She shook her head, trying to dislodge his hand.
"Can you breathe all right?" He sounded concerned.
She shook her head again.
"You won't scream if I let go? I'm sorry, but I can't have you making noise with the hit men so close." He loosened his grip.
"I'm not that stupid," she mumbled against his palm.
"I think you're very intelligent, but you're also in deep shit. That kind of stress can cause anyone to make a bad move."
She turned her head to see his face. His jaw was strong and lean. His eyes were focused on the street, no doubt scanning for danger. "Who are you?" she whispered.
He glanced down, and a ghost of a smile haunted his wide mouth. "I'm someone who needs a dentist."
"Don't lie to me. There's a gajillion dentists out there."
"I'm not lying."
"You lied about the elevator. It's out of order. I had to use the stairs."
His mouth tightened, and he resumed his search for danger without bothering to answer.
"How did you get here so fast?"
"Does it matter? I want to protect you."
"Why? Why should you care?"
He paused. "It's complicated." He looked at her, and the pain in his eyes took her breath away.
Whoever this man was, he understood suffering.
"You're not going to hurt me?"
"No, sweetness. I've had my fill of causing pain." He smiled sadly. "Besides, if I really wanted to kill you, I could have done it a dozen times by now."
"How reassuring." She shuddered, and his arms tightened around her.
Across the street, a neon sign glowed. The neighborhood psychic was still open for business.
Shanna considered making a wild dash across the street and calling the police. Or maybe she should ask about her future. Did she even have one, or had her lifeline run out? Strange, but she didn't feel endangered. The Wolfman's arms were strong.
The chest she was leaning against was broad and solid. And he claimed he wanted to protect her.
She'd been so alone lately. She wanted to trust him.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and coughed. "Jeez, it stinks here. What is this place?"
"A cigar shop. I gather you don't smoke?"
"No. Do you?"
He smiled wryly. "Only if I'm out in the sun."
Huh? Before she could respond, a dark green car drove past them, and Wolfman started dragging her toward the curb.
"That's Laszlo." He waved to get his friend's attention.
The green Honda Accord pulled over to double-park. The Wolfman strode toward it, pulling Shanna with him.
Should she really trust him? Once she got into a car with him, how could she escape? "Who is this Laszlo? Is he Russian?"
"No."
"His name doesn't sound very American."
Wolfman lifted a brow as if he found her comment annoying. "He's Hungarian, originally."
"And you?"
"American."
"You were born here?"
Now both brows went up. He was definitely annoyed. But he did have a slight accent, and she'd rather be safe than sorry.
The man inside the Honda fumbled around, and the trunk popped open a few inches. Shanna jumped, suddenly remembering there might be a body inside.
"Relax." Wolfman tightened his grip on her.
"Are you kidding?" She tried to jerk away, but her attempt failed miserably. "Don't you have a dead body in there?"
He sighed. "God help me. I suppose I deserve this."
A short man in a white lab coat scrambled out of the green Honda. "Oh, there you are, sir. I came as quickly as I could." He noticed Shanna and fingered a button on his lab coat. "Good evening, miss.
You're the dentist?"
"She is." Wolfman glanced over his shoulder. "We're in a hurry, Laszlo."
"Yes, sir." Laszlo opened the back door and leaned inside. "I'll get Vanna out of your way." He straightened, dragging a woman's naked body from the backseat. Shanna gasped.
Wolfman clapped a hand over her mouth. "She's not real."
Shanna struggled to escape, but he pulled her against his chest and held tight.
"Look at her, Shanna. She's a toy, a human-sized toy."
Laszlo noticed her distress. "He's right, miss. She's not real." He pulled the wig off her head, then plopped it back on.
Oh God. Her Wolfman was not a killer. He was a pervert.
She elbowed Wolfman in the stomach, and catching him by surprise, she managed to pull away from his grasp.
"Shanna." He made a grab for her, and she jumped back.
"Stay away from me, you pervert."
"What?"
She pointed at the doll that Laszlo was shoving into the trunk. "Any man with a toy like that has got to be a pervert."
Wolfman blinked. "It … it's not my car."
"And it's not your toy?"
"No." He glanced back. "Shit!" He seized her and shoved her toward the car. "Get in."
"Why?" She grabbed each side of the doorway and locked her elbows. This was the maneuver that always worked in the cartoons when a cat didn't want to be pushed into a tub of water.
Wolfman moved to her side, blocking her view. "A black car is turning onto this street. We can't let them see you."
A black car? Black sedan or green Honda. Those appeared to be her choices. God help her that she was making the right decision. She climbed into the backseat of the Honda Accord and set her purse on the floor. She looked out the back window, but couldn't see a black car. Laszlo still had the trunk up.
"Hurry, Laszlo! We've got to go." Wolfman got in beside her and shut the door. He glanced out the back window.
Laszlo slammed the trunk shut.
"Shit." Wolfman grabbed Shanna by the shoulders and pushed her down.
"Aagh!" It all happened so fast. A whoosh of air and then, wham, her nose was pressed flat against scratchy black denim. Oh, great, she was facedown in his lap. Her nostrils filled with the scent of he-man and fresh soap. Or was that laundry detergent? She struggled to sit up, but he held her down.
"Sorry, but our windows aren't tinted, and I can't risk them seeing you."
The engine started, and they were on the move. She felt the car vibrating around her, his jeans giving her a full facial massage.
She wiggled until her nose and mouth found a pocket of air. After a few deep breaths, she realized her precious pocket of air was the crevice between his legs. Wonderful. She was doing heavy breathing on his crotch.
"The black car is following us." Laszlo sounded worried.
"I know." Wolfman sounded annoyed. "Take the next right."
Shanna attempted to roll onto her side, but the car made a turn, and she lost her balance. She fell against Wolfman, the back of her head bumping against his zipper. Oops. Maybe he hadn't noticed.
She wiggled forward, moving her head away from his groin.
"Is there a purpose for all this activity?"
Oh dear. He had noticed. "I – I couldn't breathe." She squirmed onto her shoulder and curled her legs up so she was lying on her side with her cheek against his thighs.
The car suddenly halted. Shanna slid back and knocked against his zipper once again. He winced.
"Sorry." Jeez. First she'd given him the knee. Now she was a head banger. How much abuse could a guy take in one evening? She inched her head forward again.
"Sorry, sir," Laszlo said. "The light just turned red all of a sudden."
"I understand." Wolfman laid a hand lightly on Shanna's head. "Could you stop wiggling, please?"
"Sir, they're pulling up beside us!"
"That's all right. Let them take a good look. They'll only see two men."
"What should I do now?" Laszlo asked. "Go straight or turn?"
"Make a left turn at the next intersection. We'll see if they follow us then."
"Yes, sir." Laszlo was beginning to sound ill. "You know, I'm not trained for this sort of thing.
Maybe we should call for Connor or Ian."
"You're doing fine. That reminds me." Wolfman lifted his hips.
Shanna gasped and grabbed his knees to keep steady. The muscles in his thighs bunched and rippled beneath her cheek. Oh, Lordy, what a thrill ride.
"Here." He lowered his hips back onto the seat. "I had your damned phone in my back pocket."
"Oh." She shifted onto her back so she could see. The car lurched forward, and she rolled into his groin, nose against his zipper.
"Sorry," she murmured, and scooted away.
"No … problem." He dropped the phone on the car seat. "I don't think you should use it. If they know your number, they can trace any call you make and find your location."
He moved his hand to her shoulder, probably hoping to keep her from rolling around.
The car swerved left. Luckily, she slid only a fraction down his thighs this time. "Are they still following us?" she asked.
"I don't see them." Laszlo sounded excited.
"Let's not celebrate just yet." Wolfman looked from side to side. "Drive around a bit more to make sure."
"Yes, sir. Shall we go to your home or the lab?"
"What lab?" Shanna attempted to sit up.
Wolfman tightened his grip on her shoulder and forced her back down. "Stay put. This isn't over yet."
Great. She was beginning to suspect he enjoyed manhandling her. "Okay. What lab?"
He glanced down at her. "Romatech Industries."
"Oh, I've heard of them."