Quickly, Addy fumbled for the seat-belt, taking a deep breath before hitting the button. She dropped to the roof of the car, screaming in pain as she fell onto the crumbled glass. She pushed herself up, glass cutting her hands. She followed Marcus out his side of the car, knees aching. Outside of the car, she leaned again the vehicle, letting it support her. A quick glance down at her body revealed a large spot of blood over her stomach. Tenderly, she touched the wound, wincing at the slightest touch. She'd been cut, but she wasn't sure how bad the wound was.
Marcus, in his bear form, was already racing towards the van. They'd done a number on it. The driver was stumbling towards Marcus, a gun raised, but Marcus reached him before he could fire. Addy closed her eyes. She'd been around shifters her whole life, but had never seen something like this, and now wasn't the time to start.
She heard footsteps crunching through glass behind her. She whirled, seeing a dark skinned bald man coming towards her, gun raised. She knew his kind. He was a killer and nothing could ever change that.
“Please,” Addy begged, though she knew it would do no good.
“I can't disobey my Clan Leader. I'm sorry, Marcus,” the man growled.
His eyes narrowed and his finger moved to the trigger. Suddenly, he gave a look of surprise and the man tossed the gun to the side. He was shifting, ripping through his clothing, dark black hair erupting across his body. From behind her, Addy heard Marcus running at the shifter. Marcus collided with the other bear just as the man finished shifting. With a twinge of guilt, Addy realized she had hoped the man wouldn't have been ready to meet Marcus. Then, she realized this man would have killed her without a shred of guilt and he deserved whatever he got.
The two bears fought, claws raking across each other. Blood flew through the air, the other bear burying his teeth into Marcus's leg. Marcus roared, biting down, latching onto the other shifter's neck. She wanted to close her eyes but didn't, watching as Marcus finally bit down, killing the other shifter swiftly. Marcus released the shifter, dropping him to the ground as he turned back into a man.
Immediately after, Marcus was shifting back. He paused while looking at the man, recognition flashing across his face. Then, he turned towards her. Addy's eyes followed his body as he came close to her. His chest and arms were covered in an intricate tattoo, his stomach was toned and her eyes moved downward, seeing his…
Face burning up, she bent down and grabbed his clothes, handing them to Marcus as he neared. He slid into the jeans and then pulled the shirt over his head. He grabbed her hands, coming close, running his hands over her body.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, inspecting her.
“Just my stomach,” she said, pointing down. Was he hurt? She longed to ask him, finding herself caring more about his well-being than hers. “We need to get out of here, though. Let's worry about it later.”
“Let me see. We need to see how bad you're hurt,” Marcus said, carefully pulling up her bloody shirt. She winced in pain, tears welling in her eyes. Addy tried not to cry, attempting to hold back the pain. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the pain she was feeling was starting to wash over her body in waves.
“It's bad. You're going to need stitches,” Marcus said. “But I know a guy who can fix you right up. There's a couple of old motels around here. We can lay low and wait for him to show up.”
Without waiting for an answer, Marcus leaned over, sweeping Addy off her feet. Then he was running, effortlessly carrying her down the street despite everything he'd just been through. She knew he was trying to carry her as gently as possible, but every step sent a jolt of pain through her body.
“It's going to be alright, Addy,” Marcus whispered in her ear. “It's going to be alright.”
Somehow, she realized she believed him, as pain washed over her and she lost consciousness.
When Addy awoke, she found herself lying in an uncomfortable bed. Looking around, she realized that she was indeed in a cheap hotel room, just like Marcus had planned. The room was mostly dark except for dull winter light streaming through the cracks around the curtain. Marcus was standing at the edge of the window, peering out.
“What's going on?” Addy asked, struggling to sit up.
Marcus turned towards her, quickly moving to the edge of the bed and sitting down. He held her in place, grabbing her hand with one of his own. Addy nearly gasped, feeling his large hand gripping hers. For a man like Marcus, his grip was surprisingly soft and gentle.
“We're waiting for a friend of mine. He's a doctor. He's going to know how to get you patched up. I can't let you get hurt anymore.”
“I'm fine, Marcus,” Addy said, but she didn't try to get out of his grip. “Marcus, that shifter that attacked us called you Marcus. Was… he your friend?”
“I thought so,” Marcus answered. He tried to sound like it didn't bother him, but she could tell that he was torn up. Addy wanted to comfort him, but kept herself in check. She had a job to do, and so did he. “His name was Judge. Maybe he wasn't the kindest man I've ever met, but he'd always been there for me. I can't believe that he would try to kill me. I don't understand.”
“He also said he couldn't disobey his Clan Leader. That would be your Uncle, right?”
Marcus was silent, mulling it over for a few seconds. He nodded and said, “It makes sense. Joe never wanted a merging of the Clans, but I didn't think he would go this far.”
“Would your doctor friend turn against you?”
“No,” was Marcus's quick answer, though Addy could tell that he was hesitant. “I don't think so. I don't know. I never thought my Uncle would turn against me, either.”
Marcus seemed to be thinking it over when a knock came at the door. Marcus was up in an instant, holding a finger to his mouth to keep Addy quiet. He padded silently to the window, peeling the curtain back a fraction of an inch.
Carefully, Marcus moved to the door, undoing the chain and unlocking the door. He slowly opened it up, standing behind it as he did so. Addy watched the shifter outside. He saw her and her wound, immediately coming into the room, holding a bag of medical supplies. He was dressed nicely, nicer than most shifters she had met, and had a kind look on his face. Still, he could be with Joe, Addy thought.
He had barely taken a step into the room when Marcus was behind him, sliding an arm around the shifter's throat with his other hand on his head, ready to kill him in a heartbeat if necessary.
“Marcus...” the shifter coughed.
“Are you with them, Russ? Are you with them?”
“Who?” Russ replied, barely croaking the words as his airway was closed off.
“Joe! Judge! They're trying to have us killed!”
“No! Marcus, you know me! I've been with you since the beginning!”
Addy watched as Marcus slowly let Russ go. The doctor rubbed his tender throat, coughing again. Despite what had just happened to him, he didn't look angry at the situation.
“Sorry, Russ,” Marcus apologized. “Things have gotten bad here.”
“Explain it to me,” Russ said, coming over to the bed. He bent down and pulled up Addy's shirt, who winced at the pain. The pain wasn't as bad as before, her whole stomach having gone numb.
“Addy here is the daughter of the Croft, who runs a Clan up near New York. He sent her down here to broker a deal between us and them.”
Russ nodded and sniffed. “You're not a shifter.”
“Adopted. My father thought it would be good to have an outsider helping with Clan politics. I'm not sure if it was a wise decision, with everything going on right now, but it is what it is.”
“I've heard about this idea of a merger through the grapevine,” Russ offered, looking into his bag. He seemed distracted, but Addy knew he was paying perfect attention to the conversation and his work.
“Joe and the rest aren't going to play ball. They're refusing to bend the knee and join forces with an outside Clan that doesn't agree with their agenda. Worse, I think Joe and the Elders have joined
forces with Ramsey. One of the shifters I killed earlier was with his Clan.”
“Ramsey? I knew I should have never have saved his life when he was bleeding out on the table. I would never have guessed Joe wanted him alive to team up with him. Why do you think Joe was behind the attack? Addy, this is going to hurt, but try to remain still.”
Russ poured some clear liquid on Addy's stomach. She clenched her teeth as the liquid bubbled, stinging and burning her cut. Russ peered in closer with a small flashlight.
“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 s
he 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 broke 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.
Mark (BBW Country Music Bear Shifter Romance) (Bearly Saints Book 2) Page 9
