He growled, but it was definitely not at her. “I get this way around my brother. I’ve kind of been in his shadow for a long time. Our dad left when we were young, and he took care of me. He really became the man of the house. He went into the Navy because he didn’t have the money for college. When he got out he whizzed through his undergrad and straight through to his PhD. He’s the smartest guy I know.”
They walked down the street toward the corner. “Well, you’re no slouch.”
“I just read a lot.” He’d gotten ribbed for his reading tastes by his teammates. He’d read in his downtime. Pretty much anything his mom or brother would send him. Thrillers. Mysteries. History books. Books on psychology and sociology. But he didn’t have a formal education.
“You can learn a lot from books. College is nothing but having a guide to reading the right books.”
Her hand in his felt so damn right.
She took a long breath. “Mexican food smells good.”
Well, he could fix that. “Come on. I’ll get you some enchiladas. And a margarita. You’ll see. This whole thing is probably nothing, but it’s best to be safe.”
A little cloud passed over her face, but he could see plainly that she had accepted the inevitable. “I will feel safer if you sleep over. But maybe we can talk about the couch thing. It’s really small and probably uncomfortable.”
And the only way he didn’t end up burying himself in her before the end of the night. “I’ve slept in worse places.”
And then he felt it. It was a little thing, but he’d learned to trust it. A little prickle that ran up his spine as though his body could process his surroundings faster than his brain could, and it sent a warning. He stopped in the middle of the street.
The night was quiet, only the muted sound of mariachi music coming from the restaurant down the street. He looked up and down but there was no one out. Just him and Shelley.
But he knew they weren’t alone.
“Hey, did you change your mind? We could just get some wine and go back to my place.” Shelley looked up at him.
Wolf held a hand up, his fingers in a tight fist.
“You want to punch something?” Shelley asked, her mouth hanging open.
Of course. It was a habit. That fist would have told anyone in the military to go silent, but Shelley hadn’t served for years and obviously didn’t have the same instincts he had. “Hush, love. Stay still. If I tell you to run, you run.”
Up ahead there was a long line of bushes that garnished a small store. The store’s lights were out, but the streetlight glowed through the leaves. Except in one place. There was a man-size dark spot. Wolf looked down. Shoes.
Fuck.
Adrenaline, his old friend, began to pump through his body. He loved the fight. God, he’d missed the fight. Even now his muscles were loosening and his mind sharpening as he got ready to fight for his life.
But he had Shelley.
Double fuck.
His need to kill would have to wait. He pulled his SIG and grabbed his cell, pressing a single button. “We’re heading back to the garage, love. You stay behind me.”
Those feet were starting to move.
“What’s up now?” Leo asked over the line.
“Trouble. Come now. I’m taking her to the garage.” He slid his cell back in his pocket, certain Leo was on his way.
The streetlight above the shrubs flickered, and Wolf could see that whoever had been waiting there was moving a bit faster now, hugging the brick of the wall. Wolf gave the guy thirty seconds before he hit the end of the shrubs and then he would be out in the open. There would be no more play. There would be a bullet.
It was the lightest of sounds that had Wolf turning, realizing that Shrub Guy wasn’t alone. Someone was coming up from behind him, and it sure as hell wasn’t his brother. Leo wouldn’t have made that little mistake. Leo wouldn’t have made a sound. The only way Wolf would have known Leo was there would have been when Leo wanted him to know. It would be the same with Ben and Chase, who had also put in their time with the Teams.
So it was an easy thing to turn and, in the blink of an eye, the scene played out in front of him. A single tango coming in at a run. He held a gun in his right hand. He wore all black, and he’d covered his face with a ski mask.
Yeah, Wolf knew how to handle that. He aimed and squeezed twice, moving his hand not more than an inch. The sound broke up the night. The minute he squeezed the trigger, he turned, absolutely certain the man wouldn’t get off a shot of his own. His aim would be true. There would be two holes, one in each lung. Wolf grabbed Shelley around the waist with one hand just as he heard Shrub Guy’s shot. Wolf dove, curving his body around hers and trying to take the brunt of the roll he had them in. He heard Shelley’s little gasp as they hit the street, but he had protected her head.
“Stay down.”
Another bullet whipped by, but this guy wasn’t a pro. His shots were going wild.
Wolf’s didn’t.
Two final shots rang through the night, and the man who had been running at them stopped, went still, and then fell to the sidewalk, his lungs both useless now that Wolf’s bullets had lodged there. He wished he could do what he knew he needed to. He’d prefer to leave nothing to chance. Two to the chest, one to the head. But Shelley was here. He had to take care of her first.
Wolf kept a hand on Shelley’s head, his eyes searching the night.
“Goddamn it, Wolf. You couldn’t have left one of them alive?”
Yep. He only knew Leo was around when Leo was ready to start bitching at him. With a long breath, he reached for Shelley. “Hey, sweetheart, are you all right?”
Her whole body was shaking. Her eyes were wide. Wolf’s blood was still pumping hard through his system, but his heart softened. Shelley had been here before. She’d had someone—her husband—shot dead right in front of her. What if she was scared of him now?
Shelley nodded, but her eyes were on the second dead man.
“I’m sorry. I acted on instinct.” He’d just killed two guys on their first date. He was really glad he hadn’t taken the head shots.
“Sorry?” She sounded like she was in shock. “You’re sorry?”
“I should have gotten you away.”
She threw her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. “You saved me. Don’t you dare feel bad for killing them. You saved me.”
She sobbed against his neck, but he relaxed. It was natural that she would cry, but he was so damn grateful she understood that he felt a smile cross his face.
“This one’s dead, too, Leo,” one of the twins said. Wolf thought it was Chase. The big Dom had a gun in his hand as he examined the body.
“Oh, excellent.” Julian Lodge stood over the scene with his arms crossed. A tall, well-built man stood beside him wearing slacks and a dress shirt. He knotted his silk tie as he said something quiet to Julian and then pulled out his phone and walked away from the crowd.
Wolf pulled Shelley closer. He was going to get fired. He’d killed two people on Lodge’s land. He would do it again, but, fuck, he was getting tired of having to find new jobs. He was running out of places to work.
Julian walked over to the first dead guy, staring down with unabashed fascination. “Do you know how long it’s been since I had to deal with corpses? It’s been ages. I almost felt…legitimate.” He said the word with a shudder. “You never kill anyone anymore, Leo. And Ben and Chase are far too lazy. Wolf, you’re my new favorite. You get an extra waffle tomorrow morning.” He sighed and straightened his shirt. “Well, I should get inside. The police chief is calling this in. It will be handled with discretion, but I think we want this on the record. Wolf, don’t incriminate yourself.”
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t,” Leo said with a frown.
Shelley simply shook and held on to him. He tightened his arms around her. He’d almost lost her. Damn it. Someone was coming after her, and it really pissed him off. Two assholes had hidden in the dark with th
e intent of taking her out. He didn’t believe for one stinking second that this was random, and that meant that this afternoon hadn’t been random, either. Someone wanted his girl, and they would have to get through him.
And his brother. Leo stood over the man who had tried to kill Shelley, and Wolf saw his intent. Leo would kill anything that came her way. Leo’s eyes came up, and they were dark and hard, his brother every bit the SEAL he’d been trained to be, only this time he wasn’t protecting his country. He was protecting the other half of his soul.
While Shelley wept out all her anxiety, Wolf and Leo made a silent promise.
They would take out anything that came her way.
Chapter Nine
Shelley walked into Leo’s condo feeling like a zombie. Her feet shuffled in, but it was an instinctive thing with no real purpose behind it. Since that moment when she’d realized someone was after her, she’d simply followed Wolf’s instructions. Wolf had been something real and tangible to hold on to. His big hands had gripped her, holding her to reality. His strong arms had protected her. He’d covered her with his body, willing to take any bullet that came her way.
He’d killed two men for her.
She couldn’t help it. She was in love with Wolf Meyer. And yet Leo still held a piece of her heart.
Wolf turned, smiling. He’d been a rock for the last several hours. He’d been the rock she’d clung to. He’d never faltered. He’d simply held her and patiently dealt with her, never once making her feel weird for her anxiety. He’d handled the police with charm and aplomb. She was pretty sure the officers who had taken his statement either wanted to be him or do him. They had stated plainly that they admired him.
Wolf could take care of himself. He could take care of her.
“You can take my room, sweetheart. I’ll be right out here all night long.” He gestured toward the couch.
“Ben and Chase should be here soon,” Leo said as he shut the door behind him. “I sent them out to check out your place and bring you back some clothes.”
She was pretty sure they wouldn’t bring back underwear. She would be lucky to get a bra when two Doms were packing for her.
She looked around. She’d never once been invited into Leo’s condo, but it was everything she’d expected. Cool, lovely, a little Spartan. It reminded her of the man himself. The whole condo had been done in neutral shades. She would have liked a little pop of color herself, but it was nice.
And the sofa wouldn’t hold Wolf. His knees would be drawn up all night long.
What was she waiting for? She wanted to sleep with Wolf. The only thing that was holding her back was the fact that Leo was in the room.
“How about a Scotch? I could use one.” Leo strode to the kitchen.
“Are you really okay?” Wolf looked down at her, his sensual mouth so close it had her heart pounding.
She let her hands drift to his waist. “Someone wants to kill me.”
Saying it helped. It made it real. It made it something she could look at and fight. She wasn’t going to lie down. She wasn’t going to accept this fate.
“We’re going to take care of it, sweetheart,” Wolf promised. “Me and Leo. We won’t let you down. We fight a lot, but when we want to, we make a really good team. I promise I won’t let them near you.”
He wouldn’t. He would fight, and from what she’d seen tonight, he would win. He’d been miraculous. His body had moved like that gun was a part of it. One moment he’d been smiling and happy and talking about margaritas, and the next he’d been a killing machine with one thought—to protect her.
And she found that infinitely sexy.
Shelley was well aware that her sudden sex drive had a lot to do with adrenaline and emotion. She shouldn’t push it. She should let everything settle. It’s what Leo would tell her to do. He would tell her to take a step back because she could be making a horrible mistake by rushing in when she should take it slow.
“I don’t want you to sleep on the couch.” She’d spent her whole damn life doing the “right” thing. Or maybe that was the wrong way of thinking about it. She’d done the most acceptable thing, the logical thing. But this, being here with Wolf, this felt like the right thing.
The only thing that would be missing was Leo, but she’d given that up.
Wolf’s face went blank. “Sweetheart, if you climb in bed with me…” He stopped and took a long breath, obviously coming to some sort of decision. “All right. If this will make you feel better, I can do it. Why don’t you go and take a shower? I’ll find you something to wear. And me. Crap. I don’t exactly do pajamas.”
He turned away from her, his shoulders squared as he looked out the window. The lights from the Omni Hotel sparkled, changing from blue to red and green. “It’ll be fine.”
He thought he wasn’t getting any. God, he was so damn sweet. Under that big, badass exterior there was the heart of a teddy bear. Granted, he was a teddy bear with some nasty teeth, but he was so tender with her that she couldn’t hold herself back. Leo had called to her in a different way. Her attraction to Leo had been immediate and visceral, but with Wolf it had been a long, slow dance of words and distance that led to a sweet lust.
And her new man had some very specific kinks. In for a penny, in for a pound.
Shelley fell to her knees, her head down in the submissive position she’d seen Dani and the other subs in so often. She spread her knees, wincing a little at the scrapes on her legs. Leo had insisted on calling paramedics to make sure she hadn’t been brain damaged by Wolf’s protective roll. The paramedic had cleaned and bandaged a couple of places and made some statement about how lucky she had been to not get torn up more given her lack of clothing.
Wolf kept talking about all the things he would need to do before he was ready for bed.
“I should wait up for Ben and Chase. We were lucky the police chief was here or we probably would have spent the whole damn night at the station. And it was lucky there were so many witnesses.”
She kept her head down but smiled. Did he really think she hadn’t noticed that several upstanding members of The Club had managed to see the whole incident when she was really damn sure no one had been outside? Julian was very good at creating a perfect case for self-defense.
She really wouldn’t want to be on Julian’s bad side.
“Of course, we’ll still have to do some follow-up with the police.”
She wasn’t sure who Wolf was talking to anymore. And the position wasn’t one she was used to. When was he going to turn back and look at her?
“Your back isn’t straight enough. Bring your spine up. Like there’s an invisible string pulling you up.”
She sighed a little. God, she’d dreamed of that voice. Leo. Leo was telling her what to do. She glanced up and saw him in the reflection of the glass in his windows. He stood behind her, his eyes focused on her back. Wolf turned suddenly, and he stared for a moment.
Shelley straightened her spine.
“Eyes down, love,” Wolf said, his voice going dark. Gone was the nervous chat of before, and in its place was a deep command.
“She needs to spread her legs.” Leo’s voice was tense.
She kept her head down but couldn’t help but glance up to see Wolf’s lips curve in a small smile.
“You should tell her that,” Wolf said. “I’m sure you can explain it well. You always have had a way with words.”
“She’s not my sub. Damn it, Wolf.”
She could hear the tension in Leo’s voice. What exactly was Wolf doing?
“You’re a trainer. We’re a new D/s couple. This is what you do,” Wolf stated with a calm his brother didn’t possess right now.
Her heart was starting to race. If she wasn’t so damn sure of Wolf’s innate kindness, she would wonder if he was trying to torture his brother. But Wolf wouldn’t do that. She knew it deep down. Was he inviting Leo in?
Was he asking Leo to join them? And what would she do if Leo said yes?
L
eo walked forward. “Wolf, you’ve been doing this for years. You know what to do. I should just leave the two of you alone.”
Wolf laughed a little. “After tonight, I’m pretty sure all the rules I understood are moot. I need to learn all of The Club’s rules. And you’re my brother. You’ve taught me all my life. Who better to instruct us both?”
“You’re a fucker, Wolfgang.”
“Back at you, Leonardo.”
Shelley couldn’t help it. Her head came up in a heartbeat. “Wolfgang? Leonardo? Seriously?”
Leo frowned her way. “Eyes down, pet, or I will spank you despite the fact that my brother covered you in bruises tonight. We have to talk about your protection methods, Wolf.”
She looked back down, but she couldn’t control her heartbeat. Leo didn’t sound like a man who was about to walk away. He sounded more comfortable. More in control.
“Well, she isn’t dead. I was calling it a win,” Wolf shot back.
Shelley felt a hand reach for hers. Leo brought her arm up, and he showed off a tiny cut she’d received as Wolf had rolled her onto the street in his successful attempt to keep her away from a bullet. “What do you call this?”
Shelley called it a teeny tiny little wound that had already scabbed over.
“Collateral damage,” Wolf replied.
“You have to be more careful with her,” Leo insisted.
“He was dodging a couple of bullets at the time.” Shelley felt a need to defend her savior. “But, you know, the whole ‘getting saved’ thing would have been easier if I was allowed to wear panties.”