Penny

With a shove, I pushed the shopping-trolley from the checkout and toward the exit. This supermarket’s parking lot was on a slope, and it always made me chuckle watching other people try to unload their groceries into their vehicles without their trolleys running away down the hill. I always made sure I parked so the back door of my RAV4 swung downhill. That way I could rest the trolley against it. One of the handiest things about my car was that sideways opening door. It also made a great shield to get changed behind, which I’d had to do a time or two after getting filthy out on a fire scene.

I put all the bags neatly in the back and hoped like hell I’d bought enough food to feed the two men who I suspected wouldn’t be leaving any time soon. Two men. What the hell was I going to do with them? I’d never had a serious relationship with one man before, let alone two! Tears stung my eyes. I wished my mum was still alive so I could talk to her. I needed her guidance on this. Although, I doubt she’d be impressed with the concept of her little girl taking on two lovers. Brushing my eyes clear as I sniffled, I shoved the empty trolley into the return bay and headed back to my car.

Too late I realized I should have been paying more attention to what was around me, rather than my potential love life. As I turned and put the key in the driver’s door lock, the sliding door of the van behind me opened and before I could react, I was snatched into its dark interior. The moment I could get a lungful of air, I started screaming out for help, hoping like hell Marshall and Clayton hadn’t left me alone like I’d asked them to, but had been watching from a distance as I shopped. How could I have been so stupid as to disregard Clayton’s warning of the danger to me? I kicked and punched at my kidnapper but didn’t land many before pain exploded through my skull and with a groan, my world went black.

****

Marshall

It took a moment for my brain to process what just happened. One second Penny was sliding the key into her car door, brushing tears from her eyes, the next she was pulled into a van. As her scream rang out, my instincts took over and I started my car to get to her as fast as possible. Clayton had shot out the passenger side and started running to her the moment the van’s sliding door had opened. Clearly my brother’s instincts were more honed than mine. I was going to have to chat with little brother about teaching me to be more observant. I had a mate to protect now.

Before Clayton could reach the vehicle, it squealed out from its spot and headed to the exit. I skidded to a stop long enough for Clay to get in and took off before he shut the door. We couldn’t lose sight of that vehicle.

“I relocked her car. We’ll come back for it after we get her back.”

“Was it him? The firestarter?”

Clay’s voice was barely more than a growl. “Yeah, I scented him clear as day.” He pulled his phone out and dialed quickly.

“Alpha, call the troops. The firestarter has just taken Penny.” Pause. “From a parking lot, in broad fucking daylight while we were watching from the other side—” Another pause where I could just hear the Alpha’s angry voice. “She wanted some alone time after all we’d laid on her, so we let her have the illusion of it. Both Marshall and I are here, and we’ve shadowed her the whole time. The bastard parked next to her in a van and snatched her when she was between the two vehicles.”

After another pause Clay relayed the van’s plate number and hung up.

“I gather our Alpha isn’t happy?”

“No, he couldn’t believe we left her alone. He said all us young males were idiots and something about past mistakes being repeated no matter what he did to prevent it. Whatever. We need to get to Penny. I’ll worry about appeasing our Alpha later.”

Since we were in my car, a nice sporty Subaru WRX, I was gaining on the van. I was suddenly extra grateful I liked to rally in my spare time because it meant I had the skills and the vehicle we needed to get our mate back. I took another hard turn, and Clay groaned as he crashed into the side of the car.

“Sorry, no harnesses in this thing. If I had my rally car we’d have caught them already, and you wouldn’t be getting banged around.”

“Brother, I don’t give a shit how many bruises I get, so long as you catch that damn van.”