Chapter 2

Scott - Chapter 2

Scott kept an eye on Chloe the entire drive to his grandparents' home. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with her. Not that she was an object that he had to put on a shelf or something like that, but he didn't want to take her home with him. Well, that wasn't true either.

His house wasn't like other homes…not like those of any of his brothers or his parents or grandparents anyway. He'd been working up until a few weeks ago, and now he had the stuff from his clinic in his house. And it was set up. Stretching his neck again, he wasn't really surprised to hear from Trent.

So, you want to talk about this? He asked him what he meant. You having a mate. Not being really thrilled about it. That the police are after the three of you. Any and all if you want to.

No, I don't want to talk to you about having a mate, nor how thrilled I am about it. The police, that has nothing to do with me so I have no answer for that. Who told you, anyway? He told him Mom had. Figures. Grandda didn't waste any time, did he?

I think he's worried about you. He said that you're not happy about this. Scott asked him why he should be. Because she's your mate, your other half.

So? That is no more a reason than that idiot at the shop she was just at gave her for staying. Trent, I'm not really the mating kind of guy. I'm more of a…I don't know, more of a love them and leave them sort of guy. I have sex with whips and belts. I like it rough and painful. When Trent said nothing, Scott continued. My idea of taking a woman is to tie her to a cross and beat her ass until she's screaming in pain. Then for fun, I might fuck her until she's ready to come but don't let her. That's my idea of fun.

Some of what he said was true, but not all. He would never hurt her that way. Yes, he'd have sex with her the way he liked, but he'd give her pleasure too. And never in a way that she wouldn't enjoy too.

Are you finished? I mean, do you feel like you shocked me enough? Or would you like to add how you use gag balls and pearl beads? Scott felt his face heat up, forgetting that Joe might have talked to his brother about some of the shipments that she'd help him put away. She's your mate. Do you suppose that she might enjoy a good bout of your kind of sex too? I mean, it's not like you're an asshole or anything. Just a man with different ideas about it.

No one likes sex like I do. Which wasn't true, and he was sure that Trent knew it. I'm what most would consider a deviant.

Yeah, while there are men and women out there doing things to their partners pretty much like you do, but don't give a shit if they're enjoying it or not. Nor, for that matter, if they live when they're finished. At least you're open about your sex life. He was too, maybe too open. Where is she now?

He looked at her in the rearview mirror and saw a tear roll down her cheek just before she wiped it away. Scott wondered if she was hurting still, and thought perhaps he'd been the one to upset her. Telling Trent where they were, he parked in front of Grandda's house.

Whatever you decide, your house or leaving her there, let me know. This Flynn character is out for blood, I think, and he's going to come after her. Why? I have no idea, but they've got the police out in force looking. Scott asked Trent why this was such a big deal to them. I really don't know. She gave her notice, worked it out and then some, and now they're going after her. If the police were given a reason for this, I've not heard. Joe is looking, but for now, we're just working to keep her safe.

As soon as they all three got out of the truck, he followed her to the porch. Scott didn't touch her, no matter how much he wanted to, but he did watch her. She was upset, and he thought that it was more than just being his mate that was doing it. When Grandma came out on the porch with them, she hugged him and Grandda, then looked over at Chloe.

"That man, George Flynn, he's a little bastard." Chloe nodded and smiled. "You come on in the house and let me have a look at you. I'm to understand that you've an idea that we're not human."

"No, ma'am. I mean yes, ma'am." Chloe looked at him before continuing. "Yes, ma'am, I know that you're more than likely not human. He thought I was his mate. But I don't know what you are."

"Wolf. And I didn't say I thought you were my mate; I said you were." He watched the anger just wash over her. It was beautiful, and he was pretty sure that she was holding a good deal of it down inside of her. Like she was bottling up whatever had happened to her recently. Scott wasn't sure why, but he thought that she needed to let it out. "And when I get you to my house, I'm going to show you just what I expect you to be doing for me as my mate."

The punch to his face was unexpected but well deserved. When she came at him again, this time with both of her hands doubled up, he grabbed her body and turned her so that her back was to his chest and her arms were crossed over her. He held her this way until she calmed a little. His grandma left them there with a short nod, taking Grandda with her.

As Chloe was still struggling against him, he let her to a point. Scott knew that if he let her go she'd hurt him, so he just held on. He wasn't stupid enough to think she'd not hurt him again if given a chance. But he knew that something was hurting her beyond today's events. When she finally settled down, he continued to hold her just for the simple reason that he liked having her close to him.

"Are you all right now? I think you needed this. To vent some of your anger. I'll let you go if you promise not to hit me again." He watched her struggle again. "Take whatever anger you have at what was done to you out on me, and then we'll talk."

"You're hurting me." He didn't think he was but he did let her go. When she turned to him, he could see tears in her eyes. "I don't know what I did to make him do that to me. I worked really hard at that job. And I even gave notice and helped them out when it was obvious they needed someone to replace me. George didn't do anything, not a thing to find someone to take over my responsibilities. And the few that he did hire, they weren't fit to work there. Nor did they last that long. It was as if he didn't want anyone to come in. I had to get out of there. I have plans, I want to go on a trip. I've earned it."

"Yes you have. And I don't know what he was thinking either. My brother said he was high. And that whatever story he told his dad has him coming after you." She nodded as if she figured as much. "Did I really hurt you?"

When she lifted up her arm again, he felt horrible. Scott took her in the house and yelled for his grandma. As soon as she joined them, Grandma started fussing with her, taking her to the kitchen to get her cleaned up. The blood on the bandage had his wolf snarling at him as he made his way to follow the two of them. But Grandda stopped him before he could.

"Do you know who she is?" He shook his head. "I think I might have known her daddy. Mike Davis. You remember the name?"

"No I don't." Then it hit him. "The cop. The one that was killed a few years back. He was helping…I don't remember who, but he was helping someone on the side of the road when a car hit him and dragged him several hundred feet before he was dropped. Christ, she's his daughter?"

"I'd say so. Mike was a good guy, one of the best. His death is still unsolved so far as I know." Scott remembered the day it had happened. He'd been on his way home from a conference and had read about it in the papers. "You hurt her just now. Wanna tell me why?"

"She needed to vent, just as I told her. I think she's bottled it up inside." Grandda asked him if he'd seen this before. "Yes. I have."

He didn't tell his Grandda that he'd been there too. Was there now. He needed to let off some steam himself, get out and hit someone or something, but he couldn't, not without consequences. His wolf wasn't calm like his brothers'.

"I want you to do me a big favor. I want you to try your best to go slow at this." Scott asked his grandda why. "Don't know. But like you said, I think she might be holding onto something deep. Maybe her dad? I don't know that either. Could be this Flynn person. But whatever it is, I'm thinking she's got to be taken into this family a little slower than most would."

"You think she'll run?" Grandda said he didn't know that either.

As they made their way to the kitchen, he could hear his grandma fussing over Chloe. As soon as they entered the big room, Scott felt his wolf run along his skin.

"What was that?" He looked at Chloe, not sure what she was asking him. "That…I don't know. Like this really strange tightening around me. I think it was coming from you."

"My wolf." He wasn't sure what to think when she told him she'd felt his wolf. There were times when Trent could feel him, but usually he was able to control that. "I'd like to fix your arm since I hurt you."

"How would you do that? And why?" Instead of answering her, he lifted her arm up and licked along the tears in her skin. "Christ."

Scott looked at her and felt his wolf again. As he stared at her, licking over the last, smaller wounds, he could hear her pulse rate pick up, her blood flowing faster through her veins. He was having a hard time holding his beast in, and when she put her free hand on his cheek, Scott felt him calm down.

"He's very strong." Scott told her he was. "I knew a wolf once. He and I would hook up to go to dinner together sometimes. Company things for him when he needed someone on his arm. Things like that. But his wolf, he was calm in comparison to yours, I think."

"Mine is different than those even of my family." She nodded and looked over at his grandma. Scott did as well. When she smiled at them both, Scott had a feeling that she was thinking this mating thing was a done deal. But it was far from that. He looked back at Chloe. "My home is not far from here. I think, for the time being, you'd be safer there than here. And while I'm doing some renovations, you can tell me what you want."

"I don't want anything. And why would you even think I would? I told you, this is not going to happen. I have things I want to do, and being nursemaid to an over grown shifter isn't going to be a blip on my list." Before he could answer her, she spoke again. "This is just a small misunderstanding between George and me. And as soon as I explain what is going on, I'm sure that they'll just back off. I know that he's doing drugs, but once he figures out that I'm leaving and not returning, I'm sure that he'll apologize."

"There is an arrest warrant out for you." She looked over at his grandda. "Heard about it just a bit ago. Joe, my granddaughter-in-law, she's got herself some insider information, and she said that George has been bailed out and that he's pressed charges against you. Not sure what for just yet, but we're working on that. Basically, he's claiming that you're the bad guy in all this and he wants you arrested. I'm assuming, and I could be wrong, that he's going to drop the charges as soon as you come back to work for him. That part, I just don't understand. Why would he go to this extreme if it was only to have you working there?"

"This is insane." Scott had to agree on that. She'd been the injured party in this, not George. "I'm not going to be arrested. I didn't do a damned thing wrong, only try to leave. You were there, you saw him."

"I did. I did. But that don't make a never mind to those people down there at the station. When people start throwing their weight around and greasing them up some nasty palms, things get done that shouldn't be." Grandda looked at Scott. "You two stay for dinner and then we'll work on it from there. I'm thinking that no matter what we do, they're not going to be happy to find her here."

"Why not?" When Grandda didn't answer, he looked over at his grandma. "What's going on? Why would they be less happy to find Chloe here?"

"Because, my dear boy, they know that you do not mess with the Calhoun's. And I believe that your grandda has had dealings with them before. None of them good ones." Scott asked her when, but this time, he got no answer. "Grandma? What's going on here?"

"I bought the darn building he's got his computer place in. William has been paying me rent now, and has been way behind for a while. Not that I needed the money or nothing like that, but he was really ticked off that the bank sold it to me. He kept telling me it was a mistake and that I'd robbed him. Then a few months ago, he contacts my attorney and tells him he wants to buy it. No matter the price. Well, I told him that I don't have a price because I don't want to sell. And that made him a little mad." Grandma snorted. "Okay, he's a lot mad. Telling me that he's gonna buy it no matter what. Then he started on this campaign to make me sell it to him. Sending me letters and whatnot. He even tried to get the bank to close up my accounts. Stupid wiener head."

"How the hell did he think that was going to work? I'm assuming that the bank laughed at him and told him that wasn't going to happen." Grandda told Chloe that they had at that. "Then why would he threaten someone when he couldn't afford it? And why does he want it so badly? I mean, sheesh, there has to be better buildings in the area. No offense, but that one is sort of out of date and needs a major overhaul if you ask me. Why doesn't he just move to one of the other buildings that he can buy? Seriously, it's not like there aren't several close to him that are empty. Why not buy one of those and get the hell out of that building?"

"You'd think that, wouldn't you? But he's got a burr up his bottom now and he's not taking no for an answer. Maybe, and I don't know for sure, but maybe he knows where you are and has it in his head that this'll bring me around." Chloe told him not to do it, she'd done nothing wrong. "No, you've not, darlin' but that don't mean that he's gonna give it up. He's about ten times a fool for thinking he can outwit me."

Scott had to agree with them both, it was about the dumbest thing he'd ever heard. He had sold his own building just last week, getting a nice profit from it to boot. He had yet to tell his family, but he'd purchased two more buildings in the depressed area just to hang onto them. Scott wasn't sure what he'd do with them, but for now he owned them.

Dinner was take out. He and Grandda went into town and picked up both Chinese and some pizza. Grandma didn't care for the first, and loved pizza more than he did crab Rangoon. It was a fun meal with great people, and he learned a great deal about his mate too.

She was indeed Mike Davis's daughter, and was still hurt that his murderer had gone unfound. Chloe had an apartment that she hated, but couldn't stand the thought of living in her old home where her dad had lived. She also had a car that ran only when it felt like it, even though, according to her, she could afford better. And she had a degree in business management, as well as criminal law. He found out, just from the conversations around the table, that she'd been a cop at the station house until about a year after her father had been killed. Also, and this one made his wolf hum, she wasn't afraid to stand up to him.

"I'm not a pushover." He told her he could see that. "And I don't appreciate you trying to make me do something that you want. I can take care of myself, and have been for quite some time. I'm not going to go to jail, and I'm certainly not going to be your mate. I want you to get that notion right out of your head."

Before he could point out to her the illogic of all her statements, the doorbell rang. His grandparents were still in the kitchen, having run him and Chloe off to the living room while they dealt with the cleanup, so he went to the peep hole to see who it might be. Three officers, the Flynns, as well as their attorney were standing on the front porch. Scott told her to go to the kitchen. Of course, she refused.

"They're not going to be nice about this." She told him that she wasn't either. "All right, but if it gets nasty, so will I."

"Of course you will. You're a man." While he wasn't sure what she meant by that, he opened the door anyway. As soon as guns were drawn, he let his wolf take him.