Page 30 of Memphis Heat
Still, he wasn’t prepared when she finally let loose.
“Do you love me?”
His left eye ticked an ominous beat.“What the hell kind of question is that?”
“One I’m asking you.Now.”
And one he’d better approach with caution.No matter what he felt, he’d said the words before, only to have them come back to bite him in the tail.“Why?What bug’s stuck in your throat?”
“I heard you.You and shithead.Miller.I didn’t know.None of us do.We’re new at this whole not being human anymore thing.Too naïve to even think to ask about packs and bloodlines.We thought we were pack now.We’re what you are.But we’re not really human or wolf, are we?We’re somewhere in between.Something less.I can deal with black.I’ve always been black.But this… I didn’t see this one coming.”
Fuck.“Well, you should have listened to the rest of the conversation then.It’s the Russians we’re worried about.And Jarod and Belle.Miller’s a fuckhead.He should have sent me in.I was born wolf.”
“Born, bitten, turned… why does that matter?”
“It doesn’t matter to me, or to any of the wolves in our pack.We’ve mated with humans for so long we have no idea who’s what.I was born wolf, and I was born here, but my pack immigrated to this country during the Revolutionary War.We’re mercenaries.Pack is what matters to the old ones.Born or bitten, they call us mongrels.The packs who have protected their bloodlines for generations.Jarod won’t have a clue about pack bloodlines.He’s a bite-turned wolf, and if it comes down to politics, the Russian pack will turn on him as fast as you can say ‘FBI shitheads didn’t do their homework.’I’ve read up enough on bloodlines I could at least fake it.Jarod doesn’t have a clue.”
It was his turn to pace.“But that doesn’t answer your question.Yes.I love you -- more than I love the feel of the sun on my fur or a long morning run.More than I love the feel of fresh grass between my toes.All things that make me who I am, more than human, more than wolf, the best -- and the worst -- parts of both.They’re part of me, part of all the things I cherish.You’re that, and more.I’ve loved you since I first caught your scent.I don’t say it, because it scares me.I don’t have the best track record with women.I’ve learned it’s generally safer to keep my mouth shut.But you make me want to howl it to the world.And more importantly, to the pack.My woman.My mate.And that scares me, too.Because with you, I’ve got something to lose.”
Something lifted in Amanda’s expression.For once he’d said the right thing.“I love you,” she growled, kissing him hard.“And I don’t care what kind of mutt you are.You’re my mutt.That’s good enough for me.”
He wanted to grab her, rip her clothes off, and fuck her until none of this mattered.But now wasn’t the time, he reminded himself.Not now.But later.Pack gathering.He would claim her.And gods help any wolf who tried to get in his way.Because this time, nothing would stop him from making her his.
Just as he came to that almost lucid conclusion, he heard the sound of an approach warning.Carson had rigged early warning alerts all along the road into their isolated location.
Time to go be cops.
Chapter Four
The guys who’d set up this compound had been real security freaks.The whole place was surrounded by a twelve-foot-high chain-link fence, with a secure front entrance.The place was so secluded, it was nearly impossible to find, even if you knew what you were looking for.They had enough uniformed guards in place, stationed at all the watch posts, to look like a real military compound.
Carson had rigged an early warning system on the only road in -- if you could even call it a road -- which gave them enough time to man the gates with extra armed guards.
Two big box trucks ground up the hill with an obvious effort, one of them tipping dangerously when the lead driver tried to pull up out of the grooved pits in the mud and climb the bank onto more solid tracks.The spring rains hadn’t done that road any favors, and they hadn’t had time to have a fresh load of gravel hauled in.
Callahan knew his crew looked like just what they were -- an ambush waiting to happen.He sure wouldn’t have been in any hurry to try to run a frontal assault on the place.He moved into position at the main gate while Carson and his team took the hangar.Seemed they’d inherited a small cargo plane and a short runway along with the warehouse space to hold as much ammunition as they could manage to acquire.And thanks to Miller’s federal funding, they had the cash to do just that.
“Open the walk thru,” Callahan ordered.Gears whined and the smaller gate slid open.Two of his men, fully armed and wearing standard combat body armor, accompanied him to meet the truck.
The trucks were solid body, far shorter than semis, the sides painted and stenciledU.S.Army.Callahan didn’t even want to ask where they’d come from.He just hoped the Army didn’t show up asking for them back any time soon.The driver of the lead vehicle rolled down the window and extended his clipboard, paperwork at the ready.
It was all Callahan could do to maintain a poker face when the lead driver rolled down the window.It was Jarod.Evidently he and Belle had successfully infiltrated the arms dealers’ ring.Must have done a damn good job to be trusted with a major delivery like this on his own.
Instant recognition flashed between them.Jarod bared his teeth at Callahan, a warning not to blow his cover.
“You’re late,” Callahan bit out.Thank God the pair were both still alive.
“Yeah, well, bite me.Fucking road looks like it was designed by pups with a backpack full of pipe bombs.Near broke my fucking axle.”
“It’s spring.It rains in the spring.We try not to attract unwanted attention by doing things like ordering truckloads of gravel shipped in, or having fucking military convoys shooting their asses up our fucking road.”
Jarod shrugged, his ill humor not even partially concealed.“They’re military surplus, like the rest of your sorry asses.You want this crap or not?Open the Goddamned gates.”
Callahan jerked his head at the gate crew.“Let ‘em in.But keep ‘em covered.”
The gates ground open, the whine offending Callahan’s sensitive wolf ears.Jarod grimaced, but it was Belle who fired off the smartass comments this time.“Jesus, you friggin’ cheapskates.Spring for a can of WD-40 why don’t you?”
Callahan shrugged.“Like I said.It’s fuckingspring.Let’s get this shit unloaded before it rains.Again.”He rubbed his back regretfully.“I’m not getting any younger.”
