Taming Travis [Wolves of Climax 4] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) by Stacey Espino Page A

there. His dark hair was wet from the rain, his eyes fierce. And he was completely naked. He was the sight she’d secretly prayed for, the leader, her protector. Her body melted from the inside out, her bones feeling like rubber as relief cascaded through her. Many questions plagued her thoughts, like why were her men always running around without clothing. But right now she only focused on her rescue.
    “You don’t know when to quit, do you?” Garret’s deep baritone surrounded her like a caress. She’d missed him over the past couple days, constantly worrying he’d get himself killed. When he stepped into the cabin, Matthew was right behind him. Where the hell were his clothes? She couldn’t complain because they were gorgeous to look at, but her inner voice demanded answers. It seemed everything about her miners was suspect to the point she didn’t know if she was going or coming.
    But knowing Garret and Matthew had found each other still touched her heart. She’d seen firsthand how devoted Garret had been in trying to find his missing crewman. He had gone above and beyond, staying up half the night to search for him and tracking every lead. Maybe life would have some semblance of normalcy now that Garret had his man back and the war with the other miners could cease.
    “So…you know we didn’t take him.” Corbin nodded his head toward Matthew. “Where’s ours? He’s been missing for days, and don’t tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about, Gregor.”
    Matthew moved to take his place beside Garret. “Your man was the one who released me. It was the northern loggers that trapped us. The only crime here is you moving in on our woman. She has nothing to do with this.”
    Cassidy was surprised by the venom in Matthew’s voice. After everything he’d been through, he shouldn’t be pushing for a fight. Garret stretched his arm out straight to the side, blocking Matthew from moving forward.
    “She’s not marked, so I say the girl’s fair game.”
    “Bullshit, Corbin. You know damn well she’s ours. Let me know now if we’re going to have a problem with you.”
    “Until you claim what’s yours, she can be anyone’s prize, no?”
    She heard a growl and wasn’t sure if it originated with Garret or Matthew. These were all large men and the room was not big. The volatile energy grew by the second. There was more ruckus outside the cabin before several more naked, soaking wet men burst in. When she saw Evan and Patrick among them, she inwardly rejoiced. They were all here save Travis. She felt nearly complete. Cassidy was sure she could handle the most trying circumstances if only she had her miners by her side. However, as much as she needed them, she also felt they were hiding something monumental from her. Since showing up in Climax she’d adjusted to many new and odd customs. Everything here was like night and day to the city life she remembered. But there were still things that went beyond normalcy—such as grown men fighting each other in the forest, naked.
    She still worried about Travis. Just how far could Corbin’s men lead Travis away before he decided not to follow? He knew she was here alone, waiting for him to make her dinner. Something wasn’t right.
    “Cassidy!” Evan pushed by the others and charged toward her in a straight line. “Gods, I’ve missed you, baby.” He lifted her high enough that her T-shirt rode over the curve of her ass, so she wiggled for him to lower her.
    “Travis is still out there, Evan.” She appealed to him with a look, hoping he’d see the worry in her eyes. He may not have been the leader, but he was a strapping man, bulky with hard muscle. She felt tiny and feminine up close to him. He was the type of man who liked to save the damsel in distress, like the time he cut wood for her at her house in Climax.
    “Well, according to Patrick, we have no cause for war tonight. We’ll find Travis and head home.”
    Home. The word sounded fictional. It