Force of Nature (9 page)

The messages were all the same basically. They did get a tad terser with each one, but she decided to wait until she’d rested before calling him. She had no doubt that he’d talked to Austin.

And had his own opinion about what she should do. CJ tossed her phone on the shelf above her head and settled back to think.

Men sucked. She knew that was a bit immature, but she wasn’t feeling very adult right now.

The nerve of him telling her to sell her bar and get rid of her rig. She’d made a lot of money off of the latter and was going to off the bar when she got it up and running. She reached for her phone when it vibrated again. Unknown again. She was tempted to let it go to voicemail, but she thought it was full. Answering it, she was fully prepared to hang up on Phil or Austin if it was them.

“Miss Webber? It’s Wayne Solomon of Solomon Trucking. I got your name from Preston Xpress. Brice Preston said you were looking to carry a few loads over the holiday season for him, and I was wondering if you could help us out with his deliveries?”

CJ sat up on her bed and moved to her passenger seat up front. “Yes, yes, I am. You want help with the Preston company moving freight? But you should know I have my own rig. I won’t drive someone else’s. If that’s a problem, the—”

“No, no, that’s not a problem. It’s a blessing, as a matter of fact. We have two out now, rigs and men. They took to the Upper Canada and haven’t been able to return yet. Snow, don’t you know. I have a load that needs to be in California…well, it should be there by Friday. I know it’s short, but the receiver is willing to give you ‘til Monday if you can, don’t you know.”

Friday. This was Thursday and she was getting only an extra three days, maybe. She could do it she supposed, but… “Can you squeeze me until Wednesday late? I can do it then depending on where I pick up.”

“Sure, and I’ll be asking. You just give me a shake and a wiggle here and I’ll ask.” CJ had no clue what a “shake and wiggle” time frame was, but waited all the same. Apparently, it wasn’t long because Wayne was right back. “He said he can do that. Needs it, don’t you know. The load is there, in your town at the railway. You get yourself to a faxamachine and I’ll send it right over.”

“Let me give you the email address I use. It’s easier.” While she rattled it off, she noticed a group of men behind a Preston Xpress trailer. She watched them for a minute before she realized they were looking sort of suspicious.

There were four of them and one of them was on what looked like a phone. He looked like he was writing something down when one of the other men produced a set of large bolt cutters.

When he used them at the doors of the trailer where a seal or lock would be to prevent tampering of a load, she sat back in her seat. When the notice went off that she had an email, she nearly shot through the roof. Looking down at the bill of lading that Solomon had just sent her and then back at the trailer number just down from her, she groaned.

“Mother fuck, they match.”

~Chapter Nine~

Dallas watched his brother pace. He would have laughed at Austin, but was afraid he’d hit him again. Dallas rubbed his jaw, thinking it had been worth it. He grinned when he thought of the dig he’d been able to give his brother about CJ.

“Where the hell could she be? Nobody could just disappear off the face of the earth like that.

Especially in a rig that size.” Dallas didn’t point out that she wasn’t the only rig on the road and he was reasonably sure she could and had done just that.

“Have you talked to her friend the vamp lately? Maybe he knows something,” Dallas asked instead. He grinned at his mother when she entered the kitchen.

“Phil told him if he called again, he’d tell CJ never to come back here.” She winked at Dallas. “Austin has made a nuisance of himself.”

“I’ve done nothing of the sort,” Austin practically snarled at them. One look from their mom had him change that quick enough. “She ran off while I was on the phone with Mom. What possessed her to do that is beyond—”

“Oh for pity’s sake, Austin, you were nearly foaming at the mouth when you came to the phone. Small wonder she didn’t murder you instead of only leaving you.” Dallas looked at his mom as she continued. “You should have heard him. He was screaming at her to come back and listen to him.”

Dallas laughed. “So you what…told her that you loved her and she didn’t like that idea? I thought you had a bit more style than that, big brother.”

“I don’t love her. I never said anything about love. Ever. But she’s my mate and she will do as she’s told.” Dallas stared at Austin as he continued along that vein. “If I have to be saddled with someone like her then she’ll learn her place. I don’t have a great deal of time to go chasing her all over the place. She’ll learn her place by my side or else.”

“You’re serious. Christ, what the hell is wrong with you? You expect her to simply shut up and mind like she’s ten? No wonder she left you.” Dallas stood up. “She’s been gone for over eight hours. I, for one, hope she finds a hole and never comes up where you ever find her.”

“She’s my mate and I will—”

“Lose her,” their mother finished for Austin. “I never thought I’d hear those words from your mouth. That poor girl.”

Whatever Austin was going to say to that was cut off when Dallas heard his cell phone ring.

The tone told him it was pack business; the timing told him it was going to be bad. He was thrilled for the interruption. Otherwise he would have probably murdered his brother. He answered with a bark of his name.

Silence greeted him. Then a voice and a string of curse words that would have made most of the criminals he knew blush. Waiting for the tirade to finish, he smiled when the voice on the other end practically snarled at him. Oh, he was going to love this.

“I was told to use this phone to call the…I forget what he called you. The enforcer maybe?”

“Yes. That would be me. Who would have given you this number and what is your name?”

Dallas thought he already knew, but wanted to make sure.

“CJ Webber. I don’t suppose you’re a different Dallas and one not related to Austin Force, can I? I mean, that would be just too good to be true.”

He laughed at the hope in her voice. “You’d be wrong. I am. And you didn’t answer my question.”

“Isaac Dorsey handed me his phone to wait for you to answer. He claims you know him and because of the…situation I’m in and the help he’s going to give me, he said you had to be informed. This is another wolf thing, isn’t it?”

He looked over at his brother, who had stopped pacing to wait. Austin had to be involved if it was pack business and Isaac was a member of their pack. He tightened his grip on the phone and hoped he could clear this up without Austin being aware of who he was talking to.

“Yes, it is. Tell me what’s going on and I’ll see what I can do. Isaac is a member of another pack and a detective. I know he’s been working undercover for something. Does this involve any of that?” He closed his eyes when she answered yes. “I see. Tell me where you are and we’ll be right there.”

~~~

CJ handed the phone back to Isaac and walked back to her rig. Of all the people in the entire truck stop for her to see that she trusted, it would turn out to be another wolf. She climbed in the driver’s seat and waited for Dallas and she had no doubt, Austin.

She climbed in and sat back on the plush seat.
Damn, damn, damn
. She’d thought about her mad dash to get as far away from the truck as possible while trying to figure out what to do about it.
Now look
, she thought,
up the creek and no paddle, but plenty of dogs…sorry
, she amended,
wolves
.

She’d moved her rig to the very back of the lot. She had been about that far back anyway when she parked in the first place, but had started up and was in the process of pulling into a space when she saw Isaac. She waved at him then pulled in two rigs down from him and was just settled again in when he knocked at her door.

“Hey, kiddo. I’d heard you’d given up the road. Glad to see you…what’s wrong?” She thought it strange that he sniffed her before he continued. “You smell…well, well. Who’s the new guy?”

She flushed. There was no new guy, not even an old guy, she wanted to scream, but decided that a change of subject was better. She told him what she’d found out about Solomon Trucking instead of answering. In hindsight, she wished she’d just answered the guy’s question.

“You saw them cut the seal? Who did it, do you know? Where is it now, the truck I, mean?

Can you take me to it?” She stared at him, thinking, when he grinned. “I know you know about my kind now so I figure you can be trusted.”

“Your kind? What…I don’t understand what you mean. And I’m not having anything to do with that company. I’ve got enough problems right now without buying more of my own.” She started to close the door again before he or she said something stupid. It turned out he said something that pissed her off more than Austin had. Fucking dogs.

“I’m an undercover cop and I’m investigating the theft of loads being taken off this and other lots all over the state. If you don’t help me, CJ, I’ll have to assume you’re a part of the ring doing it and have you arrested. Help me and I’ll owe you.”

She looked down at him from her rig. “You said ‘your kind.’ What did you mean?” She was afraid she already knew the answer, but not how he knew.

“You’ve been marked by a wolf—a werewolf. Powerful one by the scent. And he would have had to have told you or the scent wouldn’t be so strong. A wolf can’t mark someone like that unless he’s found his mate. Are you his mate?”

“Mark? Mark how? I…he didn’t bite me. I told him…fuck!” Dawning was slow in coming to her. “You’re a dog…err wolf too?”

His grin made her feel like she was stupid. “Very good, yes, I am. And he’s marked you by…well, he would have…shit, girl. He had sex with you. His essences, his…hum…his semen would be enough to keep other wolves at bay that weren’t already mated.”

His semen. His cum. He had come on her and— “He didn’t have sex with me. He just came on me.” Isaac was nodding before she finished. “He marked me. I’m going to kill him. I’m going to buy a gun…and why are you shaking your head no?”

“You can’t hurt him. I mean, you can try, but because you’re his mate, you won’t be able to cause him harm. Mates are a little rough during sex so something about the DNA makes it so that they can’t get too rough and really hurt the other.” Isaac smiled at her. “Didn’t he explain any of this to you before you left him?”

She didn’t answer. She was trying to absorb the fact that Isaac said that she and Austin were mates. What the hell did that mean, she wondered? She didn’t think she could take much more, so she changed the subject back to Solomon.

“I not only saw them cut the seal, but they want me to take the load for them. I haven’t told them no yet, but…there you go again. Why are you shaking your head ‘no’ this time?” She just wanted to sit down or lie down. Right now, she wanted to hide then lie down.

“You’ve just given us the break we need, darlin’. And if I have my way, you and me, we’re going traveling together. Solomon has been screwing over his pack for months and with you seeing and then being invited to play, why I got it as good as solved.”

“You take it then. I’m going to go and find me a nice company to work for and become another driver for the rest of my life. I so don’t need this shit.” She leaned back against the truck as what he’d just said sank in. “He’s a wolf too? Christ almighty, isn’t anyone who they claim to be?”

Isaac called his boss. Not the furry one, he told her, but the one that he worked for. The guy showed up ten minutes later and she told them what she’d seen again. Then she’d shown them the BOL she’d gotten from Solomon.

“This is great,” Detective Leo Weaver told her. “Not only do we have the goods, a driver who is gonna help us, but because you were nice enough to have him email it to you, we got his IP address too.”

She didn’t care about the Internet Protocol address, the string of numbers responsible for routing packets of information across network boundaries; she was more concerned with him thinking she was going to help them. But every time she tried to point out she wasn’t going to accept the load, both men would literally pat her on the head and go on as though she hadn’t spoken. When Isaac asked her if she’d wait on the line for this enforcer person, she decided that he might be a better person to listen. Turns out she was wrong about that too if he was anything like his asshole brother.

And now here she sat, waiting. She wasn’t sure how to tell Leo she wasn’t going to drive the rig. She wasn’t sure what to tell Austin or his brother. Hell, she thought, she wasn’t even sure what they had to do with any of this. She was still trying to figure it out when she heard her door open.

“Go away. I said I’m not taking this load and you can stick your threat up your ass for all I care.” She heard someone snort and closed her eyes. “Please tell me you’re Isaac.”

“It’s Austin. And you’re damn right in thinking you’re not taking this load. I’m not having my mate going across the county, much less across the country. Besides, we have a few more things to discuss and you’re not leaving until we do.”

If he thought telling her he agreed with her about the load and her not taking it would work then he was wrong. She would take it now even if it meant certain death for her. She rolled to her side and looked up at him. He looked even more furious with her now than he had before. She lay back down without speaking.

Another knock at her door made her sit up, but she didn’t leave the sleeper. Austin’s brother sat in the other seat. She laid back down on the bed without speaking to either of them. They, however, had plenty to say.

“She’s not going on the run. She is finally being smart for once,” Austin said. CJ wanted to hit him, but decided he’d be pissed enough when she drove off. She had to smile at that thought.

“Austin, has anyone ever told you you’re a prick? Besides me, I mean. Christ, the woman is right there.” CJ thought she might like this brother. She listened to him when he continued. “You should really learn to say please and thank you.”