SWAT Team One and the Social Worker (4 page)

if she was hit there as well. Everything ached. Even her teeth, her

neck, her arms, and her legs were throbbing. A quick cleanup in the bathroom and she noticed the numerous bruises on her thighs. She

had really gone to town on Myers trying to stop him from entering the

room. She was so crazed with fear and protectiveness for the children

she lost it. That both scared her and made her feel good to be able to have saved lives today. However, “SWAT Team One” was a different

story altogether.

She had received over twenty-five different text messages since

she had left the scene. The men had wanted her to go to the hospital to get checked out. She refused, and now she hoped she hadn’t made a

mistake. Her jaw and teeth really were bothering her, but then again

she hadn’t accepted any of the painkillers like Dustin had

recommended. She had been stubborn and refused to lean on any of

them. She didn’t want what they were offering. She couldn’t go

through that again.

And when she arrived here at the precinct escorted by Dustin and

Kyle, both had acted like barbarians. Every male cop that asked if she was okay, offered her a ride home, or to go get a beer was nearly

attacked. And that was only in the first ten minutes that she arrived at the forty-sixth precinct.

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27

Grabbing her stuff, she headed out into the hallway. She had a

good forty-minute drive ahead of her.

She waved goodbye to the other stragglers then out the precinct

front door to the parking lot.

* * * *

“This has to end. I can’t take it any longer,” Trey stated as he

finished working out in the dojo along with his brothers. They needed

to release their anger and frustration. Samantha had nearly died today.

“I hear what you are saying. We’re all feeling the same way,”

Donny added then sat on the mat next to him.

“I have to be with her. I’m not staying away, and to tell you the

truth, I’m pissed that she has ignored my text messages,” Kyle added

then took another swing at the punching bag.

“She ignored all our messages,” Trey remarked.

“I say we go over there and make sure she is okay.”

“Adam, we have avoided being in a small room alone with her for

too long. If I go over there tonight, my wolf is going to want to claim her. It’s torture not holding her and keeping my wolf away like this.”

They all looked at Donny and his statement.

“Everybody shower. I have an idea that may help us get through

this, or at least give us peace of mind tonight.” They all looked at

Dustin, surprised that he was so calm. He nearly shifted twice today.

* * * *

A hot shower, three ibuprofen, and a half a glass of wine later, and

Sam was relaxing somewhat on her couch in the living room. There

was no air-conditioning in the old house, but the rent was cheap. She

put on her shortest shorts and a tank top before covering the couch

with a sheet to help keep it cool. It was the coolest place in the house during a heat wave. She was relieved that it seemed like the

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temperature was slowly dropping. Maybe the weather forecasters

were right for once. Maybe the heat wave would be over by tonight.

Every window was open, every fan she had was on high, and she

waited not so patiently for the meds to kick in. The guys had a place a block down the road on four acres of property, and they had air-conditioning. But she wouldn’t go there. Just by being in the same

room, she would give in to temptation, and that was a chance she

wasn’t willing to take.

The guys. Damn, why did I have to bring them up?
She closed her eyes and laid her hand over her eyes but bumped her bruised

cheekbone and cringed in pain.

“Fuck!” she growled.

“If you’re up for it, I’m in.”

She nearly screamed when she heard the voice coming from the

front window.

“Goddamn it, Kyle! You scared the crap out of me. Why the hell

would you sneak up on me like that?”

“Open up, and I’ll make it up to you.”

She could practically see his dimples even in the darkness outside.

His white teeth caught her attention, and instantly she thought about him in wolf form. A magnificent beast and the most amazing sight she

would remember forever.

“Why should I let you in?” she asked, going back to being bitchy

in hopes that he would go away. She wasn’t wearing a bra or

underwear because she wasn’t expecting company. She should have

known better, but who the hell can think in this heat?

“Because you’re already in enough trouble as is. You haven’t

answered any of our calls or texts, and we never had a chance to talk

to you about today.”

She thought about that a second and remembered that her battery

was on one bar, so she plugged it in earlier to charge it in the

bedroom.

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29

“I don’t need to discuss this with you. I was doing my job, and

you were doing yours. End of story, now go away.”

“He’s not, and nor am I.”

The sound of Dustin’s voice had her sitting up and grabbing her

head at the pounding in her brain. She had been fighting dizziness all evening, but suddenly she felt like vomiting. Her whole body shook,

but then the anger took over. The son of a bitch broke into her house.

“Damn it, Dustin! How did you get in here?”

He looked serious and mean as he passed by her and unlocked her

front door to let his brother in. His black tank top hardly covered his massive muscles. She stared at his back. There were more

distinguishing muscles there. His body was had total definition and a

series of tattoos. The man was a chiseled work of art. Her eyes took in the sight of his backside. His ass was a masterpiece itself.

“You have every window in this house open. Anyone can break

through a screen,” Kyle stated as he entered the room.

He looked just as mouthwatering as Dustin. It was torture having

such sexy guy friends.

Her head throbbed, so she leaned back and covered her eyes with

her arm. If I can’t see them, then I can fantasize. She was so wrong.

Just the fact that they were in her house had her belly quivering,

amongst other parts. She tried to remain breathing calmly. These two

men made her nervous. Now all she needed was the others to show

up, and she would have a definite panic attack.

* * * *

Dustin was concerned and angry over the day’s events. The fact

that Sam ignored all their attempts at taking care of her pissed him

off. His wolf was just about at its wit’s end. Sam was his mate. He

knew it. He and his brothers had ignored the attraction the past two years just because of their line of work. Over the years they were

called for missions almost on a weekly to monthly basis. Since

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Dixie Lynn Dwyer

landing the job in the city, they left less frequently. That was a good sign that crime was decreasing, at least on the largest, most dangerous scale.

He stared at Sam, lying on the couch, half dressed, with her long,

red-brown hair flowing over the pillow. His eyes absorbed the curve

of her muscular and toned body. The way her arms were defined and

her breasts perfectly plump and protruding from the skimpy tank she

wore. She was breathtaking, and his wolf knew it. Then he saw the

bruises on her thighs and calves. He was suddenly filled with anger

again. He swallowed hard before he lost his temper.

“Hey, Red, have you taken anything for the headache?” Kyle

asked as he caressed her hair then gently touched her arm. She

instantly pulled away then seemed to cringe in pain. Her eyes

widened as if regretting the sudden move and the fact that they

noticed. Why was she trying so hard to keep away from him?

“Hey, you know I would never hurt you,” Kyle responded then

cupped her chin as she looked at him with half-closed eyes.

Dustin could just imagine what she would look like when he made

love to her and made her orgasm. His cock swelled with desire. That

time was approaching whether she accepted it or not.

“I know. My head hurts, and I feel a little sick to my stomach

still.”

“I told you to get checked out.” Dustin raised his voice, and he

saw her tense again, her lack of acceptance to their attentiveness

toward her bothered him. She acted as though she feared them.

“Did you eat anything?” Kyle asked, trying to ease the tension

between Sam and Dustin.

Her eyes widened then her arm went to her forehead again,

causing her breasts to lift up and reveal more of the cleavage of the

tank she wore.

She nodded her head.

“Well, there you go. You need to eat, baby.”

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31

“I don’t know,” she replied then placed her other hand over her

flat stomach and the waist of her very short black shorts.

Dustin imagined his hand where hers was. He could practically

feel the softness of her skin, the definition in her abs. He imagined

going lower, under the elastic, and pressing fingers to her pussy.

Would she be wet and ready for him? He sniffed the air, and she

uncovered her eyes at the same moment. He could practically taste

her cream in his mouth as her scent filled his nostrils.

* * * *

Sam could feel Dustin staring at her. One glance between her arm

and she saw the intensity of his stare. His green eyes were stunning.

Donny and Kyle also had the same green coloring, but Trey and

Adam had dark brown eyes. Still, they were like no other color she

had ever seen. They were different, and they revealed very little,

making her feel intimidated. It had to be a wolf thing. Her stomach

tightened.

Dustin looked carnal and as if he was about to attack her. The

thought of what he looked like today all dressed in his black SWAT

uniform, weapons and muscles everywhere. He looked dangerous,

and only a fool would challenge him. All the brothers looked similar,

but she could tell them apart. Her body warmed from his stare, her

insides quivered, and she felt the wetness grow between her thighs.

She tried to avoid his eyes. Had even begged her mind to not look, but her eyes sought him out, causing her to lock gazes with Dustin. He sniffed the air.

Busted! He would know she was interested.

“Hey, it’s me. Bring it in,” she heard Kyle state into his cell

phone, interrupting whatever was about to happen between her and

Dustin. Thank God.

Two seconds later, the front door opened, and the rest of the crew

entered.

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Dixie Lynn Dwyer

They were carrying boxes of pizza and soda and beer. A team of

testosterone and sex appeal just invaded her living room. How was

she going to ignore all of them in such a confined space?

The aroma of the pizza made her stomach growl, and surprisingly,

she was hungry. Good. Focus on the food not the men.

Maybe Dustin and Kyle were right. Maybe all she needed was

some food.

* * * *

“Hey, gorgeous. Whoa, that’s some shiner on you. Did you have

the doctor look at it?” Donny asked then kissed her hello on the other cheek.

“Of course she didn’t,” Dustin added before she could reply as he

and Kyle pulled the coffee table closer to the couch and placed the

beer and soda, plus napkins and paper plates, on it. Adam and Trey

returned with one box of pizza, filling the plates.

She watched Dustin and the others. They made themselves at

home, moving things around and attempting to take care of her. But

she knew them well, and they were trying to make her relax so they

could reprimand her. Dizziness or not, she wasn’t going to be weak

around them. The thought made her insides jolt with a mix of guilt

and sexual attraction. She released a sigh and absorbed enough

muscle, intimidation, and eye candy that she could handle. If she

gawked any further should would risk making a fool of herself.

“Try to sit up, honey, to eat something,” Donny whispered,

catching her daydreaming. Well, fantasizing was more like it. Even

her nipples were hard. Both he and Kyle helped her sit up, not that it took two of them to lift her. Her gut told her they wanted to touch her, but she forced herself to ignore her gut.

Their knuckles and fingers rubbed against the inside of her

breasts, and she nearly jumped out of their grasp. Her body was

overly sensitive to all of them.

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33

Adam looked at her, and she saw the same desire in his brown

eyes that she had in Dustin’s. She couldn’t give in. She didn’t want

that kind of life or to take the chance. They were not fully human and could shift into wolves at any moment, and that scared her. They

looked at her differently. Other men. Human men looked at her with

sex on their minds and sometimes undressed her with their eyes.

These men looked at her as if they would lick and taste every inch of

her then eat her alive. The thought brought on another wave of heat.

Damn, it was getting hotter in here by the second.