Joshua_The Whitfield Rancher_Erotic Tiger Shapeshifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  “Elizabeth and Samuel Farrell. They’re from Columbus. The kidnapping happened not two blocks from where they live.” Josh gave them the address and Dylan wrote it down. “They’re frantic with worry, and the police told them that after the first twenty-four hours, then the chances get slimmer and slimmer in finding her alive. Someone should shoot them for saying that to them.”

  “I agree.” She pulled out her cell and made a call. In seconds she had not just their address, but also some of the news about their child. She asked Evan if she could tell them their child was safe and here. “I don’t want them to get here and find out that she’s been abused any more than what you’ve already told me.”

  “She’s malnourished and has some bruising. But if you’re asking me if she was sexually abused, I can tell you that she hasn’t been. Not her mouth nor any other part of her body.” Dylan didn’t want to think about what he meant by her mouth. There were a lot of sick fucks out in the world. “Yes, I’d make the call and tell them that you found her. Then you’d better come up with a good reason for knowing that it was their child. Because you can’t say that you had Carter tell you.”

  “Agent Hutch? You might want to come and look at this.” She walked to the car the bodies had been taken from. They had been on drugs for some time if their needle marks were any indication. “We were going through the glove box when we found this. It’s a list. And I’m pretty sure that they have done this before. And from the looks of it, were going to continue to do it as well.”

  The names were listed by dates. Each name above the Farrell’s was marked with an ‘X’ with the date. For the past four months, they had snatched a child from someone every two weeks or so. Looking at Carter when she came to where she was standing, she gave her the list when she put out her hand. When she handed it back to her after a few minutes, she said that they were all dead. All the children were dead that were on the list above the Farrell child. Ten babies had lost their lives because of those two people.

  Dylan made the call. It was a good one—she was happy to be able to tell the couple that they’d found their child, and their joy at being able to come and see her. Dylan explained that she’d have to spend a couple of days in the hospital due to being slightly drugged, but they could see her while they were there. After she made arrangements to speak to them in person, Dylan closed her phone and looked at Carter.

  “Thank you, Carter. I couldn’t have done this without you. And if you hadn’t done what you did with Josh, then she would surely have died as well. Maybe even more children.” Carter nodded and looked at the ambulance again where the baby was. “Do you want to go to the hospital with her?”

  “I can’t go there. Hospitals are too much for me.” Dylan nodded, completely understanding. “I won’t always have time to tell you before I go to help someone. Like today, it was go or she’d be dead. But I’ll let you know if I can. Is that all right?”

  “Yes, always. And if you have to do what you did today, you do it. Don’t wait for the police, or someone to tell you that it’s all right to touch someone. You save who you can when you can.” Carter nodded and thanked her. “How much does it cost you when something like this comes to you? A great deal?”

  “Today, with Josh holding me, it was easier to sort through what was happening and where it was. The information coming at me wasn’t muddled in my mind because I was so afraid. He calmed me, in ways that no one else has ever done before.” Dylan told her that was what a mate could do for her. “I didn’t know that. I thought...I guess I thought it would only benefit them in some way.”

  “You mean sexually.” Her face turned pink when she nodded. “Yes, that is something that they enjoy, and let me tell you, they’re fantastic at it too. I think once you and Josh have gotten straightened out what you need from him and start to come to terms with what you can do, I think everything will go so much better for you both.”

  They both watched as the ambulance took off for the hospital. The family would take at least another hour to get there, and Evan had gone with Beth to make sure that she got the best of care. Not that she wouldn’t anyway, but he was very thorough about his patients.

  “Where are you going, in case I need something answered?” Carter said that she’d be at Josh’s house. That she was going to stay there from now on. “Good. Why don’t the two of you come over for dinner tomorrow night? I love seeing you guys, and I know that Josh has a little more free time on his hands right now.”

  “Yes, when Carol called him today about a listing, I thought he’d go to work. But he told her that he wasn’t working and almost hung up on her. I think he needs this very much.” Dylan thought they both did, but said nothing. “I can read your mind, you know.”

  “I know. And I understand that it’s a habit that you have, and it’s more than likely saved your ass more than a few times. But if you want to know something, ask me. All right?” Carter told her she was sorry. “There isn’t any reason for you to be sorry, Carter. You didn’t think about it. You’re not malicious when you do it, and I don’t even feel it. But I’d rather you didn’t.”

  “I won’t. But please, don’t lie to me or keep things from me that you think might upset me. I might not like whatever it is you want me to do, but don’t lie to me about it. I’m trying my best to fit into a world that I’ve been away from for over a decade. I need help, I’m aware of that. Everyday something new comes to me. Cell phones, computers that are small enough to fit in your hand. I’ve missed so much. It’s hard for me to acclimate myself to it all.” Dylan hadn’t thought of that, how much she was going to have to learn. She told her she was sorry. “I am as well. Thank you for coming so quickly today. I’m not sure that we could have handled all this had you not.”

  “It was my pleasure. And as I said before, your mate can help you a great deal in all that you need. And if he helped you today, then that’s all the more reason for you to trust him to help you again and again.” Carter nodded at her, but was still not convinced, she could tell. “I’m headed back. I’ll see you tomorrow night for dinner then.”

  Dylan had a feeling that things were going to change for the couple. She was glad. Carter needed someone to love her, and she couldn’t think of anyone better at the job for her than Josh. He was the kindest man she knew, and the most gentle. They’d be fine after today. She was also having someone look into the prison for her. Those people were going to be in the cells next to those that they hurt before the end of the week, or she’d go there and take care of them herself. And they’d be sorry if she had to do that.

  Chapter 5

  Josh didn’t want to go up to bed. It was lonely there, and he wanted to hold Carter so that she’d not have bad thoughts or dreams. He had thought of nothing else but holding her earlier today, and he wanted to do it again. Well, more than hold her, he wanted to make her his and make love to her.

  Going up the stairs, he realized that he was pouting and laughed. What a dumbass, he thought to himself. A grown man pouting because he had to sleep by himself. It wasn’t as if he’d not been doing that for a while now, but he wanted—

  “Hello.” Carter was standing at the top of the stairs when he made it to the landing. He told her hello back. “I was wondering something. If we have sex and I’m terrible at it, will you still sleep with me?”

  “You mean will I go to my lonely bed with my lonely covers and lonely pillows?” She laughed, and he smiled. Her laugh was rusty, because he knew that she’d not had an occasion to laugh much. “Yes. I’d want to sleep with you after making love with you. That way I could make love to you throughout the night whenever we woke up. And you cannot make me believe that you’d be anything but fantastic at it.”

  “No, I’m not too terribly good at it. I only had it the one time before they locked me away, and it wasn’t all that enjoyable.” He asked her how old she’d been. “Seventeen. I had sex for the first time the night I was arrested. We sort of didn’t have a lot of room. And I think he was in somewha
t of a hurry. When it was over I thought that sex was highly overrated and decided that it wasn’t worth the work someone had to put into it.”

  “What sort of work did you have to do?” She giggled, and he smiled. “Hearing you laugh and giggle makes my heart sing. I’m going to try and make you do it more often. Anyway, what was the work?”

  “Getting undressed, for one. I had more clothing on than he did, and he wasn’t very practiced. Not any more than I was, I guess. He tried to take my bra off like he did my shirt. Up and over my head.” Josh could just see it, two teenagers fumbling around trying to have sex. “Of course, then it got all tangled up in my hair and I had to have him stop for a moment. While I had my head buried in my shirt, he was tweaking my breasts. I wanted to smack him. It doesn’t sound like I enjoyed it at all, does it?”

  “Not really. When you want to smack your partner before he even does the deed, then that’s a bad omen.” He moved closer, but didn’t rush her like he wanted. “Did you climax? I mean, was there any kind of peak in this for you?”

  “Not really. It was okay. About the time I was getting some kind of good feeling from it, he came. It wasn’t his fault, at least that’s what he told me. It was mine because I rushed him along. If anything, I wanted him to slow it down. Are you going to kiss me, Josh?” He shook his head and stood in front of her, standing toe to toe. “Oh. I thought that you’d want to.”

  “You kiss me. If I kiss you then I’m going to devour you. You set the pace by kissing me the way you want.” She only stared at him. “I want you badly, Carter. I could toss you to the floor right now and have my way with you.”

  “Will you fumble?” He shook his head and smiled at her. “No, you’d not fumble at all, would you? You’d be perfection at sex even with boring old me. And unselfish too, wouldn’t you? I think having sex with you would never be boring, nor would it be a quickie, would it?”

  “No, never with you. But for you, I’d be all those things and more.” He needed to kiss her, and lowered his head until he could feel her breath on his lips. See her lashes as they fanned out over her eyes. Her eyes were the most incredible shade of light brown, with tiny specks of blue in them. There was nothing about this woman that was ordinary or boring. “You are perfection to me. The way you’re shy around my family. The way you tilt your head when you’re trying to figure something out. There’s the way that you curl and uncurl your toes in the carpet when you’re in your bare feet. I love how you sit all prim and proper with your hands in your lap and watch people.”

  “That last one is to not touch anyone.” Josh grinned and brushed his mouth softly over hers. “I’m wet and needy. Please, kiss me, then take me to bed.”

  Instead of kissing her, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Dropping her on the new mattress, he laughed when she did. Toeing off his shoes, he watched her for any sign that she wasn’t really ready. Josh was—he thought that he could break concrete, he was so hard. But he’d never hurt her or touch her in any way that would frighten or hurt her. He knew better than most what she’d been through, and he was going to make sure that she enjoyed being with him as much as he did with her.

  When she sat up on the side of the bed, she helped him pull his clothing off. His shirt was first, then his belt. As he unsnapped his pants, she reached into them and wrapped her hand around him. His moan came from his feet as she fisted him. This was going to go much quicker than he thought if only her hand touching him could make him this close.

  The kiss that she gave him was timid and soft, unlike the way she was treating his cock. Her hand was tight around him, painfully so. When he undid the rest of his snaps, Josh pulled his pants down to his thighs. Carter moaned against his chest, where she was nibbling on his nipple. He could almost taste her need now, and wanted to help her in any way that she’d allow him to.

  “I’m going to come standing here just like this if you keep that up.” Carter feasted on his other nipple, not stopping at all in fisting his cock. “Baby, I’m so close to the edge right now. Wouldn’t you rather I was inside of you when I come?”

  “Yes.”

  He shredded her nightgown and asked her to lay back. Her body was more than he’d thought it was—everything about her was soft yet firm. Cupping her breasts in his hands, he leaned over her and suckled at them, darting back and forth as he sampled them both. His cock was right at her entrance, her heat pulling at him. And when he slid just his crown into her, she bowed up off the bed and screamed out her release.

  “Christ, that was amazing.” She told him she was sorry. “Don’t ever be sorry for taking your pleasure, baby. Watching you come like that, you have no idea what that does to me. Do it again for me. Come while I watch you.”

  He hadn’t entered her yet, just the tip of his cock seemed to be enough for her for now. Josh watched her come four more times. Each time her screams were loud enough to wake the household, but he didn’t care. And when she begged him for more, Josh moved forward, taking his time so that he’d not hurt her.

  Fucking her this way was killing him. But each time she cried out her joy, he knew that he could do this all night for her. And when she pulled his mouth to her, he kissed her hungrily and told her how much he loved her, how happy he was that she was his.

  “You want to mark me? Bite me?”

  He nudged her throat, then licked the pounding pulse there with his tongue. It felt like it was running at top speed—he was barely able to tell one beat from the next, and when he nipped none too gently at her flesh, he wrapped her legs around his hips and took her hard.

  His own climax was pounding at him relentlessly. Sweat beaded at his back and his chest. When she screamed out her release, he bit down on her throat and tasted her hot spicy blood, and came hard himself while she screamed over and over with one release right after the other.

  It wasn’t enough for him; he needed her to mark him as well. Giving her his throat, begging her to bite him too, he felt her teeth graze over his skin and nearly cried out with the pleasure of it. And then when she bit him, Josh blinked out for a moment, his mind simply shutting down when he came for the third time.

  Josh didn’t remember getting into the bed. He was lying atop Carter, who was unconscious or asleep—either way she was down for the count as much as he was. Moving around to adjust them so that they could be in the middle and turned the right way, he had to lie down twice to catch his breath, it had taken so much out of him. Christ, she might just kill him after one night of making love to her.

  Finally they were both with their heads at the top of the bed. He didn’t know what had happened to the pillows, so he laid her head on his arm. He knew that she was all right; her breathing was steady now, and her heart rate had slowed. So, when he curled around her body, he closed his eyes and let sleep take him under.

  This time he knew that she was having the dream, and paid attention to what was going on. There was a man and a woman, and they were arguing about the money. It occurred to him then that these were her parents, and that this was in real time.

  “She’s going to make us so much money, and in the end, it’ll just be me and you, like it should have been all along.” Her father—Lee, Josh thought his name was—nodded while Hazel Compton went on about selling off Carter. “That man who gave us the first part of his payment for her, do you think he’ll get pissy when we take her to the third man? Not that it matters—we’re going to kill him when we see him anyway. Or have Carter do it. She’ll do it too—we’ll tell her that he’s doing something to us, and she’ll want to save us. You think that too?”

  “They’ve always hated me, and more so because they could never get to Rachel. They wanted to sell her off too, but for entirely different reasons. They were going to be her pimps, and they thought that she’d be good at sleeping around. For the same reason they hope that I’ll save them, they thought that Rachel would agree.” He looked at Carter when she appeared in the room with him. “I’ve never been able to do this b
efore. Be in the same room with someone I was listening to. Dylan said that I could use you to help me. She was right. You’re making me stronger in this.”

  “I’m assuming that they haven’t any idea we’re here.” Carter shook her head and started looking around the room. Josh could see that she was actually moving things, and he tried the same thing. “What are we looking for? I’m assuming it has something to do with this hotel.”

  “Where they are. I can’t pinpoint them when I’m watching them from a distance. It would help us if I knew how much more time I had.” He nodded and looked around. Then he realized they were in a cheap hotel room, and moved through the door to the outside to see the name of the place. Coming back in, he told her where they were and how far they were from them. “So, we have about two days to get ready.”

  “I can maybe slow them down a bit more if I can do things to their car. I mean, in this shape, I’m not sure what it would be, but I’m betting that I could do something.” She grinned at him and he fell in love with Carter again. “Do you have a knife?”

  “Just think of one.”

  He did and felt one fill his hand. Going outdoors again, he opened the switch blade and rammed the blade into the tires. Having one flat might not stop them for very long, so he cut all four of them.

  Sticking his head into the trunk to slice the spare tire, he saw the ropes and chains there. Also, the guns. They were coming, and weren’t going to take any chances in not being able to take Carter with them when they did. Going back to the room, he watched as Carter looked at her parents.

  “I’ve not seen them in ten years. You’d think that I’d feel something for them. I mean, besides contempt.” He stood next to her and took her hand into his. “This is all very strange, being here. Do you suppose it’ll be like this all the time when we’re together?”

  “I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to figure this out on our own.” He told her what he’d found in the trunk. “I cut up the rope, which was surprisingly easy. And the guns I took and threw into the dumpster across the lot. The chains as well. That’s another thing to think about. How we can move through the walls and doors, but I can touch things like what was in the trunk to dispose of.”