Tightening the Ropes [Dark Days Ranch 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  Marcus was at the cash register and Lewis handed him his debit card. He craned his neck to try to look back into the room but there was no luck. He couldn’t see anything.

  “Here you go.” The sooner he got back to the room, the better. Marcus handed him his card and Lewis stuffed it into his wallet. He grabbed the bag and cardboard cup and made his drink. The power of his heart beating shook his whole body. His adrenaline was soaring. Lewis tried not to run people over in his rush for the back room. As he broke through the still-long line of customers he spotted his girl. The only table available was the one directly behind her. Lewis headed in the direction and held her gaze all the way to his seat. He slid in and tried to control his nervousness as her back was practically against his. All that separated them was the bench seats behind both of them.

  “It was crazy, Chase. Of all of my years in law enforcement, I’ve never come face-to-face with someone so…” She paused. “Mysterious. I can’t explain it.”

  “Lynna! The guy kidnapped you. I think I could find a better word than that. How about scary? God, I think you’re still in shock. You were only just found a few hours ago. I’m surprised you’re not at the station.”

  What the hell? This wasn’t the conversation he’d expected to hear. She was a cop? And one that had been kidnapped to boot? Geez, what a strong woman. She seemed to be taking it pretty good. That was for sure.

  “They sent me home. I already gave them everything they needed. I think they’re going to get the footage from the dash cam before he destroyed it. Chase, this guy was like no one I’ve ever seen before. The scars on his neck were crazy. They were like some kind of animal claw marks. He was covered in tattoos and the way he had me handcuffed before I could process his movement was like…magic or something.”

  “Oh my God, Lynna. I can’t imagine how scared you must have been.”

  Lewis froze. Scars? Tattoos? It all sounded way too familiar. Wasn’t that pretty much the description that Juan had given him of Knox?

  “I was only scared at the beginning when he handcuffed me and threw me in the black BMW. Once I noticed the other two guys and how shocked they looked I calmed down a little. I guess you could say I got them feeling that they weren’t going to hurt me. Even though from their appearances you would think the exact opposite. They were all huge, Chase. Like muscular. But damn good looking. It was like I had just been kidnapped by three men who were a cross between an Armani model, and one of those guys from a fitness magazine.”

  The guy gasped. “Really? That should make finding them a bit easier. I wouldn’t say those kind of men are crawling through Fort Stockton. Trust me. I’ve looked.

  She laughed. “Oh, believe me, one look and you’d never forget them. They definitely left an impression.”

  The more he heard, the more his stomach dropped. Long hair tickled Lewis’s neck. He turned slightly, and saw that she was leaning her head back, closer to him. She moved forward while Chase began talking again.

  “So what do you know about these guys? Did you learn anything?”

  “Boy, did I. But if I tell you, you can’t say a word, Chase. I mean it,”

  His voice lowered and Lewis strained to here. “You have my word.”

  Sounds of her shifting told him she was leaning in closer. “I know their names,” she whispered. “Well, two of them, anyway. But I didn’t tell that to chief. I’m not sure why. Anyway, the one in the passenger side’s name was Logan. The driver was named Knox. They were hauling ass somewhere. You could tell some big shit was going on.”

  Lewis nearly choked on his sandwich at the confirmation of his suspicions.

  “Oh, and get this, Chase.” Lynna lowered her voice even more. It was almost impossible to hear her. “The big guy, he told me that he’s coming back for me. Then, he makes a comment while he was leaving that us humans are funny. Humans, Chase! What the hell am I supposed to make of that?”

  “Sounds like the guy is a bit wacko to me,” Chase said. “You be sure to watch your back. I mean that, Lynna. The guy scares me.”

  To Lewis, what they were talking about didn’t sound all that crazy. He’d been at the ranch a few weeks now and he’d caught his handful of weird conversations over the last few days. When he constantly heard about pack this, and wolf that, and then heard the occasional howl of something that doesn’t sound like a coyote, it sure did get his mind going. He’d only tried to ask about it once, and the look the men gave him was downright scary. After that, he just kept his thoughts and questions to himself.

  Lynna made a sound as if she agreed, but he wasn’t so sure that she did. If he was right, it sounded like she’d really taken to these men. Especially Knox.

  “Well, I need to head back to the shop, Lynn. You wanna come hang out for awhile? I know you probably don’t want to be alone right now.”

  Lewis took a drink of his soda.

  “Actually, I think I’m going to stay here for a little bit,” she said.

  “You sure? I can take you home if you don’t want to be around people.”

  She paused. “No, that’s okay. I’ll catch up with you later. The department is right down the road, too. I might go check things out over there. I haven’t decided yet.”

  The brother got quiet for a few seconds. “If you insist. Just let me know if you need anything. I’ll have my phone on me. Don’t hesitate to call.”

  “I won’t. Thanks, Chase.”

  Scuffling sounded on the floor as he stood and left. Lewis felt tingling against his skin. More movement rustled behind him and he nearly jumped when a fingertip tapped against his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, have we met before? You look awfully familiar.”

  He turned and stared into her beautiful eyes. “No, I don’t think we have. But I have to admit, I got the same impression.”

  “That’s crazy,” she laughed. “I’m Lynna.” Her smile was still in place, and he was amazed at how breathtaking she was up close. Even more so than we he was standing across the room.

  “Lewis,” he said breathlessly.

  What felt like hours were only mere seconds, he was sure. They stared at each other, without needing to say anything. For him, it wasn’t the least bit uncomfortable. Suddenly, she slid out of her seat and moved into the other side of his booth.

  “Are you new here? I’m trying to figure out if maybe I’ve seen you around. I’m always on the roads pulling patrol. I think if I would have pulled you over, I would have remembered. It can’t be from that. But I really don’t get out much for anything else.”

  Lewis shrugged. “I’ve only been a here few weeks. I live where I work, and haven’t really been anywhere.”

  The fullness of her lips parted. “Oh.” She got quiet and looked down. “Sorry. It’s just that this is the second time today that this has happened. It almost feels like déjà vu.” As she began to talk more about her day, Lewis listened, mesmerized to just watch her speak. Before he knew it an hour went by. He looked down at his watch, and felt his heart drop. He’d had the truck out now for a while. “I should probably get going.”

  Lynna fidgeted and looked around the room. He could tell she was nervous, and the thought of leaving her didn’t sit well with him at all. Which sort of threw him off. His day was turning out almost as odd as hers. She met his gaze and smiled, uneasily.

  “I’m sorry. I know this is kind of…bold, and completely out of left field, but would you be interested in hanging out with me for a while? You seem in a hurry, so if you have other plans, I completely understand. I just don’t think I’m ready to be alone.” She stared deep into his eyes. “And for some reason, I really feel like I know you. Like I can trust you.” She blinked a few times and turned away. “Which is completely unlike me. I don’t really let myself get close to anyone.”

  He couldn’t believe she wanted to spend more time together. They were complete strangers, but for some strange reason, he knew exactly what she meant. People mentioned love at first sight. Or even lust at fir
st sight. Was this it? He wasn’t sure. He’d practically felt the same thing for Knox. One thing was clear, and that was the pull he had for her was strong. And he definitely wanted to get to know her better.

  “I’d like that very much, actually.” He paused, letting his mind go over ideas of something they could do. He didn’t know this town. The only place he was familiar with was Dark Days, but should he take her there? Did he really have a choice? He didn’t think so. He lived at Dark Days. Worked there. But what if the men came back? He quickly went through the possibilities. He’d just have to keep her out of sight. “I might have something we can do that I think you’d enjoy. Let me make a call real quick.”

  As the phone rang, Lewis watched her glance around the room. Upon closer inspection he noticed she wasn’t just looking around, she was really taking everything and everybody in. It had to be the cop in her. She was constantly on alert.

  “Dark Days. Al, here.”

  Lewis winced. The ranch owner wasn’t who he’d expected to answer. “Sir, this is Lewis. I know we are allowed to have people on the ranch as long as we clear it first. Well, I was wondering if it would be okay if I brought my new friend over to look at the horses.”

  “Ah, Lewis. I was wondering about you. Logan was telling me you were doing good at your new job. How are you liking it?”

  He smiled. “I love it, sir.”

  “Good. Well, you bring your friend over. Take the horses for a run. Just make sure to stay out of the boys’ way while they’re working.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you.” Lewis disconnected and looked at Lynna. “You like horses?”

  Her eyes lit up and were practically sparkling. “Yes! I love them. Are you taking me to see some?”

  “Yeah, we’ll go for a ride. How ‘bout that?”

  She stood and pulled her white fitted shirt down over her jeans. “That would be amazing. I haven’t been on a horse since I was in high school.”

  “You’ll do good. It’s just like riding a bike. It’ll come back to you.”

  Lewis gathered his trash and walked over to the trash can. She followed and he grabbed his keys from his pocket as they headed out of the door. He couldn’t contain the pounding of his heart. Was this really happening? His mind felt fuzzy.

  “Dark Days Ranch.” Lynna paused as they approached the truck. “So weird. I think I had a dream about the name of that place.” She laughed and shook her head while she went around to the passenger side.

  As Lewis started the truck he turned and watched her buckle up. There was something bugging him and he couldn’t explain what it was. “I know you mentioned that I looked familiar, and that you felt that you can trust me. But why leave with a complete stranger? You had your brother. I’m sure you have other people. Men. Why me?” She looked up, but kept quiet. “I mean”—he pulled the belt over him and snapped it in—“look at you. You could clearly be with anyone you wanted. There’s nothing special about me. I’m not some drop dead gorgeous guy. I’m average, at best. I just can’t get over why I have the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen sitting in my truck, wanting to spend time with me.

  Lynna bit on her full lip as she stared at him. “I happen to think you’re very hot. And I like you. It’s hard to put into words, but there’s something appealing about your energy that makes me feel safe.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Before you walked in I was on the verge of tears. I’m so frustrated about this morning and how it went down. There are so many questions I need answered. It’s overwhelming just thinking about it. But as soon as I looked up at you, this calming sensation took over. There is something special about you, Lewis. I can feel it.”

  “Oh. Well…” Lewis looked down to his lap. He’d never really heard someone say he made them feel safe. It was flattering. “Thank you. I’m glad I give that impression to you.” It was still a bit confusing, but he pushed it away. She obviously needed someone, and it wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with her. It was definitely the opposite of that. He didn’t want her to leave. The situation was just too surreal for him to grasp. As Lewis let everything sink in, he decided it was probably best to push the nagging questions away. He needed to focus on Lynna, and leave it at that.

  They exchanged smiles and he headed in the direction to Dark Days. He really liked this woman, and if she felt that way about him, maybe there was a start of something happening between them. Wouldn’t that be something?

  Chapter 4

  As Knox drove through the hills he pushed the BMW to crazy speeds. He was making the drive to the border of Dark Days and Hidden Hills in record time. What should have been a three hour drive was shortly becoming one that was made in a little under two.

  “The gate to the cabin is just up ahead.” Knox pulled the cord connecting his phone to the speakers. The music died, leaving them in silence.

  “That’s the gate?” Logan leaned forward in his seat. Two poles were sticking out of the ground. They held one long and thick log across like the letter H. “Pretty pitiful if you ask me.”

  Knox wrinkled his forehead at him. “What did you expect, a big welcome banner saying, spying in process, come hang out with us? This is operation headquarters, Logan. Not Dark Days Ranch. We’re undercover, here.”

  “Well, if that was the case shouldn’t we have more than a damn stick keeping people out?” At one of Knox’s eyebrows rising, Logan rolled his eyes. “My bad, not a stick, a log. My point is, I could easily lift that thing by myself. What is keeping people out? We need an electronic gate with security cameras.” He looked around. “And a wall protecting this place. Anyone could come in here and take out our pack at any given time. Hell, they already did!”

  A spray of bullets bounced off of the BMW. Logan threw up his arm to cover his face. “Jeez! We’re already getting shot at. This is ridiculous.”

  “Bulletproof. Nice.” Ty leaned back in his seat. He appeared completely relaxed.

  Knox increased the speed, and headed straight at the gate.

  “Whoa. Are you gonna stop?” Logan’s eyes were getting bigger as they got closer.

  Knox tried not to smile. “Nope. Are you going to get out and move the stick?”

  “And have people shooting at me? Hell no. I’m not even supposed to be here,” Logan snapped. “Myles is going to have my ass when she finds out I came with both of you.”

  The gate was only ten feet away when Knox hit the button which allowed the log to drop into the ground. It lifted behind them after they passed. “Logan.” He turned to look at his Alpha’s stunned face. “You may see no wall, but there’s an electrical barrier around this place that would fry a person to a crisp. Our headquarters are protected more than any place you could imagine.”

  Logan lifted his hands, confused. “Then how in the hell did this happen?”

  “We’re protected against anyone coming in. Our men weren’t within the walls when this happened. They were behind enemy lines.”

  Understanding registered on Logan’s face. “I see.” Knox watched the funny guy he’d seen earlier vanish. His Alpha went into leadership mode. His face, pure stone. The wolf inside of him emanated throughout the BMW like a poisonous fog, causing his own wolf to stand on defense.

  Knox hit the garage door opener and pulled into the large warehouse that connected to the two story log cabin. He parked in his usual spot and watched as everyone unloaded out of the car. While he led them inside their lavish headquarters he began to jog. He could sense his brother’s distress. It was something he’d only felt once in his life, and that was the day he and his brothers left their home.

  “They’re in the back,” Jason shouted from the large living area where he was watching TV. Knox noticed there were a good half a dozen men lounging around. The anger that surged through him at their carefree attitude had him coming to a stop. He V-lined through to the room.

  “Get your asses up.” Logan and Ty came to stand next to him Before he could say anything else Logan walked forward. The presence of
his wolf was like a punch in Knox’s gut. With as strong as his wolf was, he knew the other men had to be nearly pissing their pants.

  “With one dead, and others wounded, I take it you boys were just taking a quick breather before you got back to work, am I right?”

  “Yes, boss.” The men mumbled as they scattered from the room. Logan turned around and his eyes were completely blacked out with his beast.

  Damien walked into the room. The slight limp was the least of his injuries. Unbuttoned jeans hung on his narrow hips. Across his washboard abs were raw claw marks, so profound that a millimeter deeper they would have broken through the last layer of skin. He also had them across his chest and over his shoulder. Knox’s vision turned red at his littlest brother’s condition.

  “Why are you not bandaged up? Are you trying to get an infection?” Knox’s anger was laced in his words.

  Damien’s mouth twisted. “I haven’t really thought about it. I’ve been back there with Doc and Jack.”

  Knox walked to the medical closet and brought back peroxide, gauze and tape. As he cleaned his brother’s wounds and wrapped them up Rogue’s presence made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. His middle brother always had that effect on him. They never got along, and their wolves were always ready to fight each other.

  “You live, brother.” Rogue came to stand next to him, but he was staring at Damien the whole time.

  “Yep. Just a few scratches,” Damien said, shrugging.

  “Scratches, my ass.” Knox put on the last piece of tape to the bandage on his shoulder. “You’re gonna have more scars than I do.”

  Damien smiled. “Adds to my charismatic character.”

  “Right.” Knox drug out the word and motioned for everyone to head to the main office. Once they all got in he nodded his head toward the big desk and Logan took his place. He shut the door and leaned against it as everyone took a seat at the random couches and chaises.