Protection: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance

by Wood, Vivian

  He and Tessa might be growing close, but they still weren’t mates. Although… she’d been so sated and pliant afterward. He could have easily gotten her to complete her part of the ritual. Just an exchange of bites, and they would be bound for life.

  Though it was selfish, Jace wanted to claim Tessa as his own. He kept coming back to the thought that he ought to just bite her now without explaining the lifelong commitment part, and let her be upset later. The only thing stopping him was the knowledge that she’d hate being tricked into such a serious commitment.

  Not to mention that the rest of the pack would probably be out for Jace’s blood if he didn’t give them courting rights. He chuckled to himself; he and Tessa were way past that point by now, weren’t they? Unfortunately for the other men, Jace didn’t care what they wanted. He was having a harder and harder time imagining her lying in anyone else’s arms. Especially after today, watching Tessa shake as she was overcome with passion.

  Jesus, he needed to think about something else or Jace was going to need to see it again and again… and a thousand times after that. He’d already taken her innocence, and he didn’t have a thing to offer her in exchange.

  There was his problem, right there; he actually wanted to offer her more. He could never be her knight in shining armor, the mate she truly deserved, but he wanted to give her what he could. Even without being mates, they could be something good. It wasn’t unheard of for Shifters to date without mating.

  Jace shook his head at his own thoughts. He knew himself well enough to know that there was nothing the least bit casual about his interest in Tessa. He cursed, closing his eyes against the reality.

  The only thing left to do was to show her everything. Once she saw how scarred and ruined he was inside, she’d understand why he couldn’t give her anything more. It would hurt like crazy, but it was better for her if she understood that he was damaged goods. In the long run it’d be better for both of them.

  “Jace?” Tessa asked, her face turned away from him. He hadn’t even realized she was still awake.

  “Yeah?” he answered, turning to look at her. She turned her head to face him, displaying her reddened and tear-stained face.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, reaching out to her. How the hell had he been lying right next to her and not realized that she was miserable? Had he hurt her earlier and not realized that either? When she didn’t answer right away, he grew alarmed.

  “Are you hurt?” Jace demanded.

  “No. Nothing like that,” she whispered, rubbing the back of her hand over her face.

  “I don’t understand. Why the tears?” he asked, stroking her hair and face. She soaked up his affection for a moment before she reached up and stilled his hand.

  “I have to tell you something, and I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  Jace’s entire body tensed. He sat up. Tessa sat up too, covering herself with the sheet. Her expression was anxious, her eyes sad.

  “Well?” Jace asked, rubbing the back of his neck and watching Tessa.

  “I haven’t been honest with you,” she said, her eyes dropping to where her hands twined in her lap.

  “You have a human mate?” Jace asked, brows drawing together.

  “No. I meant… when you saved me from McDonough the first time. That wasn’t an accident. You both followed me because I found out where you both hang out and waited around to catch your eye,” she said, her voice quiet.

  “You were trying to find a Shifter? Why?”

  “Not just any Shifter. You, or McDonough. My orders were very specific. I was to lure at least one of you, and call a team in take you down.”

  Jace stood up and grabbed his jeans, slipping into them. He waited a few beats before responding.

  “I don’t know if this is supposed to be some kind of joke, but it isn’t funny, Tessa.” His voice had gone hard and cold as steel.

  “It’s not a joke, Jace. I was abducted by a religious cult last year, and they knew I was an Ascendant. They told me how to get your attention, made me do it. They are desperate to catch you or McDonough, or both. I’m not sure what they want from you, but I know it’s not good,” Tessa said, her voice breaking on the last word. She sniffled and stared into her lap miserably, unable to look up at Jace.

  Jace was dumbstruck, staring at the female who… hell, he’d really thought he’d started to like her. Maybe love her, even.

  “What are you saying?” he asked, clenching his fists and trying to keep himself from flying into a mindless rage.

  “I think… I know now, they’re the Legion, the same people who killed your parents. There can’t be two groups like them, can there,” Tessa said, wiping at the tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “You work for the Legion?” Jace asked, red haze flooding his vision again.

  “No. I mean, I don’t work for them. They blackmailed me.”

  “How long?” Jace ground out, his jaw clenched so tight it was painful. He was such an idiot, such a careless moron.

  “I don’t…” she started, but Jace cut her off.

  “How long have you been planning to betray me?” Jace asked, his voice harsh. There was a long pause, and a half-stifled sob before she replied.

  “Long enough,” she said, her voice quiet.

  “Then there is no need to tell you why I want you out of my sight,” Jace hissed through his clenched jaw.

  “Jace, I can explain—”

  “Don’t. Don’t use my name. Don’t talk to me like you know me, traitor.”

  Jace heard the harsh inrush of Tessa’s breath.

  “You don’t understand,” she said, hurt coming through in her voice.

  “I’ve heard enough. I don’t care what your reason is for being with the Legion. Money, power— it must have been pretty good for you to open your legs for the first time. Or was that a trick, too?” Jace spat, his vision going red. He grabbed the first shirt he came to, and tossed it to her along with her jeans.

  “Get dressed,” he ordered, looking away from her perfect curves. Tessa stepped forward into his line of vision, her expression furious.

  “What happened between us has nothing to do with the Legion. Don’t bring that into the equation. I wanted—”

  “Just stop. I have never laid a hand on a woman before in my life, but I am a moment away from breaking your neck with my bare hands,” Jace said, his voice softening to a distinct threat. “Now get dressed, or you’ll walk into the Den naked. Or perhaps that would suit you?”

  Tessa’s eyes narrowed to slits. She rushed to pull on her shirt and jeans. Jace clenched his fists again to keep his hands still though they itched to throttle her, shake her, turn her over his knee and blister her bare ass. God he would like nothing more than to—

  Cursing himself, Jace rose and turned away from Tessa, an expressionless mask slipping into place over his features. He pulled out his phone and spent a full minute texting Shaw what he’d just found out, explaining that he wanted Tessa removed and jailed until something more permanent could be done with her.

  He turned to look at her again, covering his hurt and shock with a look of disgust. She didn’t need to know that she’d really gotten to him. Tessa was pale and shaking like a leaf, but she still stood her ground. Damned woman had no idea how stupid she was being right now.

  Jace took a deep breath and looked away from her. Ignoring that she was still wearing his favorite shirt, he pointed to the door. Tessa’s bottom lip quivered a long second before she schooled her expression, turning and marching out of the cabin.

  Jace half-jogged the whole way back to his house, passing her without stopping to look back. Tessa dragged herself inside several minutes after he did, looking worse for the wear. Jace could also see a faint bruise on her neck, almost certainly from their lovemaking. He averted his eyes, refusing to feel guilty. She’d seduced him. She’d betrayed him. She could grin and bear everything that came along with it. The Legion could patch her up for her next conquest.
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  Jace opened the sliding glass door on his back patio with such force that it shattered, raining tiny pieces of glass everywhere. Tessa jumped, but her expression remained indifferent. He looked out into the yard, summoning the strength to speak to her.

  “I want you gone,” he growled.

  When she didn’t respond, Jace pointed to Tessa’s purse lying on the counter, and she picked it up without saying anything. Jace watched her steel herself for a moment before turning to face him.

  “Will you give me a chance to explain?” she asked, her voice cool and unemotional. She’d been playing him every second, making him think he felt… it didn’t matter what. Here was the true Tessa Anderson, a manipulative ice queen. No wonder the Legion had picked her to take Jace down. Now she wanted to stand there and make excuses to him?

  “No. There’s nothing you can say to me.”

  “Where am I supposed to go?” she asked.

  “I’m turning you over to Shaw. I don’t know what he’s going to do with you,” Jace replied. A knock sounded at the door. Tessa’s eyes widened, and she made one last attempt to sway him.

  “Jace, please. You’ve got to at least hear me out. You don’t understand,” she insisted. The fear and longing in her voice sounded so real, it broke his heart just that much more.

  Jace stepped in close, staring down at her through his haze of contempt.

  “You don’t understand, traitor. You’d better hope Shaw has better intentions for you than I do. I’d as soon see you put down,” he said. A lie, but from the way she flinched, it was a good one. A flash of shock flitted over her face before she replaced her calm façade, looking toward the door.

  “There’s no need to be cruel,” she said, her gaze traveling everywhere except Jace.

  “Seems like there is. You keep talking instead of getting the point. I don’t want you. Earlier, that was a mistake. A huge mistake. And believe me, I’d rather spit on you than touch you again. There’s no reason for you to ever grace my doorstep, and that’s final.”

  Tessa turned, her gray eyes burning into his.

  “You’re a coward. Everyone else thinks you’re just damaged beyond repair, but I know the truth. You’re scared shitless, and you can’t stand it. Grow the fuck up, Jace Copeland.”

  She stared him down for a long moment, and Jace felt a sick bit of pride. The girl had more than enough backbone for a Shifter female. He couldn’t say whether it had been there all along, but it was growing to be a disadvantage for Jace. He’d half expected her to burst into tears and beg for forgiveness.

  There was a tremendous thumping at the door, and Tessa didn’t spare Jace another moment of regard. She walked over and opened the door, not batting an eyelash at Shaw, who honestly did look murderous. She didn’t so much as glance back when a grim-faced Declan confiscated her purse and put her in the back seat of a black SUV. Declan nodded at Jace and then they were gone, leaving Jace alone on his doorstep.

  Jace slammed the front door and pulled up a stool between the kitchen island and the refrigerator. A palpable weight pressed against his chest, making it hard to breathe. All his muscles ached, his limbs felt heavy. An ominous feeling settled itself in his mind, like stepping too close to the edge of a cliff.

  Jace dragged in a deep breath. He needed to calm down, and he needed to do it before he lost control. He wasn’t sure what would happen, but it definitely wouldn’t be good.

  He always kept his fridge fully stocked with beer and liquor, which in this case was a godsend. Jace was planning on getting good and smashed, and staying that way until he couldn’t remember that Tessa had ever existed. The human, he corrected himself. Until he couldn’t remember that the human had ever existed, ever kissed him or touched him…

  He opened the fridge and grabbed several beers and a bottle of High West whiskey. Jace shotgunned a whole beer in one go, and chased it with a shot of cold whiskey straight from the bottle. It was going to be a painful couple of days, but he’d get through just like he always had. Alone.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  “Tell me the whole story again from the beginning, Tessa. Don’t skip a single detail. You could know more than you think,” the big ginger boomed, using his height and size to try to bully Tessa into confessing more. As if there could be more than, Your pack took me in, and I planned to betray you.

  “I’ve already told you the whole story, Rhett. We’ve been going over this for two friggin’ days. If you guys don’t believe me by now, telling it another time isn’t going to help,” Tessa answered, leaning back in the metal folding chair and crossing her arms.

  “I’m just trying to make sure I understand,” Rhett said, splaying his massive hands out on the sleek oak desk between them. They were in someone’s office-turned-makeshift-interrogation-chamber. Declan, Rhett, and Shaw had been taking turns asking her questions and discussing different angles of her experience for half a week. Declan had finally gone to get some sleep, so now Rhett was doing the asking and Shaw was sitting in the corner behind Tessa’s back, continuing his two-day-long glaring streak.

  “I told you everything, Rhett. I promise. Why would I lie at this point?” Tessa pointed out, raising her arms and stretching them over her head. She rolled her neck, catching a glimpse of Shaw in the corner. He wasn’t glaring at her anymore, he was digging through her purse now.

  “Don’t steal any of my tampons,” Tessa said. She’d started off this session being as helpful as possible, but at this point she just wanted it to be over. There was nothing more to be learned, so Shaw should either punish her or cut her loose.

  Assuming that she wasn’t going to be “put down”, she needed some food, a good hard cry by herself, and a long nap, preferably in that order.

  Shaw’s chair scraped across the floor, jolting Tessa from her reverie.

  “Where did you get this photo?” Shaw boomed in Tessa’s ear. He stuck Tessa’s disposable cell phone in front of her face, displaying a grainy photo of James.

  “Uh, I took it myself. That’s the guy I’ve been telling you about, the one who I saw the most.”

  “The one you said was an Ascendant?” Rhett asked, standing up to look at the phone. Shaw passed it over, and whatever the Alpha saw stuck out to Rhett, too. Rhett cursed low under his breath, but didn’t comment further.

  “Yes. We’ve been over this. He’s probably Jace’s age. Tall, but what does that mean to either of you? Fair coloring, seems to have an actual conscience beneath all the brainwashing. Did you guys miss this part earlier?” Tessa asked, turning to look at both of them.

  “What name did you call him?” Shaw asked, still looking at the phone.

  “James. I don’t know his last name, I don’t think they really have those at the Legion.”

  Shaw turned the phone off and handed it to Rhett, who pocketed it in his ultili-kilt.

  “I’ve made my decision,” Shaw said.

  “Shaw, you need to sit on this,” Rhett started in, but Shaw held up a massive hand to cut him off.

  “Don’t tell me what I need. I’m not being a reactionary here. Technically, Tessa hasn’t committed any offense to our pack. She didn’t act on the orders she was given, and she chose to tell us of the Legion’s plan. In light of that, and of the evidence on her phone, I will not punish her.”

  “Oh,” Tessa hiccuped, relief washing over her in waves.

  “Rhett, you will see to it that the pack hears of my decision,” Shaw ordered, already on his way out of the door.

  “What— what just happened?” Tessa asked, slow on the uptake.

  “It seems that fate doesn’t want you to suffer any more than you already have,” Rhett said, ushering Tessa up and out the door. They headed down the hall, into the other side of the building.

  “What does fate have to do with it?”

  “You befriended the one person at the Legion that we didn’t expect.”

  “James?”

  “Better known around here as Jameson Geaudreaux, younger brother
of Shaw Geaudreaux. He’s been missing for over twenty years.”

  “He freed me because I know where his runaway little brother went?” Tessa blurted, miffed.

  “His abducted younger brother, I think. That, and the fact that you told the truth. You took no action against the pack. Just like he said,” Rhett said, stopping at another door and using a ring of keys to unlock it.

  Swinging the door open, he revealed a small hospital-like room with a bed and a couple of chairs, plus books and a TV.

  “What’s this?” Tessa asked.

  “The infirmary. You need somewhere to stay, and I heard Jace isn’t exactly throwing his doors wide open. Plus, we need to guard you. Unless you’d rather stay in the cell again tonight?” Rhett asked.

  “No. Not to be ungrateful, but it still seems like I’m being locked up in here,” Tessa said. She slumped down onto the bed, curling up in a ball.

  “I prefer to think of it as protecting you from yourself. You’re a magnet for trouble, Tessa.”

  It was lost on her, however. She was already halfway asleep.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Pssssssst. Wake up, Tessa,” came the voice, intruding on Tessa’s long-sought sleep. She couldn’t do much but in the hospital-like room where they’d locked her up, it was too white. Exhausted as she was, she’d passed out as soon as she’d hit the pillow.

  “Tessa! Wake up! I have food!” came the whisper again. The mention of food forced Tessa’s eyelids open. It took her a moment to realize that she was a lot more hungry than tired.

  It felt as though she’d been kicked in the chest. Tessa had the creeping sensation that she was shriveling up from the inside, her body collapsing. The feeling was persistent, even though she knew she was physically fine. She sat up, confused.

  “Camilla?” she asked, hopeful.

  “No, fool. It’s Kat,” said the voice. A penlight clicked on, illuminating Kat’s pixie-like features.

  “What are you doing here? I thought I was being kept under lock and key,” Tessa said, accepting the sandwiches and apples that Kat dropped in her lap.