Sworn to the Wolf (13 page)

Laurent looked down at Rain. “Do you want to talk to him, baby?”

She nodded and took the phone back. “I’m not coming back there, not ever. I have a life here now.” Her voice trembled slightly and she held onto Laurent like he was her lifeline.

“You don’t have any choice. You’re promised to me. Now get your ass back here, you fat fucking whore, before I have to come out there and drag you back here.”

Laurent stiffened. His hearing was acute but Anthony’s screams over the phone were loud enough for normal human hearing to pick up. With a forced calm that belied the killing fury that rode up his spine, he took the phone from Rain gently. “Did you just call my beloved a whore?” he said softly but so dangerously he heard the breath in Rain’s throat catch. He stroked fingers up and down her spine to calm her. She wasn’t the focus of his anger.

“Your beloved? You talk like a fuckin’ foreigner. I own that bitch. She’s mine. You don’t want to cross me, dude. Julia’s spoken for. She needs to get her ass back home and take care of business. If you were smart you’d put her on the next plane to New York and forget you ever met her.”

“I will tear your entrails out with my teeth and eat your fucking heart, you piece of woman-beating shit. You had better find another wife because this one is spoken for. Back. Off. Or I’ll make sure they won’t even find your shadow. Don’t mess with me and mine and make no mistake, Julia is mine.”

“Who do you think you are?” Anthony screamed. Laurent could taste his fear through the phone and a slow, predatory smile broke over his face.

“I think I’m the man who just told you to back off and leave Julia alone for good. If she wanted to come back to you she’d have done it. Take my word for it, Anthony. Leave her alone or I’ll make you sorry.”

“Do you know who I am? Do you know who her father is?”

“Question is, Anthony,
do you know who I am?
”

“You’ve been warned, asshole!” Anthony shrieked and hung up.

Laurent slammed the phone down. “The guy shrieks like a crybaby.” He shook his head. “Honey, they know where you are, at least your number. We have to get your stuff and leave. You can’t be here. It’s not safe anymore.”

“What about Harrison and Elton? I am so stupid. I’ve put them in danger.” She held back tears as she tried to think up a plan.

He took her hands. “Let me help you plan. Let’s take it step by step. You’ve done this before with less experience than you have now. And you didn’t have me then. So, you can’t run forever. You need to be free of them. But for right now, since we don’t know what they’re planning, we need to clear out of here. Figure out our next steps. Do you know where they are? Harrison and Elton?”

“Um, Harrison is probably out somewhere. Elton’s in rehearsal.”

“Can you get in contact with them now? Tell them to lay low for a few days? Even to have this number disconnected?”

“How could I have done this to them?” A fine tremor took over her muscles then.

Laurent grabbed her arms and forced her to look him in the eye. He needed to get her focused and busy so she could get through the fear. “This is not your fault. You’ve been living here a year. God knows how he found you but it’s done. You have to get hold of yourself. Can you get hold of Harrison?”

“Let me try.” Rain picked up the phone and called Harrison’s mobile.

Thank goodness he answered. “Hello?”

“It’s Rain. Can you meet me at the Teapot Dome in half an hour?”

“Is everything all right?” he asked, clearly concerned.

“No. And don’t go home just yet. Come straight to the Dome, all right?”

“All right. Thirty minutes.
Are you safe?
”

“Laurent is with me. Yes.”

“Good. Take care, all right?” he added before he hung up.

Laurent nodded, continuing to stroke hands up and down her shoulders and arms. It soothed and calmed them both.

“Now, baby, try Elton.”

She nodded and dialed but got his voice mail. “Elton, when you get this message don’t go home, call Harrison ASAP,” she said and hung up.

“Let’s get you packed.” Laurent guided her into her room. “I’ll get your art into the truck. I promise to be careful with it. We can store it at Drew’s.”

“Okay,” she said in a small voice but he watched, relieved, as she gathered herself together and began to throw her things into suitcases and boxes.

Laurent put the earpiece to his cell phone in and called Drew while he moved Rain’s art.

“Drew?”

“Ever since I was born. What’s up, bro?”

“Rain’s in trouble. They’ve found her. Can we store her paintings at your place?”

“Of course. Shall I meet you and pick them up? Janine is here, she can help if she’s needed.”

“No, keep her out of it. Do you know the Teapot Dome?”

“On Queen Anne?”

“Yeah.”

“I do.”

“We’ll be there in half an hour. Can you meet me?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, brother.”

“Any time,” Drew assured him and hung up.

Rain took two loads of her belongings out to his truck, packing them behind the seat and in the bed. She saw him and shrugged. “Other than my art supplies, that’s it really. I didn’t have a whole lot, in case I did have to run again someday. My passport and a bit of money are in a safe deposit box near the bus station.”

He pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. She didn’t need him to feel sorry for her so he kept the pity out of his tone. “Smart. Help me with the rest of your canvases.”

She followed him back into the house and brought out the last four paintings and they left to go and meet Harrison, who was already waiting inside the tea house.

“Let me tell him,” she murmured to Laurent as they went in and sat with Harrison.

“Okay, sweet thing, what is it?” Harrison asked as he hugged her.

“Harrison, I don’t even know where to start. I’m so sorry but I’m not who you think I am.”

“I know, Julia.”

“What! You knew?”

“Yeah, I knew from day one. I did an exposé on organized crime a few years ago. You’re the daughter of a very connected man. Of course I saw your picture. I have a photographic memory, I remembered you. I figured you were running for a reason so I never pressed.”

“I’m so embarrassed. My ex-fiancé, the man who beat me up, he’s found me, or at least my number. I’ve moved all of my stuff out of the house and I’ve left you cash to cover my rent for the next two months in an envelope under your mattress but I’m afraid for you. I’m so sorry to have brought this into your life.” She wrung her hands.

Harrison smiled and took her hands, kissing each one. “You are a goddess, Rain. You’ve been so much fun to live with. But I can play the game. If they come to look for you I’ll tell them I don’t know where you’ve gone. I’ll add that you’ve skipped your lease and left me some money but no forwarding.”

“I hate that I’ve put you in danger. These men aren’t likely to just let it go.”

“I’m convincing. Plus, hell, you did skip your lease and I won’t know where you’ve gone since you’d never be silly enough to tell me. Although I’m not taking two months’ rent so forget about it. I’ll put it aside for you. I’ll talk to Elton and fill him in. Go, Rain. Don’t look back.”

“I should have just lived alone. And I’m not taking that money back.”

As they stood, Harrison gathered her into a hug and said softly into her ear, “You’ve helped me heal, babe. You’ve made me feel again after being empty for so long. Go, love, be happy. And yes you are.” He kissed her forehead and looked at Laurent, who nodded his thanks.

Drew came then and took Rain’s paintings. Janine had come, of course, nothing could stop her from getting the chance to help and to meet Laurent’s Mate whom she’d heard so much about.

Harrison left quietly. “If you need me, call me at my mailbox at the
Times
, all right?”

“Okay. Thanks, Harrison.”

She watched him stride off.

“I’m going to put a guard on them. Don’t worry, Rain. I promise we’ll do all we can to keep them safe,” Laurent said quietly in her ear and she leaned back into him a moment.

A tall, lithe blonde smiled, holding out her hand. “I’m Janine. I’m Drew’s wife. Why don’t you let me help you get back into the truck? You and Laurent need to go. I’ll see you again in a few days when Drew and I come back up to the lodge. It was very nice to meet you and I promise to keep your paintings safe.” She smiled and patted Rain’s hand as she led her outside to Laurent’s truck.

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you seems inadequate.”

“We’re family, that’s what family does. Thank you is just fine.” Janine smiled and handed her off to Laurent.

“Let’s get going.” Laurent helped her get into the cab, closing the door after her.

Feeling somewhat numb, Rain waved at Drew and Janine as Laurent pulled out and headed for the freeway.

She leaned back into the seat and sighed.

“We’ll stop and get something to eat in an hour or so, all right?”

“Okay,” she said softly.

“Why don’t you nap? I’ll wake you later.” He brushed a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

She nodded and curled up into the seat, closing her eyes and drifting into sleep quickly.

He concentrated on driving and making sure they weren’t followed. It looked clear and he hoped it stayed that way.

For the first time since he’d driven away from her house two weeks prior, he didn’t feel as if he was about to burst from his skin. She was there with him. Safe.

* * *

Two hours later he pulled into a diner on Highway 2 and gently shook her awake. “I hate to wake you but you should eat. We won’t be back at the lodge for another hour and a half.”

She stretched and looked up at him, totally trusting. “Okay.”

They ate a quick meal and got back on the road. He called the lodge and spoke with Skye, filling him in on the situation.

“Maybe I should just go. I don’t want to bring danger back to the lodge.”

“Sure. Because after all this what I really want is for you to head off, alone and unsafe instead of staying at my side.”

She snorted.

“I love you, deeply, passionately, intensely. I will protect you to my dying breath. I’d never leave you unprotected. Second of all you’re part of the Cherchez Clan, we protect our own. Third, Kari would never forgive me if I let you run off. Last, I want to have sex with you nonstop for at least the next week and I couldn’t do that if you left. So get any plans of running off out of your head. We’ll find a way to deal with your father, just give us time to find some weak spots to exploit.”

She laughed and he rejoiced in that small amount of levity. He hated that these men terrorized his woman, his Mate. Anthony Vargas and Pietro Margoles would pay for that.

When they pulled onto the long gravel path to the lodge, Rain had just gotten off the phone with The Cat and had quit. Luckily they had enough staff to cover and understood her family emergency. Her boss had even offered to let her take leave so that she could come back but she’d said that she wanted to devote her time to painting full-time when she got finished with her family crisis.

Laurent hadn’t wanted to tell her that he had plenty of money and that she could indeed devote her time to painting full-time but he would later when she was feeling better. Not only did he receive a generous salary for being Pack Lieutenant that he’d invested wisely, he’d inherited a large sum when his mother died and again when his father passed two years prior. Laurent Cole was a very rich man, not filthy stinking rich like Andreas but very, very comfortable.

When Laurent’s truck had come to a full stop in front of the lodge, the wolves of Cherchez Clan filed out, moving to help unload all of Rain’s belongings and move them into their cabin. The art supplies were taken to cabin fourteen, next door, which Kari had ordered turned into a studio for Rain’s use and was ready for her.

“I’m so glad you’re back here. I understand that before that awful phone call you and Laurent patched things up. I’m so happy for you both.” Kari hugged her tightly.

“Thank you. Thank you so much for the beautiful studio and for being so welcoming. I don’t know how I can begin to repay your kindness.”

“You don’t know how happy it makes us all to see Laurent this way. He loves you. That in and of itself is worth everything. He’s saved my and Andreas’s lives more than once. He’s loyal and kind and he’s been so good to this Pack and to my family. You make him happy.”

Hellie, Tom, Devon and Sean came scrambling out of the lodge and tumbled into Rain’s open arms. “You’re back!” they squealed.

“I am. I told you I would be. Sorry I cut out on you without saying goodbye the last time. How about a game of Chutes and Ladders later? I haven’t played in so long.”

“Oh yeah!” Hellie squealed and played with Rain’s hair while chattering on and on about the new puppies that their dog had just delivered.

“We’ll be up to the lodge in a few minutes. Let Rain get settled in a bit, all right?” Laurent said as he gently ushered everyone out of their cabin. He closed the door, leaned against it and looked at Rain, smiling. “I think the kids love you more than me,” he said wryly.

“I doubt that. Those kids happen to think you’re the coolest guy ever to walk the earth.”

He came to her, sitting on the couch, bringing her with. He pulled her hair loose of the braid, the scent of her shampoo filling his senses. “I went about this wrong the first time, so I want to be open with it now. Rain, have you given any thought to coming over? To me making you into a werewolf? I don’t want to push you but I really think it will make you safer plus, well, it will seal our bond, marry us. I’d like that very much.”

“You want to marry me?”

“Hell yes. Since the moment I saw you in The Cat.” He smiled into her hair, inhaling deeply. “I won’t lie. It’ll hurt. You’ll be out of commission for about two days, maybe three. Emma is a doctor, as is Sean. They’ll keep you here at the lodge, here in our cabin even, if all goes well. Then you’ll garner more and more ability until the full moon and your first transformation. After that you’ll be able to change at will. The full moon is in six days. I’d like to do it as soon as possible. And you’d have all Cherchez on your side.”