Fighting For Their Mate (21 page)

Bailey clasped her hand. “I saw the sympathy in your face. You care. You wouldn’t be at the lab if you didn’t have to be.”

“That’s true.” Bailey let go, probably because she could tell how uncomfortable it made Clare feel. She was a disgrace to herself and to her family. What she’d done could never be undone. “How can you free Tatum? There are cameras everywhere, but more importantly, what makes you think you can take down Statler? He’s invincible.”

“No one’s invincible, sweetheart. It’s just a matter of time before we figure out his Kryptonite.”

F
ord and Ty both had earned their day off—together for a change. Ford had worked with so many of the men on their fighting skills that even he was a bit bone weary. The men had improved significantly on their technique since he and Ty first began training them, and while Statler had come into the gym a few times to watch a demonstration, Ford hadn’t given away too many of his tricks. His main concern was that the Colters’ newfound talents would give The Pack a real run for their money. They’d need to be better than the best to win a war against their enhanced counterparts.

Ford stretched to get the kinks out of his back. As tired as he was, his fatigue probably came from more than exertion. He missed Bailey so much that his sleep had suffered. It wasn’t just when he was with her that he had the urge to claim her over and over again; it was also when he wasn’t with her that his senses overloaded with need and desire.

“Ready to cut loose on the town?” Ty asked as they headed toward the lab exit.

“You bet. I just might be tying one on tonight.” Their conversation was to keep up appearances. Much of what they said in the main section of the lab was recorded. Whether Statler listened to the chatter was anyone’s guess.

“I have to pick up a few things first, so I’ll meet you in town.”

“Good.” They needed to head in different directions, and this provided a good cover.

Don’t forget to check for bugs once you leave
, Ford telepathed. No one had seen Dram or Tony, but that didn’t mean they weren’t plotting their revenge.

Ty was headed to meet Clare to give her more precise instructions for tomorrow’s escape plan. They didn’t want to make it too complicated, but she needed to know what to do in case something didn’t go according to plan. Once Tatum was safely away from the lab, Clare would pretend to be sick and head toward home. She’d park her car on the side of the road where Ty would pick her up and whisk her away from Paul Statler for good. Not wanting to give Statler a reason for retribution, they all decided it was best to leave her car abandoned by the roadside. Hopefully, Statler would believe there’d been foul play.

Clare had wanted to say goodbye to her mom and dad, but she understood that might put them in more danger. Their grief had to be sincere or Statler would suspect something. Once everything settled down, she could call home.

As soon as Ford left the lab, he headed about three miles east and stopped by the side of a deserted patch of road. He jumped out then ran his fingers under the back and front bumper. “Gotcha.”

He found two tracking devices, one in front and one in back. Instead of stomping on the bugs, he decided to lead the boys on a wild goose chase. Why not have a little fun in this tense time? He wondered if Ty had found any, too, and called him on his burner phone.

“Found two tracers,” Ford announced.

“Me, too.”

Unless everyone in Statler’s employ was suspected of being a Pack member and he’d ordered the surveillance, this had to be Dram and Tony’s doing. “I’m going to leave them at the old motel. Love to see their faces when they find out we fooled them.”

Ty laughed. “I’ll find some random car to put them on, too. That’ll keep the boys separated and out of our hair for a while.”

Once Ford planted the devices on an unsuspecting motorist’s vehicle, he drove to the new motel. He couldn’t wait to be with Bailey. This might be their last chance to be together for a while, as they’d have Tatum in tow after that.

Assuming all went well, the group would caravan across the border into the US, and return Ty’s rental in Buffalo before they headed south, taking Bailey back to Virginia.

Needing to keep the girls safe was his number one concern and getting away from Canada would be the first step in accomplishing the goal. Statler would no doubt call in the troops to go after them, which would make the trip fraught with danger.

On the way to the motel, Ford had taken a circuitous route until the last five miles, which had been a straight shot. No one had followed probably because Dram and Tony might be busy.

The new motel appeared nicer than the last one by a long shot. Ford parked on the other end of the parking lot from rooms 104 and 105, slipped out, and surveyed the area. By the time he reached the room, he was convinced they hadn’t been discovered.

He knocked on room 104. “It’s Ford.”

Spence answered. “Come on in.”

As soon as he stepped inside, his body sizzled with wild desire and rampant need. He’d hope the few days of separation would have dampened his out-of-control reaction to being near Bailey, but it seemed to have made it worse.

She stepped from the bathroom looking different yet still amazing. “Ford? You’re here!”

“Like the pink hat, little girl.”

She grinned. Her gaze shot to his cousins. From the desperate look in her eyes, she wanted privacy. “We’ll let them stay until Ty gets here. Before he does, come here, woman, and give me a proper welcome.”

Bailey rushed across the room. The second she was in his arms, his hormones coursed through him, and he hugged her tightly. “Missed you,” he said against her hair that smelled of peaches.

“Missed you more.”

As much as he promised himself he’d be good until Ty arrived, he couldn’t help but taste her sweetness. The moment her mouth opened in invitation, his cock turned to granite. Their tangling tongues thrilled him to no end. Too bad the desperate kiss satisfied only a small portion of his sizzling urges.

His cousin cleared his throat just as Ford’s hand reached her butt. “Did you forget you have company?” Cam asked.

Ford broke the kiss. “Sorry. When I’m near my mate, I can’t help myself.”

His two cousins took a seat at the table that sat close to the window. “We know,” Spence said with a satisfied look.

Ford had never seen that kind of cheeky grin before. “What do you mean, you know?”

Spence glanced toward Bailey.
Is it cool if we speak in front of her?

Yes
.
Mates don’t keep secrets.
Except how he failed his uncle in his time of need.

“Seems Clare’s our mate.”

If he’d had coffee in his mouth, he would have sprayed it everywhere. “What?” He wasn’t sure how he felt about this, but he thought they might be mistaken.

Bailey stiffened. “How is that possible?”

Spence shrugged. “We can’t explain it. All I know is when I got near her, some kind of dizziness came over me. I, however, remained strong despite it. Cam, here, had to run into the woods to do God knows what.”

Cam looked indignant. “I was taking a leak.”

“You suck. No need to lie. Ford’s family.”

“Fine. Just as I yanked the key from Clare’s ignition, I inhaled her flowery scent. Then when our fingers brushed, and I thought I was going to shift right there in her car. I became disoriented and overwhelmed. If I hadn’t gotten away, I would have changed for sure, and that might have ruined everything.”

Bailey grabbed Ford’s hand and turned her back to the cousins. “Does this mess things up?” she whispered. “Are they still capable of saving Tatum and getting Clare out?”

Cam came over to her. She must have forgotten how well werewolves could hear. “Bailey, there is nothing in the world that will stop us from freeing Tatum and making sure Clare stays safe—even more so now that she’s our mate. I promise you we will do everything in our power to get your sister out safely.”

Her shoulders lowered. “Thank you.”

Someone rapped on the door. “That’s Ty.” He didn’t want Bailey to freak.

Spence jumped up and let him in. “That’s our cue to leave. When you three are ready, we can go over the plan again.”

“Will do.”

Cam and Spence stepped through the adjoining door to their room, and Ford locked it for privacy. He loved his cousins, but what he, Ty, and Bailey were about to do, didn’t need an audience. He let his brother in.

Ty only had eyes for Bailey. He opened his arms in welcome. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

Bailey ran to him. “I was so worried about you two. I kept thinking that Statler had found out you were Pack members and that he was holding you hostage.”

Ty kissed her forehead. “Never. We’re too smart for that.” He lifted her chin. “You are cute, but I like the old Bailey better. The dark makeup makes you look so edgy.”

She stuck out her chest. “I am edgy.”

Ty laughed. “You know me. I’m a show me type of guy. Does this mean you’re into whips, chains, and blindfolds?”

She chuckled. “Hardly. Let me wash my face.”

Ty stepped forward. “Need help?”

Ford groaned. His brother thought he was such a ladies’ man. Bailey grinned and disappeared into the bathroom.

“You think she’s ready?” Ford asked as soon as she closed the door.

“No, but I am.”

So was he, but that was beside the point. “We need to ask if she wants to be with both of us, but if she says she only wants you, I might have to kill you.”

Ty laughed. “I think if we take it real slow, we can convince her that two is better than one.”

He could only hope. The bathroom door opened and Bailey appeared, her face scrubbed clean. “You look beautiful, little girl.”

She shook her head. “I’m not a little girl.”

Ford crossed his arms. “Oh, I don’t know. Little girls are coy. Tentative. Reserved.” He was baiting her. It was what he did best.

“I can see you have a short memory. You’ve forgotten already.”

He loved egging her on. “Memory of what?”

She glanced at Ty. “You know.”

“Of our wild lovemaking?” A cute blush raced up her face. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. Ty and I share everything.”

She glanced to the side. “I know, but I wouldn’t feel right being shared. I’ve not been with two men, nor do I think it’s for me.”

In the past, if a woman wasn’t interested in a ménage, he shrugged it off and moved on. But he couldn’t now. Bailey belonged to them. “Tomorrow is going to come early and be quite stressful. Don’t you want to help us release all that pent up sexual energy? We haven’t seen you in days.”

She ran her palms down her thighs then hugged her arms. Bailey looked so young and vulnerable. “I want you both, I really do, but I don’t think I could handle you at the same time.”

He liked that she’d considered the idea. “Here’s a thought,” Ford said. “How about if you make love to one of us then switch to the other?” Her brows pinched. “Or maybe just be with one while the other is touching you?” Ford was eager to find a solution.

He prayed she wanted the first choice. If she opted for the second idea, Ford wasn’t certain he could stand to be the only one touching her. He’d made love to her last, so it probably was Ty’s turn, but he’d be willing to give his brother the title of having more control if he’d let him make love to Bailey tonight.

“I don’t know. It’s not…right.”

Ty affectionately nudged Ford out of the way. “We’ll leave everything up to you. How about a full body massage for starters? That will give you time to think about what you want. What you need.”

She won’t fall for that, bro. I know you. You’ll be inside her at the first moan.

Fuck you.

She bit down on her lip, looking so adorable. “If I ask you to stop, will you?”

Ty glanced over at him. “For sure.”

She rubbed her neck. “I do have a knot the size of a baseball back here, and my shoulders are really tense. I could use a good rubdown.”

Thank God. But could he touch her and not make love with her? Ford doubted his own abilities right now.

Ty pulled down the comforter on one of the two queen-sized beds and fluffed the pillows. He placed two across the middle. “We can help you out with that. Crawl on over here and let Ford and me take care of you.”

She planted a hand on her hip and shifted her gaze between them. “You’ll behave yourselves, won’t you?”

“No promises, honey, but we won’t do anything you don’t want,” Ty said.

“Uh-huh. I know you two.”

She did indeed. Ford loved her spunk. “Let me help with your shoes.”
And your pants and top and bra and panties.

“I’m a big girl.”

“Can’t a man pamper his woman?”

She sat on the edge of the bed and lifted her feet. Her lips tugged up into a smile. “Fine. Have at me.”

If only she meant it.
Take one foot, Ty, and I’ll do the other. She needs to be eased into us both touching her.

With Ford on her left and Ty on her right, they took off her sneakers. The moment he peeled off Bailey’s socks and touched her bare skin, his fangs sharpened. This had been a mistake promising Bailey she could decide if she wanted to be with them both. If she turned him down, Ford wasn’t certain what he’d do. He’d never experienced this kind of emotional upheaval before.