Page 98 of Stealthy as a Wolf

“Shhh…” She waved me off with a frown, like I was an annoying gnat buzzing around her. Then she tipped her head to the side, her expression clearing, and she shot to her feet and strolled toward the bars.

Just when a sheriff entered the room.

The man was massive, nearly as wide as he was tall, his pressed uniform showing off his muscular physique. Even for a gorilla, he was impressive. Sharp intelligence glittered in his deep brown eyes as he scanned our group.

He assessed each of us before his gaze came to rest on Maggie and then stayed. The sheriff crossed his arms, his muscles bulging, and he narrowed his eyes. “Explain.”

I nearly chuckled that the poor SOB thought she was the weakest link.

That he thought he could intimidate her into speaking.

When Maggie actually started talking, my senses sharpened. I let her take the lead, trusting her judgment. She had a knack at reading people. If she thought we could trust him, I would give the sheriff the benefit of the doubt.

“Pull up a seat.” She pointed to the chair behind the desk, her tone imperious. “I have a story to tell you, one that will be the highlight of your career if you’re smart, and I think you’re the smartest man I’ve seen all day.”

Much to my shock, the gorilla obeyed. He rolled the chair over, sat, and listened in total silence as Maggie told our story. At the end of it, the gorilla leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “And how do you know you can trust me?”

“Logic.” Maggie refused to be intimidated and lifted her chin. “You’d have to be above reproach and impervious to bribery to be in charge of this operation. You’d have to be the best. And if you’re the best, you’ll do your due diligence and confirm facts before you blindly make a decision.”

Maggie sounded almost triumphant as she hammered home her point.

The gorilla heaved a massive sigh and leaned back, running a hand down his face. “You realize I’m going to have to verify everything.” His voice was so deep that it practically vibrated the walls.

Maggie dipped her head almost regally. “I would expect nothing less. All I ask is that you hurry. They’re not going to stop until either the truth comes out or we’re all dead.”

The man slowly climbed to his feet and stepped toward the cage. Not trusting anyone with our mate’s safety, I quickly stood, slid my arm around Maggie’s waist, and tucked her against my chest. I didn’t care if it was a possessive move. Call me a caveman, but I didn’t like the appreciation in the sheriff’s eyes.

He needed to know that Maggie was already claimed.

The rest of the men pushed us farther back, crowding between us and the sheriff to protect her from prying eyes, like overprotective, jealous assholes.

Not that I blamed them.

The only thing that stopped me from peeing on her leg to mark my claim was the way she sighed and leaned back against me. My chest puffed up in triumph like some damn rooster, and I lifted my chin, every inch the proud mate.

The gorilla wasn’t even fazed, though I didn’t miss the hint of disappointment in his eyes. He returned the chair to the desk in a very precise way that no doubt made him an excellent detective. He then opened the desk and collected all the keys to the cell. “Give me an hour. You should be safe here.” He pocketed the keys, then headed toward the door. “Just to be sure, I’ll take these with me.”

Then he was gone.

When the rest of the guys slowly turned toward Maggie, I waited for her to wilt against me. I should’ve known better. Instead, she lifted her chin, planted her hands on her hips, and faced them down. “Soooo, whatever are we going to do to pass the time?”

* * *

MAGGIE

Much to my disappointment, Grady drew the line at having sex in a prison cell.

I stomped around the cell, pissy because I was being denied orgasms.

After ten minutes of trying to justify why I wasn’t allowed to sit next to any of them, like they were protecting their fucking virtue, the guys just retreated and watched me like a wild animal prowling its cage. While I knew they were right, that we needed to remain alert, it didn’t make me feel any better.

And it didn’t supply me with my orgasms.

An hour had come and gone, the sun was setting, and every minute that passed only increased my anxiety. It was like the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

So when I heard the sounds of fighting from beyond the doorway, I wasn’t the least bit surprised.

They’d found us.

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