by Dannika Dark
“I like this,” he said, flicking the loose chain on my toe ring.
Without warning, he put his mouth around my middle toe, clasping the ring between his teeth and slowly pulling it off. Seeing Wheeler perform that act sent liquid fire through my body, and I moaned in response.
When a fist pounded against the door, Wheeler jumped to his feet and vanished in the darkness. I sat up, my heart thundering against my chest.
I’d never be able to erase that visual from my mind.
“What the hell are you doing in here?” I heard Reno ask.
“Checking up on our guest. She didn’t eat, you know. And what exactly are you doing here?”
It was interesting to hear all the accusations and suspicion in the inflection of their tone without seeing them.
“Both of you come in,” I said, scooting to the end of the bed. “There’s no sense in playing games since we’re all playing the same one. Turn on the light and let’s talk about Delgado.”
***
That evening, we snuck out of the house. The Weston pack was used to the comings and goings of the family, so hearing the Camaro firing up raised no alarms. Everyone assumed I had gone to bed for the night. Instead, Wheeler had crept into the laundry room and found a pair of jeans and a dark T-shirt that would fit me, along with some sneakers.
“You look good dressed down,” he said when I climbed into the backseat of his Camaro. I didn’t like dressing so boyishly, nor did I like how constricting the jeans were. It felt like a costume, so it was weird to have a man compliment me on clothes that weren’t sexy.
The car rocked when Reno sat in the passenger seat with his laptop. Delgado hadn’t called, but Reno said they’d be able to track his number—something about using towers. Thank God for men and their electronic toys; I knew little about such things.
“You sure you want to come?” Reno asked in a gruff voice, twisting his neck around so he could see me out of the corner of his eye.
“You strike me as a man who’s done this before, and because of that, I’m absolutely positive. The sooner we move in, the better. Skye is my only concern, but if Delgado is there, then perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone.”
“I got a big fucking rock with his name on it,” Wheeler murmured.
As soon as my phone rang, Reno perked up. “Same number?”
“Yes, same one.” I took a calming breath before answering so my voice wouldn’t waver. “Naya speaking.”
“I’ve got someone here who wants to say hello.”
The car lurched to a stop and Reno’s hand flew up in front of Wheeler, signaling him to stay quiet. The engine cut off.
“Hello?” a shaky voice said.
In that moment, whatever fear I’d been suppressing emerged. “Skye? Please tell me you’re okay. Did he hurt you?”
“Naya?” Skye wept, her voice broken. “How’s my baby? Can you tell her Mommy loves her so much? Please tell my baby girl I’ll always love her and I’m so sorry.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I didn’t bother to wipe them away.
“Is that sufficient?” Delgado asked. “She’s alive, and I assure you she’s in good hands. I’ve met my end of the bargain, and you have what you need. That’s all I can give you.” It sounded as if he was walking. He was out of breath as he talked.
Oh my God, what if there wasn’t enough time for Reno to do his trace? I had to stall.
“Let me speak to her again. I have to tell her that her baby’s okay.”
“That’s not what we agreed on. I’m a reasonable man, Naya. Not a man you can lead around by his dick. I’m not going to lie—I’d love to show you the life I can provide you, and it’s not an offer I’ve made to just anyone.”
Wheeler and Reno had turned around completely in their seats to watch. I sat in the center, staying calm and focused.
“You’re a man of your word, Delgado. And I’m a woman of mine.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” he said in a voice as smooth as bourbon. “Where should I have my men pick you up?”
“If I’m coming of my own free will, then you should give me your address like a gentleman,” I said with a sly chuckle. “This isn’t just about good business but also mutual trust. It’s a misconception to think forcing submission and mistreatment will make a panther angry enough to fight. Let me tell you a little something about panthers. We’re savage predators, but if frightened, wounded, or angry, we don’t think clearly. I want to believe this is a good deal for both of us. I’m a woman who looks out for herself, and money is a language I’m fluent in.”
“Hmm,” he murmured. “This should be an interesting arrangement.”
“Ever been with a panther?” I said seductively. “There’s nothing like it.”
I let the thought linger while giving a dramatic roll of my eyes to temper the volcanic look on Wheeler’s face. Delgado needed incentive.
Delgado recited an address, and I committed to being there no later than tomorrow afternoon. He said he had somewhere important to be and that my little diversion was stalling his evening. I graciously apologized and ended the call on a good note. Humans were so gullible. Shrewd businessman or not, every man had a weak spot, and it was usually between his legs. Delgado liked to be in control, but I could also sense he preferred fealty over fear. He was a man who wanted to feel like a king in our world, and having a panther at his side would bring him one step closer to that fantasy.
Wheeler drove around while Reno continued typing on his computer.
“Got it,” Reno finally said.
Wheeler stopped at a light and glanced at the bright screen on Reno’s laptop.
I leaned forward and tapped Reno on the shoulder. “He was on the move, so it looks like we’re on a rescue mission, not seek and destroy.”
Reno looked around when Wheeler pulled his car into a parking place in front of a fast-food restaurant. “What are you doing?”
Wheeler unlatched his seat belt. “Five seconds.”
“Now? You better get it in check, brother.”
Wheeler popped him the middle finger and shoved his door open. When it slammed, I leaned close to Reno, picking up the subtle scent of his cologne. Funny how I hadn’t given it much thought before, but now that I was near Reno, I realized how much I preferred Wheeler’s natural smell to something out of a bottle.
“So what’s the plan?” I asked.
“If Delgado took off, we’ll just stick to the original plan of getting the girl out. The location he was calling from isn’t where I thought it would be. See that?” He pointed at the screen. “Not the area of town where you would keep Shifters caged. I think he moved her to a different location for your benefit.”
“To his house?”
“Could be, or just one of his many homes. Rich bastards like to wipe their feet all over the place. I don’t know about this. Usually they keep them caged and lightly guarded. But in the city? He’s probably got a handful of men on the property. If this doesn’t go down as planned, one of them could make a call and tip him off.”
“So? Let them,” I said flippantly. “I’d love nothing more than to meet the man himself. The legendary human who walks among us like some kind of untouchable titan. That’s a man I want to knock on his ass.”
Reno’s lips eased into a grin. “My kind of girl.”
Wheeler reappeared, and the moment he slammed the door, a heavy scent filled the car. He turned around and handed me a paper bag. I peered in at two hamburgers wrapped in thin paper. Maybe I should have raised a complaint that I wasn’t hungry or scolded him for taking a detour for burgers, but a wolf had brought me food. My panther stirred with approval, recognizing a male was providing for her.
“Guns blazing?” Wheeler asked.
“No, but I’m packing.” Reno shifted in his seat to look at both of us. “We’ll drive around and scope the property first. I’m curious if he has Breed or human guards. I ain’t gonna church it up for you: if they’re Vampires, we�
��re up shit creek. They’ll hear us coming before we even ring the doorbell.”
“What makes you think Skye is in there?” I asked. “If you lock a person in a bedroom, they’re going to try to escape, even if it means burning the house down.”
“They might have her tied up,” Wheeler suggested. “Handcuffs, in the basement… Chains can wrap around pipes nice and tight.”
Reno shot him a hard glare. “Park at the end of the street. I brought some equipment that’ll pick up any shortwave communication devices. You two sit tight in the car while I scope out the property. Once I have the information I need, I’ll tell you the plan.”
“Then why don’t you drive?” Wheeler suddenly pivoted around and crawled between the seats.
I scooted all the way to the right and ducked when he pulled his legs into the backseat. Meanwhile, Reno simply got out of the car and walked around. The car only had two doors, so I was stuck in the back.
“Comfy?” I asked.
“Damn,” he grunted, situating himself. “I didn’t realize how snug it was back here.”
“Never tested out the backseat of your own car?”
“That’s such a human thing to do,” he quickly said, rolling his head to the side to look at me. “Nothing could turn me on in this cramped space.”
Reno got in and moved his seat back for more legroom.
“You’re an ass,” Wheeler barked out, shoving at the seat in protest.
I smiled playfully, wondering why Wheeler had switched seats. “Miss me already?”
“I can’t drive and twist my neck around to hear you talking. What did he say?”
I ate the last piece of my burger and sighed. “Delgado wants to take care of me. I’m not sure if he’s serious or is saying anything to get my panther in his clutches. He’s tempting me with money and a high position.”
Wheeler stretched one of his legs over to my side. “That kind of thing goes on, you know. I’ve seen it. Not everywhere, but some owners treat their prized warriors like champions instead of animals. I’ve seen men get rich with the right owner.”
Reno started messing with the radio and stopped on “You Shook Me All Night Long.”
I slowly unwrapped the second burger and offered it to Wheeler. “Have a bite.”
Wheeler pinched the whiskers on his chin. “I bought those for you.”
I scooted closer until our bodies touched and held it to his lips. “Open your mouth.”
His lips parted, and Wheeler took a small bite from the burger.
“Thank you for thinking of me,” I said quietly, so Reno couldn’t hear. “I’m less jittery when my panther’s been fed.”
I sank my teeth into the same spot Wheeler had bitten into.
“I didn’t know what you like,” he said.
That made me laugh. “I’m a predator. I like protein.”
“But you’re too good for beef jerky?”
“A lady should be more refined than drooling on a dry stick of meat.”
A pickle slipped out of the burger and onto the wrapper. Wheeler pinched it between his fingers and placed it on his tongue, chewing slowly. It raised the hair on the back of my neck.
“Why did you want to come and be a part of this?” I asked.
Wheeler turned away and looked straight ahead. “Delgado is a man who needs to be stopped.”
I curled my hand around his arm and leaned against him. “Is that all?”
He didn’t answer, and I suddenly wished Reno would turn down the radio. Wheeler’s muscles tensed beneath my fingertips. I was certain he could see me breathing faster, but Wheeler made no attempts to put his arm around me. I adored his restraint, quietly laughing to myself at the absurdity of my attraction to a man who showed no interest in me. Maybe he was right; maybe I was a glutton for punishment. But with him I found an honesty I’d never experienced with anyone else. None of the men who had showered me with physical affection stuck around. It was only a ploy to get what they wanted, and truthfully, I got what I wanted too. I knew the game they played, and that’s one reason I’d grown cynical about love. My mama had once told me that beauty was blinding, and men were incapable of loving a ruby in their pocket. She had bewitched my father and had fallen madly in love with him, but she’d often wondered if he would have given her a second glance had she been older or less attractive.
“You sure you want to do this?” Wheeler asked.
We hit a bump and Reno fumbled with the radio.
“Are you asking me to reconsider because I’m a woman?”
Wheeler’s right hand slid over my thigh and he gave it a featherlight squeeze. “Maybe I’m asking because it’s dangerous and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“You have to say that; you’re my bodyguard.”
His chest rumbled with a deep chuckle. “Austin gave me my walking papers on that job.”
I gave him a peevish look. “Sometimes I feel like I have to beat an answer out of you.”
His eyebrow arched. “We wouldn’t want that,” he said obliquely.
Reno glanced at us in the rearview mirror as the car slowed. “Heads up, boys and girls. We’re here.”
Wheeler leaned forward and looked at the mansion in the distance. “And boom goes the dynamite.”
Chapter 13
“What do you think he’s doing out there?” I whispered.
Wheeler laced his fingers together across his stomach. “Reconnaissance. Peeking in windows, smearing mud on his face, crawling through the flower garden, petting the dog…”
I smacked him on his knee and chuckled. We had put space between us in the backseat. I was the one who scooted away first because when Reno had glanced at us in the rearview mirror, his right eye twitched. I’m sure an exotic dancer snuggling all over the black sheep of his family was enough to raise an eyebrow, and I didn’t want to stir up trouble between the two brothers.
I’d spent years disliking Wheeler because of one incident, and while I still didn’t think he had handled himself admirably, I was discovering a secret side that Wheeler kept hidden from his own family. This man wore tattoos to cover battle scars, and despite his past fighting panthers, he had still risked his life for me.
“Do you have siblings?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“No. Panthers don’t usually have large families. My God, I don’t know how Izzy grew up with siblings close to the same age, and not even the same animal! Brave girl.”
“Crazy parents.”
“You can say that again.” I felt the urge to reach in the front seat and crack the windows; the air was growing sticky and warm. “You should at least tell Austin about your past, even if you don’t mention Ben.”
“I’d rather not talk about this right now. ’Preciate ya.”
“Perhaps we can discuss it in bed later,” I purred. “You can’t keep secrets forever. Your Packmaster needs a better understanding of where you’re coming from. You shouldn’t be shamed by something that wasn’t your fault.”
“It was my choice.”
I turned to face him. “It was your choice to save your brother.”
His lips peeled back. “At the cost of lives? There’s no justifying that.”
Wheeler’s internal conflict seemed clearer to me now. He had to deal with an ungrateful brother, but he also wrestled the demons of feeling like a murderer. Can a person justify killing another to save the life of someone they love? Cage fights were about survival, but Wheeler had already painted himself a killer.
“Family means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”
His voice softened. “It’s the only good thing I have—the only thing worth fighting for.”
“You did that in the cage, you know. Fought for your brother.”
“I murdered people!” His voice reverberated off the windows and ceiling.
I pointed my finger in his face. “You didn’t walk up to someone on the street and take their life. You and other victims—yes, victims—were put in a situation where you
had to survive. I’m sure they were just as eager to live as you were and fought ruthlessly.”
Wheeler threw his head back. “Not the first one.” Three deep lines pressed into his forehead and he rubbed at them. “They don’t put new blood in with an experienced fighter the first time. I was caged with another wolf, and neither of us had shifted. He was just a kid. Looked my age, but I could tell he really was that age. He gripped the bars, screaming for them to let him out.”
“How did they get you to fight? If you were both unwilling…”
Wheeler’s hands dropped to his lap and his voice fell flat. “They threatened to kill someone in our families. They used verbal tactics to turn us against each other. When that didn’t work, they flipped on a strobe. I shifted, and they were outside the cage, prodding my wolf with electric pokers to piss him off. I could feel his confusion and anger.”
“And the other wolf?”
“He didn’t shift. I wasn’t sure if it was because he’d covered his eyes or hadn’t gone through his first change. Just as I slipped away and let my wolf take over, I remember him huddled on the slab of concrete, gripping the bars and crying.”
“Bastards,” I whispered. “Nothing I say is going to make a difference, but you need to put that guilt to rest. Victims always want to think they had some level of control, but that’s a lie.”
“What do you know about being a victim?”
“That it’s perceptional,” I said. “You can either live as a victim or become a survivor. The choice is yours, and it will change your life in ways you can’t imagine. Have I ever experienced anything like you have? No. But if I had lived my life as a victim of circumstance, then I might have made poorer choices. My self-confidence would be low, and maybe I’d turn tricks like some of the other girls. But I stand behind my choices and my past, and screw anyone who has a problem with it.”
A smile wound up his face, and he stared listlessly out his window.
“It’s liberating,” I pressed in soft words. “Even if your Packmaster is the only one to know, you shouldn’t continue carrying the burden of guilt. You might be surprised by what he has to say.”
