“Judge was there, too. I… had to kill him.”
If Russ was bothered, his expression didn't change at hearing the news. He was focused on Addy's stomach.
“What's it looking like, Russ?” Marcus asked, coming to the other side of the bed. Concern was etched in his face and he grabbed Addy's hand. She squeezed, trying to ignore the pain as Russ poked around.
“It's deep, but it's not life threatening. I'm going to have to stitch you up.”
“I've never had stitches before,” Addy offered, trying to smile.
“Well, there's a first time for everything,” Russ said, injecting a needle of numbing solution near the cut. “So what's our next move, Marcus?”
“I'm not sure. Who knows who else could be involved? If Judge flipped, anyone could have. Maybe I shouldn't have killed him. Maybe I could have convinced him he was in the wrong.”
Russ hardly gave any indication that it mattered. “He was a traitor, Marcus. Let's not worry about him anymore. If Joe really is working with Ramsey, then things are a lot worse than I expected. Ramsey led an attack on us. He almost killed Zoe. He almost killed me. He did kill and injure a lot of people we care about. The Clan is going to be split.”
Addy felt a tiny prick in her stomach, but refused to look down. “I can help.”
“I don't want you to get any more involved with this than you already are, Addy,” Marcus said, giving her hand a squeeze.
“I know, but it's what I'm here for. My father sent me to make a deal. If we can get them talking, maybe we can call all of this off. My father doesn't want a war. But if necessary, he'll start one. You guys are going to need all of the help you can get.”
“I don't like it.”
“I don't like it either, but it's a good plan, Marcus. Let's get Joe and the others to agree to a meeting with Addy. They won't dare attack her at the HQ. The attempt on your life earlier was abhorrent, but they know it can't be traced back to them, not officially, anyway. They don't want a war with New York. We might be able to avoid any more bloodshed.”
“Fine,” Marcus said, though Addy could tell he didn't like it.
“All done,” Russ said, rummaging through his bag. “I've got some antibiotics here to kill off any infection. Make sure you take them. Other than that, you're going to be fine. Get some rest tonight and then tomorrow we can set up the meeting.”
Russ stood up, zipping up his bag and turning towards Marcus. “You two should lay low here for the night. I'm going to go back to HQ and check in with everyone. I'll try to feel out a couple members of the Clan. I think Clive and Derrick will be on board with us.”
“What about the others? Jace? Rick?”
“I'm not sure, honestly. I don't think they would side with Joe, but I don't know. The Clan could be more divided than we originally thought.”
Russ left them alone in the motel room. Addy and Marcus sat in silence for a few moments. Gingerly, Addy peeled back her bloody shirt and looked at her wound. Could be worse, she thought. Looking up, she saw that Marcus was looking at her, concern still on his face.
“I'm fine, Marcus,” Addy assured him.
“You could have died. I could have lost you.”
“You hardly know me, Marcus. Jobs go wrong. Don't let it get to you.” Shifter life was often dangerous and brutally short. She couldn't even begin to count the number of shifters that had simply never shown up again after a big job. She'd learned early on to never ask questions, but she wasn't stupid.
“That's all this is to you, Addy? A job? You don't care about what's going on with my Clan? That some of my best friends tried to kill me? That my Uncle gave the okay to have me killed?”
“I was sent here to broker a deal between your Clan, and my Clan. I still intend to give that a shot. That's what I'm here for. I can't let my Father, or my Clan, down.”
Marcus pulled his hand away. Addy hadn't even realized he'd still been holding it. Guilt washed over her, but she tried to push it away. Being a shifter's daughter had taught her that guilt, love, and caring for someone else were emotions that could get you killed.
A thought flashed through her mind: Maybe I'm more like my father than I thought.
“You might be more of a shifter than I am,” Marcus said, echoing her thoughts. “It's been a long time since I've met a client that cares more about her work than the well-being of those around her.”
“Marcus,” Addy started, but didn't continue her sentence. What could she say? He was right, wasn't he? She had come here strictly on business: meet up with a shifter, let him escort her to a meeting between her and Joe, and be back in a few days. Her father trusted her to complete her task.
So what was the problem? She'd only been with Marcus for a few hours, but her thoughts floated back to the car wreck. She'd been hurt, but she was worried about him. And Marcus was worried about her, more than himself. Before Russ had shown up, she had saw how anguished Marcus had looked. She had wanted to comfort him, to tell him it was going to be okay, but that wasn't how things were supposed to go. He was supposed to protect her and she was supposed to focus on her job. But could she keep it up?
“You don't have to be like that,” Marcus said, sitting back down. “That's one thing I've learned. Because of my family.”
“Be like what?” Addy asked, but she already knew.
“You don't have to cut yourself off from everyone else. There's more to life than being part of a shifter Clan. More than protecting clients for money. You can be happy. I can be happy. I've learned that from a few of my friends. Guys that have changed how I view the world.”
“I don't know about that, Marcus. Being part of a shifter Clan is a lonely life, devoted to the Clan. I'm okay with that.”
“I was, too. Until I was on a job with one of the bravest guys I know. Clive was protecting this woman and a group of us were called in to help him. Things went bad. We lost a friend. And following my Uncle's orders, I commanded the other shifters to abandon her to certain death. My friends ignored my orders. At the time, I felt so betrayed. Now, I realize that I was wrong. I don't know if I can ever forgive myself. That woman would have died if it were up to me. I messed up, all because I was trying to be part of the Clan. Sometimes, I don't think I'm cut out for it anymore.”
Addy reached out and grabbed Marcus's hand.
Marcus lifted his head up and she saw how badly everything was weighing on him. She couldn't imagine his pain: torn between his friends and his Uncle, the Clan, the business he would take over. Wondering if there was anything more to life than service to his Clan.
And then everything hit her. She was the same as Marcus had been. She'd only cared about doing her father's bidding. Making sure that the Clan would survive. She had devoted hours – years – of her life to the Clan, something she could never truly be part of. Brokering deals between the Clans wasn't all she did. She did all of the finances, vetted new recruits and clients, protected secrets that would wrack a normal person with guilt. She'd done it all for the Clan. Was it worth it?
“Is there really more to life than working for the Clan? Is it possible to lead a happy life?” she asked, quietly, unsure.
“Yes,” Marcus said, and then Addy was leaning into him. Marcus wrapped his large arms around her body, careful not to put any pressure on her stomach. Her arms wouldn't reach all of the way around his large body, but she held him just the same. Burying her face in his chest, she smelled him: primal, manly, sexy, but most of all, safe. She hardly knew this man, yet she felt that on some level, they were meant for each other. They had both been taught that the only thing that mattered was the Clan. And both of them had found that there was more to life.
She found herself kissing his neck, wetly, quickly moving her mouth up across his smooth chin and towards his lips. Her lips found his, moving gently over them, slowly and lovingly. Marcus kissed gently back, lips moving in perfect tandem to hers. Carefully, he lowered her back onto the bed, lips never leaving her own.
She br
oke the kiss, smiling. “You promise that there's more to life than just the Clan?”
“We can make something more,” he answered.
“I want to believe you.”
She nuzzled up against his warm body, taking a look around their dark and dingy motel room. She realized that she didn't want to be anywhere else at the moment. Addy closed her eyes, and somehow, was asleep within seconds.
Addy awoke peacefully, feeling herself still in Marcus's arms. Sunlight was streaming in the window. The clock read nearly 9 o'clock. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so late. I don't want to leave this man's arms, she thought, but she slowly got herself up. Marcus groggily woke up, wiping sleep from his eyes.
“What time is it?” he mumbled.
“Just about 9.”
“Nine? How did we sleep so long? We need to get moving.”
Together, they climbed out of bed. Marcus helped Addy to her feet. Her stomach was still tender, though she felt better. She popped another antibiotic pill. Marcus was already to the door, peering out and making sure the coast was clear. She walked over to him and put a hand on his back.
“Can we really make this work?” she asked. She'd fallen asleep, dreaming of the life they could live together.
“Yes. But only if we want to.”
She nodded, and hands linked, they left the hotel room together.
It was easy to flag down a cab and head towards King's Security Solutions. Addy wondered if they were walking into a trap, but Marcus was confident that Joe wouldn't risk attacking them inside of his own HQ. Attacking her would only cause her father's Clan to attack his own, which is something Joe would definitely want to avoid.
When they pulled up to the building, Russ and another shifter Addy didn't recognize were out front, waiting. The other shifter was large, almost as large as Marcus, but with a thick head of hair down to his shoulders.
“Addy, this is Clive,” Marcus said.
“Hello,” Addy said, extending a hand.
“It's a pleasure to meet you,” Clive said, his voice rough and deep. I'm glad to have this man on our side, she thought.
“So what's the plan?” Marcus asked, immediately down to business.
“Joe, Foster, and Lockwood are here,” Russ answered. “Clive and I aren't on good terms with Joe, so we'll wait outside, but we'll be listening and we'll be close. You two head inside and talk things over with Joe and the Elders. It might be possible to come to a peaceful resolution, now that his assassination attempts have failed, I'm not holding my breath. He may feel trapped and attack.”
“If that happens, we're prepared to move in. Jace and Emma are inside, waiting and ready to arrest Joe. Not our usual style, but we want to avoid as much trouble as possible.”
“Emma?” Addy asked, surprised to learn another woman was involved in their plans.
“She's a police officer. Dating Jace,” Marcus said. Relieved to find that everything seemed to be under control, Addy smiled. The shifters had a well thought out plan ready to go. Things are going to go smooth, she knew.
“Of course, she's in civilian clothes. Joe and the others have no idea that she's in on our plan. Things are going to go smooth. If they don't, Zoe is standing by with our medical gear.”
“Zoe?” Addy was liking the plan more and more.
“Russ's girlfriend. Another doctor,” Marcus offered.
“And how does your girlfriend fit into this?” Addy asked, the question directed at Clive, knowing that somehow, he had a girlfriend involved.
“She's a lawyer. She's going to ensure that Joe and the others wind up in jail if they decide to break the peace.”
“It sounds like we're prepared,” said Addy, ready to get the meeting over with.
The meeting room was decently sized, a bit larger than her father's. Nearly 20 chairs surrounded the large conference table in the middle. Joe sat at the far end, windows illuminating his shape. With the light behind him, Addy couldn't see his expressions very well. On the sides of the table next to Joe sat the two Elders, Foster and Lockwood. As far as Elders went, they were some of the younger ones Addy had met, though they were still older than most shifters. They still have the same air of arrogance, she noticed.
Elders were well respected members of bear shifter Clans. Getting old wasn't enough to become an Elder. An Elder had to be knowledgeable of Clan politics, full of wisdom of the old ways, and cunning. They were dangerous, even if they didn't look it in their old age.
On the far end of the table sat Marcus and Addy. Addy was close to Marcus, though she tried not to look nervous and dependent on him. Her father had taught her the art of calmness and how to get what would benefit their Clan. She hoped it would work here. She recognized that they were balanced precariously on a knife edge: Joe had already made an attempt on her life, so another wasn't out of the question. But everything she'd learned of him had told her that he was a cautious man by nature. In a situation like this, it's extremely possible that he'll agree to the deal, if for no other reason to save his own pelt, she hoped.
“Marcus. I'm glad you're okay. When I heard that you'd been attacked… I didn't know what I would do if I lost my only nephew,” Joe began. “And you, Miss Croft, how could I ever forgive myself if you were injured before we had a chance to discuss our Clans working together?”
Well, that didn't take long, Addy thought. He's already acting like he had no part in the attack. Covering himself. Smart, but it won't work.
“Joe, do you or the Elders have any idea who is behind the attack?” Marcus asked, playing along. Addy gave Joe a worried look, showing that with everything going on, she was concerned.
“We think it was Ramsey and what's left of his Clan. I have men looking for him even now.”
“Why would Ramsey attack Addy?” Marcus asked. Addy watched Joe raise his eyebrow at Marcus's use of her name. “Why would he attack me?”
“He's set in his old ways, against shifters working with humans. It's pathetic, but we'll find him, and we'll get to the bottom of this. For now, Miss Croft, be assured that you're safe here. There are plenty of shifters here willing to protect you. My nephew seems to have an interest in you, and he'll keep you safe. Most of all, I'm here to keep you safe.”
Addy felt the innuendo hidden in Joe's words, but she ignored them. “That's good to hear. Let's get down to business, Mr. King.”
“Ah,” Joe said, leaning back in his chair. “A woman who wants to get down to business. I respect that. I like you.” Addy nearly shivered at that last sentence. Beside her, Marcus tensed up. She could practically hear him growling a threat aimed at Joe. Carefully, she moved a hand underneath the table and squeezed his knee. At her touch, he visibly relaxed, though she could tell he was still on edge.
“My father wants to propose a sort of business arrangement. A type of merger. As you know, our Clan focuses almost exclusively on running protection for businesses, such as clubs, construction sites, and the like. We realize that we're missing out on a large portion of protection services. Likewise, your Clan focuses on providing protection to individual clients. My father believes we can benefit from each other's experiences.”
“And how does he propose we do that?” Joe asked, though she could that he didn't really care. He's just playing along, leading me along.
“He wants our Clans to combine our resources together.”
“No,” the Elder called Lockwood grated.
“Now, Lockwood. Don't be hasty,” Joe said, smiling at Addy. “She may be on to something.”
“Our Clans will still remain independent of each other. You'll be able to run your Clan how you see fit. But we'd like to send some of our shifters over to you to learn how you guys run your Clan. And you can send some of your men to our Clan. They'll learn valuable information on how we run our protection services.”
Dancing Bearback (BBW Shifter Cowboy Western Romance) (Bear Ranchers Book 3) Page 15
