by Milly Taiden
Frost had been contemplating his opening sentence all the way here. He didn’t want to come across as a badass and piss off the doctor nor did he want to seem like a pushover and not get an answer. So, he thought he’d take it casually.
“Do you know much about mercury poisoning?” he asked.
Doc sat back in his leather executive chair. “Mercury? Wasn’t expecting that. Causes liver problems.” He rose from his chair. “Let’s see what else.” From a shelf, he pulled an incredibly thick book and hefted it back to the desk. Licking his finger, he turned pages after opening to the middle of the tome.
Adjusting his glasses, he began to read.
“Mercury toxicity in vaporized form can cause insomnia, headaches, decreased cognitive functions, kidney malfunction, and respiratory failure leading to death. Especially dangerous to a fetus.” Doc kept reading then took his glasses off and rubbed his face.
“What’s wrong?” Frost asked.
Doc went to the window and looked out. “We’ve had more miscarriages in the past six months than we’ve had the past five years combined. And otherwise healthy children are developing brain problems.”
Frost remembered back to the kids at the diner who stared into space quietly. He wondered if that was what the doc meant.
“Are you seeing a pattern of any kind?” Frost asked.
Doc shook his head. “Why mercury?” he asked. “Where is it coming from? How can we stop it?”
Frost stood. “I don’t know, sir. But I am going to find out.”
14
Ice was with his little mate across the street from the offices of Riggs Oil. They sat on a bench under shade trees watching townsfolk going about their daily business. He hadn’t felt this content in hundreds of years.
He had given up hope on finding their mate. With seven billion humans on this planet, he thought they’d never find that one. That diamond hidden deep in the mines of time. He’d told Frost he was going to sleep if they hadn’t found her soon. And he meant it. He was tired of being alive. Tired of the same drudge, day in and day out.
Frost currently had something to fuel his passion for life. Ice didn’t. He’d lost interest in the things he did enjoy, slipping into a dragon depression that could be deadly if a reason for living wasn’t found.
But he was no longer worried about any of that. All the issues he had with being alive vanished the moment they walked into the diner and saw little Raven. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. His animal wanted to lay her out on the table and claim her right then and there.
He had to talk it down, telling it that human women don’t go for that kind of shit anymore. They had to be courted and pampered and shown love. She had to fall in love with them if they were going to get her. His dragon said she didn’t need to love Ice. If that were the case, they were doomed. She just had to tolerate him enough to get dragonlings in her belly.
And then what? Ice asked his dragon. Kick me to the curb? We’re a team here, like it or not. It grunted and backed down. She’d love him. He’d find a way.
Now, something was going on in this town and Ice didn’t like it. With the disappearance of her friend, he was scared to death something would happen to their mate. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight for one minute.
“You know,” Raven said, “I think I should go in alone.”
“No, you are not,” he answered. “What if something happens to you?”
She scoffed. “We’re in the middle of town, during the day. What could possibly happen?”
He grunted. “Famous last words.”
She sighed. “Stop worrying. You’ll still be close by,” she commented. “You’re too intense and will scare the shit out of the man.”
“Good,” he said.
“No,” she shook her head, “not good. He won’t open up if he feels threatened.”
“He won’t hurt you either.” Ice was having no part of that. The dragon agreed.
“Okay,” she lifted her hands, “how about this: I go inside by myself and you stand outside his window and listen in. You shifters have bionic ears along with your noses, right?”
He looked at her but didn’t answer. If he told her the truth, then he’d be stuck outside where he wouldn’t see her.
“I know you do,” she replied. “So here’s the plan. I go in and act all innocent and try to get info while you hover outside the window and use your magic senses.” She stood.
He pulled her back down. “No.”
She stood. “Yes.”
He pulled her down again. “No.”
She turned on him, eyes blazing, cheeks reddening. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
“God,” he said, “you’re so gorgeous. Fuck me right here.” He scooped her up and set her on his lap, a leg on each side of him. He attacked her lips with a hunger he’d never had. She felt so good, her hot pussy nestled over his dick. He wanted to tear her clothes off and pound into her now.
She tugged on his T-shirt, pulling it up. Oh fuck, was she going to let him have her in the middle of town? Yeah, baby.
He lifted his arms over his head and she pulled the hem up past his elbows. Then suddenly, the shirt wrapped tightly around his forearms still raised in the air. His face was hidden behind the material so he couldn’t see what she was doing.
Then her weight was off his lap. “Hey,” he shouted and stood, trying to get his arms down, but the shirt kept his elbows from bending to pull it down. Somehow, she’d tied it to trap his arms over his head. Plus, he couldn’t see a damn thing. Shit.
His dragon was highly amused. Ice wasn’t.
Fuck.
In frustration, he wiggled about and growled, tearing the fabric from his body. A few yards down the sidewalk on both sides, folks had stopped to stare. The women seemed quite pleased with the show as the men measured him up and found themselves lacking.
His devious little mate had crossed the street and was opening the front door to the office they had been staking out for ten minutes. Lesson number one—don’t tell your mate no. She’ll find a way.
Wadding the shirt in his hand, he stomped across the street and down the side of the single-story building until he heard her voice as he came up to a window. And boy did she sound sweet and innocent, which he knew was a crock of crap. His woman was damn smart, sneaky, and sexy rolled into one gorgeous piece of chocolate. What he wouldn’t do to suck on that candy right now. He wiggled his leg, trying to get his suddenly tight pants to fit better. Wasn’t working.
Ice listened to the inflections in the male’s—he assumed Riggs—voice as he answered her questions. He sounded sincere, but he was explaining his company and what they did.
When Raven asked about her friend, his voice changed, sending alarms screeching in Ice’s head. The man was lying through his damn teeth. Of course, the asshole wouldn’t admit to any wrongdoing on his part. But his tone pinned him guilty in the first degree.
The man had gotten up from where he was and moved around the room. Ice’s muscles tightened, ready to spring through the damn glass if need be to rescue his woman. When he heard a door open, he relaxed. She thanked him for his time and she hopefully left.
Ice leaned against the brick building, letting the adrenaline drain from his system. He hadn’t been so focused, so ready to dive into danger since medieval times. Damn, what was this woman doing to him?
As he was about to step away, he heard Riggs’ voice again. “We need to talk.” Then he recognized the beep a phone made when disconnecting a call. The question was—who was he talking to?
Raven rushed across the street to the bench she sat on with Ice and looked around for him. She thought she was damn resourceful tying him up in his own shirt so she could do what she needed. If she hadn’t been in a hurry to get away from him, she would’ve laughed her ass off. Men could be so easy sometimes. Show them a little sex and they turn into blank-brained hormones.
From the side of the office building, she saw him step onto
the sidewalk. Without his shirt on. Damn, was that a sight or what? Her tongue snaked around her lips, but she really wanted to lick between the valleys and rises of his incredible abs. He tasted so good last night. If she had her way, he would taste even better tonight.
Ice’s chest expanded as he breathed deeply. Well, damn. He could even smell her twenty feet away outside. Oh well. Shit happened.
In three seconds, the man had gone from several yards away to right in her face. He bent to her neck and took another whiff. Raven saw people staring and stepped back.
“Uh, big boy, people are watching you sniff me like a dog,” she said.
He spanked her ass, keeping his hand on her round cheek. “If I were a dog, that’s where my nose would be. Not up here.” She rolled her eyes at his lame comment and plopped down on the bench.
Frost hurried toward them from the doctor’s office. She wondered how his part of the overall plan had gone. She hadn’t gotten anything from Riggs. Not that she expected he’d confess to anything.
“Why’s your shirt off?” Frost asked Ice.
She couldn’t help but giggle. Ice smirked and glanced down at her. “Our mate is a slick woman who will get her way, so don’t get in her way,” he said. He slipped the shirt over his head, revealing the tears across the bottom and side.
Wait, did Ice just call her their “mate”? What did that mean? The Aussies called everyone mate. It meant friend. Maybe they liked the term, too. She guessed he was calling her a friend now. Better than ‘some chick we want to bang the brains out of.’
“Yes,” she poked her thumb against her chest, “this mate won’t take no for an answer.” The guys glanced at each other like they couldn’t believe what she said. “If you guys can use the term, so can I.” She turned down the sidewalk. “Let’s go, mates, see what this town has to offer.”
With her coat wrapped around her, she strolled along the concrete cracked by tree limbs and weeds. The place wasn’t trashy, just...old and not well-kempt. The business buildings were run down, needing new paint or power washed. Parking lots were mostly gravel-covered areas with potholes and weeds. There were several nice cars parked about, but most were over five years old.
But among the old, some new stood out. Marge’s Diner looked recently renovated and appealing. And the store ahead looked new—a donut shop. God help her. “We’re going in here, guys.”
Raven opened the door before the guys comprehended they were taking a detour. The inside was brand new. She could smell the freshness of the paint and sawdust. And of course, the donuts.
Being later in the afternoon, the shop was nearly empty. Raven stood in front of the display wanting one of everything. Damn, it all looked so good.
“Can I help you?” A man about her age walked behind the counter. He was eyeing her men. “I’ve seen you guys before, but you don’t live here, do you?”
Frost reached over the counter. “Hi,” he said, shaking hands with the man, “we have a cabin outside of town for the times we need to get away.”
The man nodded.
“Paul,” the man said. “My wife and I moved here about six months ago to open shop.”
“You moved here?” Raven thought that of all places to move to open a donut shop, Antler, Alaska would not be that place.
“My wife’s family had a sudden windfall of money,” his voice lowered as if keeping it quiet, “so we came back here and decided to make donuts.” A woman entered from a back room. “And there she is now.” Paul gestured to her.
She smiled. “I thought I heard my ears burning,” she said. Her eyes twinkled as she shook hands with Ice and Frost. Raven frowned and turned back to the display. A streak of jealousy hit her hard.
Mentally reprimanding herself, she knew the guys weren’t married to her, but in the past day, she’d come to feel like they belonged together. They were a linked trio meant to be. She shook her head. How ridiculous. The guys would laugh at her if she said that out loud.
“I’m Magdalena,” she said. “Call me Nena.” Both guys nodded.
Paul had said windfall. Raven had heard that word recently. Where was it?
Nena smiled brightly. “You here to get donuts? You know, they are better in the morning when fresh. But they still make a great dessert in the afternoon.”
Raven answered. “Actually, we’re here looking for my missing friend, Juliet Taylor.”
The woman immediately frowned. “Oh, don’t know anything about that.” She glared at her husband and he turned his eyes to the floor. “If you’re all not going to buy something,” she said in a different voice, “we’d appreciate you leave to give room to the buying customers.” Raven looked around at the 99 percent vacant area.
She put on a grin. “We’ll be going now,“ she said. “See you in the morning.” She realized they would have to be smooth to find out was going on here. Not everyone seemed too helpful.
With the door closed behind them, Frost said, “And I thought they were rude in the city.”
There was more going on than met the eye here. Raven felt it.
The sun had fallen behind the trees and the wind blew cold once again. It was time to go home. And home meant more sex. Her body heated, and she shivered from the thoughts of what (who) was coming—her! Very soon anyway. Again and again, if anything like last night.
Her phone sang out the familiar Elton song. She didn’t even pull it out of her pocket.
The two men groaned and crowded around her. “We know what you’re thinking, baby.”
Oh, yes, they did.
15
Riggs walked in the sheriff’s office, slamming the door behind him. Sheriff White Hawk looked up and frowned. Riggs didn’t give a shit. He was in charge here and he was pissed.
“Do you have any idea who I just had a charming visit with?” Riggs growled.
The sheriff, still frowning, said, “Let me guess, Raven Casino.”
Riggs narrowed his eyes. This bastard wasn’t telling him something. “And how did you know that, Sheriff?” he asked.
“Picked her up two days ago and dropped her off,” he replied.
Riggs slammed his fist on the dark-wood desk the sheriff sat behind. “And you didn’t think to tell me about her?”
White Hawk pushed Riggs’ hand from his desk. “If she became a problem, I figured you’d take care of it.”
Riggs got into the sheriff’s face. “I’m paying you a lot of money, Sheriff. Think how the townsfolk would feel if they found out how much more,” Riggs threatened.
“Hey, pig shit,” came a female voice from the back, “is that you? Your dick rot and fall off yet? Oh, wait, it’s too small to fall off, isn’t it?”
Riggs stormed back around the corner and glared at the perky blonde in the jail cell smiling at him.
“Miss me?” she sneered.
Riggs reached through the cell bars and grabbed her around the neck. “Ms. Taylor,” he said, “I suggest you keep your mouth closed or I will gladly shove something into it to shut you up.” He smiled as she fought his squeezing hand. Her beet red face was charming. “And in every other hole you have.” Thinking about all he could do to her sweet body—before and after she was dead—made him hard. He reached down and cupped his balls, her face turning purple.
A hand laid on his shoulder where it met the neck and squeezed. His arm instantly went numb, releasing the bitch. He spun around to face a very pissed-off sheriff.
“Don’t push me, Riggs. I will only take so much of your shit, and I’m damn full right now.”
The sheriff tried to frighten him. What a fucking fool. “Careful, Sheriff,” Riggs said, “I have your balls in a clamp and I will tighten until they fucking bust if you do something stupid. It’s almost done.”
Riggs poked White Hawk in the chest, “So you sit back and let me do what I do, and you and the town will be very happy.” Riggs looked back at the woman cowered in the corner and licked his lips. “You can make me quite happy, young lady. Maybe I’ll keep you fo
r a while until I get my fill then kill you.”
The terror on her face sent his lust soaring. He could take her out to the ranch now, but someone might see them being so close to closing time for all the businesses. It would have to wait until tomorrow. Perhaps early morning so he’d have all day with her.
His tipped his head toward her. “Till tomorrow, milady.”
16
“Your home is beautiful,” Raven said, amazed at the size of the cabin. The place was huge. They even had a guest cabin. She hadn’t stopped to ask herself if they had money; that wasn’t important to her. But now that she’d seen some of their cabin, she realized they were probably just as well off, if not more, than her parents.
“We’re so glad you like what you’ve seen so far,” Frost grinned, that sexy quirk of his lips that drove her nuts.
“There’s a special place I want to show you,” Ice told her, his voice deep and rough. That man should be doing commercials with his panty-dropping baritone.
He took her hand and all felt right in her life. How was it possible that being with Ice and Frost did that to her? It made her feel like she was exactly where she belonged.
They went down a hallway until they reached a door he pushed open. On the other side of the door, her jaw fell open.
“Wow,” she gasped.
The room was massive. It had a big indoor pool and a hot tub with steam blowing off it. The roof of the room wasn’t the usual wood from the rest of the cabin. This room was different. The walls and roof were mostly glass. Some kind of special glass because it wasn’t steaming up. She could see to the sky from where she stood.
“Do you like it?” Frost asked, insecurity in his voice.
“Like it?” She glanced at both men. “This is amazing.” She walked around the room and peeked through a door. “A sauna? Good god. All you need is a massage room and this could be a top of the line resort.”
