Hunting Her (The Keeping Her #6) (12 page)

Beatrice
gave him one more good glare before turning to Logan, "It's not exactly an
obscure reference." She muttered when he just looked at her blankly. She
rolled her eyes and turned to Xena.  "You, at least, know what I'm talking
about, right?"

She
looked so expectant, Xena was sorry to disappoint her.  "I know the
song."

From the
look Beatrice gave her, you'd think she'd just said she hated the whole
Christmas holiday.

"You've
never seen White Christmas?"  Beatrice asked, clearly incredulous.
"My family used to watch it every year at Christmas time."

Xena
shrugged.  "Probably more than one reason they call it White
Christmas."

Douglas
Bruce chuckled and pulled his wife into his arms, her back to his front.  Then
turned shrewd eyes back to Logan.  He at least had not forgotten the main
point, and from the still closed look of Logan's face, neither had he. 
"Maybe a man could and would go to such lengths to see justice done, but
for complete strangers?  Seems farfetched to me.  More likely, just Karma
coming back to bite my cousin on the ass."  Before Logan could respond, if
indeed he was planning on it, which Xena doubted, Douglas Bruce went on with a shit-eating
grin. "Still, if I ever find out that someone was responsible for
it...well, I'd be very happy to buy that man a beer."

Then,
before anyone could say anything further on the subject, Douglas Bruce asked
his wife what she had found in her walk through, and the conversation was
officially over.  They wandered off to look at something Beatrice wanted him to
see across the room, and Xena turned questioning eyes to Logan.

Instead
of responding to her unanswered question, his eyes warmed, and he reached over
to brush a thumb down her cheek.  "You have dirt on your cheek." He
said; his lips lifting in a half smile, like he thought that was adorable.

Xena
narrowed her eyes, not about to be distracted by that sexy grin.  "You
brought down the fuckwad?" she asked quietly, so the others wouldn’t
hear.  Knowing already, just as the Bruces’ did, that he had.

He
answered her absently, moving a step closer so that she had to tilt her head
way back to keep his eyes.  "Needed to be done."  His mind was
clearly elsewhere.

Right.
Xena thought. 
Needed to be done
. 
Simple as that.
  He saw an injustice and he dealt with it because that was
the kind of man he was.  "Is it strange that I want to drop to my knees
and take you in my mouth right now?"

Logan
stilled utterly, and she watched his eyes flash wolf gold and go liquid.  He
growled. 

"Though,
I'm obviously not going to do that with an audience," she added playfully,
her own smile quirking.  "But do you find it strange that I have the
thought at all?  I mean, it's a first for me, these strange sexual urges to
service
a man."  Her emphasis on the word 'service' had him growling again.  Then
she smiled full out, knowing the wicked gleam of humor in her eyes would drive
him crazy.  Before he could reach for her, or snarl, the other couple walked
back over.

"Is
it hot in here?" Douglas Bruce asked, humor rife in his voice.  "Or
is it just me?"  Xena and Logan both looked over to see him leering at his
wife while she gave him a ‘behave’ look that lacked punch, since it seemed like
she was trying not to laugh.

"I
think that covers everything," she said, clearing her throat and flushing
when she looked back at Xena and Logan.  "You two probably have things to
do, so we'll just..."

Her
husband snorted, and Xena realized she and Logan were not exactly being
subtle.  "...Leave," Douglas Bruce finished for her.  "I'll e-mail
you the estimates, and anything else you need."  He held out a hand to
Logan, the glint of humor barely controlled in his blue eyes.  "You have
my number if you have questions.  We'll be in touch.  And as soon as the job we
are on now is finished, we'll get started on this one."  He smirked. 
"Don't bother to walk us out.  We know the way."  And then he hustled
his wife out of the house, with a hand to her ass that had her squawking at
him.  Xena had to laugh.

"Good
man, that Douglas Bruce," Logan said with his own chuckle.

She
grinned at him.  "You just think that because he left so you could get you
some."

His
smile turned sharp and his voice dropped.  "Too fucking right."

Xena
cocked her hip and gave him a challenging half smile while she listened to the
humans depart, arguing and flirting in equal measure.  "Too late.  The
urge has passed."

Logan
raised a brow and his smile turned from sharp to flat out sexy.  Xena could
swear she felt a pulse of heat in her womb with that smile. 

"I
think I can do something about that."

Yeah, she
just bet he could.  They both waited only long enough to assure that the humans
had left, but as soon as the car was headed down the long driveway and away,
Xena gave her mate one challenging wink... and ran. 

With a
chuckle that ended in a curse, Logan followed.  She beat him to the bed by
inches.

"You
know, it's your fault I'm having problems with the horses anyway," Xena
told him archly.  "If you didn't have my coyote in such a lather she would
let me hide her again and the horses would not even know I'm different from
other humans."

Logan
raised a brow at that and set down the coffee he had just taken a sip from. 
His mate was making breakfast for the both of them.  He was enjoying the sight
of her in her fancy ass jeans and his overlarge shirt, moving around his
kitchen, but her words were distracting enough, that it drew his eyes from her
barely covered ass, to her face. 

"That
brings up a question I have been meaning to ask.  How do you manage to mask
your scent the way you do?"

She
shrugged.  "I don't really know.  It's something I’ve been able to do
since I was young."  But something in her voice said there was more to the
story that that.  He canted his head to the side and watched her.  Patient.

She finally
sighed with gusto and turned, crossing her arms to glare at him, as if he had
been haranguing her for an hour, rather than looking at her for two minutes. 
"What?!"

He said
nothing, just raised a brow and took another sip of his coffee.

She
huffed out a breath.  "Let's just say it was a necessary skill to learn
when I first joined the coyote clan of my father’s people."

He kept
his eyes on her until she rolled her eyes at him and turned back to the French
toast that had the scent of vanilla and cinnamon scenting the air. 
"That's all you’re getting out of me cowboy, so stow the intent,
information-sucking-stare and drink your coffee."

Logan
grinned and did as she asked.  But he would come back to it, because he had a
feeling that whatever had made her need to hide her wolf to that extent was
something he needed to know, if only so he would know who he needed to visit in
the near distant future.  "The horses will get used to you.  They're used
to shifters, and I like that you can't hide from me.  In any way."

He
watched her back stiffen, and knew it took more than a little effort for her to
relax back into her cooking.  He was standing at her back before she
succeeded.  "Why does that make you so uncomfortable?"

He felt,
as much as heard, her huff out a breath.  He waited for a flippant answer, but
instead, her voice was low and soft as she leaned back just a little so that he
could feel her slight weight at his chest.  "It's not personal Logan. I
have my shields for good reason.  I feel a little too vulnerable for comfort
around you without them."

Logan
turned her to face him, pulling her more firmly away from the hot stove and
against his chest.  Her hand with the spatula was up and to the side and her
head came up so he could meet her surprised eyes.

"That's
not it," he murmured.  And watched as her eyes narrowed on his at his
contradiction. "The problem isn't that you feel naked without your
shields. It's that you don't."

Xena
blinked at him, her chocolate eyes narrowing further as her temper sparked.  "What
are you blathering about?"

He
smirked.  "You can't hide your coyote around me because you know deep down
you don't need to, and that is what really has you all skittish when I bring it
to your attention."  He kissed her hard without giving her a chance to
respond.  "You both know you’re safe with me. In every way."  Then he
stepped back, turned her to face the stove, and slapped her on her fine ass. 
He took his chair again, and watched her turn just her head to glare at him. 
He could actually see her temper sparking in those amazing eyes, and wondered
if he would be wearing his breakfast instead of eating it.  He grinned at her. 
She rolled her eyes as sashayed back to her place at the stove.

"You're
eating the burnt one," was all she said in answer, and it made Logan laugh. 
He thought he heard her say, "Cocky mother fucker," under her breath,
but he couldn't be sure.  What she did not do, was contradict him.  She felt
safe with him.  Even if she had not said it, he knew how rare that was for
someone like her.  And fuck it felt good.

Xena had
just sat down at the island to eat, plunking a plate of perfectly cooked French
toast in front of him; making his smile widen, and her roll her eyes again,
when they both heard the distant hum of an engine.  An engine he was not
familiar with.  It was still a good distance away, but close enough to be on
his property, and getting louder.

"Shit."
He growled, losing his good mood just that quickly.

Xena's
eyes flashed to coyote gold.  "Trouble?"

"More
than likely," He answered, leaving his breakfast untouched and standing. 
"It's not an engine I recognize, and anyone I know would call first
anyway."

He took
her hand and started leading her out of the kitchen.  "What are the chances
you will shift to coyote and hide in the wilds while I deal with what's
coming?"

She
didn't bother to answer; she just gave him a cold look.

He
cursed, and pulled her closer as they moved together through the doorway. 
"That's about what I thought," he muttered.

He led
the way out the back door even while he was talking.  "I'm not even going
to ask about you staying in the safe room," he muttered again, making Xena
blink.

"You
have a safe room?"

"From
the barn," he answered absently, his mind on the fight he was sure was
coming their way.  "I was going to show you but you kept distracting
me."

He felt
her snort as much as heard it, but by then they were moving fast to the barn
and he had his senses opened up to their surroundings in such a way that his
play was halfhearted at best.  She, he could see, was the same.  Scanning and
scenting the wind, while they moved fast through the open area.

"When
we finish the house, I'll add a tunnel from there as well."

Xena did
not respond to his statement, just followed silently in his wake as he moved through
the barn, past the nickering horses, and through the tack room to the back
wall.  He pulled back the false front that looked like a very sturdy, floor
length shelving unit, and it smoothly swished open, showing another opening. 
This one, a state of the art steel door, with a retina scanner and voice
recognition.  He ignored the door to the safe room for now, and headed for the
weapons chest on the wall to their right. 

"Any
preferences?" he asked, after he had it open.  She pulled up the long
hanging fabric of his tee and tied it in a knot at her belly, just over the hem
of her low riding jeans.  She reached to her ankle and pulled out her
expandable baton, and placed that at the small of her back.  She then chose one
of the smaller Glock’s, and replaced the baton in her ankle holster.  A holster
he had not even questioned, when she put it on every morning, along with the
wicked switchblade she kept in her back pocket.  The second gun she chose was a
Glock 19; slightly bigger, but still small enough to be comfortable in her
smaller grip.

She
grabbed the 9mm ammo and shoved extra rounds in her back and front pockets
without him having to tell her.

Logan
grabbed two handguns, one his favorite Sig Sauer, and holstered up before he
grabbed his HK MP5 rifle.  Any other woman might have commented on his need for
a weapons cabinet of such proportions, and his choice of a 9mm submachine gun;
but Xena didn't even blink at his choice, just finished adjusting her own haul
of weapons.

"You
have a plan?"  She was all business, her eyes cold, her coyote scent once
again absent.  Logan growled, grabbed the back of her head, hauled her in for a
long wet deep kiss and then stepped back only when he was satisfied with her
avid response.  "We make sure this is not someone needing directions to
the road."

Xena
tilted her head as she listened for the sounds he was hearing as well, his hand
still at the back of her head.  Two vehicles, not one; big ones.  She raised a
brow at him.  They both knew it wasn't someone lost.  Logan growled again.  He
fucking hated that someone had come onto his territory, and he hated it worse
that his mate was now in danger when she should be safe here, of all places. 

"Don't
get hurt," he ordered, pressing one more kiss to her lips and letting her
go.

"I'm
not the one who’s going to bleed today," his mate said with just a hint of
her own anger showing through.  He was not the only one feeling territorial. 
It was almost enough to make Logan smile.  Almost.

***

They
came in two vehicles.  The first one driving up to the front door of the ranch
house, slick as you please, while the second stopped out of sight of the house,
and its occupants fanned out into the woods.

From his
place laying on the lip of the barn roof, Logan watched the humans.  Xena, he
knew, had gone to some high ground in the woods, to the east of his position,
with terse instructions to wait for him to thin the herd before she acted. So
she was watching the show from the trees.  He knew enough of her abilities not
to doubt she would stay undiscovered until she was ready.  He just hoped she
let him work before she acted.

The men
at the house would not be an issue.  Dumb ass humans were spreading out in an
ark around his porch as if whoever they wanted would be in the house, waiting
meekly for them.  They were armed with automatic weapons and wearing business suits
that looked like they all shopped from the same rack.  How the hell were they
expecting to fight in suits? 

Without
a word, they all started firing their weapons, fanning the house in wide bursts
that took out the windows, and put holes in walls from one floor to the next.
It was loud, it was thorough, and it pissed him the fuck off.

In quick
succession he took out the line of firing men, until the few left standing realized
what was happening and ducked for cover.  He took out two more while they ran,
and the driver, his final target, through the eye that peaked up at him above the
door of the van.  Then Logan turned, slid down the side of the roof and let
himself fall the long drop to the ground, landing with barely a jar to his
step.  He reloaded walking, then once the rifle was again loaded for bear, he
flipped it to his back on its strap and pulled out his Sig.  Holding it ready,
he went hunting.  That was when he heard the shots from the woods.  Xena was at
play.

***

Xena was
absolutely not going to think about all the gun holes in Logan's house, it
would just piss her
way the fuck
off. 

There
were too many in the surrounding area to start shooting, it would give away her
position too fast.  She holstered the gun, pulled her baton, and flicked her
wrist, expanding it to its full length in one quick whip of movement.  She
jumped from the tree and landed silently in a crouch, her eyes open and her
ears trained for any sounds.  She lifted her head and sniffed, most of the
humans were between her and the house.  But there were at least three circling
back behind her, covering the others.  She headed for those first.

She took
out the first gunman without more than a swish of sound to alert anyone to her
presence.  With three quick whacks from her baton he was out, she grabbed him
before he could fall and helped him to the ground quietly.

She took
out the rest of the backup just as easily, and moved onto the massed gunmen now
trading fire with Logan, or at least they were shooting in the general
direction his shots were coming.  By the time they took their shots he was
already at another position.  Another of their men fell, a shot to the head.

"How
many of them are there?"  One growled low, a few feet from where Xena
moved through the brush.  His fear and frustration making him careless.  But
then he had no idea he was dealing with something besides normal humans.

"Quiet,"
the man beside him muttered, and from what Xena could scent, there were three
of them in their huddle, while the rest of the men tried to spread out through
the tree line.

"How
the fuck did they take out the Alpha team?"  A third voice asked, paying
no heed to the other ones directions.

"Sniper,"
the second man muttered angry and low.  "Now shut the fuck up before you
give away our position.

"Nobody
said shit about a fucking sniper," the first man growled back.

"Why
the fuck do you think they sent two teams for one little girl, Asshole?"

"Fuck!"

Xena
decided she would keep the semi intelligent one alive for questioning.  The
rest were too stupid to know anything anyway.  She lifted the gun into her left
hand and her baton in her right.  The first man died instantly, a bullet in his
left eye.  The second, nearly as fast.  The last, she took out with a blow to
the head meant to stun, but he turned at the last moment and instead of a
stunning blow, it landed on his temple and she knew before he hit the ground
that, while he was still breathing, it would not last long.  From the feel of
the crunch when she hit, she doubted he would wake up again. 

Damn
it.
  Here was hoping
Logan had managed to keep someone alive, because from the sound of the silence,
he was done with the rest of the men, and it was too late to request one be
kept breathing.  It was a short while more of silence before Logan materialized
at her back and looked her over.