“Adriana,” Nolan began. “Listen to me.”
“No. Not this time. Maybe you can order me to move in with a bodyguard and let him drive me around everywhere, but you can’t order me to bind to him. That’s crazy, Nolan.”
Reid stiffened as she referred to him so flippantly as if he were nothing but a hired man. He knew it wasn’t true, but it still hurt.
“Baby, there’s no other choice. Do this for me.”
“No.” Her voice cracked. She was near hysteria. “It’s not right, Nolan. I won’t.”
“Adriana. It’s not about right or wrong. It’s about keeping you alive. I’ve seen you with Reid. I know you feel the same thing for him you feel for me. Maybe this is Fate’s way of stepping in and making the choice easier for you.”
“No.” She shook her head, making it hard for Reid to hold the phone and keep her from squirming away from him.
He was having trouble keeping his own emotions in check. He needed to get his shit together and think about her.
Nolan’s voice dipped lower, soothing. “It’s done, baby. You’re surrounded. You can’t take a chance of being kidnapped and vulnerable. You need the connection. It’s the only way to keep you safe. And Reid too.”
That last part was true. Neither of them had stopped to consider what would happen if Reid were taken hostage. They’d only ever thought about protecting Adriana. After all, originally Reid hadn’t been a factor in this equation at all. But things had changed.
How much did Stephen Rimouski know about the three of them?
Reid shuddered.
Adriana breathed heavily, probably pondering Nolan’s last words. She also cried, silent tears running down her face. “I’m in love with you,” she whispered.
“I know, baby. It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”
“You would give me up to keep me safe?”
“I would do anything in the world for you, Adriana. So, yes. I’m going to do this. I’d rather know you were alive and leading a happy, full life than never see you again because I was too selfish to make the tough decision to let you go.”
She sobbed out loud again, her body shaking in Reid’s arms.
Reid tucked his lips between his teeth and bit down to keep his own emotions from tumbling out. It was time. He pulled the phone back to his ear. “I love you, man.”
“I love you too. Keep her safe.”
“You know I will.”
“I’m a sitting duck here.”
“I know. Wait for help. Don’t try to leave.”
“I’ve never felt so helpless in my life,” Nolan stated.
“Nor have I. I’ll wait as long as I can before I do it.”
“No.” The urgency in that word was intense. “Do it now. I’m watching the live feed. They’re inching closer, Reid. You don’t have much time. Moments. I don’t care what kind of gun you have, you can’t fight them. There are too many.”
Reid knew Nolan was right. He could scent the approaching danger. They were closing in on the house. They weren’t in a hurry because they thought he was sleeping. He needed to stay as still as possible until the last second to buy them some time. Any movement on his part or Adriana’s might be caught on camera, and then the unknown enemy would rush in.
“Later, man.”
“Later.” Nolan ended the call. If there were any other options… They couldn’t even shift. Not in the middle of a populated neighborhood surrounded by humans. Too risky. It was forbidden anyway. Shifting was never a choice, not even as a last resort if there was even a chance humans would discover them. With at least eight humans closing in, Reid and Adriana needed to remain smart. Alert.
And bound.
Reid dropped the phone to the pillow behind him and held a sniffling Adriana closer. He tucked her free wrist in with the first to hold them between her breasts. It wasn’t that he was trying to restrain her, but that he wanted her to feel secure. Loved. Cherished.
With his free hand, he brushed her hair from her neck and kissed the spot where her neck met her shoulder. “Adriana?”
He needed her consent. Binding a woman without consent was strictly forbidden.
She shuddered, panting.
“You know I love you, right?” he stated.
“Yes.”
“Adriana?” He still needed verbal consent. Someone was literally on his front porch. Another two men were on the back deck. He knew it. She did too. They were probably waiting for a command that would come when Nolan didn’t show up at the planned location.
“I love you too.”
“I know, baby. It’s going to be okay.” He wasn’t sure of his own words at all. How was this ever going to be okay? But he had to trust that Fate knew what She was doing. They were out of time. There were no other options.
“Do it,” she whispered.
Reid didn’t hesitate. He licked the spot he intended to bite and immediately sank his teeth into her. A second later he let the serum that would bind them together for life flow into her bloodstream.
She flinched at the initial bite, but then she slowly relaxed against him. Her heart rate picked up, as did her arousal. She moaned.
Reid’s cock jumped to attention. It wasn’t surprising. That’s how a binding worked. They would be thrust into a new level of lust neither of them could imagine. After living with her for the past week, he couldn’t fathom craving her more than he already did, but he’d heard the stories from everyone he’d ever met who was bound to another. Intellectually, he knew. In real life, it was still shocking.
Her breath came heavily as he released her neck and licked the puncture wounds with his tongue. A war raged inside him. Half of his body insisted he flip her onto her back and fuck her until she couldn’t see straight and didn’t have the ability to form words. The other half was fully aware there was a threat to their lives looming outside.
He had no choice but to deal with the second problem first. Later they would consummate this union. Not now.
“Reid…” Her voice was nothing but a thready breath of intense need.
“Pull it together, baby.” He gripped her wrists tighter and spoke into her ear.
She started shivering and then flat out shaking. “Oh God.”
“I know,” he whispered, his lips on her sweet lobe. “Ignore it. We have to neutralize this situation before anything else.”
“Right.” She panted, her ass thrusting back against his cock. And then she moaned. “My God. Reid…”
Damn, this was hard. He hadn’t considered how fucking difficult it would be to fight the hard battle right after binding to his mate. A near impossibility.
“They aren’t moving.”
“I know.” He tipped his head back, partly to draw in a deep breath that wasn’t laced with pure Adriana and partly to assess the situation. No one was moving. He still counted eight men. All close. All stationary. They had no idea the people they were hunting were aware of their arrival and far more than human.
“What do we do now?” she panted out.
“Wait. I want them to think we’re still asleep and unaware.”
“They will come inside though, right? I mean soon? Because they’ll have to show Nolan they meant business.”
“Yes.” Seconds ticked by. The longest ones of his life. He alternated between concentrating on the imminent threat and fighting back the lust he felt for the woman in his arms.
“Need you,” she murmured, tipping her head to kiss his knuckles between her breasts.
“Hold it at bay, baby. You have to.”
“I know.” She kissed him again, her tongue darting out to taste his skin.
He moaned, reaching for her jaw with the hand he had on her shoulder and gripping it to keep her from touching her lips to his hand again. “Adriana, help me out here.”
She sucked in a breath. Or a sob. “My skin is crawling.”
“I know.”
“I’m too hot.”
That was also true. He wished he could fling ba
ck the covers to give them space and air, but he couldn’t. They needed to remain as still as possible for as long as they could. He concentrated on her breaths, shallow, slow, in and out. In and out. In and out. She was breathing through her mouth. He couldn’t blame her. It wouldn’t completely keep her from scenting him, but it would cut down on the powerful nature of the binding.
He did the same, parting his lips but realizing the difference was subtle. He could taste her on his tongue with every breath as if her pheromones were a palpable solid in the air. Hardly different from breathing her scent in through his nose.
No one outside moved. How long had it been? Would they give Nolan extra time? Maybe they were negotiating with him again.
“Terrance.” Hearing his last name spoken into his head so abruptly startled him. He didn’t recognize the voice.
“Yes?”
“Laurence here. From the Arcadian Council.”
“Thank God.”
“Can you hear me too, Adriana?”
“Yes,” she communicated. Her body relaxed marginally in his arms.
“We’re watching your condo. Charles and I. Waiting for backup. There are only two of us. Eight of them. They have no idea we’re behind them.”
Thank Fuck.
“Nolan Osborn. You need to get someone to him. He’s—”
“Already on it. Henry and George are at his hotel.”
Reid blew out a long breath.
Adriana started to move.
He held her tighter. “Don’t move, baby. They still don’t know we’re onto them.”
“Right,” she muttered.
“Hang tight. I wasn’t sure at first that you two were aware of the danger.”
“Yes. Nolan called.”
“There’s a man with a camera aimed at your room and another with a video scanning the area.”
If Nolan was still watching, he had to be freaking out.
“We know. That’s why we haven’t moved an inch since Nolan called.”
Did Laurence chuckle into their minds? “It seems like you moved at least an inch. Smart decision, by the way. I was wondering if it was a coincidence or you had inside info.”
Right. Of course. Laurence could scent the fact that they had completed the binding.
Adriana twisted her hands in Reid’s grip and threaded her fingers with some of his.
“Last resort,” Reid replied, flinching the second the words left his mind. That didn’t come out right.
Laurence definitely chuckled this time. “In my experience, a woman doesn’t usually appreciate it if her man refers to their binding as a last resort.”
Was Adriana giggling? Her body shook. Yes. She was. Thank fuck. “It wasn’t romantic. That’s for sure,” she added.
“I bet. But no less powerful,” Laurence added, his voice serious once again.
“True,” she added softly.
Suddenly Laurence was in only Reid’s mind, the subtle difference obvious to him. “Don’t mean to sound crass or make light of things, son. I’m just trying to keep your mate’s mind off the threat.”
“Appreciated.”
And then Laurence was back in both their heads. “When this is over, you might want to swat him upside the head a few times, miss.”
Reid wasn’t sure he liked this particular advice even if it was an intentional tactic to occupy his mate’s mind.
She giggled again, her sweet behind rubbing against his cock as her body shook. Her nipples were rock hard peaks against his forearms.
How she could so easily be distracted was beyond him, but the council members had powers no one could ever understand. No doubt Laurence was controlling her mind enough to calm her. Luckily he left Reid alone, enabling him to pay close attention to their surroundings.
It was also possible that Laurence was manipulating Reid too. Perhaps helping tamp down the arousal to keep him focused. Reid wasn’t sure how he felt about that either, but he assumed, in the end, he would be grateful. Keeping his head in the game could be the difference between life and death.
“I need to make contact with my parents,” Adriana communicated.
“We already have,” Laurence responded. “They’re fully informed. You concentrate on keeping safe.”
She nodded against Reid, her fingers tightening in his.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nolan was pacing in front of his computer while he watched the insanity unfold in front of him. There was nothing else he could do for the time being. His hands were tied. He wouldn’t interrupt Reid and Adriana again. For one thing, they deserved a private moment without him interfering in their binding. For another thing, they needed to concentrate on the danger without adding anything else to their plate.
It hurt. The pain was deep and powerful. Nolan closed his eyes several times. It was a wonder he didn’t go insane from helplessness and worry and the deep, profound loss of his mate. He assumed eventually he wouldn’t feel the connection to her anymore, but he had no idea when that would occur. Would he sense the break from her immediately?
He hoped not because if that were to be the case, it would mean they didn’t bind when he hung up. Because so far he felt no change. He still held her close to his heart.
What if he always did and he had to watch his best friend live his life with the woman Nolan needed more than his next breath?
It was overwhelming. He shook the thoughts from his head and watched the screen again as the men surrounding Reid’s house crept closer. When would they be given the go-ahead to break into the house?
Thank God whoever was surrounding them was human. It made all the difference in the world. They had no idea the occupants were onto them.
Nolan nearly jumped out of his skin when a voice sounded in his head. “Nolan.” He didn’t recognize the tone, but he thought the speaker was older. “George here. I’m outside your hotel.”
Thank God.
“Your dad contacted us, but Henry and I were already watching. I’m just outside your range.” He meant scent range, and indeed after a long inhale, Nolan realized he couldn’t scent George nearby.
“You were already outside? How long have you been there?”
“About an hour. We’ve been following your stalker.”
“For how long?”
“Two days.”
Shit. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” He hated to sound accusatory, but if the council had filled him in earlier, maybe… He shook the thought from his head. The Arcadian Council was very powerful. They had their reasons.
“When we found him, we weren’t sure there was a connection to you yet. The man trying to lure you outside was already on our radar for other offenses. He doesn’t know we’re watching.”
“Shit. Other offenses?” That meant whoever was after Nolan was undoubtedly a shifter. Perhaps the man who’d been hanging around the hotel.
“Yes. From last year. Don’t worry about that now. Let’s get you safe.”
“Reid and Adriana. They—”
“Laurence and Charles are watching them.”
That was a relief. “What’s happening?”
“Eight men have your friends surrounded. But they must be waiting for the all clear to break into the house. If they have an ounce of sense, which I highly doubt, they would know Reid is a private bodyguard and realize he isn’t stupid enough to not have his house overly protected with the finest alarm system.”
“Do you suppose whoever is trying to kill me is that stupid?”
“Let’s hope.”
Nolan couldn’t scent any shifters inside the hotel or even nearby, which meant whoever was after him was either human or smart enough to keep his distance. If it was the same man he’d scented several times in the last hotel he’d hidden in, at least Nolan would recognize that smell as soon as it grew closer again. But what good would that do?
“Are Reid and Adriana safe?” What were the council members waiting on?
“So far. We’re monitoring the situation while we wait on
additional manpower. If we have to move in, we will. For now, it’s better to keep tabs. The man we need to pick off is your stalker. The kingpin. We think he’s in charge of all the others. If we can grab him, we might be able to keep him from issuing further orders.”
“It’s been thirteen minutes since he slid his demand under my door. He’s going to be expecting me in two.”
“Henry’s at the park now, watching from a short distance.”
Nolan took a breath. The council members could easily sneak up on whoever was waiting for Nolan since they had the power to block any shifter from scenting their approach.
“I don’t think the man will be there to meet me himself. He wouldn’t take that risk.”
“You’re right. He’s actually in the car that just pulled up. Showtime. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
Nolan couldn’t catch his breath when George cut the connection. For several moments, he stood rooted to his spot, unable to move or make a decision. And then he jumped into action. If the council had two representatives at the meeting point, he wanted to be there too.
Maybe it wasn’t the brightest decision he’d ever made, but sitting in his hotel room waiting for the all clear sucked as an option too. So, he grabbed his jacket and raced from the room.
»»•««
Vinny sat in his car a safe enough distance from the park, intending to watch Nolan arrive through his long-distance lens but still keep his identity a secret. Nolan didn’t need to know a shifter worked for Stephen Rimouski. Besides, Nolan would be dead before too long and then it wouldn’t matter.
Still, Vinny preferred to keep his hands clean and let the humans take the rap and go down if things went south.
Vinny’s only job here was to confirm Osborn was dead and call off the men surrounding his friends. There was a small gamble. Vinny had to hope Osborn gave enough fucks about his friends to trade his life for theirs. He was counting on it. After all, whoever Reid Terrance and his girlfriend were, they cared enough to pick Nolan up Friday night when he was on the run.
Vinny knew Reid was a shifter. He’d looked him up. He had no idea if the woman was also a shifter or if she was even a permanent part of Reid’s life. She could simply be someone he was currently fucking. Judging from the pictures Vinny had seen of the two of them wrapped around each other in Reid’s condo, he had to assume they were at least fucking. Perhaps they were also bound together. Didn’t matter. He had never approached close enough to find out in order to avoid detection, and Vinny’s informant wouldn’t have a clue. The man was human.
Grizzly Perfection: A Paranormal Shifter Menage Romance (Arcadian Bears Book 6) Page 22
