Stretching the Rules (6 page)

“I did. He hasn’t texted back.” There’d been a dead cat at the front door this morning, nailed to the threshold. There was nothing saying it wasn’t just some random psychopath who’d seen Liv’s shows, but Olivia was convinced it was wolves.

Targeting her. Accusing her of stealing one of their big, strong males.

“I want to speak to him!” she roared and Hank nodded. He knew. He did, but it didn’t matter. Jonah would call when he could.

“I’ve got a call into him. Would you like a bath?”

“No.” She hopped up off the stool and began to pace after she stubbed out her smoke. “I want Jonah to know what his asshole pack is up to.” Liv looked so angry, but he could smell the underlying fear. A wolf pack could tear up a cat in moments.

“What can I do? Do you want me to go find him?”

“Yes.” Her green eyes flashed then softened. “Of course not. They would kill you, baby.”

“They would, if they caught me. I’m quick and clever.” Sometimes Hank felt as though his two overly-alpha lovers underestimated him. A lot. Oh, he didn’t get mad; he loved them for who they were, just as they did him. But Hank had ways to find out things.

He was smarter than your average bear. Hell, he was smarter than panthers and wolves; he was just small.

Liv touched his cheek, shocking him back to the moment. “It was gross, but it could easily have been a demented fan. We’ll wait for Jonah to call.”

“It was gross.” He’d buried the evidence and washed with bleach, feeling like there were eyes on him the entire time he was outside.

“I’m sorry, sweet.” Liv gave him a hug, a sweet gesture from his solitary kitty.

He wrapped around her then petted her back with, long, easy strokes along her spine.

Liv melted into him, purring. “Do you think it’s the wolves?”

“I know it’s not Jonah.” That he knew, one hundred percent.

“No, I know. He’d never allow anyone to hurt an animal.” Jonah hunted for food when he was a wolf, but he and Liv both knew he was a sucker for cats and dogs and shit.

“Wolves aren’t cowards, right? Isn’t that part of the deal?” Coyotes were, but his kind didn’t care about pack structure.

“Not that I know of.” Liv shrugged. “I know about as much as you. Damn it, Jonah! Call.”

“Let me text him again.” Then give Liv a massage. She needed to relax. Hell, maybe he’d go down on her. That was a win-win. Whatever calmed her down and kept him from the slash of her claws.

His phone buzzed, and Hank lunged for it. “Hello?”

“Hey, baby. I got your text. What’s going on?” Jonah. Oh, thank God.

“Jonah. Someone nailed a cat to our front door. Liv and me, we’re worried.”

“Did what?” Jonah growled the words, his shock clear.

“I cleaned it up, but... I’m not sure what to do to keep Liv safe.”

“What did you smell outside?” Jonah knew he was better at scents than Hank let on.

“Blood. Anger. There was a group.”

“A group,” Jonah repeated slowly. “Shit. Okay. Are you in town or up at the cabin?”

“We’re at the cabin. We’re having that bathroom remodel done at the condo.”

“Damn. I was going to send you up to the cabin.” Jonah paused. “I’ll come over as soon as I can get away. You stay inside with the doors locked. I want you to watch each other’s backs like hawks.”

“I won’t let anything happen to her.” He would die before anyone touched a single hair on her beautifully coiffed head.

“I know, baby. I— if this is my fault, I’ll kill something, I swear to God.”

“We’re okay. She wants to talk to you.” Hank dropped his voice. “She’s scared.”

“Shut up and give me the phone, pup.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Hank handed the phone to Liv. “Here, love.”

It didn’t take long for her to start screaming, Liv knowing their wolf could take her fury. Jonah could take anything; he was their rock.

Hank padded to the kitchen to heat up milk for cocoa. She loved to lap at hot chocolate. He would make himself some coffee and add in the sweet stuff, half and half.

She slammed the phone down and came to him, pressing against his back.

“Did you yell very hard, Liv?”

“I did.” She held on tight, squeezing him.

“He sounds worried.”

“Yeah.” She sighed, the breath warm and soft. “I am, too, baby. I can’t handle a pack.”

“I’ll protect you.”

“Jonah yelled at me, too.” Liv chuckled. “Told me we needed to watch over each other.”

“We do. I’m strong, lady, and I would give my soul for you both.”

“My Hank. I don’t ever want to do without you.”

He poured Liv’s cocoa, sprinkled the barest bit of burnt caramel sugar on top.

“You just love me for my cocoa,” he told her. Worry gnawed at his gut. How long would it take for Jonah to look into this? What if it was his fault?

They hated his kind with a passion that denied reason. Wolves thought the only good coyote was a dead one. He swallowed hard, trying not to transfer anxiety to Liv.

“Shh. Make your coffee, Hank. I need a cuddle.”

“I do, too. I’m sorry, Liv.”

“Me, too. Make your coffee.” She swatted him playfully. “We’ve got each other.”

“I love that.” Hank chuckled while he put together his coffee.

“Let’s watch
The Mummy
. I love the special effects in that one.” Liv kissed his temple, gentle and sweet.

“You like all the bare skin.” Male or female, he and Liv both agreed on the pretty.

“God, yes. That woman is lickable.”

“I like the guardian dude. His lower lip is so pretty.”

“Mmm hmm.” They headed to the living room. “I’d pay to watch you suck him off while Jonah took your ass.”

Hank jerked as if stung, her words inspiring him as they always did. “You have a vivid imagination.”

“Uh huh.” Her nails teased one of his nipples, bringing it to a point.

Cock dancing, Hank set his coffee aside so he could grab her.

“We’re watching a movie, now…” She’d relaxed enough to play

“No, we
were
going to. I can think of better things,” Hank said.

Her laughter soothed him, bone deep. She swayed against him, soft breasts pressing against his ribs.

A sound came from outside, a rattling at the windows, and they both stilled, nostrils flaring.

Going full on hunting kitty, Liv pushed him away just enough to rise. “The windows are all locked?”

“Yeah.” He pulled her deeper into the cabin. “This way they can’t see us.”

“We need to get a message to Jonah and get hidden. Shit, baby, I don’t even have a baseball bat.” She clicked her teeth together on every word.

“Text Jonah.” He pulled the attic ladder down, urged her up. “Go. Go. I’m going to make sure everything’s locked.”

“No.” She grabbed his arm before he could get away. “Hank, please.”

“Shh. Lay low. I’ll be right there. I need to check the windows.” He tugged free and left her there, knowing she could crawl off the vent on the side of the eave. She’d be protected, and could get to Jonah.

Hank checked the doors, hid his briefcase and her purse with all the cash. The noise wasn’t dissipating, was moving around the house, looking for entrance. He’d go below, leaving his scent, confusing them.

After Hank moved a couch in front of the easiest window to crack, he managed to piss at the back door, hoping to throw them off even more. Liv would yell, but he’d clean it up later.

He heard the window in the back break, heard the joyous, “I’m in!”

Please, lady. Stay safe.
He loved her, loved them both.
Going to run for it.

He’d never make it to the cellar now, so Hank ran like a streak for the front door, hoping they’d left it unguarded.

Strong arms caught him, whipped him around, a snarl ringing in his ear. “Where you going, boy?”

“Not
your
boy. Fuck off.” The scent crashed over him—piss and violence and raw fury. The son of a bitch holding him was huge, damn near the size of Jonah, but mange-ridden and raw, with pie-eyes worse than any horse.

Hybrids.

Damn it.

One hand shot out of nowhere and pinned him by the throat to the wall. He wrapped his hands around the thick wrist, trying to get himself a bit of a breath, trying to get loose.

“Where’s the cat?”

He forced himself to not respond—to make himself look empty—as another fist connected with his jaw. He wouldn’t give his girl up for anything. No way. The pain exploded through his face, leaving him panting with it, his eyes rolling in their sockets. Then the asshole hit him again, turning his other cheek, so to speak.

“Where is she? She don’t belong here, damn it. Her type can’t be here,” that gravelly voice ground out one more time. Hank figured he was lucky that the jerk wanted to destroy Liv enough that they weren’t going to kill him right away.

Then his legs were pulled out from under him, he knew his luck had run out.

****

Jonah’s ears were still ringing from Liv’s call when he knocked on Boothe’s office door. Such a corporate wolf, his Alpha, even if he did look like a carpenter from
Cupcake Wars
. Oh, God, he knew what
Cupcake Wars
was. Liv had ruined him for life.

“Come on.” The single bark was sharp, but not aggravated.

“Hey.” Jonah stepped inside and stopped before Boothe’s desk. “I need to ask you something.”

“Sure, ask away.”

“Is the pack worried about me not finding a mate?” He needed to just ask if someone would hurt his lovers, but some bit of pack loyalty made him approach this carefully.

Boothe shrugged. “What the fuck does it matter if you do?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jonah crossed his arms over his chest, hating how he was suddenly on the defensive.

“I mean that’s up to you. It’s not like you’re desperate to make pups.” Boothe’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”

They’d been friends for his whole life. He trusted Boothe down to his bones, so Jonah took a deep breath and let it fly. “I’ve been seeing someone, Boothe. And today someone threatened them.”

“Someone? Someone who? In the pack?”

“No.” Jonah figured in for a penny in for a pound. “Not a wolf.”

“Well, then. Let’s go kick some ass. No one messes with my pack.”

“Yeah?” Jonah grinned a moment before sobering. “I’m worried it’s the pack threatening, Boothe. You need to know all of it.”

“Sit, Jonah. Talk to me. I can’t do anything unless you fucking tell me things.”

“Sorry.” Jonah sighed. “I’ve been so fucking worried and so tired of hiding it.” He sank into a chair. “I tried, but man, I need to be able to go out to dinner with—I’m in a poly relationship, Boothe. Man and woman.” That was actually the easy part to talk about. Not too unusual for wolves, really, though normally a big male like him would have more than one female.

“Look at you, stealing resources.” Boothe winked, obviously playing with him, but someone was threatening his lovers.

“It gets worse.” Not where he was concerned, but he knew Boothe would growl. “Puma and coyote, Boss.”

One eyebrow went up, the look in Boothe’s gray eyes shocked. “A coyote? Jonah, I… really? They’re scavengers.”

“Hank is amazing.” Jonah spread his hands. “I’m not ashamed of him or of Liv. I just kept it from everyone because I knew how it would go over. I think someone must have seen me, or smelled something…” Worry ate at him. “They nailed a dead cat to the cabin door, man.”

Boothe’s frown deepened. “That’s not how we operate. We defend our territory. Period.”

“Then I need to find out who it is, one way or the other.” Thank God for Boothe.

“Go. We’ll discuss this shit when you get back.” Boothe fixed him with a hard stare. “And we will discuss it. I don’t need secrets.”

“You got it.” He headed out, wanting to go to Liv and Hank. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and called his boy.

The phone rang and rang, then went to voicemail.

The dread in his belly bloomed into something more like white hot fear, and he keyed Liv’s number. Hank never let him go to voicemail.

Never. Not even when Hank was begging for punishment.

“Jonah?” Liv whispered, her voice shaken.

“Kit? What it is? What’s wrong?” He sprinted for his truck.

“They’re here.”

“Who? What do they look like?” He needed her to stay with him. “Where is Hank?”

“He stayed down to hide the safe, my purse. He was going to try to get under the house.”

“Where are you, Kit?” He hopped into the driver’s seat and gunned his engine. “I’m coming.”

“The cabin.” The sound of glass breaking filed the air.

Jonah bit back a howl, knowing she needed him calm, thinking. “How many?”

“More than two for sure. I can’t just leave him down there.”

“You have to. He’s fast, Liv.” No, he needed one of them to be safe. “You would just distract him.”

Hank was quick, smart. Sharp. He’d survived on his own a long time. He could get away, and then they’d rendezvous with him.

“Can you get the louvres off the vent?” Jonah asked.

“Yeah. Yeah.” He heard her working the louvres off, being so quiet.

“Good girl. You need to get out on the roof and head for the back of the cabin where it meets the edge of the clearing. Do you need to shift to do it?”

“I… Shit. Shit, they’re out there. Four of them in a red truck.”

“Okay, hang tight. Did you block the hatch to the attic?”

“Let them come. One on one, I’ve got them.”

“Don’t engage, Liv.” He knew he was never going to get to the cabin in time to help.

“What if they… what if they kill him?”

“No. I’ll be there in two minutes.” No. They would never kill his Hank.

He heard a wild crash from the phone, heard his girl cry out.

Jonah made the turn off onto the cabin road on two wheels. “Liv! Liv, answer me!”

All he could hear was feral roars, the sound a terrifying scream.

Too long. Ten more miles up a county road. They would kill both of his lovers before he got there.

HANK! THEY HAVE HANK!
Her voice was a mental scream, the sound so loud he almost lost the road.

Jonah choked back a scream. He had to be close enough to help if he could hear her. The mental bond only covered so much distance.