Fighting For Their Mate (23 page)

“Yes, you can. Surprise is on your side. If you feel your life is really threatened drive your fingers into his eyes. Werewolves will recover, but it takes a few seconds. In that time, you can run.”

“Hey,” Tyson said. “While you’re making Bailey into Superwoman, I’ll head next door and make sure they know what to do tomorrow.”

“Great,” Ford said. “How about ordering us some grub while you’re at it?”

“Perfect.” He unlocked the adjoining door and knocked. The door opened and he stepped inside.

Ford relocked their side. “Okay, where were we?”

“I want to try something. How about if I go limp and drop to the ground? That way you can’t choke me.”

“That’s a last ditch effort unless you’re good at kicking. I’m afraid that if you’re on the ground, your attacker may just kick you to death.”

Damn. All this proved was that she had no skills. Perhaps his goal was to scare the shit out of her. That if he told her to hide, she’d do what he said. “Then what?”

“Redirect the strike. By that I mean if he’s taking a swing at you, slap the back of his hands to push him in the same direction. Then step toward him while he’s off balance and strike using your other hand. Try it.”

After a few tries, she could see the potential. Unfortunately, none of her blows had any impact. She had another, better idea. “Come at me again.”

As soon as Ford reached out for her, she slid between his arms and plastered her chest to his. She stood on her tiptoes and tugged on his earlobe with her teeth. He groaned.

“What are you trying to do?” he rasped.

“Disarming you. How am I doing?” She couldn’t help but smile.

“Brilliantly. You’re my best student so far.”

With that she drew his head down and kissed him with every ounce of pent of passion she possessed. His arms wrapped around her and he met her thrusting tongue with his own. She should have been sated from before, but she needed more. Much more. Being with only one of them had wet her appetite even more.

Her fingers curled and she tugged him closer. “How about undressing me?”

Ford grinned, looking devilishly handsome. “My pleasure.” He unbuttoned and unzipped her pants in one quick movement. In flash, her jeans and panties were on the floor. Next, her shirt sailed over her head. Once he slipped off her sports bra, he devoured her lips once more.

“You drive me crazy, you know that?” Ford dipped his head and nabbed a nipple. The pinch sent a spark of need straight to her clit.

She didn’t want to be teased and tortured. “I want you. Now.”

He leaned back, his eyes a smoldering gold. Ford lifted her up. “Wrap your legs around me. I want to fuck you hard and long. This will be the ride of your lifetime.”

She couldn’t wait.

W
ith Ford’s forehead pressed against Bailey’s, he walked her backwards to the connecting door and spun around. “Lift up,” he said. He cupped her ass with one hand and guided his cock to her wet pussy. “Hope you can handle it. My brother knows nothing about how to make love to a woman.”

She swallowed a laugh. The competition between them was fierce, but so was the love. “He did all right.” Actually, he did more than all right. The last time she’d made love with Ford, he’d been equally fantastic.

As if to prove that he was the better lover, not only did Ford ease into her, he nipped at her chin and groaned. She expected something fast and furious, but he seemed to want to take his time. That hadn’t been her plan.

She planted her feet on his thighs, lifted up, and drove down on him, engulfing his full length. Yikes. That had been a mistake. The ache extended up to her chest. Then something wonderful happened. No sooner had the throbbing subsided than a glorious pulsing began. Desperate for more, Bailey leaned back and offered him her breasts.

“You tempt me too much.” Ford dipped his head and sucked on her tender right nipple until the gripping pleasure nearly blinded her.

She twisted for him to seduce the other breast, and as he nabbed that nipple, he thrust upward, rendering her breathless.

“Kiss me,” she commanded.

He lifted his head, his eyes flickering gold and brown, laced with flecks of green. His fangs protruded over the edge of his mouth, and a shot of panic stabbed her, but it also added to the sexual intensity.

“Ah, Ford. Your teeth are showing.”

He closed his eyes, and they retracted. “It’s what you do to me. You bring out my inner wolf.”

He slid his mouth along the slope of her neck, sucking on her flesh from throat to shoulder, causing her pulse to beat frantically in her chest. One hand held onto his bicep for dear life, and with the other, she captured his head, loving how his hair turned coarser with each lick.

“Kiss me. Please,” she commanded.

“I’ll do that and more.”

Their lips locked and he plowed into her again, hitting some nerves that catapulted her to heavenly glory. Needing air, she broke the kiss and buried her head in the crook of his neck, lifting and dropping to match his frantic rhythm.

They fucked hard and with an intensity that blew her mind. Whether he came first or she did, Bailey couldn’t tell. She swallowed her screams of ecstasy, fearing the men in the next room might break down the door. As Ford’s cum pummeled her back wall, her orgasm surrounded her, pulsating and rocketing her to the highest orbit.

Bailey closed her eyes, letting the pinpricks of light do a dance behind her lids. Out of breath, she sagged against his body. Ford held her tight as he walked her to the bathroom.

“Let’s shower together.”

She nodded. “Okay, but you’ll need to wash me. Every muscle is mush.”

“I was counting on it.”

*     *     *

Four o’clock in the morning came around too soon. Ty closed his case, ready to go, though he didn’t look forward to tangling with any of Statler’s men. Ford had gone to get coffee, and the rumblings next door implied Cam and Spence were already up.

Ty nudged the sleeping beauty who looked so peaceful spread out on the bed, her auburn hair a tangle about her face. “Bailey. Come on, honey. It’s time to get Tatum.”

At her sister’s name, she opened her eyes and yawned. They’d suggested she sleep in her street clothes for a quicker departure.

“What time is it?”

“Four. Up and at ‘em.”

“I’m good. Let me brush my teeth and throw my stuff in the duffle.”

The door opened and Ford traipsed in. “Had to drive over half an hour to get the damned coffee and donuts. I can’t wait until we get back to the States where civilization is around the next corner.”

He set the five containers of rich smelling brew on the table, along with a large bag of donuts. Ty picked up his cup and tipped back a mouthful. “You sure you can trust Andy McFarland to do what he’s supposed to do?”

He was the driver of the delivery truck. They’d paid him half up front to help load the storage box containing Tatum into the truck, and the other half when he delivered her to the drop zone. Andy said he’d have no problem enlisting the help of another worker to carry the wrapped Tatum to the handmade chest. His friend only asked for five hundred dollars. While Tyson didn’t like the idea of two more men being involved, with all the surveillance cameras, it couldn’t be helped.

Bailey came out of the bathroom with her case in hand and yawned. “I’m ready.”

Just then Spence and Cam stepped through the door. Their main job was to take care of Clare and to make sure nothing happened to Bailey. They weren’t cleared to enter the lab, so it was up to Ty and Ford to provide the needed distractions.

Ford held up a bag. “Brought donuts and coffee.”

Cam smiled while Spence grunted. “Thanks.”

Bailey had to ride with Cam and Spence, who’d remain about five miles from the lab, ready to receive Tatum when Andy dropped her off.

Ty and Ford had done a lot of undercover work, but none this dangerous. His biggest worry was that a fight might break out, which would draw too much attention to Tatum and the escape. There were more than fifteen enhanced wolves residing on the lab property, making a getaway next to impossible. Their goal was to get in and get out with as little fuss as possible.

Ty opened his arms. “How about a hug for good luck, honey?”

She fell into his embrace. “If you don’t come back, I’ll go into the lab and kill you myself.”

He chuckled. “Don’t worry.” He lifted her chin. “We’ll be fine. We’re the best, remember?”

“I hope so.”

He leaned over and kissed her then let Ford do the same. They waited until Spence, Cam, and Bailey left before heading to the lab. Timing was key. Tatum’s nurse, Sarah, wouldn’t get off work until three, which meant they couldn’t wait for her shift to end. That was where Ford came in.

Tyson followed Ford to the lab and parked close to their regular exit while Ford parked in front of Hoffman’s storefront where he entered through the wood shop. Ford wanted to check with Andy to make sure he hadn’t chickened out. Ty, on the other hand, was to act as if it was a regular day.

As soon as he entered, Ty logged in, forcing himself to act as casual as possible, despite the somersaults in his gut. Where was his rigid military training when he needed it?

First, he headed to his room since it was the safest place to contact Clare. They’d outfitted her with a wire that Cam and Spence had shown her how to use. Once in his room, he closed the door.

“Testing, testing. Clare, this is Tyson. If you’re alone, please respond.”

“I’m here,” she whispered, her voice shaky. Damn.

He inhaled. “Okay. Good. Do you have any last minute questions?” They’d been over the details many times and even made her repeat the instructions.

“No.”

“Good. I’m on my way toward Tatum’s room now. I’ll stand watch while you go in and get her. See you in a bit.” She didn’t respond, but her footsteps echoed through the wire.

Next, he texted his brother on their burner phones. “Clare’s ready. You good?”

“All set,” came the response.

Despite the appearance that everything was in order, Ty was nervous. All it would take would be a call from Statler to derail everything, or another nurse questioning Clare why she was taking care of Tatum. Ford’s job was to distract Sarah—come on to her if need be—anything to keep her away from Tatum’s room for a few minutes.

*     *     *

Clare wasn’t sure she could do this. She wasn’t cut out for subterfuge. Getting caught would not only put her in danger, it would mean her parents’ death, and it might bring Tatum a lot of unnecessary pain.

Clare’s breathing came out too fast and she was perspiring something fierce. Disappointment raced through her. She’d been trained to work under the worst of circumstances, yet here she was, acting like a newbie, hyperventilating.

Get a grip. For Mom and Dad.

A door opened and another early shift nurse, Amanda, stepped out from room 209. When she spotted Clare, her chin tucked under, clearly surprised to see Clare at this end of the wing. Each nurse had their set rooms they tended to, and Clare’s wasn’t in this direction.

“Hey,” Amanda said. “What are you doing here?”

Don’t panic. They’d rehearsed this
. It wasn’t illegal to wander, just not common. “Sarah wasn’t feeling well. She’s in the bathroom and asked me to check on a few of her girls.”

“Oh. Sorry to hear that. I’ll see if she needs anything.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. Clare nodded. Despite the temporary relief, she could barely swallow, the blood pounding fast against her temples. As she neared the end of the hallway, the exit door opened. Her pulse spiked. When she spotted Tyson, she exhaled. He nodded, and then ran his gaze along the length of the corridor but said nothing.

Slipping her hand in her pocket to make sure the note Bailey had written was still there, she unlocked Tatum’s door and stepped in. Only after she closed it did her pulse slow. Without cameras present, Clare calmed.

“Hi, Tatum.”

Bailey’s sister opened her eyes. She blinked, having just woken up. Tyson told her that she had less than three minutes to wheel Tatum out, but first she needed the girl’s cooperation. If Tatum started complaining, she’d draw too much attention, and Clare would have to abort the mission or heavily sedate Tatum. Clare didn’t want to do either. If she had to repeat this escape plan tomorrow, she wasn’t sure she could go through with it. It was now or never.

Drawing on all of her strength, she strode over to Tatum’s bed where the girl was still strapped down. Clare withdrew the piece of paper from her pocket, unfolded it, and held it up for Tatum to read. “I need you to listen very carefully,” she said in her most authoritative tone. “I’m here to help you escape. This is a note from your sister to prove to you what I’m saying is true.”

“It’s from Bailey? Before she died?”

“Bailey is alive. We lied to you. Read it quickly.”

Tatum’s lips moved and a tear streamed down her face. “Oh, my God. She’s okay.”

The hope in Tatum’s voice tore at Clare’s very being. The note wasn’t to prove that her sister was healthy but to convince her to do everything Clare told her to do.