Chapter Seventeen

Vinny held the phone to his ear while he waited for his contact to pick up. He was standing outside a gas station, freezing his ass off, and pissed. If he didn’t find Osborn soon, Stringer was going to get pissed.

Finally, the call connected. An exasperated man’s voice rang loud and clear. “Don’t have anything for you, Vinny. If I did, I would have contacted you.”

“Dude, it’s been two days. How the fuck did you lose him for two goddamn days?”

“I’m working on it.”

“You’re working on it?” Vinny’s voice rose. “That’s not good enough.”

“Don’t you dare threaten me. It’s your fault Osborn ran in the first place. Who did you send to pick him off? Elmo, Snuffleupagus, and the Cookie Monster?”

Vinny growled. He was pissed at himself for letting those three morons sweep in to pick up Osborn from the hotel. He didn’t need the reminder. What this asshole didn’t know was that there was no way for Vinny to sneak up on Osborn himself. Nolan would scent him from a mile away and be tipped off.

The only option had been to send humans. Not that Osborn couldn’t also scent a human, but they were far less suspicious. Although somehow Nolan had been tipped off anyway and fled the scene. No known person had had contact with him since then. Friday night. This was Sunday morning.

Vinny was growing impatient. He needed to find Osborn ASAP. If he didn’t, there was no telling what Joe Stringer might do to him while the boss was behind bars. Rimouski would never fire Vinny, but the problem was Rimouski was the only person who knew what Vinny’s real capabilities were. Joe did not. Joe was leery and hesitant. And the clock was ticking.

Vinny schooled his voice to be as menacing as possible. “For all I know, you’re the one who tipped off Nolan Osborn. Don’t fuck with me.”

The man inhaled sharply. “Fuck you.”

“No thanks. I don’t swing that way.” It was juvenile. Vinny knew it. But he was exasperated. “Just find him. And call me.” He hung up without waiting for a response.

The truth was, half the reason Vinny was so on edge was because he didn’t know who his contact was. He’d never met the guy and didn’t have a name. The important thing was the guy knew stuff. He provided information in exchange for money. Lots of money. Money Vinny was going to run out of if his boss didn’t get out on bond soon.

Vinny had a pile of problems, and they weighed on him heavily. His boss was in jail. His boss’s right-hand man didn’t trust Vinny. Vinny was running out of discretionary income. And he would never tell Stringer he was a shifter. He didn’t trust Stringer any more than Stringer trusted him. For one thing, the guy was human. For another thing, Joe thought his shit didn’t stink.

Vinny’s only goal was to get his boss released, get paid heftily for the job, and blow out of town without leaving a forwarding address. He didn’t need this shit or this headache.

He needed cash. Lots of it.

»»•««

Nolan held the phone to his ear, his ass leaning against the small kitchen table, his ankles crossed, his free arm also crossed over his chest. “Why the hell would I do that?” he asked Detective Schaefer. “I’m telling you I’m safe here. No one will find me.”

Schaefer cleared his throat. “And I’m telling you we don’t operate this way. We need to keep you safe until the trial. We don’t leave it up to our witnesses to provide their own safety. You need to come out of hiding and let us protect you.”

Nolan chuckled sardonically. “Like you protected me Friday night?”

He listened to Carl sigh. “That was an error on our part. Won’t happen again.”

“Right. How could you possibly guarantee that? It happened once. It could happen again.” Why was Stringer even arguing this point? Nolan had been much safer from the moment Reid picked him up than the prior week. The hotel had made him anxious. Rightfully so.

Carl took a deep breath. “Please. Humor me. Meet me somewhere.”

“I’m with friends. It’s not like I drove here. I didn’t have a car. I had to rely on my friends to pick me up and keep me safe. They’ve done a splendid job for two days.”

“Yeah. Yeah. I know. Your father filled me in. He did not, however, tell me where to find you or who these friends are. He’s a stubborn man.”

“He’s my father, not yours. Who do you think he’s going to be loyal to? You’re lucky I asked him to call you at all and let you know I was alive. See how courteous I am? Besides, I’m not stupid. He doesn’t have the first clue where I am.” That last part was only half true. Although Nolan hadn’t told his dad where he was, the man was not stupid. He could easily figure out where Nolan and Adriana might have gone with Reid. Carl didn’t need to know that.

“So, you’re planning on hiding with two other people until the trial? Don’t your friends have lives to live?”

Was Carl being an asshole on purpose?

He was right, however. Reid and Adriana needed to get back home. Adriana had school the next day and homework to do. Nolan did think the best plan would be for them to leave him at the cabin.

The only problem with that idea was Nolan wouldn’t have a vehicle. He could shift and run on foot, but he didn’t like being cornered with few options. Nolan was still uneasy this morning. “Fine,” he consented. At least in police protection, he had access to information. Out here in the middle of nowhere, he could hide for weeks without sufficient contact with Schaefer. Cell service sucked, and his battery was going to die soon. It wasn’t as if he’d stopped to grab a charger when he fled down the fire escape. A coat, yes. A charger, no. He was lucky he’d been wearing shoes.

Schaefer blew out a relieved breath. “I’ll text you a spot to meet up.”

“Not this time. I’ll text you the location. Meet me in two hours.” He ended the call before Carl could protest and lowered the phone to send the text. He was certain the detective was having a coronary at his total lack of control, but Nolan didn’t want the man to think he was completely in charge anymore. He’d fucked up. Nolan’s faith in his abilities was waning.

When he lifted his gaze, he found both Reid and Adriana standing several feet away at the bottom of the ladder. They hadn’t been up yet when he slid from the bed to come downstairs, but he’d known they were awake. And they would have heard everything.

“Guess we’re leaving,” Reid stated.

Nolan sighed. “I’m not fond of this plan. I’ve lost faith in the police. But you two need to return, and I’m a sitting duck if I stay here without a car.”

“You could come back here, I guess,” Reid pointed out.

Nolan tipped his head back and spoke to the ceiling. “I considered that option, but if I went to your condo, there would be a good chance I would be found out and then followed. As it is I hate that you’re even with me. That’s why we’re going to meet Schaefer on the side of the highway. I’ll text him a mile marker. I don’t want either of you to be exposed to anyone anywhere.”

Adriana inched forward until she was right in front of him. “You think it’s that bad?” she asked as she set her hands on his chest and leaned into him.

He lowered his face, wrapped his arms around her, and held her close. “I’m not taking any chances.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “Guess we better get going.” She lifted onto her tiptoes and kissed his lips.

He returned the kiss, angling his head to one side to deepen it, if only for a moment. It literally caused him pain, leaving her like this. But he had no choice. She needed to have a normal life while he waited for this trial. It would be selfish of him to ask her to drop her classes to hang with him in a remote cabin in the woods. Not to mention Reid.

She set her face against his neck and inhaled. “Love your scent.”

He held her closer, his nose in her thick hair. “Mmm,” he agreed. Her scent was like a drug. The thought of not smelling her again for a while made his heart race.

God, he hated this.

Reid had approached and now stood behind Adriana, his hands on her shoulders.

They’d been living in another dimension for over twenty-four hours. A strange world where it seemed natural that Nolan had shared a woman with his best friend. At no point had it even felt awkward. As if everyone in the universe had two mates. Insane.

He swallowed, fighting back the realization that the earth didn’t spin this direction normally, and eventually they would need to alter the course. Or rather, Adriana needed to choose.

It didn’t seem fair. Why did she have to make this decision? Several times yesterday, even though no one said a word out loud or even silently, he’d caught her brow furrowed in concentration, her gaze glancing back and forth between them. She was troubled. Rightfully so. He truly understood and believed she felt the same pull toward both of them.

“Fuck,” he muttered before he could stop himself.

Both Adriana and Reid flinched, but neither said a word. They all knew what he was referring to. Reid leaned in closer, pinning Adriana between them. He lifted one hand off her shoulder and reached the extra few inches to set it on Nolan’s shoulder instead and gave a squeeze.

Nolan moved one hand from Adriana’s waist to Reid’s. The connection was intense.

No one moved for long moments. If anything, they held each other tighter, closer, firmer. A bond buzzed between them in the air as if they were one. What did it mean?

For the first time since Nolan met Adriana and then found out she also felt connected to Reid, he considered the possibility that they all three were meant to be together.

Was it possible?

He shook the idea from his mind. Of course not. How would they explain such a connection to…well, anyone? Shifters didn’t have two mates. At least bear shifters didn’t. He remembered his dad had pointed out something about the wolves in Montana. Nolan assumed his dad meant that wolves sometimes met more than one mate and had to choose. Maybe that wasn’t it at all. Did the wolves bind in threes?

He really needed to call Wyatt Arthur and get some details.

He swallowed. What was he thinking? It didn’t matter what the wolves did. Bears did not bind in threes. Society wouldn’t accept such a union. Not shifters or humans. Especially not humans. They would be ostracized. They wouldn’t fit in anywhere. Nature wouldn’t do that to them. Would She?

Adriana squirmed. “Hate to break up this bonding moment, but I can’t breathe.”

Reid chuckled and eased back, releasing his grip on Nolan’s shoulder.

Nolan let go of Reid’s waist at the same time. He lifted his head and locked his gaze with his friend. Something passed between them. Something unspoken and profound. Had Reid been having the same thoughts? It was certainly possible.

Nolan continued to stare at his friend. He replayed the weekend in his mind like a film reel. Everything had been so natural between them. So fluid. So perfect. But the most important element of a normal sexual relationship had been taken off the table. It was one thing for the two of them to worship Adriana’s body and make her boil for them both. It would have been another thing entirely for the two of them to have removed their jeans. That would be taking things too far.

Maybe Nolan could kiss a woman and pass her to Reid… No. Shit. Just thinking about that was weirder than fuck. They had shared Adriana. Passed her back and forth. Kissed her entire sexy naked body at the same time without so much as flinching. How had that not been weird?

He swallowed. Okay. Fine. They made her hum. They made her scream. It was hot as hell. But cocks? No. No no no no no.

It wasn’t as though Nolan and Reid had never been naked in the same room. They were dudes. It happened. They’d seen each other’s junk. But not in front of a woman. They couldn’t take off their jeans and seal the deal with her at the same time.

No.

Of course not.

How could they do that without rubbing against each other?

Nolan shuddered and jerked his gaze from Reid’s, feeling a flush crawl up his cheeks. He wasn’t one to normally get embarrassed, but his thoughts had led him in the craziest direction.

“Guys?” Adriana set one hand on Reid’s chest, her other still on Nolan’s. She turned her body so she was sideways between them, glancing back and forth. “You’re in like a trance.”

Nolan forced himself to look at her, but not before glancing again at Reid to find the man’s cheeks just as flushed.

“What were you two discussing?” she asked, her brow furrowing.

“Nothing,” they both stated at once.

She lifted a brow at that. “Really?” The one word was laced with sarcasm. “Why am I not buying that?”

Reid set his hand on top of hers and lifted their combined fingers to his lips. He kissed her knuckles before he spoke. “It’s true. I’m not going to deny we might have been thinking the same thing, but we were both in our own world, not sharing.”

She nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“We should go.” It was the last thing Nolan wanted to do, but he needed to figure out a mile marker and text Schaefer soon. He lifted Adriana’s other hand and pressed her palm to his cheek, closing his eyes and inhaling her scent deeply.

She leaned into his side.

He didn’t look, but he felt Reid moving away, and then he heard the door to the cabin quietly open and close. Reid was giving them a moment. Bless him.

With a deep breath, Nolan wrapped his arms around Adriana and pulled her around to fully face him. He eased his hands to her jaw and cupped her face, meeting her gaze. “Adriana…”

She smiled.

What was she thinking? “What?”

“I love the way you say my name.”

“Do I say it differently from anyone else?” He furrowed his brow.

“Yes. It rolls off your tongue like a caress. Even the first time you said it I got wet.”

At that, he grinned widely. “Really now.”

She smiled broader. “Yes.” And then she lifted onto her tiptoes and kissed his lips briefly.

“Well, I love your name. It’s mysterious and sexy.”

“Only when you say it.”

He’d take that. He threaded his fingers through her hair and held her face, staring deep into her gorgeous brown eyes. I love you. He didn’t say the words out loud or even communicate them into her mind, but he wanted to. It seemed too soon. They’d known each other a week and spent only two days together.

Part of him knew without a doubt that if it weren’t for her connection to Reid, Nolan would have bound her to him already. But that wasn’t an option. It might not ever be. It was possible he would never have another moment like this with her again. So he soaked it in, grateful to Reid for the opportunity.

The three of them had been together constantly for over thirty hours, never separated except to use the bathroom. But these precious seconds were for Nolan. He glanced down at her clothes, smiling. “If you make a habit of coming here, you might want to stock the place with some things that fit you better.”

She groaned. “If I ever come back here again, I’m bringing a trunk of stuff, not just clothes. I’m completely out of my element without my usual supplies.”

He lifted a lock of her hair. “What do you need? You look gorgeous.”

She giggled. “Seriously? I can’t remember a time when I went two full days without makeup, hair products, my blow dryer. There isn’t even any proper shampoo or conditioner in this cabin.”

He laughed. He didn’t care that she was wearing a T-shirt that was too large and a pair of yoga pants that belonged to Paige. Maybe it was unusual for her to go without all the extras she normally enjoyed, but ironically, both times he’d had the pleasure of her company, she’d been her natural self.

“Except for a few minutes in the dark in the car Friday night, you’ve never seen me once put together. I swear this is not me. I own clothes that fit and I clean up nice,” she joked.

He dropped the lock of hair he held, tucked it behind her ear, and stared at her face, memorizing it. “You don’t need any of that stuff. You’re stunning without.”

She rolled her eyes. “Men.”

He smiled. “I’ve seen your posts on social media. I know you have an amazing sense of fashion, and your hair and makeup usually look like they were done by a professional for a movie shoot. But I’m always going to be partial to the woman who walked into my hotel room last week without enough warning to apply all that extra stuff. She’s smokin’ hot.”

She leaned into him closer. “You have to say that. Your perception is warped by pheromones.”

He laughed again. “That may be, but it also means you don’t have to do a damn thing to impress me.” He was serious. She was the sexiest woman on earth. Everything about her. Her eyes were mesmerizing and bright. Her body could not be hidden even under loose-fitting clothes. He loved the way her hair hung in long waves down her back. Natural. Loose.

God, she was amazing. If he had stood in a crowded stadium full of women and been given the opportunity to pick one out of thousands, he would have chosen her.

And yet…

He didn’t want to think about tomorrow. He needed to get through today. Once they left, he couldn’t have some long, drawn-out goodbye with Adriana on the side of the road where they met up with Schaefer. As far as the officer was concerned, Adriana would be Reid’s girlfriend.

In Nolan’s crazy, messed-up world, he had told the police he didn’t have anyone special in his life last Saturday morning. He didn’t have a significant other. He couldn’t very well have turned around later that day and told Carl he had a fiancée in his parents’ home. So, he’d been stuck. He had no choice but to stick to the story as it had begun.

She broke the stare to set her forehead against his chest and gripped his shirt in her fists at his back. “I don’t know what to say,” she communicated into his mind.

“I know, baby. It’s okay. Just want to hold you a minute.” He took in several long breaths, stalling, feeling her heartbeat against his chest, wanting more. More time. More of her. More.

But they had to go.

He kissed the top of her head and grabbed her hand to lead her from the cabin.