Four Days (Seven Series #4) (23 page)

He gave a satisfied laugh. “I knew it was only a matter of time you’d come around, Ivy. How did you get this number?”

“Does it matter?”

“I guess not. By the way, you have a lovely bedroom. Cute little dreamcatcher hanging on the ceiling. How’s that working out for you?”

I shuddered at the thought that he was in our house. “I’m accepting your offer, Fox. Not because I want to, but you have to promise me you won’t bring Lakota into this. You probably know where to find me, but I’m not leaving with your men. I don’t know them, so I need you to come get me.”

“You accept what? I’m sorry, could you repeat that? We must have a bad connection.”

“I accept your offer,” I said, voice cracking through the room like a whip. Everyone raised their eyes in expectation when I tossed the phone on the bar. It clacked on the surface and twirled in a circle.

“Fox out of the hole,” Reno said with a chuckle. He touched a few keys on his laptop, switching to another camera view of our property.

Denver and Trevor were standing on either side of him, trying to get a better look. Curious, I joined them. “What’s going on?”

He spun the laptop in my direction. “He’s leaving the property.”

I squinted at a grainy image of a car pulling out of the driveway. “Can you tell what he’s been doing there?”

Reno rubbed his stubbly jaw. None of the men had packed razors, so they were beginning to look like pirates. If it were a contest, Wheeler would have won with Austin coming in a close second. “We don’t have cameras set up inside the house, and thank God for that. Lynn would pitch a fit if he was tearing up her drapes.”

“How about your bike?” April asked. “He better not have put one finger on it.”

“Don’t worry about the bike, princess. If he tears it up, then I’ll hit him so hard he regrets it. Bikes are replaceable; you aren’t.”

April sat beside Lexi on the couch with her knees up and arms wrapped around them. Lynn came out of the bathroom and unzipped Maizy’s bag, rummaging for something.

Lexi continued drumming her fingers on Maizy’s backpack, which was sitting beside her. She lifted her bourbon-brown eyes when Austin walked toward her and tossed the backpack on the floor before sitting in its place. He kissed her forehead and rested his hand on her thigh, offering reassurance.

“Let’s keep our heads on straight, boys,” Austin began. “Fox knows we’re here, but he isn’t willing to put up an argument with Ivy and risk her changing her mind. Obsession clouds reason. It’s a rookie mistake because a real Packmaster would never let someone else dictate the conditions. He thinks we won’t kick up a fight in here because it’s a Breed bar. Well, he thought wrong. I want everyone prepared. If you have to shift, then do it, but only as a last resort. At least in human form we can change tactics, so hold out as long as you can. This is a battle and we fight together.”

“Aus, I don’t feel good about some of the women being here,” Denver said.

He meant the humans.

Austin lifted his icy blue eyes to Denver. “Where we go, they go. That’s just the way it is. I can’t protect them if they’re down the street at a motel. Got it? And when Fox moves in, we’re going to position ourselves in the club. Lynn, Maizy, and April will stay in here.”

“No way,” April said. “Give me a gun and I’m going in with you.”

I expected Reno to argue with her, but he didn’t. He tapped a few keys on the laptop, changing perspective. A sedan pulled onto the main road with two cars following behind.

“Keep dreaming, babe,” Trevor said.

She sat forward and glared up at him defiantly. They exchanged words through glances. Trevor looked out for April as her best friend, but he had no rank over her mate. It was out of love, and I could see the concern in his eyes before he looked away.

“How many was that?” Trevor asked. “I saw five.”

Reno changed views again. “Two in the bar and six on the way, plus Fox. You didn’t see the guy who’s been guarding the turnoff to the property, but I’m going to go ahead and add him to the guest list.”

“There could be more if he had any men guarding the road that didn’t show up on our cameras. Expect a full house,” Austin said. “Fox is coming in here with his entire pack for protection. The only way he can get that house is to take me down, so I think it’s safe to assume his intention is to strike. I’m willing to bet his master plan is to take Ivy and then sit outside, waiting for us to leave. Let’s catch him off guard.”

“Should we warn the staff?” Ben asked.

Austin shifted his eyes around the room. “Hell no. We can’t afford to tip him off. Wheeler, I want you to guard the front door. Do a head count when they come in. If we’re a couple of men short, then fuck it. Lock and block the door to keep anyone from leaving. We’re not going to worry about any of his men left outside; a pack is nothing without their leader.”

“I need a gun,” Izzy said.

“Yeah, like you need a hole in the head,” Jericho replied. “You’re staying in here, Isabelle. You can’t shift and I’m not putting you and the baby at risk.”

Izzy swept her hair back and paced the room. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Yeah,” Reno said. “Monitor the property. When this is over, we’re going home, and I need to know if we’ll have anyone waiting for us. Keep a close eye on the cameras; I’ll show you how to switch views. Have you ever worked on a computer?”

“It’s gravy. I used to borrow one from a friend to look up drink mixes on the Internet.”

Trevor held out his hand to April. “Babe, why don’t you and Lynn help me move some of this furniture. We’ll create a barricade.”

Lynn looked relieved to be doing something productive, so she walked to the center of the room and put her hands on her hips, examining the placement of every piece of furniture. She had on a pair of dark slacks and a blue blouse with a V-neck. Not the sort of woman one would imagine living with wolves and preparing for an attack.

“Chairs in a semicircle around the door,” she said. “Then a second row of chairs. If they come in, they’re going to face an obstacle course that’ll slow them down long enough for me to shoot.”

Denver snorted with laughter and turned around. “Come here, Peanut.”

Little Maizy looked at Denver with the prettiest blue eyes. Her hair was much brighter than Denver’s but had a sunny glow like early-morning sunshine. Such an angelic face for a human child. Maizy had changed from her nightgown into a pair of black tights, jean skirt, and a pink shirt that matched her sneakers. There were little sparkly patterns on her skirt, faux diamonds forming butterflies. After a second, she ambled toward Denver.

He bent down and lifted her up. “You’re getting too heavy,” he said, giving her a pensive stare. “Someday Denny won’t be able to pick you up anymore.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her cheek on his shoulder. “Yes you will. You’ll always be able to carry me, Denny. Can I go with you?”

“And miss out on all the fun?” He sat her down on the bar and retied one of her shoelaces. “You don’t want to hang out in that old stinky bar with me. I have a very special assignment, but it’s top secret. We can’t let the spies know.”

“What spies?”

“The ones out there,” he said matter-of-factly, pointing his thumb toward the door. “This is base camp and you have to protect the castle. Our house is the castle. You’re going to help Miss Izzy watch the cameras and look for spies. Think you can do that? It’s a
very
important job.”

“I can do it,” she said. “I promise. I’m good at watching things.”

Denver threw a brief glance at Austin, his expression filled with trepidation. There was a possibility that some of us wouldn’t walk out of here alive.

“Good girl,” he said, turning his attention back to Maizy. “Can you give me a big hug?”

She reached out and put her arms around him.

“Nope. That’s not good enough. I can still breathe.”

Maizy squeezed tight and giggled, playfully trying to strangle him. He kissed her neck and set her down, quickly turning toward the door.

“I’ll be at the bar,” he said to Austin.

Twenty minutes later, the only men remaining in the room were Wheeler and Austin. Lynn sat behind the bar, armed and frightened. She kept asking why we couldn’t just call the cops, but Lynn didn’t understand the ways of the Breed. Cops couldn’t keep a rogue Shifter away from our land, and restraining orders had no meaning in our world. She’d wanted to hide Maizy in the bathroom at first, but Austin didn’t like that idea. I’d heard him talking with Wheeler about the possibility of Fox setting the place on fire. With all the flammable alcohol, he might use it as a last resort. There wasn’t a back door, and Austin wanted to make sure they could get out fast.

When the light flashed by the door, that was our signal Fox had pulled into the parking lot. My stomach twisted into knots and I began wringing my hands.

“Wheeler, maybe you should stay in here with Lynn,” Austin suggested.

Wheeler gripped the doorknob, penetrating him with hostile eyes. “I’m fighting with my brothers today, not cowering in a room. You need me on that floor and I’m in the mood to kick some ass. ’Preciate ya.”

The men were able to conceal their weapons, but Reno didn’t bother. Breed bars didn’t condone violence, but most didn’t care if someone wore a grenade on their head. Everyone was dangerous, and a weapon didn’t make someone more deadly than the next. Austin didn’t want to spook Fox, and strapping a gun on the outside of my dress might have raised an eyebrow.

“Sit at one of the tables near the back,” Austin said, leaning against the door. “Draw him all the way inside so he can’t cut loose and bail. Act as if you’re going with him, just so long as it’s believable. Make small talk long enough to get him to sit down. Doesn’t matter what you say; I’ll show up and tell him what’s what. He’ll be expecting me to have words with him, but he won’t expect anything to come of it. A Packmaster can’t force a packmate to stay, and he’s gonna feel safe inside the club.”

I took a deep breath and he patted my shoulder as we walked out the door. Wheeler sat at the bar near the front door, his head low, looking like any other drunk in the early morning hours. Fox’s men wearily rubbed their eyes, unaware our pack was moving into position. Reno stayed visible to keep them distracted, and William relocated to a booth just behind theirs.

I sat down at a table near the hall that gave me a clear view of the main room—especially the bar straight ahead on my right. Most of the tables in the center of the room were a mix of standing tables and the kind with chairs. Half walls divided the left side into two sections. Behind them were more places to sit down, including some lounge chairs and private booths.

The main door swung open and a bright light pierced the darkness. A man emerged from the short hall like a bear from a cave after a long hibernation, his eyes hungry with desperate determination.

Fox reached up with both hands and pulled the hood on his jacket away from his head. When he caught sight of me, he wasted no time in conquering the space between us, eying the trophy he had sought for so long. His pack moved in behind him and lingered near the bar. These men knew nothing of strategy, yet the knowledge that at least two of them were panthers filled me with dread.

His blue eyes searched the club, but he didn’t seem aware that my pack was watching from the dark corners of the room. He shook off his coat and tossed it over the table. Fox didn’t want to sit with his back to the room, so he sat in the chair on my left. “What’s this for?”

“That’s my cane.”

He barked out a laugh. “I didn’t know you were that old, Ivy. Is this some kind of joke?”

“When you chased me off that night, I was struck by a car. I didn’t heal all the way and now I have a lame leg. So maybe you should reconsider if you still think I’d be a valuable addition to your pack. It’s not too late to walk away from this, and I’m sure your men won’t care either way.”

He turned the cane in his hand so the wolf’s head was facing him—silver teeth sharp and ferocious. “Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. Now you won’t be able to run from me.”

“I’ll never run from you, Fox. I don’t feel fear when I look at you. I see nothing but a pathetic man who covets what isn’t his to have. You’re not an alpha, and no matter how hard you try to wear the coat of a Packmaster, your pack will never respect you the way they would a true alpha. You’re an embarrassment to our kind.”

He smiled with closed lips and put his arm over the back of his chair, leaning casually toward me. “Ivy, Ivy. We’re peas in a pod, aren’t we? What are you doing with this pack? Or with that Indian Packmaster? Looks like I’m not the only one playing house.” He held up my cane and rolled it between his fingers. “This is just one more thing to add to your dirty-laundry list. No respectable pack will ever accept you as an alpha female. If any man gives you kind words, it’s only for sex. In the end, that’s what we
all
want, and we’ll say anything to get it. But the way you sat all high and mighty in that Indian’s chair when I came to speak with you was a joke. Holding that spear in your hand like some kind of princess. Don’t you get it? I can give you everything you want without all the bullshit of lies. If you want kids, I’ll give you those. We probably won’t have an alpha since you couldn’t produce one with our firstborn, but I don’t care. Maybe we’ll have a girl.”

Every thought revolted. The idea of this man wanting a girl child sent me over the edge, and I slapped him.

My eyes scanned the room and I saw no sign of Lorenzo. I hadn’t seen him since the night before. I was certain he had left to return to his pack, where he belonged.

Color bloomed on Fox’s cheek, and he grinned wolfishly. “Fighting turns me on. Maybe it’s better if you don’t fight.”

“Speaking of fight,” Austin interrupted, appearing in front of the table, “I think it’s time you and I settle this once and for all.”