by Lia Davis
A knock sounded at the door, pulling her out of her blissful state. She couldn’t help but hope the food had arrived. Her appetite had been kicked into overdrive and she was certain Caleb’s had too.
“I’ll get it.” She shimmied out of the bed and tried to locate her clothes. They were strewn all around the room and she bent to scoop them up as she moved around the space.
Without a word, Caleb got up and stepped into his jeans. He padded out to the living room, opened the door, and paid for the food before he sent Ben on his way. The mouthwatering scent of steak wafted into the bedroom and made Jess abandon her search. She opted for his shirt instead, slipping it on, then headed to the living room.
The persistent meows of Roscoe drifted through the tiny apartment, his demands for food being made clear.
“Listen.” Caleb’s voice as he tried to reason with Roscoe met her ears. “Unless you want a piece of pizza, I’ve got nothing for ya, big guy.” The meows only got more obnoxious. Roscoe wouldn’t leave either of them alone until he had his fill.
She grabbed her bag from where she’d dropped it a few hours earlier, then sifted through the contents until she located the grump’s food. A creak echoed in the stairwell outside the apartment’s door. She tuned in the direction of the sound and scented the air. At least two shifters were coming up the stairs, a bear and a wolf. They weren’t familiar. A chill ran through her and the hair on her arms stood on end. She slipped the shirt over her head and threw it to the floor. The shift moved through her faster than ever before. She gave her body a quick shake and stalked to the other side of the door to wait.
Crouched low, she watched as the door swung open so hard it almost hit her. A large man with dark hair cut close to his skull stood in the doorway taking up way more space than a normal human male ought to. He was built like a tank and she didn’t doubt he would be just as hard to take down. Not that she cared. Without a second thought, she launched onto his back and brought him to the floor. She skidded to a stop a foot away from the man and prepared to strike again. A growl erupted from the bear. She returned the threat with her own feral snarl.
A white wolf moved to attack her from behind. She sidled around to keep the wolf and now-shifted grizzly in her sights. The bear towered over her. His sheer size should have intimidated her enough to retreat, but the threat only spurred her on. As she prepared to launch herself at the bear, two strong arms wrapped around her. She snarled at the sudden restraint until Caleb’s scent washed over her, his voice breaking through the haze.
“Jess, you need to calm down.”
She scanned the room, searching for the grizzly and wolf. Her gaze found them. They’d retreated to the far side of the living room. She turned and peeked at Caleb.
“This is Tucker and Cherry, my team.”
She brought her gaze back to the two intruders, who now picked up their discarded clothes from the floor. Tucker slipped a shirt over his head. Blood seeped through the fabric from the gashes she’d left on him. She cringed, though they didn’t affect him in the least. Cherry kept a wary eye on her.
“I’m going to put you down now.” Caleb released her but placed long and steady strokes over her back. Still feeling uneasy about the whole situation, she faced him. “How about you go and get dressed while I talk to Tuck and Cher.” With a chuff, she padded back to the bedroom.
The door shut with a soft click behind Jess, then Caleb turned to his team. “What the hell is wrong with you, Tucker?” He couldn’t believe the bear had the audacity to appear shocked.
“What are you talking about?” Tucker turned to stare at him in confusion. “What did I do?”
His arms were crossed over his massive chest and a scowl was pasted on his face. As much as Caleb loved Tucker, the guy couldn’t pick up on obvious cues. Any wrongdoing had been completely lost on him.
“What did you do? Well, for starters, you barged in without knocking.” The dumbfounded expression on Tucker’s face made him sigh. “How’d you think she would react? She’d just been told that big cat shifters are being kidnapped to be hunted and killed. You couldn’t possibly think barging into the house would be a good idea.” He took a deep breath. “She didn’t recognize your scents and it made her territorial.”
Both Tuck and Cherry avoided his gaze.
“Sorry, Caleb. I didn’t think, and trust me, I learned my lesson.” He rubbed his chest and cringed. “Your little wildcat can take care of herself.”
He grinned at the compliment. His wildcat.
Jess cleared her throat as she came into the living room, her sheepish gaze glued to the floor. “I want to apologize for attacking you.” She walked up to Tucker and extended her hand to him. They shook.
“I should be the one apologizing. My mother raised me better, honest. Like Caleb said earlier, my name is Tucker Peters.”
“Jess Baker.” The tension started to ease out of the room. She and Cherry shook as well.
“I’m Cherry. Cherry Newman.”
“Nice to meet you both.”
Caleb grabbed Jess and pulled her back against his chest. He placed his nose over his mark on her shoulder and inhaled. His team’s eyes grew wide. Their gazes only left long enough to gawk at each other before returning their attention to Caleb and Jess.
Jess began to squirm under the scrutiny. “I’m going to call the diner and order more food. We definitely don’t have enough now that there’s a grizzly here.” She turned in his arms and kissed his cheek before escaping into the kitchen.
“So… Something you wanna tell us?”
Tucker waggled his eyebrows up and down playfully.
“Pretty self-explanatory, don’t you think?” Caleb turned and followed Jess.
A full pan of lasagna, pot roast with all the trimmings, another large meat lover’s pizza, and four more burgers later, everyone was full. Jess left Tucker and Cherry to unpack after she showed them to their rooms. When she returned to the living room, she found Caleb sprawled on the couch with Roscoe on his chest. He absently rubbed the cat under the chin, and hearty purrs vibrated throughout the small room.
“Comfortable?”
He opened his eyes and smiled. Who would have thought a simple glance could make her weak in the knees. His free hand reached out for her and he nodded. Jess shooed Roscoe off the couch, which earned her a round of complaints. She straddled Caleb and rested her head on his chest, content to lay there forever. Unfortunately, that wasn’t in the cards.
Emma’s photo popped up on her cell phone screen. She reached for it and pushed answer. “Hey Em, what’s up?”
Only the sound of fabric being brushed against the speaker greeted her. “Emma?” Her chest grew tight with panic. Blood rushed from her face as she sought Caleb. He must have come to the conclusion something was wrong based on the seriousness of his expression. She put her phone on speaker. “Emma? Can you hear me?”
She would pass this off as a pocket dial, but given the circumstances she couldn’t be too careful. “Emma, I need you to say something,”
In a fluid movement, Caleb raced from the couch and ran to grab Tucker and Cherry. Within seconds his team flooded into the living room, equipment ready and waiting. The expressions ranged from business-like focus to pure rage. Tucker opened his laptop and began pounding the keys. Cherry plugged Jess’s phone into the computer to record the call. The speed and no-nonsense way they worked gave her much relief.
After a few minutes of nothing but muffled voices and silence, the sound of the phone being removed from wherever her sister had stashed the device cut through the speaker. “You little bitch.” The crack of a slap radiated through the phone’s speaker and made Jess shake. She could hear her baby sister cry out and wanted to kill the bastard on the other end of the line.
The sound of heavy breathing coming through the line sent chills up her spine. “You lay another hand on her and I’ll kill you.” Her cat railed to get out. To destroy the bastard who dared lay a hand on her sister. “Do you fucki
ng hear me?”
“Oh, I hear you loud and clear.” The voice chuckled as if threatened by some insignificant creature. “We will be seeing you real soon, Jessica Baker. You can count on it.” The phone went dead. Violence rolled off Jess in waves. Emma was in danger and she needed to find her. Now.
Chapter 11
“Please say you found something.” Caleb asked Tucker. He nodded and continued to type.
Jess paced back and forth across the room.
The bitter scent of rage emanated from her. He walked over to her and enfolded her into his arms. She started to push him away, but gave up and wrapped her arms around him in a fierce embrace.
“Okay, so the call came from somewhere in Westspring. I didn’t have enough time to get a lock on the exact location,” Tucker informed them.
“Jess, we need to tell your parents.” Caleb needed to sit down and get as much information as he could from her parents. Delving into the victim’s life had always been the part he dreaded the most. You could never predict what you would find. He only hoped Emma kept her family up to date on her comings and goings, or at the very least knew someone who could help. Jess nodded and headed toward the door. “Keep looking. See if you can decipher what was said before the phone got discovered. Maybe it will give us a clue.”
Tucker and Cherry nodded as they worked.
Caleb reached the bottom of the stairs and found Jess with her back pressed against the barn, her head in her hands.
“Who would do this? What type of sick fuck would take Emma?” She shook her head hard before meeting his gaze. “Emma’s not a fighter; she’s just a kid. She doesn’t have a vicious bone in her body. What kind of sport is that?”
“We’re the best at what we do, Jess.” He pulled her against him and rubbed her back reassuringly. “Your sister may not be a fighter, but she’s quick on her feet. She knew calling you would help. We’ll find her and we’ll make them pay.”
The devastated wail of her mother almost proved to be more than Jess could take. Relaying the news of Emma’s kidnapping damn near shattered her. Hopelessness threatened to overtake Jess. She could only pray they would be able to save Emma in time. Caleb continued to be her rock, holding her hand the whole time and chimed in when she couldn’t finish what needed to be said. He’d been compassionate and understanding. The questions were simple enough. Whom did she hang out with? Had Emma acted differently prior to the incident? Has she mentioned any strange activity? Unfortunately, nothing came to mind.
Jess retreated to the den, leaving her parents to console each other in private. She sat down and put her head in her hands. The couch dipped under Caleb’s weight when he sat next to her. His presence offered the silent comfort she needed.
“I know this is a stupid question, but are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I just feel helpless. A few days ago I was blissfully unaware. I’ve been so naïve. You need to understand I won’t just stand by and let you and your team deal with this.” She turned to face Caleb and grabbed his hands in earnest. He began to shake his head, but she silenced him by placing her hand over his lips. “Nothing you say is going to stop me. They took my sister and threatened me. This is my fight now.”
With a sigh, he nodded in agreement. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, turned her hand over, and placed a kiss on her palm. The tenderness of the action made her heart swell. She couldn’t believe how much she cared for Caleb. In just a few short days she’d found a man whom she could be herself with. One who made her feel alive. Would the feelings continue?
After Caleb and Jess returned from her parents’ she went into their bedroom to lie down. The stress of the whole ordeal seemed to have taken a toll on her.
Caleb made his way down the hallway toward Tucker’s room and gave a sharp, short knock.
“Come in.”
Caleb eased the door open enough to see the disaster Tucker had made in their makeshift headquarters. Computer screens were set up along the opposite wall from the bed. Papers, photos, and empty plates were strewn on the desk and floor. He sat on his bed, with his back against the headboard and his laptop in front of him.
“While you were gone, Cherry deciphered some of the background noise. She said there were at least two men with Emma. One younger and one older. They said something about getting her to the warehouse.” He leaned over the edge of the bed, shuffled through some papers, and handed Caleb a map of Westspring. “I’ve circled the vacant warehouses and started contacting building owners. There are a couple buildings I want to check out that I think are ideal for holding captives.”
Caleb nodded and turned to leave.
“Oh, and boss.”
Caleb glanced back.
“Cherry thinks Emma knows one of the kidnappers. She said it sounded like he was apologizing to Emma, but she couldn’t be sure because the audio was so muffled.”
His hackles rose. The threat was closer than they thought.
“Okay, thanks, Tuck. I appreciate your hard work.” Caleb left the room and headed to the kitchen to grab something for Jess to eat. With some leftover pizza and milk in hand, he headed back to their room.
“Jess?”
“Yeah?”
“I brought you something to eat.” He placed the plate and glass on the dresser. “I figured you’d be hungry.” When she didn’t respond he went to turn the lamp on.
“No, leave it off.”
The sound of the bed shifting and the soft padding of her feet on the hardwood floor reverberated through the room. He couldn’t miss the bitter tinge of worry hanging in the air.
When she reached him, she pressed her chest to his back and ran her hands down his stomach. She grabbed the hem of his shirt, slipped it over his head, and tossed it aside before pressing kisses from his neck down his back.
He turned, grabbed her face, and brought her in for a fierce kiss. She returned the caress with such urgency it made his chest ache. She needed this, to forget, and he did too.
Caleb slid his hands down her back until he gripped her ass. She placed her hands on his shoulders and he lifted her before she wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked to the bed, laid her down, and then positioned himself over her. Resting on his elbows, he brushed the hair from her face.
He brushed a kiss over each eye and moved his way to her lips. She moaned at the contact, and the sound rippled through him setting his blood on fire. He traced her lips with his tongue and waited for her to open for him.
She writhed beneath him, returning his kisses. He broke their contact when he leaned back on his knees. After removing her shirt, he started to unbutton her jeans. The denim slid down, she arched her hips, and he pulled them the rest of the way off.
She unclasped her bra and tossed it aside. He followed her lead, slid her panties down, and tossed them aside, baring her to his hungry gaze.
“Are you sure?” He gazed down at her.
“Yes. Make me forget.” She reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him to her.
Bit by bit her hand slipped down his body and under the waistband of his pants as she rocked her hips against him. She wrapped her hand around his shaft and began to stroke. He rocked into her hand, keeping perfect time with her strokes.
“Jess, you gotta stop.” His hand came down on hers, stilling the eager movements. A needy whimper escaped her, her lips pursed into a pout, which brought a smile to his face. He left the warmth of the bed to retrieve a condom. After removing his jeans, he came to rest beside her again. He tore the packet with his teeth and moved to lie on his back.
With a sexy smirk she took the condom from him, grabbed him by the base, and rolled it down his length. He gritted his teeth to keep from coming. She licked her lips and straddled him. With her lip held between her teeth, she sat herself down fully on his shaft. They moaned in unison. He did not care if everyone could hear them and she did not seem to be concerned either.
She moved up and down, picked up the pace with each repeate
d action. He grasped her hips, urged her on, met her with each thrust. She slid her hands up her tight stomach and caressed her breasts. The image of her gliding up and down his length would be forever branded on his mind. Her cheeks flushed, full bottom lip between her teeth, pleasure clear on her face. She pinched her nipples, rolled them between her thumb and her finger, and arched her back in passion. He reached up and covered her hands with his, pushing her breasts together. Her pace began to quicken and her breaths came in fast bursts.
He rolled to his side and pinned her beneath him. With one hand, he held both of her wrists above her head. He began to thrust. Her perfect breasts bounced in time. A purr radiated from her chest. The sound encouraged him, and he kept his pace hard and fast. She met his rhythm while spurring him on and her heels dug into his lower back.
“Oh my God, Caleb. Don’t stop, don’t stop.”
He gripped his lip in his teeth to stifle the groan threatening to escape; stopping never crossed his mind. His body began to tighten as he lost himself in the sensations. He released her wrists right as she came apart. She screamed as her climax hit, her nails began to elongate and sank them into his back. The pain turned to pleasure as his own release ripped through him.
“Jess,” he roared, collapsing on top of her.
She retracted her claws and began to brush her fingertips up and down his back. His cat purred in pure bliss, perfectly content to bask in her loving affection. When the haze began to lift, he slid to the side of her and placed a kiss on her neck where he had left his mark. She smiled at him and closed her eyes.
Caleb gave a chuckle when her stomach rumbled and retreated to get dressed. “Hungry now?”
“Definitely, but I think we need more than pizza and milk.” The hunger he felt couldn’t be satisfied by food. He needed Jess, but first he had to save Emma.
Chapter 12
