Enticing Their Mate Read online

  “Ouch.”

  He grinned. “Serves you right for looking so good. How about getting yourself a drink and waiting for me in the living room?”

  “Okay.” She tossed him a pout and rolled out of bed, wiggling her naked ass as she left the bedroom.

  As soon as Gloria or Stella or whatever the fuck her name was couldn’t hear him, he glanced at the caller ID. Shit. It was Russ Sizemore. “This better be good,” he said grinding out his words. “I told you never to disturb me.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, but this is important. Darnell didn’t show up for his shift.”

  “Why the fuck should I care?”

  “Wendell can’t secure the warehouse by himself.”

  He was right. Statler would do something about that only because he didn’t trust the General not to show up again. Jesus, his life had been a bitch ever since the head of the Pack and his men had found them. To make matters worse, Tyson and Ford Summerville had managed to kill almost their entire security team. Fuckers. “Did you call Darnell? He might still be trying to dispose of Michelle.” Though he didn’t understand how it could take a few hours to slit a throat and bury a body. Bitch never should have refused to drug the women. She had to pay for that insubordination.

  “He didn’t answer his cell.”

  “Keep trying.” Incompetent idiot. Statler worked hard not to drive back to the warehouse and take care of Sizemore himself.

  “I don’t think he followed your orders, sir.” Sizemore’s voice shook.

  Statler’s fangs elongated again. Fucker. Why was everyone turning on him? “Explain.” This time he wasn’t able to control his volume. He clawed the silk sheets. If this ass didn’t give him some good news soon, he might be joining Michelle.

  “I heard Darnell was fucking her.”

  What kind of security had he hired? “What the hell does that have to do with anything? When I give an order, I expect my men to follow it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Well, go find him and when you do, kill him.” He didn’t need any traitors among them.

  Statler hung up and immediately called a contact who’d supplied him with many of his security team members the first time around.

  “It’s late, Statler.”

  How dare the ass act pissed. “I don’t give a shit what time it is. I’m short a few security.”

  “It’ll cost you double this time. Almost all them died under your watch the last time.”

  “That’s because you sent me untrained men.” Statler was in a bind and didn’t need to be arguing with the man. “I’ll only need them for a week.” They haggled over the price and eventually came to an agreement.

  “I’ll send them your way in two days.”

  “Make it one and I’ll double the price.”

  “Deal.”

  Asshole. Statler disconnected. He slipped out of bed, needing someone to take his frustrations out on—someone who wouldn’t complain. Like the cute naked blonde in the room next door.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning, Sarah barely made it out of bed. Despite the renewing run, she hadn’t slept much. Michelle’s disappearance had upset her more than she thought possible. Ever since going undercover, Sarah had seen too much evil come from inside those walls and had been tempted to walk away, but she had a valuable job to perform—that of helping take down Paul Statler and his band of not-so-merry men.

  Sarah had set her alarm for a half an hour earlier than usual, hoping there had been a mistake and Michelle had come to work, albeit a few hours late. Sarah slipped out of bed and dressed quietly since Amy would still be asleep. Once she washed up and donned her uniform, Sarah headed to the warehouse, not caring if anyone followed her this time. As long as she wasn’t meeting with Jay or Riley, she didn’t need to be as careful.

  She parked in front of the warehouse, swiped her entry card, and went in. Dread filled her at what she might find. Michelle always took good care of Nancy Edmonds on her shift, and even a few hours without someone looking after Nancy might kill her. Statler had commanded Sarah to heal her, and if Michelle had skipped town—possibly with Darnell—she hoped Statler would provide a replacement nurse. Then again, he planned to sell these women in a few days, so he might not bother.

  A band tightened around her chest at the thought. Everything about this situation sucked.

  When she punched in the code to enter the first of two rooms that housed the women, Sarah hoped Michelle would be there, working her magic. Unfortunately, she was not. All Sarah found was silence inside the dark, windowless room.

  Her pulse raced. Something wasn’t right. Sarah flicked on one small bank of lights. Her mind blanked and her heart fluttered. Dear God, help us all. The women appeared to be unconscious, or else were sleeping deeply. If she’d had something in her hand other than her purse, she would have thrown it against the wall.

  She stepped over to Nancy and placed a palm on her forehead. The woman was burning up. Shit. Even if Sarah had the skills of a doctor, without medicine, she couldn’t do much for her.

  Shouts sounded outside the door and she rushed to see what the ruckus was about. She peeked out and spotted Statler grabbing Russ by the neck. That had to be bad news for him. As much as she wanted to listen, if Statler caught her spying, it might end up badly for her.

  Both Riley and Jay would be interested to learn that Statler was now at the warehouse, though for how long was anyone’s guess. What they would do with that knowledge she didn’t know, but she needed to text them anyway. Her email to Jay read: Statler in house. A nurse and guard are missing.

  If the men wanted her to do something, they’d respond. Sure enough, Jay’s text came through seconds later. Working on getting medicine. Thanks for the update. Now delete all evidence of our correspondence and stay safe. Jay.

  Her stomach cramped. Sarah would be able to administer the medicine only if Nancy woke. Perhaps the reason Michelle was no longer at work was because one of the guards asked her to drug the women and she’d refused. As much as she wanted to figure out what happened to Michelle, she didn’t need to dwell on it.

  The women had to be her first concern. Sarah flooded the room with light, hoping to jolt them awake. “Wake up, ladies. Rise and shine!” She clapped her hands, and when no sounds arose, she gently nudged a few mattresses. No response. Shit.

  Discouraged, she headed to the second room, hoping she’d meet with more success. When she stepped into that room, the air was stale and all the girls were in the same condition. Well damn.

  * * *

  Jay paced the small motel room frustrated he wasn’t able to make his move even though Statler was nearby. It was taking all of his control not to confront the man, but to do so would probably end in disaster, and he didn’t want to ruin the General’s chance at ridding the world of one more evil man.

  Riley was studying Sarah’s drawing when the General’s caller ID popped up on Jay’s phone. There must have been something really interesting about the map because his roommate didn’t look up.

  Jay answered. “Sir?”

  “We’ve had a stroke of luck.”

  Finally. Jay walked over to the bed and sat down. “What is it?”

  “I never knew how wonderful chat rooms could be.”

  He glanced over at Riley who seemed to be in a zone of concentration. The General had never been known to drink or make frivolous calls. “Sir?”

  “I found out that Statler hired three more guards, and the man handling the operation put some feelers out on the Internet. Dumb, if you ask me.”

  His mind raced, trying to figure out why the General appeared to be gloating. “What is it you’d like me to do, sir?”

  “I’m not sure if you’ve met them, but I asked Cam and Spence Summerville—Ford and Tyson’s cousins—to help us out. They live in Pittsburgh and were able to drive to New York and successfully intercept the truck with the three guards who were to arrive at the warehouse tomorrow afternoon.”

  W
hile that sounded great, he could think of a lot of issues that might pop up. “When the men don’t arrive, won’t Statler question why and then find others?”

  “Jay, Jay, you underestimate me.” Now he felt small. “You haven’t been part of the team long enough to know how things work. Tom Hammond, the scum who supplied Statler with the three men, has been sent off on a little vacation if you get my drift. As for the three guards, let’s just say they won’t be working for Statler any time soon.”

  “I see.”

  “Clay Demmers and Dirk Tilton, who I know you’ve met, will be replacing two of these guards.”

  The genius of the plan sunk in. “Excellent. What about the third man?” Statler had hired three men.

  “I want Riley to take his place.”

  A streak of jealousy raced through him, but Jay understood why he had to lay low. “What’s my role?” If the General asked him to sit idly by, he wasn’t certain he could.

  “I want you to be the point man, coordinating their every move. All information will be fed through you.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “The men are expected tomorrow around three. Riley will need to figure out where he’ll meet Clay and Dirk.” The General then provided him with their contact information, which Jay wrote down on the back of his hand, feeling like he was back in high school. Damn motel room didn’t even provide a pad of paper.

  Having three men on the inside would be fantastic. “What if Statler calls this Tom Hammond and he doesn’t answer?”

  “You let me worry about that. Good luck and stay safe.” The General disconnected.

  Jay tossed his phone on the bed. “That was interesting.”

  “Yeah, what’s that?”

  He gave Riley the good news, but instead of the expected fist pump, tension rippled across his face. “That’s good, I guess.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you? This is our chance to get the women out. Why aren’t you chomping at the bit to do this?”

  “Sarah will be there.”

  Oh, shit. He’d forgotten about Riley’s aversion to commitments. With his mate so near, Jay wasn’t certain Riley would be able to keep his hands off her.

  * * *

  Sarah stepped into the hallway, and as she was about to head to the other room, she spotted Skip Jackson, one of the guards she intensely disliked. She quickly judged whether she could make it to the other room without him seeing her.

  “Sarah?” he called.

  Crap. “Yes?”

  He strode toward her, looking like he’d won a prize. “Statler wants to see you in his office. Now.”

  Her stomach flipped. No good could come of this conversation, especially if he told her to drug the women tonight. Denying him wasn’t an option. She would just have to figure out a way to lighten the dosage. “Thank you.”

  Skip turned and continued on his rounds. An order from the boss had to be obeyed. Inhaling, she went to see what the boss man wanted. Like always, he’d expect her to be meek, and that was how she would present herself. Little did he know she was trained by the best. She’d killed before and she would kill again. If she thought she could get behind Statler, she’d have brought a scalpel and sliced his throat.

  Sarah knocked and waited for him to ask her in. The man was such a dick.

  “Enter.”

  Commands were his modus operandi. She pushed open the door and walked in, her hands behind her back and her gaze slightly cast downward. “You wished to speak with me, sir?”

  “Yes. Have a seat.”

  That didn’t sound good. He’d already placed a chair in front of his desk and he motioned her toward it. She sat.

  “How is Nancy doing?” he asked.

  Her heart nearly stopped and bile rolled up her throat. “She’s resting quietly.”

  “Good. I’m afraid I have some sad news.”

  This was about Michelle she bet. “Yes?”

  “Michelle asked for a leave of absence, as did Darnell Rodriguez, so there will be some changes around here.”

  That was a line of bull if there ever was one. “Okay.” She wished she could walk away from it all, but she needed to stay so that Jay and Riley could find a way to take him down.

  “I need both you and Amy to work twelve hour shifts. You’ll be working from six in the morning until six at night and Amy will take the evening shift.”

  Every muscle in her body tightened, but then she thought what that would mean. She’d drag during the day, but being here when the shit hit the fan would be good. “I can do that. Do you have an end date in mind?”

  His eyes swirled a goldish color and his pupils dilated. She wanted to lower her gaze to see if his nails had grown, but when one incisor peeked out, she had her answer. Fear settled heavily in her gut.

  “Just come to work when asked. You may go.”

  She didn’t need to be told twice.

  Chapter Six

  It would be a bold move on Connolly’s part to waltz into the wolf’s den and tell Statler how to run his business, but he’d been trained to pull off this type of con. From what the General had said, Statler exuded confidence and liked to intimidate at every opportunity. While Connolly didn’t want to get into a pissing match with him, he wouldn’t mind going a round or two. Often times, bullies only responded to other bullies.

  Swiping Darnell’s card at the front entrance to the warehouse, the door clicked open. Piece of cake. The guard had his uses after all.

  From the diagram the Field brothers had provided him, he knew the location of Statler’s office as well as the placement of the women, but he wanted to sense the vibe of the area before charging into the man’s office. Connolly didn’t immediately spot any guards or either of the nurses. Then again, if there were only two guards per shift, they could cover only so much territory. He’d already seen the guard outside, but if that man had been his employee, he’d have fired his ass for taking a smoke break and failing to sense a newcomer nearby.

  As much as Connolly wanted to wander, if Sarah saw him, he feared she might recognize him as the man who’d tailed her, and then call attention to him. This past week he’d spent much of his time making his presence known; he’d wanted her to be aware that she had a shadow. It would make her pay more attention to her surroundings.

  When he wasn’t trying to keep Sarah safe, he’d left some not-so-subtle hints around the warehouse to imply someone was casing the joint. Connolly wanted to believe it was what prompted Statler to call in the security team in the first place. His master plan was to show Statler how much he needed a new head of security.

  As he strode toward Statler’s office, disbelief swamped him that alarms weren’t sounding at the intrusion. It didn’t matter he’d used a swipe card to enter. There should have been cameras to detect he wasn’t the owner of the badge. According to the General, Statler’s old lab was top notch, implying he wasn’t oblivious to possible threats. Once he moved, he must have thought that without many people coming and going, no one would notice him. However, he had hired a firm to beef up the security, and Dante and Trax had an appointment tomorrow to load the place up with cameras—cameras they’d be monitoring remotely.

  It was time to convince Statler that he needed a new security man. Connolly knocked on the office door and pushed it open. Waiting for Statler to answer would have given the man the upper hand. As soon as he stepped inside, he almost smiled at the hair that had sprouted on Statler’s face—a sign his shifting had begun.

  “Who the fuck are you?” He had to give Statler credit for keeping his voice within range.

  “Someone who’s going to save your ass.” Connolly widened his stance and crossed his arms, probably looking like a cross between Paul Bunyan and Mr. Clean—though he was nothing like either fictional character.

  Statler pushed back his chair and it toppled behind him. Claws extended, he strode partway around his desk, stopped, and then straightened his blue striped suit jacket. Inhaling deeply, he attempted to stand t
all, though in Connolly’s opinion, he failed to pull off the power pose.

  “To answer your question, I used to work for Harvey Couch, but I left the country for a while until things cooled down.” Connolly used his Scottish accent for affect. It was widely known that werewolves from Scotland had the purest blood.

  “You worked for Couch?” Apparently, the name still held awe. Harvey Couch had been the head of the Colter organization until his untimely death.

  “Yes. He and I had the same philosophy toward General Armand.”

  Looking more composed, Statler stepped back behind his desk. “How did you get in?”

  “On my own two feet. Your security is piss poor, by the way. Highly unsophisticated.” Statler winced at the last word. “That’s where I come in. You see, I want you to succeed. Prosper. Grow your business. I want to thwart the General more than life itself.”

  “Why?”

  Connolly had his answer ready. “His men killed my brother.” He growled and narrowed his eyes. That might have been overkill, but men like Statler liked hearing tales of the General’s wicked deeds.

  His chin notched up, though Connolly could detect a hint of fear. “How did you find me?”

  He wasn’t going to play twenty questions with the man. “Do you need help or not?”

  Statler tugged on his lapels and pursed his lips. His gaze darted right then left. “One of my guards took off yesterday and I could use a replacement.”

  “For starters, you need more than a replacement guard.” Connolly could almost detect the steam coming from the man’s nose. As much as Statler probably wanted to tear his head off, he was smart to realize he could use the help more.

  “I’m having security cameras installed here tomorrow, but I’ll need someone to oversee the operation. You interested in the job?”

  Saying yes right away would toss the power back into Statler’s hands. “Might be. Let’s talk compensation.”

  * * *

  All last night, Riley and Jay had rehearsed how Riley was supposed to pretend to be a member of Statler’s new security team. It would be difficult to pull off liking the job when all he wanted to do was kill Statler. Riley had no problem acting tough or keeping an eye on things. His main hesitation was that he’d have to be totally professional around Sarah. How he was going to accomplish that feat when all he thought about was delving into her luscious body was anyone’s guess. It was what had kept him awake for hours last night.