Alaskan Sabears 4: Match Point (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting) Read online

  Cal and Fin followed the two men out, hoping Talon would contact the DEA so that they could lend a hand. Cal’s and his sabears were antsy. It would have been easier to be out there with the law waiting for the fucktard to make his move.

  * * * *

  No matter how many times her mates and the others told Pepper none of this was her fault, she couldn’t get rid of the guilt. Maybe if she’d gone over her plane better, she would have realized there was something wrong, would have found the drugs and handed them over to the DEA before flying to Savoonga.

  She shoved to her feet and headed down the hallway toward the bathroom. When she heard Celeste groaning as she worked to bring her baby into the world, Pepper knew she needed to do something. She wasn’t used to being idle and waiting on others.

  Maybe there was a way she could help the agents get this wrapped up faster.

  After using the facilities and washing her hands, she shoved the bathroom window open and climbed out. The artic wind caused her to shiver until she acclimatized to the wintery air. She was still having trouble believing she didn’t need to layer up to go outside in the twenty-below temperature. It had taken her a few moments to get used to the colder air after being inside with a crackling fire, but now that she was, she headed toward the airport and the law officers.

  She was just about level with the resort when she saw someone climbing out a window. Pepper didn’t need to be told this was the man the DEA were after. He was tall and big, but since he had a thick fur-lined coat on, she couldn’t tell if his bulk was muscle or fat. She hoped it was fat.

  When she saw the rifle in his hand, she had to cover her mouth to stifle a gasp. She had no trouble seeing him when he glanced over his shoulder searching the shadows, thanks to her mates and the amazing DNA they’d shared with her. The goon didn’t see her, and when he thought it was all clear, he started making his way toward the northeastern shore of town.

  What the fuck are you doing, you idiot? Pepper berated herself. She had no idea what she was doing, but she needed to do something. She’d heard the other women say how they could block their mates from feeling what they did by building up walls in their minds and around their hearts, and as she’d used the facilities, she’d started building walls.

  Cal and Fin were going to be so mad with her, but she couldn’t hide out with one of her friends about to give birth. Pepper followed the guy toward the sea but made sure to walk quietly and keep a fair amount of distance between them.

  She tilted her head when she heard a low rumble drifting toward her, which seemed to be coming from the water. She was leaning against the side of a house with her back to the siding and the guy was no longer in her sight. As the sound got closer, she decided to peek around the corner of the house to see where the thug was, because if she wasn’t mistaken, there was a boat getting very close to the shore.

  If the guy had more men coming, then the whole town was in danger. If the criminals and the DEA started shooting at each other, innocent people could end up being injured or worse. Dead.

  It would be a horrific bloodbath.

  Pepper couldn’t to let that happen. If she had to go and get those drugs herself, she would. She wasn’t about to hand them over so they could be sold on the streets though. When she got her hands on that contraband, she was going to throw it into the ocean.

  Drug addiction was a terrible thing, and she wouldn’t let those bastards make money from someone else’s dependency. Especially since she’d had an inadvertent hand in moving them.

  She crouched down and watched intently. The boat stopped about a hundred yards from shore, and though the men were trying to be quiet, she could hear them talking and banging around. Pepper wished she could hear what they were saying, but with all the wind and the thumping that was going on, she didn’t stand a chance.

  Her breath hitched in her lungs when she saw a large dark shape being lowered into the water, and then men were climbing down. It took her a couple seconds to realize that they were getting into a smaller, faster boat. Probably a rubber dinghy. She exhaled slowly when she saw the barrel of weapons sticking up as if they were slung over shoulders. Her heart slammed against her rib cage when she counted at least twenty men.

  There was no way the DEA and his soldiers would be able to take these assholes down without the stealth’s help. If she remembered rightly, they were outnumbered two to one.

  Pepper needed to get back to the house and tell the others that the asshole here to get the contraband had help.

  She ducked back behind the house, rose, and spun around. Fear skittered up her spine when she saw the black hole of a rifle barrel pointed at her chest. Her heart stuttered before pounding against her sternum, and she started panting. Sweat broke out over her skin, and cold permeated her body to her bones.

  She couldn’t believe she’d been so fucking stupid. She’d been so busy watching the boat and the men clambering over the sides, she hadn’t kept an eye on the guy she’d followed toward the shore.

  Pepper had no idea how he knew she had been following because she’d made sure not to make any noise. She lifted her gaze to his cold hazel eyes and shook with terror. She’d never seen such evil in someone’s gaze before. Yet that was the only way to describe the look in his eyes. There was no emotion whatsoever. Just pure cold, determined evil.

  “You’re just what I need. Thanks for being so accommodating.” Hazel Eyes shoved the end of the barrel hard into her chest, right between her breasts. She knew if he pulled the trigger she was dead.

  Pepper wondered if she could use her enhanced strength and speed to get the upper hand, but she had a feeling if she so much as twitched, he’d have no compunction about shooting her. Since she hadn’t tested any of her skills, she wasn’t sure she was fast enough to dodge a bullet, and she really didn’t want to find out right now.

  “Turn around,” Hazel Eyes ordered.

  Pepper’s legs were shaking so hard she nearly stumbled, but pure anger and grit kept her from tripping or falling. There was no way in hell she was allowing this guy to see how terrified she was.

  She was going to have to bide her time, and when the opportunity arose, she would make her move and she was going to win, because if she didn’t, the fucker would kill her.

  He pressed the gun into her back between her shoulder blades, shoving her hard. It hurt and would no doubt leave a bruise, but she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out.

  As she walked in the direction the bastard wanted her to, Pepper hoped like hell the DEA, his men, and soldiers were watching and would come to the rescue.

  * * * *

  “Where the fuck is Pepper?” Fin snarled.

  “She went to the bathroom,” Serge replied in a calm voice.

  Fin had a terrible knot in his gut, and no matter how hard he tried to dislodge it, it wouldn’t budge. He, Cal, Talon, Royal, and Ward had just finished talking about the situation. They’d been at it for over half an hour and just ended up going around in circles. Unless the DEA asked for their help, there was nothing they could do. If the lawmen hadn’t been human, Fin, Cal, and a few of the others could have shifted and scared the fuck out to the perp until he’d pissed his pants and cowered. Alas, they couldn’t do that unless they wanted to give their secret away, which none of them were willing to do.

  He and the rest of the stealth didn’t like guns either, since all they did was cause death and destruction, but since they couldn’t use their sabear gifts, it looked as if they were going to have to use the rifles they had locked away.

  Years ago, Talon had banned the use of weapons on Savoonga, and they had all backed their retired alpha with the law. That law had been passed and unanimously voted on when a six-year-old boy had found his daddy’s gun and shot himself in the foot. The kid had been lucky to not do any permanent damage, but from that moment on, guns had been banned. None of the locals had put up a fuss since they didn’t want their own kids injured or dying because of lethal arms.

&
nbsp; Fin just hoped that Talon still had the weapons somewhere as well as ammunition because he had a feeling they were going to need it.

  “She’s been gone for a long time.” Kat frowned.

  Fin’s heart stopped beating as he lifted his nose into the air and sniffed. Pepper’s scent still lingered, but it should have been more aromatic if she was still in the house.

  Terror raced through his body and had his heart beating so fast it hurt. He ran down the hall toward the bedrooms and skidded to a stop outside the closed bathroom door. He felt as if he was moving in slow motion as he reached out to the door handle and turned it. There was no sound of a heartbeat on the other side of the door or the sound of his mate’s deep even breathing. The door swung inward slowly, and he had to grab hold of the doorjamb when his gaze swept the empty room. He didn’t need to cross the distance to the slightly open door to the toilet. Pepper wasn’t here. When his hands began to ache, he noticed he was clutching the doorframe hard enough to break it just before the wood splintered. A cool breeze wafted from the partially open window, and he fell to his knees with a roar.

  Pepper was gone.

  * * * *

  Cal was running before he realized he was on his feet. He nearly slammed into Fin slumping in the entrance to the bathroom. He glanced about the room looking for danger, but when he found none, he turned his gaze to his best friend.

  The devastation, anger, and fear in Fin’s gaze nearly brought him to his knees. Fear like he’d never known lodged into his heart and soul. He didn’t need to ask any questions because he already knew the answers.

  Pepper had left the house.

  “Pepper’s outside. We need everyone who can go out searching for her,” Cal commanded through the stealth link.

  Cal heard a phone ringing in the bedroom Celeste, Tarik, Hodge, and Jenny were in. Tarik’s voice was a deep rumble, but Cal was in such an emotional turmoil, he couldn’t concentrate on him.

  When the door opened and Tarik stepped out, closing the door behind him, Cal knew what he was going to say. His alpha’s face was pale, and he was so tense he looked as if he was about to break.

  “The DEA agent, Travis Shuman, said the asshole has a female hostage.”

  Cal totally lost it. His roar was inhuman, and his sabear burst free. Fin’s roar echoed his. Fur sprouted over his body, and in a flash, ripped, tattered clothes were hanging from his animal’s frame.

  Tarik rushed toward him and grabbed him by his ruff. His alpha power washed over and through his beast, causing his muscles to tremble and his body to shiver. “Get control. Now!”

  Another wash of alpha power surged through his body, and when he heard a moaning chuffing sound, he glanced over his shoulder to see that Fin had shifted, too. Tarik was holding his friend’s ruff, as well.

  “Are you both calm?” Tarik asked.

  Cal and Fin nodded.

  “Okay.” Their alpha released his hold on him and Fin, backing up toward the door. He crossed his arms over his chest, and his eyes glazed over. “Listen up. Pepper is now being held hostage. Twenty men have just landed on the northeast shoreline. Phelan, Hopper, Ward, and Serge, go to the furniture shed. The large cupboard that has all the oils, stains, and such has a false back. You will find all the guns and ammo you’ll need to help take these fuckers down.”

  “We want in, too,” Talon snarled.

  “Just make sure you don’t get shot.”

  Royal chuffed with indignation. “We might be older than you, son, but we’re stronger and faster than any of those fuckers.”

  “We’re going, too,” Cal snarled. “I’m not changing back. We might be able to get the jump on the guy holding our mate.”

  Tarik nodded. “Okay. Just make sure you don’t get your asses shot off.”

  “I have an idea,” Serge said.

  “What?” Tarik asked.

  “Cal and Fin can walk out with us. We’ll tell the soldiers and the DEA agents that they’re our very well-trained pets.”

  “It might work,” Hodge said.

  “They’re right.” Phelan sighed. “They’d more likely believe that than the truth.”

  Tarik nodded. “Go get your mate.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Pepper shivered as the asshole shoved her toward the men now standing on the shoreline. They were all armed with automatic and semiautomatic rifles.

  She was surrounded by criminals and didn’t have a hope in hell of escaping. Not unless she wanted to die. Which she didn’t. She’d only been with the loves of her life for mere days. Pepper wanted to spend long happy years living and loving with her men. A sob caught in her throat, but she quickly swallowed it down.

  The men were all talking in what sounded like Russian, and since she couldn’t speak their language, she had no idea what they were saying.

  Hazel Eyes still had his gun pressed hard up against her back as he gave his orders. The others nodded with enthusiasm and smiled before moving toward the houses. Pepper closed her eyes and prayed that no one got hurt. She snapped her eyes open when the gun left her back, but then he wrapped an arm around her throat. She tensed her muscles in readiness, but before she could make her move, the sharp point of a knife pricked the skin of her throat. She might have just missed the one chance she had of escaping.

  “You’re going to do exactly what I say, or I’ll slit your throat. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.” Pepper didn’t want to nod in case she ended up cutting her own skin.

  “Good. We’re going to walk toward the airport where the DEA and the soldiers are waiting. If you don’t give me any trouble, you might just come out of this alive. If you do something stupid, my men are going to start shooting at all the houses. Innocent people will die, and it will be all your fault.”

  He tightened his arm around her neck, and then they were walking toward the airport. It was hard to keep her steps measured when her legs were shaking. She felt weak with fear, but she kept moving.

  His last words cinched Pepper’s decision. She was going to stay where she was until the fucker had what he wanted. None of the people in Savoonga were dying because she tried to be a hero. She’d put herself into this situation because of unfounded guilt. Now she would endure the consequences no matter what happened.

  * * * *

  Fin watched the DEA agents and the soldiers eye him and Cal warily. Serge and Ward kept their bodies in front of them so the humans couldn’t shoot them while Phelan explained that they were trained pets.

  Travis was peering through their stealth friends, staring at him and Cal with wide eyes. Fin could smell his fear, but at least he and the others were no longer pointing their guns at them. Ward gave him and Cal a hand signal, and they both sat on cue. They needed the humans to relax and get their minds back in the game.

  Travis’s radio squawked. “They’re on the move. Ten armed men have spread out around the town, and they have their rifles aimed at the houses. The leader has the woman in a choke hold with a knife to her throat. Another ten men are bringing up the rear.”

  “Roger that.” Travis eyed the rifles the stealth men were holding. “Do you know how to use those?”

  “We do,” Serge answered.

  Travis glanced at Fin and Cal. “Can you get them to hide? Will they attack on command?”

  “Yes, and yes,” Ward replied.

  “Okay.” Travis rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m guessing this fucker is going to try to use the woman in exchange for the drugs. He’s not going to let her go until he gets what he wants.

  “The SEALs are creeping up on the guys spread out in the town. They’re going to take them out quickly and quietly. Hopefully before the exchange takes place, the rest of the people here won’t be in danger.”

  “Some of us can get behind the goon and the other fuckers.” Ward patted his leg where he had a large knife strapped to his thigh. “We’ll take out the five on his left.”

  “Do it.” Travis nodded, before turning to his fellow agen
ts. “Aim at the bastards on the right. Shoot to kill.”

  “I thought you wanted to get to the head man,” Phelan said.

  “We do. Did.” Travis scrubbed a hand down his face. “We aren’t about to let these fuckers hurt anyone. Get your…pets into position. If possible, I want them to take on the leader, but I want him alive.”

  “You got it.” Serge turned nodded toward the shadows on the outside wall of the hangar.

  Fin snarled softly and nodded. He and Cal would have no trouble blending in with the dark and the snow. The humans wouldn’t be able to see them until it was too late. He was glad that Travis wanted them to go after the bastard that had their mate. His animal was tetchy, shifting from foot to foot, ready to pounce and rip the fucker to shreds.

  He just hoped that Pepper didn’t get hurt or worse. There was no way he’d be able to go on if she died. Their animals would go insane without their mate, and his stealth members would have to hunt them down and put them out of their misery. That didn’t scare him because if Pepper died, he wanted to die, too. That way he could be with her no matter where they were. She was the love of his life.

  However, she wasn’t going anywhere, and neither were he and Cal. Once this was over, they were going to ask her to marry them and hopefully, in the not too distant future, have cubs with her. There was too much to look forward to, to give in now.

  Fin was going to fight with everything he had. The match point would be theirs. Nothing less was acceptable.

  * * * *

  The closer they got to the hangar, the angrier Pepper grew. None of this was her fault. She saw the irony of finally realizing that when she was in deep shit, but hindsight could smack you in the head at the most inopportune times.