Rescued (5 page)

Chapter 8

The sun danced across Rose’s face for the second morning in a row. And for the second morning, she woke in bed with the same man. A cougar, who as it turned out, was her mate.

Her mate.

Unbelievable.

She took a job to help families find their lost children and now she had expanded her own family. Marty. Her heart swelled as she recalled last night when they made love for the first time. Mates.

Warm breath bathed her neck, his arm draped over her waist, and inched her closer into their snuggled position. “Mornin’ beautiful,” he said, low and gravelly as he nuzzled through the mass of hair to feather kisses on the back of her neck. “How you feelin’ this mornin’?”

“Wonderful. However, I have my doubts about the beautiful part. My hair must be a mess.” She raked a hand through her hair a time or two in an effort to tame the bedhead monster. “What time is it?”

“Six thirty-ish. We do need to get a move on if we’re going to meet Logan and June at eight.” He never relinquished his hold on her as he answered; he just continued to nuzzle her neck.

“You’re not moving,” she teased, but kept her own grip firm on his arm.

“If I had my way we’d stay here all day . . . forever even.”

Rose echoed his thoughts, “Me too, but . . .”

“But what?”

“I kept having the same dream last night. Wendy’s face. She was terrified, reaching out for help, and crying for someone to save her.” Rose trailed off.

“I know, I know. We’ve got a job to do and the sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get the answers we need. You wanna wash my back?”

She maneuvered her body, bringing the two of them eye to eye. “You know very well if we get into the shower together, leaving this room will be near impossible,” she scolded.

“Yes, ma’am, you’re right. I’ll shower alone.” He heaved a sigh and put on a sad-eyed, puppy-dog face as he made his way out of bed and toward to bathroom.

“Hey,” she called in a teasing tone. “Rain check on the tandem shower?” She raised a brow in hope they’d continue his idea later tonight.

“Oh, yes ma’am. You got a date.”

Rose closed her eyes, facts of the case spinning around inside her head. Was this where Vinny shipped the all kids until he traded them off for whatever sick purpose? It was a costly set-up. A nice house and the expenses associated. The four adults who were surely getting a cut of the profits, the SUV’s were additional expense. Her investigation of what appeared to be a one-man operation had now blossomed into seven suspects. Were the kids sold off here or was this an even bigger operation?

The sound of the water splashing in the bathroom increased, snagging her attention. The vision of her mate, wet and soapy in a steamy shower flashed through her mind and stirred temptations she just couldn’t resist.

The rings of the shower curtain scraped across the rod signaling he had company. Marty stuck his head under the water, rinsed away the soapsuds, and turned to face his mate who was lathering a sponge behind him with a sweet but mischievous sparkle in her eyes. An eager smile spread across his face as he opened his arms, welcoming her.

“It was lonely out there and I figured if we keep a level head we can both shower and still make it to the café by eight.” She offered a tiny shrug as she stepped into his arms and circled the sponge over his back.

“We will never be lonely again, Rose. We’ll always be together.” The uncontrollable urge to be near her had a definite grasp on him, mind and body. But Rose was special. More than someone his instincts demanded he protect. More than someone fate selected to be his life partner. She was perfect and would forever be cherished in his heart.

He kissed her lips with all the passion of a first real kiss. He continued to trail kisses down her neck drinking in the texture of her skin. His lips caught her breast and tugged gently before he nibbled his way down her stomach.

The fire of their newfound passion rekindled and burst into flames. She grasped at the wall and leaned back. He lowered himself to his knees and nuzzled his face between her legs. His hand slid behind her knee and lifted her leg over his shoulder to give him access to her sensitive inner thighs. His tongue explored, lapped at the moisture that gathered, and teased as it rasped across the sensitive essence of his mate. With each touch her nails scraped at the wall, her soft purrs grew louder.

He pressed her back gently against the shower wall and continued to tantalize her. Her muscles clinched. Her urgent moans signaled her breaking point.

A gentle tug sent her over the edge. Her passion shattered as she called out his name. Her words simmered into whimpers. She urged him to his feet and grasped hold of her mate.

She boosted herself up, climbing his body, and locked her legs around his waist. They moved, at first, in slow, rhythmic motions. Hungry mouths each claimed the other and they rocked in frantic movements.

As they reached their peak, each found the other’s neck and made their mark. A simple imprint of teeth from a gentle pressure left a permanent mark that connected them for life. It was a unique design, theirs alone. No two couples were alike. It was a sign of pride at being mated.

Marty moved their wet bodies to the bed and lowered them onto the sheets. They remained entwined as aftershocks of passion sailed through their bodies and absorbed the warmth the other offered.

He eased the hair away from Rose’s neck, smiled, and admired his mark. A perfect bronze circle had formed in the curve of her neck and shoulder. “It’s beautiful. I’ve seen others but they were nothing like this. It’s perfect.”

“That’s because it’s ours.” She lifted his chin with her finger. “I used to trace my mama’s with my finger when I was a little girl and always wondered if I would ever have one of my own.”

“Now you do.” Marty cradled her head to his chest. It would be so easy to snuggle back down for another nap, but duty called. They had to get a move on to make it to the café in time to meet Logan and June. He sighed, not wanting the moment to end. “We need to get moving.”

Two solitary showers later, they stashed their bags in the truck and stopped by the motel office to extend their stay for another night. If the meeting with Logan and his people this morning produced any solid leads, they’d be out all day and welcome a place to rest and recoup for the night.

Marty needed to give his client some good news, a thread of hope. He was not in business to fail. Now he had added responsibilities—his mate. He had his work cut out for him.

Chapter 9

Logan looked at his watch for the fifth time since he and June were seated in the café. “They did say eight, didn’t they?”

“Logan dear, be patient. If they only realized they were mates late yesterday, they’ve been . . .
getting to know
each other
,” June reasoned.

“Rose was adamant she wasn’t interested in being mates,” he insisted.

June reached up and drew circles around the mate bite on his neck with the tip of her finger. Even the feather light touch on the mark sent jolts of passion through his body. “You know yourself how strong the pull is. No Were can turn their back on fate. Not for long anyway.” She slid her hand underneath his arm and laced their fingers together.

Just the touch of his mate reminded him of the
pull
she mentioned. They had been together for over ten years but he remembered their first touch like it was yesterday and this one was no different. His expression softened. He held hands with the other half of his heart and read their future in her eyes while they enjoyed another cup of coffee.

Rose and Marty walked into the café at eight twenty-eight. Marty sported a full on smile while Rose was more than a little embarrassed at being late for a business meeting. Logan turned to his wife and met one of her,
I told you so
glances.

“Sorry y’all. We . . . took a wrong turn.” Marty stretched the truth to cover for their late arrival.

“Yeah, I told him to go right and he insisted it was left. Men. They can never take directions,” Rose rambled and waved her hand with an absent air.

“We understand completely, don’t we, dear?” June smiled with her eyes fixed on the matching marks on the necks of the couple across the table.

Busted.

The expression on June’s face said it all. She was pleased to have been right about their mated status. Adult Weres had casual sex just as other people and biting could be a part of sex depending on how physical the couple liked it, but the mark only appeared if the two were truly fated to be mates.

“What did you learn from your man observing the house?” Marty asked, obviously trying to find the best way to shift the focus to something other than their necks.

“Oscar has some recordings that confirm the kids are being held for sale,” Logan began.

Rose straightened in her chair. Her entire body visibly tensed. “Was there any hint of abuse? If that’s the case, let’s go in and take them out, today. Right now.”

“Just a minute Rose.” Logan held up a massive stop sign in the form of his hand. “Kelli said you were a spitfire but she also said you have a level head. So, please, hear me out. The children in the house are safe from any harm at the moment and are being well cared for.” He paused and tightened his grip on June’s hand as he gazed at her for support. “From what we heard, we’ve pieced together that they will, at some point, be sold to the highest bidder. The merchandise has to be in excellent condition in order to bring the best price.”

“Sold where? Are they going out of the country?” Rose’s anxious voice begged for more information.

“That, we’re not sure of, but we do know this is bigger than just the six being housed here in Memphis. They’re waiting on four more kids before they’re transported to the next holding facility. They usually travel from here in groups of ten.”

“Have you been able to confirm Vinny is the leader of this ring?” Marty asked.

“His name has come up but we’ve also heard he answers to some higher up. We just haven’t been able to nail down a name or a location.”

“So what do we do next? Wait for the count to reach ten and follow them to the next location?” Rose asked.

“Maybe not. From what we’ve heard, the kids seem to think they are safe and going someplace of their own choosing. The girl we heard crying last night was reliving the story of her abusive uncle and expressed how happy she was to be away from him and with friends who
care
about her now. She said she couldn’t wait to get settled in her own apartment and start her new job.” Based on the recordings he reviewed, Logan was positive the kids were promised a new life and going along of their own free will.

“To our advantage, the group is taken on regular outings to maintain the pretense of a normal family life. There are two couples posing as house parents who go with them to the movies, shopping, anywhere any other normal family would go.” Logan paused. “This weekend, starting today, there’s a festival in the park. The girls were excited about some of the vendors scheduled to be there. Talking about how much fun they were going to have. Based on that, June had an idea.” He nodded toward June.

“We thought we could follow and observe them. Maybe Rose could pose as another young girl in the park for a day of fun and shopping.” June turned her attention to Rose. “You could strike up a conversation with one of them and maybe find out more. If just one of them is the
least
bit unsure of the way their situation is being handled, we might have an inside line to dates and times of arrivals or departures.” June paused and looked to Logan.

“What time does the festival begin?” Rose asked.

“Ten,” June said. “I’ve been before. It’s a lot of fun. If that’s what you’re going for.”

Logan coordinated the surveillance. This was his territory. He would be their guide. “You’re already dressed for the part, Rose. What do you say?”

The steak and eggs ordered earlier arrived. As soon as the waitress settled the plates on the table and checked for anything else her customers needed, Rose replied, “I say, let’s eat so we can get this party started.”

Seared on each side for a couple of minutes was sufficient cooking time for the beef the Weres consumed. Served with a side of cheese and eggs and plenty of hot coffee to start their day, the planning session continued.

Logan’s cell phone rang as another round of coffee arrived. He listened and grunted a few times while taking notes before he ended the call. “They loaded up into two SUV’s and headed out for the park ten minutes ago. Oscar phoned the descriptions ahead and another one of my guys took over on the next street to tail them to the park. If y’all are ready, we’ll meet up with him and ID our subjects.”

“Everyone exchange numbers and make sure we’re all on speed dial. Cell phones will draw the least amount of attention since everyone has one but it’s critical we’re able to reach each other in an instant if we discover any urgent info.” Logan cautioned everyone at the table. “This is a fact finding mission only. If we alter their arrangement in any way, we could blow the whole operation. Any questions?”

“I think everyone’s got it. How far away from the park are we?” Rose asked as she keyed in the cell numbers she needed.

“Twenty minutes.”

“Let’s rock and roll.” She was up and out the door.

Oscar waited at a trailer offering cinnamon rolls baked and glazed onsite when they arrived, an extra-large, steaming coffee in his hand. He pointed out four young women grouped together making their way along the rows of merchant booths set up in the park. “Two women dropped them off, handed some bills out the window, and drove away. The girls seem to be comfortable with whatever arrangement they have. I have to ask boss, are we sure these kids are being held against their will?”

“That’s what we’re here to find out, Oscar. Which way did the other vehicle go?” Logan sized up the situation.

“Andrews checked in a couple of minutes ago and said two young guys, late teens got out over by the batting cages and basketball courts. The men parked and joined them. They seem to be having a good time. Like two dads and their sons on a father-son day.”

“No. No way did the kid I’m after leave his family of his own free will. I smelled his fear near the convenience store where he was taken.” Marty nodded in Logan’s direction. “I’m going over to the basketball courts. Rose, you’re with me.”

Logan watched as Marty started toward his intended location. “This is gonna be good,” he chuckled to close to June’s ear.

Marty stopped short and turned. Rose, feet planted to the ground, arms crossed over her chest, glared in his direction. “What?” he asked with his hands extended in question.

She lifted a hand and crooked her forefinger in a
come here
gesture.

Logan smiled, shook his head, and tugged June closer. “Mates do tend to butt heads in the beginning. It seems we have two situations now. Look out.”