
Coughing, he pulled his gaze away. He was not attracted to her. Not even. She could be the enemy for all he knew. If he found out she’d had anything to do with Emily’s abduction, he’d make her pay.
His chest tightened. What if he’d saved someone who’d been involved in his daughter’s abduction? He couldn’t stomach the thought.
Max tossed the rest of his steak to Lucky. The dog gobbled it down in one bite.
Jennie raised a blonde brow. “Isn’t it bad to feed a dog steak?”
“I cut the fat off.” Max pushed his chair back. He needed to get away from her. “Let’s go see your wolf.”
* * *
Jennie followed Dr. Montgomery through the kitchen and down a short hallway. His mood had turned abrupt and she didn’t understand why. Men were such mysterious creatures. She didn’t think she would ever understand them.
The hallway opened into a veterinary clinic at the front of the house. This section of the house appeared to have been converted into a clinic sometime after the house had been built. The house itself seemed fairly new to Jennie. The construction was modern and the interior decorating newer. She would guess it was less than twenty years old. It was nicer than her house.
She paused. How had she known that? She stood there in the clinic entryway for a moment, trying to remember. But she only came up with a blank. Giving up, Jennie glanced around.
The veterinary clinic consisted of a small waiting room with chairs, posters on the walls of dog breeds, cat ages versus human ages, horse anatomy, a feeding chart for beef cattle...She counted three exam rooms as she walked past, following after Dr. Montgomery, who’d disappeared through a door that led to the back where the kennels were.
She walked through the door.
Then she saw the wolf.
The only animal in the clinic, the wolf crouched against the wall at the kennel in the back. The beast’s yellow gaze focused on Dr. Montgomery, who’d stopped before the kennel. The animal’s gaze moved to Jennie. The tip of the wolf’s tail wagged. Just a bit. The beast lowered its head.
Jennie stepped up to the kennel. She knelt on the concrete floor, her gaze skimming over the creature. Its neck was shaved bare in a four-inch-wide loop that wrapped around its entire throat. An imbedded chain, he’d said. She shuddered. Poor thing. Who would be so cruel? Stitches ran in a complete circle around the wolf’s throat, closing the wound together. The animal’s left hind end had also been shaved and its left leg gone. A small pink-skinned bump remained, sewn together with neat stitches. Only a person who really cared about animals would have gone to the trouble of saving this wolf. She liked Dr. Montgomery already.
Not only was the man mysterious and good looking, but obviously very skilled.
Her skin heated. Crap, she was developing a crush on him.
She glanced up at Dr. Montgomery, thankful he couldn’t read her thoughts. “Will he heal?”
He nodded. “Yes. But he’s a she. She’s going to be sore for a while, but she’ll live.”
A female wolf? Jennie stuck her fingers through the chain link gate. “Hey there,” she whispered. The wolf whined. The animal scooted across the floor on her three legs, one inch at a time. “Come on girl,” Jennie urged. “You can do it.”
The wolf inched closer and closer until she reached Jennie. Her yellow gaze locked on Jennie’s.
An image flashed through Jennie’s mind, a snarling wolf—this wolf?—its fangs barred, leaping out until it was caught by a chain that jerked it back.
Jennie gasped. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Another vision slammed through her skull: a man wearing a hood, his eyes black with hatred, lifting a gun and pointing it at her.
Jennie screamed, stumbling back away from the kennel.
The wolf whined.
Lucky appeared at Jennie’s side. The dog’s wet tongue slurped over her cheek.
Dr. Montgomery crouched beside her. “Are you okay? Maybe we should get you back in bed. You should probably rest some more.”
She tried to focus on him, but her head was spinning. When she didn’t move, just sat there in a daze on the floor, he bent and scooped her into his arms. The wolf growled from the kennel.
Lucky whined.
The wolf quieted.
I’ll be back, she promised the wolf silently as the doctor carried her away. She glanced back at the kennel and met the wolf’s gaze. I won’t leave you behind.
I won’t leave you behind.
Why did that sound so familiar, as if she’d promised it before?
Dizziness swam in her head.
Run Jennie run!
Her head pounded. That feeling of urgency rushed through her again, stronger than before.
It’s okay, Gray. I won’t hurt you.
Gray. Was that the wolf’s name?
Pain spliced through her skull. Why couldn’t she remember?
She moaned. Dr. Montgomery glanced down at her with concern.
“It hurts.” She whimpered, clutching her head. “God, it hurts.”
He set her down on the same bed she’d woken up in and covered her with the blankets. “Lay still,” he said gently. “Try to relax. Breathe in and out slowly. Try to focus on something besides the pain.”
Her vision blurred as he leaned over her.
Then everything went black.
CHAPTER FOUR
The next time Jennie woke, it was dark in the room. She lay still for a moment, trying to get her bearings. Then she recalled the sexy veterinarian and his dog, Lucky. The injured wolf back in the kennel…
Dr. Montgomery and his dog had saved her life. Hers and the wolf’s. He’d doctored up a bullet in her shoulder, so he must know something about human anatomy. The man was a hero. She owed him. Big time. She glanced down at her shoulder. Gently touched it. It was tender, but still not as sore as her head.
She slowly sat up. Her head throbbed, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been before, more of a dull throbbing rather than a sharp, screaming pain. She fumbled for the lamp she’d seen on the nightstand earlier. Her fingers found the switch. She flicked on the light.
Dr. Montgomery had left a bottle of Tylenol sitting on the nightstand with a glass of water. How thoughtful. He must not be too worried about her O.D.ing on the painkillers now. She opened the bottle and tossed four pills in her mouth, swallowing them with the entire glass of water. Jennie set the glass on the nightstand.
She was getting tired of calling the vet “Dr. Montgomery”. Didn’t he have a first name? She aimed to find out. She also wanted to ask him who Laura was. His mother? His sister? His grandmother? His wife? Whoever Laura was, Jennie had a feeling she was dead. Why else would he store the woman’s clothes in his basement?
Jennie glanced at the clock radio on the nightstand next to the lamp. 7:26 a.m. She needed a shower. She tossed the covers aside and slid out of the bed. She walked into the adjoining bat
h. The warm water soothed her bruised skin and left her feeling much better.
Ten minutes later she emerged. After seeing the ugly bruises and cuts marring her body, it was no wonder Dr. Montgomery had thought she was a drug addict. Someone had abused her. For a moment, she was glad she didn’t remember. But Jennie didn’t like not knowing. She couldn’t stay with Dr. Montgomery indefinitely. She needed to remember who she was and what had happened to her so she could be on her way.
She found a brush in the top drawer in the bathroom and spent several minutes brushing the tangles from her long hair. The ends were damaged and frayed and in serious need of a trim. Pulling the mass over her shoulder, she glanced in the mirror. With her wild hair, bruised face and that ugly purple bump on her forehead, she was quite a fright. She longed for a pair of scissors to chop off the blonde mop. How long had it been since she’d had a haircut?
She made a face in the mirror. At least she was alive.
A feeling of unease swept through her, followed by an urgency she couldn’t explain.
Run Jennie run!
Her head throbbed. What had she been running from? And whom had she left behind?
Her stomach churned. She waited a moment for it to settle, then dressed in more of Laura’s clothes, a pink sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. She had a feeling the wolf knew the answer. She would visit the animal again soon, see if the beast could help her memory come back. Even if the thought terrified her.
Jennie pulled open the bedroom door. The house was silent. She glanced down the dark hallway. There were two other bedrooms down the hallway from hers, along with a main bathroom that she’d seen yesterday. She glanced the other direction.
A small light burned from the kitchen, which was across the living room from where she stood. The smell of freshly brewed coffee reached her nostrils. Apparently the sexy doctor was already up. Jennie headed for the coffee pot.
The vet was nowhere to be found, so she poured herself a cup and took a sip of the steaming brew. Lucky’s claws clicked across the floor behind her. Jennie turned just as Dr. Montgomery entered the room with the dog.
While she’d been fantasizing about lopping off her hair, he actually had cut his.
His beard was gone. All of it. She stared at a lean, handsome jaw and smooth cheeks. Definitely not a weak chin. She would call it a strong, determined chin. His hair was damp from a recent shower. He smelled delicious.
Her mouth watered. Damn, the man was hot. Hotter than the frickin’ coffee. He looked younger without the beard. Even in the dead of winter his skin was tan, though Jennie was as pale as the snow outside the house. Either he’d just returned from a sunny vacation or the man had a naturally dark complexion. The name Montgomery sounded Scottish or Irish to her, maybe even English. Definitely not Native American or South American. Perhaps his mother was Italian or Latino.
Whatever.
Regardless of his lineage, the man was eye candy. And she needed to stop staring.
Jennie jerked her gaze to his. But his eyes were focused on her damp hair hanging over her shoulder. She could only imagine what he thought of her. She looked horrid.
His gaze skimmed over her face and finally settled on hers. He cleared his throat. “How’s the head this morning?”
“Much better, thank you.” She sipped the coffee, relieved he didn’t seem to notice she’d been staring. “You make good coffee. What flavor is it?”
He headed for the pot. “Thanks. It was Laura’s favorite kind. Vanilla Biscotti.”
Here was her chance to ask him about Laura. She leaned her hip against the counter while he filled a mug. Lucky nudged her leg with his nose. She reached down and patted the dog’s head.
“So you never did tell me who Laura was.”
He turned to face her. He lifted the mug and took a sip, watching her over the brim. “Laura was my wife.” He spoke softly, his words filled with sadness. “She died a few years ago.”
Their gazes remained locked for a long moment. She witnessed the flicker of pain in his eyes before he looked away.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Jennie wondered how Laura had died, but she didn’t want to probe. She hardly knew the man.
An awkward silence stretched between them while they each sipped coffee.
“You know, I still don’t know your first name. I feel at a disadvantage here. I can’t keep calling you Dr. Montgomery.”
He let out a soft groan. “Only if you don’t laugh.”
Jennie raised a brow. “I won’t. I promise.”
He hesitated, cleared his throat. “My full name’s Maxwell Montgomery the Third.” He cringed. “But please call me Max.”
Max. She rolled the name around in her head. Decided she liked it. It fit him.
“There’s three of you?”
He let out a soft snort, his eyes dancing with a mixture of laughter and horror, but he didn’t answer the question.
“So,” she hedged, “you’re what…Scottish?”
He nodded. “On my father’s side.”
When he didn’t say anymore, she asked, “And your mother?”
He set his mug on the countertop. “She was Spanish-American.”
Was. Past tense.
His dark gaze probed hers. “So do you remember who you are or who shot you?”
Her head throbbed again. She pressed a finger into her temple. Who was she? Jennie who? What did she do? Where were her parents? Did she have any siblings? Where did she come from? How old was she?
She didn’t have an answer for any of the questions swirling in her head.
“No.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t remember anything.”
His gaze remained steady on her, assessing, as if he didn’t believe her.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
He shrugged. “It just seems a little suspicious.”
Hurt and disbelief swam through her. “How so?”
He hesitated. Lowered his gaze. “I’m going out to feed the horses. The sun’s coming up. You should visit your wolf again. I think she knows what happened and can help you to remember.” He called Lucky. The dog raced after him as he left the kitchen. A few minutes later the back door closed behind them.
Jennie stared after him as silence filled the house. He thought her amnesia was suspicious, did he? Damn him, did he think she wanted this? That she liked not knowing who she was?
But Max was right. She should visit the wolf. She needed answers and she sensed the wolf knew something. Max was obviously eager to see her gone. He didn’t trust her.
That was just fine with her. She didn’t trust him either. Okay, that was a lie. She did trust the man, though she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps because he’d saved her life?
Jennie set her mug on the counter and headed for the clinic.
As she made her way down the hallway, a forlorn howl pierced the stillness of the house. Jennie nearly jumped out of her skin. Slapping a hand over her racing heart, she hurried to the wolf’s kennel.
The animal’s yellow gaze settled on her when she approached. The wolf let out a soft whine and hobbled across the floor on her three legs. Jennie knelt before the kennel, sticking her fingers through the fence. The wolf lifted her muzzle and licked Jennie’s fingers. Jennie giggled.
“You’re a sweet thing. I wish I remembered you.”
The beast lowered its muzzle to the floor. The poor thing looked miserable.
I wonder what happened to us. Who would shoot at us? What did we do?
The wolf whined, lifting her head from the floor. Her yellow gaze locked on Jennie’s. Jennie’s pulse picked up. She had the strangest sensation that the wolf had read her thoughts and understood.
No way.
Jennie tried again, sending more thoughts to the wolf.
What were we running from? Where did we get that car? And who would be so cruel to tie a chain around your neck?
A low growl erupted from the wolf’s throat. Jennie’s he
art raced. What the hell? There was no frickin’ way the animal could read her thoughts. It wasn’t possible. Or was it?
Hoping she wasn’t making a mistake, Jennie rose and opened the kennel door. Cautiously, she stepped inside. Crouching before the wolf, she gently stroked the animal’s face.
“Hey girl, how ya’ doing?”
I love you, Gray.
The thought came out of nowhere. Jennie sensed it wasn’t just a thought, but a memory. The wolf’s name was Gray. How had the wolf come to be with her in the car? What had she been doing in a car, fleeing from flying bullets?
The animal eyed her intently as she continued to gently stroke its fur. Jennie leaned close and inspected the stitches around the beast’s neck. There was no redness or swelling. The sutured wound appeared to be healing nicely.
“Dr. Montgomery did a good job fixing you up, Gray. We both owe our lives to him and Lucky.”
The wolf pushed her muzzle against Jennie’s chest, then settled on the floor next to her. Jennie sat on the floor and crossed her legs, leaning back against the wall as Gray lay her head in Jennie’s lap. The animal seemed to trust her. Why couldn’t she remember the wolf? Now that she knew the beast wasn’t going to attack her, Jennie decided to see if she’d imagined the wolf’s response to her thoughts a moment ago.
What happened to us, Gray? What were we running from?
Gray lifted her head from Jennie’s lap, her yellow gaze seeking hers again. She let out a low growl, startling Jennie. Jennie jerked her hand away from the wolf’s head. Would the beast bite her?
Gray whined, lowering her head in Jennie’s lap again.
Jennie hesitated. She hadn’t imagined the wolf’s earlier response. It really was almost as if the animal could read her thoughts.
I’m sorry. I wish I could remember. Maybe you can help me.
Gray lifted her head again, her gaze locking on Jennie’s. She lifted a giant paw and placed it on Jennie’s leg.
She understands. Oh my God. I didn’t imagine it.
Gray dipped her head, then tilted it up again, as if she were nodding at Jennie. Jennie’s heart kicked into high gear.
Abducted (Unlikely Heroes Book 2) Page 3
