Page 18 of No Strings Attached

What Sam needed to do was get his car back, toss Daryl’s duffel bag on the guy’s porch, and hope things would end there. Now he wished to god he’d never taken the damn thing. For the life of him, he still didn’t know why he’d even grabbed it.

“Sam?”

Shit. Why was Sam thinking about telling Morgan? Even though Morgan could arrest Daryl for assault, he would be back on the streets in no time. Then Daryl would know that Sam talked.

“I’ll tell you, but you have to give me your word you won’t arrest him.” All he wanted was for Daryl to forget he existed. Sam didn’t need to make matters worse by having the monster arrested.

Morgan’s nostrils flared. “If the person you’re talking about is the one who hurt you, I can’t make that promise.”

“Then I’m going into the kitchen to make my follow-up appointment. After that, I’m going upstairs to lie down.” Sam winced as he tried to stand. So much for walking off in a huff.

Chapter Seven

Morgan had suspected it was claws that caused Sam’s wounds. Dr. Baldwin was certain of the fact. Sam just all but confirmed he was still in danger.

Which made Morgan think only one thing. A preternatural was after his mate.

While sitting in the hospital, Dominic had run Sam’s VIN number, but an old address had popped up. Deputy Cannon Lowery had checked out the apartment building, had talked with the landlord, and the guy had said that Sam was evicted two years ago for nonpayment of rent.

It had been a dead end, and Morgan had no idea where to begin his search for the guy who’d hurt Sam. But his mate knew his attacker, and Morgan needed to know who it was.

“Are you that adamant that he’s not arrested?”

Sam stared up at him, and damn if Morgan didn’t have the urge once again to curl his mate in his arms. The guy looked so vulnerable that it gutted Morgan to know someone had hurt him. If it was preternatural, Sam didn’t have to worry about Morgan arresting him.

He would kill the bastard.

Reluctantly, Morgan nodded. “You have my word.”

A small whimper escaped Sam when he tried to recline into the cushions. Morgan helped him and then sat next to his mate.

“Someone befriended me almost three weeks ago in the park. He seemed like such a nice guy.”

As Morgan listened, his bear snarled at the danger Sam had put himself in. How many people went missing because a stranger was charming and they’d let their guard down? Worse, Sam had gone home with the guy.

Sam went home with you.

And the human had been damn lucky that Morgan didn’t have ill intentions. No wonder his mate hadn’t wanted to trust him, but Morgan was thankful that Sam had.

“Then he said I had to pay him back for staying there.”

The more Sam talked, the more horrific the story became. When his mate told him that the person had tried to pimp him out—and to three guys at once—it took every fucking ounce of control to keep his bear from barreling to the surface.

Morgan didn’t want to think about Sam being in that terrifying situation, helpless to stop the nightmare that threatened to unfold.

“I can’t remember everything that happened or was said, but I do remember telling him I wasn’t a whore. He shoved me against the wall and choked me as he said I’ll be whatever he tells me to be.” Sam’s brows pinched together. “I tried to drive my knee into his nuts, and that’s when he attacked me.”

But his mate was leaving out something important. “What did he attack you with?”

“He had me pinned on my stomach.” Sam looked away. “I don’t know what he used.”

If Morgan had to guess, Sam was too afraid to tell the truth because he thought Morgan wouldn’t believe him. “There’s nothing you can tell me that will shock me, Sam.”

A bubble of humorless laughter escaped his mate. “I beg to differ. Anyway, he stormed out of the room, and that’s when I escaped out the window and ended up on Hinkley Road.”

Morgan waffled on what he should do. Sooner or later Sam would find out he was a shifter. That wasn’t something he wanted to hide from his mate. Morgan just didn’t know if he should say something now and deal with the fallout or wait until a later time.

But the longer he waited, the more danger Sam would be in if he had a preternatural after him. The person would find him. It was only a matter of time.

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