Jarrett (2 page)

“There was this girl. Woman, I guess. She looked…she helped me, and now I don’t think she should be alone.” Luke looked down the street, then at him. “She was here. Used a cola to clean off them terminals. I never knew about that. And people put that stuff in their body?”

“I saw her. Who is she?” Cash told him he had no idea. “Well, that was really nice of her to help you. If you have something that belongs to her, we can hunt her down for you. Why are you afraid she shouldn’t be alone?”

“I don’t know. I just have a feeling…Luke, you know how that woman you knew some time ago—the one that went and killed herself—how she looked all the time?” Luke nodded, sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry, boy, I am. But this here girl, she looked about ten times worse. Like the thought of dying was much better than living.”

Luke looked in the direction she’d gone. Cash looked as well. He had a feeling that the girl was going to harm herself. And if she did, he was afraid he’d be haunted by her for the rest of his life. He looked at Luke.

“I’m going to open an office. Like the one you and Jack was telling me about.” Luke nodded as he hooked up the cables to his battery. “You go on and fix me up on that, please. That building next to your wife’s, it’ll do just fine.”

“Dad, what’s this about? You didn’t even want to talk about it the other night. Why now?” He looked in the direction the girl had gone. “This have to do with her? That girl tell you something? Ask you for something so you’d do it?”

“No. Damn it, boy. What makes you think that some snip of a girl is going to be able to make me do a damned thing I don’t want to?” Cash huffed. “Damn it all to hell. There is something about her that makes me think she’s a danger. To herself.”

“How?” He wasn’t sure and told him that. “I don’t understand. You think she’s going to kill herself? Why? What did she say?”

Cash got into the car when Luke told him to. He had no idea what it was about her. There was something there. Something profoundly sad that made him want to find her right then and fix it. When the car roared to life, he got out and stood by his son.

“She’s got a sadness about her that hurts me right here.” Cash put his hand over his heart. “Luke, if something happens to her, anything, I’m going to be hurting too. I don’t even know her name or a thing about her, but I like her. She is…I don’t know, I really like her.”

“All right, Dad. Let me see what I can find out.” Luke got into this car and looked out at his dad. “You have her scent? Anything?”

Cash picked up the can and handed it to him. After Luke took it to his nose and handed it back, Cash did the same, taking in her scent to keep it with him. When his son took off, Cash went to the diner and had a little talk with Mable. If anyone knew anything, she would. And by golly, damned if she didn’t.

“There is this girl that is camping at my place. Don’t think it’s her though. Josh said she was on the scared side. Wouldn’t even let him take out his license to show her who he was.” Cash had a feeling this was his girl. “Tall, about six foot, he said. Skinny and a little on the busty side.”

“That’s her. Yeah, busty, that’s a good name for her. Dark hair. Looks like a good wind would lift her up and toss her away.” Mable called Josh from the back, and he nodded at his description of the girl. “What’s her name?”

“She gave me one, but I’m thinking it’s just short for something. Addie Parker, she said. Her truck is broke down, she told me, and she needed some place to fix it.” Mable looked at Josh. “Anything you can tell Mr. Emerson here?”

“She was threatened.” Cash started to ask him what he meant. “As soon as she saw me, she held that tire iron like she was gonna use it on me. I think she would have, too. And her engine is gone. I could smell it from the car when I was leaving. But she didn’t strike me as someone who would trust you if you had a string of priests telling her you were fine.”

“She’s stranded then?” Josh nodded at him. “Good. The longer the better. I want you to let me know if she comes in here. I won’t go out there and bother her none, not yet at any rate, but if you see her let me know. I’m gonna…I need to keep an eye on her for a bit.”

Cash went out to his car and wasn’t surprised that it started right up. He looked down the street and thought he saw her, but wasn’t really sure and turned at the next street to go and see.

As soon as he turned around and got back to where he’d seen her, he pulled over. She wasn’t around, of course. That would have been too easy. He moved up and down the street until he got to Jack’s building. Slipping inside, he stood in front of the big window while he watched. Cash felt Jack before she said anything.

“You have a date or something?” He told her about the girl. “Ah, so you’re stalking. That’s not good. There are laws about that, I think. Should I tell your sons? I’m sure that Hunter will have a lot to say about you stalking someone.”

“No, there’s no reason to tell them. Luke knows, but…I just have a feeling about her…this girl, I mean; that’s all.” He looked at her then. Christ, this woman made his heart flutter every time he looked at her. “You’re awfully pretty today. That mate of yours is picking out your clothes again, I’m betting.”

“No, he is not. As a matter of fact, Slone and I went shopping. She has excellent taste. I was going to go with her tomorrow.” They both stared out the window. “What’s the story on your date?”

“I don’t want to date her.” He’d snapped before he could think not to, and she laughed at him. “She’s just a woman that I have a fear for, that’s all. There is just something about her that makes me want to pull her into my arms and keep her safe.”

“I don’t know her, but if you have that feeling, I’ll help you.” They both moved away from the window, and he noticed then that the store was dark behind them. “I was just closing up. Luke called to say that he has to work on something for an hour or so. So I’m all alone. Wanna take a lonely woman out to dinner?”

“Hell yeah.” As she pulled on her jacket, he thought of the other woman. She might be cold or hungry. His resolve to find her doubled and it nearly took his breath away with it. “Jack, do me a favor. If you find this girl, see if you can get her a coat or something to put on. I think she might be a little on the stubborn side.”

“Stubborn, huh? I don’t know that many stubborn people, but I’ll give it my best.” He stared at her until she started to laugh. “I’m kidding. But I will keep an eye out for you.”

Thanking her and walking her across the street, Cash wanted to go and see her now, his mystery woman. Even though he knew where she was and that he could be there in no time, he decided to wait. For now anyway. As soon as they entered the diner again, he was filled with a sense of wellness. The girl would be all right, he knew, for one more night.

Chapter 2

“Now you listen here. I said you’re not going to work for me with that sort of attitude. What’s wrong with being up front about the fact that I want to give you a job? And sex ain’t that bad, you’ll see.” Addie tried to think what sort of attitude she’d had and frowned at him. Sex with him or anyone just wasn’t going to happen. “And if you think that’s fucking going to work, then you might as well just get on out of my office right now.”

Addie sat there for a count of ten. It was the fourth time she’d counted since she’d been shown in here, and it was enough. Standing up, she picked up her purse and moved to the door. If he was the only person hiring in a seven state radius, she’d go hungry before she did a single thing for him. He called out to her as she put her hand on the door. She wasn’t even sure when this interview had turned to a sexual combat.

“Where the hell are you going? Sit your ass down.” Addie turned the knob and heard him scrape his chair back. “You heard me, I said to sit down. This interview isn’t over. If you want a job being my blow girl, then you’ll sit down. Everybody else here don’t have a problem with it.”

As soon as he grabbed her from behind, she knew that he was going to hurt her. When he turned her around, her back slamming against the door, she tried to defend herself. Addie knew that she was tall, but his girth, about four hundred pounds of him, was too much for her. Her head hit the door twice before she was able to hit him in the face with her fist. And when he staggered back, she finally got the door opened and was out into the main lobby.

He was still yelling at her to stop as she rounded the front desk and headed for the door. The security guard, a big man who had been very polite to her when she’d been shown in, looked over her shoulder. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to get out of her way when he opened the door for her and stepped out of her way. She was in the street before Max James, the dirty old prick, could catch her.

As she rounded the corner of the building and slipped into the alley, she leaned heavily against the wall. What the fuck had just happened in there? She wiped at the blood on her lip and nose and wondered if he’d bruised her.

It was a job interview to be a receptionist for a real estate agency, and that was all. The man, James, had looked over her application and leered at her. Then he’d asked her how willing she was to go down on him. Yeah, she should have known then, Addie thought to herself with a laugh. The man was a grade-A pervert, and he’d been saying things to her that were not job related since she’d walked in.

“Dumb ass. Why are you so fucking stupid?” Her belly started to rebel at the stress, and she leaned over. Addie knew that she was going to be sick and heard someone coming toward her just as she felt her belly tighten to let go. If it was James, she was going to puke all over his ill-fitting suit.

“There you go now. Come on, love. Let me help you.” The man from yesterday. His hands curled around her gently, but the early bruising had her whimper in pain as she threw up. “Oh honey, you didn’t do anything, did you? What did you take? I can have you at the hospital in a short order. Puke it out and we’ll get you some help.”

She had no idea what he was talking about, but was too busy trying her best not to have her guts and lungs join her light lunch to argue. When she knew there was nothing else, she leaned back against the building and closed her eyes. The man was still standing there when she looked at him. Then it occurred to her what he’d meant.

“I’m not a druggie.” He nodded and looked at her with a bit of suspicion. “I’m not. I was…I don’t deal well with stress, and that man in there…well, it didn’t go well. So throwing up was better than hitting him.”

“Max James?” She nodded. “Did he do this to you? Did he hurt…? That motherfucker. I told him the other day that he was to straighten up or else. He’s been trying to get that girl of his, Sally Manson, to…that man is not a nice person. What were you doing in there?”

The man inspected her arms like he was going to be asked questions about it later. When she pulled from him, he pulled her back with a surprising amount of strength. He was gentle, but he was very firm, too. She pulled her torn blouse around her when he leaned to it and sniffed.

“I need a job.” He nodded and took a step back. But when she tried to step around him, he moved to stop her. “Look, mister. I appreciate you holding my hair back, so to speak, but I need to get going. I want to take a long hot shower, burn my clothes, and brush my teeth. Not necessarily in that order either.”

“I need you to come work for me.” She was shaking her head before he finished. “I’m Cash Emerson, by the way. And you’re Addie Parker. Mable Carlyle said you’re staying on her land.”

“Yes, I am. But it’s only temporary, so thanks but no thanks. I need something that doesn’t require me to have to worry about what motives you have for hiring me.” She pointed to the building that she was leaning against. “James in there proved to me that I might be better off working in a place where I can hide in the background and not have the public being around me. I don’t do well with people.”

“You were going to kill yourself the other night, weren’t you? When you left me, I had a feeling that you were going to do some harm to yourself.” Addie didn’t say anything, but she was sure that he could see something on her face. “I worried half the night and tried to think how I could keep you safe the rest of it. I don’t want you to die.”

“You don’t even know me.” He shook his head. “What business is it of yours anyway? I mean, if I was going to do something like that, what concern would it have been to you?”

“You’re something to me.” She tried to walk around him. “You’re something to me. I don’t know what it is, but I have an overwhelming need to keep you safe. A profound need to hold you.”

Addie took a step back. “Don’t. I don’t want anyone to love me like that. It’s much too painful and people are forever leaving.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” She had a feeling he wasn’t just talking about right now. “I’d really like to offer you a job. I’ve got me a building, but it’s only just being set up. You could come in and have it set up to suit you.”

“Why?” He frowned at her. “Why the hell should you care what happens to me, and—?” The alley darkened, she felt herself being tossed back, and she hit her head again. The pain shot through her like she was banging her head against a hard stone, which was basically what she was doing. Cash moved to stand in front of her, and when James took a step toward them, Cash growled.

“This is who you gave me up for?” James laughed, and it took her a moment to figure out what he was talking about. “Why would you go to some old fuck like this when you could have been down on your knees in front of me? My dick is considerably cleaner and a good deal less fuzzy.”

“You’ll not talk to her that way.” The voice, Cash’s voice, was hard, making her take a step back from him. And when he continued, James looked a little frightened himself. “You’re going to get yourself back into your office and leave her the hell alone. Or so help me, you’ll regret it every time you look in a mirror.”

Addie saw the other two men, and she had a feeling that she and Cash were going to be killed. But instead of either of them moving to stand with James, the taller of the two of them put his hand on James’s shoulder. He fell to his knees from the apparent pressure.

“James, my father here says that you’re accosting young women again. That’s not true, is it?” James whimpered but didn’t try to get away. “What do you have to say about this?”

Addie watched the three men at the front of the alley and took a step forward. It was way past time for her to be gone. Moving around Cash, she was about halfway between him and the men when she felt something hit her. The entire right side of her head felt like it had exploded, then nothing.

~~~

Jarrett caught the girl just as she was falling. The brick from the top of the building had slid down and hit her just as she walked around them. Lifting her in his arms, he looked at his dad, who was coming at them. Jarrett tightened his grip on her but didn’t pull her from his father’s touch.

“She’s bleeding.” His dad nodded and moved her hair from her face. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Yes, poor thing. James there wanted her to…she was looking for a job, and he was wanting things she wasn’t giving.” Jarrett watched as Hunter pulled James from the ground and tossed him against the wall. As he talked to the man, Jarrett started across the street with the woman in his arms. His dad was right beside him.

“I have a medical kit in my room. I thought we’d see if we can fix her up.” Jarrett nodded at his dad and looked down at her. He could smell her, her scent was strong and fresh, but he didn’t say anything to his dad. “Maybe you could go and get someone from the fire station to come and have a look at her. Maybe she might need to go to the clinic.”

His dad helped him into the store and then opened the door to the stairs that led to his apartment. As soon as the door opened, his dad said he’d return soon. Jarrett waited until he was alone before he lifted her up to his face and inhaled deeply.

His mate. He knew there was something about her when he’d caught her, but now he was sure who she was. Jarrett took her to his bedroom and laid her gently on his bed before he went to the bathroom and got a wet cloth.

There was a good deal of blood on her forehead. The cut was deep and jagged, but he could see that it was clean. After cleaning it for the second time, he leaned into her and licked the wound. He could heal her, he supposed, but he wanted to think before his father and the rest of them figured out what she was to him.

By the time his dad returned with Hunter and the medic, Jarrett had laid a wet cloth over the bleeding wound. He’d also looked at the marks on her arms and knew that he’d be looking for James as soon as she was all right. He’d hurt her, bruised her arms badly, and had even cut into her tender skin. That wound Jarrett had healed.

“She’s going to hurt for a while.” He nodded when Carl inspected the wound. “I’d say she needs a few stitches, and if you don’t mind, I can do them here. I know you guys can care for her better than we can out at the clinic. There’s a rash of sick kids out there. Flu for the humans and a few of the younger cubs.”

“She can stay here.” His dad looked at him, but Jarrett had already thought of what to say if asked. “She more than likely shouldn’t be moved, and I’m so busy downstairs that I rarely get to bed anyway.”

“You’re right. She should rest. But if you can get her to wake every couple of hours and ask her a few things, it will make me feel better.” Jarrett nodded. “Do you know anything about her?”

“Her name is Addie Parker. And I’m thinking she might be fighting some powerful demons of her own.” Before Jarrett could ask him who, his father continued. “Depression. She didn’t say it to me, but I’m thinking she might need to be watched a little closer. I don’t have the whole of her story, but I’m thinking she’s got it bad.”

“That’s too bad. I’ve heard of a couple of humans that committed suicide over it. Not good, not good at all.” Carl stood up as he put his things back in his case and looked at him. “You want me to stitch her?”

“Yes. I’ll help you.” Carl went out to his truck and got his other bag. The man was pack and would help them in any way he could. As they cleaned the wound again, she moaned and opened her eyes. Jarrett felt as if he’d been hit in the head with his own brick.

“I…I’m hurting.” He nodded at her as she stared at him. “James hit me? Or did I fall again? I fall sometimes.”

“A piece of the building came down and hit you. James is being taken care of.” Carl cleared his throat, and Jarrett looked at him before looking at her. “We need to put a few stitches in your head. Carl here is going to do it if you’d just lay back.”

“I should be in a hospital, right?” Jarrett felt his wolf shift under his skin. He didn’t want her out of his sight and neither did Jarrett. “Shouldn’t I?”

“No, he’s got it.” She nodded but didn’t move. “Can you lay back? Just for a few minutes?”

“I’m not sure I should.” Jarrett watched her face. He could see her fear and her pain, and he wanted to simply hold her. But they weren’t alone, and he wasn’t ready to share what she was to him just yet. “I’d very much like to be taken to my camper.”

“I will take you. Just as soon as we’re sure that you’re going to be all right.” She looked at him, then at his dad. “My father, Cash, you know. My name is Jarrett. That man over by my dad is my brother, Hunter. This is Carl Manchester. He works for Hunter.”

“You’ll take me to my home when he’s done?” He nodded, knowing that he’d rather leave her where she was, preferably naked and beneath him, than take her anywhere else. “All right then.”

She lay back and closed her eyes. Jarrett felt his cock stretch in his pants, and he had to take slow breaths before he moved to stand next to the bed. Carl looked up at him, and Jarrett had to have him repeat what he wanted him to do.

“I’m going to numb the area. Could you hold her still for me?” Jarrett looked at her and knew that he was going to have to be on the bed with her. When he knelt over the bed, her scent nearly had him snarl at Carl when he touched her forehead. “Jarrett?”

“Yeah. I got it.” He moved so that her head was on his thigh. It was ungainly, but he held her still while Carl filled his needle. Jarrett tried to think of something to say that would keep him from hurting his friend. “He’s going to numb the area before he puts the stitches in. I already cleaned it up before he got here. Then I made sure that there wasn’t any debris in it. What do you remember about what happened?”