Chapter 9 Rob #2
The incredulous look on his face would have been hilarious if I weren’t still fighting off a headache.
“He’s a wolf. You get that, right? Not a pet, but a fucking wolf!”
Storm growled, snapping his jaws at Derek, who immediately backed up as much as possible against the door.
“Yeah, he doesn’t like it when people swear.”
The dog was in the back of the SUV, while Derek and Claire took up the middle row. However, Claire didn’t seem intimidated by my puppy.
“Oh, he’s just a cute little thing. Aren’t you?” she cooed, rubbing his ears.
“Are you trying to get eaten?” Derek snapped. “He’s feral!”
Claire glared at her husband before turning back to the animal. “He’s not feral. He’s just a misunderstood puppy. Aren’t you? Yes, you are. You’re so precious.”
I cringed at the way she talked to him like a baby. He was a manly dog, and he deserved to be treated as such. But Storm didn’t seem to mind being coddled.
“Why did you bring her along?” I hissed, leaning over to Sinner.
“Bring her?” he snorted. “Nobody brings Claire along. She just sort of jumped in and came along for the ride. She’s getting to be just as bad as Freckles, and if it weren’t for the fact that she’s pregnant, you’d have two women in this SUV instead of one.”
“Yeah, but…” I glanced in the back at the crazy woman. “I mean, she’s not exactly useful in a deadly situation.”
Sinner’s eyes met mine in amusement. “It’s cute that you think that. But sure, I’ll go along with your theory.”
My seat jerked forward as Derek slammed against it again. “Would you stop it! He’s going to give you rabies!”
“He is not. Look, he’s harmless!”
“Storm is not harmless,” I chuckled. “You should have seen him rip that guy’s head off.”
“Storm?” Sinner asked, giving me an odd look. “You named him after Storm?”
“What was I supposed to name him? Tacos? He needed a badass name. Look at him. He’s a beast.”
“You could have named him Sinner,” he muttered. “Am I not formidable enough for you?”
“I didn’t name him after Storm. The name just came to me.”
“Right,” he snorted. “Like I believe that.”
“It’s the truth,” I argued.
Derek pushed himself into the center console, his back nearly hitting the gearshift. “This fucking dog is trying to kill me! I swear to God, I’m gonna drop you at Tahoe and find the Donner Party!”
“I’m pretty sure they’re all dead by now.”
His gaze snapped to mine in anger. “Switch seats with me.”
A grin slipped over my lips. “Are you afraid of him?”
“Yes.”
There was no hesitation in his voice, and while I was enjoying the show, even I could admit that Storm was a lot to take in the first time you met him. “Fine. Pull over, Sinner.”
“Pull over here? On the side of a mountain road? Did you want to get killed?”
“No, what I want is for everyone to stop getting so worked up over my dog.”
Derek jabbed a finger in Storm’s direction. “That thing is not a dog!”
“Whatever.”
“A wolf, Rob. A fucking wolf!”
He yelped when Storm snapped at him again for swearing.
“You could have gotten a normal dog or a kitten, but no, you had to get a wolf!” He leaned in close, narrowing his eyes at me. “Did you ever think of just getting a girlfriend?”
My mind immediately flashed to Crystal and how amazing she was in bed, but since she kicked me out, I’d have to settle for rushing in to save her life. Maybe I’d get to sleep with her again.
“Geez, you’re such a baby,” Sinner grumbled, pulling to the side of the road as the semi behind us slammed on the horn. “Hey, it wasn’t my idea!” he shouted at the driver.
Getting out, I switched with Derek, grinning when Storm snapped at his coat just as he got out. Rubbing behind his ears, I praised the gray wolf. “Good boy. You’re such a good boy.”
“Can we go now?” Sinner sighed. “I thought this was urgent.”
“It is.”
“Who’s this woman?” Derek asked. “And why do we have to get to her?”
“She’s…a woman. And we need to get to her because the men who are after me are after her.”
Derek stared at me, waiting for more information. “That’s all you have to go on? She’s a woman?” His head swiveled to Sinner. “Very informative. I don’t know many women who are women.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I snapped. “She’s just…someone I woke up next to,” I admitted grudgingly.
Sinner barked out a laugh, while Claire smacked him upside the head. “Hey! Why are you hitting me? I’m not the one who woke up next to a random woman!”
“Be nice! She could be the love of his life.”
I highly doubted that, but I wasn’t about to contradict Claire when she was standing up for me.
“Sure, Rob has a love of his life,” Sinner laughed.
“Hey, I could have a great love. There could be someone out there for me. Maybe she’s just not in the United States.
Maybe she’s in the jungle.” The more I thought about it, the more I liked it.
“Yeah, she’s an woman and she’s actually got mad skills.
Or maybe she’s in danger, just waiting for me to come to the rescue. ”
“Hiding behind your computer?”
“I do not hide behind my computer,” I snapped. “That’s my job.”
Derek turned in his seat, shooting me a doubtful look. “When was the last time you volunteered to go anywhere?”
“Hey, I’m supposed to be testifying in a trial—”
“And you didn’t make it.”
“Because people are trying to kill me!”
“Right,” he scoffed. “These supposed assassins that you’ve been fighting off since you got to California.” He cocked his head at me. “And where’s the evidence of these kills?”
“Stop being a jerk,” Claire chastised her husband. “Do you really think Cap would have sent us out here if he thought Rob was making this up?”
“Yes, and that’s why he said it was alright for you to come along,” Derek snapped without thinking.
Claire’s face went slack and tears formed in her eyes. “You said I was an asset.”
“Well, you stepped in it now,” I muttered under my breath.
Derek’s face went pale as he stared at his wife. “Claire Bear, you are an asset. I just meant—”
“You don’t think I could take care of myself?”
“Of course you can. I just meant that in really, really dangerous situations, I would never allow you to come with me because I care about you so much, I would never risk your life.”
“But you’re not risking my life. I’ve been training. I’m good with a gun.” She grabbed her bag off the floor and unzipped it, reaching inside. “I brought grenades!”
“Holy hell,” I muttered, rubbing a hand over my eyes.
The panic on Derek’s face was morphing into something deeper. He was on the verge of ruining everything in his relationship.
It was time for me to jump in. “But you know how much he loves to play Superman. Right?” I said, widening my eyes at Derek.
“Right! Yes, good! I mean, that’s exactly why…I don’t want you along. If you’re so good that I don’t need to rescue you, then…then, how would I get to play my role?”
“Really?” Claire asked hopefully.
“Completely, baby. You know there’s nothing that turns me on like being your hero.”
Just as Claire was about to burst into tears, Derek was between the seats, crawling over her, pressing her body into the seats as he kissed her. I pressed myself back against the door, grimacing when the groping got just a little too close to home for my liking.
Even Storm laid down and covered his eyes with his paw.
Sinner chuckled from the front seat. “Aren’t you glad you called us?”