Emmitt's Treasure: Judgement of the Six Companion Series, book 2 (28 page)

Michelle took the towel, soap, and room key.  The man cleared his throat uncomfortably, looking at Michelle.

“You okay, lady?”

She was pale, covered in blood, had a gash on the back of her head and was being carried.  He was an idiot for asking.

“I am now,” she said.  I turned away, furious with myself that she honestly believed that.  She wasn’t okay.  She was hurt...on my watch.

Michelle rested her head on my chest again as I climbed a dimly lit set of stairs to get to the room number on the key.  The place was disgusting.  Human odors clung to every surface.  The air conditioner rattled but didn’t bring any clean air into the dank, musty room.

I carried her straight to the bathroom and used my elbow to turn on the light.  Only one of the three vanity bulbs flickered to life.  Stains decorated the laminate counter around the once-white sink.

First, I’d let her be kidnapped.  Then, I brought her to a hotel that probably required tetanus shots.

Without much choice, I sat her on the counter and turned on the water.  It ran clear so I wet the towel and rubbed the soap against it.  Hopefully it would kill any remaining germs on the towel.  Carefully, I cleaned the blood from her face then moved to clean the gash on the back of her head.  She didn’t move much and kept her hands in her lap as I worked.

Rinsing and re-soaping the cloth often, I gradually worked most of the blood from her hair so I could see what I was dealing with.  The cut was a little more than an inch long.  It was spread wide and could use stitches.  Bringing her to a hospital would be dangerous, though.  That meant letting it heal on its own and leaving a large scar.

My temper flayed me from the inside.  How could I let this happen to Michelle?  She had come to me scared and afraid.  I had vowed to keep her safe.

She surprised me by leaning forward and pressing her lips to mine.  I didn’t know how she could still want to kiss me, but I wasn’t foolish enough to deny it.  I lightly touched her face and returned the kiss.  She sighed, melting into it.  Her scent sweetened, and I pulled back to look at her.

Her upturned face was clean and had regained some of her usual color.  Her closed eyes opened slowly, and she smiled.  Her gaze was sweet and full of promise.

“That’s more like it,” she said.  “If you tell me we don’t have to sleep here, we can kiss all night long.”

“How can you even want to look at me?” I said, unable to keep the self-loathing from my tone.

“What do you mean?”

“I promised you that you’d be safe.”  I moved away from her to put the towel in the sink, and she grabbed my arm.

“You’re beating yourself up because I was dumb enough to open the door for Frank?”

I faced her, frustrated.  Her intelligence wasn’t in question.  Mine was.  I shouldn’t have left her alone.  She shook her head at me, and her expression softened.

“To me, safe doesn’t mean I’ll never get hurt.  It means you’ll be there to help pick me back up when I do.  Now, do we really have to stay here?”

Her forgiveness humbled me.

“This was just to get you cleaned up.  I couldn’t take you anywhere nicer, looking like you did, without someone calling the police.”

I rinsed out the towel one last time.  She watched me closely.

“Frank got a call while I was with him.  Were you followed?” she asked.

“Not for very long.  I met up with Carlos and Grey on my way back with our food.  As soon as we entered the lobby, I smelled your blood.”  I rang out the towel and folded it neatly beside the sink.  “We tracked you.  A few of Frank’s friends were waiting.  Grey and Carlos stayed back to deal with them.”

“So, now what?  Are they meeting up with us somewhere?  Do you think the guy downstairs is going to call the cops?”

“Now, we go to another hotel.  You’ll be harder to follow by scent without the fresh blood.  When we find a pay phone, I’ll call my father to make new arrangements.  He’ll coordinate with Grey.”

A buzz emitted from her pocket.  I’d forgotten about the phone she’d taken from the man I’d knocked out.

Michelle pulled it out and looked at me as she answered it.

“Michelle,” a man’s voice boomed through the receiver, “good to hear you sounding so well.  I was afraid Frank might have been a bit rough.”  His voice conveyed no concern.

“He was as gentle as a lamb,” Michelle said.  “Why are you calling, Blake?”

“Isn’t this why you took Frank’s phone?  To talk to me?”

“I guess it is.  I have a lot of questions and, according to Frank, you’re the only one who will answer them.  What’s an Urbat?  What decision was I supposed to make, and who are my sisters?”

There was a long pause before he answered.

“Ah.  I see.  I’ll explain everything if you meet with me.”

“I’m already meeting with you.  Tomorrow morning.  Didn’t the lawyer call you?”

“Yes, of course.”  A hard edge crept into his voice.  “I was hoping for something a bit more private.”

“I don’t think that’d be in my best interest.  At least, not until I Claim my Mate.”

The words conflicted me.  It was everything I’d hoped for, yet, nothing I deserved.

Blake growled through the phone and Michelle smiled.

“Come on, Blake.  You don’t think I’m going to sit around and wait for you to try this again, do you?”

“Then, we part ways for now.  You’ll hear from me again, though.”

Before he could hang up, she said, “Oh, and I spoke with the court appointed executor.  Looks like you’ll have to spend your own money and leave mine alone.”

He wasn’t quick enough to disconnect the call.  We both heard him swear angrily before the line went dead.

Blake just called Michelle.  He won’t be at the lawyer’s office tomorrow.

I’ll confer with the others
, Grey sent back
.

Michelle tossed the phone in the garbage and smiled at me.  I shook my head and plucked her from the counter.

Michelle’s scent changed as I carried her from the motel.  Each step I took brought new tension into her muscles and soured what sweetness our kiss had created.  I did my best to hold her gently and not jostle her with my steady stride as I ran.  Nothing helped.

I checked her expression repeatedly, uncertain how I was causing her pain.  She gave very little away.

After I was sure I’d crossed enough populated areas to confuse our scent trail, I started looking for a pay phone.  With cell phones gaining popularity, pay phones were almost nonexistent.  My frustration grew at having to prolong Michelle’s agony.

She reached up and ran her fingers through the hair at the back of my neck.

“I’m okay,” she said.

I kissed the top of her head and kept searching.  A few minutes later, I found a phone.  Michelle lifted the receiver and dialed so I could continue to hold her.  She leaned in closely to listen.

“Grey called,” Dad said.  “He and Carlos dealt with your would-be followers.  Are you two safe?”

“Are my brothers safe?” Michelle asked before I could answer.

“They are.  We had two incidents earlier, but everything is quiet now.  Mary and Gregory are with the boys, and several of our pack are patrolling.”

She exhaled in relief then winced.

“Michelle’s been hurt,” I said.

She opened her mouth to object.  I shook my head at her.

“She needs to rest.”

Dad covered the phone and spoke to Mom for a moment.

“Give your Mom a few minutes to make a reservation for you.”

I listened to Mom in the background, weaving a nice story about her son and new bride whose luggage was lost by the airline and who were mugged on the way to their hotel.  They were without wallet, purse, luggage or even shoes. She needed to set them up in a room until everything was straightened out in the morning.  She was artful in her lies and far too convincing.  I wasn’t surprised when Dad gave me an address for a different hotel.

“And, Emmitt, be careful.”  His words were laced with fatherly concern, not blame.

“We will,” I said.

I would be much more careful with my Mate.  My heart.

Michelle hung up the phone, and I took the opportunity to steal a kiss, until a passerby shouted encouragement.  Pulling back, I studied Michelle’s dazed, content expression and bent to touch my forehead to hers.

“I won’t be able to let you go for a while.”  Losing her had taken years from my life.

She kissed my cheek.  “I don’t mind.”

Satisfied, I left the booth, started walking toward the address Mom had provided, and reached out to Grey.

I called home.  Mom set us up in a new hotel. 
I gave him the new address.

We’ve been running patrols around our hotel and around the hotel where Michelle was taken to confuse any trails you two might have left. We’re going back to the old hotel to see if anyone interesting shows up tonight.

Be careful,
I sent back.

Always, son.

Having a safe endpoint where Michelle could rest drove me onward despite her occasional flinching.  She leaned against me the entire time I ran.  By the time we reached the hotel, the streets were empty except for the occasional car.

The hotel looked expensive.  A smiling attendant greeted us outside and moved to open the door as we approached.  The plush red and gold patterned carpet in the reception area muffled sound, and every piece of highly polished metal gleamed in the lights.  And, there were cameras everywhere.

Michelle would be safe.

The receptionist welcomed us with a smile. “Mr. Cole.  Good to see you.  Your mother’s description was very accurate.”  The man held out a room card, which Michelle took for me.  “Room service will be up with your meal.  Please let me know if you need anything else.  I hope you enjoy your stay.”

Sometimes the things Mom could do amazed me.

“Do you think someone could get me some socks and shoes?  I lost mine,” Michelle said.

The man nodded and made a note about the size she requested. “I’ll have something delivered as soon as possible.”

I turned and made my way to the elevators.  Michelle pressed the “up” button and the doors immediately opened.  As soon as she swiped the card and selected the floor, the doors slid shut.  I was impressed with the security.

“Could you set me down?” Michelle asked softly.  “I don’t want to attract any more attention than we already have.”

Carrying her kept her scent trail minimal.  Even with the heightened security, I was hesitant to take the risk.  But, the look in her eyes suggested she wasn’t requesting to be set down.  Carefully, I eased her to a standing position.  I didn’t miss the way she winced when her feet touched the floor.  I took her hand in mine and started to rub slow circles over the pulse in her wrist.

After the elevator stopped and the doors opened, I inhaled deeply.  The air was clear of any disguising chemicals.  It was also clear of werewolf.  Holding her hand, I led her into the deserted hallway.

“Are we okay here?” she asked.

“Better security,” I said, pointing to a camera mounted just outside the elevator.  I wouldn’t promise we would be okay.  I’d already made that mistake once.

We walked down a long hallway toward our room.  Michelle kept pace with me but had a hitch to her step.  I needed to look her over and assure myself she was all right, but I wondered if she’d let me.

The room card opened the second door on the right side of the hall.  Stepping aside, I let Michelle enter first.  The door closed behind us with a click, and I released Michelle’s hand and kicked off my shoes as I watched her look over the suite of rooms.

Decorated in neutral colors with black accents, everything looked and smelled clean.  The light cream walls of the kitchenette flowed into the main room where electric flames danced in a fireplace.  Michelle stared longest at the leather sofa and oversized chair, then turned toward the bathroom through an open door to the right.  It had a glass corner shower with dual shower heads, a whirlpool tub big enough for two, and a heated towel rack.  If she wasn’t so exhausted and hurt, the tub might have interested me.  Now, I just wanted her to rest.

“I call dibs on the tub,” she whispered, half-reverently.

The look on her face had me chuckling.  Nothing would stop her from taking a bath.  So much for rest first.  While she moved into the bathroom and turned on the water, I went to the couch.

We made it.  Safe and sound.  This place has decent security.  We shouldn’t have any problems.

Good.  Everything’s quiet here.  We are leaving it up to Michelle if she still wants to go to the lawyer’s tomorrow.

I dropped my head into my hands, wondering if that was the best decision.  Michelle wanted to protect her brothers above all else, even above her own safety.  That Blake’s men had taken her from a hotel room showed the lengths they would go to retrieve her.  When I’d first met Michelle, she’d said those hunting her wouldn’t stop; she was right.

How could I keep her safe if she chose to go to the lawyer’s office?  Would the media be enough?  Blake had already broken our laws by killing Richard in public.  What would stop him from doing something tomorrow?

Michelle left the bathroom just then.  I lifted my head and watched her walk through the room, looking around with a slightly troubled expression.

When our gazes met, her expression cleared and she came to sit beside me.  She rested her head on my shoulder and gently touched my arm.

“Don’t dwell on the past.  It doesn’t do any good,” she said.

She read me too easily.

I kissed her forehead. “Go take your bath.”

She gave me a quick hug then stood and wandered toward the bedroom.  The troubled expression was back.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Just checking things out.  Something seemed familiar, and I can’t figure out why.”

When she reached the bedroom doorway, she froze.  I went to her and looked over her shoulder at the room.  There was a single, big bed.  Was she really worried about that now?

Her scent alternated between anxious and interested while her pulse beat erratically.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

She whirled to face me, startled.

“Yep.  Fine.” Her gaze dipped to my neck, she flushed, then quickly looked up again. “I’m going to rinse in the shower then take a nice long soak.  Let me know when the food’s here, okay?”

She gave a nervous smile and started to step around me.  I mirrored her move, blocking her escape.  After everything she’d been through, I couldn’t believe it was the bed that was causing her unusual reaction.

“Michelle, tell me.  What is it?  Should we leave?  Find another room?”

She blew out a breath and wrapped her arms around me.  I could feel her arms trembling as she rested her head on my chest.  Confused, I returned her hug.

“No.  The room is fine.  I just connected it with a vision I had.”

I knew it. “What was the vision about?”

She hesitated a moment and ducked her head.

“You and me,” she said finally.  She pulled away, and eyed me nervously.  “I don’t want to bite you.  I don’t care if it looked like you liked it or not.  It’s going to hurt you, and I just don’t think I can do it.  Not yet.”

It took a moment for her words to sink in.  She’d had a premonition about Claiming me.  And it would happen in that room.  I stared at the bed.  Tonight.  My heart raced.  Tonight.

Michelle fled, and I turned to watch her.  She seemed to sense my regard and stopped just outside the bathroom to look back at me.  The blood on her shirt spoke volumes.  She’d just survived a kidnapping.  Claiming should have been the furthest thing from my mind.

She looked away and closed herself in the bathroom.  Well, almost closed herself in.  The slight gap in the door didn’t fool me.  It wasn’t an invitation.  She was still shaken up and probably wanted to hear me as much as I wanted to be able to hear her.  Little movements and sounds let me know she was still all right.

Slowly, I sat back down on the couch.  Claiming, being a leader, making a safe home...somehow it all started to blend together in my mind.

The shower turned on, and I half listened as she undressed.

I’d finished her apartment to entice her to stay.  Now, it seemed she would be.  But was it safe there anymore?  No.  Not the way it was.  Dad was right, we needed families to come live with us.  There was safety in numbers.   However, we weren’t sure how many we were up against.  Dad’s relaxed attitude toward the trouble that had visited the Compound stemmed from the number of people living there.  If some of those families left, would the Compound still be as safe?  Should we separate our numbers when so much was still unknown?  I needed to talk to Dad before I made any decisions about the future.  I wanted Michelle and her brothers safe.  If that meant leaving Montana and living at the Compound, then that was what we would do.

The shower stopped, and I listened to Michelle get into the tub and start the jets.  The faint scent of old blood drifted through the apartment.  Not unexpected given what she had needed to wash away.  However, the scent of worry still drifting in the air did concern me.

I dwelled on what the night might bring until I heard movement in the hallway.  I was already off the couch when I heard the knock.  The jets turned off in the bathroom.  On my way past, I closed the door to give Michelle privacy and a sense of safety.

In the hall, a man waited with a cart full of food.  The scent of grilled meat tickled my nose.

“Come in,” I said, moving aside.

The man pushed the cart into the room and set three covered plates and several other side plates on the counter of the kitchenette.  When he had everything set, he wished me a good evening and walked back out, shutting the door.

In the bathroom, I heard Michelle moving.  Closing the distance, I listened.  She was just on the other side.  I could hear her breathing.

“Food’s here,” I said.

She squeaked in surprise and pulled open the door.  I couldn’t help but smile.

“Not funny,” she said, tightening the robe around her waist.  Her wince stole the humor from the moment.

I eyed her, wondering again if she’d let me look her over.  Given what she’d revealed before her shower, I decided to keep quiet for a little longer.

“It’s not as bad as I thought,” she said, turning her head so I could see the gash.  Was she trying to distract me from what else might be wrong?  It was hard to see, anyway.  Her hair was wet and slicked back from her face.  Water dripped from the ends onto the hotel robe she wore.  I tried not to think about what she did or did not wear under it.

“Everything’s on the counter,” I said, turning away from temptation.

She followed me.  I took the lids off of steaks topped with blue cheese, sides of mushrooms, and baked potatoes with the works.  Three full meals.

As she eased onto one of the stools, I moved a plate before her.  She looked down at it with a grimace.  I thought she might argue, but she only glanced at me before she picked up her fork.  The move shifted her sleeve, exposing the red lines circling her wrists.  The raw color stood out against the white robe.