Gasps went up around the table.
“They’re all male…” Jai said.
“That place, it's a breeding facility,” Rob said. “He wants to make something, breed something from you.”
“Many somethings, if he’s got all that sperm saved,” Jai said.
“He was sending men out there to hunt down fucking tigers and lions? I don’t mean no disrespect, Shannon, but how will you stop him when they couldn’t?”
My arms wrapped around my stomach as I heard the whistle of the net, the wrap of those steely filaments around Gaden’s body.
“The pack protects, love,” Beth said more gently. “Always has, always will. You stick with us, we’ll keep you safe. I couldn’t bear for one of my girls to be locked up in that place.”
“We need a meeting of all the families. Everyone. Every woman, every child. We’ve had plenty of our kind stolen before, and it’s not fucking happening again. We close ranks, we prepare for battle. I’ll burn that fucking place to the ground before I let even one of ours go back in there,” Rob said. He looked down at Jai. “Go back to her place, get her stuff, and organise with Janey to look after the dogs.”
“Rob…” I growled in a low voice, my spine straightening as the muscles pulled tight.
“No, love. You’ve lived on our land on your own because we knew you were OK. We kept an eye on you and made sure there was no trouble, but this?” He shook his head. “Bastards have done this before, taken from our number, used us as tools. We keep what’s ours safe.”
Chapter 13
I should have known how this was gonna go.
“Janey, I need to stay over at Rob and Beth’s for a while,” I said.
She looked at me, then to Jai with a quizzical look.
“You have to…? Why? What’s happened?”
“There’s a thing within the family, and they need all hands on deck.”
“But you’re not really…” Her voice trailed away when she saw Jai’s arm go around me. “Oh, OK. So what do I tell Stuart?”
“I’ve already called him. He’s asked me to think about it, but I don’t think I can take that job.”
She nodded solemnly.
“The money is so good,” she said. “But…there’s something so creepy about that place. Spending all day in that empty reception… Damn Fergal, I wish I’d known the practice was in the shitter. I got offered a position in the city a few months ago, but I couldn’t leave… Well, you know.”
Janey smiled, forcing herself to put on a brave face, but I knew what was happening. She didn’t want it to show, what my decision would mean for her, due to Hollingsworth’s draconian terms.
“Do you want to call them back? See if there’s another opportunity?”
She shook her head. “I might touch base with my aunty though, see if I could go and stay in her spare room. But that would leave the house empty, and you’d be on your own when you come back from Beth’s.”
I was about to reassure her, let her know she needed to pursue her dreams and not fuss around me, when I caught her sly smile. I narrowed my eyes and grit my teeth. The little bitch was sounding me out on whether Jai was moving in. Seeing as we’d only had one official date, that was probably a little early to ask.
“Shan won’t be left alone,” Jai said, pulling me back against him.
While the feel of his body was welcome, the literally heavy-handed way he was handling this was all a bit much. Janey cocked an eyebrow, shooting me a knowing look before recovering quickly when she heard him laugh in response.
“Well, if you two love birds are going out, I might head up to the pub for a meal,” she said. “I’ll make sure to lock up.”
“Thanks.” Impulsively, I wrapped an arm around her neck. Janey had been my most constant adult friend, one I’d made when I pulled away from the pack. We’d spent hours watching Netflix, tossing popcorn at the screen only for the dogs to vacuum it all up, cried over break ups, and celebrated new relationships. I felt a pang for a moment, that she might not be around to do that any longer.
“Aww! You’re getting all misty eyed!” she said.
“Am not,” I grumbled, but I pulled her in for a hug. “Wherever you go, whatever you end up doing, you’ve always got a place here.”
“C’mon,” Jai said finally. “Rob’ll send out the search party if we’re late, and you need to show me your granny panty drawer.”
“Granny panties?” I yelped, turning to face him, my arm still around her neck.
“Oh, if that’s your kink, have you got the right girl. Used to be white, but now gone grey…”
“Shut up, Janey.”
“Got those little pill things on the cotton.”
I tightened my arm around her throat. “Shut. Up. Or I’ll tell him about the foot locker you have chock a block full of industrial powered vibes.”
“The Hitachi Magic Wand is not a mere vibe. It’s a masterwork of feminine empowerment, wrapped up in multi-orgasmic bliss, disguised as a back massager. If you want our girl here talking in tongues and seeing God, get one of those. Seriously.”
Janey gagged a little as my forearm pressed harder. It was OK though, she was well used to that. I kept on tightening as Jai’s lazy smile spread. He looked me over with those hooded eyes of his, as if he was imagining all the ways he could do just that.
“You’re staying at my place,” he said again.
“No, I’m not. Rob’s or yours, and I choose Rob’s.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Ooh, trying a little trial cohabitation?” Janey asked, yanking herself free of my grip. “Let me load you up. I got the new Hitachi cordless. Revolutionary. Literally rocked my world. No cords, no position out of reach—”
“I am not talking to either of you anymore,” I said, and went for the stairs.
“Flavoured lube? Condoms? I’ve got extra large if you need it.”
“Stop talking, Janey, or I’ll drive you to the city myself!” I shouted over my stomps as I made my way up the stairs. The noise didn’t drown out Jai’s laugh though. Dark, sexy, and sounding like honey tastes when it's dripped on your tongue, it chased me all the way up, the man himself following behind.
“I don’t need your help,” I said. “I can pack a bag all by myself.”
I yanked open drawers, tossing clothes from them onto the bed, granny panties and all.
“That right?” I listened to the sound of his boot heels on the wooden floor, but I refused to turn around. “Well, I guess I’ll just wait here then.”
My head whipped around when I heard the familiar creak of my bedframe to see something I’d fantasised so many times. Jai lay on top of the covers, hands behind his head, the bottom hem of his shirt rucking up to reveal the most toned stomach I’d seen outside of a showing of Magic Mike. My clothes fell through limp fingers as I saw that tiny wedge of muscular flesh. I’d seen him shirtless plenty of times when we were younger, even touched him that one time, but it felt like a million years had gone by. That Jai was as wiry as a whip, made strong by countless hours of rugby and running with the pack, but this? My eyes jerked up, unable to look away from those sleepy looking eyes. This body was honed, muscle built up by long hard days of work. This was a man.