Unquenchable Desire (20 page)

She handed him a flashlight from a drawer. Now
both armed with light and letter

openers, they tiptoed to the stairwell landing. The narrow, concrete stairway
wound downward like a corkscrew. “Let’s take off our shoes,” he said. Even
barefoot, muted sound echoed down the stairs.

At the bend in the stairwell, the ticking
grew louder.

“It sounds like it’s coming from inside that
vent,”she whispered.

“No. I still think it’s coming from the
basement,” he said softly.

Whatever happened in the next few minutes, he
had to regain her trust in him as a man and protector. Caring for Valerie had
thrust him completely out of his comfort zone and into unfamiliar mine fields. Dammit,
he couldn’t let his fear for her safety weaken his strengh and determination. There
was more at stake than their survival. Any error in his action or responses,
even if they lived through the day, could mean disaster for them. Her belief in
him was a stake.

Chapter
Sixteen

Damon pointed out the
foundation building to the chopper pilot and told him to set down onto the far
edge of the parking lot for safety’s sake and wait there. The three acre site
had only two cars in the lot, a 1980 Cressida with faded blue paint and the
foundation station wagon. Both vehicles were parked just outside the rear
entrance. He assumed the aged Cressida belonged to the night watchman. He and
Hugh jumped out of the chopper, ducked under the still revolving rotor blades,
and ran low and swiftly across the paved area. “Brian didn’t give much
information to go on,” Damon said as they approached the building. “He and
Valerie found the watchman’s body and reported the murder to the police. He
believes Reeves is still in the building and might need us to close off his
escape.”

“Obviously that’s why Reeves
slashed our tires so we’d be out of commission,” Hugh said.

Damon dialed Valerie’s cell
phone. “We need a plan of action, but first we need to know what’s going on inside.”
Her cell rang and rang then went to a message box. “She’s not answering. We’ll
have to go in blind.”

At that moment three police
cruisers skidded into the lot and parked askew. “I wished the kids had waited
before calling those guys. I have a reputation for finding dead bodies and they
always suspect me first.”

“What about me? With too much
stress I could morph,” Hugh said.

Damon’s stomach knotted tighter. When
he recognized the officers, his stress escalated another notch and he broke out
in a sweat. Haywood swaggered toward him, his round face smug. His partner,
Officer Montoya, a lean more amenable man, merely nodded.

Haywood lowered his dark,
impenetrable aviator sunglasses, and with narrowed brown eyes he glared at
Damon. “I’ll be damned.
You again?
It seems whenever
there’s trouble with wolves in this community you’re Johnny-on-the-spot. What
do you know about all this?”

“My daughter, CEO of this foundation, called me when she found the
nightwatchman with his throat ripped out.” Damon, gratified he could hold his
voice steady, met the officer’s piercing gaze.

Haywood shifted his weight. “Her nameValerie Lamont?” The officer
didn’t wait for an answer. “Your daughter requested a bomb squad. What’s that
all about?”

“She has good reason to believe there’s a
bomb inside.”

“And she’s still in there? Are
all of you
Lamonts
nuts? Never mind. I’ll talk to
her. Wait here.” He got out a megaphone and put it to his lips. “Ms. Lamont,
this is Officer Haywood. I need you to come out and give me some information.”

Damon shook his head. Was it
the bomb threat that kept Haywood from immediately entering and checking out
the situation and victim himself? And why didn’t he issue orders to search the
building and possibly corner the killer? He looked old enough to be a
retirement age. Was he being prudent or chicken?

Suddenly, Damon heard the
siren and a fire engine pulled onto the site. Men in protective gear ran toward
them.

They ordered Damon, Hugh, and
the officers to wait outside.

Damon shifted, aching to
follow them. “My daughter’s in there!”

“We’ll send her out. Just
stay put.”

“I’m Damon Lamont and I own this building.”

“We’ll let you know when it’s safe to enter,”
the squad leader barked.
Then he and his men disappeared inside the building.

The bomb squad could tromp
all over any evidence left by the killer. Damon turned to Officer Haywood, his
heart pounding like a jack hammer. “My daughter and her assistant both think
the killer is still in the building. I have to get to her.”

Haywood wrinkled his brow. “Do
you think this is a hostage situation?”

“How would I know?” From
dealing with Haywood in the past he knew the cop was a vindictive, inflexible,
and unswayable block wall. “I just want to get my daughter and her assistant
out of there before it becomes one or worse.”

“Professionals are on the
job,” Haywood growled in a superior tone. “Together, we’ll handle it.”

Damon’s jaw muscle hardened and throbbed. He thought
about pushing past the police. He turned to Hugh for support. But Hugh had
disappeared.

****

Valerie heard a helicopter, the swish of
rotors beating the air, and then the thud of wheels touching down. “I think Dad
and Uncle Hugh are here. Seconds later, she heard the sound of tires skidding
into the lot and then the rumble of a fire engine. “More help’s here, yea.”

Booted feet pounded toward them from the
front entrance. A hoarse man’s voice called, “Anyone in here?”

Before she could answer, Brian stiffened and clamped
his hand over her mouth again. “Don’t say anything. I hear and smell a feral
animal inside moving toward us.”

When he removed his hand, she asked,“Reeves?”

“Can’t tell.” Brian shoved her against the
wall and crouched low with his letter opener ready to attack. His face
tightened in determination.

Valerie shallowed her breathing. Would Brian
actually kill the wolf? She touched the
filigree
cross he’d placed around her neck. Would his morals let him deal the first
blow?
God, if he hesitates, please,
please protect him.

A black werewolf, in an erect, ape-like
stance lumbered along the fringes of the room’s darkness. Brian’s hand closed
tighter around the dagger letter opener.

Then the wolf stepped out of the shadows. “Wait!”
she cried. “It’s Uncle Hugh.”

Brian’s face paled. Sweat broke out on his
upper lip. “Oh, my God!”

Her knees felt weak. She pressed past the
emotional backlash. “We have to get my uncle outta here before the authorities
see him. They’ll think he killed the watchman.”

“I’ll handle it,” Brian said.

She watched stunned as he used a hard Karate
jab to the head to immobilize and knock her uncle down. “What the devil are you
doing?”

Without hesitation or bothering to answer,
Brian rolled her unconscious uncle into a carpet. He hoisted Uncle Hugh and the
heavy carpet over his shoulder. “Now,” he asked, can we get the hell out of
here and leave the bomb and murder to the experts?”

****

Reeves headed back to the safety of
the dorm, growling inside his head. Valerie was proving to be more of a
challenge then he’d first thought. She made quick and decisive decisions that
fouled him. And that lightweight alpha was sticking to her like glue. He
slipped into the shadows, vowing that next time he’d find a way to get inside
the mansion. Again, he thought of Kyle. Valerie seemed to like and trust Kyle. It
appeared everyone did. Now all he had to do was find the man’s Achilles’ heel.

****

Damon’s mouth dropped open. Valerie and Brian were running from the
side entrance of the building. Brian carried a rolled up carpet. Whatever they
were up to didn’t matter—she and Brian were safely out of the building and
heading for the chopper.

He had to distract the police. He started
into the building. Haywood grabbed him by the arm. “Where do you think you’re
going?”

“Didn’t you hear it? I think the bomb squad
leader called us.”

Haywood pushed him outside and hesitantly entered. Morales and the
others watched, looking ready to join Haywood if needed. Damon took a deep
breath.
 
“Since you guys won’t let me in,
I’m going home.”

Distracted by their concern about what might be going on in the
building, they didn’t even glance at him. Damon ran across the parking lot and
met Brian and Valerie, wondering how much trouble he’d caused for himself.
 
“What’s up, kids?” He tried to play it cool
while his heart thundered in his ears.

“Uncle Hugh is rolled up inside the carpet. We
had to get him out of there—he has morphed into a werewolf.”

“Quick, get into the chopper,” Damon ordered.
“And—”

“You all go,” Valerie said, folding her arms
and lifting her chin high. “I called the
authorities and as your responsible CEO, I have to stay
and face the music. The police are inside looking for me and Brian, perhaps suspecting
that it might be a hostage situation. Leaving would be a
careless,
unsafe thing to do. Especailly for the dedicated men inside searching for us
while

fearing a bomb might be ticking
inside.

Damon’s jaw tightened. “Dammit, you can dance your
be responsible
tune another time. There’s
no way I’m leaving you behind.” With a groan, he grabbed the carpet and its
contents from Brian and tossed it into the chopper.” He met Brian’s gaze. “Get
her.”

Before she could run, Brian grabbed Valerie and threw
her over his shoulder.

She pounded his back. “You’ll
both regret this,” she said. “
If you force me to leave, there will be
repercussions not only from me but worse yet, from the police.”

Brian grabbed a grip bar, and with a hard boost from
Damon pulled himself and his captive into the craft.

Damon followed. “Good man,” he said.

The police, obviously hearing the commotion, glanced
toward them with puzzled expressions. Then, Morales and another cop were
running toward them.
“Stop!”
Morales shouted.

Damon gave the thumb-up lift off signal to the pilot. “We’ll
pretend we didn’t hear them. We can straighten this all out with the
authorities later.”

Chapter Seventeen

Reeves paced the floor of the dorm.
Damn her. Valerie wasn’t the same girl since her sister left the nest. Now she
was more of a challenge than
Victoria
.
Her quick, decisive decisions had proven that. And that lightweight alpha was a
big pain in the ass. Doubt constricted Reeves’ chest like a straightjacket. He
didn’t know if he could switch bodies. If that failed, his next hope was that the
lovable Kyle was corruptible. Most men were greedy and had an Achilles’ heel.

Reeves poured a shot of moon-poppy
extract he’d learned to make while in Dr. Simon L
Lazar’s
body. He mixed the spinach flavored extract with bourbon to kill the taste. The
extract should keep him under control until he was ready to attempt jumping
from one body to another. He held his glass high and toasted. “Here’s to
success!” He snickered.
“And a lot of help from my buddy, the
Devil.”

****

While in flight Dad and Brian unrolled Uncle Hugh from
the carpet and tried to revive him. Valerie got the smelling salts from the
medical kit, drew his head onto her lap, and held the salts close to his nose. He
jerked and then sank back into unconsciousness.

As usual, Dad took control. He’d called ahead and when
they set down, help was waiting. He and Brian lifted Uncle Hugh out of the
craft, carried him inside, and laid him on the couch.

Valerie watched the scene unfolding in the mansion
living room while still seething about her forced removal from the foundation
grounds.

Mom handed
Victoria
an ice-pack. Victoria pulled Uncle Hugh’s head onto her lap and placed the
ice-pack on his forehead. His eyes blinked open. “Uncle Hugh, I made you a jug
of tea with moon poppy herbs.”

“I don’t like tea,” he
muttered.

“Drink it! It’ll help you let
go of the stress that caused you to morph. Drink it down as fast as you can and
mentally reverse your morphing process.”

Uncle Hugh still looked dazed. “Are you kidding me?” In
spite of his apparent doubt, he drank down the moon poppy tea thirstily.

He glanced up a at Brian. “Say, Buddy, you
wield
a mean punch. I saw stars and then nothing. Then,
I got a jolt of smelling salts. But it wasn’t until I got a whiff of
Victoria
’s womanly scent
that I completely snapped back to life.”

Rick, who was leaning against the nearby wall, laughed. “Yeah, her fragrance
is superior to smelling salts and defintely engages all a guy’s senses.