Wild Wolf Claiming. Rhyannon Byrd

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       Chapter 4

      Glancing at his watch, Elliot swore under his breath. It’d taken a good ten minutes to persuade Skye to trust him enough to lead him to her car so they could head to her apartment. In the end, it was the PI license he always carried with him that had convinced her he was telling her the truth, and using it was definitely going to come back and bite him hard in the ass. The damn thing was a forgery, and based on the argument he’d heard between her and the cop, Skye Hewitt had a thing about cheats...and liars.

      It felt all kinds of wrong to trick her that way, but what choice did he have? It sounded like Max had somehow lost track of Vivian, and he had a feeling this night was going to get a hell of a lot worse before it got better.

      “Sorry, but it’s kind of a piece of crap,” she said, as they neared a beat-up-looking, powder-blue VW Beetle.

      “Naw. It’s cute.”

      “Thanks.” As she opened the driver-side door, she gave him a brief smile that damn near buckled his knees. “I thought so, too, when I bought her.”

      Elliot waited until she’d climbed behind the wheel, then somehow managed to fold his six-three frame into the cramped confines of the car.

      “Um, before we go,” she murmured, sounding adorably rattled as she watched him from the corner of her eye, “you should know that I carry a weapon in my purse. And I’m...I’m not afraid to use it.”

      “That’s smart. You should always be ready to protect yourself. But I swear, Skye, you don’t need to worry about my intentions. I only want to help you.”

      She gave him another brief, but strained smile. Then she started the engine, and he tried not to wince at how awful it sounded. Someone needed to put this poor car out of its misery.

      “So, you aren’t nervous about letting a girl drive?” she asked, looking into her rearview mirror as she reversed out of the tight space. It was kind of a weird question, but he figured she was trying to keep herself from freaking out about what he’d told her, and he couldn’t help but think she was adorable.

      “Nope, I’m not worried at all. I trust you not to wreck my body.”

      She glanced his way, flicking a quick look over his torso, and he wanted to growl with satisfaction when he saw that she had that glazed look of lust in her pretty eyes again. Her smooth skin was flushed pink across her cheekbones, that full lower lip caught in her small white teeth, and he had to bite back a smile. She was so easy to read, it was like words on the page of a book that’d been written especially for him. Only for him.

      There wasn’t much traffic in the town, since it was nearing eight, so they made their way easily onto the main road. She didn’t say anything for the first few blocks, and he was grateful that she wasn’t grilling him about what was going on, since he wasn’t sure what he was going to find once they reached her apartment. Max had just sent him another text, and all it had said was: It’s bad. Hurry!

      And, yeah, there was definitely a part of him feeling like a total jackass for being so excited about finding his life-mate—and her turning out to be someone like Skye—when there was no telling what had happened to her best friend.

      “Will you please tell me what’s going on?” she suddenly asked, exhaling a shaky breath. “I know you said your partner was making contact with Vivian, and that we’ll talk at the apartment. But I’m worried about her, and I know she won’t be able to call me if something goes wrong because my stupid cell phone is broken. The battery finally gave up today, and I didn’t have time to get it replaced before my shift.”

      “Let’s just get to your place, and then Max and I can explain everything. It’s going to be a lot to take in.”

      “You’re scaring me,” she whispered, chewing on that lower lip so hard he was worried she was going to break the skin.

      Knowing it needed to be said, he murmured, “I’m sorry, but you need to be a little scared, because it will keep you sharp. But not of me, and not of Max. We’ll do whatever it takes to keep you both safe.”

      It was dark inside the car, but his wolf’s eyes could see her clearly in the dim glow of the lights on her dash. Her brows were drawn into a deep V between her delicately shaped brows, her big eyes shadowed with concern and confusion. “So you’re here because you’re working some kind of case?” she asked him, taking the next right. “You and this Max guy?”

      “That’s right,” he replied, wishing he could just take her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay. But that would only freak her out even more.

      “And Viv and I are involved? How is that even possible?” Before he could answer, she smacked the flat of her hand against the steering wheel and growled, “It has to be connected to that strip club where Viv took a job last month. I told her not to do it, that it wasn’t the kind of scene she needed to be a part of, but the sleazy owner just kept offering her more money. He’s paying her way more than she could make anywhere else.” Flashing him an angry look, she added, “Viv is gorgeous and the ass likes her serving drinks to his clients, even if she refuses to strip or go topless like the other girls. This is because of him, isn’t it? Does it have to do with drugs? Or something even worse?”

      “I know this club owner seems like the logical explanation, but it’s got nothing to do with him, Skye. He’s not a part of it.”

      “But nothing else makes sense!” she argued, smacking the wheel again.

      “I get that.” He gave a frustrated sigh, knowing СКАЧАТЬ