A to Zane (12 page)

“Hands off,” Wall warned.

“Okay, okay. Jeez, these wolves don’t know how to share, do they?” Ziggy stood and walked over to where his twin sister was sitting. Two of the pack, young males, were watching her clean and polish her hunting knife. “Is there a reason you’re looking at my baby sister like she’s an impala? No? Good, now go away.” Ziggy, the terrible flirt, turned into Ziggy, the overprotective twin, in the space of five steps.

“I found something you might find interesting.” Ziva ignored her twin and came over to Zane. She gave him a quick hug before stepping back.

“What?”

“I found the guy who sent the rapist after your woman.”

“How is that possible? We haven’t been able to find a thing,” Wall asked.

“I have my ways.” Ziva didn’t explain further.

“Who is it?” Zane asked.

“Some real gem of a guy called Eric Culdwick.”

Zane looked around the room to see if anything struck a memory. Laney stood to the side listening. At Culdwick’s name her eyes grew and then narrowed to thin slits.

“Laney?” he asked.

“You know this guy?” Heath asked.

“No, but I know of him. He dated Abby her first year in college. I don’t know details. All I know is he changed her. One minute Abby is this bright, laughing young girl; the next she’s wearing black, flinching when you move too quick, and hiding in shadows.”

“Where is he?” Zane turned back to Ziva.

“Closer than you think.”

Abby walked up to the door of the beautiful cottage and knocked.

The door opened quickly, letting her know he’d been watching her walk up the path.

“I knew you’d come.”

“You didn’t give me much choice.”

“Aw, you’ll hurt my feelings.”

Abby gave a deep, bored sigh. “Can we just get this over with?”

Eric’s smile dropped, and he stepped back.

“Come on in.”

Abby shook her head. “No, we do this here.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“Not this side of hell.”

“Well look at that, finally made a smart move.”

Abby looked him up and down. Eric had once been a hot guy. Not as tall as Zane, but that never bothered her before. The years hadn’t been kind to him. The evil inside had started to eat away at the looks he relied on so much.

“Things are different now.”

Eric raised his hand quickly, and Abby ducked, expecting a blow that never came.

“Not everything, it seems.” Triumph oozed from him.

Abby clenched her hands into fists. Damn him, she wasn’t that girl anymore, and he couldn’t change that.

“Why were you looking for me, Eric?”

“I missed you.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“No, I really didn’t. Shall we sit?” He pointed to a chair swing on the porch.

Abby looked around; the line of sight was clear. Karina would still be able to see her through the rifle scope.

“Sure.”

The chair was clearly old, but it was strong and didn’t break when they sat.

She moved as far away from him as she could, but it wasn’t very far. Eric laid an arm along the back of the seat. Abby’s skinned crawled. How had she ever thought he was so hot, so sweet? How could she have made this idiot her whole life?

“I hear your business is going well.”

“Better than I expected. I suppose I should thank you for that.” Abby turned in the chair to face him more. “You were the first problem I solved.”

Eric gave her a half smile. “You’re welcome.”

“I said I should. I didn’t say I was going to.”

“I see you got some of the fire back I beat out of you.”

Abby wasn’t going to react, no matter what he said. She wasn’t a nineteen-year-old girl wearing rose-tinted glasses anymore.

“What do you want, Eric? I don’t have all day.”

Eric stared at her, and Abby waited. In years past, she’d talk and talk to fill the silences, the ones that made her so uncomfortable. But not now; now she sat and waited until he spoke.

“You may fix problems, Abby Avalanche, but I start them.” The reminder of the name he once used, one of the many he used to crush her spirit and self-confidence, only managed to stiffen her resolve. “Because you once loved me, I’m being the bigger man and warning you trouble is looking for you.”

“Is that right?”

“Yep, they’re paying me a lot of money to make sure your life is pretty much hell. To be honest, I’d have done it for half the price, really. You were always my favorite pet to torture.”

Abby watched the smug grin spread across his face and wondered if he’d cry when she popped him in the mouth. Bullies like Eric were always the first to cry when you stood up to them. Abby wondered if it was wrong to hope he sobbed.

“Things have changed since I last saw you, Eric.”

“Oh yes?”

“Hmm, there used to be a time I was so scared of you, that I’d do something that’d make you angry.”

“Good times.”

“But that’s not the case anymore. You used to be the boogeyman, the scary thing in the closet, the monster under the bed. But now…” Abby leaned forward to bring them nose to nose. “I’m the scary thing, the one parents warn their children about.”

Abby ran her finger down his cheek. Eric watched with wide eyes. She could see the slight edge of fear, and she enjoyed it.

“I’m the ringmaster for a circus of freaks, and you’ve no idea what I’m willing to do. So you’re going to tell me exactly who’s looking for me, or I’m going to show you what it’s like to feel real bone-melting fear.”

Eric swallowed hard, and Abby realized the dark part of her soul that still felt the terror of him wasn’t there anymore. Eric wasn’t the big bad, she was.

“You don’t scare me.”

“Then you’re an idiot, but we already knew that, didn’t we?”

Eric sneered at her, and Abby smiled. She wasn’t afraid of him, not anymore.

“Let’s just say you’ve made some enemies over the years, and not all of them are willing to forget.”

“That’s good, because I never forget them either.”

Eric stretched his legs out in front of him, for all the world looking as if he was getting comfortable, chatting with an old friend.

“Do you still suck cock as well as I taught you?” He was clearly trying to fluster her.

“Do you really think it was you who taught me that? No, Eric, I just let you think that, so you and your tiny dick didn’t feel inadequate.”

Eric turned a venomous stare on her. “I’m going to love watching them break you.”

“Who are ‘they’, Eric?”

Eric shrugged. Abby waited for him to answer, and they sat in silence for several minutes before Abby realized something.

“You don’t know, do you?”

Eric’s jaw clenched, his face grew red, and she could see the anger clear in his eyes. Abby laughed and stood.

“You’re being paid to flush me out, and you don’t even know who by. You’re not an errand boy, you’re no one.”

Abby walked down the porch stairs, laughing. She heard Eric’s steps as he came after her. He caught hold of her arm and spun her around. His hand was raised ready to slap, but Abby was ready for him. As she spun, she raised her arm, shoving him in the chest and forcing him backward.

Eric was surprised by the move and lost his balance. Abby took advantage and swiped his feet out from under him. He landed hard on the dry ground, and she heard the air
whoosh
out of his lungs.

With a look of what she hoped was pure disdain on her face, she stared down at him. “Run, Eric, run far and fast because when I’m done solving this problem, I’m going to find you. Trust me. You think the worst thing is sending a crazed rapist after me? You’ve no idea the pain I’m going to inflict on you.”

Abby spun on her heel, dismissing Eric from her mind. She clearly had a bigger problem to solve.

“Rina, did you hear all of that?” Abby had kept her comm open, making sure Karina could hear everything said.

“Last I saw, your fox friend was being dragged away by your cousin.” It was Zane’s voice she heard in her earpiece. “It seems I wasn’t the only one who got drugged last night, so you two could run off to get yourselves killed.”

Abby climbed into her car and just sat there. She didn’t think they’d catch up with her so quick,
dammit
. She considered running, but Zane must have guessed that.

“You run, and I’ll find you, and trust me, the mood I’m in, you really don’t want to push me. Now get your pretty little ass here.”

Abby started the car and turned it around. She wanted to run, but he was right. She needed to clear this up before she’d be able to tie down exactly who was coming for her.

Abby drove two miles down the road to the meeting point she and Karina agreed on.

Zane and Duke were standing there leaning against Duke’s car when she arrived. Karina was in the back; Abby could see tears in her eyes.

“Is she okay?” Abby asked, coming out of the car.

“I’d be more concerned with my own ass right now,” Duke warned.

“Don’t lecture me, Duke. It’s not like I didn’t do exactly what you would have done.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Abby doll, because I wouldn’t have drugged anyone. Did you even think about the effects those drugs could have had on us?” Duke stood there with his hands on his hips, towering over her.

“You’re alive, aren’t you?”

“Oh my God. I can’t even talk to you right now.” Duke walked away from them.

Abby couldn’t look at Zane. She could feel the anger emanating from his body.

Instead she walked over to Karina, opened the car door, and leaned down to talk to her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry, boss lady. Who knew a full human and a tiger could be so stealth-like?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just as long as you’re okay.”

Karina wiped her hand down her face, clearing away the last of her tears. “So I may be forced to kill your cousin.”

Abby gave her a smile. “I’d appreciate it if you could just maim him a little. Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without him.”

Karina sniffed and nodded.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let you do that. I’ll sort it all out. You and Duke will be fine in no time.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Abigail.”

Abby didn’t realize Duke had come back to the car. She turned to face him. “Duke, don’t be an idiot. We both know this was my idea. Karina was just following orders.”

“Was she following orders when she helped Clara drug Wall last year? Was she following orders when she guessed how much to increase the dosage she gave Zane? Do you know they couldn’t wake him? Do you know it took them nearly an hour to wake me? We could have died.” Duke ended on a yell.

Abby stared at him. She hadn’t known that. She shot a look at Zane. A thick vein in his temple was throbbing.

He was alive; they both were. She could see that, but it didn’t change the feeling of guilt engulfing her.

“I’m taking her back to the pack house. Clara and Laney are waiting for her, for both of you.” Abby stood and backed away from the car. “And, Abby…” Duke took hold of her chin, presumably to make sure he had her full attention. “This family isn’t a pack, so that lone wolf shit doesn’t work for us. You run off again, and I’m letting our parents come looking for you. Am I understood?”

“I don’t answer to you, Duke St. Clair.”

Duke’s eyes narrowed, and she could see the argument he was about to deliver when an arm wrapped around her waist.

“Get your girl and take her back. I’m going to have a little chat with Abby,” Zane said.

Duke nodded, shut Rina’s door, and climbed into his car.

“Don’t worry, okay?” Abby gave Karina a reassuring smile before Duke sped off.

Abby tried to step away from Zane, but he held fast. He leaned over and brushed the hair away from her face with his free hand.

“Did you enjoy taunting that asshole like that?” he asked so softly she tensed.

If he’d shouted, she would’ve been able to handle it better.

“I had a job to do.”

Zane ran his free hand down around her waist, pulling her tighter against his body. “Your job was to stay in our bed. Your job was to get better from the attack that scum ordered. Your job isn’t to put yourself in danger, especially when I’m not there.”

A roar sounded, and then another answered. Abby jumped when Zane leaned back and answered the call.

“What was that?”

“Culdwick won’t be bothering you again.”

“What did you do?” She tried to pull away, but Zane wouldn’t let her go.

“Scared the shit out of him. He even thinks about you again, and I’ve made sure he knows it’ll be the last thing he ever does.”

Abby closed her eyes and counted to ten. She tried to pull away again, but Zane refused to let her go.

“I don’t need you to fight my battles. I’ve done this for years, and guess what? I’ve managed just fine without you or your tiger pals getting in the way.”

“Just fine? Who do you think saved you from that fuck the other day? It wasn’t one of your team, that’s for sure. It was me. Look who’s here covering your ass again, me and my people. So don’t tell me you’re fine without my help because I’ve not seen a single ounce of proof.”

He threw open the passenger car door and pushed her inside. “Stay there.”

He didn’t need to issue the order. Abby was still reeling from the news he’d been the one to save her last week. What did that mean? More to the point, how the hell had he known where to find her? No one was supposed to know about the sting.

Abby looked over at Zane as he got into the car and realized, even after sleeping in the same bed with him, she really didn’t know a thing about him.

Zane Anderson was a stranger.

Zane wasn’t sure how he managed to get back to the wolf pack house without killing them both. He was so angry, he could barely see.

What had she been thinking? Of all the stupid things to pull, this had to be right up there.

He couldn’t speak to her. He just needed to get her back to her family. Once he knew she was safe, he could process everything that’d just happened.

As they walked into the house, Zane heard two motorcycles pull up. His family was back safe.

Everyone was in the kitchen when they walked in.