“Wait.” Ben looked between them. “Sherman has been kidnapped before?”
“It’s starting to become a running theme for him,” Payton said. “I swear to god I’m going to implant a tracking device into my cousin, like they put in dogs and cats, if he keeps getting hijacked.”
“My men are already in position,” Ben said as he stood and put the chair back under the table. “They’re just waiting on my signal.”
“Then let’s get moving.” The sooner Dalton had his mate back in his arms, the better he would feel. He also wanted Raphael’s head on a pike, and he wasn’t walking away this time until the bastard was lying dead at his feet.
* * * *
Sherman’s bladder was on full tilt, and his stomach was rumbling something fierce. He was also tired as hell, and his back was aching from sitting in the wooden kitchen chair for so long. What he wouldn’t give to stretch and lie down on a soft bed.
His heart sped when the front door opened and Dalton walked inside. He was a sight for sore eyes. “It’s a trap! Run, Dalton!”
But his mate didn’t run. He closed the door behind him and turned to face Raphael. “Okay, you have me. Now let the human go.”
Sherman shivered at how savage and dark Dalton appeared. His eyes were cold and flat, and his nostrils flared. His muscles bulged, making his coat seem too small for his bulky size.
And he was the most gorgeous man Sherman had ever laid eyes on. He hadn’t expected his mate to find him, let alone rescue him, but Sherman was glad, because he didn’t want to become Morton’s meal.
A Sherman sandwich sounded more exciting with Dalton and horrifying with Morton.
Sherman wiggled and pulled at his bindings, trying desperately to get free so he could run to his mate and throw himself at him, and then grab Dalton’s hand and run like hell. The ropes held, but with all the struggling Sherman was doing, his wrists were now red and slightly burning.
Some days it didn’t pay to get out of bed, and this was one of those days. Sherman was also worried about his mom and wanted to check on her, but he couldn’t do that strapped to a chair.
“I’ll let him go when you’re dead at my feet,” Raphael said. “I give you my word.”
Somehow Sherman doubted Raphael kept his word. He seemed the type to slice your throat while smiling at you and enjoy every second of his betrayal.
“Don’t trust him,” Sherman said. “He might be dressed stylishly, but he also looks shady as fuck.”
“Are you okay?” Dalton’s gaze swung from Raphael to Sherman. “Did any of them hurt you?”
“I’m hungry, tired, and have to pee, but I’m okay.” Sherman wanted to weep at the gentle way his mate looked at him, as if Dalton truly cared about his wellbeing. Aside from his parents, no one had ever looked at Sherman that way. In that moment, he knew fighting against their mating was futile.
He was falling in love.
Disappointment and hurt filled Dalton’s brown eyes, making Sherman regret his earlier decision to keep Dalton out of his personal life. “Why didn’t you call me earlier? I would have been there for you.”
“I…I didn’t want to bother you,” Sherman said. “We hardly know each other, and it wouldn’t have been fair for me to drag you into my private problems.”
“Hon, no matter what’s going on in your life, I’m always going to be there for you. I want you to understand that. You could never be a bother. Never, pumpkin.”
“This is getting maudlin. Can we get on with it?” Raphael said.
Dalton’s muscles visibly tightened when Raphael moved until he stood behind Sherman’s chair. Sherman had no idea what the vampire was going to do. Until now Raphael had been cordial, even polite, but Sherman didn’t trust him. After all, hadn’t Raphael said that Morton could have him?
From the eager look on Morton’s face, he was salivating to sink his fangs into Sherman. Why couldn’t they have been evil fairies? That would have been a lot easier to handle, but, no, they had to be bloodthirsty vampires.
Sherman wasn’t going to make it out of this without turning into a banana bag for one or all of the jerks. Sherman wasn’t a guy who condoned violence, but he prayed like hell Dalton tore them to pieces.
“Kick his ass,” Sherman growled at Dalton. “They wanna eat me, and I’m really hoping you win.”
“Just hang in there, babe,” Dalton said. “I’ll untie you in a sec.”
“How adorable.” Raphael grinned. “Filled with worthless hope. The little engine that could…but failed.” The vampire chuckled, and then grew real quiet.
Dalton bared his canines as his thick claws slid free. The vein on the side of his head throbbed, as if it would burst at any second. Sherman had never seen anyone this angry before. Not even the nutjob in Maple Grove who had kidnapped Sherman the first time had looked this savage.
“Give me your best shot, bear, so I can spank that ass and send you crying to your mother.” Raphael removed his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the couch. Next he rolled up the sleeves on his white dress shirt.
If the guy wasn’t a vampire and monstrous, Sherman would have been enamored with Raphael. Sophistication and class dripped off the guy, but Raphael was a straight-up asshole.
Sherman held his breath as Raphael rounded the chair, slowly advancing toward Dalton. The tension grew thick as Dalton slid his coat off and let it hit the floor.
As badly as Sherman wanted to keep an eye on Morton and Harold, he couldn’t peel his eyes away from Dalton. Sweet baby Jesus. The way his mate flexed those huge muscles, they were definitely having rescue sex later.
Yeah, yeah. Sherman was a moron for thinking that right now, but damn, Dalton was… Godlike, worthy of being worshipped from head to sexy toes. He looked like a fierce warrior getting ready for a bloody battle, which, of course, he was.
Dalton rolled his shoulders, and Sherman heard his vertebrae crack. A moment later, the two clashed. Sherman gasped when Raphael moved so fast that he had a hard time keeping up with where the vampire was.
Raphael delivered a few, quick blows to Dalton’s ribs, and Sherman started to worry until Dalton hit the vampire so hard in his chest that Raphael flew backward, crashing into the wall. When Sherman looked over at Morton and Harold, they were just as riveted by the fight as Sherman was. They weren’t paying any attention to him, and this was his chance to escape, if only he could get the ropes off.
A hand covered Sherman’s mouth, and he had no idea what was going on as his chair was lifted and he was moved quickly down the hallway and into Dalton’s bedroom.
“Don’t make a sound,” someone whispered into Sherman’s ear. “I’m here to rescue you.”
Sherman was untied and hauled from the chair, but he yanked free.
“I’m not leaving my mate with those savages.”
The guy had dirty-blond hair and piercing brown eyes. He also looked like he ate kittens for breakfast.
“Dalton will be able to concentrate better with you out of the house. Now climb out the window so I can go help him fight.”
The stranger wasn’t as huge as Dalton, but he wasn’t a shrimp, either.