Penn, Jenny - Chasing Lacie [Sea Island Wolves 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (16 page)

“I swear to God, Davis, if you ever run into the path of another bullet,
I’ll
shoot you! Right in that big, dumb head of yours, because if I have to watch you stupidly die, I should at least get the pleasure of being the one to kill you.”

“I didn’t—”

Lacie cut his defense off with another hard shove to his chest that sent him stumbling back a good foot. “Your chest was riddled with bullet holes! Then you dump me in some bunker and abandon me? I don’t know what the hell is going on, if you’re alive or not.”

“Or if that idiot over there,” Lacie waved to where Chance stood murmuring with the other men all watching the show, “managed to get himself killed, too? Do you know how scared I was? How worried? And you expected me to just sit there and just
wait
for you?”

“I expect you to know we can take care of ourselves,” Davis shot back, only getting a full sentence because Lacie needed to pause for a breath.

“You want me to sit still? Then next time why don’t you sit on me.”

“Don’t tempt me, honey. And don’t think that all this ranting is going to get you out of your punishment. You disobeyed a direct order and put yourself into danger.”

Lacie blinked and burst into tears. With her anger drained by her tirade, she had nothing left to buffer the fear and depression that had filled her at the idea of them being pain, dying somewhere alone.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Davis muttered, jerking her into his arms. “This had better not be more theatrics. If it is, it’s not working.”

Lacie ignored his harsh warning. Burrowing into the comforting warmth of his, she clung to him, needing to feel the beat of his heart beneath her cheek and the lift of his chest as he took every easy breath. It wasn’t enough. A part of her craved a deeper, more intimate hold, one that would affirm that Chance and Davis were alive and as strong as ever.

“You’re still getting a spanking.”

“
You left me
.” Unaware that Davis had even spoken, Lacie’s cries blossomed into inconsolable sobs as that thought sank into her heart. Her nails dug into his back as her grip tightened in a mindless attempt to assure he didn’t repeat that sin.

“No, I didn’t,” Davis grumbled, his words barely registering as he smothered them against the top of her head, clinging to her just as tightly as she did him. “We were guarding the entrance. Protecting you, just like we were supposed to.”

“Now that’s a load of crap. You were waiting to catch her disobeying you.”

“
Shut up, Tarmak
.”

“Now look what you did to the girl. You got her all upset.”

At any other time Lacie would have jumped on that seconding of her position, but right then she didn’t care about the argument or even who came to her defense.

“She wouldn’t be upset if she was safe in the shelter like she was supposed to be.”

“Yes she would, but you wouldn’t be able to comfort her,
like you’re supposed to
.”

Davis growled at that reprimand. The sound vibrating across her cheek, chasing the sniffles that started to roll out of her as Lacie’s tears slowly dried up. As he spoke, his words echoed deep, rich, and full of annoyance under her ear.

“Don’t be lecturing me, Tarmak. I know how to take care of my mate.”

“
That
remains to be proven.” Lacie rolled her head in the direction of the long-haired lycan giving Davis so much grief. His proud features and midnight tresses gave away his Native American decent as did the sense that his calm façade only shrouded a fierce spirit.

“That woman’s been chased through the fields like a rabbit in a dog race, been in a car accident, shot at, trapped in a burning building and left unconscious by her mates. You are a case study in how not to do things.”

“Let it be.” Chance appeared to block Davis when he released Lacie with a sudden motion that had him surging toward the other lycan. “The kings have arrived.

“You guys head on over to where they’re holding the rest of the interlopers.” Chance shot those orders at the crowd of men before turning to frown at her. “Davis and I will take care of Lacie.”

Despite the wobble in her chin, Lacie lifted her jaw in a small show of defiance. “You’re not going to abandon me again, are you?”

“No.” Chance stepped up close enough for her to see the grim determination in his gaze. “But we are going to have a talk about your disobedience.”

Then he’d punish her. That message came through loud and clear even without the benefit of being stated. A few hours ago Lacie might have thrilled at the heated intent in his look, but she was too exhausted to even feel pleasure right then.

“Good. Then you can apologize for making me worry.”

“And you can beg us to forgive you for putting your life in a danger,” Chance shot back instantly.

Before Lacie could take exception to his tone of voice, she found her rebuttal smothered by the warmth of his chest as Chance reached out to grasp her wrist and yank her into his embrace.

“It’s going to take a lot of sweet talking for you to get me over my mad.
God
,
baby.
” Chance’s arms tightened painfully as his voice dipped, becoming a harsh, ragged whisper. “You scared the crap out of me
.
”

“I didn’t mean to,” Lacie muttered, her arms wrapping around his waist to pull him even closer. “I was scared
you
were out there hurt, dying,
needing
me. How could I not come?”

“Because you know the only thing worse to me than dying is leaving you behind unprotected.” Chance held her back far enough so he could pin her with the seriousness of his gaze. “I need to know you’re safe. Please, Lacie, if I die for you, don’t make it in vain.”

“What a horrible thing to say.” Lacie jerked free of his hold. “You’re not going to die for me, Chance. I’m not going to allow it.”

“What are you going to do to stop me?”

Davis snorted at Chance’s question, breaking into a smirk. “Don’t even think about it, honey. You can’t punish us.”

The cocky assurance in his tone drew her dark gaze in his direction. She’d have loved to shoot him down with a scathing comeback, but didn’t have one. Davis might be arrogant, but he was also right.

She couldn’t punish him, but she could Chance. Turning back in his direction, Lacie lifted her chin and took her best shot. “For every scratch you get, I’m going to put one on your truck.”

“What?” Chance’s smile fell as he perked up in alarm.

“Break an arm and I’ll break an axle.” Lacie managed to keep her features schooled as Chance gaped at her. “A bruise, a dent. Spill blood, loose—”

“
Enough!
Woman, you better not touch my truck.”

“Then you better not get yourself hurt.” Lacie would hold firm on that point.

“She’s questioning our abilities.” Chance’s dark tone matched the feral gleam he pinned her with. “That’s disrespectful and requires punishment.”

Lacie rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you’re well on your way to figuring out how my just breathing requires punishment, Chance, but not now. Now, I’m tired, hungry, sore and dirty, which all makes me cranky. So you’d better be nice. Got that?”

“What I got is you are trying to order me around,” Chance retorted.

“That requires punishment,” Davis helpfully pointed out.

“Make a list,” Lacie shot back.

“Already on it, babe.”

“Fine.” Lacie turned to strut back toward the tunnel, all but dismissing her mates. “We’ll get to it later. Right now, I’m going to take a bath.”

“You are a bossy little thing.” Chance caught her in less than five steps. Settling two hands on her waist, he brought her to a sudden stop a second before he scooped her up into his arms. “You’re going to have to be punished for that.”

Lacie rolled her eyes at that warning. “And even if I didn’t give you two a reason to spank me, we both know you’d just make one up.”

“True enough.” Davis didn’t bother to lie but waited by the door to follow them in and lock the exit behind them. “But if we didn’t punish you without a reason, we’d just be encouraging you to give us one.”

It took Lacie a moment to realize it wasn’t her. His logic really made no sense. “What—”

“Don’t bother with the act, baby. We can smell your cunt creaming. It’s been wet since the first moment I threatened you. It’s already begging for its medicine.”

“Oh?” Chance and Davis might not be completely wrong, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t argue the point anyway.

“And you two don’t think my being horny has anything to do with all the excitement of being attacked and thinking you were both dead and finding out you weren’t? You don’t think maybe I’m just needy in general right now?”

“I think you smell like ash, blood, and dirt. You need a bath and a good nap. Then when you wake up tied to the bed on fire with lust, we’ll discuss the truth about how much you enjoy being dominated.”

Chapter 12

Lacie didn’t argue with Chance, more than happy to hear him agree she could have a bath and nap first. Not that she trusted him entirely. Given the size of the erections her mates were sporting, Lacie didn’t see the three of them fitting into a shower and Chance and Davis not putting those boners to good use.

Except, apparently, they weren’t planning on getting into the shower. Fifteen minutes later when Davis shoved the door to the shelter open, Chance carried her straight through the room and out a door Lacie hadn’t noticed earlier.

She hadn’t really looked around when she’d woken up and hadn’t taken note of much. She didn’t get much of a chance to then either. She did have time, though, to become amazed at all the other shelters they moved through. There was a gym, dining hall, game room, apparently everything anybody could need to keep them happy underground.

Davis and Chance explained how the pack had built a whole underground city. Lycans were always prepared for any eventuality. Lacie could read well enough into Chance’s tone to hear the deeper meaning in those words as they finally came to a stop.

Lacie studied the small room as Chance lowered her down to her feet, his hand dropping to curl around the edge of her T-shirt. It didn’t take a lot of thought to figure out what Davis and he were planning to do next. From the steaming pool in the middle of the room to the massage table in the corner to the racks of towels and shelves cluttered with soaps and lotions, Lacie figured this to be some kind of spa.

But she wasn’t ready to be soothed just yet.

“Are you trying to tell me we’re going to be stuck down here for a while?” Lacie had to wait until Chance finished pulling her shirt clear of her face before finishing her complaint. The minute her head popped free, though, she pinned him with a pointed look.

“Because if you are, just say it.”

“It’ll only be two weeks.”

“Without sunshine?” That fast her mood soured. “Without fresh air?”

“Without dying,” Chance retorted, his attention focused on working the buttons on her jeans free.

“I see, so you’re saying in two weeks things will magically be better?” Because Lacie didn’t buy that, nor did she want to be distracted. Swatting away the fingers tugging on her waistband, Lacie stepped free of Chance’s grip. “We’ll all be safe because what? Time ran out? The demon and zombies just give up and go home?”

“In two weeks you’ll be stronger.” Davis blocked her from behind, his arms looping around to give her a quick hug. “You’ll be safer.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ll be one of us.”

Davis dumped that revelation on her, and like a lead suit it weighed heavily on her shoulders. Lacie didn’t even try to brush the hands that began pulling on her buttons, too absorbed in the reality that in two weeks she’d transform and become a wolf like them. It might have always sounded exciting before, but right then it dawned on her how very frightening morphing into an animal might actually be.

“Two weeks?”

“Until the full moon.” Chance’s head dipped, following the downward whoosh of her jeans over her legs. A warm hand curled around her ankle, lifting it up as he pulled her pants free. “After, your reflexes will sharpen. Your sense of smell will improve. Your ability to heal will quicken.”

“Not only will you be harder to kill, but you’ll be able to defend yourself to a certain extent. Demons prefer easy prey.” Davis paused, his chin tipping over her shoulder. “Why are you wearing three pairs of socks?”

“Because I couldn’t find any shoes.” He might have meant to distract her, but all Davis’s question did was reminder of her near miss not a half hour ago. “And what about zombies? How do you defend against them?”

“Snap their neck.” Chance rose back onto her feet and offered her a half smile. “They’re not hard to kill. Not much of a threat except for their numbers, which shouldn’t be great in this world.”

“Not much of a threat? That woman nearly choked me to death…and you were
waiting for me
.” Lacie felt a fresh wave of outrage wash over her as she recalled what the other lycan had said to Davis. “You set me up. What? Did you leave her there to teach me a lesson? To scare me into doing everything you command? Because I got—”