Free The Guardian (The Wolfe Series) by Donna Oltrogge Page A

she watched Luzaro tuck his phone back into his pocket and turn toward her.  “Everything will be all right.  I wont let any harm come to you.  You’ll come with me to Nogales.  That’s the only way I can assure your safety.”  He motioned toward Enrique who had started the car moving again.
                  When Laurie saw the possessive look that suddenly filled Luzaro’s eyes she felt herself flush.  Righteous indignation filled her as she the thought of the DEA agent’s horrific death.  Did he have a wife, children? Would they now have to grow up without a father because of these two monsters?
    Laurie shuddered and drew what little courage she had around her like a blanket and said stubbornly, “I won’t go with you Luc.  I won’t tell anyone what I saw here today, but I’m not going with you.”
    “How very naïve you are, my dear,” Enrique said, looking at her in the rearview mirror, his reptilian eyes pinning her to her seat.
    Luzaro took Laurie’s cold hands into his and nodded his head toward Enrique again.  “You really have no choice, my dear.  As I said, that’s the only way I can protect you.”
    “You aren’t being very considerate of your friend, either,” Enrique said in a silky voice.  “Julie, isn’t it?  I could spend a very entertaining evening with Julie if you fail to cooperate.  I may choose to do so anyway, who knows, eh?” 
    Enrique looked thoughtfully at the woman in the rear view mirror again, and decided he would try practicing his mind control on her once Luzaro tired of her.  He had found he was able to control some types of the more aggressive animals with his mind and who knew?  It might work on humans, too.
    A chill traveled the length of Laurie’s spine and settled deep into her bones.  Her shoulders slumped in momentary defeat knowing there was no way she was going to jeopardize her friend Julie’s life.  She would watch and she would wait and she would plan her escape, taking immediate steps to protect Julie when the time came.  Laurie was a fighter and a survivor.  She hadn’t survived the foster care system only to be controlled by men like these.
    “Everything will be all right,” Luzaro cajoled, patting her hand.  “You’re goi ng to love it at my estancia.  You’ll have no worries, none at all.  Believe me.”
     
    The wolf was black like the night, a phantom.  He was crouched as though ready to spring and snarled in frustration, barring his canines. 
    Jake had run for hours during the night, knowing that something was wrong and that he was powerless to do anything about it.  He wasn’t used to feeling helpless and knew that both of his brother’s were concerned about his nightly prowling.  He could feel his mate’s fear somewhere deep inside him and knew that she was in serious trouble.  Drawing closer to the ranch house he shifted effortlessly into his human form and picked up the clothes he’d left beneath one of the Palo Verde trees near the outbuildings.
    “You know you’re going to get yourself in trouble if you keep this up,” Rand said in all seriousness as he walked out of the barn and toward Jake who had pulled on a pair of jeans and was slipping a t-shirt over his head.   
    “Hell, don’t you and Taggert have enough to do to keep your own places going without hanging out at mine?”  The ranch was huge and the brothers had thought it best that they have their own places knowing that too much togetherness wasn’t a good thing where they were concerned.  “I can take care of myself.”
    “Hell if you can!  You’re out of your fucking mind right now, that’s what you are,” Rand growled.  He’d finally succumbed to Taggert’s badgering and agreed to see what was up with his older brother.  “You know you shouldn’t go out in the desert alone unless you tell one of us.”
    Rand looked away uncomfortably when he saw the bright sheen of tears that glistened in Jake’s eyes.  Hell,