Holdin' On for a Hero (33 page)

Wyatt chuckled and walked over to sit down on the bedroll beside her. “I have no idea, but it must have been good.”

“Well, no duh!”

“How do you feel?” he asked.

She realized that she felt fine. Reaching down between her legs she tested to see if she was still sore. It wasn’t. “It doesn’t hurt!” she exclaimed, and tested again by inserting two fingers into herself. “Not at all!”

Wyatt fell back on the bedroll with a groan. “God almighty, woman!”

“What?” She looked at him with wide eyes.

“You’re definitely trying to kill me.”

“What did I do?” She was completely confused.

He laughed. “What did you do? Well, how about sitting there with your fingers up your … christ, woman, don’t you know men fantasize about that?”

Chance felt a flush work over her skin. “Oh!”

“Now don’t go getting all shy on me,” he said with a husky growl in his voice. “I was diggin’ it.”

Chance couldn’t help but smile. “Well, then maybe there’s more where that came from. But it’s gonna cost you, Wolfe.”

“Anything,” he agreed. “Whatever you want is yours.”

“Better be careful with those promises. I want a lot.”

“The deal stands,” he said and turned on his side to watch her. “Now where were we?”

“Ready for a swim?”  She asked.

Wyatt sat then stood, pulling Chance first to her feet then up into his arms. With long sure strides he walked into the lake, wading out until the water reached his chest. Chance squealed and clung to him. “Jesus, that’s cold!”

“Refreshing,” he corrected as he released her and she sank fully into the water.

“Cold!” she argued even though it was not all that cold.

“Invigorating” he returned with a grin.

“Chilly,” she replied with a mischievous smile just before she climbed up on him and pressed him beneath the water.

Wyatt grabbed her and pulled her under with him. Their lips met and for a few moments they remained beneath the surface, surrounded by silence, locked in the kiss.

When they surfaced, he shook his hair back,  carried her to the bedroll and lowered down with her still wrapped around him, sitting on his lap.

“Time for us to go,” he whispered against her neck.

“Not yet,” she pleaded.

“Tsa’li said twilight.” Wyatt had no more desire to leave than she, but knew they must.

Chance drew back to look at him. “No matter what happens, Wyatt, I love you and I always will.”

“It’s going to be fine,” he assured her even though he was far from certain. While he was here, in the wilderness with only her, he could control the thing within him, keep it at bay. Back in the world, he was not so sure. But he had to strong for her. “Believe me, Chance. It will be okay. It has to.”

“Why does it have to?”

“Because I’ve waited too long to have you and I won’t let anything come between us. Ever. You’re mine, Chance. Now and for always. Call me a pig, call me what you want, but you’re mine and heaven help anyone who tries to take you away from me.”

Chance smiled and placed her hand on the side of his face. “No one could ever do that, Wyatt. Because I am yours. I always have been. I love you.”

Wyatt wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight and saying a silent prayer that their wishes were not in vain.

* * * * *

It was after midnight when they reached Tsa’li’s house. They let themselves in and quietly made their way to the spare bedroom. Not wanting to awaken Tsa’li, they silently undressed and climbed into the bed. Chance lay staring into the darkness for a long time, thinking about all that had happened, and wondering what was to come. Little did she know that Wyatt was doing the same thing. It was nearly dawn before either of them drifted off to sleep.

The smell of coffee woke Wyatt. He tried to slip out of bed without waking Chance, but she had a death grip on him even in sleep.

“Hmmmm, coffee,” she murmured then opened her eyes. “God, I’m starving!”

Wyatt smiled and rose. “Get dressed and I’ll go scare up some breakfast.”

Neither of them had to bother. Tsa’li and John were both waiting in the kitchen when they entered, fresh from the shower, but with Chance still wearing Tsa’li’s old clothes.

No one had much to say during breakfast. Chance shoveled down a plate of eggs, three slices of toast and two cups of coffee. “God, that was good,” she sighed. “Now, I hate to be the downer, but we need to pay attention to the matters at hand.”

“Which—” she held up her hand as Wyatt started to interrupt, “means that I need to go get some things from the motel. And Wyatt, you need to take John shopping. His house is destroyed and he’ll need some things. Also, you need to call the insurance company about the fire and tell them that the adjuster hasn’t shown up yet..  And tell Sheriff Smith that John and I both will testify to what happened.”

“I’ll do all that. But I don’t want you going anywhere by yourself. If you have to go somewhere, I’ll go with you.”

“I’ll be fine. But if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll take Wa’ya with me and we’ll just go to the motel then come straight back here.”

“No.”

“Wyatt, don’t be stubborn. I’ll be fine. No one will even know it’s me. Tsa’li said I could take his truck and no one will be expecting me to be driving it. I’ll be back in an hour, tops.”

“Let her go,” Tsa’li sided with Chance.

Wyatt frowned at him. “You know, it seems like you and she are getting to be a real matched pair. Do you have any idea what could happen to her if Holling’s boys grab her?”

“Can you see the future, my grandson? Do you know that is what will happen?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Then let her go.”

Wyatt frowned at the look that passed between Chance and Tsa’li. There was more going on than met the eye. But he knew when he was outnumbered. “Okay,” he relented.

She smiled and hugged him then turned to Tsa’li. “Could I borrow something to wear?”

He nodded and left the room. Wyatt pulled her into his arms. “Just promise me that if you see any signs of trouble you’ll turn around and come straight back.”

“I promise,” she said and returned the embrace. “Wyatt, we’re going to get through this.”

“You sound so sure. Why is that?”

“Because I am. Besides, the Uluhsati told me.”

“You know about the Uluhsati?” He pulled back and looked at her in surprise.

She laughed and walked to the door as Tsa’li entered with a bundle of clothes. “You’d be surprised what I know.”

* * * * *

Chance turned off the road into the parking lot of the motel. She didn’t see anyone around. “Okay, you wait right here and I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said to Wa’ya, giving him a rub. He lay down on the seat as she got out of the truck. There was a dark sedan parked a couple of spaces down, but she didn’t see anyone in it.

She headed for the office and requested another key, explaining that she had left hers in her car at a friend’s house. The owner reminded her that she would have to pay for the key if she didn’t return it. Chance assured her she would return it and received a duplicate.

She walked outside and looked around, then scolded herself for being paranoid. There was no reason for anyone to want to harm her. She walked to her door and inserted the key. She hadn’t even turned it in the lock when a hand closed over her mouth and something hard jammed into her back.

“One wrong move and you’re halfway to hell,” a man’s voice warned her. “You got it?”

Chance nodded and let go of the door, leaving the key in the lock. Her assailant pulled her around and nudged her in the direction of the dark sedan she had noticed earlier. She stopped and elbowed him as hard as she could. The hand dropped from her face and she made a mad dash for the truck. Just as she grabbed the door handle the man grabbed her from behind, around the waist. She kicked and screamed, still hanging on to the door.

Wa’ya was growling and snarling as Chance fought with the man. She managed to get the door open and Wa’ya bounded out. His teeth sank into the man’s arm and he shook his massive head. The man screamed and released Chance, trying to get away from the wolf.

Chance hesitated, looking at what was happening, then turned and made a dive for the truck. Unfortunately she was too late. Someone grabbed her from behind and picked her up. She screamed and fought as she was carried over to the dark sedan. The back door opened and the man pushed her inside.

Chance heard Wa’ya’s howl as she fell into the car. She immediately tried to jump back out. The door was slammed in her face at the same time someone in the backseat grabbed her. She lashed out, feeling the satisfying sensation of her knuckles connecting with flesh.

“Goddamn!”

She jerked her head up and looked into Greg Holling’s face. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, knocking his hand away as he reached for her.

“Let’s get out of here,” he told the driver.

“What about Buster?” The driver looked at the man in the parking lot who was being mauled by the wolf.

“I said get out of here!”

The driver threw the car in gear and backed out. Chance grabbed the knob to roll down the window and started turning as fast as she could. “Wa’ya!” she had time to scream before Greg grabbed her by the hair and yanked her backward.

Chance whirled and hit at him and he released her. She gave the two men in the front seat a nasty look then turned her attention back to Greg. “What’s the meaning of this? In case you haven’t been informed, kidnapping is a crime.”

“Who’s kidnapping?” Greg looked at the men in the front seat with wide eyes. “You see anyone being kidnapped, boys?”

“Not me,” the man in the passenger seat replied with a laugh.

Chance paid the man no attention but continued to stare angrily at Greg. “I don’t know who you think you are but I don’t find this amusing and I certainly don’t have to take this kind of crap from you.”

“What have I done?” he asked in mock innocence. “All I did was pick you up for our date.”

Chance’s mouth dropped open. There was something very wrong with Greg Holling if he thought he could just go around abducting people whenever he liked. “We don’t have a date.”

“We do now,” he said with a shrug. “What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal?” she asked, thinking that he was an even bigger jerk than she had previously thought. “Did it ever occur to you that women don’t appreciate being dragged at gunpoint and thrown into a car? Or do you think that’s cute?”

“Whatever. By the way, nice outfit. What do you call that—early Salvation Army?”

Chance wasn’t interested in her attire, although she would have preferred to be wearing her own clothes. The flannel shirt and pants Tsa’li had loaned her were miles too big. She had the sleeves of the shirt rolled up around her elbows and the pants were held on by a belt that Wyatt had poked a hole in halfway down its length.

“Stop the car!” she barked at the driver. “Right now!”

The man looked up in the rearview mirror at Greg and Greg laughed and shook his head. Chance turned to him with her eyes flashing. “I demand that you have him stop the car this instant!”

“Too bad.” He leaned back and regarded her insolently.

Chance studied him for a moment. It didn’t make sense for him to grab her. What good would it do him? Oh, crap! she thought.
Unless he plans on using me to get to Wyatt
.
But why would he
?
He doesn
’
t know about us
.
Or does he
?
And if he does then how did he find out
?
Graham Dickerson
?
No
,
he was too scared to talk
.
Besides Tom has guards posted at his hospital door
.
Then who
?
No one else knows
…
except Iris
.

Suddenly some of the pieces fell together. She leaned back and stared out of the window, ignoring Greg and the other two men as she thought about it. After ten minutes or so she turned and looked at Greg. “So what’s this all about, Greg? The story I’m doing on the casino and all the trouble that’s been going on?”

Greg laughed at her. “You think we really give a rat’s ass about that casino? Hell, let those red bastards build it. We’ll just burn it down. Yo, Jack, pass me that bottle from under the seat.”

The man in the passenger seat reached under the seat and pulled out a bottle of bourbon, passing it over the seat to Greg. Greg unscrewed the top and tilted the bottle up to his mouth to take a long drink.

“Damn, that’s good,” he said as he lowered the bottle and extended it toward Chance. “Want a drink?”

“No.”

“Suit yourself.” He took another long drink. Chance wondered just how much he had consumed and if there was a chance she could get him to talk. She cut her eyes at the men in the front seat and changed her mind. She needed to get Greg alone.