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The jacket was last, and it was heavy and cumbersome because she felt so weak. Once she sat in the wheelchair, Darien pushed her out of the room where Jake waited beyond the door.
Walking beside Darien, Jake said, “Everyone’s slowly waking from the drugged coffee—Doc, Ritka, the new janitor, parents of a patient, Peter, Sam, and Uncle Sheridan. But, man, was Uncle Sheridan hotter than a summer heat wave. Even in his half-groggy condition, he’s ordering Trevor about, taping off the break room. He warned us the attempted killer probably didn’t leave any fingerprints behind. Sam’s throwing a beer and pizza party at our place later. ”
“What?”
“You missed the leader’s meeting because you were investigating the shootings. Figured now that you’re taking the lady to your house, you’ll want to have the meeting. And,” Jake said, “since his barmaid will be there, she can serve, like always. ”
Silva gave him a disgruntled look, although the annoyance appeared faked. Lelandi figured she loved being the center of attention in a room full of men. Or at least tried to be. Or was it that she secretly had a yearning for Sam?
Jake shoved his Stetson on his head and pushed the side door to the hospital open. “He said you’ve got to earn your keep somehow. ”
“Like I don’t work lots of overtime so the guys can drink longer? Ahem, is Trevor going to be working guard duty?” Her voice sounded suspiciously hopeful.
Lelandi wanted to kick the deputy next time she saw him act disinterested in Silva when she wanted so much to please him. Why did women chase after men who showed them no affection in return?
“What are we going to do about the sleeping arrangements?” Jake asked.
Silva looked back at Darien. “Yeah, boss, who gets to sleep with whom?”
Lelandi held her breath, waiting for Darien’s word, feeling a mixture of hope he wanted her, and at the same time wishing he’d want to steer clear of her. She had a mission to accomplish. She didn’t need any more of his kisses. And she sure as hell didn’t want them.
Her tongue traced her lips, just thinking of the way he’d kissed her, and she closed her eyes and moaned. Could any other man make her feel like that? And if he could, she wanted to find him next. Forget about looking for her damned rogue brother.
She opened her eyes and found everyone watching her.
Darien’s brows lifted slightly. “Lelandi sleeps alone. ”
She let out her breath, and he cast her a smile.
“I don’t want anyone bumping into her wounds in the middle of the night. Unless one of my brothers wants to give up his bed to you, Silva…” Darien tilted his head to the side as if to ask if she had any objections, yet finality censored his words.
Silva frowned back at him. Obviously, she wasn’t interested in his brothers.
“Not my bed. I stayed up most of last night and gave enough blood, I’m ready for a good night’s sleep,” Jake said.
“You’ve got guard duty from four to six in the morning, Jake. ” Darien wheeled the chair outside to the SUV.
“I can handle it. ” Jake said to Silva, “Guess you can sleep in whoever’s bed isn’t occupied during guard duty. ” He opened the passenger door for Darien. “What about Tom? He’s doing pretty well, but you don’t plan on having him serving on guard duty, do you?”
“He’s champing at the bit to pull it. Think he’s in love. ”
Jake frowned. “Tell him he’d better find a new girl. ”
Silva chuckled. “Yeah, this one for darned sure’s already taken. ”
Lelandi stifled a growl. Once she found out who the blackmailer and killer were, and heck, found her gun and took care of them, she was out of here.
She caught a glimpse of her cousin Ural watching from across the street at some old movie theater, the sign faded like most everything else in Silver Town. Her heart nearly stopped. He wore his hood up, hiding his face, but everyone was sure to be looking for him, and that coat was like an orange prison jumpsuit on an escaped convict.
Damn him for hanging around. If the grays caught him, they’d crucify him, figuring he had something to do with her sister’s death and the shootings. Plus, Mrs. Hastings had seen him manhandle her, and Darien was pretty hot about that. They wouldn’t use kid gloves on him either, not like they did with her when they were trying to find out the truth. All because he wanted her home before the pack leader found out where she was, or maybe he wanted her to run away with him. She wasn’t really sure what he had in mind.
Quickly, she looked away so no one saw what had caught her attention, but Silva saw, and Jake, too. Then Darien.
Chapter 10
JAKE CURSED AND TOOK OFF RUNNING AFTER LELANDI’S cousin.
Her heart hammering, Lelandi tried to climb out of the wheelchair, pain filling her chest. “Leave him alone!” she screamed.
“Calm down before you hurt yourself further,” Darien ordered, and lifted her flailing body out of the wheelchair and into the backseat of his SUV. “Get in, Silva, and make her stay put. ”
“But I was going to follow behind and—”
“Get in!” he snapped, trying to keep Lelandi still. “Hell, drive the vehicle. I’ll keep the hellion in her seat. ”
Lelandi struggled to get free when someone opened the other passenger door to the backseat of the vehicle and grabbed her arm.
She cried out. “Tom,” she croaked.
The poor guy’s head still bandaged, he gave her a toothy grin, but it looked like his struggle to calm her pained him, and she ceased fighting him. What did it matter anyway? She wasn’t going anywhere, and Jake was sure to catch her cousin since he was longer-legged and had a lot more strength in his movement than the shorter red.
Darien leaned over her and locked her seat belt in place. The strap pressed against her injuries, and she gasped.
“Sorry, Lelandi. ” Darien’s eyes turned to midnight as he motioned to Silva. “Drive. ”
Pressing her back into the seat, Lelandi slipped her hand between the seat belt and her chest, trying to avoid contact with the shoulder strap. Darien began to move it aside for her when Jake cornered Ural next to a fast-food pizza place. She willed her racing heart to slow, but her body wouldn’t obey.
Darien shouted, “Pull into the pizzeria’s parking lot!”
“No,” Lelandi screamed and tried to tear off the seat belt.
“Quit it, Lelandi. We won’t kill the guy. ”
Yet his icy look told another story. Darien attempted to brace her against the seat, his big hands pinning her shoulders back. She bit into the leather jacket covering his arm, but it protected him.
Pinning her left arm down, Tom chuckled.
Silva slammed on the brakes in the parking lot. “He got away. ”
Looking like the devil was after him—and for now he was—Ural dove down a side street, and Jake took chase again. Lelandi was impressed. She didn’t think Ural could outmaneuver the gray in a footrace in their human form. But he was a wiry little guy. If he could turn into the wolf, he’d do even better.
“Drive us home,” Darien said to Silva, pulling his cell phone out. He punched in a number and moved a tress of hair away from Lelandi’s cheek. She scowled and turned her head away. “Uncle Sheridan, get your men to the pizzeria, south on Silver Maple Street, suspect wearing a hooded copper coat. Jake’s on foot chasing him. Yep, same guy who accosted Lelandi behind Hastings B&B. No, Larissa was my mate. The guy in the copper coat is small, most likely a red. Gotcha. ” He looked at Lelandi, his expression one of deep satisfaction.
Despite what a jerk her cousin could be, she didn’t want the grays to harm him. She gave Darien her meanest glower and would give him more hell as soon as she could.
Darien had every intention of putting Lelandi to bed when he got her home. But after what had happened with the guy in the copper jacket, he didn’t trust her to stay put without a guard. And he d
idn’t trust that the guy wouldn’t come for her again.
He planned on securing her in the guest bedroom, but he was awfully tempted to put her in his bedroom suite to cut down on the amount of guards posted. Hell, as light a sleeper as he was, she’d never be able to slip away if she had a notion to. He didn’t care how his people would view his actions either—they’d adjust, but he did care how Lelandi felt about it. To that end, he wasn’t sure.
Although she sure as hell kissed him back when he kissed her. Which meant? She was probably half out of her head after being injured so badly. Or was that the reason she had clamored for his kisses? Then passed out. Yeah, it had to be the blood loss screwing up her brain.
But another thought took hold. The woman from his dreams was Lelandi. He stared at her. She refused to look at him. A sickening feeling instantly swept through him. Hell, he’d mated the wrong woman.
When they pulled into the circular drive of his wooded estate two miles from town, Darien had every intention of showing Lelandi she was his soul mate, but her injuries… he’d kill the bastard who tried to murder her.
“Tom, you have guard duty from twelve to two. Get some rest before then. ”
“I’ve been sleeping most of the day, Darien. I’m fine. ”
Darien lifted Lelandi out of the SUV, the fight out of her now. Soft and pliable, she looked damned kissable again, but when she groaned, he squashed that notion. “Watch her in the living room until Trevor gets here to guard her. ”
“Yeah, sure, Darien. ”
Darien had the greatest urge to carry her straight up to his bedroom, lay her in his bed, and ravage her. And he would, once she was healed, and he convinced her she was the one meant for him. Did she have the same dreams he did? If so, why hadn’t she recognized him? Or had she, but she didn’t want him now because he’d taken her sister as his mate? Hell.
With that damning thought, he carried her to the living room, the craving to have her growing with every step he took. Already he was as hard as granite and the friction from his jeans was making the situation worse. Her eyes widened and he was certain she could smell how turned on he was by touching her.