Moon Shine (Takhini Wolves)
Page 21
If she reversed the command codes, the opposite would be true. None of the doors would open without her specifically setting them to release. She only needed the password, and the change would be complete.
So. What would Evan pick for a master password? She was sure he would have chosen it, even if Caroline used the controls one hundred percent of the time.
No hesitation. There was only one thing Evan would have selected before anything else. The one thing always on his mind, at least when he would have set up the code.
She typed in “whitehorseforever”.
The screen she needed popped open. She did a happy dance silently in her chair as her fingers flew to input commands.
One set of commands locked the doors.
The next set primed the service entrance with the access code “united”.
The third shut down all programming access again.
Amy turned away from the computer and rushed to the main door of Evan’s office. She hesitated briefly, but it had to be done. The wolves on the other side of the door had made some big mistakes in staging a rebellion, but they didn’t know they were trapped. They didn’t know the game had changed, and unless they were told, they couldn’t change their mind and give up.
She stepped through the door and into the immediate attention of the rebel wolves.
Evan thrust Dexter into his mom’s arms, spinning on the spot to head back to the building.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Shaun was at his side, sprinting forward and matching his pace.
“Amy is still in there. I’m going to get her.” Evan attempted to jerk the door open, but it was firmly locked. “Shit, that’s right. The code.”
“Takhini has the place surrounded,” Shaun reported as Evan opened up the control panel and entered the password. “And those geeky computer dudes from Canyon who work for Amy did something they said would override any calls from inside the inn to the fire department or police department until we give the word. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I hope so too.” Evan tried the door again, but it still didn’t budge. “I need you to stay out here and keep things under control. If anything explodes, call the fire department. I’m going in and getting Amy.”
Shaun rested his hand on Evan shoulder. “She’s a smart woman, your mate. She’ll get it done, and then we can kick some butt and get those rebels to smarten up.”
Evan tapped in united again, hit enter and sighed with relief as the door swung open before he even touched it. “She is smart, and I have no idea why she’s willing to put up with me. But I’m so glad she is.”
He stepped through the door and pulled it shut behind him.
It was déjà vu. So much like a few weeks earlier when he’d walked into the darkness, only this time he knew somewhere ahead of him, his mate was waiting. He’d found her, and damn if he’d let anyone take her away.
She’d been in the hall recently. He followed her trail all the way to his office, getting in without any trouble. That’s when he realized what she’d done.
The door on the bar side of the room was open a crack, and laughter poured through. Nasty, mean laughter, followed by the sound of skin smacking skin, and the faint cry of pain from his mate’s lips.
Fury enveloped him. At that moment he had no desire whatsoever for the authorities to come and pick up the bastards. He wanted to tear them apart one piece at a time for daring to touch her.
He slung open the door and stepped through like an avenging angel, infuriated by the sight of Amy held tight between two wolves. Toby stood before her, his fist raised for the next blow.
“Touch her again and you die,” Evan promised. His words soft, but deadly.
“The guest of honour has arrived.” Another wolf rose to his feet, throwing the drink in his hand to the floor where glass and liquid splashed up over his flunkies. “We can do this so many ways, but the old ways are sometimes best. I challenge you for this territory. You’re not worthy to be in charge.”
“Let her go, and you and I can dance.” Evan stepped closer to Amy, keeping an eye on the wolf he assumed was Mike.
For some reason, Toby didn’t get out of the way. He opened his mouth to say something, but Evan had zero tolerance left by this point. He simply raised both fists, catching Toby under the chin with his rock solid hands, sending the wolf crashing into the others.
Evan turned a cold eye on the pack members who’d betrayed him and were now holding Amy’s arms. “Are you deaf? I said, let her go.”
He wasn’t sure who they were more afraid of, him or Mike. They glanced in both directions before opening their hands and stepping back.
Who they should have been afraid of was Amy. The instant she was no longer restrained she swung, one fist flying in an uppercut that crushed a jaw even as she followed through the opposite direction with a kick. The second wolf’s head snapped back as his feet lifted off the ground, and he flew backwards a good three feet.
Evan smiled at his mate. “Nicely done.”
Amy gingerly touched the swollen corner of her mouth, wiping away the blood. “Toby’s swings were getting a little boring. I’m glad you could join us.”
“Why, this is all so lovey-dovey and friendly-like.” Mike picked up the chair next to him and threw it across the room. He roared before setting himself squarely to face Evan and Amy, big fists rising to the ready. “Enough. Take the challenge, or get on your belly and crawl.”
“Hold that thought. Even though it was a touch too melodramatic.” Evan faced Amy. “Your choice.”
She looked confused, watching Mike out of the corner of her eye. “What are you talking about?”
“Do I fight him? Or do we let the authorities take care of him for everything he’s done? I’m pretty sure we can get him locked up for quite a while.”
In spite of the bruises on her face, he’d never seen her look more beautiful. “You would do that for me?”
“Anything. Because you’re my mate.”
“I’m just going to kill the both of you,” Mike snapped, picking up another chair and smashing it on a table. The wood shattered, leaving him with a long, deadly weapon. He lofted it in the air, stomping toward them.
“Kick his butt,” Amy ordered. She got out of his way, headed for the side of the room where the rest of the rebels were moving uneasily. “Any of you even think about interfering, and I’ll pull your lungs out through your eye sockets.”
That’s my girl, Evan thought, but he was too busy ducking Mike’s attack to say it out loud.
“We need to get out of here,” Toby groaned from his fetal position on the floor. “There’s no time. There’s no time.”
The deadly chunk of wood swung over Evan’s head again. This time he darted forward under the attack and into Mike’s space. He slashed out with an uppercut, following it immediately with a vicious jab to the man’s throat.
Mike jerked aside at the last second. Evan’s knuckles grazed his neck. They were too close together for the piece of chair to be effective, so Mike tossed it aside, the wood clattering on the solid floor of the bar.
Their dangerous dance continued, the physical battle somewhat reassuring. Amy had skills Evan could only dream of, but this? This was his area of expertise.
He jabbed again, making contact with the man’s temple before he scooted out of reach, headed for the bar. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey, smashing the glass over Mike’s head seconds before the brute ran into him, driving him back against the solid rock lining the bar.
Somewhere below them an enormous explosion went off, the reverberations echoing through the hallways and changing the pressure in the sealed building. Evan’s ears popped, but he was too busy diving from Mike to worry about what was happening elsewhere.
Lights flickered overhead, the fire alarms going off in a strangely musical sequence all ov
er the hotel.
Inspiration hit. He caught Mike by the shoulder, using momentum to drop his arm around Mike’s thick neck and put him into a chokehold. At the same time he brought his knee in sharply, smashing it into Mike’s kidneys. The man’s legs buckled, and he fell to his knees, Evan a heavy weight on his back.
Another explosion sounded, and this time Toby shrieked. “We’ve got to get out of here. The gas line is open. The whole place will go up around us.”
“I’ll let you go,” Amy promised, her volume rising to carry over the shouting and distant rumbling. “Just give me your word that you’re done with this foolishness.”
Evan jerked backwards, taking Mike with him. He twisted at the last moment to slam the other man into the floor first, once again driving a knee into his back. Mike groaned loudly, hands scrambling on the floor as he struggled for air.
“There’s no use in fighting any longer,” Amy snapped. “Take a look at the leader of your rebellion. Any of you want to fight Evan once he’s done? Any of you want to fight me?”
The struggle on the floor continued, but in the background his mate was fighting a different battle. Evan grabbed Mike by the back of the head so he could repeat the face slam into the floor. In the meantime, Amy continued to give the others hell, forcing them to make a decision which way their loyalties would lie. The exit doors refused to budge, and the windows were shatterproof.
He was a little busy with Mike, but still admiring the hell out of his mate’s evil sense of justice.
“You’re in charge. I swear I’ll follow you and Evan,” one of the rebels shouted. “Now, please, for God’s sake, let us out.”
One after the other they affirmed the decision. As the crackling sound of fire encroached, panic rose.
“I shouldn’t make you decide while you’re under such duress.” Amy clicked her tongue. “It’s not fair. Maybe you’re saying something you don’t mean. I need to think about this for a little while.”
“You’re so demanding,” Evan teased. He concentrated as Mike made one final attempt to rise. Evan squeezed harder, his biceps bulging as he closed the man’s airway as tightly as possible.
“You think?” Amy stepped beside him, squatting to tap his arm. “Hey, you used my move.”
“It seemed appropriate. And effective.”
She grinned. “He’s unconscious, by the way, so you can come and help me with these other guys.”
Evan dragged his arm free. “You seem to be doing fine on your own.”
She pulled his cell phone from her pocket and smiled past lips that were puffy and swollen. “If you escort the guys to the side door off the bar, I’ll unlock it. That’s the safest route.”
“You can open the rest of the doors,” Evan told her. “There’s a fire truck standing by.”
What followed was a rush of activity. The half-dozen men who had been with Mike, Toby and Lance raced from the building. Evan reached the door in time to see the Takhini pack, headed by Shaun, surround them and lead them off.
Which left Mike’s unconscious body to be dealt with. Evan whistled at his Beta. “Hey, come take out the trash for me.”
Shaun jogged over, patting Evan approvingly on the back as he slipped past. “Oh, look. Bad guy on the floor. Colour me shocked and dismayed.”
He slung the man over his shoulder with surprising ease, heading out to safety.
Evan held his hand to Amy, both of them rocking on their feet as another alarm went off directly overhead. “Come on, let’s get out here,” he shouted.
“Just a second. I can shut off the gas from the master control.”
And damn if she didn’t turn around and go back into the hotel.
Evan swore, pausing only long enough to gesture to the emergency crew standing on the sidewalk watching patiently. “Get everyone away from here.”
He twirled and headed for his office, yanking the door open. It was the work of seconds to drag her from the computer and scoop her over his shoulder.
“Wait, wait,” Amy protested. “There’re other things I can do. Stop it, you Neanderthal. Put me down.”
He was beyond waiting. Evan marched out of the room. Heat was already pouring through the doors on the front-hall side. “It’s not worth your life. It’s only a building.”
She relaxed, dragging her fingers up his back. “You just wanted an excuse to carry me around. Admit it.”
Evan didn’t stop until they were across the street and safely away from any further explosions. He lowered her to the ground and tucked her into his arms. “I’m glad you’re my mate.”
Her eyes shone, and that alone made everything perfect. “Looks as if you’re still in charge.”
“We’re in charge,” he emphasized.
Sirens joined the noise around them. The inn was definitely burning, smoke rising from the upper floors as the ambulance crew popped Mike into the ambulance. A police car waited to accompany them to the hospital. One of the pack who worked as an RCMP caught their attention then nodded. His chin dipped low as he affirmed his connection.
“Mike will be charged for kidnapping, and everything we can think of related to destroying the inn.” Evan turned to see Amy’s assistant, Sarah, standing with her clipboard in hand. She eyed the crowd nervously, but held her ground. “Evan will not be charged for assault or anything, obviously, since he was acting in self-defense and defending you.”
“Well done,” Amy praised her. “Anything else?”
Sarah pointed into the crowd. “The rebel wolves are in the care of Shaun and the Takhini pack. They’re probably the best ones to deal with that side of things. In the meantime, I’ve got a bunch of our people looking into insurance and researching contractors so we rebuild as soon as possible.”
Okay, that one came as a surprise to Evan. “You want to rebuild the Moonshine Inn?”
The woman blinked. “Of course. It’s a great source of revenue, plus it gives the Takhini hooligans something productive to do. Keeps them out of mischief.” Only she winked as she spoke, lowering her gaze respectfully before backing away.
It was too much to take in at once. Evan shook his head and nearly fell over. “Whoa.”
Amy snuggled under his arm and helped hold him up. “I think everybody seems to have the situation under control.”
Almost everything. “Take me home.”
Her smile lit up the area. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
They slipped back into her house, and a million years might have passed since she’d been there last. Maybe in a way the sensation was right.
Her world had changed.
Evan crowded her all the way to the shower, pausing to turn on the water. By the time he’d finished stripping off her clothes, steam billowed around them.
The aches and pains were there, but every bit of the punishment she’d taken was worth it, especially when he slid in next to her. Nothing but naked skin, his biceps flexing powerfully as he grabbed her buff puff and the soap.
“Close your eyes, and let me take care of you.”
It seemed selfish to simply take. She closed her eyes as ordered, but reached out to slide her fingers over his body. Touching him while he scrubbed and cleaned, moving tenderly over the bruises and cuts she’d received.
“You’re not supposed to do that,” he breathed unsteadily, the words trembling as she traced her fingers over the delicious muscle between his thigh and abdomen.
“Try and stop me,” she whispered. “You need some tenderness as well.”
“What I need is to care for my mate. You were incredible back there.” With his lips pressed to her temple, he turned her, settling her against his chest. The circles with the soap continued, his hands rising from her waist to her breasts.
Amy arched into his touch. “We work together. Oh, yes, right there.”
“It wasn’t my idea of a good time, but it had to be done.” Amy draped a hand around his neck, twisting her head to one side so their lips could meet for a slow, careful kiss. The taste of him sank into her very cells. “And you’re still the one who fought Mike.”
“I have every confidence if you had needed to, you would’ve handled him just as well.”
The warm water and the comfort of his body helped release the remaining tension. “We work together,” she repeated. “And while it’s sad it came down to having to face a rebellion, we should have expected it.”
He nuzzled her neck, the scruff of his chin like erotic sandpaper against sensitive nerves. “Stupid people always make the stupidest move, but I wish I hadn’t fallen down on the job in the first place.”
“I’m sorry about the Moonshine Inn.” Amy twisted in his arms, rubbing her fingers through his hair as she tugged him under the showerhead. “I’ll do everything I can to help make the new hotel construction go smoothly.”
Evan smiled as he settled his hands on her hips. “It sounds as if Canyon already has our back.”
“You’ll find there are a lot of things that will go much smoother with their skills behind you.”
His eyes burned brighter as he looked at her, ogling her body. “Same goes the other way around, but I think we’ve had enough pack discussion today. Don’t you agree?”
Amy hummed happily. “You look as if you have something else on your mind.”
He hoisted her upward, twisting far enough to pin her to the wall of the shower with his body. Slick heat and rising passion growing between them. “I’m about to have something on my cock.”
She laughed, and it felt so good to release the stress. To have a whole new type of tension spreading through her system, driving her mad with entangling sensual tendrils. Evan adjusted her so the heavy length of his shaft rested over her sex.