Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain) - By Amanda Carlson Page 0,23

road,” I called. “Nick, make sure you take the brunt of the office work until I get back. Marcy can’t do it alone, and tell her that was a direct quote.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Nick smiled. “Don’t get yourself killed, Jess. I mean it.”

James stepped forward. “Take care and watch your back, Jessica. The Goddess will be hard to best.” Wolves weren’t a sentimental bunch, but I could scent their combined concern. “Use whatever means necessary to win this battle.”

“I plan to,” I said. “You and my father do the same. The South is not going to be any easier to subdue. I hope Redman Martin cooperates and decides to join us, but if he doesn’t, I hope you beat him into submission quickly.”

Tyler leaned over my seat. “She won’t be alone, Irish. We’re not planning on failing. We’re coming back. You still owe me a hundred bucks and I plan on collecting.” My heart constricted and I had to stop for a second to catch my breath. The last time I’d heard James called “Irish” was by Rourke right before the barroom brawl where we’d met for the first time. I’d never heard Tyler use that nickname before.

James stepped back and gave us a salute as we pulled out. Nick stared ahead with a pensive gaze as he waved goodbye.

Once we were out on the road everything went smoothly.

Until Ray woke up.

“Shut the bloody hell up!” Danny yelled for the fourth time. “Or you’ll end up worse than just rotting unconscious! I will sever your neck from your body if you continue to push me.”

It was just after midnight and we were almost to the Canadian border. We’d chosen to take the interstate most of the way and I’d driven fast.

But it was more than time to exit off the main road.

Clearly, I hadn’t considered the implications of bringing an angry American cop across the border. Ray wasn’t going to play nice and it was unlikely the Canadian Border Service officers would be amused if they found an unconscious body in the backseat. Taking a few human guards down wouldn’t be an issue, but the surveillance would put a damper on the events. The border was heavily monitored. I slapped my hands on the steering wheel in frustration, but not hard enough to break anything. I was learning how to deal with my new strength. Not popping holes or breaking things every five minutes was becoming an art form.

Upon waking an hour ago, Ray had immediately started ranting and raving. He’d kicked the back of my seat repeatedly until Danny had threatened to saw off his legs with a hunting knife. When Ray hadn’t acquiesced, Danny had brandished said knife in front of him and started picking his nails with it. Ray had stopped thrashing, but he hadn’t stopped yelling. He was gagged, but it didn’t matter. It was driving us all insane, and nothing short of knocking him out again was going to stop it.

My regret for bringing him along with us pounded behind my temples, throbbing in a dull ache. I’d clearly been out of my frigging mind thinking I could kidnap someone like Ray, even if it was only to save his sorry life.

The Humvee had a state-of-the-art GPS hardwired into the front console. I glanced at it and took a turn, following a small logging road off the main highway.

“One wrong move once we get out of this car and he dies, Jess,” my brother murmured from the seat next to me. “I have no idea why he’s here, but there’s no way his life is worth more than ours. If he compromises this mission, he’s out. Are we clear?”

Ray raged from the backseat. “Goow dan mo fut ba—”

“Clear.” I was driving fast and hit the brakes, cranking the wheel hard to the right. We shot through a small break in the trees. The back end of the monster swerved in what seemed like a slow arc, the tires finally finding purchase in the dirt. I straightened it out and gunned it through the brush, careening over an old, weed-covered road like we were on a motocross circuit. All the crap in the back crashed around, making it sound like the truck was rending apart at the seams.

Tyler grabbed on to the side handhold above his head. “What the fuck are you doing? Did I miss something?” he shouted. “Where are we going?”

There were no streetlights and it was pitch dark. The truck bobbed over a