by Lynn Hagen
“I’m calling the cops. Get your ass back on the couch and change into your human form while I handle this.” Bailey was pointing sternly toward the living room, his expression telling Jordan that he wasn’t going to argue.
Knowing the intruder had fled, Jordan padded back toward the living room. Pride filled him from head to toe as he basked in the knowledge that Bailey cared about him. He heard his mate talking on the phone as he crawled up onto the couch and shifted.
He had to admit that he was tired as hell. Fucking Bailey had pretty much drained him. Tossing the blanket back over him, Jordan relaxed. But he still kept his senses alert just in case the burglar came back before the cops arrived.
As he lay there, Jordan couldn’t help but smile to himself. He didn’t care what Bailey said. The human felt their connection and was acting like a mama bear protecting her cub. It was an odd sensation for Jordan, considering how muscular he was. He had no problem defending himself but gloried in the fact that his smaller mate was willing to risk himself to keep Jordan safe.
It was an idiotic notion, but that didn’t stop Jordan from grinning ear to ear. He was going to have Bailey’s heart yet.
Chapter Eight
“You didn’t see anyone?” the cop asked Bailey.
He was a quivering mess on the inside, but Bailey managed to hold himself together. Too much craziness was going on and Bailey hadn’t a clue who was trying to harm Jordan. “No, by the time I opened the bedroom door the intruder was gone.”
He couldn’t very well say that his mate—a black panther—had scented the intruder. He had to add a touch of fabrication to his story. Bailey was trying to stick as close to the truth as possible, but some things needed to be fudged.
“Is this your home?”
Bailey shook his head. “My boyfriend has the flu. I’m over here taking care of him.”
The cop nodded. “We didn’t find anything outside. But it looks like the window was jimmied open.”
The confirmation that someone had tried to break in made a cold knot form in Bailey’s stomach. He was certain that it wasn’t a vampire because the sun hadn’t fully set. Could it have been one of the Vampire Hunters? Since Jordan had killed that lawyer, no one had heard anything else as far as Bailey knew.
Maybe the group had finally put two and two together and was coming after Jordan for revenge. They were careful not to leave any prints at the lawyer’s house but that didn’t mean that they had gone unnoticed. What if someone had seen them?
Once the cops had completed their investigation and taken Bailey’s statement, he was finally left alone with Jordan. He locked the front door and then walked over to the couch, kneeling by Jordan’s side.
The man was fast asleep. Bailey ran his fingers over the side of Jordan’s face, smiling at his…mate. Bailey grinned at the possessive word. He liked it. But then again, he was coming to like everything about Jordan.
As much as he fought against it, Bailey had fallen in love. He couldn’t muster up the regret as he stared into Jordan’s handsome face. His mate was nothing like Harley, and Bailey was thankful for that. Jordan didn’t shower him with pretty words or present him with a dozen roses. No, what Jordan gave him was priceless.
He gave Bailey nothing but the honest truth and for him, that was better than any pretty words or more cherished than any flowers that bloomed. What Jordan gave him was everlasting.
“You’re watching me.”
A grin pulled at the sides of Bailey’s lips. Jordan’s eyes were closed, yet he knew exactly what Bailey was doing. “I am.” His voice was a little rough, filled with emotion as Jordan opened his eyes, the amber irises seeming to glow with intensity. “What is a mate?” He knew what it was, on a basic level. But Bailey had a feeling that being mated meant so much more.
He wanted to fully understand what was happening between him and Jordan.
Jordan rolled to his side and placed his large hand on the side of Bailey’s face, his amber eyes sparkling as he gave Bailey a rueful smile. “You were born just for me, Bailey. From the moment you were conceived, you were mine. The fates connected our souls, bound us together, and made sure we fit together as perfectly as the stars shimmer for the moon.”
He inhaled softly when Jordan rested his forehead against Bailey’s. “You’re the one, Bailey—the one that was made for me to cherish.”
“But what if—”
“There will never come a time when I don’t want you, desire you. I will never wish to have another in my bed.”
Damn, damn, damn. Bailey was not going to cry. No, he was going to hold it together. Jordan was just—wow—fuck, the tears were growing heavy in his eyes. Bailey cleared his throat as he snaked his arms around Jordan’s neck. He held on for dear life as he absorbed Jordan’s words.
He had known Jordan was different from the very beginning, but Bailey had been too damn afraid to let anyone in. Jordan’s strong arms wrapped around him, holding him tight as Bailey finally composed himself enough to speak. “You’ll never hurt me?”
“The only time you may feel pain is if you eat my cooking.”
Bailey laughed into Jordan’s neck, kissing his mate’s rough beard. The man needed a shave. “I’m going to trust you, Jordan.” Those were the scariest words Bailey had ever spoken.
“Thank you,” Jordan replied.
Bailey wasn’t sure why the man was thanking him, but he finally felt like he belonged, like he had found someone that wasn’t going to use how Bailey felt against him. Jordan had said he was the one. He couldn’t see why the man would lie to him, not after all the shit they had been through so far.
“I’m starving,” Jordan said as he pulled back. “But I don’t think I can sit at a restaurant.”
“I’m a decent cook,” Bailey admitted. He could cook up a mean grilled cheese. Together, they were screwed. He could see now that they were going to dine out a lot. “Let me see what I can whip up for you.”
Jordan lay back, looking exhausted. Bailey was glad to see the guy slowly coming back. It had worried him when Jordan had done nothing but sleep for days. The doctor had told Bailey to expect that, but going through it was hell on the nerves.
He gathered the bread, butter, and cheese. Next Bailey grabbed the pan. In minutes he had two hot grilled cheese sandwiches sitting on a plate, along with a glass of juice. He had barely been able to get Jordan to swallow soup when he was sick.
Something solid in the stomach should make the man feel much better. He began to hum to himself as he carried the plate and glass out to Jordan, setting it down so he could wake his mate.
He silently cursed when he spilled some of the juice. Bailey grabbed a towel from the kitchen and then bent down to clean up the mess. As his hand swept under the couch, he hit something. He bent further and gazed under the couch, frowning when he saw a small device that looked like the end of a headphone set.
What the dickens was that?
Grabbing the hard piece of plastic, Bailey pulled it free and examined the thing. It was the strangest thing Bailey had ever seen. He brushed his hand over Jordan’s side. “Wake up.”
Jordan turned, his eyes slowly opening. “It smells great.”
Bailey held up the piece of broken headphone. “You need better cleaning skills, buddy.”
His mate stared at Bailey’s hand in confusion. Bailey didn’t understand. It was just a broken piece of headphone. Why would Jordan look that way? He tossed the piece of plastic on the coffee table, forgetting about it until his mate pushed into a sitting position and clamped a hand over Bailey’s mouth.
Jordan’s amber eyes flew back to the broken piece of plastic. “Don’t say anything else,” he mouthed.
Bailey was the one who was confused now. Jordan’s paranoid expression didn’t make any sense to him. He nodded and Jordan removed his hand. He picked up the piece of plastic and dropped it into his glass of juice.
“Why did you do that?”
Jordan stood, swayed slightly, and pointe
d toward his bedroom. “I have to get dressed.”
He was doing something funny with his face, as if he were trying to tell Bailey something—or he had real bad gas. Bailey wasn’t sure at this point.
Thinking it a better option than kneeling there wondering what was going on, Bailey followed Jordan. He wanted to make sure the guy didn’t fall over as well. Jordan wasn’t too steady on his feet.
His mate used the wall for support as he walked down the hallway. Bailey jumped out ahead of Jordan, stopping the man from entering the room until he could check it out. Jordan gave him a deep scowl, but Bailey ignored it.
Someone had tried to break in. He wasn’t going to allow Jordan to go into the room first and possibly be attacked. Shifter or not, the man didn’t look like he could defend himself against dust bunnies right now.
Bailey nervously opened the door and peeked inside. When he saw that the window was closed and no one was in the bedroom, he moved aside for Jordan.
“Don’t do that again.” Jordan whispered the growl in his ear.
Deciding that it was better to ignore the guy instead of arguing, he rummaged through Jordan’s closet and pulled out a burnt-orange button-down shirt while his mate grabbed a pair of jeans. He hadn’t seen Jordan in anything but jeans and T-shirts. Well, except for when they dined at the Lucky Clover, and Jordan looked like a delicious piece of eye candy when he was cleaned up.
The black panther had even worn his long raven hair in a thong. The actor Jason Momoa—who had been Bailey’s all-time favorite until he met the mechanic—had nothing on Jordan. His mate was even more handsome and rugged looking.
Without argument, Jordan grabbed the shirt and put it on. Bailey bit his bottom lip, his cock hardening as he watched the man dress. He had to remind himself that Jordan wanted to get out of here, not let Bailey undress him and have his wicked way with the man.
It was tempting as hell, though. The way those jeans hung on Jordan’s ass was dreamy. The man had a killer body. He was like Bailey’s own personal mountain that he could climb. He knew he was busted when a sly smile curled up the side of Jordan’s mouth. The man was enjoying the way Bailey was ogling him!
Once Jordan was dressed, Bailey had to fight not to touch his mate. The burnt orange seemed to ignite the amber in Jordan’s eyes, making them ‘pop’ out and be noticed more dramatically.
They walked from the room, Jordan pointing toward the back door. Bailey was still clueless about what was going on but kept pace with his mate. He didn’t say a word until they were in the truck and pulling away from the house.
“Okay, now tell me why you went all secret agent on me.”
Jordan pulled onto the road. He hadn’t even bothered to argue with his mate about driving. Jordan wasn’t the type to hand over the control. He had gone straight to the driver’s door and Bailey hadn’t stopped him.
“That wasn’t a missed piece of trash left under the couch. It was a listening device.” Jordan’s knuckles gripped the steering wheel tighter.
“How do you know?” Jordan was just a mechanic, right? How would he know what a listening device looked like?
“Because I left the city I was living in when the woman I was dating accused me of being the company mole.”
Wait, woman? “You dated a woman?”
Jordan cut his pretty eyes at Bailey. “I tell you I was accused of trying to bring this large corporation down and you focus on the woman?”
“Well, yeah. Are you gay or is it just me?”
Jordan let out a long sigh. “I’m bisexual, Bailey. But that’s not what I’m talking about right now.”
Oh, they were definitely going to talk about it later. Definitely.
“Someone in the company placed listening devices around my apartment. It was all fabricated bullshit. Come to find out it was Mina who was the mole. She was just trying to cast the blame on me so no one would look too hard at her. It almost worked, but she screwed up and was caught downloading sensitive files. I left town anyway. My dad used to own a garage and had taught me everything I needed to know about cars. I had run from who I was, wanting more, a grand life, but once I had it, I found it to be very empty. When Rio told me there was a job opening here, I took it.”
Bailey snickered. “Dude, that’s the most I’ve heard you talk since we met.”
“I’ve never been big on words,” Jordan admitted as a blush stole across his handsome face. “You learn a lot about people when you sit back and quietly observe or let them do all the talking.”
Bailey gripped his seat belt, glancing out the side window. “And what have you learned about me?”
Jordan pulled one hand from the steering wheel and slid it over Bailey’s. “That you have a very big heart and have been hurt. You are afraid to be hurt again, which is understandable. You feel things deeper than most, take things to heart.”
Bailey squeezed Jordan’s hands at the truth. He knew everyone was fully aware of his heartbreak. He just hadn’t known Jordan could read him so effortlessly. “I’m a fool who falls in love too easily.”
“No,” Jordan said as he twined his fingers with Bailey’s. “You’re a man who isn’t afraid to fall in love.”
“But I fought being with you.”
“True, but tell me, Bailey. Have you fallen in love with me?”
Bailey yanked his hand free. “Are you making fun of me?”
“Quite the opposite,” Jordan replied. “I’m elated that I didn’t have to wait years for your heart.” He reached out and ran his knuckles down Bailey’s face. “I’m honored that you would trust me with yours.”
Bailey dipped his head as he wondered why Jordan would be honored. Bailey felt like a booby prize compared to the gorgeous man sitting next to him.
“Looks aren’t everything.”
How did the guy know what Bailey was thinking? Jordan was sometimes too damn spooky. “Won’t you miss being with females?” Bailey didn’t want to know the answer, but the question had been sitting on his lips since Jordan confessed that he swung both ways.
“Will you miss dating other men?”
“No,” he said without hesitation. “When I’m with someone, I’m with that person. I don’t even contemplate being with other people.” That’s what Bailey never understood. How could Harley date a ton of people and not have guilt eat him alive? He hoped to hell the guy got what he deserved.
“Exactly.”
He had told Jordan that he would trust him, and that’s what Bailey was going to do. He now realized that he couldn’t go at a relationship half-assed. He was the type to give it his all or nothing.
There was no way he could give Jordan nothing, so he was going to cross his fingers and take the plunge. He just prayed he didn’t land on jagged rocks.
“Where are we headed?”
“My cousin’s house. Rio won’t mind. He’s mated to a fey named Fire.” Jordan gave him an apologetic smile. “Don’t mind Fire. He’s…unique.”
What did that mean?
He would soon find out because Jordan was pulling into someone’s driveway. Bailey was about to meet Jordan’s family. He had briefly met them on Bear’s front porch, but they were about to spend some time here.
“Relax. Rio is a laid-back guy.”
That was easy for Jordan to say. He had known Rio forever. Bailey just hoped he measured up to Rio’s appraisal.
* * * *
“A listening device?” Rio asked as he took a seat at the kitchen table. “Are you sure?”
Jordan glanced toward the living room where Fire was entertaining Bailey. He knew his mate had been nervous about meeting Jordan’s family and hadn’t wanted to leave Bailey alone, but his mate had insisted he was fine.
“I’m positive. I just don’t know who planted it there.”
Rio ran a hand over his stubbled jaw. “Maverick put out the word that Vampire Hunters were in town and to watch our backs. You killed that lawyer before you fell sick. Do you think it could be one of them, you know, the Hu
nters?”
“I’m not sure. Mark was supposed to make the lawyer’s death look like an accident.”
“Oh it was very believable,” Rio said. “The guy is damn good, Jordan. Remind me not to get killed around him. Mark could easily make it look like an accident and everyone would believe it.”
“I didn’t know about the Hunters. I was poisoned before I got the memo.”
“Did anyone find out who poisoned you?”
“I haven’t heard anything yet.” Jordan was frustrated as hell that he didn’t know a damn thing. He wanted to get to the bottom of who was shooting at Bailey and who had poisoned him. “I need to figure out who is causing all this bullshit. I don’t want Bailey hurt.”
Jordan sat back when Bailey walked into the kitchen. His mate took a seat in his lap, snaking his arms around Jordan’s neck. Jordan placed his hand on Bailey’s hip, amazed at how good it felt to have his mate in his arms, in his life. He had been telling the truth when he said his life had been empty.
But with Bailey, Jordan finally felt complete. He would be devastated if anything happened to his sexy firefighter. Jordan could tell by Bailey’s body language that he was still a bit nervous.
“We’re going to figure this out, Bailey. I promise.”
“I know. I just don’t like the feeling that someone is out there hunting us.” Bailey shook his head emphatically. “It doesn’t sit right with me.”
That was the understatement of the year.
“Just remember that the paranormal community is a very close community, Bailey,” Rio said. “We protect our own and now that you’ve mated Jordan, you’re one of us. We have your back.”
Jordan quickly tucked his lips in when Bailey’s head snapped around, a glint of wonder and anger darkening his sage-green eyes. His mate was so damn adorable when he was pissed.
“Just how many people know that we’ve mated?”
Jordan tried to keep a straight face when Rio burst out laughing. “Um…pretty much everyone.”
“It’s not something you can hide from a shifter, Bailey.”
Jordan rolled his eyes in exasperation when Bailey turned to glare at Rio. “Dude, shut the fuck up. You’re not helping here.”