If she got lucky, really lucky, maybe it was deep enough that she could slip inside it and the narrowness of the entrance
could hide her scent. Graeme had said the hormonal therapy he injected her with had an added scent blocker, that it wouldn’t completely hide her scent, but it wouldn’t carry as far.
She just needed them to be distracted for a minute, that was all.
Instead of becoming distracted, though, the quieter of the three Coyotes never took his eyes off her. Each time she let her gaze drift to the fire and the coffeepot sitting on the rocks next to it, she realized he was watching her.
The other Coyote had leaned back against a boulder, eyes closed; the third stood with Ranger. Arthur paced or stood with his back to her and talked to Ranger as the younger man rested back against the windshield of the Runner.
Her gaze moved to the coffee again. It was smelling better by the minute, and the scent was drifting to her, teasing her with the knowledge of the warmth it would hold.
It was then she realized she was actually downwind of them. If she did manage to slide behind the rocks behind her and into the hidden entrance extending into the wall, then her scent might actually be hidden enough that she could get away with it.
Sliding her gaze to the fire once again, she saw the tallest of the Coyotes fill his coffee cup, then bump his buddy’s shoulder with some laughing comment. The other gave a low, approving laugh as the Coyote strode away from the fire toward her.
Arthur and Ranger glanced at the movement, then turned back to their conversation.
Of the three Coyotes, the one nearing her was by far the most dangerous. Tall, corded muscles shifted beneath his khaki-colored pants and shirt, and his gaze was piercing. His eyes weren’t black, she didn’t believe, but she doubted they contained any mercy either.
“Hey, man, give her some for me,” the Coyote with Ranger called out, laughing. “I’ll give her some for you later.”
Oh God.
Stopping next to her, the Coyote hunched on his knees, the steaming coffee held between his hands.
“You look cold.” He extended the cup, the metal rim touching her lips as she watched him warily.
He gave a slight nod toward the cup. “Go on, before they get suspicious and Holden decides to come over and see what we’re doing.”
He pressed the cup a little more firmly against the seam of her lips and tilted it as they parted. The heated liquid dribbled over her lips and to her tongue. The moist heat flowed from the cup, and as she swallowed she swore she felt the heat sinking to her body.
Pausing briefly, he would wait, tip the cup to her lips again, and give her more, letting her sip at it greedily until she didn’t care that she could taste the decaf. She was so cold she didn’t give a damn if it was decaf or not, she needed the heat.
“Come on, Dog, make the show interesting, man,” the other Coyote called out. “I know how shy you can be.”
Hard lips quirked at the snicker from behind him.
“Can you run?” he asked, his tone so low she could barely hear him, and the question shocked her.
She pulled the surprise back and pushed it behind the ice. She was downwind of the other Coyote, but it was better not to take chances.
“The hip,” she muttered. “I won’t be fast.”
“Bastard.” The curse was a quiet, insulting hiss.
“Who are you?” she asked, glancing to the fire as the Coyote stood with Ranger and Arthur now, obviously regaling them with some story.
“Don’t worry about who I am. Now here’s how we’re going to do this.” He kept his gaze on hers, intent, demanding. “And you have to do exactly as I say.”
“Why help me? You killed Louisa,” she accused him painfully. “Why help me and not her?”
“Not me or my partner.” Something cold and vicious flashed in his gaze. “But they don’t know that. If you want to live, shut up and pay attention.”
She shut right up.
CHAPTER 24
From Graeme’s Journal