“I wonder what else he’s going to throw at us tonight.” Chase said.
“It’s our turn to throw something at him.” Luke glanced at his friends. “I know where the bastard lives.”
“Macey?”
Macey’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of her sister’s voice. The kitchen lights pierced her eyes like daggers, and her stomach roiled at the pounding pain in her head. The cold tile floor chilled through her shirt, but it didn’t stop the sweat from beading on her forehead. She rolled onto her side and clutched a cabinet, pulling herself into a sitting position.
“In here.” Her voice came out as a croak. Her throat felt like she’d swallowed a desert. Glass crunched under Alexis’s shoes, her pounding footsteps quickening like a jackhammer in Macey’s skull.
“Macey!” Alexis dropped to her knees and reached out like she wanted to comfort her sister, but she hesitated. “Are you okay?”
Macey’s vision wavered, but she managed to find her voice. “I’ll survive. Help me up.”
Alexis lifted her by the arm and steadied her on her feet. But as soon as she let go, the world turned on its side. Macey caught herself on the edge of the table, and her sister helped her into a chair.
“An ambulance is on its way,” Alexis said.
“No. No hospitals. I just hit my head. I’ll be okay.”
“You could have a concussion.”
Macey blinked away the stars in her vision and focused on her sister. “I’m fine.”
Alexis crossed her arms. “You’re going. I made the call when I found your front door open.”
A fresh wave of nausea rolled through Macey’s stomach. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get her head checked. “Okay. Did you see Thor? My cat?”
“He hissed at me and ran down the hall.” Alexis pulled a chair next to her and sat down. Her jaw flexed, the sound of her teeth grinding like crunching gravel in Macey’s skull. Concern filled her sister’s gaze as she reached out and gingerly brushed her fingers across the knot on Macey’s head. She closed her eyes. “Who did this to you?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Hold still, you insolate fool.” Ross’s voice sounded like it came from inside Jimmy’s head, but his brother wasn’t possessing him. He squirmed under the boy’s weight and screamed when the boy stuck his fingers into his wound. Ross wouldn’t squirm or scream. Only stupid idiots did that.
The bullet made a squishy sucking sound as the boy pulled it out, and fire shot down Jimmy’s arm. It wasn’t really fire, but that’s what it felt like. The real fire burned in the stove, crackling like a monster trying to escape a prison.
The boy wasn’t a boy anymore. He was a full-grown man the same size as Jimmy, and he had no trouble pinning Jimmy to the floor. He stuck a long metal rod into the fire and poured alcohol into the hole in Jimmy’s arm. Fresh flames seemed to engulf him, stinging like a thousand wasps.
“What are you gonna do with that poker?” Jimmy’s voice sounded tiny.
“He’s going to cauterize the wound. We can’t have you bleeding out; I still need you.”
“What’s a cot-trize?”
“Cauterize, you idiot. Make it stop bleeding.”
“Oh.” It would be nice if it stopped bleeding. Maybe it would stop hurting too. “Is Miss Macey okay? You didn’t kill her, did you?”
“If you wouldn’t have gone and got yourself shot, I would have. Without a body, I barely had enough strength to knock her out.”
Good. Miss Macey didn’t deserve to die.
“Next time I see that bitch, she’s dead.”
Next time he saw her, Jimmy would fight back against his brother. He couldn’t let Miss Macey get hurt. She was a nice lady. The nicest lady he’d ever met, besides Momma.
The boy who wasn’t a boy smiled and pulled the poker out of the flames. The tip of the stick glowed red hot, and Jimmy squeezed his eyes shut. His heart pounded in his chest, and his wound bled harder.
The poker plunged into his shoulder, and he screamed. Then everything went black.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“So, anyway, I was wrong. I’m sorry I screwed things up with you and Luke.” Alexis brushed the hair out of Macey’s face and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. A clock on the wall ticked the seconds away as the IV drip tried to keep time. The computer monitoring Macey’s vitals hummed, quietly beeping every few seconds.
“Thanks for clearing that up.” She patted her sister’s hand.
The blood pressure cuff inflated, squeezing her bicep tightly before slowly, rhythmically releasing its grip as the pain medication relaxed her, easing the throbbing in her head to a dull ache. But it did nothing for the ache in her heart. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. Did Luke care for her? Or was he using her? Maybe it was a little of both. Either way, she’d broken her sacred rule: don’t let anyone get close enough to hurt her. It was time to repair the fortress walls she’d allowed Luke to break down.
“Do you think you’ll get back together?”
Macey sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve always had a hard time opening up to people, ever since…you know.”
Alexis stared at her hands and sucked in a shaky breath. “I’m sorry.”
“I know. And I understand why you did it now. I’m not blaming you. But it’s going to take some time for me to learn to trust someone again. And Luke…” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve let my guard down too many times with him. He makes me want to open up and share everything about myself.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Not for me. I was vulnerable. If it was so easy for me to be that hurt over a misunderstanding, then I was in way over my head. I’ve never gotten so close to someone so fast. And now I know why.”
A knock sounded on the door, and Bryce sauntered into to the room. He set a bouquet of pink roses on the table beside the bed and smiled at Macey. “How you feeling, boss?”
“A little headache. Any sign of the perp?”
“Not yet. Got word in at all the hospitals and urgent care clinics to let us know of any patients with shoulder wounds. Nothing so far.”
Macey let out a sigh of relief. She’d given the first responders a false description of Jimmy and denied any knowledge of the attacker’s identity. She’d even told them he wore a mask. “That’s too bad.”
Bryce’s smile widened, and he ran a hand through his hair as if he just noticed someone else was in the room. “Hi there. I’m Bryce, Macey’s partner.” He reached across the bed to shake her sister’s hand.
Alexis grinned as her cheeks flushed pink. “I’m Alexis. I’m…uh…” She looked at Macey, uncertainty causing her brow to furrow.
“She’s my sister,” Macey said.
Bryce stopped shaking her hand, but he didn’t let it go. “I didn’t know you had a sister, Mace.” His gaze lingered on Alexis.
“It’s a long story.”
“Well, I better get going.” Alexis slid her hand out of Bryce’s grasp. “I’ll check on Thor. Make sure he’s okay. That’s one hell of a cat.”
“He deserves a medal,” Macey said.
Alexis touched her fingertips to Macey’s shoulder. “You’ll be okay?”
The concern in her sister’s voice touched her heart. She wasn’t sure what to do about Luke, but she was glad to have Alexis back. “Yeah. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a concussion. I’m sure I’ll be released soon.”
“I’ll call you later. It was nice meeting you, Bryce.” She smiled at him and slipped out the door.
Bryce stood there with his hands in his pockets, a goofy grin on his face as he watched her leave. “She’s pretty.”
Macey glared at him. “Don’t even think about it.”
He raised his hands. “What? I wasn’t thinking.”
“You never are. That’s the problem.”
He pulled up a chair next to the bed. “Is she single?”
She rolled her eyes. “She’s not the type that wants to be your ‘little woman,’ making
gumbo in the kitchen and having your babies.”
“C’mon. You know I was kidding about that.”
“She’s off limits.”
“Okay, boss. Whatever you say.” He leaned his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands. “Do you really think this was a random attack? Nothing to do with the case?”
She cringed. Lying to her partner made her sick to her stomach, but what choice did she have? She had no idea how to cover everything up and solve the case in a way that would satisfy both the police and the werewolves. She needed to talk to Luke, but her chest tightened just thinking about him. “I don’t know about random. I’ve put away plenty of bad guys, so someone could’ve been out for revenge. He wore a mask, so it could’ve been anyone. But I don’t think it was the rapist.” She smoothed the sheets over her stomach, trying to keep the bile from creeping up her throat. “He didn’t seem interested in getting my clothes off. He wanted me dead. End of story.”
“Well, I’m sure he’ll turn up. He couldn’t get too far with a wound like that. You’re one tough little lady.” He winked, always trying to get a rise out of her.
She was about to respond with a sarcastic comeback when the door flew open, thudding against the wall. Luke rushed in, his eyes wild with concern, and he threw himself onto the bed. “Oh, thank God.” He stroked her hair and held her face in his hands. “I’m so sorry, Macey. Are you okay? What happened?” He kissed her forehead and both her cheeks.
She gripped the blankets in her fists to stop her arms from wrapping around his shoulders. Every fiber of her being ached to hold him, but she fought it. She would not lose her heart again. “I’m fine.”
Bryce cleared his throat, and Luke looked up at him. His gaze danced between the flowers and her partner before landing back on Macey.
“Have you met Bryce?” she asked.
“Not officially.” Luke shook his hand and focused his attention on Macey. “I’m so sorry, Macey. This is all my fault. I should have been there to protect you from that...” He cut his gaze over to Bryce. “That asshole.”
She stiffened. “I don’t need protection.” Was that why he was concerned? Not because she was hurt, but because he felt guilty?
Bryce stood and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Don’t let her size fool you. She’s pretty good at protecting herself.”
“No.” Luke shook his head. “I should have been there for you.”
“Well.” Bryce shuffled toward the door. “I’ll let you two work this out on your own. I’ll call you if I hear anything, boss.”
Bryce closed the door, and Macey glared at Luke. “I did fine on my own.”
Luke looked at her incredulously. “He knocked you out. You’re in the hospital.”
“I’m alive, aren’t I? I shot him and came out with nothing more than a headache.” Did he honestly think she was that helpless? That he needed to spend every waking moment by her side to protect her from the bad guys? She’d been fighting bad guys without him for years.
“I…” He let out a heavy sigh.
“Why are you even here, Luke? What do you want?” Anger seethed in her voice, and anger was good. Anger would keep her heart hardened.
He took her hand in his and stroked it. “Isn’t it obvious? Those things Alexis told you weren’t true.”
She looked at her hand resting in his. The warmth of his touch. The familiar energy dancing on her skin. How could something so bad for her feel so right? Anger. Focus on the anger. “You said them, though.”
“I know. I did it to appease the pack. To keep things under control. But I didn’t mean a word of it. She told you that, right?”
Macey’s throat thickened. Her eyes stung with tears. Why did her resolve dissolve into nothing around him? He knew her weaknesses. How to press every button to keep her wrapped around his finger. Tears shimmered in his sapphire eyes, and she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around his neck and let him back in.
But she couldn’t. She had to be strong this time. Her heart might not survive another beating from a man like Luke. “She told me, but…”
“But?”
“But I don’t know.” She pulled her hand from his grasp and hugged herself. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
His hands clenched into fists on the blanket. “Damn it, Macey. I love you. Believe that.”
She sucked in a shaky breath and hugged herself tighter. She did believe him. The emotion in his eyes spoke volumes above the words, but it didn’t mean he’d stay. Her sister and her parents had loved her, but they’d abandoned her anyway. Love may have been a glue that held people together, but life could always tear them apart.
“Detective Carpenter?” A nurse poked her head through the doorway and knocked before entering the room. “You’re being released. Just sign here, and you’re free to leave.” She looked at Luke. “Do you have a ride?”
“Yeah, I’ll take her home,” Luke said before she could answer.
The nurse removed the IV and disconnected her from the monitoring equipment before handing her a plastic bag. “Here are your clothes. Let me know if you need anything else.”
As the nurse left the room, Macey swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her head still hurt, but at least she could get out of this suffocating hospital room. Luke watched her as she pulled her clothes from the bag and started to untie her gown. “Do you mind turning around?” she said.
“Yeah. Sure.” His voice was barely a whisper, made thick by the tears he tried to hold back. He turned his back to her and fiddled with his hands as if he wasn’t sure what to do with them.
He’d seen her naked before. He’d touched every inch of her body. But now she felt vulnerable, exposed in front of this man who knew way too much about her. She dressed quickly and cleared her throat to let him know she was done.
When he turned around, light glistened off the dampness of his cheeks. “I love you, Macey.”
“I know. But the way I reacted when Alexis told me those things scared me to death. It’s not you. I scared myself. I’m not used to being close to people.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a dry chuckle. “Great. The ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech. Classic.”
Why did her heart feel like it was being ripped from her chest? “I just need some time.”
“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
As long as she made up her mind within the next few days, he’d be fine. While his dad’s retirement date wasn’t technically set in stone, it would take an act of congress to change it. Literally. His father had filed for retirement with the werewolf national congress three and a half years ago. An alpha resigning voluntarily wasn’t taken lightly, and he had to file for permission years in advance. He had to prove he had an acceptable successor, and a second in line in case the first one didn’t work out.
Three and a half years ago, Luke had been engaged to Melissa. As the oldest male of the bloodline after Luke, Stephen had been the obvious second choice. No one ever expected him to actually be in the running for alpha, and now he was—if Luke couldn’t get his act together. If he couldn’t convince Macey they belonged together, he only had two options. Mate with someone he didn’t love or let the pack fall into Stephen’s hands. Neither option was acceptable. He couldn’t let his twisted, power-hungry cousin tear apart the pack. And he could never love another woman. He’d thought he loved Melissa, but she hadn’t been his fate-bound. Hell, he’d never fathomed the depths of love he was capable of until he met Macey.
She was his fate-bound. Now, if he could just convince her.
He pulled up to the curb in front of Macey’s house and shut off the engine.
“Thanks for the ride.” She reached for the door handle.
“Macey.”
She froze, her hand trembling on the latch. “I should go.”
“We don’t have to talk about us…until you’re ready. But we do need to talk about what happened. It was him, wasn’t it? The guy
from the sketch?”
She chewed her bottom lip and stared out the window. “I think you better come inside.”
Glass crunched under his boots when he stepped through the door. A white ceramic lamp lay shattered on the floor, and a cracked dent marred the drywall at Macey’s head level. If the guy had knocked her unconscious, he could’ve killed her easily. Snapped her neck. Crushed her windpipe.
His stomach twisted. He’d come so close to losing her. All the blood in his head plunged to his feet, making the room spin, before a flash of anger singed through his veins. Anger at the attacker, but more than anything, anger at himself for letting it happen. “Christ! What did that bastard do to you?”
“It’s fine.” She grabbed a broom from the closet and swept up the mess. “He didn’t know what he was doing.”
“He didn’t know?” How hard had she hit her head to think the man didn’t know he was trying to kill her?
She continued her frantic sweeping, keeping her gaze trained on the floor.
“Macey.” He put his hand on the broom to stop her. “Come sit down. Talk to me.”
She tugged on her bottom lip as her gaze darted about the room. “Luke, I…”
“Hey.” He took the broom from her hand and leaned it against the wall. “It’s business, okay? No matter your feelings for me, we’re on the same team. We’re going to have to work together, so put your detective cap on and talk to me like a cop. Right now, I’m just the alpha, and you’re a police officer, and we’re trying to solve a case.”
Her posture relaxed, the tension draining from her muscles as she stepped toward the sofa. A slight smile curved one side of her mouth, and the sparkle almost returned to her eyes. “But you’re not the alpha.”
“Not yet.” His arms ached to hold her as she sank onto the couch. Days ago, she’d been his. Now she was like a stunning statue in a museum. Cold and untouchable. But not completely. That small smile, that tiny glimmer, gave him hope. She could be his again.
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