Devil Hills: #1 Scarlet, Lexi & Lily

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  “You fought that big time with your father,” she listened to the silence, bits of understanding flowing to her about his behaviors through the years. “You tried using females to force her out of your system,” she said with a shake of her head.

  “I don’t want Scarlet with me because it’s forced on her. She doesn’t deserve that,” he pushed the words between his teeth, drained the coffee and set the cup in the sink. “I’m going to town. Do you need anything?” He met the eyes of the woman who had been as much a mother to him as his own.

  “I gave my list to Scarlet. She’s worried, you know,” she paused when she saw the frown on his face. “She’s afraid of failing you.” She almost laughed at the stunned expression on his face. “You might try talking to her, Lucas.”

  “I’ve been working on that part, believe me,” he shook his head and sighed. “I’ll see you later.”

  Chapter Nine

  Lily Gaines really didn’t like it when the back of her neck tingled.

  Especially while she was riding.

  She lowered the speed and lifted the visor on her helmet, sea green eyes scanning the fields she was going through on the way to Devil Hills. Her sigh was thick when she saw the cause.

  She guided the quiet Harley to the side of the road and swung her leg over the seat, pulling her gloves off and tossing them to the seat before wandering down the small hill to the flat open expanse of grass.

  “Guys…don’t you think that’s just a little off balance,” a bright smiled tipped the full bow of her lips, slender fingers idly playing with the zipper down the front of her leather jacket. “Four bullies pounding on a guy with glasses? Really?”

  Four pairs of eyes looked up. She received four leers. Nothing she wasn’t used to. But they were creepy. Beady, she thought, cautiously taking in the whole scene.

  “Hang around baby and we’ll show you some balance,” taunted one that had a hold of the guy they were pounding on.

  “I don’t think you’re listening. And I don’t have anything to do with cowards who take four guys to pound on one,” she said lightly, shrugging and lowering the zipper of her jacket, revealing the laced up leather bustier she wore beneath.

  She never knew if it was the embossed red long stemmed rose up her left side or the breasts pushed and firm inside the leather that held their attention. She doubted they appreciated intricate stitching, she thought with a chuckle.

  “Get the fuck out of here, bitch,” growled another one of the men.

  She guessed they were a little past twenty, not much. Barely looked able to shave, she thought.

  “This ain’t your business,” snarled another one.

  “Huh…I smell cowards who operate in packs…hyenas? Hmm…no wrong continent, I think,” she took another step forward, hands sliding across her body in what might have looked like a sensual move. “Coyotes…that’s it…weaselly looking things with beady eyes…and pointed little noses…hmm…that would be you.”

  She watched all five of them gaze in her direction when the double clicks registered in the silence of the morning.

  “Ahhh…I see that sound registers,” she said sweetly, hands free of her jacket and each one holding a revolver. “Semi-auto…” She turned them slightly. “Safety’s off, boys…now stand away from him and back up…” her voice hardened, sharpened when one made a move toward her. “I know just where to damage you and just where to kill you. If I hit you just inside your thigh, you’ll bleed out before anyone can find you. I’m pretty sure the farmers around here would pay me a reward for getting rid of vermin. Back up. Now.”

  When one of them just didn’t seem to get it, Lily pointed and aimed and let loose. He came to an immediate halt and backed up. She listened patiently to the various names and tsked politely, her head shaking, deep red lips pulled into a pout.

  “I’m to blame because you can’t grasp English?” She took a step forward, motioning with her hand until they continued backing away. “Don’t mess with an already pissed off woman holding a 9 mil in each hand. Just a little bit of advice. Now, I’m not in a good mood. I’ve misplaced my two best friends which means something like you has probably messed with their lives and that makes my aim a tad off. I might be aiming for your kneecap and accidently hit something a lot smaller and higher up.” She watched all four of them cautiously take several more steps back.

  “Look, bitch, this isn’t your business.” Came the repeated snarl.

  “I’ve got issues with four bullies beating on one guy, so that makes it my business. Now I want you all to head off toward the woods there and keep going until I can’t see you. Mind, I have really good eyesight,” she advised cheerfully.

  “That’s our car…”

  Without taking her eyes off them she swung her right hand behind her and fired off several shots. Tires exploded and went flat.

  “You need a tow truck,” she said blandly. “I suggest you go find one.”

  “Fuck! Those are eight hundred dollar radials! You stupid…”

  He was lucky the one who seemed to be in charge grabbed his arm and pulled him back with the others.

  “SUV’s are so damned expensive these days,” she said with a little nod. “Don’t you just hate it?” She kept the gun aimed and cocked it again. “Good bye, guys.”

  “We’re going…but we’ll find you…we’ll damn well find you.”

  “Now I’m scared,” she said, both pale brows up and the grin on her face telling them she lied. She leaned to the side and lifted the black leather bag before going to her heels at the side of the man who hadn’t moved much.

  “Can you get up?” She slid one of the guns into the holster beneath her arm and slipped her hand beneath him. “I don’t want to hurt you more but we need to move before they find courage and rush us. I hate finding places for bodies. Screws up my manicure,” she murmured, relieved when she heard a slight chuckle.

  She slid the other gun into its slot and lifted the glasses from the ground, handing them to him.

  He pushed against the hard ground until he was standing next to her, towering above her by a several inches. He’d taken in the square toed leather boots and jeans, wincing and leaning against her hoping they didn’t both end up on the ground.

  “I’m stronger than I look,” she assured him as if reading his mind, wrapping her arm around him and moving toward her bike. She took his hand and put it on the bar at the end. She let the black bag rest on the handlebars and swung her leg over the seat, lifting her helmet from the bars. “Chrome peg, doc…left foot…swing behind me so we can get out of here,” she slipped the helmet over her head and pulled gloves on before starting the bike. “Hold the bar or hold me or just trust me. Why’re you out here and what’d they want from you?” She handed the black bag over her shoulder. “Drugs?”

  “Hell if I know. They never looked at it…but they knew who I was…wanted information about some cougar,” he leaned against the high back bar, groaning softly at the bruises on his side.

  “Shit.”

  “Haven’t seen any cougars in the area lately,” he said quietly. “Jess Daniels. Thanks for your help.”

  “Lily Gaines. I think my missing friend is your cougar,” she said quietly, guiding them along the road and into the main thoroughfare of the town. They’d built a very large round-about with business around the entire circle. Plenty of parking and a busy Saturday would make for a nice fall day. “Where do you want me to take you?”

  “Big blue-grey building off to the right. My office and I live above it. Your friend is a cougar?”

  “If you live here you might have seen her. My age…a kind of straw tan colored long hair, crappy car in need of too many transplants,” Lily pulled the bike against the curb and turned it off. She had the helmet hooked on the handlebars, gloves inside as she waited for him to dismount. She moved quickly off the bike, sliding beneath his arm. “You’re not too stable there, doc…upstairs or down?”

  “Up…I don’t think they broke anyth
ing. Just bruised the shit out of me,” he came to a stop at the squeal behind him, both their heads up. He suddenly found himself leaning against the sign post.

  “Lily!”

  “Lily?”

  The woman in question looked in two directions and decided it was best to remain where she was and let them come to her, a bright smile on her face. At least they were both safe.

  “Scarlet!” Lexi broke from the man at her side, ignored the traffic and launched herself against Lily!

  “Lexi!” Scarlet thrust a bag of groceries at Hank and went to hug her friends. “What’re you both doing here?”

  “Air…air,” Lily said loudly, taking a step back. Despite the boots she was still shorter than the other two and often got smothered in their enthusiasm. “Geeze, you two…we can talk but I’ve got to get this guy upstairs.”

  “Jess? What the hell happened?” Eli came through traffic a little slower, his shoulder beneath his brother’s arm to hold him up.

  “Four twenty-something coyotes were kicking and pounding on him just outside town,” Lily said quietly, nodding to the stairs. “He said he wanted to go upstairs.”

  Scarlet took the bag he held and looked at the pair of them. “You’re related to Lucas,” she said with a little frown. “Both of you,” she said without doubt.

  “Lucas is our older brother,” Eli answered, half carrying Jess up the stairs. He waited while Jess tapped in the code and pushed the door open.

  “Is there another doctor in town?” Lexi asked, watching the pale features.

  Eli walked him into the large bedroom and let him rest on the edge of the bed.

  “He needs to shift,” Lily said, moving to begin opening his shirt, her hands caught by a pair of hands she never would have thought still had the strength in them. “I can help.”

  “Don’t need your help,” he pushed the words through his teeth, hating the pain and the helpless feeling all the more. He hated the wide eyes staring down at him and the full, red lips pursed and angry.

  “Stubborn,” Lily ignored him and worked the buckle of his belt and then his jeans before moving down to pull a pair of hiking boots free, tossing them to the floor of the large bedroom. “I’ve seen it all before, doc…”

  “Eli…”

  “I’ll wait out here,” he winked at Lily and went to talk to Lexi and Scarlet, closing the bedroom door behind him.

  “He abandoned you, doc,” Lily winced as she eased the shirt off his shoulders. Nice, tanned and broad. She worked to keep her mind on her work instead of the muscles her fingers were gliding over. “You can’t tell me you’re shy. I didn’t think shifters were ever shy about getting naked.”

  “You’re not a shifter.”

  “Nope. Just plain old human girl. But my two best friends are,” she tugged the legs of his jeans, pulled a blanket from the side and tossed it over him before reaching beneath and pulling down the boxers. “Better? I didn’t peek.” She sat on the edge of the bed, one palm running over his forehead. “You know it’s best if there is any other damage…I’ll go in the other room.” She leaned over and took the glasses from his face, setting them on the nightstand before she stood up, closing the door quietly behind her.

  “How is he?” Eli moved to the door.

  “I don’t know. Bruised. A lot,” Lily turned to Lexi. “Four coyotes…they thought he would know where you were. Why would they think that?”

  “Because whoever is looking for her knew she was headed to my Inn,” Scarlet filled in, frowning and looking from one to the other. “Only I’m not there and everyone in this flipping town knows Lucas Daniels brought me here.”

  “And Lucas is Jess’s older brother,” Lily paced to the window, frowning and thinking and putting puzzle pieces together. “What’s happened, Lexi? I came to visit and you’d packed up and vanished. And no one knew where you’d gone.”

  “Mitch James decided I needed to join his pack,” Lexi said, swallowing hard.

  “Did he hurt you?” Lily turned and stared into her friends blue eyes. “And don’t lie to me, Lexi.”

  “I held him off long enough to get out. No is not a word the man understands,” she felt the heat coming from Eli and frowned slightly, confused. She could smell his anger. “I thought I’d spend the winter with Scarlet and find work in the spring somewhere. Tech people are always in need,” she said casually.

  “He wanted to add you to his harem,” Lily crossed the room, long legs pacing in front of the window. “I should have put him down two years ago when he went after Melody.”

  “I’d rather not be visiting you in prison,” Scarlet said flatly, all eyes turning to the door when it opened. “Lucas?”

  “Scarlet…Eli,” Lucas went her side. “Are you alright? I heard there was a problem with Jess.”

  “I’d rather not be visiting her in prison, either,” Jess Daniels stood in the doorway to his bedroom, wearing a plain tee shirt and jeans. He’d cleaned the blood off his face and didn’t wince nearly as bad as before. “Thanks. I’m okay. I know my brothers and I know Lily…”

  “Scarlet Matthews.”

  “Lexi Baker. I’m sorry,” she sighed. “I didn’t mean to bring…I thought he’d just drop it. I thought he’d find someone else to chase,” she said angrily, pushing against the cushions and pacing. “I’m sorry.”

  “This isn’t your fault, Lexi,” Lily told her firmly.

  “How about some lunch?” Lucas looked at Scarlet, frowning at the way she chewed on her lip and looked at her friends. “I’ll buy.”

  “Good offer,” Jess said simply. “I could use some serious food about now.”

  Lily looped an arm in each of her friends and drew them down the stairs, the threatening look on her face enough to make them compliant. “Now…what is going on. You…show up with that one. You…the other one can’t take his eyes off you.”

  “If you’d answer your cell phone now and then,” Scarlet growled, ignoring the men walking behind them.

  “I just talked to you both three days ago,” Lily answered, pale lashes wide. One brow when up at the little pout on Lexi’s face. “And you?”

  “My car broke down,” she scowled at the pair of laughs from her friends. “It’s a good car. It just needs a little care.”

  “And your car happened to break down…” Lily left the end of the sentence open.

  “Outside Eli’s house. Then this flower pot fell on my head. Then I woke up and couldn’t remember anything,” she explained dramatically. She decided to leave off the part about being a sex kitten to a wolf who gallantly threw her into a cold shower and then locked her in her room alone. “It’s just not been a fun few days, okay?”

  “And you?” Lily looked at Scarlet and knew instantly the story was just as good.

  “That’s my fault,” Lucas spoke up from the side, letting the waitress know there were six for lunch. “You know the whole town is watching this,” he said quietly, glancing at his brothers with a low sigh.

  “Which means one of us will be getting a call soon,” Eli took his phone out and quickly turned it off.

  “Coward,” Jess shook his head. “You know I can’t turn mine off.”

  “She always goes to him ‘cause he cracks easiest,” Lucas said with a chuckle. “And he knows I don’t turn mine off.”

  “No, it makes me the good son,” Eli tossed back with a grin that Lexi felt all the way to her toes.

  “Do you know who they were, Jess?” Lucas glanced at the menu and tossed it down, telling the waitress what he wanted and waiting until the others were through.

  “No one I knew,” he answered with a shake of his head. “They weren’t local.”

  “They’re from Seattle,” Lexi said quietly, chewing on her lips and wincing when the males turned to look at her. “You can smell them…if you were a cat…Mitch James blends his own tobacco,” she added when Lily arched a brow in her direction.

  “Keep going, Lexi,” Lily urged firmly, sighing when she saw the pout formin
g in the stubborn cat eyes. “Mitch James is her uncle. Her mother’s brother.”

  “And he’s…” Eli felt more than his hackles stir in his blood. “Are you fucking serious?”

  “And they always said I was the crazy one,” Lily said with a shake of her head. “I don’t have loony relatives. I’m an orphan with no siblings. You two…I should have taken him out two years ago. And Lexi…if he shows his face near us, I will this time and no wide Siamese eyes will stop it this time even if I have to dig the fucking grave myself.”

  “He’s trying to force you to mate with him? Your uncle?” Eli pushed the words between his teeth, unaware that his eye teeth had grown just a little.

  Scarlet sunk a little in her chair, her palm up and holding her head. Too many eyes were in their direction.

  “He’s trying to force her into his harem,” Lily said flatly. “And he’s been trying for years. Her father kept him in line. Her father died eighteen months ago. We got her mother out of the area and safe with a stronger pack. Her mother is full cougar. He’s from a different father and is part wolf.”

  “My father controlled the business and most of the loners in the area,” Lexi placed the pickles on her burger and topped it. “I never got involved with any of it. I like my family well enough but…”

  Lily took a bite of her sandwich and looked around at the quiet males.

  “Did you guys think that slime only came in humans?” She caught Lexi’s gaze. “You don’t have any blood with that…that shifter. You don’t owe him anything, Lexi. You know as well as I do that he’d have claimed your mother if we hadn’t gotten her with a pride down south who would protect her. I won’t let him hurt anyone else, Lexi,” her voice was low but it shook, a long breath drawn in before she stood up. “I’m sorry. Excuse me.”

  Lexi started to rise, Eli’s hand on hers stopping her.

  “I have to talk to her. If someone pisses her off right now, we’ll be posting bail,” Lexi offered a weak smile.

  “Let me,” Jess stood up with a nod. “It’ll be okay, Lexi.”

  “I…” Lexi looked toward Scarlet and saw the little nod before she sunk back into her chair, watching him stride in the direction Lily had gone. “I really am sorry about this.”