No. She wouldn’t allow doubts. Jackson was perfect. Being with him was perfect. She wouldn’t regret anything about being with him. There would probably come a time when she would, but for now she wanted to revel in the blissfulness of being in his arms.
CHAPTER SIX
The next morning, after a shared shower and a quickie beneath the pulsing water, Ellie dressed in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. She plucked at the masculine-style buttons and grimaced. Not her usual choice of fashion, but they’d been in a rush the day before. She’d picked the first thing she saw. Now she regretted her choice. Did she really want Jackson to see her looking like a hobo?
A knock sounded on the door. “Ellie, are you dressed yet? Ty and Greg are meeting us at Hog.”
She pulled open the door and finished pulling her hair into a sloppy ponytail. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. Why did Ty name it Hog Heaven? Isn’t he a wolf too?”
Jackson grinned. “You know the story ‘The Three Little Pigs?’”
“Yeah.” She lowered her arms and straightened the hem of her shirt.
“I think Ty meant the name of his bar to be facetious.”
“The Big, Bad Wolf would be more appropriate,” she muttered and joined him in the hallway.
Jackson slid his hands around her waist and pulled her close. “Good morning.”
She bit her lip to keep from smiling back at him. “I thought we already established that in the shower?”
“We did,” he agreed with another slow, devastating grin. “That doesn’t mean I can’t kiss my girl.”
His girl? Ellie’s heart beat in triple time. Her pulse kicked up another notch when he gave her a slow, thorough kiss. “Do we really need to go?” She’d much rather spend the day in bed.
Jackson lightly pinched her chin as he pulled away. “Have to. Greg has been researching all night for leads, and he thinks he may have found one.”
The reminder of the situation served to knock off the edge of lust. Even with the threat hanging over their heads, she couldn’t make it disappear completely. “Who does he think it is?”
“He didn’t tell me.” Jackson mimicked holding a phone to his ear. “He and Ty are suspicious of phone taps. Greg only gets that way when it’s something really important. Comes with the territory.”
Hog Heaven appeared deserted when they arrived, but when they parked, Ty appeared at the door. The bar owner’s hair was disheveled and his clothing wrinkled, but his smile was as wide as she remembered from the day before.
She scanned the empty parking lot. “Where’s his bike?”
Jackson shrugged. “Ty lives close by. He may have walked here.”
They got out of the car and joined Ty in the doorway. The morning sun highlighted an ugly bruise on his cheek. The shiner lent him a bad boy appeal when the last thing he needed was more.
Jackson whistled between his teeth. “What happened to you?”
Ty fingered the spot with a wry grin. “Difference of opinion.”
“Male or female?” Jackson asked.
“Female, but she packs a wallop for such a small thing.”
Ellie’s curiosity was roused by the thought of a woman getting the upper hand on Ty, but a few minutes later, Greg joined them and the foursome moved into the area where the pool tables were housed. Ty and his brother dragged a couple tables together to make a makeshift planning area.
In the dim lighting, the men could’ve been twins. Ty was taller by about an inch, but Greg was the larger of the two, thickly muscled with the token military-style haircut. Both had dark hair and deep brown eyes, but while Ty was quick to smile, Greg held himself aloof, polite yet distant.
Jackson stood by her chair and examined the laptop Greg had plugged in as soon as he got there. His shoulders were set and his body radiated tension. “So you think it’s the Freedom Fellows?”
“It’s the best lead I’ve found,” Greg said with a nod. “There’s motive definitely.”
“The Freedom Fellows?” Ellie questioned.
Greg pointed at a black and red symbol on the screen. “A rebel group out of Russia. They’re extremists who excel in identity theft and cyber hacking. If anyone stands to lose from Ty’s invention, it would be them. Last year, they raked in a couple billion dollars alone.”
“Wow.” Ellie studied the sickle and star symbol, an obvious play on the Russian Communist emblem. “I’m in the wrong field apparently.”
Her joke fell on deaf ears. The three men ignored her. “Tough crowd,” she muttered.
Jackson rubbed her shoulder, but his brainpower seemed consumed by the information Greg presented. “Why do you think it’s them?”
Greg turned the laptop so he could click a couple pages before turning it back around to show a grainy, black and white picture of a couple men leaving a plane. “The Petrov brothers were seen leaving Hartsfield-Jackson airport this weekend. Too much of a coincidence, don’t you think?”
Ellie studied the picture. The men were big, hulking brutes she was quite sure she’d never seen before. “Who are the Petrov brothers?”
When Greg looked at her, Ellie wished she’d kept her mouth shut. The unyielding way he held his mouth and the intense focus told her they were bad characters. Greg made a few more clicks and showed her a Most Wanted page. She peered at the list of crimes that filled the entire page and a shot of true fear radiated through her.
Extortion and money laundering were the least of their crimes. Child abuse, murder, and armed bank robbery forced her to realize she really was in deep shit. “Holy crap.”
Jackson clicked the laptop back to the picture of the brothers. He patted her shoulder. If it was meant to comfort her, it wasn’t working. Fear remained lodged in her throat. “The Petrovs are bad news. If it really is the Freedom Fellows, then we have a fight on our hands.”
Greg pulled out a chair and sat. “I have intel that the Petrovs are still in Atlanta. Either they don’t know you left town, or they’re betting on your return. The information is dated though. It’s possible they could’ve left this morning.”
“So they’re chasing us?” Ellie asked.
“Or,” Ty interjected, “they stayed behind to find my firewall. Is everything locked?”
Jackson stirred beside her. “The plans you gave me are stored on a flash drive I carry with me. The demo version is locked up in my safe. It has a retinal scan and voice recognition software. They can’t get to it.”
Greg laced his fingers together and placed them on top of the table. “Then how do they know about the firewall? Who talked?”
Jackson cursed softly. “An ex-employee. He’s gone now, but he said enough to get the dogs sniffing around us.”
Ty scrubbed his forehead and sighed. “What do we need to do?”
Greg glanced at his brother. Ellie didn’t like the look in his eyes one bit. “We find the Petrovs. I’m sure there are several people who would love to deal with them for us.”
“So that’s it?” Ellie glanced at each of the men in turn. “We find them and then I can return home? Sounds easy enough. When do we start?”
Jackson held her down when she would’ve stood. “Not so fast, Ellie. We have to make plans first. You don’t go chasing after people like the Petrovs without a plan in place.”
“I say let’s go back to Atlanta and let them come to us.” She tilted her head to see Jackson’s reaction, which was pensive. “They’ll come, right?”
Ty chuckled. “She has a point. It would be the easiest way.”
“And the stupidest,” Jackson snapped. “Absolutely not. I’m not putting Ellie at risk.”
“Who said anything about—?”
She would’ve said more, but Jackson shot her a hard look.
Greg rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “It could work. If the Petrovs think they’re only dealing with a female, they won’t be so careful.”
“Hey!” Ellie took exception to being called female, as if she couldn’t take care of herself.
“No.” Jackson’s tone dripped ice. “Find another way. I’m not using Ellie as bait.”
A ball of steam rose in her throat and escaped her lips before she could cut it off. “I can do this, Jackson. I don’t need you to protect me.”
He lifted her in the chair and turned her around to face him. “It’s a stupid plan. I won’t do it.”
Another ring of smoke appeared. “Stop worrying. I’m guessing the Petrovs have no idea what I’m capable of.”
“And what are you capable of?” Jackson waved his hand through the air to dispel the smoke cloud. “A few party tricks. Smoke rings and big leaps aren’t enough to stop terrorists.”
She didn’t remind him of her ability to harden her skin. Apparently she’d need thick skin to get through Jackson’s thick head. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”
“Seriously, Ellie! Yesterday you were hell bent on keeping your shifter status hidden. Now all of a sudden, you’re ready to take on a couple of thugs? I’m not buying it.” He knelt beside her and softened his voice. “I know what you’re doing. Thank you for trying to help, but we can find another way. I’m not putting you at risk any more than I have to.”
Ty intruded on the conversation. “Dragon, huh? I knew something was different about you.”
Greg continued to stare at her in a considering manner. He slapped his hand palm down on the table. “Ellie’s idea has merit. The Petrovs will be blindsided.”
“No.” Jackson gave Greg a death stare. “What happens if we do capture the Petrovs? You think it stops there? The Freedom Fellows will keep sending criminals until they get the firewall. I don’t want to give them an excuse to go after Ellie.”
“She’s involved now whether you want her to be or not,” Ty pointed out. “Unless you’re saying you’re not falling for her. If you are, then she’s involved. They’ve seen her with you, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice the sparks between you two.”
Jackson stilled. Ellie held her breath and waited for his response.
“My feelings for Ellie aren’t up for debate. I’m saying it’s stupid to put an innocent in the path of the Petrovs. What if something goes wrong? Could either of you live with yourself then?”
Greg’s dark gaze held steady. “The risk is worth it. Have you really gotten that soft?”
“It’s not worth losing Ellie.” Jackson grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the chair. “Find another fucking way.”
He towed her out of the bar without another word. The drive home was silent, punctuated by a harsh mutter under his breath every mile or two. Ellie took a deep, steadying breath. “I really think I can do it.”
“Ellie, for the last time. No.”
“But—”
“I said no!” He banged his hand on the steering wheel. “You’re not collateral I’m willing to risk, OK? If something happened to you—”
“Nothing will happen to me.” She was touched, although aggravated, by his behavior. It proved that he cared about her, but he needed to know she was her own person.
He sighed and turned into the driveway. He cut the engine and turned to face her. “A day ago, I didn’t know you. I’d never seen your name except as the owner of a piece of property I wanted to buy. Now I can’t imagine not seeing you. Don’t ask me to give you up. Not yet.”
Her heart fluttered at the sweet words. “What makes you so sure I’ll lose?”
His gaze softened. “I appreciate your offer, but you’re not trained. You have no idea what these men are capable of.”
“They’re human, right?” she interjected.
“Yes, but—”
She held up her hand. “Let me finish.”
His lips curled into the beginnings of a smile. “OK.”
“Just because I hid my dragon doesn’t mean I don’t know how to use it. I’m practically impenetrable in my crystalline form.”
“What if they use a different weapon?” Jackson pointed out. “You’re not immune to tear gas, and what about bombs?”
“I…I’m not sure.” Really? How would she know if she could withstand the force of a bomb? She didn’t exactly have dynamite hanging around at any given time.
“Exactly. And I’m not hedging my bets on a possibility.”
Ellie jerked away when he would’ve grabbed her hand. “I want my life back, and I can’t have that if I’m stuck here with you. So either you man up and allow me to do this, or you take me back to Atlanta.”
“Man up?” His eyes lightened with amusement. “Are you really calling me out on my manhood?”
No. “Yes.”
“In case you missed it, I’m doing everything I can to save you. I didn’t mean to drag you into this, but I’ll be damned if I allow you to get hurt.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Then take me home. I release you from your duty.”
“Ellie, don’t be like this. I really don’t want to have to carry you into the house kicking and screaming.”
She gave him a narrow-eyed look. “Don’t even think of trying.”
She lunged for the door handle, but he beat her to it. He pulled her hand away from the door and tugged her into his lap. The steering wheel dug into her spine, but his lips covered hers, warm, silky, and addictive as hell. Her frustration slipped away as quickly as it appeared.
No. She pulled away. She refused to be a weak-willed woman who caved every time he snapped his fingers. “Jackson, I—”
He undid the elastic holding her hair in the ponytail and then cupped her cheeks between his palms. “Don’t fight me on this, Ellie. Please. You’re the first thing I’ve wanted to hold on to in a really long time.”
“I’m not a piece of property.”
“I know.” He closed his eyes briefly. When he reopened them, the golden tint appeared. “I’m fucking this all up.”
She cracked a smile and relented enough to tease him. “Just an eensy weensy bit.”
“I left that life behind a long time ago. The needless violence.” He broke off to shake his head. “It wasn’t for me. I always thought I was strong, and I am, but I don’t want you to experience the things I’ve seen. I don’t want to lose you, Ellie. Not when I just found you.”
“You keep blaming yourself for this.” She mimicked his gesture and cupped his cheeks too. “You’re not at fault. Ty did a good thing. He created something that can be a breakthrough. Even a computer novice like me can understand the benefits of his firewall. But you can’t control everything, especially when it comes to me. I’m my own person, Jackson. No matter how I feel about you, I’ll make my own decisions.” She nodded after her little speech, quite satisfied with her surge of female empowerment.
Jackson pocketed the keys and stared at her. “Are you finished?”
“Umm.” She shrugged. “I guess so.”
He caged her between his arms, locking his hands on the steering wheel so she couldn’t escape. “Let’s get a couple things straight. First off, I don’t blame myself for becoming the target of terrorists. It is my fault for leading them to your shop, but I plan to make that right. Secondly, while I applaud your independent nature, you need to know anything you do now concerns me. I’m making you my business, and I refuse to let you rush headlong into danger. Even if I have to tie you to my bedposts to prove it, I will.”
Sounded like fun. Ellie ignored the spurt of desire his words evoked and focused on the topic at hand. “I’m not weak.”
“No, you’re not.” His gaze bored into hers. “You’re one of the strongest people I know, but that doesn’t mean I’m not consumed with fear that something will happen to you. I want to know you better, better than you probably know yourself. Don’t take that from me. Let me fix this my way, on my terms.”
She huffed with exasperation. “You’re missing the point of a relationship.”
“Is that what we have?” He delved beneath the neckline of her thermal shirt and toyed with her bra strap. The idle motion of his touch against her skin drove h
er wild.
She flushed. “I…I think so.”
“You think?” He nudged his forehead against hers. “What part of anything I’ve said to you just now doesn’t scream relationship to you?”
She squirmed in his lap, uncomfortable with the blatant discussion of what they were to each other. “I’m not stupid, you know. We’ve been thrust together in completely unexpected circumstances. It’s only natural that desire plays into it. We’re two healthy, young people after all. But that doesn’t mean it’ll last.”
“Why not?” He slipped his hand lower and teased the swells of her breasts. “Because you’re scared of commitment?”
“What?” She gaped at him. “I am not!”
“Then what’s the problem? I like you. You like me. We’re more than compatible in bed and intellectually you’ve proven you can hold your own, and we both have ties to the shifter world. Sounds like a perfect match to me.”
“Sheesh, Jackson! You’re like this gazillionaire and can have any woman you want. I’ll never fit in your world.”
His eyes darkened, the golden tint replaced by the familiar green she adored. “Then I’ll fit in yours.”
Despite the serious conversation, a giggle bubbled to the surface. “You’ll help out in my nail salon?”
“If that’s what it takes.” He moved his hand away from her breast and rested it on her hip. “I’ll do anything to prove I want more than a night with you.”
Ellie’s resolve weakened. Damn him for being so irresistible. “You’re impossible.”
“You’re beautiful.”
Heat poured through her veins. How did he do it? How did he make her forget everything else but him? “You—”
Jackson’s demeanor suddenly changed. The easygoing light faded from his eyes, and he turned his head to the left, cocking it as if he’d heard something. She followed his gaze. “What did you hear?”
He put his finger to his lips and eased open the door. “When I say run, I want you to get into the house as fast as you can. Lock the doors and don’t let anyone in.”
“Jackson!” she whispered. “I didn’t hear anything.”
Shift Happens Page 7
