Human and Freakn'

by Eve Langlais

  “I’m Kendrick Grayson and this is my second in command, Joel Marsh. And now that we’ve met, I’ll have my friend here run you back to the last village.”

  Was this guy deaf? “No.”

  “Did I say you had a choice in the matter?”

  Why did he have to look so sexy when he arched his brow and pulled a Captain Caveman? “I won’t go. My sister is one of the girls missing. I have to help.”

  His expression softened. “I am sorry about your sister. I know you must be worried, but it changes nothing. You can’t come. You’d slow us down.”

  “Why? Because I’m not a skinny fitness model?” she retorted, the words spewing forth before she could stop them.

  “Hey, you’re the one who said it. Not me. But yes. I’m not going to sugar coat it. This is going to be a physically challenging trip.”

  “I can keep up.” The skepticism in his eyes made her tilt her chin stubbornly. “I can.” Hadn’t she made it this far already?

  “No, you can’t.”

  “Um, in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m here. And I got here using my two feet.”

  “On a well-trodden path at a slow pace so we could catch up.”

  Slow? Damn. “I can still keep up.”

  “Doubt it.”

  “Let me prove it.”

  “Oh no you don’t, honey,” he said, a glower crossing his face. “I’ve seen that look too many times with my sister and fallen for way too many a stupid dare. You can stop it right now. It is not going to work.”

  “I’m not your sister.”

  He raked his gaze over her; head to lips, onwards to her chest then lower before coming back to her eyes. “So I’ve noticed. Which is another problem. You’d be the only woman.”

  “And?”

  “And we’re all guys. It’s not right.”

  “Excuse me, but chaperones went out in the dark ages, you know, right after we burned our bras and got the right to vote. Or are you implying you’ll all turn into uncivilized animals once we’re alone? That you’ll ravish me?” She should be so lucky.

  How odd. His eyes almost seemed to flash for a moment. She took a step back.

  “No one would dare lay a hand on you. But what will other people think when they find out?”

  “I really don’t care. I’ll know the truth.” And really, once women got a look at the troop of men, she’d end up envied more than likely, not reviled.

  He sighed and tugged at both sides of his scalp, his short hair still managing to appear mussed. “You wouldn’t last a day out there.”

  “I have so far.”

  “Yeah, but that was before, during the still relatively tame part of our trip. Where we’re going, very few men have gone before. It’s not a place for a girl.”

  “So think of me as a guy. I’m the same size as one. Normal ones at any rate,” she muttered as she continued to crane her neck. Damn he was tall. Did he fall in a vat of radioactive waste as a child?

  “I doubt any idiot could mistake you for a male. Too many curves for that.”

  He meant it like an insult. She could tell he did. It still didn’t halt the heat from rushing to her cheeks, or the quiver further below. “I am fully aware of my ample deficiencies.” He opened his mouth, but she rushed in to speak before he could. “I might not look tough. Or perfect, but I won’t give up. Insult me all you want. I’m not changing my mind.”

  Kendrick sighed loudly and ran fingers through his short hair. “Why me?” he said to no one in particular. “Of all the things I expected on this trip …” Trailing off, he stared at her.

  Looking away seemed too much like giving in, so despite the fact she shifted from foot to foot, she held his gaze and chewed her lower lip.

  “You aren’t going to change your mind, are you?”

  She shook her head.

  “Stupid, stubborn girl. This isn’t a place for a lady, especially not one as delicate as you.”

  Delicate? Ruth almost looked behind her to see if another woman stood there. “I’m not some fragile flower. I can keep up.”

  “I’m sure you’ll try, but it’s still a no. Joel, gather her things and take her back to the village. Leave your stuff here so you can run back.”

  Run back? Was this Kendrick guy crazy? The village was five or six hours behind them. No one could just run back. A hand grabbed her arm in a gentle grip. Awareness slammed into her, a tingling heat that brought her entire body alive. Startled, her gaze met that of Joel’s.

  Oh my, what pretty eyes. A light blue with a dark center, they totally mesmerized her and went great with his lightly tanned skin and jet black hair.

  It took her a moment of walking like a zombie in his grip before she snapped back to herself and dug her heels in. “No. I won’t go.”

  “You will because I say so,” snarled Kendrick, his eyes flashing. For a moment he looked feral. Animal like. Savage.

  She shivered as fear and desire raced through her body. Despite how he tried to dominate and impose his will, she refused to give in. If only she owned this much fortitude at other pivotal moments in her life. “You can try, but it’s a waste of time. Even if you get your friend here to drag me, the moment he turns his attention, I’ll just turn back around and follow. You can’t stop me.”

  “You’ll get lost.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe not.” Time to play her pivotal piece. “I have a map.”

  In the silence following her words, Kendrick could have heard his brother Stu fart from thousands of miles away. “A map?” Kendrick said. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Cheeks pink, her gaze finally not challenging him, the Amazon-sized blonde – with the most amazing scent – dug a hand in the front pocket of her pants.

  “Hold on. It’s not in that one. Let me try this one.” She muttered to herself as she rummaged through her many partitions. Kendrick almost offered to pat her down, not to help but because his hands itched to touch her. Not a good idea. He tucked them behind his back as he watched her yank various odds and ends from her pockets before she finally pulled a Ziploc bag forth with a sheepish grin. “Got it.”

  “Got what? Start explaining.”

  “Not long after I got here, a package arrived at my hotel, addressed to me.” She waved the plastic bag. “Inside was a note, bus tickets, directions to the last village, and a map.”

  “What note?” The more she talked, the more confused he became. Not just because of her surprises – her damned scent kept throwing him off track, sending such inappropriate thoughts through his mind, most of them involving his tongue and a certain part of her body.

  “This note. Here. Read it for yourself.”

  Kendrick snatched the thick vellum from her hand, square in shape, cream-colored, with four perfect creases, he unfolded it to find a typed missive. He read aloud.

  “Dear Miss Anderson, we regret the unfortunate taking of your sister. Rest assured, she is unharmed and safe. However, we cannot just release her. Arrangements are being made to send an extraction team. We would like you to be a part of that group, to act as a familiar buffer with your sister and her friends. The group you’ll be joining has no idea you’re coming. We think it best that way lest they attempt to leave you behind. But you must come. It is very important for the wellbeing of your sister and the others that you join this expedition. Time is of the essence.”

  Kendrick read it again silently before raising his head to peer at her anxious face. “On the basis of this, you hopped a plane, by yourself, to the middle of nowhere with a bunch of strangers.”

  “Not exactly. I’d already arrived when I received it. I went to the police first, but they wouldn’t help me. Actually, I couldn’t get anyone to tell me anything so when this got left for me at the front desk of the hotel, I took it as a sign.”

  “And on the basis of it, decided to go hiking in the jungle?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you freakn’ nuts?” he yelled.

  Funny how his words mirrored th
at of her mother’s. It straightened her spine and her lips flatted into a thin, mulish line. “It’s my sister lost out here.”

  “This is crazy!” He waved the note in her face. “Your sister and her friends were kidnapped. As in taken by force. Did you really believe for one second those responsible would send you a letter and a map so you could rescue them? Seriously?”

  “Well, when you put it like that, it sounds kind of farfetched,” she mumbled. “But what else was I supposed to do?”

  “Wait by a phone like everyone else.”

  “I tried that for a few days and just about went nuts.”

  “Patience is a virtue.”

  “So are manners. I guess we’re both screwed in those departments.”

  Joel snickered behind her. Kendrick almost smiled himself. But he couldn’t give in, not when his wolf growled about the danger she put herself in.

  “Nice note. You should have given it to the authorities so they could search it for clues.”

  “I tried. They laughed and said it was a hoax.”

  “And yet you still came.”

  She scuffed her feet. “But I have a map.” A feeble excuse and he could tell she knew it.

  “Ooh, a map,” Kendrick mocked as he grabbed at the second item she handed him from the bag. The hand drawn map contained very little detail. The name of the village they departed from. A giant N for north. A few landmarks like the lake they currently camped by, but he frowned as he began to recognize the longitude and latitude codes scribbled in beside the landmarks. He yanked out his own notepad with its backup set of instructions in case things like his GPS got lost. Sure enough, the woman’s codes matched his, right up to the last known position of the missing girls, plus a few extra ones. But her map also had something he didn’t. An X.

  “What’s here?” he asked, stabbing at the spot.

  She shrugged. “I assume it’s where they want us to meet for the exchange.”

  “Or ambush.”

  “Seems like an awful lot of trouble for an ambush.”

  “Are you always this argumentative?” he snapped.

  “No, actually.” She sounded surprised.

  Like he believed that. Despite her poor judgment – made out of love for her family – he recognized the signs of stubbornness whether she admitted it or not. Worse, he enjoyed the fact she held her ground. Add to that her spectacular height, which he could totally see the benefit of – her lips just the right height for a kiss that wouldn’t bend him in half – her skin dewy and soft. He tore his gaze away because the more he studied her, the more he noticed her subtle beauty. Mixed with her assertive nature? His wolf practically rolled on his back it wanted to lick her so bad. Not happening. “Your map and little note change nothing.”

  “What do you mean it doesn’t? I have an actual invitation to be here. And a map. What do you have?”

  He took a step and tried to intimidate her. She drew herself straight and met his glare; only the slight tremble in her frame, barely noticeable, let him know she wasn’t as brave as she wanted him to believe. He leaned closer. Their noses almost touched. “Only authorized members can be in this group.”

  “I was authorized.”

  “Not by me.” Why did he care if this human chit wanted to put herself in harm’s way? He should just leave her while he and the boys went on. Let her regret the folly of her actions.

  “I guess you don’t know everything then.”

  “Um, sorry to interrupt your little spat,” an idiot with a thick accent said.

  “Who the hell are you?” Kendrick snarled, not taking his eyes from her lest she think he retreated.

  “Fernando. I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting, but I’m Javier’s and Alejandro’s cousin.”

  “Seriously?” The claim diverted him long enough to note the similar features the Latino male shared with his brothers-in-law.

  “Small world, eh?”

  Very. “Can we save the get to you know chit-chat for later while I deal with our departing guest?”

  “About that – when she showed up in the village, we contacted those in charge of our jaunt and they confirmed her spot in the group. It was also they who suggested we leave without waiting, perhaps to ensure you could not leave her behind?”

  Was there a freakn’ conspiracy afoot? Why on earth would anyone want him to take the human into the jungle? “Are you sure you talked to the right person?”

  “Apparently, her addition was a recent thing once they were notified of her travels to the area.”

  “Who do you work for?” the curvy blonde asked, her nose wrinkling adorably. Argh!

  “None of your business,” Kendrick said in a tight tone, still trying to digest why anyone would expect him to bring her on what promised to be a dangerous trek.

  “Are you or are you not a rescue team? How is asking who’s running the show none of my business?”

  “Only members of the group are authorized to know that information.”

  “Did you not listen to what Fernando said? I am part of the group.”

  “We’ll see about that.” With those words, Kendrick stalked off, his satellite phone in hand to get some answers. Even better, some space from the human who made him want to howl in frustration. Shake her until her teeth rattled. Oh, and strip her so he could lick every inch of her until the blush in her cheeks turned to one of arousal instead of anger.

  I need to get her out of here. Before he did something monumentally stupid, say, like claim her human, lily-white ass.

  Chapter 3

  We’ll see about that indeed. Ruth watched Kendrick stalk off and whip out a satellite phone. Darn it all. Did everyone have one but her? Although, who would she call? Carlie wasn’t anywhere near a phone and she didn’t need to listen to her mother’s sobs.

  A heavy sigh escaped her as she sat down on a rock. “What’s he doing?” Ruth asked Fernando who stuck close by.

  “Calling our boss, who will tell him the same thing he told Liam, that you’re going. So don’t worry your pretty little head.”

  “Only would a gang of giants think to call me little,” she muttered. Seeing Kendrick stalk back, a not so happy expression on his face, she braced herself for his ire. “You can’t kill me. There’re witnesses.” Her quip fell flat.

  “I don’t suppose you’ve changed your mind?”

  She shook her head.

  “Stubborn wench! Of all the stupid, ill thought, dangerous—”

  “But necessary,” she interjected.

  “Did you hear the stupid part?” he yelled.

  “Better dumb than worried and wondering later if I should have done more,” she hollered back.

  Where did this courage to stand her ground come from? She had only to picture her sister to find out. She also made a mental note to invest in a flask of her own whiskey for the occasional liquid backbone she’d always dreamed of.

  “You’ll never keep up,” he snapped as he whirled on his heel and stalked away.

  “Watch me!” she ranted at his retreating back. Startled at her own loss of control, she gaped and then flushed at the rude gesture he flung her way. “Well that wasn’t nice,” she huffed.

  A soft chuckle interrupted the daggers she mentally threw at the obnoxious man who thought to refuse her a chance to show her worth. “What’s so funny?” she snapped.

  The other handsome newcomer raised his hands in mock surrender. “Nothing. Just, you seemed so sweet and shy on the outside.”

  “I am.”

  A slow shake of his head and a half smile said he thought otherwise. “If you say so, querida. I’m Joel by the way.”

  “I’m Ruth.” Good manners trumped her annoyance.

  “And your sister must be Carlie. You both share the same good looks.”

  Nice line. But she didn’t believe it for a second. Ruth knew what the mirror and scale said. Not for the first time, she wished she and Carlie shared more than the same features. If only they shared the same body
. Her sister, while almost the same height, tended toward the slimmer side with her hips and ass in proper proportion to her bust. What a cow. Skinny cow, as Ruth liked to tease her.

  Despite her slight jealousy at her sister’s nicer shape, Ruth loved Carlie, especially since her sister always stood up for her, like when boyfriends tried to stomp on her heart. Take her last beau – dating six months, she’d enjoyed the fact he didn’t leave diet pamphlets lying about and didn’t drop subtle hints about joining a gym. She’d actually begun to think he was the one. He met her parents. Told her he loved her. Dumped her quicker than a hot potato when something more petite came along. But hey, as he told her, via text message no less, they could still get together to screw if she wanted because he liked how she crushed him with her thighs in bed. As Ruth cried and refused to leave her room, Carlie posted pictures of him in his superman outfit – blue tights and all – on a website showcasing small dicks. A petty pleasure Ruth enjoyed with her double Dutch chocolate sundae. Carlie rocked the role of protective sister and BFF, which was why Ruth now needed to step up to the plate.

  I owe her for all the times she brought me ice cream when I needed it and helped me see what losers those guys were.

  “Flattering me won’t make me change my mind.”

  “I wasn’t trying to. Just stating a fact. Although, Kendrick is right. This isn’t a trip for someone delicate like yourself.”

  Ignoring Joel’s compliment – but storing it for later enjoyment – she asked the first question that came to mind. “Why is he so adamant about me staying behind?” she asked.

  An enigmatic smile graced Joel’s lips. “I’m sure he has his reasons. A sixth sense, if you will, that you’ll bring trouble. I can’t say I disagree. You’d be much safer in the village than following us into the wilds. This isn’t a picnic in the woods, querida.”

  “I know that, which is why I came prepared. Actually, I’ll bet I know more about this jungle than you do since I did my university thesis on the fauna of the Lacandon jungle.”

  “Words cannot compare to reality, though.”