Retribution (Moonstruck Genesis #4)

Chapter 10

DJ WOKE up gasping. A log lay across her chest and she was pinned. Breathing through the panic, she tried to wiggle free, but the log tightened around her. Wait! That wasn’t possible. Nor was it possible that log was warm. And breathing. And nuzzling her throat, cupping her breast.

“What the hell?” She flailed and did her best to sit up, but a pair of muscled arms pulled her close to nestle against a broad chest.

“Shhh, bébé . You be safe.”

“I don’t think so.”

A rumbling chuckle echoed through the chest beneath her ear. She relaxed for a moment, sinking into the warmth. Her eyes fluttered close and she inhaled the man’s scent. It was rich, vibrant, very much alive. Then the memories washed over her. Grinding metal. Sparks. Water filling her nose. Flames flickering. Thunder. And then blackness.

She hyperventilated. In the blink of an eye, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, her head between her knees while the man she’d been sleeping on rubbed gentle circles on her back.

“Debra, breathe, bébé .”

“DJ. Not Debra.”

That warm hand paused but didn’t break contact. “You startin’ to remember, chère ?”

“Somebody tried to kill me.”

“Yeah. Somebody did. Twice.”

She shuddered so hard the bed shook, even with the big guy sitting on it. She raised her head so she could look at him. He was…freaking gorgeous. How could a man be that perfect? His brown hair had streaks of red, turning it russet like some sleek animal. He watched her with brown eyes the color of coffee with sunlight shining through it. Broad shoulders and muscled chest and all the other things that went with male fitness model perfection. More memories tumbled through her head.

“Antoine?”

“Yeah.”

Heat flooded her whole body as she remembered what they’d done earlier and the appreciative growl from the man sitting beside her sent all sorts of messages to her nether regions. “Uh…we…uh…did…”

A totally satisfied smile creased his face. “Yeah, chère , we did.”

He slipped an arm around her waist and lifted her into his lap. Only then did she realize they were both naked and he was quite happy to see her. As much as she knew she needed to resist, needed to contact her office, needed to do her job, she just couldn’t work up the energy.

With no effort on Antoine’s part, he lifted and twisted her until she straddled his thighs and his erection teased her entrance. Liquid heat flooded her channel and without a second thought, she sank down on his cock, taking him deep inside. Using his shoulders for balance, she rocked up and sank back down.

“Ah, bébé . You were made for me. You are so hot, so tight. My cock, he likes making love to your pussy.”

His course words should have made her blush, but they didn’t. DJ wasn’t sure what was happening yet whatever was between them was…right. No, more than right. It was perfect. Just as she was settling into a rhythm, Antoine fastened his big hands around her waist, lifted her off him and spun her around. When he lowered her, his big cock slid right back into her pussy as his hard legs framed hers. Her feet touched the wooden floor, tender though they were, but she could squeeze her thighs together creating all new sensations. She moaned low in her throat.

“Oh, god, so good.”

She swiveled her hips, squeezing and releasing her muscles, as he pounded into her. DJ had never made love in this position and it was quickly becoming one of her favorites as Antoine’s hands cupped and stroked her breasts, teasing her nipples until she wanted to cry with the joy of it. He kissed the back of her neck, murmuring sweet nothings. She spiraled higher and higher as he pumped faster into her.

“ Doux bébé , ah but you amaze me. So strong. So hot. You are mine. Always mine.”

DJ should bristle at that declaration, but she couldn’t raise the indignation necessary. She didn’t care. She craved this man, this connection, his cock filling her. She was addicted. Antoine curled around her, forcing her to lean forward. The head of his cock rubbed against her G-spot, once, twice, and she exploded. She could feel the rush of liquid filling her vagina, coating him, making him so slick her muscles couldn’t catch and hold him. She cried out, but he didn’t leave her. He pushed deeper, harder, his thighs squeezing hers so that her clit rubbed between the outer lips of her sex, the friction so delicious she climaxed again. With that, Antoine followed her over into the delirium of their lovemaking.

“Mine, Debra Jane Collier. You are mine. Now and always.”

He bit the muscle where her neck and shoulder joined and she melted.

“Yes.” She whimpered her surrender.

“And I am yours, yeah?”

Was there a hint of uncertainty in this alpha male who had claimed her body and soul? She squeezed her inner muscles, surrounding him as he surrounded the rest of her body with his and tipped over into total insanity. “Yes. Mine. Forever.”

HANNAH TAPPED her foot, arms folded across her chest, blue eyes blazing in the morning sun. “We need to go to his cabin, Mac.”

He shook his head. “Has it been that long since our mating, babe? Don’t you remember the intensity of it? The need?” He hid the satisfied grin when she blushed. The intensity of their lovemaking hadn’t diminished. All he had to do was look at her and his dick turned into a damn hunting dog on point.

She directed a pointed stare at his groin and issued a long-suffering sigh to match her expression. “I understand the mating urge is on them, but we need to talk to her. Find out why she’s here.”

“What if she doesn’t remember?” Sean voiced the question from between quirking lips. Mac wasn’t the only one having to school facial expressions.

Nate tossed the combat knife he’d been sharpening at the top of the wooden picnic table. It stuck with a solid thunk . “Be better if she doesn’t.”

The Marine had a point, even if Mac didn’t want to admit the other man was right. “Hannah’s got a point. We do need to find out what she knows. Maybe we aren’t on her radar.”

Rudy planted a booted foot on the table’s bench. “Too late for that. Izzy’s cousin Maurice confirmed what the sheriff said, that Collier was asking about all of us. He was on duty the day she talked to Thibodeaux. I want to know why the sheriff came to see Antoine, instead of Izzy or me?” He glanced at Mac. “Could you have missed something at the canal?”

Mac stared at Sean, Michael, and Nate. They met his gaze without a flicker in their expressions. “No. Not at any of the scenes we found.” He left the thought unfinished. They hadn’t found the spot where Antoine had first hooked up with DJ, only the place where she’d run from him.

“I’m right, Mac, even if you don’t want to admit it.” Hannah glowered at her mate. “I’ll go alone if you think Antoine will freak out with all you alpha males thumping your chests.”

“I do not freak out.”

Mac sucked in a breath. Damn. He hadn’t told Danny specifically to alert them if Antoine showed up. He’d brought DJ and they’d come in downwind so none of the Wolves detected their presence.

Hannah stared down her nose at the taller Wolf. “Really? Then what the fuck were you doing yesterday, Antoine?” She flicked her gaze to the woman at Antoine’s side.

DJ stepped gingerly forward, clumsy with bandaged feet shoved into a pair of borrowed rubber boots. “I remember who I am . DJ Collier. Deputy US Marshal. Who are you?”

“Depends on why you want to know.” Hannah faced the other woman, poker face in place, but challenge in her stance. The men remained silent, content to let her deal woman-to-woman.

“I’m not cleared to divulge that information.”

Hannah threw back her head and laughed. “What? You’ll have to kill us if you tell us? Honey, the combined security clearance of the people standing here trumps whatever the hell you’re investigating.”

DJ’s expression morphed from shocked to speculative. “I recognize your voice.” She studied Hannah. “But I don’t remember ever meeting you.” She turned her head in a slow arc, studying the men around the table. Her gaze lingered on Mac, Nate, and Sean. “You three I’ve seen. Before yesterday.”

“Why are you here, Marshal?” Mac shifted his position subtly, inserting his body between the two women. He managed not to scowl as Hannah thumped him in the back. She knew exactly what he was doing.

“Fucking alpha Neanderthal,” Hannah muttered, but she stepped back, closer to the others.

Antoine slipped his arm around DJ’s waist and pulled her closer to his side. “Tell them, bébé . They are my…family.”

“I saw most of you in Oklahoma, even if I never got your names. I’m guessing you guys are the ones I’ve been chasing all this time?” She pressed closer to Antoine as the men and woman glowered at her. “Easy. I don’t have warrants. I just need information.” Her focus zeroed in on Rudy. “You’re not who I think you are.”

He met her gaze steadily. “No.”

“What happened to your doppelg?nger?”

Sean coughed under his breath, but those standing next to him heard him comment, “There can be only one.”

Hannah snorted to cover a giggle. She didn’t have anything to throw at the smart ass and regretted it. She faced the other woman, sobering her expression. “Why are you chasing us?”

DJ pressed fingers against her temple and squinted her eyes shut.

“Headache?” Sean stepped toward her, halting when Antoine growled. “Dude. I just wanna check her vitals. She has a concussion.”

“You’re a doctor, right?”

“Combat medic.”

“Military?”

“Not anymore.” Mac didn’t hide his bitterness when he answered for Sean. He was tired of being on the defensive. “Answer the questions, Marshal Collier.”

“I had a file. I think my supervisor gave it to me. Only it wasn’t official. Your names were in that file. And I had a flash thumb drive. Which I think you people left for me in New Orleans.” She stared at Hannah. “You. You’re with Defense Security Services.”

“Nope. Not me.”

DJ looked skeptical. “Maybe not now, but you were. In Oklahoma, you were military. What happened?”

“We’re asking the questions, Marshal.” Mac would not be sidetracked. “What was in this file besides our names?”

“What do you know about Black Root? Are you part of it?” DJ had the bit in her teeth and wouldn’t be deterred as memory came flooding back.

Mac turned his attention to Antoine. “You’ve claimed her?”

“Hey, I’m right here. Don’t talk over me.”

Ignoring her, Mac put the next question to the other Wolf. “Does she know?”

DJ snapped her mouth shut. She’d felt that slight tremor flash through Antoine’s body. Was he afraid of the bald guy? And did she know what?

“No.”

Hannah hissed through her teeth. “You mated her and didn’t tell her? Dammit, Antoine. You are fucked nine ways from Sunday. And us right along with you.”

The Cajun Wolf dropped his head, unwilling or unable to meet the gazes of both Hannah and Mac.

Stomping up to the couple, Hannah was livid. “I am sick and fucking tired of all this bullshit.” She got right up in DJ’s face, snagged her arm and swung her toward the picnic table bench, forcing DJ to sit. The other Wolves scrambled out of the way. Antoine advanced only to meet Hannah’s palm in the center of his chest and a stiff arm. “Do not push me, Antoine. Not today. I’ll fucking stake you over a fire and test your balls with a dull fork before I eat them for lunch.”

Mac stomped on Sean’s foot to keep the other Wolf from laughing. This was vintage Hannah and he didn’t want to get in the way. Stunned, Antoine backed up. Hannah spared him a brief glance. “Either go hunt something or sit down and shut up until I’m finished.”

DJ pushed off the bench until Hannah shoved her back down. “Listen up, bitch. You want to know why we went all scorched earth? Black Root kidnapped my son. They are Very Bad People. All capitalized and you can trademark that. They hurt the people I love. That means I hurt them back. And the shit of it is, somebody in Washington, somebody high up, is covering for them.”

“I know.”

The two words quietly spoken deflated the wind in Hannah’s self-righteous sails. The hands fisted on her hips dropped to her sides and she inhaled deeply several time before she continued. “How do you know?”

“The file,” DJ said. “It had names. Congressmen. A cabinet member. A general. Or admiral. Or something. Somebody in the military. That’s why I was off the books. After New Orleans, the Marshals Service got jerked off the case. So did ATF. And the FBI. Somebody in Homeland Security took over. I kept the flash drive secret, managed to cross-reference some of the info.”

“Who in the Department of Homeland Security?”

“I don’t know. The name was redacted.”

“But you’re sure it was DHS?”

“Yeah. Some deputy director of internal investigations.”

Mac stirred, reaching into a side-pocket on his cargo pants to withdraw a SAT phone. “I’ll notify our guy.”

Hannah acknowledged him with a quick wave before concentrating on DJ. “Why you, Collier? Why did you get the file? Who did you tell about the flash drive?”

She looked up, held Hannah’s gaze, answering the other woman’s questions in reverse order. “No one. I’d guess because I’m expendable. And I don’t know.” DJ stood up and started pacing, only limping a little. “Look, my boss is a good guy. He’s square. But he has a wife. Three kids. I saw what was left at that facility in Nevada.” She pinned Hannah with her gaze. “That was you, wasn’t it?” A rumbling growl had her pivoting to face a very tall, very angry man, again a face she’d seen before.

“You don’t want to know about Nevada. What those bastards did can never happen again.”

The pretty blond—Jacey—DJ recognized from Antoine’s cabin slipped up beside the man and put her arms around him. “Shh, sweetheart. We won’t let it happen again. We’re all in this together.” She hugged him hard and then took his hand, tugging him away from the group. “Let Hannah and Mac deal with this. I need you right now.”

“Hannah. Yeah. You’re the one I talked to in East Texas. Where’s the colonel? Harjo? Isn’t that his name?” DJ stared at the big, bald guy then realized he wasn’t really bald. The hair on his head had been buzz-cut close to the skull. And big was an adjective she was using way too much. Every last one of these suckers was huge and built like an MMA fighter. “Who are you people?”

A startled yelp and a growl caught everyone’s attention. DJ turned just in time to see the angry man strip.

“Nate, no!” The blond struggled with the man and a moment later, the man was gone. Replaced by a wolf.

“What the—”