by Becca Van
“I like green tea.” Pepper moved about the kitchen, rinsed her mug, and then got three more out of the cupboard.
“We need food.” Tammy rubbed her rounded belly.
“Something sweet,” Kat interjected.
“Do you know if Cal and Fin have any chocolate?” Celeste asked.
“I’m surprised you’d ask me.” Pepper bit her tongue so she wouldn’t burst out laughing. She really liked these women. They didn’t treat her like they thought they were better than she. They were all down to earth, just like she was.
“Why do you say that?” Kat frowned.
“Can’t you sniff it out?” Pepper asked and then covered her mouth when she snickered. All three women crowded into the kitchen with their noses in the air.
“Oh, we have a live one, ladies.”
“Yes, we do.” Celeste chuckled and turned toward the pantry. “Lucky I’m taller than you lot.”
“Just don’t pull anything,” Kat said as she walked toward the pantry door. “We don’t want you dropping that bun in the oven.”
Kat grinned as she backed out of the pantry entrance.
“No chance of that.” Celeste grinned as she held up a large block of milk chocolate after leaving the walk-in cupboard. “We’ve struck gold, ladies.”
“Hallelujah.” Tammy waggled her eyebrows.
Pepper giggled as she carried the mugs of tea over to the table. The more time she spent with these women, the more she liked them. She hadn’t realized what she’d been missing out on by keeping her distance from other people and not making friends. Well, she realized it now and wondered if it was time to do something about it.
“Okay.” Celeste plopped down into a seat and tore open the chocolate. After breaking it into squares, she shoved the sweet treat in the middle of where they were all sitting so they could reach it. She took a square, and after popping it into her mouth, she closed her eyes and moaned. “That’s almost as good as sex.”
“Not even close.” Tammy sighed and sucked on the chocolate in her mouth.
“I have to agree with Tammy,” Kat said. “This doesn’t compare to making love with my mates.”
“What’s it like?” Pepper asked, and then cringed. She hadn’t meant to voice the question rolling around in her head and hoped the others weren’t offended.
Tammy grinned. “Mind-blowing.”
“Mind- and body-blowing,” Celeste said.
“Heaven on earth,” Kat answered.
Pepper glanced at each of the women and envied their desire-hazed gazes and the dreamy loving expressions on their faces. And then she frowned. She’d never envied anyone in her life and was confused over why she was now.
“What’s wrong, Pepper?” Celeste asked.
“I’ve never wanted any of those things.”
“How could you not want mind-blowing orgasms?” Tammy asked incredulously.
“You can’t miss what you’ve never had,” she mumbled.
“Are you a virgin, Pepper?” Kat asked bluntly and quickly continued before Pepper could tell her to mind her own business. “All three of us were virgins until we mated with our men.”
“You were?”
“Yes,” Tammy and Celeste answered simultaneously.
“Why?”
Celeste answered first. “Members of the opposite sex never floated my boat until I met Tarik and Hodge.”
“I knew Phelan and Hopper were my mates from the time I was a kid. The thought of another man touching me, other than them, made me sick to my stomach.”
“I’m with Celeste, and I was so busy working I never had time to contemplate going out on a date, let alone having sex,” Kat answered.
“I’ll bet you’re the same, aren’t you, Pepper?” Tammy asked.
“Work is the only constant in my life, so I guess so.”
“You know what I think?” Celeste asked.
Pepper shook her head.
“Why don’t you tell us, oh wise one?” Tammy grinned and winked at Pepper.
“Oh, stuff it, Tams.”
“It wouldn’t fit.”
Pepper choked on her sip of tea and sprayed liquid all over the floor. Luckily, she’d had the foresight to turn her head away from the other women. She coughed and choked and coughed again as she tried to regain her breath.
“Tamara Parks, you’re a chip off the old block.”
Pepper turned to gaze at the petite older woman as she walked into the room. She eyed the chocolate, mugs of tea, and smiled. She made herself at home, and when she had steaming mug in her hand, she sat at the table next to Celeste. Pepper jumped to her feet and grabbed the role of paper towels to clean up her mess. Once she was finished, she took her seat again.
“Thanks for the compliment, Mom.”
“This is your mom?” Pepper asked. The woman might look older than them, but she didn’t look young enough to have fully grown children.
“Hello, Pepper. I’m Jenny, Tammy’s and Tarik’s mother.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Pepper liked Jenny instantly. She gazed at Tammy, Celeste, and Kat with such loving warmth, it brought tears to her eyes. She lowered her eyes to her tea and blinked rapidly until she had her emotions and tears under control.
“So, what’s the topic of conversation, ladies?” Jenny asked.
“We were just about to explain to Pepper why our men are noble idiots,” Tammy explained.
Pepper began to wonder what she’d gotten herself into when the smile slid from Jenny’s face.
Chapter Ten
“What’s going on?” Tarik asked as he entered the hangar.
Cal and Fin had already fixed the hydraulics on the landing gear and just finished replacing the lost fluid.
Fin wiped his hands on a rag. “Pepper’s plane was sabotaged.”
“You’re fucking kidding me, right?”
“Afraid not,” Cal answered. “The lines to the landing gear were cut nearly all the way through. As soon as she retracted the wheels, the lines sheered through.”
“Fuck. Why would someone do that?” Hodge asked from behind Tarik.
“That’s what we want to know.” Fin scowled.
“Is there any other damage?” Tarik asked.
“We’re about to look over the rest of the plane.”
“Do you want some help?” Hodge nodded toward the de Havilland.
“You don’t know how to fix a plane,” Cal stated.
“Yeah, but we can sniff out other things.”
“Like what?” Fin frowned.
“Is there any scent on the hydraulic lines?” Tarik asked.
Fin gazed at Cal. “We didn’t even check. We were both too angry to think straight, and then we wanted to make sure the gear was fixed.”
“Where are they?” Hodge looked about.
“On the bench, over there.” Cal pointed.
Hodge and Tarik walked over to the bench, bent over, and inhaled deeply through their noses.
“Anything?” Fin quirked a brow.
“Yeah. Smells like a male,” Tarik said, before he turned back toward the aircraft. “We’ll search inside.”
Fin nodded, glad to have their alpha and his second-in-command’s assistance. He and Cal were going to check all over the mechanics and skin on the plane just in case something else had been tampered with. Although the fuselage was scratched and had a couple of dents in places, there were no cracks or holes, which would compromise the hull and compression once the craft was in the air.
He walked toward the steps just as Tarik poked his head out. “There’s a shitload of drugs in here.”
“What?” Fin roared as he leaped over the stairs, ducking his head so he wouldn’t hit it on the frame, and followed his alpha to the back of the plane. Cal was right on his heels.
He spied Hodge squatting at an open panel behind where passenger seats would normally be. He growled when he saw the five large bags of white crystals in the lining of the
de Havilland. There were smaller bags in the larger ones. “Fuck!”
“Is that what I think it is?” Cal asked as he moved up behind him.
Tarik met each of their gazes. “It looks like crystal meth.”
Fin sniffed deeply. “It’s ice all right.”
“What the fuck does Pepper think she’s doing bringing that shit to our island?” Tarik snarled.
Fin’s ire boiled over. He shoved his shoulder into Tarik’s and snarled back. “Don’t you dare talk about my fucking mate. She probably doesn’t even know it’s here.”
Hodge rose and shoved Fin in the chest, making him take a step back. “You don’t talk to our alpha that way.” He turned his gaze to Tarik. “Fin’s right. She might not even know this stuff is here. Her scent isn’t on any of the packages.”
“Just because she hasn’t touched them doesn’t mean she doesn’t know about it.” Tarik held up his hand when Fin would have refuted his alpha’s words. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re right, Fin. I don’t think she has any idea her plane is being used to cart drugs, but I think it’s time we found out for certain.” Tarik turned on his heels and headed toward the exit. Hodge, Cal, and Fin hurried after him.
* * * *
Jenny glanced at Kat and nodded. Kat turned to meet Pepper’s gaze.
“Did Cal and Fin tell you that if you don’t accept their mating claim that they’ll die?”
“What?” Pepper whispered, horrified at what Kat had just asked her.
“They are such dumb-asses,” Tammy said.
“Yes, but they’re loveable dumb-asses.” Celeste rubbed her burgeoning belly and shifted in her seat as if trying to get comfortable.
“What do you mean they’ll die?” Pepper asked.
“Now that Cal and Fin have met you, their mate, if you don’t agree to be with them, their sabears will become more aggressive,” Jenny explained.
Celeste took over. “Eventually their animal side will take over, obliterating their human side. Their beasts will be so depressed, they’ll either go crazy and end being a danger to everyone on the island, killing anything and everyone in their path, becoming the wild animals they share genetics with. Or they will go into hiding, hibernate for months on end, and starve to death. If the former happens, they’ll have to be put down.”
“Why haven’t they told me any of this?” Pepper couldn’t sit still any longer.
“Because they want you to want them for who they are, not because of what they are or because of what could happen to them,” Tammy said.
“They want your love, Pepper,” Celeste stated. “They want you to love them the way they love you.”
Pepper opened her mouth to reply, but when she couldn’t think of anything to say, she quickly shut it again. Just as she turned toward her seat, the front door slammed open and lots of heavy footsteps hurried toward the kitchen.
“What the hell are you doing here, baby?” Tarik hurried over to Celeste, scooped her up out of her chair, sat, and placed his mate in his lap.
“I don’t need to tell you where I am every minute of every day.”
“Yes, you do.” Hodge grabbed a chair, set it down next to Celeste, and laced his fingers with hers. “You’re getting close to your due date. We worry about you.”
Celeste sighed. “I’m fine.”
“What’s going on?” Tammy asked. “Why are you all here? I let you know we were with Pepper through the stealth link.”
“What’s the stealth link?”
Cal wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her up against his big warm body. She couldn’t help herself from melting into him, soaking up his warmth and scent. Fin moved in close behind her, looped an arm around her waist, and nuzzled her neck. If there hadn’t been other people in the room with them, she would have tilted her head to give him better access to her skin.
“What cargo were you carrying on the plane?” Tarik asked.
“Whatever you guys and the other people in this town ordered.” Pepper frowned at him as a knot of dread formed in her stomach. He and Hodge were looking at her so intently, it made her uncomfortable.
“Get Phelan and Hopper to bring over the order sheets,” Celeste commanded.
“I’ll tell them,” Tammy said, right before her eyes glazed over and she looked as if she’d zoned out.
“What’s she doing?” Pepper met Cal’s gaze.
“She’s talking to her mates.”
“How?”
“We have the ability to speak to any of the stealth members using telepathy,” Fin whispered into her ear.
“Can you talk to anyone else, like that?”
“No,” Cal answered.
“That’s pretty amazing.”
“You’d be able to do that, too, if you mate with Cal and Fin.” Jenny smiled and winked at her.
Pepper glanced away.
“They’ll be here any second,” Tammy said as her eyes cleared of the haze.
“We’re already here, mate.” Phelan’s loving gaze touched on Tammy before he walked over to Tarik and handed him the shipment orders.
No one spoke while Hodge, Tarik, and Celeste scanned the pages.
“Everything seems to be in order,” Tarik finally said.
“What are you looking for?” Pepper frowned. “Have you unloaded the cargo from my plane?”
“We have.” Tarik met her eyes with a steely stare. “Did you load anything that we didn’t order onto your plane?”
“Why would I do that? I was already near the load limit. I’m not stupid enough to put my own life in jeopardy.”
Tarik nodded and relaxed as if all the tension drained out of his muscles.
“Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?” Pepper moved out from under Cal’s arm and stood off to the side of the room where she could see everyone without having to turn her head.
“Did you load the plane yourself?” Hodge asked.
“No, but I was there to make sure it was loaded correctly. I could have ended up in trouble if the cargo wasn’t balanced and secured right.”
“Do you check over your plane before each flight?” Tarik’s large hand spanned Celeste’s baby bump.
“Of course I do. What sort of idiot do you think I am?” Pepper wondered why Cal and Fin were letting Tarik and Hodge interrogate her like she was a criminal. She scowled at them, but they were glaring at the men questioning her. From the anger in their eyes, they weren’t happy about her treatment either, but they hadn’t piped up to defend her.
“Did you see anything suspicious before takeoff?” Hodge asked.
“Yes, actually I did.” Pepper brushed a strand of hair off her face. “I caught a strange man near my plane. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he just wanted to see what my type of aircraft looked like since he had booked a flight the following week.” She kept her gaze locked with Hodge’s and Tarik’s. She had nothing to hide. “I didn’t believe his crock of shit. He was creepy as hell. I did a thorough check over the de Havilland, but I didn’t find anything out of place.”
“I believe you,” Tarik stated.
“I don’t care whether you believe me or not. Your opinion doesn’t matter to me.”
A slow smile spread across Tarik’s face, changing his tense serious demeanor. “That’s a pity. I don’t believe you hid the drugs on your plane either.”
“Drugs? What drugs?” Pepper asked stridently. She gasped when she realized that Tarik and Hodge had been interrogating her. She couldn’t believe they thought she was a drug mule. Her mind flashed back to the evil creepy guy she had seen yesterday morning, and fear skittered up her spine. She gazed at Cal and Fin. “Did you think I would do something like that?”
“Never,” Cal answered immediately with sincere emphasis.
“Not fucking likely,” Fin said in a firm confident voice.
Relief permeated to her heart and soul. That was the moment Pepper became aware she was falling hard and fast for Cal and Fin. She just wasn�
��t sure what to do about it, yet. When she realized where her thoughts were going, she pushed them aside and brought her mind back on track.
“What kind of drugs and how much?”
“They look like methamphetamines,” Cal answered.
“I reckon there’s at least twenty kilos, if not more.”
“How the hell did anyone hide that much contraband on my plane?”
“Someone took the rear panel off and stashed it inside the skin,” Hodge answered.
“It had to have been that guy I saw lurking about.” Pepper rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “He must have been there a while. He would have had to move the cargo to get to the inside skin and then put everything back the way he’d found it. Why didn’t someone see him?”
No one answered her question and she didn’t expect them to.
Cal and Fin hurried over to her. Cal wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her up against the front of his body. Fin pressed his front to her back.
Pepper couldn’t help but sigh over how right it felt to be wrapped in their arms.
“Have you ever seen that guy before?” Tammy asked.
“No.”
“So he doesn’t work for the same company as you do,” Celeste murmured.
Pepper shook her head. “What the hell am I going to do?”
“You’re going to stay here with us so we can protect you,” Fin commanded. “The landing gear was sabotaged. You were damn lucky you didn’t end up dead.”
Instead of arguing with someone for ordering her about, Pepper nodded. She felt safe wrapped up in Fin’s and Cal’s arms and didn’t think she’d ever want to leave. Now that there was trouble brewing, for the first time in her life, she didn’t want to face it on her own. As far as she knew, that guy had to have planted the drugs. Was someone trying to get her in trouble with the law? Or had the bastard made a mistake? She couldn’t understand why the drugs were on her plane when her flight plan was to a small Alaskan island. Was this a case of mistaken identity? Had someone even been watching her?
Pepper mentally shook her head. She would have known she was being watched. Wouldn’t she? The hair on her nape always stood on end when someone gazed at her. Had her internal radar, her instincts let her down? No, she didn’t think that was the case. But who the hell on this island would be a drug mule?
