“But why would you do that?”
Ryker smiled. “There’s a whole slew of reasons why it should be us looking after you, but none more important than the fact that it was partly our fault that you crashed your truck in the forest yesterday afternoon.”
Hannah’s heart clenched at the reminder. “Speaking of which, where is my Chevy? You didn’t just leave her out on that highway, did you?”
Bastian was already shaking his head. “No, love, we had Karl, the man you purchased the business from, bring the Chevy into town, and it’s over in the garage waiting for you. Hell, I guess I should say it’s over inyourgarage since you own the business now.”
Hannah felt a shiver of delight at hearing that. “Yeah, damn right I do, and just because this town seems to be heavy on the exploding bear side of things, I am not letting that run me off. Owning a garage has been my dream since I was five years old standing beside my dad helping him change the oil in a 1956 Mustang.”
“No one is going to run you out of town, baby,” Bastian promised. “And if they were, then we would most definitely have something to say about that.”
The room filled with the sound of a cowbell being hit rhythmically moments before the opening chords of “Low Rider” sounded in the room. “That’s my phone. Where is it?”
“I love that song!” Bastian said as he moved to the opposite side of the room and grabbed her phone from a set of drawers she hadn’t even noticed before. It went silent as he handed it to her, and she ran her thumb across the screen to activate it and see who called just as it rang for the second time. She grinned when she saw who it was and immediately answered it.
“Hey!”
“Oh, thank God!” the voice on the other end of the phone said. “Where in the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick. You told me that you would call me the second you drove into Blackwater Falls, and that was supposed to be yesterday.”
“I know, I know! I had a little—” Hannah turned as she was about to launch into her explanation, but paused when she saw the expressions on the faces of the two brothers. They were not happy about something. And by not happy, she meant pissed as hell.
“Hannah? Are you still there?”
Shit. “Yeah, sorry. I was just saying that I had a little accident and decided to drive my truck into a few trees yesterday. Nothing major, and I’m fine, but it was enough to put my phone call to you off for a while. I am really sorry to have worried you, Ash.”
****
Ryker couldn’t hold in the rumble of displeasure at the sound of that wolf bastard’s name on his mate’s lips. It was a sound that was echoed by his brother and had their mate backing away from them.
“What’s that noise in the background?” the wolf bastard asked as if he hadn’t a clue. Ryker had recognized Ash’s voice the moment he spoke to Hannah, and the spike of anger that slammed through him had his bear leaping to the fore.
“Um, nothing.” Hannah frowned at him. “Look, Ash, I am going to head over to the garage shortly and check things out. Do you want to meet me there?”
Bastian shot him a quick glance. It was going to be interesting to hear how Ash answered that. He and his pack were banished from Blackwater Falls thirty years ago, and to Ryker’s knowledge, no one from their pack had ever set foot in theFallssince. But if Ash was hellbent on a war then this could be his first opportunity to flout that law and state his intentions.
The pause at the other end of the phone was frustrating, just as Ryker was sure Ash meant for it to be. “As much as I would love to take you up on that offer, darlin’, it is not the time for that to happen. Soon, but not today. When it’s time and I can make it happen, I’ll walk straight down the main street of Blackwater Falls and into your store. I promise. Will you be all right moving in by yourself?”
Ryker’s displeasure rumbled low in his chest, his bear pacing angrily within him. Ash’s promise wasn’t just meant for Hannah. The fucker knew that he and Bastian were listening. Hannah glared at him then turned her back to them. It was, however, a move that Ryker had to appreciate for a moment because it gave him the luscious view of their mate’s heart-shaped ass, with only his shirt blocking the view.
“Of course, I will be! Don’t worry about me,” Hannah spoke quietly, no doubt attempting to prevent them from hearing her. A move that was a waste of time, considering they were shifters and that came with a myriad of cool benefits like enhanced hearing. “Look, I know that you’re busy. I’ll call you once I am settled in. I still owe you that thank-you dinner.”
Ryker wanted to put his fist through the wall at hearing his mate offering to have dinner with another man. True, the fact that it was Ash and the man had declared war on his clan less than twenty-four hours ago may have amplified his anger to a homicidal rage, but he would have been pissed hearing her make plans with any other man regardless of whom it might have been. He wanted to kill that wolf bastard, but figured as Ash seemed to be friends with his mate, a little finesse would be needed on how to do that without turning her against them forever.
Hannah signed off and spun back to look at them, anger flaring in her beautiful green eyes. “What in the hell was that with all the growling and grumbling?”
Ryker stepped forward, and Hannah seemed to jolt back a little. There was a tendril of fear in her expression again.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, stop that,” Ryker snapped. “I am not going to hurt you. We—” Ryker indicated between him and Bastian “—would never hurt you. But that asshole you were talking to all sweet and sexy like on the phone and inviting him to dinner?Himwe are going to hurt. A lot. And soon. Ash is not going to be able to join you for fucking dinner anytime soon, sweetness. He’ll be too busy being dead.”
“Did you just threaten to kill someone in front of me?” Hannah asked incredulously, and Ryker simply crossed his arms and stared at her belligerently.
Okay, so he probably shouldn’t have come right out and said it like that, especially after just acknowledging the need to tread carefully on this due to his mate’s connection with the prick, but hey? The sooner she came to terms with the fact that Ash was not long for this earth, the better, right?
He waited to see how his new mate would react. But her reaction was not as he had expected. He thought, given the fact she had winced with fear twice since she woke up, that distress or horror would be her go-to emotion in this instance, but he should have realized the woman the fates would destine for him and his brother would have more strength than that.
She stepped forward and pushed against his chest. Out of fear of hurting her already broken wrist, Ryker moved with the push. “What in the hell is wrong with you? That is just not done in civilized society. Who goes around telling people they are going to kill someone? And not just anyone, but someone who is my friend and has helped me a lot these past few months. Hell, if it weren’t for him, I never would have come here to Blackwater Falls.”
Ryker frowned at that. What in the hell was Ash up to?
