Duncan (The Protectors #3)(6)
“You demand?” Nicole tilted her head, looking up at her mate. “You demand?” She shouted this time, her voice trembling with anger.
“Shit.” Jared stepped in front of Tessa who had also stood.
“You have no right keeping this information from Duncan, Nicole,” Damon shouted back; he never shouted and definitely not at his mate. “And you know it!”
Nicole gave him a deadly glare. “What I do know is my friend trusts me, and I’m not breaking that trust.”
“Call Adam,” Damon growled at Jared, but his eyes did not leave Nicole. “And Duncan.”
“Screw you.” She emphasized each word with a hard point of her finger to his chest before walking around him.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Damon went to grab her arm, but she snapped it back.
Nicole stopped and slowly turned around. “Away from you.”
“I don’t f*cking think so.” Damon took a step forward to grab her again, but she smacked at his hand.
“If you touch me, you are going to have your hands full, Damon DeMasters,” Nicole hissed.
“You are not leaving.” He loomed over her, bent slightly to glare down at her.
“Is that a demand?” She stretched up so she could go nose-to-nose with him.
Before Damon could respond, Tessa pushed past Jared. “Stop it. Just stop, both of you.” She walked between the two, pushing each of them back. “I know where she is. Nicole, I understand why you haven’t told Duncan, but I never promised Pam anything. You can stay here while I tell them what I know, or you can leave.”
Nicole stared at Tessa for a few seconds before nodding her head. Without looking at Damon, she walked out the door, closing it softly.
Tessa watched Damon stare after Nicole, his face changing before her eyes. He hated himself for fighting with his mate and it clearly showed. She almost felt sorry for him…almost.
“You’re an asshat.” She pointed at Damon. Before he could open his mouth, she continued. “You of all people should understand Nicole. She is loyal to a fault.”
“She should be loyal to me. Her mate…her husband.” Damon frowned, becoming angry again. “She should not have kept this from me.”
“This isn’t about you,” Tessa sighed. “This was about Duncan. You said so yourself.”
“But you both put yourselves in danger.” Jared pointed out with a frown of his own. “That makes it about us.”
Tessa snorted. “Breaking my damn neck was the only danger I was in.” Seeing Jared’s concern, she waved it away. She didn’t need to go into her embarrassing fall through the kitchen window. “I actually didn’t know until today about Nicole and Pam having contact, but I was there when Pam called. She asked Nicole to go to her apartment to find a vial. It was a quick call. Nicole is supposed to meet her with the vial.”
“Where?” Damon demanded impatiently taking his phone out.
“Are you going to apologize?” Tessa crossed her arms; she could play stubborn with the best of them.
A loud sigh escaped his lips. “Sid’s right. Women will drive you nuts,” Damon growled. “Yes, I will apologize.”
“Good, ‘cause you were being an ass.”
As Damon’s growling grew louder, Jared wrapped his arms around Tessa. “Tell him where, Tessa. The faster he calls Duncan, the faster he can apologize to Nicole.”
Tessa glared back at Damon in warning before rattling off what she knew and where Nicole was to meet Pam.
Damon punched in a number on his cell. After a second of silence, his voice echoed in the small room. “We found her.”
Chapter 3
Newport, Kentucky, was Pam’s stomping grounds. She grew up here, along the Ohio River. For a brisk November night, Newport on the Levee was bustling with activity. Restaurants were overflowing as well as the shops that had sprouted up overnight. Flipping the hood up on her lightweight jacket, Pam scanned the crowd looking for trouble. In every face, she expected to see Kenny scowling back at her. She spooked herself so much, she was afraid to look at anyone, but she had to be prepared. He was out there, and she knew, without a doubt, he was looking for her.
Two women walked close by talking and laughing, reminding Pam of better times when she and Nicole would walk the Levee. They would talk about their day as they headed toward their favorite place to eat, Dewey’s Pizza, then go to Club Zero for a beer and some dancing. Shaking the memories away, she hurried her pace. She didn’t have time for memories.
Seeing the spot she was to meet Nicole, Pam headed toward the bench and sat, huddling into her jacket. It wasn’t overly cold for November, but the weather in Kentucky was never what it was supposed to be. Her eyes focused on the strong current of the water; the Cincinnati skyline across the river reflected in the rippling water as pieces of driftwood skirted past. Her eyes lifted to stare across the water; her stomach fluttered. Duncan Roark was there somewhere. He might as well be a million miles away rather than a short drive across the river. There wasn’t a second that went by that she didn’t think of the Warrior. He probably hated her now. Not liking the thought, she stood, nerves and aggravation radiating off her. Even though she had talked to Nicole, she never let the conversation become personal.
A feeling of being watched shivered through her body. Slowly, she turned, scanning the area. “Come on, Nicole,” she whispered, shuffling from foot-to-foot and feeling more nervous than usual. Something didn’t feel right, and lately her instincts were dead on.