Hit me again, b.i.t.c.h, and were going to have some serious problems, the brute warned.

Antonia scrambled backward, scuttling to the drivers side of the truck.

She caught sight of the fighting animals as she attempted to flee, and it finally dawned on her that Connor was in grave danger. The Doberman attacking him was a lethal opponent, and the blood pooling on the ground where they were fighting was a dead giveaway. The wolf Connor had changed into was twice as big as the dog, but the dog was twice as aggressive.

She rose to her feet and yanked the door to the truck open, but the brute shoved her again. This time, she collided with the large tin trashcan near the pumps.

He pulled a thick rope from his back pocket and made a loop, which appeared wide enough to trap her with. As he approached with the rope, she searched nearby for a weapon. Her attempts were cut short when he threw the rope over her body and tugged, squeezing her about the waist. She dry heaved. Courtesy of her empty stomach, nothing came up.

With what little strength she had left, she grabbed hold of the trashcan and hoisted herself up. The brute was much stronger and pulled the rope in an attempt to loosen her grip.

Antonia spotted a broken gla.s.s bottle in the trash and reached for it. Taking one last breath, she loosened her grip on the bin. As soon as they met in the middle, she raised the bottle and buried the broken end of the gla.s.s into his face.

The brute hollered in pain and clutched at his eyes where shed stabbed him. She thrust the heel of her boot into his nuts, and he collapsed to the ground.

Tearing the car door open, she reached between the seats for her backpack. Her fingers trembled as she unzipped the enclosure to get her handgun.

A sharp pain crept up her back and she cried out.

Where do you think youre going with our s.h.i.t, little girl?

Antonia turned around to find the second man standing beside her with an iron rod.

He raised the object, but never got a chance to bring it down.

Connors familiar human form appeared behind the man. He grabbed the attacker by the head with both heads and snapped his neck. The man dropped to the ground, and all that remained was Connor. His clothes were ragged and torn with mostly just shreds left. There were bite marks and sc.r.a.pes on almost every limb of his body. Eyes that reminded her of a wolf glared back at her. p.r.o.nounced canine teeth protruded from his gums as he grimaced in what appeared to be more pain than anger.

Panting and startled beyond reason, Antonia grabbed the handgun from between the seats and aimed it at Connors chest. Her finger trembled on the trigger as she sized up the humanno, the creaturebefore her.

His pained expression turned into something else entirely. Defeat, maybe? His brows came together in the center and he grimaced. In what? Distress?

If youre going to kill me, do it with one shot, he told her.

His statement puzzled her, and the corners of her lips folded into a frown.

His presence began to overwhelm her in way she didnt understand, and the tension began to leave her body.

ImIm she mumbled. She shifted her attention to the Doberman Pinscher lying dead in a puddle of blood on the ground. What the f.u.c.k was this guy? Who the f.u.c.k was this man? Was Connor a man at all?

As soon as she lowered the gun, he closed the distance between them and took the handgun away from her.

You got hurt, she said.

Its nothing, he said quickly.

But your arm She took hold of his right forearm and slid a finger over the ragged incision.

Antonias fingertips tingled where shed touched him. Connor gasped, and she looked up just in time to see his blank stare replaced by a euphoric expression. Something foreign tore through her, consuming what little energy she had left. Heat rose between them, and an invisible energy tore through her. Shed experienced many emotions before in her lifetime, but this feeling and reaction, one that she obviously could not control, was a first for her. From the shocked look in his eyes, she could tell that he was just as puzzled by her bodys reaction to touching him as she was.

Impossible, he mumbled under his breath.

When Antonia looked down at his arm again, the jagged claw mark was gone. She shook her head and stumbled back away from him.

Some of the deep scratches on Connors torso also began to mend together and fade away, leaving only smudges of blood.

If this were some dream, she needed to wake up soon. The things shed seen and witnessed tonight were beyond normal. She almost wondered if she had been drugged. Shed had one drink at the bar only to fit in, but that had only been cola. Had the brute hit her too hard across the back earlier?

Antonia swallowed down her disbelief and credited what she had seen to hallucinations.

Are you okay? Connor asked, placing one hand on her shoulder and a palm against the right side of her face.

I think so.

We have to go, Antonia. Somewhere far from here. I want to help you. Do you understand that?

She swallowed. Yes.

Good.

After helping her into the truck, he started the engine by the same means as before and sped off.

Are you wearing a wire?

A what?

Are you wearing anything that contains a tracking device? he demanded. A cell phone. Your clothes?

She shook her head. No, they didnt touch me or my brother. The bags were dropped on a bench near a park for us to pick up. We left our IDs, anything that would identify us, at home.

Does the Luger belong to you?

Yes, I keep it most of the time for protection. It was a gift from my brother.

He swooped up the bag in the middle of the floor and unzipped the large part. With one hand on the steering wheel, he pulled out an iron-encased box. Is this the thing you were to deliver?

She nodded.

And whats inside?

I dont know. I just deliver.

He brought the box up to eye level to inspect it. Its locked.

Connor jostled the bag around, turned it upside down, and shook. Nothing else came out. He switched the light on overhead and turned the bag inside out.

There. Antonia pointed to an unusual black strip sewn to the inside seam of the bag. Theres a wire.

Its a live tap. Thats how they found us at the station. Weve got to get rid of this bag.

Please do, she said. I dont think I can handle any more deaths.

He rolled the window down and tossed the bag out.

Connor didnt drive the speed limit this time, and she almost wondered how he could manage at all with his injuries.

She glanced sideways at him, noting the way his wounds seemed to self-repair, and how new skin was now folded over the areas shed known were covered in blatant bite and scratch marks from the Doberman.

What is going on with your body? she asked slowly.

Im a wolf shifter of Caedmon blood. Our gifts give us the ability to self-heal about twenty times faster than a human. Im sorry you had to endure what happened back there, but I had to shift to save you.

That wasnt the first time Ive seen a man change into a wolf.

He turned swiftly to look at her. He was silent for a moment as his gaze shifted from the highway to her. Would you mind telling me when you first saw something like this?

I was nineteen. My brother and I were homeless at the time. You see a lot of things at night"strange things"when your misfortunes lead you to live on the streets.

On the streets? Do you mind telling me about your misfortunes? His voice was strained with tension as he asked her this question.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do mind. I dont want to talk about them.

Im sorry that we didnt cross paths sooner, he said and then turned his attention back to the road.

Feeling claustrophobic, she pushed a b.u.t.ton and let down the window. The damp, cool breeze flowed over her face, and she took a deep breath and settled back into the seat.

Shed have to come up with a plan fast to get herself and Andrew out of this mess, but while she was biding time, shed allow the stranger"the man that had taken out a handful of men and could become a wolf in the blink of an eye"help her maintain her cover.

CHAPTER NINE.

As soon as Connor stepped out of the truck onto the gravel, the fresh lake breeze fanned his face. The scent of the lake water surged as his senses heightened and his wolf stirred just beneath the surface of his skin when it recognized how near they were to the wilderness, an environment in which Connors other half thrived.

Connors home was in the city due to the nature of his work. He needed to have a residence someplace where there was instant access to clients. His firm was well-known for the type of services they provided and came highly recommended, but there were times when he got calls at a moments notice, and being just five minutes into the city versus one hour north of it made a big difference when it came to securing the client.

That didnt keep him from visiting the lake a few times a month, whether it was to go boating or just perch on the sh.o.r.e with a six-pack of beer and his sketchpad. Even now, just standing near it calmed him in the height of this storm.

He sensed another presence beside him, and Antonia, who was still fast asleep in the truck. Even when hed closed the door, she hadnt woken up. He figured that she must be pretty tired. He needed to find out more about her, but her safety came first and foremost. It bothered him that she was somehow involved in criminal activities, but his animal didnt care. Confirmation had come twice already of the strong possibility that Antonia was his mate. Once at the bar, when hed scented her out before hed seen her and then followed her head-on into danger, risking his life and his cover to save her. Then again, when shed laid one hand on him and started the healing process for the wound on his arm.

The third presence, the one hed sensed behind him, came into view. The brown Caedmon wolf shook its body as if drying its coat of fur, and in less than five seconds, Rodney Hall, Connors best friend and one of the most experienced bodyguards at Maxim Securities stood in its place.

Max, Rodney rushed over. "You look like you've been fighting."

Yeah." Connor had since torn off shirt, but his jeans were still badly ripped. "That crime ring sent a f.u.c.king attack dog at me. What the h.e.l.l happened back there at Dockhouse? There was just as much concern in Connors voice as there was in Rodneys body language.

Dude, I have no idea. I led a group of men behind the back of the bar to report back on who was coming and going. When I came back around, I saw three squad cars pull up in front. When I saw the guns, I knew there was trouble.

The raid was the work of the local cops. Unless I missed something, nothing linked any of the shooters to the Feds. These werent undercover agents, they were uniformed police officers. Local cops.

So the Feds gave the Packs three days to find out who was behind the murders and settle this s.h.i.t and the local cops decided to override the agreement? Is that it?

I wouldnt put it past them, but I'm going to find out who ordered the raid. The execution was rather sloppy, so it had to have been someone who didn't know what they doing. Im willing to bet most, if not all, of the suspects got away, Connor said. In either case, Ill know soon if the Feds have extended the deadline. As soon as I can get access to a phone line that I know isnt tapped, Ill reached out to my dad. Hes probably already caught wind of it anyway.

I thought you said Ray down at the station was loyal to us, to our firm. Who else would have known enough about the tip to intervene?

Maybe they wanted us to believe they wouldn't intervene, Connor said. By the way, how did you think to find me here?

Rodney grinned. I know you almost too well, Connor.

Yeah, well, remind me never to get on your bad side. You might use your knowledge of my secret hideouts against me.

I came because I wanted to make sure you were all right. The driver had no choice but to leave us behind or get picked up. Only a few of us actually got away in the van. Ive confirmed that the rest disbanded on foot. Theyre safe. Since were doing this undercover, I figured wed want the locals out of our business just as much as we want the Feds to stay clear.

Good call. I tried reporting in but I got static on the line.

Everyone was getting only static. Im willing to bet the police were trying to hack into whatever channel they could. Either that, or they were using jammers.

I bet they were. Connor frowned and gnawed at his bottom lip.

Rodney nodded toward the truck. Who is the woman sleeping in the car?

Her names Antonia. She and her brother have been working as couriers for Cobra. She was making a drop for them when the police raided the place.

Cobra? The bridge of Rodneys nose wrinkled and he frowned. Never heard of it.

Me either. Must be some code name for whoever shes working for.

Let me guess? You saved her a.s.s so you could question her?

Kinda.

Kinda? Man, are you getting soft now? The joking tone to Rodneys voice faded and then changed into a more serious timbre.

I think she knows more than I do. Heck, she probably knows more than any of us at this point.

Well, what does she know? Rodney looked skeptical.

Thats the thingshe claims she doesnt know much.

Rodney snorted. Women lie. You said she had a brother?

He got caught up in the raid. Apparently, he made the first drop and she was to follow, but thats when the cops started shooting up the place. Names Andrew. Shes been referring to him and worried about him all night long.