CHAPTER NINE
“You have arrived at your destination,” Hadley’s phone alerted her just in time for her to make a right turn into the parking lot of a big apartment complex. She pulled into an empty space and turned off the engine, then sat there staring at the steering wheel, wondering if she was honestly going to do this.
The drive back from Coffield Unit to Dallas had been little more than a blur, her mind trapped in an endless loop of those last few minutes in the interview room. If it wasn’t for the Google Maps app on her phone, Hadley doubted she would have made it. Truthfully, driving in this condition had not been the smartest thing in the world.
Taking a deep breath, Hadley gazed up at the cluster of three-story apartment buildings just in front of her. It was probably a little stalker-like that she’d known Carter’s home address without having to look it up, but right then, she couldn’t find it in her to care. Strickland had scared the crap out of her, and while she had other friends she could have stayed with, this is where she wanted to be. She knew it made no sense, but it was true all the same.
Hadley didn’t want to think too much about what it said about her completely screwed-up life that her go-to source of comfort in times of stress was an omega werewolf with anger management and impulse-control issues. And she refused to let it stop her from getting out of the car and walking up to his apartment on the third floor of Building D. Taking a long, deep breath, she stood a little taller and then reached out to ring the bell, but the door opened before she could.
Carter stood there wearing jeans and a T-shirt, looking like he’d just sprinted a mile, his face flushed, irises rimmed in a vivid yellow glow rimmed in blue, and his nostrils flaring. He must have picked up her scent. Hadley wondered what she smelled like. Hopefully, not like serial killer blood and spit.
“Are you okay?” he asked urgently, taking a step closer and looking behind Hadley like he thought someone was chasing her. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay now,” Hadley said, realizing that it was true. The sense of relief sweeping through her that came from being with Carter was difficult to understand. All she knew was the crushing weight she’d been under since Strickland had attacked her at the prison was finally letting up.
Carter seemed to relax, but then he glanced at her arm and alarm crossed his face. His eyes flared blue, a small growl rumbling up from his chest. Hadley looked down to see red marks around her wrist.
“Calm down,” she said softly, not quite sure why he was so upset. “I’m okay. Really.”
He closed his eyes and took several long, deep breaths. She was ready to start humming her favorite lullaby if it seemed necessary, but within a few moments, he visibly relaxed, the anxiety that had been rolling off of him in waves disappearing.
Opening his eyes, he stepped back so she could enter, then closed the door behind her. “Tell me what happened.”
Hadley didn’t answer right away, taking her time to look around his apartment. It looked much as she expected for a single guy who probably spent most of his time either working or hanging out with his pack mates. The walls were eggshell white with a few pictures and framed awards mounted here and there. The furniture was basic, all function, no style, with a big-screen TV mounted on the wall in front of the couch. There was a low shelving unit positioned right under it, filled to overflowing with movie DVDs and a gaming console. There was a small kitchen off to the right and two bedrooms to the left, one of them filled with weights and workout equipment.
“I just sat through a two-hour session with Eugene Strickland, and it didn’t go as intended,” she finally said, turning to see Carter standing there with a concerned look on his face. “He tore his hand to shreds getting it free of the cuff, grabbed my wrist, and licked my arm. That was more than an hour ago and I can still feel his disgusting tongue on me.”
Carter’s eyes flared again, even more vivid blue than before. Crap. His omega was trying to take control.
Stepping forward, Hadley gently placed the palm of her hand on his T-shirt-covered chest, making small circles with her fingertips as she murmured soft, calming sounds, interspersed with snatches of the little lullabies she used to hum to her brother. Under her hand, Carter’s heart pounded like a drum, worrying her even more. It couldn’t be good for a heart to beat that fast, right?
But soon enough, Carter’s heart rate slowed, his breathing evening out until the electric blue color completely faded from his eyes. Hadley didn’t realize until that moment that one of Carter’s hands had slipped out to rest on her hip and was now holding her gently, keeping her close. Unfortunately, one look down at his hand on her hip only served to remind Hadley how much blood Strickland had gotten on her. Both on her dress and the skin underneath.
“I promise to tell you everything,” she said, gazing up at him. “But first, do you think I could use your shower and maybe borrow something to wear? I feel really gross right now.”
Carter stepped back with a nod. “Of course. The bathroom is at the end of the hall and I’m sure I can find you something to wear, as long as you aren’t too picky.”
“I’m fine with whatever you can come up with. Anything is better than this,” she said with an almost hysterical laugh, plucking her sticky dress away from her skin for a few seconds before letting it fall back into place.
“While you’re cleaning up, I can make something to eat if you want?” Carter said. “Unless you don’t think you’ll be able to eat. In which case, maybe something strong to drink? Unfortunately, alcohol doesn’t work for werewolves, but if it’s your thing, I’m here to help.”
If Hadley wasn’t covered in a serial killer’s blood, she would have thrown herself into Carter’s arms and hugged him. They barely knew each other and yet here he was offering whatever support she needed, including alcohol if she decided to get mind-numbingly drunk. It was a total guy answer to a complex problem, but she appreciated where the offer was coming from.
“That’s a maybe on the drink,” she said with a smile. “But as far as food goes, I could eat something if it isn’t too much of a bother.”
“It isn’t,” he promised. “I was about to start making dinner when you got here.”
Five minutes later, she was standing in the shower with the water turned as hot as she could handle, scrubbing every part of her body. Being licked by Strickland had made her feel filthy all over like his saliva was an oozing sludge that had migrated everywhere.
When she was sure the entire apartment complex was almost out of hot water, Hadley finally got out of the shower. After she dried off, she wrapped the towel around her and poked her head out the door to ask Carter if he’d gotten any clothes for her—just to find a stack of clothes on the small sideboard table next to the bathroom. Grabbing them, she ducked back inside to see that he’d given her a pair of navy-blue shorts with a drawstring and a gray T-shirt with a Dallas PD SWAT logo on the front.
As she’d expected, the shorts were huge, but the drawstring at least made it work. The T-shirt was even bigger, hanging down to mid-thigh. Checking her reflection in the mirror to make sure all the important parts were covered, Hadley left the bathroom to join Carter in the kitchen.
There was a glass of white wine on the counter that looked divine, and she moved straight for it as Carter continued working on something that smelled delicious on the stove.
“I told you I didn’t want to be a bother,” she said, walking over to stand beside him, watching as he slowly stirred a big frying pan filled with fluffy scrambled eggs, cherry tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and cheese.
He glanced at her. “I’m kind of limited on the stuff I can make, so it was either scrambled eggs, PB&J sandwiches, or peanut butter crackers. I decided to go for the more elegant of the three.”
