Pleasured By The Dark & Damaged (3 page)

We traveled on about half a mile before Barret pulled over. He pulled his smartphone out of his pocket.

“Hope I can get some reception up here.”

“What are you looking for?”

“There’s a website that some of my colleagues monitor. I want to see if we have a new wrinkle in our case.”

Barret studied his phone for several minutes. I leaned over to watch him.

The website he had accessed was a message board for werebear bounty hunters. We werewolves, though pack animals, had nothing like it. I made a mental note that we should begin one.

“Oh, shit,” Barret said. “Here it is.” He handed the phone to me.

The message was from Clea Samson and was addressed to all of the bounty hunters on the message board. She had offered a $250,000 reward for the capture of Lobo.

Dead or Alive.

I handed the phone back to him. “Well, that complicates things.”

“You ain’t lyin’.” He stepped on the accelerator. “We’d better get to Helena as soon as we can.”

By pushing the truck to exorbitant speeds, Barret shaved one hour off of our traveling time. We arrived in Helena, Montana, three hours later.

Barret cruised Washington Street searching for the Kyra McCann’s apartment building. It wasn’t hard to find. There was a huge tree on the sign.

Barret had been a very able and professional companion during the last part our trip. When we pulled into the parking lot of the Shade Tree apartments, however, he reminded me of why I disliked him so much.

“See that tree up there on the sign?”

“Yeah?”

“I used to know a guy with a dick that size.”

I blinked. “That’s impossible.”

“I kid you not. Big as that tree. Speaking of which, do you like big dicks? Werewolves must have pretty small ones.”

I regarded him with furrowed brows. “Why do you care, Barret? You’re not getting near me with your elephant cock.”

“We’ll see.”

“There is no way you’ll ever fuck me and you know it,” I scowled at him.

He parked the truck. “Care to bet on that?”

I laughed. “I’ll bet you my share of the money that you won’t.”

“I’ll take that bet.”

He extended his hand for me to shake.

“Not so fast, Barret. I’m setting down some rules first. Rule One: No hypnotism.”

“I’m a werebear, not a vampire,” He scoffed.

“Rule Two: You can’t get me drunk and take advantage.”

Barret shook his head. “I would never do that.”

“Rule Three: you must have my full consent. No jumping my bones when I bend over.”

“What kind of guy do you think I am?” Barret growled. “I never take a woman against her will.”

“I’m just covering the bases.”

“You really think I’m like that?”

“Yup.”

“Let’s place a little side bet then,” he said, leaning against the truck. “I bet you $5,000 that you will come to me first.”

I took his extended hand. “This is going to be the easiest eighty-grand I’ve ever made. It’s a bet.”

He shook my hand gently. “The bet ends when we’ve delivered Lobo back to the authorities in Libby. If nothing happens, I pay up. If something does…”

I withdrew my hand from his.

“Nothing will, Barret. You should have bet on that.”

Barret and I got out of the truck and walked toward the large apartment building. I found the construction bland in comparison to the other buildings in the area. It didn’t seem to have any character or presence. In fact, it was so orderly in design that I wondered if a computer had designed it.

When we arrived at the door, I realized that this apartment building was the type that only allowed residents within. Since neither Barret nor I had keys, we would have to use the intercom system to get in.

I pointed at the buttons for the individual apartments. “We need to convince someone to open the door for us.”

Barret suddenly smiled. “Well, for the love of—I didn’t know she was living here.” He pointed to a button which read: LULA BARNES.

“Let me guess…old girlfriend?”

“Frequent one-night stand.”

“What a stroke of luck. Ok, Loverboy, get us in.” I pushed the button.

Barret combed his fingers through his thick hair. “Let’s hope she’s home.”

Lula’s voice was high and tinny when she spoke through the intercom. She sounded like a bad Marilyn Monroe impersonator.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Barret MacMahon, Honey. I was in town and—”

The intercom buzzed and the door swung open.

I gaped at him.

He frowned. “She must be mad at me. Usually, she opens the door a lot faster.”

He walked ahead of me into the building.

I followed.

We entered the lobby and then took the elevator to the second floor. Apartment 2G was at the end of the mauve-colored corridor.

“Do you think Lobo’s in there?” Barret whispered.

“No. I don’t think he’s that stupid.”

“Think Kyra knows where he is?”

“Let’s go find out.”

The ugly beige carpet silenced my footsteps as I neared the door. When I reached it, I knocked on it three times. There was no answer.

I strained my ears and sniffed. When I detected nothing unusual, I turned the knob. The door wasn’t locked. I was about to push it open when Barret suddenly grasped hold of my arm.

“Wait.” He sniffed the air.

Before I could react, he had thrown me half-way down the hall. The wind was knocked out of me and I lay gasping on the floor. The next thing I knew, he had jumped on top of me.

Adrenaline filled me and cramps of transformation filled my body. My muscles grew and tore through my clothes. Hair covered me within seconds.

Barret was lying on top of me, covering me with his body. I couldn’t breathe. A snarl ripped through me and I raked his chest with my teeth.

He was still in his human form and mortal flesh tore under my attack. He cried out.

“Goddamn it, Ula!”

Those were the last words I heard him say. Anything else he might have said was drowned out when the world exploded.

A flame ripped down the hallway as apartment 2G suddenly separated from the building, leaving cold, blue sky in its wake. Shards of metal hit the walls above my head and gleamed in the resultant firelight. The building rocked under the explosion and debris rained over us.

Barret had transformed and his bear body had shielded me from the blast. There was a small splinter of metal in his back. I didn’t dare touch it.

It was made of silver.

By throwing me down the hall and shielding me with his body, Barret had saved my life.

We cannot speak in our animal forms. Instead, we rely on body language, smell and facial expressions. Barret rose, sniffed me several times, and nudged me with his nose. I nodded in response to his concern and he turned away.

The huge black bear approached the place where apartment 2G had been and sniffed at what remained. He paused and then suddenly began to sway back and forth on his hind legs.

He was signaling an attack.

I pushed myself up and picked up the keys and phones we had been carrying with my teeth. Then, I rushed to his side.

The wail of police sirens blared through the street below. I peered out the gaping hole in the side of the building and saw a werewolf standing in the parking lot. He lolled his tongue…laughing.

Barret roared as the werewolf began to run. It jumped into a waiting vehicle and sped away seconds before the first of Helena’s Finest made their appearance.

Barret turned and charged through the hallway with me at his heels. This time, the cops were not shifters, and it was doubtful that they would understand our special talents. Depending on what kind of men they were, they would either call animal control or riddle our bodies with bullets.

I was sure that Barret was thinking the same way I was and had decided to err on the side of caution. Being shot with lead, while not fatal, still isn’t very fun.

Frightened residents peeked out and then slammed their doors as we passed by. It must have been quite a shock to endure the detonation of a bomb and then see wild animals racing down the hall.

We avoided the elevator and headed for the stairs. Barret had been in the lead, but switched places with me when we passed through the stairway door. He followed me as we began our descent.

We reached the first floor in under a minute. Instead of heading into the lobby, I led Barret down a flight of steps that led to the basement.

Washing machines lined the concrete floor, while a large furnace stood at the back of the room. I found an exit near the back corner of the room and we hurried through it.

We slipped unseen into the alley.

Barret glanced back before shutting the door. Then, he took the lead once more and we made our way to his pickup, which was parked on the other side of the building.

We reverted to our human forms when we neared vehicle, and were about to get into it when several teenagers appeared. Not wishing to attract attention, we hid in the nearby foliage and waited for them to leave. My heart was throbbing in my breast and my breath came in short gasps. I turned to Barret and smiled. He returned my grin, eyes shining.

“That was interesting, Barret.”

He shook his head. “Interesting is a lame word. I prefer ‘exhilarating’.” His grin broadened as his eyes fell upon my naked body. Desire and appreciation shone there as he stared at my large breasts, and then dropped lower to my unshaved, but trimmed pussy.

“I was wondering if you were a natural blonde. I guess you’re not.”

“Save it, Loverboy. Do you think you can track that werewolf?”

Barret shook his head. “I got his scent out of the apartment, but I was too far away to get a smell of the car. He’s probably on his way out of town by now. Want to check with the DMV? Get a line on the car?”

“We can try, but I doubt we’ll find anything useful. The car was probably stolen.”

“You’re right. But, a possible lead is better than no lead. Let’s do it.”

I walked to the truck and opened the door.

“Well, what do you know,” he called after me.

“What?”

“Not only do you have stellar jugs and a beautiful snatch, you have a cute ass too.”

I ignored him as I took my backup bag out and opened it. I pulled out my spare clothing and began to dress.

Barret watched me, eyes wide, as I pulled on a pair of tight jeans. “Don’t you wear underwear?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I don’t see any point in buying clothes that no one will see.”

“Oh,” He replied simply, frowning.

“You thought it was for sexual reasons, didn’t you?”

He raised his eyebrows suggestively. “That’s why I don’t wear underwear. I always want to be ready.”

His naked body shone in the afternoon sunlight, and I couldn’t help but look at his cock. I blinked.

“It looks like you’re ready right now.”

His dick was at full salute, and my pussy got wet at the sight of it. It had to be at least ten inches long and three inches thick.

His voice was soft when he spoke. “I am ready.”

“Well, I’m not going to be. By the way, did you know there’s a splinter of silver in your back? It’s on the left side.”

He looked over his left shoulder and plucked it out with his right hand. “I think this was meant for you. That bomb was filled with silver shrapnel.”

I wanted to thank him for saving my life, but the words stuck in my throat. Instead, I tossed him the truck keys and said, “Let’s get out of here, and quick.”

He caught them and walked over to the other side of the truck. We got in and drove away.

“DMV, here we come,” Barret said as we pulled out onto Washington Street.

“Time-out, Loverboy. Unless you have a change of clothes I don’t know about, we’re headed for a Big and Tall store first.”

“I don’t have a change of clothes in the truck.”

“You don’t? What do you do when you have no clothes?”

“The same thing I do when I tear my pants. I call one of my girls. They are always happy to bring me clothes.”

“They just drop everything for you?”

“Yes.”

I blinked. “I’m just curious. Do you have sex with them after they give you the clothes?”

“Yes, I do. It’s my way of showing appreciation. I can’t just say, ‘Thanks for the clothes, you can go now,’” He said, as if offended at the very thought.

“Do you have money to buy clothes?”

“No.”

“I’ll buy them for you.”

He smiled. “I guess I’ll have to show you my appreciation then.”

I sighed. “A simple ‘thank you’ will do nicely.”

“But—”

“No buts. This one is on me.”

“I don’t take things from women,” he grumbled.

“Well, I figure I owe you. You did save my life.”

He shrugged. “You’re my partner and you’re a good one. I’d do just about anything for you.”

Warmth blossomed within my heart, and I was rendered speechless. When I could speak again, I changed the subject. “Do you think Kyra was in there?”

Barret shook his head. “The scent I got before the bomb went off was old. She hasn’t been there for a few weeks.”

“How did you know there was a bomb in there anyway?”

“It was activated when you tried to open the door. I smelled the plastic explosive before I heard the timer start up. Didn’t you hear it?”

“No.”

“You’re kinda weak when it comes to smelling and hearing things, aren’t you? I’ve noticed that unless you’re right on top of something or you see it, you don’t even know it’s there.”

I crossed my arms. “I can hear and smell just as well as you can.”

“Did you pick up the wolf’s scent?”

“He was too far away.”

“I’ve heard that some werewolves smell prey up to a mile away.”

“Well, I’m not one of them,” I snapped.

“No need to be touchy. I’m not ashamed to admit that my biggest weakness is eyesight.” He pointed to his eyes. “These are contacts. Sucks ass when I lose one.”

I squirmed in my seat and avoided his eyes. “Let’s change the subject. I’m not in the mood to discuss this—and what is up with your cock? Doesn’t it ever go down? That thing has been standing up straight for over ten minutes.”

He caught my eyes with his own. “When I’m aroused, it never goes down.”

“Never? You mean—“

“As long as you look hot, I can keep it up. And, Toots, you always look hot.”

“You just told me you had bad eyesight.”

“I also told you that I had the problem corrected.”

We turned onto a new street and I sighted a strip mall on the left. I pointed to a Tall Man shop among the other stores.

“There it is. Pull in here.”

We pulled into the parking lot and I jumped from the pickup before Barret braked to a stop. I rushed into the building, hoping that by the time I came back, the glorious erection would be gone.