SizzlingInsanity

by Lorna Jean Roberts

  “I’m not hungry,” she growled.

  He picked up the tray again and carried it over to the small table and chairs in the corner of the room.

  “You’re always hungry,” he said calmly.

  Connor pulled out a chair for her, waiting. She glared at him and then the chair, but before she could refuse again, her stomach gurgled and she knew he heard it.

  Holding her head up, she moved forward and grabbed the chair from him.

  “I can seat myself.”

  “You know, if I hadn’t had you screaming with pleasure in my arms this morning, I’d think you’d woken up on the wrong side of the bed.” He sat across from her.

  She snorted and dropped her head, hoping to hide her blush. She grabbed a sandwich and wolfed it down, not really tasting it.

  They ate in silence for long moments.

  Full, she wiped her mouth on a napkin.

  “Where do you put it all?” Connor asked in amusement.

  She glanced up and realized she’d eaten the majority of the sandwiches. She’d acted on automaton, not even really tasting the food.

  Shelby shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed. Her cousins had grown used to how much she ate, but when she was out in public, she usually tried to hide her unusual appetite. She pushed her plate away and stood up.

  “I’m finished now, you can leave.” She stood in front of the window, looking outside. Even if she could have gotten through the window, there was a straight drop outside to the ground.

  Connor stepped up behind her, not touching her, but she could feel his heat. Immediately, her wolf settled. It was as though her wolf had trusted them from the start. Both she and the wolf had learned to trust no one but their cousins. Everyone else was out to hurt them. But there was something about Connor and Cade that made her wolf feel safe, protected.

  “Thinking about escaping, trouble?” he murmured.

  “Every minute.”

  He brushed her hair to one side and leaning in, kissed her neck. “Oh, I think there are some moments when you’re not thinking about it.”

  Shelby forced herself to step away from him, twisting around to face him. “I know prisoners get little say in how they’re treated, but I’m not really in the mood right now, okay?”

  Oh what a lie that was, she was always ready.

  “Fine. If that’s how you truly feel, I’ll back off.” He stepped back and she felt a sense of loss. Her wolf pushed at her, growling at her lies. Her wolf was generally pretty submissive, so Shelby was surprised by the protest.

  Connor walked over and packed up the dishes, leaving without a word. Shelby sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her aching head. She was still sitting on the bed when the door opened again and Cade stepped in. He closed the door, leaning back against it. She glanced up at him briefly, taking in his tense stance, his serious face.

  Shelby had learned a lot about their personalities over these last few days. Connor was the more socially outgoing, he would tease her, laugh with her, he was warm and fun but with an inner core of steel. She knew that if he committed himself to something or someone then he would never let them down. Part of her almost wished that he felt that sense of loyalty toward her, that she could rely on him, lean on him.

  Cade, on the other hand, was more intense. He took most things literally. He was extremely smart. He took the safety of those around him very seriously. She knew she’d never have to worry about someone harming her with Cade around. If anything he’d be overprotective—if she belonged to him.

  “Is it because of me?” Cade asked her suddenly.

  She looked up in surprise, her forehead creasing in confusion. “Is what because of you?”

  “The reason you pushed Connor away? Is it because of me? I’ll back off if you need me to.”

  Shelby gaped at him and for the first time, she realized she wasn’t the only one who had issues around trust and rejection.

  She stood and took a step forward, nearly giving in to the urge to go to him, comfort him. She managed to stop herself. Barely.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Most women don’t want me, beyond the pleasure I can bring them. I’m weird. I’m not mate material. But Connor is. If you pushed him away because of me then I’ll leave you alone, you won’t have to deal with me.”

  Although he spoke matter-of-factly, she could sense his pain. The guilt that hit her was a surprise. Hell, she hadn’t meant to hurt them—she’d been trying to protect herself. But she couldn’t hold herself back this time. Walking over to him, she poked her finger into his chest.

  “You are not weird. Those women were crazy if they couldn’t see the amazing, sexy man that you are. It’s their loss. Not yours.”

  He blinked, his face still hard but she noticed that his shoulders had relaxed a little. She could happily slap the bitches who’d hurt him in the past, who had made him doubt himself. Sure, Cade was different. But she knew that when he loved someone it would be with every fiber of his being.

  “I didn’t reject Connor. We’re not dating or in a relationship, I’m your prisoner. You’ve been trying to use my reaction to you both against me, haven’t you? You’ve been using my needs to get the answers you want. I’m merely protecting myself. What happens when you get everything you want from me? What then? What do the two of you plan to do with me? When are you going to let me go back to my life?”

  “What life? Your pack rejected you. Are you planning on living with your cousins for the rest of your life?”

  Shelby turned her head away, trying to mask the pain his words had brought. She knew she was holding her cousins back, that they deserved more.

  “I know I’m a burden. Why do you think I’m going to college? As soon as I have a job, I’ll move out and let my cousins go on with their lives. Without me around, the pack will take them back in. They can find mates and finally have real lives.”

  Cade growled and she looked up to find him glaring down at her. “You think you’re a burden to them? That they will just let you go live by yourself? Your wolf needs a pack.”

  “My wolf isn’t like others. I think I’m more human than wolf. I’ll be fine.”

  She spoke with more confidence than she felt. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t last long by herself.

  “You cannot live by yourself. Anything could happen to you—you wouldn’t have proper protection. What kind of men are your cousins to allow this?”

  “My cousins are wonderful. They have given up everything for me. They don’t allow me to do anything, I can look after myself.”

  The door behind Cade rattled and he stepped inside as Connor walked in, his face still cold.

  Great. She was a hit with everyone today. Shelby sat on the bed, suddenly feeling exhausted.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Shelby was telling me about her future plans. Apparently, her cousins find her a burden and she’s planning on living alone, without a pack.”

  Connor frowned as he sat on a chair and pulled off his shoes. “Your wolf won’t survive that.”

  “My wolf is fine. She doesn’t need other wolves around her.” Liar. She often longed for her own pack. Her cousins were her family and she loved them, but she’d always felt like an obligation to them.

  Cade shook his head. “No way am I ever going to allow you to live alone.”

  “You have no say in what I do, Cade. As soon as you get what you want, you’ll be gone and I can do what I like.”

  “What makes you think we’ll ever allow you to leave us?”

  Her eyes widened as she stared at them both. Connor now sat back in the armchair, his eyes closed, looking exhausted.

  “You’re going to kill me?” she asked.

  “What?” Cade said. “No. We’re keeping you.”

  She jumped to her feet, shaking her head. “What did you say?”

  “I said we’re keeping you. We’re not letting you go.”

  “Cade,” Connor said on a long sigh, opening his ey
es to stare at his brother. “If she doesn’t want us, we’re not keeping her here against her will.”

  Cade stared at him stubbornly. “I offered to step aside. If it’s me she can’t handle, I’ll leave the two of you to it.”

  Connor turned to stare at her accusingly. “What did you say to him?”

  “What? Nothing! I—”

  “Cade is different, but you’ll never find someone more loyal or protective,” Connor interrupted her. “You have no reason to reject him.”

  “I’m not…what…urgh!” She ran her hands through her hair. “You two are driving me nuts! I don’t even understand what has happened to this conversation!”

  She’d gone from attempting to protect herself by pushing them away, to having to reassure them both that she wanted them. What? She felt like she was in the Twilight Zone.

  She rubbed her forehead again.

  “Do you have a headache?” Cade asked.

  “What?”

  “You keep rubbing your head. Is it aching?”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  He growled and stepped toward her. “If you weren’t already hurting, I’d turn you over my knee for your continued lying. If you’re in pain or danger, we need to know. You need to start being honest with us.”

  He sat on the bed and pulled her over to sit between his spread legs. Shelby was about to pull away when he started massaging her shoulders.

  “Oh God, that feels good.”

  “You’re too tense. No wonder you’re in pain. You need to relax.”

  She snorted. “Bit hard to do that.”

  “I know one cure.”

  She stiffened, but he kept rubbing, easing her tense muscles.

  “We care about you, Shelby,” Cade told her, surprising her. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but we’re doing our best to protect you while still doing our jobs. We’ve been charged with protecting Garrison. Any other threat to him would have been dealt with far more harshly. I just wish you would confide in us, let us help you. Then we could get on with our lives.”

  Planting a kiss on the top of her head, Cade moved away. She grabbed his hand.

  “Our lives?” she queried.

  He stared down at her.

  “Yes, ours. I know you probably won’t believe us, but we’re supposed to be together. I know it, my wolf knows it, and I think your wolf does too.”

  Her wolf damn near howled in agreement.

  “Us? All of us?” She didn’t dare look over at Connor.

  “All of us,” Connor confirmed. “But we can’t move on with things until we fix this. Until you’re completely honest.”

  “How do I know you’re not lying to get what you want?”

  “Look at me,” Cade said firmly.

  She stared up into his gray eyes.

  “Am I lying to you?”

  Shelby took a deep breath, hearing the truth in his words. “No,” she whispered. “But what if you don’t believe me? What if what I have to say turns your wonderful senator into the bad guy?”

  They both stared at her, long and hard.

  “Tell the truth and we’ll believe you,” Connor said. “No matter what that truth is.”

  She thought it over in her head. There were dozens of reasons not to trust them and yet her instincts told her to take that chance.

  Connor’s phone rang before she could say anything. He answered it, his face growing tense as he walked from the room. Cade followed him out. She sat there for a moment, hearing the murmur of voices from the hallway, feeling a little hurt that they didn’t feel they could talk in front of her.

  Connor rushed back in and headed to his closet, grabbing a bag. He shoved some clothes and toiletries into it.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  Connor turned and looked at her, his gaze narrowing. “Sam needs us. Cade and I are flying out there now. Dylan will stay here to watch over you.”

  “What happened? Is he hurt?”

  “Nothing for you to concern yourself with,” Connor replied. “We’ll be back within forty-eight hours.”

  Connor turned away.

  “Connor, wait,” she said.

  “What?” he asked impatiently, turning back.

  “Be careful. Both of you.”

  She didn’t really know why she’d said it, but she couldn’t let him just leave without saying anything.

  He nodded. “Behave.”

  *

  Shelby paced back and forth. Where were the guys? They’d been gone nearly two days now and she was going insane. She’d been watching the news and saw that Garrison had been shot and was in the hospital. She had no doubt that Cade and Connor were searching for the person who shot him.

  She didn’t care whether Garrison lived or died, which surprised her. She’d been focused for years on killing him, it had been the only thing that really mattered. But right now, all she was worrying about was whether Cade and Connor were all right.

  She was distracted by the sound of the door being unlocked. She’d already had dinner, there was no reason for Dylan to come back. So that left only two people. Cade or Connor.

  She turned off the TV and sat back on the bed. She didn’t want them to think she’d been worrying over them.

  But it wasn’t either one of them that walked through the door. Instead it was one of the human guards. She was familiar with them, had watched them all. This was one of the laziest.

  “What are you doing in here?” she asked, staring at him suspiciously as she rose to her feet.

  “Well, well, well,” he drawled as he locked the door behind him, putting the swipe card in his pocket. “I just knew they had to be hiding something interesting in here. Didn’t realize how interesting. Been watching those animals cart food up here, day after day but I haven’t been able to get here until now.”

  “Where’s Dylan?” she asked, worried for the quiet wolf.

  “Oh, don’t worry about him. He’ll live. It’s me you need to worry about now. Like how you’re going to be very, very nice to me.” He reached for his belt buckle.

  “I’m a werewolf. I could crush you with one hand.” Yeah, no chance in hell. She wasn’t any stronger than an ordinary person. But he didn’t need to know that.

  He paused for a moment, his lip curling up in a sneer. “You’re an animal? Fuck, if you weren’t so hot I wouldn’t be able to get it up. You should be grateful for this, you little bitch, bet you’ve never had a real man before.”

  He drew his belt off and snapped it before lurching forward, catching her by surprise as he pushed them both onto the bed, with his heavy weight firmly on top of her.

  Shelby was trapped beneath him, her arms caught between his. He sat up, grinning down at her. She wiggled one arm free, punching out at him, cursing the fact that she couldn’t reach anything vital as she struggled beneath him.

  “Keep moving, bitch, all it’s doing is making me more excited.”

  “You’re disgusting, get off me, you pig. As soon as I’m free, you’re a dead man.”

  “I don’t think so.” With one meaty hand, he ripped her T-shirt in half.

  She managed to get her other hand free just as he reached for her breast, painfully squeezing it with his meaty hand.

  “Let me go, asshole,” she yelled, attempting to push him off, but he wasn’t moving.

  She swung out with her fists, hitting anything she could.

  “Bitch,” he grunted as he caught her wrists in one of his hands. He wound his belt around them.

  Standing, he hauled her up. She kicked out at him, aiming for his balls. He turned to the side, snarling. He solidly smacked her in the face. There was a crack as his hand hit her cheek and pain shot through her face, making her see stars.

  She must have passed out for a few seconds, because when she awoke, she was lying on her stomach and he was dragging her toward him.

  Shelby kicked back at him weakly.

  “Come here, you little bitch.” He grabbed her ass cheeks, spreading t
hem painfully.

  “I’m going to enjoy your pussy first and then I’m gonna take this ass. Is it a virgin ass? Have you ever had a cock up this ass, bitch?”

  “No,” she yelled, rolling. He moved away, toward the closet. Shelby rolled off the bed, determined to get away. But before she could stand, he’d returned, Connor’s belt swinging ominously in his hand.

  Shelby scrunched up into a ball, trying to protect her head as he swung the belt, hitting her shoulder. The belt cracked, making her jolt. Fiery pain erupted and she moaned.

  “I’m going to teach you to lie still and take what I give you,” he said ominously. He pulled her up and threw her on the bed. Her face throbbed.

  He hit her stomach with the belt. Her breath caught. He brought the belt down again, this time on the top of her thighs. Then he roughly rolled her onto her stomach, and hit her ass.

  She cried out in agony, tears running down her cheeks. He hit her over and over. By the time he finished, she was exhausted and in so much pain she could barely breathe. He climbed on top of her, pressing his heavy body against hers, and she grew very still. He was going to rape her.

  The sound of something smashing and a snarling noise barely registered. But suddenly the weight on her was gone. The sound of fists meeting flesh filled the room.

  Shelby drew her legs together, moving painfully slowly as she rolled over onto her side. She blinked, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. It was Cade and he was furious, his face a stone cold mask as he smashed his fist into the guard’s face, over and over.

  He was going to kill him.

  Connor entered the room, his gaze wild. He ran around the fighting men. Not that there was much fighting going on, the guard wasn’t moving, he just lay on the floor as Cade pounded him. Connor reached down, his hand shaking as he ran it down her face.

  “Oh baby, oh God.”

  “I-I’m o-okay. Just c-cold,” she said between chattering teeth. He quickly untied the belt around her wrists.

  “I’ll get you a blanket.”

  “S-stop Cade. He’ll k-kill him.”

  He looked over at his brother. “No less than he deserves but shit, getting rid of the body will be a pain in the ass.”

  “Cade! Cade! Stop, man, he’s had enough.” Connor moved forward as Cade continued to pummel the man.