by Jodi Vaughn
He held her in his arms and stared into her eyes.
“You don’t know, do you?” He cocked his head. A weight lifted off his heart and fell to the floor. “Thank God, you don’t know.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her hard. When he felt her struggling against him, he loosened his hold.
“Wait a minute, Killian. You need to tell me what the hell you are talking about.” She stepped out of his arms.
His towel had loosened and when she stepped back, it fell to the floor. Her mouth dropped open, and she turned away, trying to focus her attention out the window.
“What? It’s not like you haven’t seen it before,” he deadpanned.
“I know but I would like to understand what you are talking about before things ….”
“Before things get hot and wet?” he answered playfully. God, he wanted her. Right now, up against the wall, he wanted to be inside her tight body.
He shook his head and waved his hand at the chair. “You need to sit for this.”
She swallowed and sank into the chair. Her beautiful, green eyes were wide and serious. He hated that he was having this conversation right now, yet here they were.
“I’m here on business. But not the business you think I’m here for.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “I’m here by order of the Louisiana Pack Master.”
“Barrett Middleton?” A small smile crept across her face. “I knew it. I knew you were a Guardian.”
He froze. “What makes you think I’m a Guardian?”
“When we made lo…had sex. You were careful to keep your back out of my view. I know all the Guardians have the tattoo.”
She was right…and wrong. All the Guardians had the same tattoo on their backs. It consisted of large wings spanning the back with eyes looking out from underneath. It symbolized the ever-watching duty of a Guardian who vowed to protect the innocent and uphold the lupine law.
He had that tattoo. What she didn’t know was he also had another tattoo. The Assassin’s tattoo.
He, Brutus, and Lorcan were the only ones who carried the tat. And they all had it in a place where it wasn’t visible. Brutus had his on his hand. It was the reason he wore leather gloves all year round, to conceal it. Lorcan had his on his inner thigh. Lorcan made it a point to always fuck in the dark, so no female could know he was an Assassin.
He had his tattoo on his neck. And it was the reason he wore his hair so long, to cover up the identifiable ink of an executioner’s sword that dripped blood of the guilty.
Back before there were silver bullets and other advanced weaponry, all Assassins killed by a sword.
Nowadays, they had more options. Never the less, the tattoo stayed the same.
“Don’t lie, Killian. I know you have the tattoo.” She crossed her arms and lifted her chin.
Very slowly he turned his back to her, revealing his Guardian tattoo.
What she didn’t know was he was so much more.
“I knew it,” she breathed out.
He faced her. “I’m not supposed to be going around telling who I am.”
“I know.” She took a slow step forward. “Whatever you tell me stays between us. I know that this has to be really big for Barrett Middleton to send his Guardian into Mississippi.”
He swallowed hard, trying to decide how much to tell her.
“Sit.” He motioned at the chair next to the window. She obeyed, and he sat on the edge of the rice bed.
“It’s a long story, so I’m going to try to sum it up.”
“Okay.” She gave him her full attention.
“I was sent here to investigate the Natchez Bakery. There’s been some talk about them running drugs through the business.”
“What?” Her mouth dropped open, and she placed her hand over her chest.
“I broke into the bakery after it closed. I didn’t find anything, but I did find a key that didn’t fit any lock there. So I put it back.”
“So they’re clean.” She breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Not exactly.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I came back during the daytime and ended up talking to a guy named John. He mistook me for one of the newly hired men to pick up cakes. Your Hummingbird Cakes to be exact.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It seems that they are putting the drugs into the Hummingbird Cakes and moving them to a warehouse on the outskirts of town. Out in the country.”
“But I was told they are selling those cakes to….”
“Did Emmett Reece ever give you the names of the clients who are buying your cakes?”
“No, he just said it was businesses that are buying them.”
“Right. The drug cartel. Anyway, it adds up because of what happened in the garden when we met.”
“When you spit out my cake?” She narrowed her eyes in confusion.
“Yes. They sold me that cake under the assumption I was one of the guys picking up the drug cakes. That’s how I ended up with it. I have the same look, build, everything. Anyway, when I tasted your cake, it tasted bitter. When I looked at it, it looked discolored on the inside. I figured it was the fruit. Looking back, I realized the drugs had leeched out of the plastic bag they were in and had gotten into the cake itself.”
“Oh, God.” She covered her face with her hands. “What if some family had bought those cakes? It would have killed them. I could have killed them.”
“No, you wouldn’t have. Besides, they are pretty stringent about who buys them. I think I slipped past them because they thought I was a bad guy.” He shrugged. He was an Assassin, so he wasn’t that far off the mark.
“They are wanting your cakes because they are big and tall enough to move enough product. They are probably cutting a hole in the center and putting the drugs in there.”
“I’ll have to call Emmett right now and tell him I will not be selling any more baked goods to him.” She looked up with tears in her eyes. “God, Killian. I’m a mule.”
He grinned and went to her. He knelt in front of her. “You, sweetheart, are not a mule. Technically, your cakes are the mules.”
She groaned and buried her face into her hands. “Not helping at all.”
“Jeez, Sorry.” He pulled her hands away from her face and forced her to look into his eyes. “I’m really bad at reassuring females I care about. I’ve not had much practice.”
He didn’t tell her that he’d never felt like this with any other female. Just her.
In that moment, he knew his world had changed, shifted into something that would never be the same.
Chapter 21
Lilliana’s body heated. Her heart clutched.
“Really? I would have thought you’ve had lots of practice reassuring females.” She reached out and ran gentle fingertips down the side of his face.
“Not really. I’ve never gotten this close to a female before.” He closed his eyes at her touch.
When he opened them, he placed his hands on the armrests and leaned in. Her heart fluttered.
He pressed his mouth against hers, and immediately she let out a moan.
He always did that. He always managed to pull something out of her soul when he touched her.
Her body warmed under his seductive kiss, and she ran her hands up his arms to his shoulders. She wound her fingertips into his long hair and held him prisoner against her mouth.
He deepened the kiss, their tongues dancing against each other as their bodies rubbed together.
“More,” she begged.
He trailed his mouth down the side of her face to her neck. She arched against him, pulling him closer and needing to feel him against every curve of her body.
He pulled back and looked down at her with dark eyes.
He swept his arms under her knees and carried her over to his bed. He placed her gently in the middle. He pulled his shirt off and tossed it on the chair. Next, he rid himself of his jeans.
Her face heated when she saw he wasn’t wearing any underwear. And he was al
ready hard for her.
“Your turn.” He grinned. He crawled onto the bed, and his deft fingers flew over her zipper. He pushed her jeans down her legs and tossed them on the floor. He crawled between her legs and buried his face in her stomach. He took his time kissing her stomach as he made his way up her chest. He pulled back and pulled her shirt over her head. She lay before him in her black panties and matching bra.
“These are pretty, but they have to go.” He kissed her as he made quick work of ridding her of her panties and bra. He lay between her legs, his erection pressing against her stomach.
She cradled his face between her hands and pulled him down for a kiss. His tongue entered her mouth at the same time he entered her between her thighs.
“Killian,” she breathed against his mouth. He filled her with pleasure and rocked against her body.
He looked into her eyes with such emotion, it rocked her to her core. Never had she felt such intimacy with a male.
She held on to him, memorizing every muscle in his back with her fingertips as he moved in and out of her body. She dug her fingernails into his back as pleasure pooled low and then exploded throughout every cell of her body. She arched against him and cried out his name.
He buried his face into her neck and growled low and deep as his own orgasm swept over him.
They stayed like that, connected in body and soul, until every tremor of her body was finished.
Killian rolled off her and pulled her into his arms.
“I wish I could stay, but I have to get back out there. I’m following the truck from Natchez Bakery to the warehouse so I can see where they go next.” He kissed her mouth and slid off the bed. He found his jeans and slid them over his hips.
“I’m going too.” She climbed off the bed and looked around for her clothes. Spotting them, she quickly dressed.
“Lilliana, I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s not safe.” He scowled.
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going, and you’re not stopping me. You head down the stairs, and I’ll go out the secret back way so I can grab my boots and jacket. I’ll meet you at your motorcycle.” She gave him a quick kiss and started out the door.
He grabbed her arm. “Wait. There’s a secret back way?”
She grinned. “Of course there is. They have them in all the old plantation homes.” She winked and headed down the hallway.
Chapter 22
Killian hurried down the stairs. He needed to get a move on if he was going to find out where they were taking those cakes after they got to the warehouse.
“Killian! Is there anything I can get you?” Mrs. Spell smiled broadly from the bottom of the stairs.
He repressed a groan. He didn’t have time for some human. He had Were business to take care of.
“Mrs. Spell.” He forced a smile. “No, I’m just headed out.”
Her smile faltered. “I’m so sorry we didn’t have a dinner prepared for tonight. It’s just that we didn’t have enough guests to warrant cooking all that food.”
“Not at all. In fact, I’m just going out to meet some clients.”
“Is that right?” Her ears seemed to perk up. “What kind of clients would that be?”
“Let’s just say they’re in the music business,” he lied. He’d already heard how she thought he was some kind of rock star, so she wouldn’t question his answer.
“I see.” She nodded eagerly.
“I have to get going.”
“Of course. And I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast,” she said to his retreating back.
“Yes. In the morning,” he called over his shoulder.
He hurried through the dark toward his Harley. While he didn’t want to take Lilliana with him, he figured she’d find a way to go without him. At least with him, she’d be safe.
He came to a halt when he spotted Lilliana.
She was dressed in black biker boots and a black leather jacket. Her dark hair was down around her shoulders, and she was propped up against his Harley.
She was fucking beautiful.
“Hey,” he said and moved toward her.
“I was wondering how much longer you were going to be.” She grinned. “Mrs. Spell corner you?”
“How’d you guess?” He slid onto the bike and waited for her. She climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
It felt right, which started to worry him.
Killian started the Harley, and the monster growled to life. He grinned as Lilliana tightened her arms around his waist and rested her head against his back.
It felt right.
A little too perfect.
He pulled out of the driveway of the mansion and onto the street.
Traffic was light. Natchez was a small town; people didn’t stay up all night and party.
Completely different than New Orleans where residents never went to bed.
He increased his speed, letting the rumble of the bike soothe his nerves.
He didn’t like putting her in danger like this. But there was no way around it now.
The cool air skidded across his skin. The scent of honeysuckle and daffodils collided with the odor of impending danger.
He turned the bike onto the street where the bakery was located and slowed his speed.
He parked away from the street lights a block away. He killed the engine and let her slide off first.
He grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “Stay close.”
She nodded.
A couple of large guys were milling about the front of the store. Killian recognized one of them as John. He made a change in direction and headed away from the Natchez Bakery.
“What are we doing?” she asked.
“Going the long way.”
He kept his steps slow and leisurely. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight against him. She followed his lead and tightened her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest.
“See. I know how to look like I’m on a date.” She smiled.
His heart tugged. “When this is over, we will go on a real date. I promise.” He kissed the top of her head.
He pushed away romantic thoughts and focused on the task at hand.
They made the block and ended up behind the Natchez Bakery. There were two trucks parked there, and two large guys were loading up the cakes in the back, ten in each truck.
They looked around and then slid into the driver’s seats of the trucks. They pulled out of the parking lot.
“Come on.” He tugged her hand and hurried to his Harley.
He started the engine, and she hopped on behind him. Within seconds, they were dashing down the street, attempting to catch up to the trucks.
Chapter 23
Lilliana clung to Killian as they raced down the street. Danger and excitement drifted on the cool air. Killian was an expert driver, forcing the monster of a bike to go where he wanted it to go.
She smiled to herself, despite the danger they were most likely driving straight into. Handsome, dangerous, gentle.
That’s how she saw Killian. God, the male had a body that made her mouth water. He knew how to use it to pull every drop of pleasure out of her too.
The moment she first laid eyes on him, she knew there was something dangerous about him. Maybe it was the way he carried himself, slow and deliberate like he was stalking his enemy and making a choice whether he should live or die. She thought it something hidden behind his eyes. Despite the easygoing air he tried to project, there was something behind those gray eyes. Eyes that had seen the most evil things, yet lived to tell about it.
Despite all those things, Killian was gentle. The way he held her when they were making love, and the way he kissed her like she was a treasure, or the way he was always considerate of her feelings. Yes, Killian was gentle indeed.
Her chest tightened. She knew he wasn’t going to stay in Natchez forever. She couldn’t expect him to. He was a Guardian. His place was i
n Louisiana. Not here in Natchez, Mississippi with her.
She took a deep breath, tightened her arms around Killian, and didn’t bother wiping the tears flowing down her face.
Chapter 24
They arrived at the warehouse just as the two trucks were backing into the loading docks.
Killian parked the bike near the tree line under the cover of shadows and away from the warehouse.
Lilliana slid off the bike, and he followed. He pulled her close to his side and watched as the men unloaded the cakes and carried them into the warehouse. They didn’t bother putting them in cake boxes.
She pressed a hand to her churning stomach.
She was part of a drug operation now, whether she knew about it or not. If someone realized those were her cakes, her future would be forever ruined.
“We need to wait until the drivers and the trucks leave. Just be patient.” He reached for and squeezed her hand.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to watch the criminal activity in front of her.
It didn’t take the two men long to unload the cakes. When they were done, they piled into their trucks and left the parking lot.
“Are we going in now?” she whispered in the dark.
“We are not doing anything. Just me. You stay here,” Killian commanded.
She narrowed her eyes, about to argue, but a black SUV pulled up to the back of the warehouse.
“Do you know who that is?” she asked.
“Not sure but I’m guessing it’s the buyer of all those cakes.” Killian cocked his head as he assessed the situation. He looked so serious and intense that it made her blood heat with lust.
She forced her gaze away from him and looked back at the warehouse. Her career was at stake. She needed to focus on that and how to rectify the situation before her future was ruined forever.
The driver of the vehicle got out and opened the back door. A tall man slid out of the car. He was dressed in a suit and tie. He walked toward the back door of the warehouse with a slow, confident stride. Killian couldn’t make out his face, only that he had blonde hair.
