Hunted (17 page)

“Finn.” He pulled me close and cradled me against his chest. His lips pressed against the top of my head, a benediction of sorts. “I understand. You’ve spent much of your life running from that bastard. To finally confront him, even over the phone, has to have opened all the old wounds. Anyone with an ounce of sanity would be tempted to run, especially since it is pretty damned clear he had a hand in your parents’ deaths. The fact that you’re still here tells me you’re strong and more than ready to take back your life.”

I drew a deep, shuddering breath and wrapped my arms around his waist. I wasn’t sure he was right, but I was willing to let him try to convince me.

“You’ve already taken the first steps to doing just that. You agreed to be my mate, to stand with me in and for the pride and clan. You’ve taken on our markings and have been accepted by our pride.

“But it’s more than that and you’d know it if you’d just cut yourself a break. You’ve spent the last few days with your grandmother. You’re reconnecting with parts of your past that had been forbidden to you for too long. If that’s not enough to convince you, remember that you are the one who suggested calling Jennings and facing him down, so to speak. I have nothing but respect for what you’ve done to survive and what you are doing now.”

“But--“

“Shh.” He held me away from him just far enough that he could look into my eyes. “Finn, there’s more. You aren’t thinking of Jennings in the same light you have for so long. Think about it. How have you referred to him since the call?”

He waited, watching me. For a moment, I wasn’t sure I knew what he meant. Then it dawned on me. Jennings. I’d been calling him Jennings and not Michael. That was the sort of emotional distancing I’d never been able to achieve before now. I still wanted to run and hide, but I wouldn’t. Not now and not ever again.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being you. For helping me in that parking garage. For not tossing me out when you discovered that helping me would put you in direct conflict with another clan leader. For caring enough to talk sense to me when I most need it.”

“Finn.” He smiled and shook his head. “You have nothing to thank me for. I’m just a Texas boy who firmly believes that no man has the right to tell a woman who she belongs to. I hate bullies and will be more than glad to knock Jennings down a peg or ten for how he’s treated you. I’m in awe of the woman you’ve managed to become despite all the obstacles he’s thrown into your path.”

Before this mutual admiration society could get any more sickly sweet, Matt’s cell phone rang. I tensed, waiting as he dug into his pocket for it. It seemed like ages since we’d last heard from Danny and I couldn’t help wondering if the trackers had managed to give his people the slip. Dear God, if we’d lost them before we actually found them, this nightmare wouldn’t be over. Even if he’d found them, there was no guarantee they’d implicate Jennings. But we had a better chance closing the noose around him with them than without.

Unfortunately for my rising level of anxiety, Matt’s responses were short, usually mono-syllabic. He’d listen, expression intent, and then nod and say “yes” or “no”. Then, finally, he seemed to relax. He gave me a quick wink before turning his attention back to the call.

“Danny, no confrontations unless as a last resort. Keep an eye on them. See if you can get a trace on their phones. And don’t lose them. Make sure you and the others have all exits covered. If they try to leave, stop them and let me know. Otherwise, call me in the morning and give me an update.” He listened for a moment and then rang off, sliding the cell phone back into his pocket.

“What?” He could have at least angled the phone so I could have listened in.

“We have them.” Now he grinned and gave me a rib cracking hug.  “They’re holed up in a motel out in Irving. Far enough away to give credibility to them being in the area but just passing through but close enough to be able to keep an eye on you. Danny, Teresa and some others they hand-picked are keeping an eye on their room and vehicle.”

“He’s sure?” Relief filled me. If they knew where the trackers were, there was a chance our plan might actually work. I still wasn’t quite ready to believe it, but at least things were looking up.

“He’s sure.” Another hug, this one not so strong and then he smiled down at me, understanding reflected in his eyes. “You’ve had a long, trying few days, Finn. Why don’t you go get some rest now?” His hand gently brushed a lock of hair back from my brow.

“I am tired.” No, I was exhausted all of a sudden.

“Finn.” He paused and looked past me in the direction of the bedroom. As he did, I realized he was uncertain. Worried, I reached up and cupped his cheek with my hand. If confronting Jennings wound up hurting what had started building between Matt and me. . . . “Finn, you’ve been through so much lately, especially today. You’re finally starting to believe that you’re free. I meant it when I said that means you are finally able to choose what you want from life.”

Now he was the one to let me go and move away. Worry was replaced with a mixture of disbelief, humor and respect. He was trying to be gallant. At least that’s what I thought he was leading up to. God, he really was too good to be true.

“I will never push you, especially not when I look at you and you look so damned fragile.”

Fragile? No one had ever described me like that. I really must look like I was at the end of my rope. One more thing to blame Jennings for. Damn him.

“You are my mate. We both know that. But I will never force myself on you. I won’t demand you share my bed unless it is something you want. You alone have the right to decide who you sleep with and when. I want you to know I’m nothing like Jennings and will never, ever treat you as he has.”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Sincerity radiated from him. But so did concern and anxiety. He needed me to understand he’d never force me to be with him just as badly as I needed him to believe in me. I wasn’t sure how I could make him understand that he didn’t have to worry. He was my mate and I knew he’d never betray me. To do so would be like ripping out his own heart.

“Matt.” I moved to him, sliding my arms around his waist and resting my head against his chest. For a moment, I just stood there, breathing in the scent of him, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

“Finn, I mean it. If you want to share my bed and just cuddle, that’s what we’ll do. If you want to sleep alone, we’ll do that. It is your call. You are my mate, my partner--not my property and certainly not my chattel.”

“I want to be with you, Matt.” It was so simple to say, especially when you meant it. “But I’ll be honest. I am tired and emotionally drained after today. Hell, after the last week. Right now nothing sounds better than just going to bed and cuddling.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.” He stepped back and reached for my hand. “Come on. We both could use some rest. I have a feeling tomorrow will be as busy, if not more so, than today was.”

I just hoped it wasn’t filled with any more surprises.

I woke to the sounds of soft but insistent music. The same few bars played over and over again, demanding attention. I fought the urge to open my eyes and search for the source. At least if someone was going to have the audacity to turn the radio on this early in the morning, they could bring me coffee.

The bed shifted and Matt groaned. That penetrated the last layers of sleep. I rolled over and opened my eyes. A slight smile touched my lips. I’ll admit, part of the reason why was because the music had stopped. Maybe I’d dreamed it. I didn’t care as long as it ended. But the main reason I smiled was because I was exactly where I wanted to be. This man at my side was everything Michael Jennings was not. I might have known Matt only a few days, but I was sure of it.

Leaning up on my elbow, I looked down at Matt. He’d risked so much rescuing me from the trackers that fateful day. He’d saved my life then. I knew it just as I knew I’d never be able to fully repay him, not that he’d ever expect me to. I’d start now, by making sure he got some much needed rest.

I had a split-second warning that the music was about to start again when the display of his cell phone lit up. Cursing, I reached across him, hoping to grab the phone from where it rested on the bedside table before it woke him. Of course, being that close to him, temptation rose. As my left hand closed around the phone, I leaned down and lightly brushed my lips against his. Then, I lifted the cell phone to my ear.

“Hello?” Voice soft, an eye on Matt, I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. My hope that he hadn’t been disturbed disappeared when he groaned and then opened one eye. A slight smile touched his lips and he reached out to pull me back down beside him.

Who?
he mouthed. I shrugged.

“It’s me, Finn. Is Matt there?”

Danny
, I mouthed in return and set the cell phone for speakerphone. “He’s here, Danny. I have the call on speaker.”

“Good.”

My heart beat a bit faster to hear the relief in his voice. Something was wrong. It had to be. Why else call at five thirty in the morning? God, don’t let him be about to tell us the trackers had managed to get away. I didn’t want to run again but I would if it meant keeping Matt and the others safe. I’d have to if the trackers had managed to slip through our trap.

Matt’s hand closed around mine and squeezed. It wasn’t much but it was enough to let me know he realized I was scared and he wanted to reassure me. That didn’t help, not much at any rate. It simply reminded me that I’d been nothing but trouble for him since he’d rescued me in that parking garage. How long before he started to wonder if he’d made the right decision then--and later?

Damn it! I had to stop thinking like that. That was what Jennings had brought me to and we were going to stop him. Together. We’d do it together and then this nightmare would be over.

“What happened?” Matt’s voice pulled me back and I swallowed hard. I needed to hear this, good news or not.

“Half an hour ago, they started moving around inside their room. A few minutes later, two of them came outside, carrying several bags. They were loading up their rental van. It was clear they were up to something. We didn’t want to risk losing them so we moved in.”

“Was anyone hurt?”

“Not on our side, although two of the trackers were a little slow to cooperate.”

“Not unexpected.” Matt frowned and his brow furrowed. “Was there any trouble I need to be worried about?”

“No. They’d told the manager they wanted to be away from everyone else so no one noticed our little
encounter
.”

Relief filled me and I relaxed a little against Matt. We still didn’t know the whole story, but one thing was clear: the trackers hadn’t gotten away. More importantly, none of our people had been injured in the process. That had to be a good sign, a sign that my luck had changed and now it was time to take the fight to Jennings. Let him see what it felt like to be the hunted for a change.

“We’ve moved them from the motel as well. Both Teresa and I thought it best to get them somewhere secure. She’s making sure they are separated and watched. Believe me, there’s no way any of them are going to get away from her and the others,” Danny continued. “She’s waiting to hear from you about what to do with them.”

“I want to talk to them before I make any decisions,” Matt said.

Well, if he thought he’d be doing that without me, he had another thing coming. But that was something we could discuss after we finished talking to Danny.

 “Understood and don’t worry. She knows what to do.”

“What about their room and van?” I asked.

“We left two of our people there to keep an eye on things while we secured the trackers, Finn. They just reported that all’s clear there and I’m on my way back. I want to see what they had with them. If we’re lucky, we’ll find evidence clearly connecting them not only to the attack on you but linking them back to Jennings as well.”

Good. That would help us when we finally dealt with Jennings.

“All right, Danny. Send the address and room number to me. I’ll be there within the hour.” Matt sat up and tossed back the sheet, grabbing for the cell phone before it went flying.

“We’ll be there,” I corrected. Seeing Matt’s nod of approval, I grinned. Good. He wasn’t going to make this a point of contention between us.

“There’s no rush. Those bastards are on ice and their room is paid up through the end of the week.”

“Just make sure it’s locked down, Danny. I don’t want anything else happening.”

“Will do, Matt. See you guys soon.”

Matt tossed the cell phone onto the bedside table and then turned to me. The look on his face was priceless. Here was a man torn between doing his duty, going back to a much deserved sleep and taking advantage of the naked woman at his side. I grinned and leaned in to kiss him.

“Thank you,” I murmured against his lips.

“For what?” He nipped at my lower lip and then leaned back. “For being selfish enough to want you up at this ungodly hour if I have to be?”

“Well, there is that.” I laughed. Leave it to him to find humor in the situation. “But there’s also the fact you aren’t trying to keep me from going.”

“Finn.” He shook his head, bemusement on his expression, and pulled me close.  “I wouldn’t try to make you stay behind. Not for this. You are my mate and that means you need to be there. You will help me lead the pride and the clan. The only way you can do that is if you know everything I do. Your place, like mine, is at that motel right now.

“But you need to be there for yourself. It will be another step in proving that you are no longer running from Jennings. Besides, you might see something Danny and I overlook.” He hugged me and pressed his lips to my forehead. “But we need to get going, especially if we’re going to have coffee before we leave.”

Coffee. The mere mention of that wonderful drink had me scrambling toward the bathroom.

It didn’t take long to shower and dress in jeans and tee shirt. I watched in a mixture of appreciation and regret as Matt pulled on a black tee shirt. Lust flared despite the need to find out what we could learn from the trackers and their possessions. I pushed it back, knowing there’d be time later for it. Then I ducked my head and grinned. I didn’t need Matt to realize what I’d been thinking. Or maybe I did, but since we didn’t have time to deal with my fantasies, they’d have to wait.