Training Their Mate(6)

For the first time in days, she smiled. “Ridiculous, but I can’t thank you enough for retrieving my purse.”

“My pleasure.” He handed her the bag then stuck out his hand. “I’m Dante Field, the stodgy one’s younger and much better looking brother.”

This man was such a refreshing change from the men she usually ran into. She held out both hands. She wasn’t ready to let go of the bloodied handkerchief until she’d seen the doctor. “Can you sit for a minute?” She didn’t know what possessed her to ask. Maybe it was the way he held her gaze and never looked elsewhere. Or maybe it was because his face was the first really friendly one she’d seen, and right now she could use a friend.

Though why he’d want to sit in a stupid doctor’s office, she didn’t know.

“I’d love to, but I can’t stay long. I need to get back to work.”

“What do you do?” Come to think of it, she hadn’t even asked the man with the gun what he did either. She glanced between the two.

Dante smiled. “In theory, we run Field’s Monitoring Service together, but to be honest, I do most of the work. My slacker brother likes to use the equipment more than sell it.”

She had to think about that comment.

“Ms. Wharton?” The nurse opened the door and searched the room.

Trax stood. “You want me to come in with you?”

For a moment, she was twelve again and with her dad. “I can handle it. Thanks.” She took a few steps before turning around. “Are you going to be here when I get out?” No reason existed for him to stay, but she didn’t want to lose contact with him.

“If you’d like.”

“I would.” She wasn’t sure what made her say that, but she sensed an intangible connection between them she didn’t want to lose. As she walked to the back, she hoped she was right about trusting this man.

#

Dante sat next to his brother. “Bro, who is this girl?” This wasn’t like Trax to go out of his way like this, but the minute Dante got near her he recognized she was special. Did Trax feel the pull, too?

“She was with Couch today.”

His brother’s comment sobered him, but that wasn’t what he’d meant. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” He told him about this being her first day.

“Why would one of Couch’s men follow her? And then try to kill her?”

His brother glanced toward the receptionist. “I don’t know, but I’ll tell you one thing. Those werewolves would have eaten her alive if I hadn’t come along.”

He quirked a brow. “How did you happen to be there at the right time?” Trax was good, especially when he was tracking one of the Colters, but his timing had been almost too good in this case.

“The Pack listened in on Couch’s phone call. He told his men to kill the bitch. I had no idea who that meant, so I followed his guys. I was a few car lengths behind them when the van cut across traffic, went up on the sidewalk, and down the alley. I had to make a U-turn and park. By the time I got there, the van had already stopped and the men had gotten out and shifted.”

“Fuck. Liz must have been scared shitless.”

“I don’t think it’s hit her yet. She hasn’t even commented about them changing right in front of her.”

“She’s probably in shock. When she has time to assess what happened, she’ll want answers.” From Trax’s description of the chain of events, she wasn’t one of Couch’s plants.

His brother’s lips thinned. “I know. We have to figure out how to approach her.”

He’d leave that conversation up to Trax. “Why do you think Couch wanted her dead if she only worked there one day?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know. But I intend to find out. She may have seen something she doesn’t realize is critical to our investigation. We need to make sure she stays safe.”

“Damn. Couch has finally gone rogue. We need to stop him before the cops or the FBI catch on.”

“We?”

Except when it came to sharing women, Trax was a loner. Hell, if it weren’t for Dante, his brother would never have a woman. As sure as he was a wolf shifter, Liz Wharton was the one for them, and he was damned if he’d allow anything to happen to her.

The gentleman four seats down rubbing his stomach seemed too preoccupied to care about listening in on their conversation. It was probably safe to talk if he kept his voice low. “You know how we like to share?”

“Yeah, but don’t even go there.” Trax’s tone came out clipped and too fast. “This is about Liz’s safety and finding evidence on Couch. It’s not about finding our mate.”