by Cara Adams
* * * *
Quinn was surprised to be met at the airport by a tall and lean blond man in a smart suit and shiny shoes, holding a cardboard sign with their names on it. He marched them across to a less busy area of the terminal and said, “Our mutual friends sent me along to tell you to remain alert and wary at all times. It appears your clinic has an enemy and he’s trying to cause trouble. Our Alpha has spoken to Oscar Thorne, and Wynter Hall has been told, but it’s you two who need to be on the lookout for trouble anywhere on the road.”
The man handed them each a business card. “Keep this card on you at all times. It has a GPS tracker signal attached to it so we can get help to you if you need it. Put this number in your cell phone and call it if you ever need help. No matter what the problem is, whether it’s big or small, our organization will be able to handle it or refer you to someone who can.”
“Thank you,” said Quinn.
The man folded up his sign, put it inside his coat pocket, and disappeared into the crowd. Quinn blinked, but he’d completely vanished. “I feel like I’m in a James Bond movie,” he said to Rainer.
Rainer was tapping the contact phone number into his cell phone. “Yes, but it may come in useful. It’s a hell of a long drive home.”
“Good point.” Quinn added the number into his address book, too.
The rolled their luggage out to the taxi stand and joined the line. Because California was three hours behind Ohio, fortunately this early in the morning the place wasn’t so very busy. But Quinn’s stomach was already rumbling, reminding him it’d been a long time since he’d eaten breakfast.
“We’ll check what food she’s planning to bring with her, and likely pick up some groceries. Things we can use for snacks as we drive to save us from having to stop too often,” said Quinn.
“Yes, but if her knee is too sore she’ll need to get out of the car every few hours and walk around to stop it stiffening up. That’ll add hours to our trip.”
“She’s the patient. She’ll have to be our priority. But if she sleeps in the backseat that’ll help,” said Quinn.
“You don’t think anyone will try to run us off the road or anything, do you?” asked Rainer softly.
Quinn looked around them, but everyone seemed to be concentrating on their own business. “That sounds like something out of a bad movie. We’ll both need to stay alert and vigilant at all times. It seems almost as though Oscar’s cousin George is escalating his fight against the clinic. Unless it’s all a misunderstanding, of course. But between us we’ll protect her.”
“Hell yes.”
But somehow Quinn didn’t think the werewolf pack would have sent a man to meet them at the airport unless they thought there was at least some chance the threat was genuine. He would be on guard. That was definite.
Their taxi took them away from the airport and straight to the coast, finally dropping them at a large apartment complex several streets back from the shoreline. Wynter was on the first floor, which meant she didn’t have any view, but Quinn guessed it was easier for her to leave for a late night or early morning swim if she wasn’t on a higher level. It was also going to make moving her out of her apartment much easier for them, too, if they didn’t have to negotiate stairs carrying her furniture.
When she opened the door Quinn had trouble catching his breath. She was beautiful. Stunning. Her hair was blonde, her eyes light blue and her skin pale, but that didn’t describe the attractive aura which surrounded her. He was drawn to her as irresistibly as a horseshoe to a magnet.
Her door opened into her living room. Quinn could tell she’d been sitting on the couch. An end table was drawn up to it with her laptop, her cell phone, and a pile of papers on it, and a pillow was jammed against the armrest to support her back as she sat sideways along the couch.
“My name’s Rainer King. I’m a personal care attendant, and from now until we reach the clinic I’m your personal care attendant. How is your knee feeling and please don’t say ‘fine’?”
She gazed at them both, her pale eyes suddenly sparkled, and she said, “Fine.”
“I’m Quinn Johnson. I’m your driver, navigator, and general helper for the next little while. I’d appreciate it if you were honest with us. Maybe I can rearrange things to make life more comfortable for you.”
He watched her walk back to the couch. She was obviously trying very hard not to limp, but her body was stiff with the effort, and he guessed she’d be gritting her teeth against the pain. She certainly needed this operation, there was no doubt about that, and he hadn’t even seen her legs, which were hidden inside jeans.
She settled herself back on the couch, and said, “Very well, it hurts like hell the whole time. I’ve been wearing shorts mostly which helps, but I wanted to practice putting on jeans for when we travel so no one can see my knee. It’s swollen and red and looks totally repulsive.”
“Dr. Thorne sent some medications for you which should ease the pain a little.” Rainer tugged his suitcase closer to him, dropped to his knees, and unzipped it, pulling a bag from it and sorting through it until he found a jar of tablets. “Here they are. Two every four hours. No more than twelve in twenty-four hours.”
Quinn looked at Rainer. “Why don’t you get her a glass of water or something so she can have a few now? Do they need to be taken with food or after food or anything?” asked Quinn.
“No restrictions like that. I’ll get some water.”
I hope they make her feel better. It’s so obvious she’s hurting and isn’t sleeping much either.
“I need to know how big a U-Haul trailer to hire. Don’t get up and walk around, but can you just tell me if all the furniture in the apartment belongs to you? Are we taking it all with us? And do I have your permission to open the closets so I can see how many boxes I need to hire to pack everything in?” he asked.
She leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes briefly, and once again he understood just how much pain she was trying to hide. “Actually it’s much simpler than that. Most of my childhood I lived in an RV so I’ve never been the type of person to accumulate many things. The only pieces of furniture which are my own are my bed, and the bedding of course, the television, and that bookshelf. In the kitchen the plates, cutlery, pots, and so on are all mine, as is the microwave oven and the coffee percolator.”
“So the table and chairs, the couch, they all belong with the apartment?” asked Rainer, handing her the water and two tablets.
“Yes.” She gulped the water and pills down, grimacing.
Quinn pulled a tiny notepad and pencil out of his jeans pocket and left the room. The apartment was small, just two rooms, and it didn’t take him long to understand that she really didn’t have many possessions at all. So few, in fact, she could have fit everything but the bed, the TV, and the bookcase in her car, unless it was a very small car.
“Before you hire the trailer, I need to tell you something.”
“Sure.”
Rainer had pulled two chairs up to face the couch and was sitting on one. Quinn dropped into the other one. She was biting her bottom lip, and he guessed whatever she was going to say embarrassed her. He couldn’t imagine what it might be, unless she was going to refuse to come with them. Was that the trouble? Had the e-mail saying the clinic was a cult made her decide not to go through with the operation?
He could see from her point of view she was placing a lot of faith in people she didn’t know. She was in pain, unable to move around much, and would be at their mercy, helpless to protect herself from the two of them on the journey. She was placing a huge amount of trust in them. Taking an enormous step.
Unless she shape-shifted into her shark, of course. If she did that she’d scare the shit out of him and likely be able to bite him in half as well. But could she do that on land? Or perhaps she could only transform when she was under water.
Finally she sat up straighter and spoke firmly. “I haven’t been able to work since I hurt my knee and I’ve
had a lot of expenses I didn’t anticipate. I’m happy for you both to do whatever suits you best, but I’d like please to sleep in the car at night, and to make my own meals as we travel. I even thought that perhaps when you pack the trailer you could leave the bed accessible and made up and you could sleep there. I’m very grateful for your help and I don’t want to spoil your fun, it’s just that until I sell my car I won’t even be able to pay for the operation. Also, I need to swim every day so I’ve made a list of rivers we cross, but I’m afraid we won’t be able to travel the most direct route because…”
“Aw, sweetie, you’re tying yourself in knots over nothing. Ambrielle, Dr. Thorne’s office manager, has arranged accommodation and evening meals for us all with the werewolves. We’re only making two stops, Albuquerque and St. Louis, but we can stay a couple days at each place if the traveling’s too much for you, and they both have swimming pools you can transform and swim in,” said Rainer.
Quinn watched her pale face brighten and a smile break though. “You’ve been fretting over that, haven’t you?” he asked. Hmm, “had a lot of expenses I didn’t anticipate.” I just bet she’s been worrying herself ill about how to pay for everything, poor little thing. We’ll protect her from all that stress as well as from the pain.
“Right now money’s a little tight, but as soon as I sell my car, I’ll be fine. Also, I need you to take my television down to the pawn store in town to sell it for some gas money. Do you think it’ll be enough? You could take the microwave oven as well. I don’t think the coffee percolator would be worth much.”
And right there and then Quinn decided that even if he had to work as a Dom at the BDSM club every Saturday night for the rest of his life, he’d make sure she could afford her operation without selling her car or going without anything she needed. She had so little in the way of worldly possessions, but she was strong and facing the situation head on. He could think of no better task than to make sure she succeeded.
That’s providing we can get home safely with her. That those wolves are wrong and no one is going to cause us any trouble on the journey.
Chapter Three
The pain in her fin was excruciating. The sports fisherman was reeling her in, hauling her high up into the air, up from the sea, up into the boat. Her whole body was hanging from the hook, her bodyweight pulling on her fin…
Wynter woke gradually, aware first that she wasn’t alone, then that someone was patting her back, whispering soothing words into her ear. Slowly she realized her pillow was wet with her tears and that the pain in her knee was all too real.
A man held out a glass of water beside her face in one hand and two pills in the other. “Here, Wynter, there’s no need to suffer so much pain. Take two more tablets, sweetie. Come on. Sit up a little and swallow them down. The pain will be much more manageable in fifteen minutes, if you take the tablets.”
She let the other man, Quinn, support her body and obediently swallowed the tablets and water Rainer held out to her. Quinn brushed her hair back off her face, and she realized she would be looking ghastly, all sweaty, pale, and damp with pain and tears.
“I’m sorry I woke you both up,” she whispered. How embarrassing. Not only were they having to sleep on her living room floor, but also she’d woken them up with her crying. They must think her such a pathetic creature.
“If I was a half-decent personal care attendant I’d have woken you and given you more pain relief before you got this bad. I’m the one who’s sorry,” said Rainer.
Wynter gasped. “That’s so unfair. You couldn’t possibly know it gets bad at night.”
“It’s a shame we’ve already packed your spare bedding. You can’t sleep in these damp sheets, and your pillow is even worse from your tears. Here, let me go get my bedding and remake your bed,” said Rainer.
Quinn scooped her up in his arms and carried her out to the living room and placed her on the couch. The room was almost empty now as the U-Haul trailer was packed except for her bed and the last-minute things. They’d planned to leave early tomorrow morning. Well, today now, she guessed. She watched as Rainer picked up his sheets and pillow and took them into her bedroom, returning with a bundle of linen he placed by the front door.
“Take off that damp sleep shirt. You can’t stay in it. You’ll catch a chill,” said Quinn.
“But I’ve only got my clothes for tomorrow left out,” she objected.
Quinn pulled his own T-shirt off. “Here, that’ll more than cover your sexy bits.”
She hadn’t felt sexy since she’d hurt her leg, but she had to smile at his words. And at his chest. My oh my, what lovely, defined muscles he has. That was the nicest six-pack she’d seen in a long time, and she lived at the beach and got to see lots of them.
Mumbling her thanks, she pulled her sleep shirt off over her head and tugged his T-shirt on. It felt warm and smelled of hot man. Really, both of them were so good to look at. She was incredibly lucky about that. And as well, they genuinely cared for her. Right now Rainer was remaking her bed, having given up his for her. All her spare sheets were packed in the trailer already. “Where is Rainer going to sleep for the rest of the night?”
“He’ll be fine. He’s still got his blanket. It’s much more important that you’re comfortable,” said Quinn.
Quinn carried her back to bed, and Rainer tucked the sheet around her. It’d felt so good to be held in a man’s arms. It was way too long since she’d felt cared for like this. She knew she was just their job, but she couldn’t help asking, “Will you both stay with me for a little while, please? Just ’til I fall asleep.”
“Of course, sweetie,” said Rainer, gently stroking her hair and her shoulders.
The painkillers were starting to take effect now, and Wynter wiggled around in her bed until she was comfortable. It was so good to have sheets that were cool and fresh against her skin, and a shirt that smelled of Quinn. She buried her nose into the pillow and thought she might have scented Rainer on it. For the first time in many years she felt cherished and protected. Of course it was just their job to look after her, but she could pretend they cared about her as a person as well as a patient. She could imagine they were sitting beside her now out of love as well as duty.
Rainer’s hands in her hair were so gentle and relaxing. Quinn’s chest was a hard wall of strong muscles protecting her, keeping her safe.
She rested her face against Quinn’s naked chest, breathing in his all-male scent as deeply as she could, getting to know him by his smell. He seemed earthy, woodsy even to her, which was unusual to smell for a shark used to oceans, salt water, and sand. But his aroma tugged at her senses and seemed right somehow, perfect for him.
Behind her, Rainer continued to massage her head and shoulders, helping her tense muscles to relax. She hadn’t been aware how very stressed she’d become until he started to soothe her. Now she could feel him unraveling knot after knot in her back and shoulders, leaving behind him peace and the knowledge that she’d soon be sleeping better than she had since she’d injured herself.
“Thank you. That feels so much better.”
“Relax, sweetie. Go back to sleep now.”
She did relax. Wrapped in the arms of two men, two complete strangers, she felt safe, cared for, cherished, wanted, and as her pain eased and her muscles were soothed, she drifted into sleep. I wish this was real. I wish you were both mine.
* * * *
Rainer stared over Wynter’s sleeping body at Quinn. “I don’t dare leave her. She could wake up in pain again,” he said very softly.
“Poor little critter. She’s been doing it tough,” agreed Quinn.
Rainer wasn’t sure that a great white shark could be termed a “little critter,” but she’d certainly been in far too much pain for one woman to have to deal with alone. He slid his legs into her bed under the blanket and pressed against her back. She seemed to snuggle against him. She was now sandwiched between the two of them, her face buried in Quinn’s naked chest. Rainer
watched as Quinn carefully moved his legs under the bedclothes, then pulled them up over his chest. The bed wasn’t really meant for three people, but since they were all lying on their sides they seemed to fit okay, and if anyone fell out it wouldn’t be Wynter, so the system would work for the rest of the night.
Rainer hadn’t looked at the time, but it felt like two or three in the morning to him, and that made sense as her painkillers would have worn off by then, too.
He breathed the scent of her hair deep into his lungs. She smelled of the ocean, fresh and salty. He liked that. He petted her arms, the skin feeling slightly rough under his hands. Oh fuck, they hadn’t taken her swimming before bed. They’d have to go early in the morning before they left. They couldn’t leave until eight because she had to hand in her apartment key and get her deposit back. It was all organized, but the apartment block manager didn’t start work until eight, so it couldn’t happen until then. Hmm. Perhaps one of them could take her down to the beach while the other loaded the last of the things into the U-Haul trailer. Although it would require both of them to carry the bed. Damn. Why hadn’t they remembered to take her for a swim?
He was the care attendant. It was his job to put her needs as the top priority and already he was failing. Likely lying in bed with her stroking her hair and skin wasn’t totally professional either, but it had soothed her and put her to sleep, so he wasn’t going to stop now.
Of course he wouldn’t mind touching her other places, too, but that really would be unprofessional. And talking about unprofessional, the size of his erection fit that category as well. But she was so sweet and beautiful he couldn’t blame his cock for thinking about the parts of her hidden under Quinn’s T-shirt. He’d seen her breasts through that damp sleep shirt she’d been wearing, and they’d looked exactly the right size to fill his hands—and his mouth.
