by Abby Blake
“Where did you say you found me?”
“You were lying at the edge of a clearing several miles from here suffering a drug overdose and snakebites,” Levi said in a deep voice that rumbled through his massive chest.
Trying to keep her mind on the problem at hand, and not on Levi’s rock-solid pectoral muscles, she asked, “So how did you find me?”
“We were out running in furry form, heard you scream, and went to investigate. You were dying, so we used our healing magic to reverse the ill effects of the drugs and neutralize the snake venom.”
Okay, so she hadn’t dreamed that part. Obviously, these guys were as nutty as fruitcakes. No way on earth could they change into bears or use magic to cure snakebites. Following that logic, it meant that she couldn’t possibly have been sick or dying, and so it brought her full circle—they must have slipped a drug into her drink at the club, kidnapped her, and transported her here while she was out cold. Except, they didn’t seem inclined to ask for ransom money, so what did they want with her?
“Ruby,” Nickolas said as he stepped closer to press a kiss to her forehead. “We know this is confusing, but we really do turn into bears, we really did heal you, and we don’t mean you any harm.”
“Because I’m a gift from that spirit guy?”
“The Great Spirit,” Nickolas corrected. “But we healed you even before we knew you were our mate.”
“So what does a mate do?” Ruby asked, suddenly suspecting exactly what role a mate was supposed to play. She’d spent some time traveling around Australia, where every second person used the word “mate” as a simile for “friend,” but it was only now that the alternate meaning had occurred to her.
“She lets us love her.”
Oh, fabulous, she wasn’t being held for ransom. She was here as a fuck toy for the three of them.
Levi seemed to immediately realize how Ruby interpreted his words. It was still quite possible that all this—the cabin, the bears, the mate thing—was part of some strange, drug-induced delusion. She briefly considered asking Levi or Nickolas to change into a bear right there in the kitchen, but realized it wouldn’t necessarily convince her. She’d likely just write it off as another dream.
She didn’t object when Levi moved them to a different room, sat on the sofa, pulled her onto his lap, and held her close. It felt almost natural to be lying in his arms, and with everything else running through her head, she decided, in this at least, just to go with it.
“He didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” Nickolas said as he dragged a chair in front of the sofa and rested his forearms on his thighs. “Ruby, we’re sorry that all we seem to be doing is making the situation more confusing. We really did find you. The question we can’t answer is how you got there in the first place. What do you remember about last night?”
“Not much,” she admitted grudgingly. It seemed a far easier scenario to explain strangers kidnapping her for ransom than to try and figure out how their version of the story fit in with what she remembered. It didn’t matter that she was snuggled up to one of her possible kidnappers. She’d deal with her out-of-character behavior later.
“You were dressed for a night on the town,” Levi told her as he ran his fingers through the long length of her hair.
“It was a friend’s birthday, so a group of us went out for dinner, and then hit the dance clubs.” If she were honest with herself, she’d admit that it was the last thing she’d wanted to do at the time, but as her father constantly reminded her, she had a duty to uphold. The more times she was mentioned in the society pages and tabloids, the more free advertising his business received. He wasn’t even picky over what sort of attention his daughter attracted. Ruby hadn’t quite gotten over her father’s apparent disappointment when he’d discovered that the sex tape that had been circulating last year claiming to be of her hadn’t actually been her.
“What’s the last club you remember going to?”
Her memories of last night were quite clear up until they reached a small, rather exclusive club called Sanity’s Edge. She wasn’t even certain she’d made it out of the limo. She remembered them making the decision to go there, but everything after that was a blur.
Before she could answer, the shrill sound of a telephone broke the silence.
Nickolas patted her knee, smiled apologetically, and headed back into the kitchen. A moment later, the ringing sound cut off, and Nickolas’s deep voice reached her ears.
“Zeek, slow down. I don’t understand you. What ransom?”
Levi stiffened the same time Ruby did. She’d been half convinced that they hadn’t kidnapped her, and now all of a sudden they were talking about a ransom. She wasn’t sure whether to deny her gullibility and kick some crazy bear-man ass, or wait quietly for an explanation.
Considering how large all three men were, it was probably a safe bet that her self-defense classes wouldn’t help, so she chose to sit quietly.
After a few more minutes of talking, Nickolas hung up the phone and came back into the kitchen. “That was Zeek,” he said unnecessarily, “and it looks like we have a problem.”
* * * *
For the first time in his adult life Nickolas had no real idea what to do next. Zeek had sounded completely freaked out. It wasn’t like him, and his brother’s unusual loss of control affected Nickolas even more than the news he’d just delivered.
Nickolas stepped back into the living area, and hoped like hell that honesty was the best way to handle this. He sat facing Ruby once more.
“Ruby, honey, can you remember anything else about last night?”
“Only what I told you,” she said, looking completely bewildered now.
“Zeek just heard on the radio that you’ve been reported as being kidnapped.” She didn’t seem all that surprised, and he supposed under the circumstances he shouldn’t have been either. “The news report says that they have video footage of you bound and crying, begging for your parents to pay the ransom.”
“What the hell?” she exclaimed, pushing away from Levi and sitting up straighter. “I don’t remember anything like that.”
“Zeek is heading into town to see if he can find out more details on the Internet.”
“My pho…” Her words trailed away as she obviously remembered what Zeek had done to her phone.
“You wouldn’t have gotten a signal up here anyway,” he said, trying to sound reasonable.
“Why did he break it then?” It was a good question, and one Nickolas wasn’t really sure he knew the answer to.
“I suspect he was worried that you’d tell someone about us before we had a chance to explain.” She looked ready to argue, probably about why Zeek would break a phone that wouldn’t have worked anyway, but seemed to change her mind and asked another instead.
“Can I use your phone to let my parents know I’m all right?”
“That’s probably not such a good idea,” Nickolas said with a quick shake of his head. “We don’t know what’s happening at your parents’ place. It’s quite possible whoever did this to you is someone you know. If that person learned you were still alive, they just might come back to finish the job. When Zeek gets back, we’ll decide what to do.”
“But my parents must be worried sick.”
“They’ll be even more worried if you call to say you’re fine and then something happens.”
“What could happen?”
“I don’t know,” Nickolas said, trying not to frighten her with some of the scenarios running through his head. “We’ll protect you, Ruby, but it would be best if we don’t do anything until we know what we’re dealing with.”
Levi turned her sideways on his lap, probably so that he could see her face more clearly. “Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt you?”
“Not really,” she answered quietly.
“Define ‘not really.’”
She ducked her head slightly, seeming embarrassed before she elaborated. “I don’t really have any close friends. It’s kind o
f hard to trust the people around you when you have as much money as my family does, so I tend to sort of hang around with people from similar backgrounds.”
“You don’t sound very happy about it,” Levi said, hugging the woman just a little closer.
“They’re probably really nice people, but…well, I’ve never really trusted anyone.”
“So why do you go out with them?”
“I’d rather stay at home, but Daddy likes it when I’m in the society pages. And since it’s the only way he’ll let me help with his business, it seems like something I should do.”
Nickolas shook his head as he tried to comprehend her words. “How does it help your father’s business?”
“Free advertising, I suppose,” she said with a shrug. “It keeps the Rickardson name out there.”
“What does your father do?”
She looked surprised by the question. “He’s CEO of one of the biggest investment firms on Wall Street.” Her gaze bounced between his and Levi’s faces. “You’ve never heard of Rickardson Investments?”
“Sorry, darlin’,” Levi said with a smile. “I hate to burst your daddy’s bubble, but the only Rickardson I’ve ever heard about is you.”
She laughed quietly. “Don’t tell my daddy that. He’d be mighty disappointed.”
“Your secret’s safe with us,” Levi assured her, then pressed a kiss to her lips as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Ruby looked a little surprised, but she didn’t seem inclined to object.
Nickolas was loath to interrupt the slightly relaxed atmosphere with more questions at this moment. They really had no idea what they were dealing with until Zeek got back, so maybe it was time to do something else for a while. Usually, when he was stressed, he went for a walk through the forest, but a quick glance at Ruby’s oversize shirt and bare feet convinced him to think of alternatives.
“How about we watch a DVD while we’re waiting for Zeek to get back?” It wasn’t until the words were out of his mouth that he realized they probably didn’t own any movies a woman would like to watch.
“Okay,” Ruby said as she rubbed her cheek against the soft material of Levi’s well-worn T-shirt. She seemed sleepy, so it was unlikely she’d stay awake for an entire movie anyway, but she surprised him with her next words. “Do you have any science fiction?”
“Of course,” Levi said with a huge grin on his face. Sci-fi was the one thing they had in abundance. That, along with a paranormal series or two, pretty much made up their entire collection. There wasn’t a romantic comedy in sight.
“Under the cabinet,” Nickolas said as she climbed off Levi’s lap. She opened the closest drawer and turned to grin back at them. They didn’t get regular television this high in the mountains, and since they only used this cabin for fishing weekends, the high installation and ongoing costs of satellite television hadn’t seemed worth the investment. Besides, they came up here to get away from the information overload of modern life. It was only days like this one that he wished for access to the TV news.
Ruby selected a movie—a sci-fi he’d watched a half dozen times—and handed it to him. “This is one of my favorites,” she said as she settled on the sofa next Levi. When she saw Nickolas hesitate, her smile faltered a little. “We can watch something else if you prefer.”
“No,” he said a little more sharply than he’d intended. She flinched slightly at his louder-than-expected voice, but tried valiantly to hide it. Fuck, he was the world’s biggest asshole some days. “I mean…” Nickolas hesitated, glanced at the smart-ass smile on his brother’s face, and tried to explain what he’d been thinking without scaring the woman again. “I was just surprised by your choice of movie.” She gave him a blank look, and he threw away caution and decided to try honesty. “It just…we seem to have the same interests, and it made me think how well-matched we are as mates.”
She gave him a brief, uncertain smile, but didn’t comment.
* * * *
Levi felt the woman beside him tense up and gave his brother a “shut the fuck up” look that not even a stranger could misinterpret. Fortunately, Nickolas got the hint and turned away to load the DVD player.
Levi had been enjoying the way Ruby had started to relax with them. He realized how strange this must all seem to her, but had been grateful for the faith she seemed to have placed in them. And whether she realized it or not, she was beginning to trust them. He even suspected she’d told them far more than she’d ever explained to her so-called friends.
Levi placed his arm over the back of the sofa, almost laughing when he realized the tactic from his teenage years when he’d been aiming to cop a feel. But today he simply wanted to comfort a woman who was quickly becoming someone special in his heart. He’d always known he’d fall fast for his mate. He’d just never imagined these circumstances.
She leaned a little closer when he touched the soft skin below her ear. Encouraged, he pressed gently, urging her to rest her head against his shoulder. He wanted to howl with joy when she went one step further and rested her head on his thigh. Nickolas came back to the sofa, sat at the far end, and pulled Ruby’s feet onto his lap.
“Holy shit, your feet are freezing.” Nickolas grabbed the throw off the back of the sofa and spread it over Ruby from head to toe. She mumbled a quick thank-you, wriggled slightly, and then they all fell silent as the movie started.
* * * *
Zeek drove carefully down the dirt track, trying to concentrate on missing the ever-changing ditches and potholes, but it didn’t stop his mind from chewing over everything he’d learned. It had taken three hours to get into town, ten minutes to find all he needed to know about Ruby Rickardson’s disappearance, another fifteen to grab some clothes for her at the general store, and three hours to get back. The sun had already set, and he’d traveled the final few miles in pitch-black darkness.
When he finally pulled up in front of the house, he felt a sense of homecoming that he’d never before felt. It was strange, especially considering this was just his and his brothers’ fishing cabin, not Zeek’s actual home.
But it was when he saw Ruby lying on the sofa, a blanket tucked around her as she watched what he recognized as an episode from his favorite paranormal show, that he understood where the feeling had come from. She sat up as he came into the room, and he wanted nothing more than to gather her into his arms and kiss her senseless. Of course, that would lead to him carrying her to his bedroom and loving her until she screamed his name in ecstasy. Considering her anger this morning, it would probably also lead to a swift kick to his family jewels.
“Hi,” she said quietly, her eyes never leaving his face.
“Hi, princess,” he said, suddenly realizing that the label he’d given her in his head—a decidedly sarcastic aim at her privileged upbringing—now seemed more like an affectionate endearment. He couldn’t even explain why his attitude had changed. None of the information he’d found about her had been endearing. Publicly, she truly seemed to live up to his first assessment as a spoiled, overindulged, ungrateful brat. He’d even found mention of a sex tape that had been leaked onto the Internet. “Where are Nick and Levi?”
“Levi was making dinner.” She glanced over her shoulder as if she expected him to appear. “I don’t know where Nick went.”
Frustrated that they would both leave their mate unattended—despite the fact that only a few hours ago he hadn’t wanted to be this woman’s mate—Zeek pressed a kiss to her lips and promised, “I’ll be back in a moment.”
It wasn’t until he walked out of the living room door that he realized how natural it had felt to kiss Ruby like that. He hadn’t even given it any conscious thought. He’d just pressed his lips to hers as if they’d been lovers for years.
He found his brothers standing by the woodpile, talking quietly in the dark.
Levi gestured for him to come over. “What did you find out?”
Zeek glanced back at the house and finally realized they wanted to talk this
situation out before alarming Ruby more than was necessary. Unfortunately, nothing he had to tell them was good.
“There’s a statewide alert, a media circus, and more glitz and hype than I’ve ever seen regarding a kidnap victim. Her father has been on the television, Internet, and radio demanding her safe return. There are hourly updates on the TV news. File photos have been dragged out of God knows where. Every little thing Ruby has ever done in her life is being assessed and rehashed and argued over. There are even Internet polls asking whether her father should pay the ransom and whether she brought this on herself by being so rich.”
Nickolas and Levi reacted exactly the same way he’d done—complete shock. The amount of public attention Ruby Rickardson’s disappearance was attracting was completely astounding. Considering most kidnappers demanded that the police not be involved, it seemed damn near deadly.
Nickolas finally nodded. “We’ve asked Wesley to keep an eye on the spot where we found Ruby. With a bit of luck they might come back to check their plan worked.” Zeek nodded in approval. If there was anyone more suited to surveillance work, Zeek had yet to meet them.
“What aren’t you telling us?” Levi asked. The guy might seem laid-back, but he never missed a detail.
“Only that I thought it all seemed a little callous. If her father truly wanted her home safe and sound, would he draw this much attention to the ransom demand?”
“It’s hard to say,” Nickolas said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Obviously mega-rich people are going to think differently to the way we do, but it does seem opportunistic behavior from a man who insists his daughter keeps a high media profile as a way to help his business.”
“He does what?”
Nickolas didn’t explain, obviously realizing that Zeek’s question came from shock rather than misunderstanding.
“Her father’s behavior may well be the reason she was dumped and left for dead. But it doesn’t explain why Ruby can’t remember being held by kidnappers. Did you get to see the footage for the ransom demand?”
