by T. S. Ryder
“What?” Hayden looked at her more carefully. Her eyelids looked heavy and she was moving slowly, but she seemed okay.
He paused in his untying to put his hand to her cheek and kiss her. “You’re okay now.”
Bella ran in and dropped the clothes in a pile on the floor as she pulled on her pants. “The cops are here.”
Hayden quickly got dressed. “Bella, can you finish untying Kaelyn?” He picked up the gun and pressed it against Will’s forehead, kneeling on his back to keep him from moving. “Get dressed,” he said to the others. All they needed was for the cops to see them in gorilla form or half naked. How would they explain that?
They hurried to dress and Stella went to help Bella get Kaelyn untied. They heard footsteps on the lower floor. Katherine pulled her shirt over her head and stood at Will’s head, waiting for him to try to make a move.
Before the cops reached the stairs, Hayden drew back his fist and punched Will hard in the kidneys. Will groaned in pain. He knew it would hurt—that was one of the worst places to be punched. For good measure, he punched him again.
Hayden leaned close to Will’s ear. “If you ever come near Kaelyn again, if you talk to her, text her, follow her, write notes to her, or have any contact with her in any way at all, I will kill you.” He yanked Will’s head back and slammed his face into the floor.
The cops walked into the room as blood began to pour from Will’s nose.
Four officers came in. They pointed guns and told Hayden to get off Will. They put both of the men in handcuffs to talk to them, but by the time they’d all given their version of what happened, they took the cuffs off Hayden.
“I hope you understand, Mr. Lynch. Anytime there’s a fight, we cuff everyone involved to make sure it doesn’t get violent,” the officer who unlocked his cuffs said.
“I know you just need to do your job.” Hayden looked across the room to where Kaelyn sat on the bed, getting medical attention. “Are you done with me?”
“For now, yes.”
Another officer took Will from the room, still in cuffs. He was being arrested and they were taking him to jail.
Hayden went to Kaelyn’s side and put his arm around her. “How are you?”
She nodded and took a sip of her water. “Okay.”
“Are we almost done?” he asked the medic taking her blood pressure.
“Just about.” The medic checked her reflexes and handed her some pain relievers.
When everything with the cops and the medics was finally done, they walked together out to their cars. They exchanged hugs with Katherine, Stella and Bella. Then, he was finally alone with Kaelyn. He took her into his arms and held her for a long moment.
“I was terrified thinking he’d kill you or do something awful to you,” Hayden said. “Well, more awful than what he did.”
Her face was buried in his shoulder and she cried softly. “I’m so glad you came. Thank you.”
He brushed her hair back, squeezing his arms tighter around her. “I don’t know what I would have done if he’d hurt you worse. You’ve only been living with me a short time, but I can’t imagine life without you.” He pulled back to look her in the eye. “Kaelyn, I’m in love with you.”
“You are?” her voice was small and surprised. She started to cry harder and squeezed her arms around his neck. She whispered in his ear, “I love you, too. Can we go home now?”
Chapter Nine
After such a horrible day, and with the drive home being long, Kaelyn fell asleep in the car, leaning against the door. She felt the car stop and heard the garage door. She was just waking up as Hayden opened her door and scooped her into his arms. She rested her head against his chest as he carried her upstairs and into her room.
He lay her gently on the bed and bent down to kiss her before standing back up.
“Hayden?” she said softly.
“Yes?”
“Will you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone right now.”
He slid into the bed behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and making her feel safer than she’d felt in days.
She turned over so that she was facing him. They stared at each other for a long while, then she leaned forward and kissed him. There was nothing more she wanted in that moment than to be as close to him as possible, to have him touch her in every way possible.
He kissed her back passionately and she slid her legs between his. He put his hand on her hip and caressed her waist and thigh. She pressed her body against his, murmuring into his ear.
“I want you,” she said.
“Are you sure?” he asked, tracing his fingertips along her jaw and chin. “It’s been such a hard day.”
“I have wanted you for a long time, Hayden. I had a crush on you in high school, you know.”
“You did?” He pulled half his mouth into a smile. “I love that I knew you before. I never have to worry that you’re not into the real me.”
“I love the real you.”
“I know you do. And I love you for it.”
He pressed his mouth to hers again and this time, their kissing intensified. Her body felt hot all over and every time he touched her, a wave of pleasure ran through her.
She tugged on his shirt, pulling it awkwardly over his head. He pulled hers off and reached back to unhook her bra. When her breasts were free, he caressed them, squeezing and pinching her nipples. He leaned down to suck on her nipple. She let out a moan and ran her fingers through his hair.
She wiggled out of her pants and waited for him to do the same, then he pulled her on top of him. She hadn’t thought much about it, and maybe he hadn’t either, but being on top felt freeing. Earlier, when she’d been tied up by Will, she had been lying there helpless while he climbed over her. He hadn’t done more than look at her and squeeze her breasts roughly, but still. He’d been on top of her. He would have done much more if Hayden hadn’t come in to save her. But, had Hayden climbed over her, it might have upset her without him meaning to.
She smiled at how he seemed to instinctively know what she needed. She pressed her hips down, rubbing herself against his hard erection. Her panties dampened as he continued to kiss her and rub his hands all over her.
He slipped his hand under her panties, then slid his finger inside her. She moaned and moved up and down against his hand. She could feel her wetness getting all over him.
He slid his finger out, leaving her wanting more, and pushed her panties down. He took off his boxers and now she could rub against his bare cock. After just a few slides of her clit against him, she had to have him inside her.
He growled into her ear, then took hold of his dick and positioned himself at her opening. He found his way in and she sat up, pushing him fully inside her. She paused a moment as they both let out a moan.
He grabbed her hips and moved her up and down on his cock as she bounced on him, slamming in deep again and again. With each thrust, she grew closer to orgasm. She tried to put it off, to draw it out as long possible, but he felt too good.
She let out a loud moan as she came. He growled and sped up his thrusts. His face twisted and he groaned as he orgasmed. She lay down beside him and he pulled her into his arms.
She snuggled into him, hot and sweaty, and quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter Ten
Kaelyn woke to Hayden’s arms around her. Her mouth stretched into a wide smile and she made a soft moaning sound as she pressed back into him.
He stirred and squeezed her harder. “This is the best feeling in the world,” he said.
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
She turned in his arms to face him and kiss him.
“I was thinking,” he said, rubbing his nose against hers. “Maybe you shouldn’t bother getting your own place. I love having you here, and it makes things much more convenient for, umm, our late night activities.”
“Really? You want me to move in with you?”
“Technically, you’re already m
oved in.”
“True.”
“But yes, I want you to live here with me. I want you to be mine.”
She kissed his lips, then his nose, then his forehead. “And I want to be yours.”
“I can keep you safe and away from stalkers and creepers.”
“You’ve done a good job of that so far. When you knocked the door down, you don’t know what that did to me. I was overcome with relief. It was like the second I knew you were there, nothing could ever be wrong again.”
He trailed his fingers along her arm. “There is something I should tell you about that. Didn’t you wonder how I knew where you were?”
She pulled her eyebrows together. “Hmm. I guess I didn’t think about it. I was just so happy to see you. But now that you mention it, how did you know?”
“I installed a tracking app on your phone. I did after Will showed up and I was worried he would do something. I only used it when you went missing, though. I wouldn’t invade your privacy or anything.”
“Oh.” She thought about this for a moment. “Well, it would have been nice if you told me, but it did save my life, so I can’t be too mad.”
“The only reason I didn’t tell you sooner was because I didn’t want you to feel watched. I knew I wouldn’t use it unless there was an emergency. We can take it off now.”
“No. I feel better if you can see where I am, actually. It’s not like I have anything to hide, and if I know, then it’s not like you’re invading my privacy.”
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yes. And we’ll do the same for your phone so I don’t worry that something happened to you.”
“Fair enough.”
“What do you think will happen to Will?” she asked.
“There’ll be a trial. I’m sure we’ll have to testify and all that. Kidnapping is pretty serious. They’ll probably nail him with sexual assault, too. I’d guess he’ll get a few years at least.”
“Oh, good.” She let out a long breath. “I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life.”
“You won’t. I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect you and make sure you feel safe. If I need to hire you a bodyguard, I will.”
“I hope that’s not necessary.”
“Well.” He sighed. “You do know that once the media finds out about us, there will be lots of photos and that sort of thing, right?”
“I figured. It’ll be okay. As long as we’re together, we’ll figure it out, right?”
“Right.” He tightened his arms and kissed her. “I’m so glad you’re finally mine.”
*****
THE END
The Gorilla Shifter's Captive
Description
A curvy girl in witness protection PLUS a sexy billionaire shifter who is her new boss PLUS a drug lord on their heels!
Mack thinks the craziness of her life is over when her testimony puts a drug lord in jail for murder. Finally, she can concentrate on the animal rescue shelter she is trying to set up.
But life has other plans, and with Gedge still going after her, she instead ends up in witness protection...
Whisked down to Florida, Mack is placed with the eccentric billionaire Oliver Bishop, whose mansion is so far from civilization that she can't even get a cell phone signal. He requires a caretaker with experience with exotic animals, and since she used to work at a zoo, she fits the bill perfectly. Mack expects that she's there to care for his menagerie, but when she arrives she finds the only animal there is Oliver himself.
Eccentric is one thing, but Mack comes to realize that Oliver is something else entirely. He walks around bare-chested, doesn't shower for days and never picks up after himself. But the longer she stays with him, the more he brings out her own wild side...
With the threat of the drug lord's vengeance hanging over her, Mack still can't help but wonder–exactly what kind of beast is Oliver Bishop? Does he crave her body the way she craves his? And can they escape the drug lord’s men? Find out now.
Chapter One
US Marshal Tom Meyer handed Mack an information packet while the fluorescent lights in his office flickered. "Here's everything you need to know about your new identity, Bertha."
"Mack," she corrected, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, taking the packet. It weighed heavy in her hands, almost as heavy as her heart. "I thought that since Gedge got convicted, I could finally go home."
The past two years had been very difficult for her. Not only had she had to relive the moment when she saw her boss, a kind, elderly man who wouldn't hurt a fly, get shot in the head at point-blank range, but she hadn't been able to see or talk to her family in all that time, either. She missed her life terribly.
Meyer gave her a sympathetic smile. "You got him put away for murder. A man like Gedge isn't going to just forget that, and he's still got people on the outside. But don't worry. You'll love your new job. Oliver Bishop reached out to us specifically looking for someone in witness protection. He doesn't want a permanent worker."
Mack flipped through the first few pages of her packet. She skimmed the information about Bishop.
"We've done a thorough check, and his house the best place to keep you hidden for the next three months until we get you set up in your new life with your new identity. And you're the best qualified to work for him, with your experience with exotic animals."
"What, does he have his own zoo?" She looked up, her eyes narrowed. "Who is this Oliver Bishop, anyway?"
"Only the richest person you've never heard of. He owns ten thousand acres of land down in Florida, and he's richer than God. He's a little strange, but I'm sure you and he will get along just fine." Meyer chuckled, as though he actually doubted his words.
I quit my job at the zoo for a reason, she wanted to say, but bit her tongue.
After all, arguing with the guy who was meant to keep a crazed drug lord from killing you wasn't a good idea. She still had nightmares about the murder sometimes, and seeing Gedge's hateful expression every time she sat in court, telling lawyers and juries what she had witnessed, always left her shaking and cold.
She had hoped that now Gedge was in jail, she could go back home to her family and work on her dream of opening an animal rescue center.
Seems like that dream will never come true.
"Margret Simmons," she read, reading the name she would have to get used to. In three months it would be hers. She made a face, but it could be worse.
The only thing she had been looking forward to in this whole mess was having an excuse to get rid of "Bertha" as her first name. She had been named after her mother's mother, and she knew that any attempts to legally change it would have ended in too many tears to bother with. She was satisfied going by her last name most of the time, although her mother still insisted on calling her Bertha. And so did Meyer, for some reason.
"Am I keeping my name until I get relocated to my new home?"
Meyer smirked. "You ought to take the time to get used to your new name, but you're going to be so far away from civilization that it won't matter."
That sounded ominous, but Mack nodded. She tucked the packet into her backpack; it would give her something to read on the trip to Florida.
To most people, going to Florida for three months free of charge might seem like a dream, but Mack was dreading it. With the heat and humidity there, her hair was going to end up even more unmanageable. It wasn't quite curly and wasn't quite straight. No matter how she cut it or how many styling products she used, it always ended up a bushy mess on top of her head. She was also what her mother deemed 'a big girl' and had always had trouble dealing with high temperatures.
Mack sighed as she slumped in her chair. "At least I won't have to waitress anymore."
Meyer stood. "You should go and say goodbye to your family now. We'll set them up with new identities here soon, but until then you can't have any contact with them, understood?"
This was going to be the hardest part. M
ack was very close to her two younger brothers and her parents. An irrational part of her brain wondered how they were going to get along without her for another three months. Which was ridiculous, after how long they had already been getting along without her.
"After two years of not having any contact, I'll have half an hour to catch up with them before another three months of no contact."
"They are going to be fine. Gedge won't go after them," Meyer assured her, but that only made Mack's anxiety for her family kick up another notch.
Still, she put on a brave face as she swung her backpack on and went to say goodbye. She tried not to let herself think that this might be the last time she ever saw them. Who knew what the future held? Hopefully, it's better than the past.
***
Even before they arrived at their destination, Mack knew she was going to hate every second of the three months she spent living here. She was used to the subtle greens and browns of the semi-arid desert she grew up in.
At least it was a cold day, and even though it was summer, Mack could get away with wearing full-length jeans to help control her thighs and her plump calves. She carried most of her weight from the waist down, and with the right pair of jeans she managed to look decent, but forget shorts, skirts or bathing suits. The highest heels on the planet couldn't save her legs.
Florida, on the other hand, was all green and wet. She'd be forced into shorts for sure. Breathing felt clogged up and like she was in a sauna. Even with the air conditioning in the US marshal's van going full blast, she thought she might die from the heat.
Her impression of Florida wasn't helped by the fact that the road they were driving on wasn't really a road. Though it was paved and in excellent condition, there hadn't been a road sign or another vehicle for almost an hour. Trees with giant leaves that Mack didn't know the names of leaned over them, blocking out the sun, and the forest was so dense that there could have been a hundred drug lords just inside the tree line having a tea party, and they'd be completely oblivious.
