by Dianna Love
Since his goal was to find some happy middle ground, he would not ask that question. He got busy lifting lids out of the way and the rich smell of good food intensified.
Sucking in a deep breath of aroma that had his stomach jumping up and down, he said, “Dig in. Nothing like steak to get you healing faster.”
“Okay, yes.” She started cutting a perfect square of steak. “But not need all this. I heal soon.”
“Hey, this is only the first course. Once we finish the steak and a killer dessert, we also have fresh fish.”
She finished chewing that first bite and wiped the linen napkin over her mouth. Placing both wrists on the edge of the table, she sat there.
Justin chowed down. He had no idea what was going on with her now, but he needed to eat. He dug in, trying to ignore her, but gave up. When he couldn’t take the quiet any more, he sighed and put down his fork.
Counting to ten did nothing, so he couldn’t help the exasperation in his voice. “What’s wrong now, Eli?”
Her blue eyes were fierce. “Where is money from Boudreaux Clan? They promise to me when I arrive.”
“Money? What has that got to do with anything right now?”
Her lips firmed. “You spend on fancy room and food?”
She thought he’d spent money intended for her? What fancy food?
“No. My boss is paying for the room and the food. Well, he’s paying for the first course. I’m paying for the rest, because I figured we’d both be hungry after burning all that energy and you getting slashed. As for anything due to you, it’s probably in the envelope I was given for you, but we haven’t had time to go through anything like that yet.” Just a bit irritated that money was so important to her after he’d started to think she might be a normal person after all, he added, “I have the envelope so you can look through and count all your money.”
“Oh.”
One word.
It said very little, but the sound had been coated with shame.
That dampened his irritation.
He stood up. “I’m sure things are confusing. Sit tight. I’ll grab the envelope and put your mind at ease that whatever you’re expecting should be in there.”
He pulled a thick, nine-by-twelve-inch envelope out of his duffel.
Still, wasn’t this more like a princess to be worried about her money? He’d never been interested in a woman who cared about living high and the almighty dollar.
That alone should cool his fever around her.
He sure hoped so considering how long a drive he had ahead of him.
Returning to the table where his silent guest waited, he handed her the envelope.
She met his gaze. “Thank you. Sorry. Did not mean to ... ”
“No big deal.” He waved off the apology, still willing to give her space to be tired and injured. “My boss said everything you should need is in the envelope and to let me know of any special requests on our way to the Boudreaux Clan tomorrow.”
She had nodded and taken the envelope to her lap, intent on opening it until his last words. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes. Unless you’re not ready to travel.” He hoped she was up for it.
“I will be ready.” Still appearing confused, she dug through the envelope. First, she pulled out a black credit card she gave a long look and turned over, then set aside. Next came a stack of hundred dollar bills secured with a paper band, which Justin estimated to be a thousand dollars.
She placed the money beside the credit card.
Then she withdrew a black folder the size of her hand that looked like a passport and even had PASSPORT embossed in gold on the front, but it was actually a US National Shifter ID. Most shifters used a driver’s license for identification, so few people would recognize the difference between a shifter and human passport.
Once a person passed the inside back cover of this ID under a black light, the shifter stamp would appear.
Shifters worked within the laws of humans, but they weren’t considered citizens of the US. For that reason, this ID would not have allowed Elianna to pass through customs or surely she’d have flown over in first class.
Maybe she carried an old beat-up suitcase as a cover.
That made more sense now.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at everything, but still no smile.
Not even after the clan gave her a black card, which probably had no limit, and a wad of cash? What was it going to take to make this woman happy?
She put it all back in the envelope, which she placed by the leg of her chair, and started eating.
Okay. Evidently getting her hands on shopping money set everything right.
Justin let it go and returned to his meal. It took more than a glass of wine to get a shifter intoxicated, but he liked the taste of sweet wine. He poured them both a glass, which she sipped.
She finished eating first, only pecking at her dessert. If she left that, it was fair game.
He pushed back and folded his hands over his chest. “All better now?”
She nodded.
Now he was down to less than a one-word answer. “Let’s talk about tomorrow if you’re up for the drive?”
“Yes, okay. I am good.”
Now she was the anxious one to hit the road? That tweaked his nose, but whatever. Hadn’t he been saying he was in a hurry to get her delivered?
He kept his voice upbeat. “Great. If we hit the road early and stop only for food and gas, we can ... ”
“Must shop.”
Of course she wanted to shop.
That money probably wouldn’t last the week. He was not going to follow her around a mall like a lackey.
But arguing with her might be as fruitless as it could be with Herc, so Justin offered, “I’ll find a mall on the way out of town and we’ll stop for an hour. Sound fair?”
“What is mall?”
“A big building with a lot of stores in it so you can find everything in one place. Plenty of shops with dresses and shoes.”
“We have shops.”
Good. She knew what he was talking about. “So we’ll hit the mall first then get on the road.”
“No.”
He mentally watched the fraying line of his patience unravel a little more. “You’re gonna have to give me more than a no. I don’t understand the problem.”
“No dress. No shoes.”
Bewildered, he asked, “Then where do you want to go?”
Studying him, she said, “Your store.”
“Me? I don’t shop.”
She took in his clothes and arched an eyebrow.
“Okay, fine. Yes, I buy clothes and gear when I need it, but I don’t go to malls.”
“Good.”
Don’t growl, he told himself. That would only stir up her bear, which had to be a bit on edge. “Good ... what?”
“Good. Your store.”
He sat back and imagined her trying to find something fancy where he liked to pick up clothes.
Smiling, he said, “Sure.” If she complained, he’d remind her that he offered the mall first.
Then he’d drive as hard as he could for thirty-five hours and drop her at the Boudreau Clan where she would be their problem.
“Leave early, yes?”
“Works for me,” he replied. “That way we should reach Louisiana by midday Sunday.”
“No.”
That word was back. Did she think it automatically explained anything? He worked his jaw, which had become tight from clenching and unclenching his teeth, then sighed hard. “What are you saying no to?”
“Five days, then meet clan.”
Oh, hell no. He deserved a medal for shouting that only in his mind.
Herc chortled.
Justin didn’t want to know what the fucker found funny in all this. He told her, “Sorry, but that’s the plan.”
“No.”
One more no and Justin could not be held responsible for his actions. He dropped his hands to his knees and leaned forward. �
��We need to get a few things straight. One is that I am in charge of delivering you to that clan. Two is that I am not your fulltime driver for a vacation. Three is that it will go much easier if we can have a real conversation and that isn’t going to happen if you just keep saying no. Understand?”
“I know English.”
“Great. Now try using all your words.”
She sat straighter and pinned him with a hard stare. “No. Is not plan. Both alphas agree five days before meet Clan Boudreaux. I am told you make my requests.”
“Not make. Fulfill,” he corrected out of annoyance.
He noted she hadn’t called the alpha of her Russian clan father, but Justin put that aside mentally to dwell on later. For now, he needed to fix this somehow.
Trying again, he explained, “I said I would take you shopping. Tomorrow. I did not say I would spend five days—and before you argue about it—what exactly do you need five days to accomplish?”
“Plan each day.”
That meant she did not intend to share her plans in advance, which only upped his irritation.
He got up and walked around the room, scrubbing his face with his hands. This was crazy.
Pulling his phone out, he hit speed dial for the Guardian who answered, “Hello, Justin. Did Elianna arrive as expected?”
“Yes, sir, but she’s confused about something.”
She said, “No confused.”
He waved a hand at her to be quiet and continued explaining to his boss, “She thinks I’m going to drive her around for five days doing I-have-no-idea-what before I deliver her to Clan Boudreaux.”
“I did tell you to take care of any special requests on the way to her drop-off point.”
Justin’s stomach hit his feet at realizing the file he’d received from the Guardian had said to do that, but Justin had assumed his boss meant only during the drive tomorrow.
Had the Guardian known about this and withheld information until Justin was neck-deep in this mess? Why? It hit him. His boss felt he was too close to Adrian’s problem and wanted Justin to gain some distance. This would definitely give him space, but he didn’t like it.
Needing to confirm his guess, Justin asked, “Don’t you want me to give the guys in Wyoming a hand?”
“They’ll be fine. I have known the Romanov alpha for many years, which is why he asked that I oversee his daughter’s security and delivery. It is my responsibility to fulfill the terms of his agreement with Clan Boudreaux.” The Guardian paused then added, “If I thought Adrian’s healing depended on your presence, I would not have asked you to do this, but I needed you in particular, and I believe you’ll be more useful to Adrian after this assignment.”
Yep, Justin had failed to hide how much Adrian’s problem was affecting him.
His boss had given his word to the alphas.
Now it was Justin’s responsibility to make good on that word.
Without waiting on Justin to comment, the Guardian said, “Elianna knows the limit of those terms. From what I understand, of all parties involved she is the one most determined not to deviate from the agreement. Is there anything else?”
“No, sir.”
“If you need anything or support of any kind, call me back.”
No way in hell that was happening.
The Guardian’s casual offer of help was the same as asking Justin if he had doubts about handling his mission.
Herc made a huffing sound again, poking at Justin.
Stuff it, bear, Justin muttered mind to mind.
“Thank you for meal,” Elianna said, standing.
Justin put his phone away and turned to her, now in an entirely new mindset. “You’re welcome. Keep in mind that I didn’t tell my boss what happened tonight ... yet.”
She went very still.
It might have been the new tone he took with her, or her normal reaction. He had no idea with this woman.
He continued. “I’m expected to report everything that happens to my boss.” That was a stretch, because the Gallize shifters had a certain amount of autonomy. On the other hand, if anything went wrong after today, Justin’s ass would be in a bind for not reporting the wolf attack.
What could Justin say? That he couldn’t protect her from a rogue wolf shifter?
Unfortunately, he hadn’t, but that wouldn’t happen again.
Elianna’s face went from soft to angry. “You would tell and ruin plans?”
“I don’t want to ruin your plans.”
Herc said, Lie.
Justin ignored his irritating bear so he could deal with one conversation at a time.
He told Elianna, “But the minute I report that attack, my boss is going to change my orders to deliver you either to a safe house for the next five days or to Clan Boudreaux, who will take over your protection.” Considering someone else taking over bugged him. Why?
“No.” She came alive, stepping toward him with her fists clenched. “We make deal. All agree. Must have five days.”
Justin had thought she was starting a diva fit at first, but her voice quivered and that last sentence pinged with importance. She could have said no one was being fair or she would call someone and demand a new driver.
No, she had said she must have five days.
Must. Very little emotion had entered her face until now, but Justin picked up the scent of her fear.
Not just fear, but terror.
What was going on with this female bear shifter?
Then as if this reaction had not been unexpected, she surprised him again when she said, “Please.”
One word filled with anguish that had come from somewhere deep in her soul. From a place where she locked away her worst pain.
Justin knew that spot. He had his own.
His gut argued that she wasn’t telling him everything, but his instincts told him she kept her emotions and her secrets tucked close out of a need for self-preservation.
If she had smiled sweetly and teased him to get what she wanted, she’d have come up empty-handed. Justin had been with all kinds of women and he could spot a manipulative one a mile away.
This one had fought him at every turn and rolled out the word “no” as if it were a universal bargaining chip.
Her frightened eyes and softly spoken plea did what nothing else could have. It made him fold faster than a gambler with a bad hand.
“Okay.”
Her eyes brightened. No smile, but he held out hope that over the next five days he could coax one happy face out of this woman at some point.
But he was not taking any more chances with her safety.
He offered, “I’ll wait to report the incident until after I’ve delivered you.”
“Thank you.”
Justin held up a hand. “We need to have an understanding. First, we roll at o-six-hundred.” He shook that off. “Six in the morning local time. You need to be dressed and packed.”
“Yes, okay.” She started for the door to the hallway and Justin reached it first, blocking the handle.
“What?” she asked, eyes flashing with warning.
Really? She thought that look would scare him?
Moving on, he said, “You’re staying in here tonight.”
Her anger fell away. “No.” But this no came out soft and unsure.
“Yes.”
Once again, she got her grit back quickly. “Stay in my room!”
“Actually,” he said, pulling his phone out and hitting the redial for the hotel, “it’s my room under my name.” When the front desk answered, Justin gave them her room number and said that party had decided to check out.
She gasped. “No. Can not do.”
He ended the call and shoved the phone in his pocket. “I just did. Before you get all jacked up, you’re the one who broke the rules and ended up attacked. If we’re going to spend five days together, you’re going to be where I can keep an eye on you the entire time. It may not seem important to you, but my boss expects me to keep you safe until I deli
ver you. I do not let that man down. Until we arrive, I’m not chasing you down again and I’d just as soon avoid fighting other shifters as well.”
“Not nice.”
True. Herc found that amusing and snorted.
Fucking bear. Justin said, “That’s not a fair statement, Elianna.” That was her name. Not Eli. She was a client. “I’m making sure you get the five days. That’s nice, right?”
Her face fell. She muttered as if the words might choke her. “Yes. Thank you for duty.”
She was turning his insides into a pretzel.
One minute she shouted angry words at him, the next minute she turned him into putty with her pleading, then she went back to demanding and now insulted him with her backhanded thank-you for performing the job that he’d been assigned.
The wiring got crossed in his brain, because he still found her hot. Even more so the few times she let go of that tight control and yapped at him.
Five days.
He shouldn’t do this, not with the way she affected him, but he’d said he would.
He kept his word, no matter how much anyone annoyed him while doing so.
Unlike the Clan Boudreaux alpha, who Justin didn’t consider high on the integrity ladder.
Justin had done everything he could to distance himself from that bunch, starting with being a man he could face in the mirror every night.
Now he had to go back to the place he never wanted to visit again. Five days from now.
“Am tired.” Turning away, she dragged her suitcase into the bathroom and shut the door.
Justin’s stomach growled. He was still hungry so he went back to the table, determined to enjoy the rest of his meal while she did whatever she had to do to get ready for bed. He normally stayed up late, but the last two days had been long and it was closing in on eleven locally.
When she didn’t emerge in twenty minutes and Justin didn’t hear any water running, he tapped on the bathroom door. “Elianna, please come out.”
“No.”
“I thought you wanted to go to bed?”
“Yes. Sleep here.”
He thunked his head against the door.
CHAPTER 12
Elianna had a stiff neck from trying to sleep in the bathtub, but it felt better now as she stretched.
