But the odor most predominant was Garrick. She sniffed deeper, pulling in his aroma. He smelled like smoke, and not from a cigarette, but from a campfire.Woodsy and wild. He smelled of the earth and of rainwater.Pure, unadulterated, wild and unpredictable nature.
When they reached the park, Garrick turned around and woofed at her. Crouching down on his forepaws, he waited for her, his wolfish face almost grinning. She laughed, and it came out as a snort. He wanted to play. Chase was her favorite game.
She leapt up in the air and landed on top of him. They rolled over each other, nipping at each other’s necks. Olivia got to her feet first and woofed. Tag, you’re it. She ran toward the trees, knowing he would follow.
Chapter Thirteen
When the sun started topinken the early morning sky, Olivia carefully rolled out from under Garrick’s heavy arm. They had run and chased each other for most of the night. It wasn’t until after they had quenched their hunger for bloody meat, and for each other, did they let sleep take them under its dark embrace, still in their wolf form.
The trill of birdsong had finally jarred Olivia from her sleep. She looked around at their surroundings and nearly laughed. She thanked the moon that even in animal form they had had the sense to return to her house. Cuddled on a blanket, they had slept on her balcony.
Glancing down at Garrick, she didn’t have the heart to wake him. When he slept, his face was not stern or cold, but peaceful. She hoped he could remain that way for a while longer. There were some things she needed to take care of before they could be together.
She slipped into the house, dressed, and jumped into her car within ten minutes. Before Fisher’s pack was up and alert, she needed to fetch her things from his estate and put an end to the charade. She hoped he would let her go without a fight. If he wanted a fight, she would oblige him. She would just hate to maim or kill so early in the morning.
Most of the household was still asleep when she arrived. This time she only had to pass one set of security guards. She smiled at them, hoping they would let her in without a fuss and without alerting Fisher. The Starbucks coffee she brought did its trick, and she passed through their scrutiny unscathed and unannounced.
Silently stalking down the hall, she ventured first into the spare bedroom she used when she stayed at Fisher’s house. She could count on one hand how many times she’d used it. However, at his insistence, she had brought some personal things and left them in the room. The thought of him touching those things when she was gone motivated her enough to risk removing them.
The halls were quiet and unmanned. Olivia quietly entered the room and went in, carefully shutting the door behind her. The adjacent door between Fisher’s private bedroom and this one was thankfully shut.
Rushing into the small bathroom, she grabbed her toothbrush, but left the box of tampons and hair conditioner.
Next, she emptied the small dresser of three pairs of panties, a bra, and her nightgown. She shoved everything into the plastic bag she’d had rolled up in her jacket pocket. Satisfied with her clean-up, she took a deep breath in anticipation of confronting Fisher.
On second thought, she’d leave him a note. She really wasn’t in the mood to fight with him. Her body was still limber and languid from being with Garrick, and she didn’t want to ruin the effect by sparring with another male.
She opened the bedside drawer and found paper and a pen. As she started the note, she heard muffled voices in the next room. Shit. She could hear the rough timber of Fisher’s voice andMalina’s nerve-strumming trill. They were arguing.
Setting the pen down, Olivia silently crossed the room and put her ear to the door. She could hear them as if she were shoulder to shoulder with them.
“I want to deliver the message,”Malina whined.
“No, the last time I had you deliver a message to Garrick, you ended up flat on your back with your legs spread.”
“Ah, you can’t fault a girl for having some fun,” she snickered. “I mean, you’re f**king around with his other bitch.”
“She came to me,Malina . The girl obviously knows who the more powerful leader is.”
Olivia could hear him move across the room.To his bed? She heard movement on the silk sheets.
“Don’t you, Vanessa?”
Her heart sank as she heard the muffled protests of the girl. She obviously had something shoved in her mouth.
“She’ll be the perfect lure. Garrick won’t be able to resist coming to her rescue. And when he does, there will be no way in hell he’ll be able to fight that many of my specially trained soldiers.”
Olivia was across the room in seconds. They were planning to ambush Garrick, setting a trap for him.
She’d have to warn him.
She opened the door. Six feet of bulked-up muscle stood in her way.
“Fisher would like to see you.”
Fight or flight. Those were her options. She eyed him, taking in his large, meaty frame and, by the vacant look in his eyes, his empty skull. She’d take flight. The man would pulverize her if she decided to fight.
Nodding, she went to her knees and then came back up hard with her fist. She connected with his groin.
Crying out, he doubled over and crumpled to the ground. Olivia leapt over his body and sprinted down the hall.
She just about made it to the front door before four beefy guards stepped into her path. Skidding to a stop, she tried to back up and find another exit. But Fisher andMalina were at her back. She had been caught.
“Well, well, well. Olivia, my darling, whatever are you doing here?”
Straightening her shoulders, Olivia met his gaze boldly. “I came to tell you I’m leaving you.”
“I gathered as much.” Chuckling, he added, “I mean,I could smell Garrick on you the moment you stepped into my house. Did you actually think you could leave that easily?”
“Yup.”
He closed the distance between them. Olivia could see the cold fury in his eyes and smell the restrained violence in his body. She’d be lucky to leave this house alive.
He smiled. Olivia swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She’d seen that smile before -- the night Fisher had had one of his insubordinates whipped with a silver-tipped bullwhip for breaking one of his priceless vases.
Malinastepped up next to him, putting her hand on his arm. “Let me do it, Fisher. Please let me do it.”
“No, I have other plans for our Olivia here. It seems we have our bait.”
Olivia rushed at him, her hands curled into claws. Inches from his throat,Malina knocked her aside.
Olivia stumbled but didn’t fall. She turned on the bitch, teeth snapping, a low, threatening growl rising in her throat.
Malina’seyes widened. She took a step back, but Fisher pushed her forward. Olivia could see the hesitation on her face. The bitch obviously remembered the last time they’d tangled.
“Have your fun,Malina , but don’t kill her. We need her until Garrick is dead.” He chuckled. “Then you can kill her.”
“You’re the one that’s dead, Fisher,” Olivia growled lowly.
Chuckling, he moved his hand around his waist. Slowly he unsheathed the knife strapped to his belt. He handed it toMalina . The silver glinted in the sunlight streaming in through the foyer’s large windows.
“Enjoy.” He turned his back and wandered back toward the stairs to his office.
Malina’seyes lit up as she bravely took a step toward Olivia. “Now, we’re going to have some fun, bitch.”
The sight of the knife turned her stomach. Silver wounds burned like acid. Dread washed over her as she stared at the sharp silver point and wondered if she’d ever see Garrick again. She didn’t know, but she’d be damned if she went down without a fight.
Olivia smiled. “Bring it, mutt.”
With a high-pitched squeal,Malina rushed her. Olivia leapt out of the way, but not before she felt the first pangs of searing painstart to radiate up her arm.
Chapter Fourteen
The lap of the water against the wharf crashed like cymbals in his ears. Garrick shook his head, dislodging the sound. His hearing was oversensitive as he tried to tune in to his surroundings. He knew he was walking into a trap, but at least he wanted to be prepared when the ambush took place. If they thought he’d go down quietly, they’d obviously forgotten who he was. Garrick Blackthorn never went down.
The message had said to come alone. He’d told the others in his pack to stay, but he knew they wouldn’t listen. When did Tommy ever listen to anything he had to say? Taking in the deserted dock, Garrick knew that Tommy, Smith, and Puck were within listening distance. Tommy had the best ears of any werewolf he knew.
Lifting his nose, he took a deep breath. He couldn’t smell them, which was good.If he couldn’t scent his pack, then neither could Fisher or his men. But Garrick did pick up a thread of something familiar. The hairs on his arms rose, and his nostrils twitched. Olivia was somewhere close. Her scent was fresh, so he knew she was still alive.
He just hoped that he was clever and strong enough to keep her that way.
Damn woman. She was always getting into trouble. The moment he’d woken on her balcony alone, he knew she had gone and done something stupid, like confront Fisher. When she hadn’t returned three hours later, his heart had squeezed painfully in his chest. He knew instinctively that something had happened and she was in trouble. It had taken Tommy, Smith, and Puck to stop him from charging onto Fisher’s estate to rescue her.
The message had come an hour later.Tainted with Olivia’s blood.
Come to Pier 11 alone, or the bitch dies.
He had nearly thrown up from the intense, agonizing rage roaring through him. Nothing in his life had ever made him feel like that before. He would kill whoever stood in his way to get Olivia back.
Stepping into the glow from the low light on the pier, he stopped and waited. Empty, rundown buildings lined one side, and the dilapidated dock was on his other. If anyone came near, he would see them.
Fisher had no chance to pull off an ambush.
The door to the big warehouse banged open. Garrick turned toward it, his hands clenched into fists at his side. He expected Fisher to be standing there grinning like an arrogant fool. Instead, Vanessa filled the doorway.