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She snorted. “You miss Kye like crazy.”
“Yeah, well, you miss Savannah and Dexter.” He’d heard her talking on her cell phone earlier, known instantly from her soft tone that she was speaking with the kids. Tao wasn’t sure if she realized it or not, but it was a tone she used strictly with them. “You promised to call them every morning, didn’t you?” She was a total softy for those kids, and he found it rather endearing. “How are they?”
“Causing trouble. Hoarding food. Hissing at Greta. They’re upset with me for not coming back when I said I would.” And that made Riley feel like utter crap.
“I aim to find who out who shot at you as soon as possible so we can get the fuck out of here.” Tao’s stomach clenched as she licked a drop of coffee from her lower lip. It hadn’t even been an hour since he’d last tasted that mouth, and he wanted it again. He also wanted to see her lips wrapped around his cock. It was something he envisioned often. Probably much too often, but he decided there were worse things to obsess over, so he didn’t give himself a hard time about it.
“You’re thinking about sex, aren’t you?” Riley could always tell, because his face would be completely deadpan but there would be an intense energy in his eyes that speared her.
“I’m thinking about fucking your mouth, to be exact.”
“Of course you are,” she said drily. “You’re a boy. Boys are delusional.”
He smiled. “You’re not going to let me feel what it’s like to slide my cock in your mouth? That doesn’t seem fair. I go down on you all the time.”
“Oh, I won’t deny you eat pussy like a champ.”
He laughed. “Like a champ?”
“Totally. But you know, over seventy percent of erectile dysfunction cases are caused by having too many blow jobs.”
“They are not.”
“They could be,” she said. “Besides, you really shouldn’t give to receive.”
He crossed to her and pulled her off the stool, sliding his hands down to her ass. “I don’t do it to receive anything. I do it because I like the taste of you.” He loved it. Craved it, even. “It’s addictive.”
“Oh really? What do I taste like?”
He brushed his mouth over hers and replied, “Mine.”
Riley didn’t really know what to make of that comment or quite how to respond to it. As if sensing that, he smiled in amusement. She narrowed her eyes. “You like it when I’m off balance, don’t you?” It was more of an accusation than a question.
“It’s only fair. You shake my balance all the time.”
Hearing two cars pull up outside, she frowned. “If that’s the Phoenix wolves, they’re early.”
“Of course they’re early,” he said, following her to the front door. “They’re worried about you.”
Opening the door wide, Riley found Hugh leading four familiar wolves up the steps and onto the porch. She gave the Beta a quick smile. “Hey, Hugh.”
His smile was a little strained. “Your friends are here. They’ve been allocated the two cabins that border this one. Think you can give them directions when you’re done here?”
“Of course.”
With a nod Hugh returned to the Chevy he’d parked beside an SUV the wolves had rented. The Beta drove off, leaving a cloud of dirt in his wake. One by one the Phoenix wolves filed inside the cabin and into the den.
Dante squeezed her shoulder and clapped Tao on the back. “How are you both doing?”
“We’ve been better,” said Tao. “How’s everyone?”
“Other than anxious for you and Riley, they’re good.”
Jaime wrapped her arms around Riley. “I have to say, I’d like to smack the shit out of whoever tried to shoot you.” Pulling back, she held Riley’s eyes as she asked, “You’re okay?”
“I’m okay,” replied Riley. “I appreciate you coming.”
Makenna hugged her. “Of course we came. The sooner we get you home and away from here, the better.”
“Which, I guess, means figuring out who’s trigger happy and then taking care of the situation,” said Dante, sinking into the sofa.
Makenna raised a finger. “Coffee first.”
“I have one, thanks,” Riley told her. “I left it on the breakfast bar, though.”
“I’ll bring it in with me.” Makenna made her way into the kitchen, and—after inclining his head in greeting at both Riley and Tao—Ryan trailed after his mate.
Taking a turn around the den, Jaime said, “This place is cute. Are the other cabins the same?”
Riley shrugged. “Pretty much, yeah.”
Dante pulled Jaime onto his lap. “How’s your friend, Riley?”
“Weak, but recovering,” she replied, joining them on the sofa.
Jaime’s brows knitted together. “The flock doesn’t have a healer?”
“Nope. My Uncle Max has enough healing skills to accelerate the process.”
“Fortunately for Lucy, Max was there when she was shot,” said Tao, perching himself on the arm of the sofa so that he was beside her.
Moments later Ryan hauled two dining chairs into the den for him and his mate while Makenna carried a tray of coffees. Once everyone was settled, cups in hand, Makenna said, “Now tell us exactly what’s been happening—leave nothing out.”
Riley and Tao told them everything, from the recent shootings and the confrontations she’d had with Cynthia and Shirley to even the small matter of someone’s ripping Tao’s clothes to shreds.
“It’s possible that someone is finishing what Wade started by shooting the people who should have been at the party that night,” said Tao. “But it occurred to me that it’s equally possible that someone’s trying to hurt Riley by hurting the people who are important to her. The bullet that hit Ethan could truly have been intended for him.”
“Another theory is that someone feels that Riley and Lucy let Wade down by not pulling him out of his depression, and now they’re punishing them,” said Dante.
Riley considered that for a moment. “Maybe. We were his closest friends. That would make Shirley the likeliest suspect, but I have to admit that my anger at her could be blinding me a little. I mean, I can’t really imagine her crouched somewhere in the mountains with a rifle. Plus whoever did it has done a good job of evading the Beta and enforcers. Shirley doesn’t strike me as the type who’d know how to cover her tracks so well.”
