by Vella Day
Taking the hint, he stepped away from the wall and dipped his head. The first tug on her nipple left her breathless. He licked, sucked, and twirled until she was so hot that her nails sharpened into points.
“Hurry, Brian. You don’t want me to shift on you.” And she would too. Soon.
“No.” Slipping his hands up to her waist, he lifted her up at the same time he eased out.
Capturing her lips, he thrust into her, and all hell broke loose. Jillian dug her heels into the sides of his thighs for better purchase and rode right along with him. He’d plunge in just as she’d drop down. They kissed, moaned, dipped, and fucked hard. Time seemed to stand still, and no matter how fast he drove into her, she wanted more. With each foray, he took her closer to that point where she’d reach wonderful oblivion.
Tongues entwined, and on the next surge, Brian plunged into her so deeply that Jillian cried out his name as her release shoved her over the edge. His cock exploded a second later and he dipped his head to her neck. For a second, she allowed herself the luxury of imagining his sharp bear teeth sinking into her skin and mating with her.
What if it never happens? her tiger asked.
It will.
*
Not wanting to let go, Brian kept his arms around Jillian, long after both of their hearts had slowed. His whole life he’d wanted to be with someone who understood what he’d gone through. Then Jillian had walked into his life with a fury and embraced him. Her tiger and his bear were so close to becoming one that he could taste it, but his head just couldn’t figure out how to draw out the creature inside him.
If I fail, will she leave me? that stupid voice asked.
Brian refused to worry about something that far in the future. It was destructive. As his therapist always said: Think positively and you can make it happen.
Brian slipped out of her. “I’ll get something to clean us up with.”
He trotted to the bathroom, wondering how much of Jillian’s attraction to him came from her tiger and how much was her actually liking him? Doubt was like a cancer that should be avoided at all cost, but he couldn’t help it. The facts kept stacking up. She was a lawyer for God’s sake, living in a big city, and Brian was a wannabe carpenter with only a few tools to his name. Sure, he’d saved his money over the years, but it wasn’t a fortune by any means.
He’d grown up in a fairly rural area in Ohio. What if she changed her mind and decided not to move out here because she missed LA so much? If she asked him to go back with her, would he be able to cope? And what would happen with Elana? Brian had already fallen in love with Aiden even though he’d only seen his nephew a few times. Having family close was what had helped him heal this much in the first place. He needed to stop worrying about something that might not occur.
“Brian?” she called.
“Sorry.” He’d been standing in front of the sink. He nabbed a clean towel, wet it, and returned. He gently cleaned her up, and then wiped off. As much as he wanted to sit and talk about her needs and desires, from the way she was looking off to the side, that madman had returned to the forefront of her mind.
In silence, they both dressed. “Let me get my keys and I’ll follow you home,” he said.
Her shoulders sagged. “You don’t have to.”
Really? “Jillian, I want to. If that crazy man is out there, what better time to harm you than on a dark road at night?”
She held up her hands. “You’re right. I can’t be too careful. You need to be aware of your surroundings too. If he shifts and attacks, you wouldn’t survive.”
“I’ll look before I move about.”
She sidled up to him and pressed against him. “You’re too good to me. First the beautiful box, then the amazing sex, and now you want to protect me.” She lifted her head and kissed him tenderly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but don’t worry. I understand my limits. I’d ask you to stay here, but Dalton can protect you better.” He kissed her back, fearing that if he delved into her sweetness again, he wouldn’t be able to stop.
She nodded. “True.”
He helped her on with her coat and then escorted her downstairs. This time Jillian insisted on poking her head out first, claiming she could sense if Frank Whitlaw was near. When she signaled it was safe, Brian walked her to her car then jumped into his.
All through the drive back to Dalton’s house, he kept his gaze on the rear view mirror. As he considered Jillian’s situation, he realized there might be worse things in life than having bad parents—such as someone who wanted to kill you.
Once he’d come to grips with the fact that he was part bear, he wondered if as a child he had been a nightmare. His human side could have been fighting his inner bear, creating a child no parent could control. Add in the fact that his parents were totally human and his mother was embarrassed by her indiscretion, and it was a disaster waiting to happen.
*
When Jillian entered Dalton’s house, he was on the phone with his back to the entrance. She set Brian’s present on the dining room table then slipped off her coat.
“When did he arrive?” Dalton asked the caller.
He didn’t seem to hear that she’d come in, so she softly called to him. “Hi, I’m home.”
Her brother waved a hand then paced in front of the kitchen island, his gaze on some far away place on the floor. “I think Kip should keep an eye on Jillian. Whitlaw will think he’s some ordinary man and won’t give him a second glance.”
Jillian’s stomach tumbled. Did Dalton just say a bodyguard was necessary? While she didn’t know what kind of shifter Whitlaw was, she had mad skills of her own. Her tiger was not only powerful, she was fast. Hell, Whitlaw would never know what hit him if she attacked.
Regret swamped her. She should have charged Whitlaw the moment he came out of her house and put an end to his miserable life. Then again, explaining how a man died from a tiger bite that close to the city would have raised an insane number of questions.
Dalton turned around and nodded to her. “I can drive her over tomorrow. Yes, I agree. See you at nine.”
Dalton disconnected and faced her. “That was Connor.”
She was having a hard time keeping up with everyone. “Who is he?”
“He runs McKinnon and Associates. You were right; Whitlaw is here. He boarded a plane out of Los Angeles two days ago and rented a car in Knoxville. None of the hotels have a man by the name of Frank Whitlaw staying with them, but he’s probably using an alias.”
And here Dalton thought he wasn’t that smart. “I heard you mention Teagan’s mate, Kip. So he’ll be my bodyguard?”
“Yes.”
“What can he do to stop Whitlaw?”
“Remember when I was telling you about the incredible retrieval of Kip’s brother’s powers?”
“That was him? The one who zapped a few guards and cut the electricity to the bunker?”
“Yes.”
Okay, maybe he would make a good bodyguard. “I trust Kip will keep his distance. I want Whitlaw to make his move, so I can fight him. I’m going to take great satisfaction in killing him.”
“Whoa. You will not engage with him. Who’s to say he doesn’t have some Wendayan powers of his own?”
Shit. She hadn’t thought of that. “Fine, but I make no promises. I need to be ready if he attacks me.”
“We’ll make certain that doesn’t happen.”
“If you say so.”
“Jilly, don’t be that way.” He came up to her and gave her a hug. “You’re my sister. My only sister. It would kill Mom if anything happened to you.”
“Only mom? You wouldn’t shed a tear?”
He smiled. “You know better. Oh, by the way, Mom called.”
“What did she say?” Her pulse sped up.
“She was worried about you. She stopped by your house two days in a row, and of course, you weren’t there.”
“Did you tell her about Whitlaw?” Their mom would freak, but she
wouldn’t try to take the law into her own hands. She understood the system too well.
“Yes. I wanted her to be on her guard. She said she would be careful.”
“I’ll call her later—using your phone.”
“Perfect. On a different note, Connor wants us to stop over at the office tomorrow to go over a plan. We all need to be on the same page when Whitlaw makes his move.”
For the first time since she’d taken off from California, she felt as if that ass would finally be caught and thrown in jail. Or even better—killed.
Chapter Seventeen
‡
Jillian, Dalton, and Connor sat across from Kalan, Jackson, and Kip at a large table in the McKinnon and Associates office. Dalton had said that both Connor’s and Jackson’s dads were building a new office for them, but she didn’t see the need. This place was already up-to-date, if the projection system and Smart Board on the wall were any indication. Hell, even the entrance was nice. It had comfortable looking sofas and chairs, and the pictures of the Smokey Mountains on both walls gave off a serene vibe.
The main room was more practical. It was divided into two sections. Near the back of the room, across from the coffee station, sat a table surrounded by cushioned chairs. Off to the side was a sofa and two lounge chairs. According to Dalton, the doors across from the coffee machine led to private offices. The front half of the room had a table positioned parallel to the wall along with eight chairs facing it. It was where they were now seated. Apparently, Jackson needed to set up his computer that was now displaying a large picture of Frank Whitlaw. Damn but those eyes seemed to be mocking her.
“I found this photo on the LAPD’s website,” Jackson said. “Jillian, would you say this one is fairly current?”
She studied her father’s killer once more. “He’s a bit older now. I’m guessing he was probably twenty-five when he killed our dad, which puts him at about fifty.”
Using a red laser, Jackson circled the scar on Whitlaw’s face and addressed the rest of the group. “This is his most recognizable marking. Judging from some pictures I found of him standing with others, he’s probably six feet.” He looked over at her and she nodded. “Whitlaw rented a gray Ford Taurus at the Knoxville Airport, but there is no guarantee he didn’t stash it somewhere and steal someone else’s car. I’ve asked Kalan to check for any reported stolen vehicles within a hundred mile radius.”
“On my to-do list,” Kalan assured them.
Jackson passed around a piece of paper to each of them. “Here are some contact numbers. Communication is key.” He looked straight at her. “Jillian, this is especially critical for you. When you’re not with Dalton, please let Kip know if you need to go anywhere.”
“Okay. I should give you Brian’s number, since I’m often with him.”
“His number is on there,” Jackson said.
Jillian glanced down and spotted it. Heat raced up her face. “That’s good.”
Connor picked up his mug and took a long drink. “I’ll be making a list of times we each need to either be looking for Whitlaw or following him should his location be discovered. I don’t need to remind you that if he spots a tail, he may abort his mission. While we don’t like that he’s after Jillian, we do want him to attempt something so this nightmare can be ended.”
Everyone nodded. “How are you going to find him?” Jillian asked. “If he’s been able to avoid being caught for twenty-five years, he has skills.”
“Don’t worry,” Connor said. “We have our ways. For starters, there are a lot of shifters and Wendayans in our community. They will be our eyes and ears. From what Dalton told us, you’re either at Blooms of Hope or at his house. Whitlaw will have to be close to one of those two places. When he is, we’ll make sure he doesn’t leave our sight. As difficult as this may be, when you want to see Brian, I suggest you remain at his place or Dalton’s.”
“I agree. When Whitlaw found me the first time, Brian and I were at the Carnival. I believe being surrounded by so many people helped keep him at bay.” She glanced around to each of them. Their serious demeanor and determined looks gave her confidence that this nightmare would be over soon. “Thank you all for everything. I’ve been a nervous wreck ever since he murdered my friend.”
“Just so you know, we won’t be able to apprehend him until he does something illegal,” Connor said.
“I understand.” It was all she could ask for.
Dalton stood. “I’ll take my sister home now.”
She turned toward him. “I need to go back to the store.”
“It’s Sunday,” Dalton said.
“We’re open today and closed on Monday. Even if Frank Whitlaw didn’t exist, I’d go in to work. I don’t want to leave Anna alone. The weekends are our busiest time.”
Kip stood. “I guess that means I’m up. I’ll head into town and find a spot to watch you from.”
She tried to smile, but her lips wouldn’t cooperate. “It’s scary knowing I’m a target, but having all of you helping gives me peace of mind.”
The rest of the group stood. Dalton placed a hand on her shoulder then led her out. During the ride home, her brother thankfully didn’t lecture her or try to convince her to remain locked up in his house. He must have realized he couldn’t change her mind.
Once he arrived at his place, she moved from his car to hers then headed into work. Dalton followed her at a discreet distance. Once she parked in back of the shop, Jillian waved to him then went inside. Dalton said he wouldn’t leave the lot until she’d closed the back door.
Anna was in the front helping a customer and smiled as soon as Jillian came in. While she waited for her to finish up, Jillian kept an eye on the road in front of the store. A minute later, she spotted Dalton’s car. Jillian was tempted to rush out the door and wave to let him know she was safe, that Whitlaw wasn’t inside, but she knew the goal was to keep everything looking normal.
Because there was only one customer, and Anna was taking care of her, Jillian went into the back room to straighten up. Having order helped calm her. While she cleaned, Jillian listened for footsteps above her, but she didn’t detect any. She thought Brian had said he’d be home today, and that tomorrow he was doing a double shift, but perhaps she had it backwards. She certainly hadn’t been her sharpest since leaving Los Angeles.
Jillian had to chuckle at Brian when he said he’d asked to work longer hours. Now that she’d put the bug in his ear about possibly having a shop of his own, he said he needed to earn as much as he could to finance his dream. He assured her that he wasn’t trying to avoid her. Until Frank Whitlaw was brought to justice, he agreed with Dalton that Jillian would be better off under her brother’s watchful eye.
For the rest of the morning, she and Anna kept busy with customers, but Jillian still managed to sneak some peaks outside, trying to spot either Kip or Whitlaw. When both remained out of sight, she eventually began to relax.
Close to twelve, the flow of customers had basically stopped. Anna emerged from the back. “Would you mind if I take an hour to visit Elana? I’ll go through the drive through on the way back so that I’m not gone too long.”
“Unless anyone asks for a special order, I’m good.” Jillian’s breath caught, remembering she needed to warn Anna. “I need to tell you that Whitlaw is in town.”
“Who?”
“Frank Whitlaw, the cop who killed my friend back in Los Angeles.”
“Oh, shit. I’ll stay. I’m not leaving you.”
If Whitlaw showed up, Jillian wasn’t sure how having Anna there would help anyway. “Don’t be silly. Go see Elana. Dalton hired a bodyguard to watch the store, but you still need to be careful whenever you go out.”
“Why? Are you saying he might come after me because I’m your friend?”
Jillian shrugged. “He’s already killed one of my friends, though it was possible he thought Dalia was me. I’m not discounting the possibility that he wants me to know that if I talk, he’s capable of killing someo
ne else I care about.”
“Oh.”
“Just be careful. I just don’t want you to get caught in the crossfire.”
“Then I’ll be extra aware of my surroundings at all times.” She patted her purse. “Plus, I have my gun in here. Besides, I’m only driving three miles.”
Jillian gave Anna her most reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine. Give Aiden a kiss and Elana a hug for me.”
She smiled. “Will do.”
Once Anna left, Jillian felt oddly vulnerable, despite knowing that if Whitlaw had entered the store when Anna was there, her friend would have been more of a liability. Jillian debated texting Kip to make sure he still had an eye on everything, but then swallowed her worry. Let the bastard walk into her shop. If he shifted, she’d shift, and he’d be dead in minutes. Even if he remained a human and attacked her, she’d be on the other side of the room before he could even blink.
Hell, she wished he tried something.
When the bell above the door dinged, her heart almost stopped. It was Kip.
“Hey,” he said, looking around. “I saw your friend leave. Everything okay?”
He had been watching. “Yes. She’s off to visit Elana. I’m here just waiting for Whitlaw to make his move.”
“We all are. Finding him first would take a load off my mind.”
“Me too.”
Kip walked over to the cooler containing the flowers. “I thought I’d pick up something for Teagan. What do you suggest?”
Most likely he wanted to make his visit look legit. She scanned the options. It might have been because Jillian was so fond of daisies that she pulled out a vase full of them that were interspersed with zinnias. “What do you think of this one?”
He smiled, pulled out his wallet, and handed her his credit card. “Teagan will love them.”
“Awesome.” She rang up the purchase. “Say hi to Teagan for me. I’m sorry we didn’t get to spend much time together at your party.”
He nodded. “We have Aiden Murdoch to blame for that.”
Jillian chuckled. “That we do. When this mess is over, I’d like to get to know her better. I’ve never even spoken with another Wendayan that I know of before coming here—other than my mother of course.”
