Page 60 of The Hunted
He leaned his elbows on the table. “After Sam compelled me to leave the city, I packed up my family. My wife has a sister in Montana. Anyway, I met your father at a local bar in Big Timber. Actually, I’d overheard him and his brothers talking about vampires and in particular, Steven Mason.”
I smiled. “You met him at the Deer and Elk?” My dad and his brothers loved that joint—warm beer, peanut shells on the floor, and deer and elk heads hanging from the walls.
Wyman nodded. “He kept coming in. Sometimes alone. Other times with his brothers. But the night I met him he was with a young woman.”
My head jerked. “A woman? How long ago was this?” My mom had been dead for four years, and my sisters and I had encouraged my dad to move on. Maybe he had, but he’d never told me or my sisters. I was beginning to realize Dad had kept a lot of secrets.
“Maybe two years now,” Wyman said. “Your father died not long after we’d met.”
I scrambled to think if my dad had given us any signals about a woman he’d been seeing, but nothing came to mind. Not long before he’d died, my dad’s relationship with my uncles started to become strained and weird. They'd had a few big fights over things like finances. Apparently, Uncle Ray had gambled away a good portion of the family’s money, which prevented them from purchasing weapons and other items needed to keep the business going.
Sam’s woodsy scent gave him away before he sauntered in. “Your phone has been ringing nonstop. We suspect it’s Roman because of the local number. We want you to answer it if he calls again, but I caution you—until we devise a game plan, you need to do as he says and not let on that you told us.”
I snagged the phone from him. “I’m not a moron.”
He grinned, showing his dimples. “That’s debatable.”
I rolled my eyes, wanting nothing more than to tell him to fuck off. But it wasn’t the time, and my stomach was doing some backflips over the enticing sight of him—broad chest, narrow waist, thick thighs, and those daggers strapped to his legs. I imagined he was a sight to behold in battle.
Wyman laughed. “You two have chemistry.”
Sam growled at Wyman.
I snorted. “Is that all you can do is growl like the animal you are?” It was more of a statement than a question.
He leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Soon enough, Layla, you’ll see what I can do, and I know without a doubt you’ll be begging me to do it over and over again.”
His sexual innuendo wasn’t lost on me. In fact, my damn pussy throbbed, and heat blanketed my body. He’d spoken quietly enough that I doubted Wyman could hear, but I was still blushing like a damn schoolgirl.Again, what the fuck is wrong with me?
Asshole.
Wyman cleared his throat. “I gave you what you want, Sam. I want to leave now.”
Sam straightened to his six-five height. “I’m afraid you can’t.”
“Why the fuck not? You are not messing with my brain.” Wyman’s face deepened to a dark red.
“We still have questions, and until we can trust you to walk out of here and not go running to the CIA, you’ll be our guest,” Sam delivered with venom.
“Guest or prisoner?” Wyman asked.
My phone chirped, and I jumped in my seat. The caller ID indicated a local number. I inhaled deeply through my nose and blew out through my mouth.
Sam shut the door. “One word out of you, Wyman, and you’ll wish you’d never returned to this city.”
I ignored the egos flying around the room. “Hello.” My voice cracked.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Roman shouted. “I swear if you so much as said one word about our agreement, the shifter will rip your sister’s insides out.”
I laughed, hoping I didn’t sound nervous. “Why would I do that when you have my sister?” I prayed he believed me.
“Why haven’t you answered your phone?” Roman asked.
I stared at Sam, who had a blank expression. “Coverage is spotty here. I want to talk to my sister.”
“In due time. Where are you? Have you left the base? Did you find out anything?” Roman’s gravelly voice was grating on my nerves.
A shaky laugh escaped me. “I can’t just come out and ask. Besides, you said to get in bed with Sam, so I’m waiting for him. He’s not here.”Please believe me.
