Enticing Their Mate (Pack Wars #6)(9)
“Easy now,” Dante said. “He’s in no shape for a beating.”
Connolly growled just as Dante’s cell rang. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. “It’s Jay.”
Connolly nodded, but he wasn’t happy to have to delay his fact-finding mission. Timing was critical. As soon as Dante disconnected, Connolly would make sure these two understood why Jay and Riley could never learn that he, too, worked for the General.
“Understood,” Dante said. “Stay in touch.” He faced Connolly. “Apparently, Statler’s at the warehouse right now but Jay doesn’t know for now long.”
Connolly’s lip curled and his bones cracked. He wanted the man bad, but he couldn’t do it alone. He spotted the swipe card around the guard’s neck and an idea popped into his head. As much as he wanted to rip the ID badge off the man, he didn’t want to break it. After lifting it from around the man’s neck, Connolly smiled.
The guard roused. “What do you think you’re gonna do with that? Walk in?”
The guard acted as if that was a bad idea. “As a matter of fact, yes I am.”
“My name’s on the badge.”
He only intended to use it to get through the door. “I can see that.” He faced the two men. “May I speak with you alone?”
Dante had secured the man well, so Connolly didn’t fear he’d escape. They followed him into the living room.
“What do you need?” Trax asked.
“Do you have the layout of the inside of the warehouse?” He thought the General would have sent it to him, but he hadn’t received it yet.
He grinned. “Why, yes I do.”
* * *
After meeting Jay and Riley, both of whom exuded confidence and a focused grasp on the scope of Statler’s evil nature, Sarah practically bounced out of their motel room. She hadn’t felt this kind of joy since before she’d gone undercover all those months ago. Her lightness could have been from the belief the end was near, or from the cocoon of warmth emitted by Jay. The man listened to her every word and offered her sympathy and support when she needed it. He also acted as if she was the most important person in the world. Never before had she met anyone like him.
And then there was Riley. She couldn’t get a bead on him. The man exuded sex appeal but then acted as if any interest by a female was unwelcome. It didn’t really matter. They’d both be gone in a few days, which was a shame; something about them seriously appealed to her. Her military dad had drilled into her the need to toe the line, follow the rules, and do what was right. She’d lived by his philosophy except when it came to sex. Getting lost in a man’s touch and his hard loving ways was the only thing that helped keep her balanced, but only if her partner was amazingly hot or incredibly good-natured.
Jay had both traits in spades. Riley was bad boy-hot but was far from easy-going or overly friendly. He had offered to find her some antibiotics, though, and that counted for a lot.
Ten minutes after leaving their motel, Sarah reached her neighborhood. As a precaution, she drove past her street needing to be certain no one was following her. Twice she’d noticed a white car behind her, but it had eventually turned off. Whenever she spotted a vehicle for more than a few miles, a yucky twisting feeling settled in her stomach. It was why she’d had to learn evasive techniques.
Once she was certain she was safe, she pulled into her drive. Statler was paying for this place, so she shouldn’t complain, but the two-bedroom home was rundown—and it smelled of mold.
Her roommate, Amy, was nice, but she was highly attracted to the bad boys—aka Statler’s goons. As soon as Sarah stepped inside the home, she rushed to her room to change, needing to go for a run to help rid her body of all the day’s tension. The knots in her shoulders had been building from the moment Statler had them pack up their lab in such a hurry and move farther west.
Amy wouldn’t be home until eight, so Sarah planned to enjoy her few hours of freedom. She could only hope that Amy’s boyfriend, Russ, wouldn’t show up tonight. The guard gave her the creeps; he was always asking her odd questions that she suspected came from Statler himself. So far she’d been able to field the answers quite well, but after meeting with the men of the Pack today, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to hide her newfound excitement from her roommate or her boyfriend.
Once dressed, Sarah hopped back in her car. The running path was located in a forested area of a National Park that was full of wildlife and waterfalls. She’d debated asking Statler for a weapon in case she met up with an unwanted animal, but then decided against it. He’d probably fear she’d turn the gun on one of the guards. While tempted, she wouldn’t be that stupid. Russ had mentioned that werewolves only died if the bullet was packed with a certain kind of poison and that regular guns only slowed them down. At present, she had no idea how to get ahold of that poison.
She rolled down her car window to enjoy the late afternoon glow and warm breeze along the seven-mile deserted stretch of road. When she arrived at the Park’s lot, there weren’t any other cars, which further relaxed her.
Keeping an eye on her surroundings, she started with a slow jog then increased her speed for the next couple of miles. The tranquility of the summer day, along with the pine-scented forest lulled her into a dreamlike state. Just for fun, she pictured herself naked, entwined between both Jay and Riley, mentally changing positions, but then gave up trying to decide who would be the better lover. Would Jay take her from behind or would it be Riley? If it was the latter, she bet he’d be determined to keep his emotional distance, but the lovemaking would be so intense that he couldn’t help return for more.