Scheme twisted around, crashing face-first into a broad, so familiar chest. Her heart rate picked up, her fingers curled into the material of his shirt and a small cry broke free of her lips.
She tried to crawl into him.
His arm tightened around her, muscles contracting, allowing her to nearly climb his body in an effort to hide from the sense of danger smothering her.
“I’m going to spank your ass. ” He did the growly thing at her ear. “You know that, don’t you?”
“Promises, promises. ” She was latched onto him like a leech and had no intentions of letting him go. “Just get me away from him. Now would be good. ”
One strong arm surrounded her, holding her to his chest, allowing her to soak up his warmth, the sense of security, of protection. She was shaking in reaction and so damned glad to see him she had to blink back tears.
“How many are with you?” she heard Tanner ask the Coyote.
“Half dozen. I took scout position,” Dog answered with a trace of amusement.
“How many Breeds?”
“Just me,” Dog answered. “Get her the hell out of here before your enforcers start investigating the crash and bang through the forest though. Didn’t you tell her how sound carries in these hills?”
Scheme turned her head slowly, her eyes narrowing.
Dog hadn’t drawn his weapon. He was leaning against the boulder enjoying that cigar, for all the world like a man taking a nice, leisurely hike into the woods.
“Is she Jonas’s too?” Tanner asked
She, Scheme assumed, meant her.
“That one only Jonas can answer. ” Dog shrugged. “I don’t belong to Jonas, cat. Don’t make that mistake. ” There was an edge of danger in his voice. “I just don’t see any reason to torture her further. If you can save her from herself, then more power to you. Saves me the trouble of putting a bullet in her brain. ” His smile was cruel.
Tanner growled, and it wasn’t that low, purring rumble he used for her; this one was pure danger.
Dog inclined his head slowly before turning his back on Tanner and beginning to move back up the mountain.
“Hurry, cat,” he suggested smoothly. “My good moods don’t last for long. ”
When Dog turned back to look, they were gone.
Dog shook his head grimly as he clamped the cigar between his lips and headed back to the top of the cliff. Not that he had a hope of catching sight of the bastard again. Tanner knew these hills like most men knew their own bodies. But he could try. Finding the Breeds’ hidey-hole in these mountains would be a hell of a feather in his cap. His boss had been searching for it for years.
Damn, whatever the hell was going on in these mountains was about to get ugly. If he wasn’t mistaken, Scheme Tallant and Tanner Reynolds were mated.
The scent of it had filled the air like a soft, intoxicating brew. It was subtle, barely there, but unmistakable. She was Tanner’s mate. And mated Breeds were lethal. They were a hell of a lot more dangerous than unmated ones; he had reason to know.
Shit was getting deep. Dog prayed he could keep himself from getting stuck in the quagmire here. He fancied holding on to his balls if it was all the same to everyone else. And his boss wouldn’t have a problem whatsoever cutting them free of his body if anything happened to that girl. No problem at all. His boss, Bollen, wasn’t exactly a man you wanted to displease. And Bollen’s boss, Jonas Wyatt, was even more dangerous. Damn. Shit was just getting too deep lately. Way too deep.
CHAPTER 17
Tanner didn’t bother to lead her through the forest. The minute Dog turned his back on them, he flipped her over his shoulder and began to move. She didn’t dare scream or cry out. She could feel the tension emanating from both men, the air of danger and lethal violence. So she held the required protests back until they entered the small cave that held the cover stone to the tunnels.
Why Dog had just let them escape even she couldn’t guess at. She was in shock over that one. Dog never showed mercy, and he never failed a mission. Ever. Until now. He had just let them go without a gun at his head.
“Not a fucking word,” Tanner hissed as he set her on her feet, his nose nearly touching hers, his golden eyes burning with subdued flames. She swore there were veins of red flickering in his eyes.
She nodded slowly, eyes wide, almost holding her breath at the unusual phenomenon. No one, period, had ever returned to the Council with a report of seeing Tanner enraged. Playfully murderous, if there was such a thing. And with Tanner she was certain there was. But never truly angry. Never enraged.
He was enraged now.
Snarling, he turned, snagging her wrist to drag her to the open entrance.