Tim nods. “Of course. It’s in the kitchen.” He points to one of the doors and Jesse disappears into the back of the house. Tim watches me as I step over the threshold and closes the door behind me, the click of a lock tells me we are securely locked in. “The living room is through there,” he reaches around an archway and switches a light on, lighting up a perfectly normal looking living room. “Make yourself at home. Do you want a drink or something to eat?” Tim being the perfect host is not what I expected of the creepy Tim I’ve come to know and hate. The fact that he isn’t being creepy is actually more creepier than when he is his normal creepy self.
“No, I’m ok thanks,” I say, flashing him a thankful smile as I walk into the large living room. The large TV hung on one wall catches my eye first, before they fall on the three seater sofa opposite it. There’s a two seater sofa sideways on to the TV, and a coffee table in the middle of the room. The carpet is a luxuriously thick charcoal grey, even with my shoes on I can feel its soft cushioning under my feet. Choosing the three seater sofa, I sit down and Tim chooses to sit at the other side leaving the seat between us empty. We can both hear Jesse taking on the phone in the kitchen, but the walls and doors between us make the words undecipherable leaving just the rumble of his voice. Leaning forward Tim grabs the TV remote off the coffee table and flicks through the on screen program, too quick for my eyes to keep up, and selects a channel. On the screen theres a shot of an arm with a tattoo it moves and spells the name Charlie Hunnam and I relax into the sofa grateful that he has good taste in shows. Its one of my favourite shows. Son’s of Anarchy. We’re well into our second episode as Jesse walks into the room.
Tim hits a button on the remote turning off the TV and focuses his attention on Jesse. “What’s the go, Boss?”
Jesse lets out a deep sigh before filling us in. “The police have left the house but they’ve parked a patrol at the entrance to my private road. Kelly went back to your farm and there’s a patrol watching there too,” he says not taking his eyes off me. Making me wonder if he’s waiting for some reaction from me. He leans against the back of the two seater sofa. “I spoke to Marco, Alpha of Verona Pack. He’s willing to let us hide out there for as long as it takes to fin the witness and clear your name.”
“You’ll need passports organising. I’ll get on with Nicky, she can sort that,” Tim says as he goes to stand.
“Already done it.” Tim settles back on the edge of the sofa. “She said she’ll have them in a day or two. Are we alright staying here until then? As soon as we get those we can book the first flight to Italy.”
That gets my attention. “Italy? as in the country, Italy?” I ask. Thinking there must be another Italy I don’t know about.
“Yes. The country Italy.” He laughs. “Marco is your Uncle, Antony’s brother. I never thought to mention him before. Did your Nonna never mention him?”
“No.” I say, stunned to learn that I have family I didn’t even know existed.
Jesse shook his head and runs a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t matter, you’ll meet him in a couple of days. He said we can stay as long as we need, forever, if that’s what it takes to keep you out of prison.”
Forever. I can’t stay in Italy forever and Jesse definitely can’t. Surely Jesse knows that. I bite my lip, unsure of how to ask. “Jesse… What about the pack?”
“He’s given us his invitation. His pack will be welcoming.” I can’t believe his words. A quick glance at Tim and seeing him staring at the blank TV trying not to speak tells me he knows Marco’s Pack wasn’t the one I was asking about.
I shake my head baffled with Jesse’s idiocy. “No. I’m not talking about Marco’s pack. What about our Pack. Your pack, Jesse.”
He runs a hand over his face showing me how third he is, before tucking them both in his jeans pockets. “They’ll be fine for a little while without me.” His voice doesn’t sound as certain as his words imply.
I know that the pack won’t last long without him, it will fall apart. I can feel it though the bonds. He’s at the centre of the pack. He’s their lifeline. “What if it turns out that I can never return? What will happen to the pack then?” I ask, sincerely concern.
Jesse glances at Tim, whose blank stare hasn’t left the TV. “Someone will take over. Someone else will become Alpha,” Jesse whispers and we both watch Tim’s shoulders slump in defeat at the thought of losing his Alpha.
Tim’s sorrow overwhelms me through the pack bonds and I reach over the empty seat between us, taking his right hand in mine, from where it was resting loosely in his lap. Tearing his eyes away from the TV he looks at his hand in mine, like it’s an alien. I stroke the back of his hand with my thumb in a circular motion, hoping to comfort him. “You can’t leave the pack. They will be devastated if you leave them. They’ll fall apart,” I plead, knowing I can’t let him leave with me. He’ll never return to the pack without me.
“They’ll be fine. There are plenty of people who could be Alpha. Dave, Big Mac, even Tim here,” he says pointing to Tim. Suggesting those people tells me he hasn’t really considered this far ahead because he knows better than I do that these people could never be Alpha.
I tell him as much. “I haven’t known any of them as long as you but even I know none of them could be as good an Alpha as you are.” Dropping Tim’s hand, I count them off on my fingers. “Dave likes taking order’s. That’s why he’s comfortable in the Army he doesn’t like giving them. He could never be Alpha.” I count off another finger. “Big Mac has his bar, That bar is his life, he wouldn’t take the pack on because it would take him away from his bar.” I grab Tim’s hand once again in my own. “Can you feel how sad Tim is at the mention of you leaving? Do you really think he could take your place. No offence Tim,” I say turning to look at him. The small smile he gives me in return tells me he isn’t offended. “Our pack is strong, but it’s strong because of you. ‘For the strength of the Pack is the wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.’ Jesse they need you.”
“Did you just quote Rudyard Kipling?” Jesse say with a small laugh.
“Yes.” I snap, wondering if he even listened the rest of what I said?
Jesse walks round the sofa. Sitting on the coffee table in front of Tim and myself he places a palm on each of our knees. “But you need me Frankie. You’re my mate now.”
I shake my head. “I’m not tearing you away from the Pack, they need you more. They deserve you more than I do.”
The thin line of his lips tell me I’m not winning. “I need you,” he whispers causing me to remember that loneliness he I felt within him just the other night and I know in that second that his words are nothing but the truth. He does.
“What if it was Tracey, or one of the other members who was running from prison? What would you do then?” I argue, knowing he wouldn’t go with them not even to settle them in.
“I’d get them to another pack. Somewhere safe, where they could be protected. Or transferred permanently if need be,” he admits, the slight slump in his shoulders tells me he knows what I’m saying.
I forge on anyway. “But you wouldn’t go with them? You wouldn’t leave the Pack for them?”
“No, Frankie. But it’s not just someone else. It’s you. My Mate.” He growls deep in his throat and stands up before pacing back and forth in front of the TV. Having seen Jesse pace like this before I know he’ll be pacing for a while. No one is going to win this argument anytime soon.
I turn my attention to Tim, who’s watching Jesse pace. The look on his face makes me think he’s trying to read Jesse’s thoughts but that isn’t possible. Jesse’s face is too blank to be able to read anything from it. Jesse would make a good poker player. “Tim. It’s getting late. Can you show me where I’ll be sleeping, please.”
Tim shake himself like a wolf would after sleeping or being still for a length of time. “Of course. Sorry.” he says, standing up and leading me through the house. “There’s a couple of spare bedroom’s upstairs.
Do you want to take a drink up with you?” he asks as we pass a door which must be the kitchen.
“No, thanks,” I say with a shake of my head. I glance back in to the living room and catch sight of Jesse still pacing back and forth. I’ve argued my point with Jesse. If he doesn’t take what I’ve said on board, no amount of my repeating myself will make a blind bit of difference. I know leaving him to pace is the right thing to do because I need to think of a Plan B and watching Jesse pace back and forth isn’t going to help me do that.
Tim leads me up stairs to a plainly decorated room, which practically scream bachelors house. It’s lacking the little decorations that only a woman seems to think of. “Here you go, Frankie,” he says stopping in the doorway behind me.
“Thanks Tim. Sorry about invading your home like this.” I turn and pull him into a hug. He squeezes me back and holds on a little longer than I’m comfortable with but as I feel his shock still clinging to him through the bonds, I relaxed into it realising how much he really needs the comfort of pack touch.
“We’ll fall apart,” he whispers so quietly in my ear, I can only just make out the words.
“He won’t leave, I won’t let him. I promise,” I whisper back just as quietly.
He pulls away to search my face with his eyes, probably looking for the truth of my words. After a moment he nods, clearly satisfied with whatever he may see and releases me completely before leaving me alone in the room. I close the door to, leaving it ajar enough so that Jesse can catch my scent if he wants to come and find me when he’s done his thinking. Having changed from my leathers into shorts earlier in the day, I now tug down my shorts and take off my bra from underneath the tank top I’m wearing, before placing them on the end of the bed knowing my feet won’t reach that far down. I lie awake for what feels like a good hour, thinking about all that was said down stairs and falling on the same conclusion. Jesse will not let me leave without him. Yet, if I let him go with me to ‘settle me in’, he’ll never leave me. We’ll both be in Italy until my name is cleared. If I stayed here in Tim’s house? The police would find me eventually. Going to Italy is a good idea, but I have to go on my own. I eventually fall asleep with thoughts of Italy going around my head.
I wake to the feel of someone slipping into the bed behind me. Jesse’s energy roams over my skin before he spoons up behind me, sliding his arm over my side and hugging me to his chest. I grab his arm and hugged him back. “I love you,” I say sleepily. My brain momentarily panics, thinking it’s too soon to say something like that but my heart shuts the thought down. It’s the truth and life is too short not to speak it.
He kisses my hair, my neck, my shoulder. “I… Love… You,” he says between kisses.
His kisses have me moaning quietly and my body alert. His hand slides up my stomach and to my breast, the brush of his fingers over my nipples have me begging for more, leaning into his touch. He flips me over so quick, one second he’s behind me, and the next he’s on top of me with his mouth where his fingers just were. I arch my back enjoying the teasing of his tongue and teeth.
My hands run wildly over his biceps, shoulders and around his neck. My nails digging into his skin trying to find purchase as his hand moves between us. I moan into his mouth as I feel him steady himself at my entrance. Impatiently I slide my hands down his back, using them to pull him towards me and effectively slamming him home. Exactly where I need him. The guttural sound he lets out makes me want to do it again, just so he’ll make that noise again.
He spends what feels like hours showing me exactly why we need to be together. How much we both need each other. His torturously slow steady love making almost has me agreeing to anything, just so I can fall off that precipice and shatter into a thousand pieces.
“Oh, Jesse,” I moan, my mouth barely able to form words as I come back to my senses and he falls onto his back next to me, before pulling me up to rest on his chest.
I feel myself drifting into sleep, just as his voice rumbles through his chest under my ear, pulling me back from the edge of sleep. “ I’ve only just got you. I can’t let you leave without me now. I know what you were saying is right. I know the pack need me, but I need you. You’re my Mate. I can’t lose you.”
I run my fingers through his chest hair, liking the feel of it under my fingertips. “You wouldn’t be losing me, Jesse. I’d still be yours. We’d just have an ocean or two between us and that will only be until you clear my name. If anyone can do that you can.”
He brushes a hand over my head, soothing down my hair. “What if I came and settled you in?” he asks.
As much as I like that idea, I know deep down that I can’t allow that to happen and I tell him why. “You can’t go, Jesse. You would never leave me there. You have to let me go on my own.”
“You still need my protection from people who want to use you for breeding or use your Omega abilities,” he argues.
I run with the only counter argument I have, no matter how much I trust the words. “Marco is my Uncle. He’ll protect me.”
“I don’t know. Your father didn’t speak to Marco and I don’t know why. I went to him as a last resort. All the other Alpha’s I asked felt too threatened to allow me into their territory. Marco wasn’t and as odd as that is in itself, I was ignoring that because I’d be there with you. I won’t trust him with you on your own.” His hand rests on my bicep and squeezes me into him.
Realising there is no way we are going to come to an agreement about this. He won’t let me go alone and I won’t let him come with me. I decide the only option I really have is to hand myself into the police. “What if I hand myself into the police.” I ask. “You can still look for the witness and I’ll be safe in prison.”
“No. What if we can’t find or get to the witness? You’ll be stuck in there for how ever long they give you. It could be years, Frankie.”
“I have a long lifespan now. Years wouldn’t be the same as it would have been if I hadn’t released my wolf,” I state not seeing a big problem with it. I know it wouldn’t come to that because they would find the witness eventually.
Jesse turns on to his side to face me and I slip my head onto his arm. “Being locked up would be a huge problem. For a start your wolf wouldn’t like it, she’d never be able to come out. You’re also forgetting that you age differently now, the humans would notice that. A life sentence for a Were, is a death sentence.” His drawn eyebrows and the biting of his lip shows me how worried he is about this.
My eyes widen in disbelief at the thought of Were’s being assassinated for being jailed. “There would be a hit out on me?”
He rubs at his chest with his free hand. “To save us from exposure? Yes,” he admits.
Surely there is a way out of the death sentence, I blurt out any reason I can think of that could mean I won’t be killed. “But I don’t have to change with the moon. Wouldn’t that give me some time? Time for you to find the witness.” Hope surges through me. This is our only option it has to work.
He shrugs. “It’s too small a chance. Once you’re in the prison I lose control of the matter. I’m not willing to take the risk.”
The options seem to be having worse outcomes. Too tired to think anymore, I know I need to reassess this in the morning with a fresh head. I kiss him on the lips, the nose and the forehead. “I need to go to sleep. We can figure it out in the morning.”
Jesse smiles. “Sure, we’ll have all the answers in the morning,” he says not sounding convinced, before kissing me deeply, making me feel as though with all the talk of death he thinks it may be our last.
Turning over, I shuffle towards him so my back is pressed to his chest and he pulls me close ensuring there isn’t any air between us. “I love you,” I whisper, closing my eyes.
“I can’t lose you,” I hear him whisper just as I doze off into a deep slumber.
Chapter Thirty Eight
Frankie
Opening my eyes to a dark room I deduce that I can’t have slept very lo
ng, the sun isn’t even starting to show it’s face through the gaps in the blinds. I stare at the ceiling listening to the deep rumbling of Jesse sleeping and think about the options before me. Going to Italy which will result in tearing the pack apart or going to prison which will most likely result in my assassination. Neither of these options appeals to me but I have to choose one of them. There’s only one that even with the worst outcome, less people will be affected. And if by some miracle the worst doesn’t happen, it will work out for everyone. The Pack. Jesse. Me. That miracle relies on Jesse finding the witness, whomever it may be.
As the sun starts to shine through the gaps in the blinds my decision solidifies in my mind and a plan is formed. I just hope I can pull it off. The main issue with the plan is that it relies me getting up without waking Jesse. I slowly slide out of the bed, pausing midway out as he grumbles something incoherent, before rolling over. I stay stock still until his breath comes deep and regular indicating that he’s fallen back into a deep slumber. I slip out the rest of the way and quietly pull on my clothes before stepping out of the room, gently closing the door behind me. Walking down the stairs I work out the best place to find a pen and paper would be the kitchen, so that’s where I head. Glancing around the room I spot what I’m looking for on the side next to the phone in its cradle. Sitting down at the breakfast bar I write a note to Jesse.
Jesse,
I’m sorry. But I can’t let you hurt the pack, it would kill you.
I Love You.
Always
Frankie xxx
I fold the note in half and write his name on the back before placing it on the side before me, knowing he’ll have a clear view of it as soon as he enters the room. Seeing Tim’s car keys on a hook above the phone I tear off another piece of paper and scribble a quick note to Tim, telling him where he’ll be able to find his car. I leave Tim’s note open not caring who reads it laying the pen placed on top of it.
Releasing the Wolf (The Rossi Pack Book 1) Page 25
