by Ramona Gray
EDGE OF NIGHT
(Shadow Security Book Two)
By Ramona Gray
Copyright © 2020 Elizabeth Kelly
Published by:
EK Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-77446-028-3
This book is the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, scanned or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Quotes used in reviews are the exception. No alteration of content is allowed.
Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Adult Reading Material
Edited by:
L. Nunn Editing
Cover art by
The Final Wrap
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
EDGE OF NIGHT
(Shadow Security Book Two)
By Ramona Gray
Will fear determine her fate?
The moment the kind and beautiful Daisy Martin applies at Shadow Security, lion shifter, Cooper Brooks, wants to make her his mate.
Except she’s terrified of shifters.
Daisy will never be his mate, but Cooper’s lion refuses to accept defeat. With his human and lion sides at odds, Cooper creeps toward madness.
Wanting a normal life, Daisy accepts the job for the money and her last-ditch effort to overcome her trauma. She doesn’t have to be friends with them, she just needs to overcome her fear.
But she never expects her boss, a large, tattooed, and certified badass lion shifter, to have such a soft and protective side. With patience and persistence, Cooper shreds her fears one by one, and when she realizes that only she can save him from insanity, their connection grows.
But when she’s caught between a dangerous cheetah shifter and his intended victim, Daisy confronts her biggest fear.
With Cooper’s help, can she conquer the shifter and her past?
* * *
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Chapter One
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Cooper’s voice echoed in the empty room. He didn’t give in to his desire to simply slam his fist on his laptop, but it was a hard-won battle.
His lion barely moved within him. Normally if Cooper was pissed, his lion was automatically pissed too. But ever since he’d been shot three days ago trying to save his best friend, his lion had been… weird. Cooper wanted to chalk it up to the whole being shot thing, but he’d been shot before and it had barely affected his lion at all.
Using his left hand, he scratched clumsily at the beard on his throat. It was years since he’d gone longer than a couple days without shaving and his skin was already irritated and red. But it was bad enough that Wes would be helping him shower tonight, he wouldn’t ask him to shave him too.
He stopped scratching his irritated skin and switched to gingerly massaging his arm above the sling. After three days, he was ready to toss the sling and give using his right hand a go. It was bullshit trying to do everything with his left hand and he was over it.
He stared at his laptop, the automatic update that had started and cost him an entire two hours worth of work making his temper rise again. When the fuck would he ever remember to save the document he was working on? Daisy had reminded him numerous times to stop every twenty minutes or so and save his work, but did he? Of course he fucking didn’t.
Not even the mention of the receptionist at Cooper’s security firm stirred his lion. The beginnings of panic unfurled in his belly. Deep down he knew exactly what his lion’s apathy was about, but he had no idea what to do about it.
He couldn’t demand his lion stop believing that Daisy was his mate, just like he couldn’t demand Daisy to stop being terrified of him and his lion.
She’s afraid of all shifters, not just us, his lion growled.
At least that had stirred his lion out of his funk a little. It was right. Daisy wasn’t just afraid of Cooper - she was terrified of all shifters. Which made her decision to interview for a job at a security firm where she would be the only human just that much weirder.
Why would a human afraid of shifters want to work with them?
He had no idea and in the three months that Daisy had worked for him, he still hadn’t figured it out.
You should never have hired her.
Fuck, wasn’t that the truth. He one hundred percent agreed with his inner voice, but his lion… for one of the few times in Cooper’s life, his lion had surged forward in the interview and taken control, hiring the tiny auburn-haired human before Cooper could regain control.
From the moment Daisy had walked into his office for the receptionist interview, so terrified she could barely speak, his lion had claimed her as his mate. Cooper had denied it for the last three months, but after what happened a few days ago, he couldn’t deny it anymore.
Doesn’t matter. We scared her. Our mate is afraid of us and she’ll never come near us again.
His lion’s whimper made goosebumps break out on his skin and a wave of depression washed over him.
It was true. He’d lost control and almost shifted in front of Daisy and that was enough for him to lose her forever.
She was never ours.
His lion whimpered again at his inner voice. Normally it would have been angry and lashing out, and the whimpering and depression was setting Cooper’s nerves on edge.
We’ll go into the office tomorrow so you can see her, okay? he said to his lion.
It was too soon to go into the office. His arm was still throbbing and aching. Trying to work on the report from home today had exhausted him, but his lion going insane wasn’t exactly an option.
When his lion made a listless growl in response, Cooper’s unease intensified.
“Snap out of it!” he growled to the empty room. “Stop being such a fucking baby about it. She’s not our goddamn mate.”
Shit. Now his lion was giving him the silent treatment. In frustration, Cooper slammed his hand on the desk, making the picture to the left of the laptop fall off the desk. It hit the hardwood, the telltale sounds of glass breaking made him pinch the bridge of his nose and close his eyes in defeat.
He pushed back from the desk, grabbed the small trash can under it, and walked to the front of the desk. He squatted and flipped the frame over. Jagged pieces of glass littered the floor and he picked them up with his left hand, tossing them into the trash can.
Jesus, he was having a fuck of a day and if –
The front doorbell rang, making him jerk and then hiss with pain when the piece of glass he was reaching for sliced his finger. Blood dripped out of his finger, and he growled at the sharp pain.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he muttered. “Jesus Christ, Wes, you have a goddamn key. Let yourself in.”
Shit, the blood was really flowing now. Holding his hand over the garbage can to try and minimize the mess, he made another low growl when the doorbell rang again.
“Use your key!” he shouted as he stood and grabbed some tissues off the desk. He used the fingers of his right hand to wrap the tissue around his left fingers, muttering a curse when even that small movement made his injured shoulder throb. Leaving the mess of glass and blood on the floor, he left the office. He needed to get the goddamn first-aid kit before he got blood all over his fucking office.
The doorbell rang a third time as he was headed toward the bathroom. With an irritated snarl, he turned around and stomped toward the front door. He flipped the lock, ignoring the pain in his finger and the blood smeared on the lock, and turned the handle, yanking the door open.
“For fuck’s sake, Wes, why aren’t you using your…”
His breath caught in his throat. His lion sat up and busted out an excited roar before purring so loudly, Cooper could barely hear the traffic going by on the street.
He stared silently at the small auburn-haired woman standing on his front porch with the scent of her fear rolling off of her in heavy waves.
Cooper swallowed hard. “Daisy? What are you doing here?”
* * *
Okay, so volunteering to check on Cooper tonight after Wes got sidetracked at a job, was the worst mistake of her life. Her very short life, if the anger in Cooper’s eyes was any indication.
Daisy told herself to flee, told herself to haul ass back to her car, but, like always when she was confronted with an angry shifter, she was immediately paralyzed with fear.
“Daisy? What are you doing here?”
The anger in Cooper’s gaze had already faded. He sniffed the air, his face twisted like he’d eaten a lemon, and he took a step back. The added space gave her the confidence to breathe again. She sucked in a breath, hoping she didn’t look like she was about two minutes away from wetting her pants.
“It’s okay, Daisy,” Cooper said in that low and cautious voice he often used with her. The one that said, this chick be straight up crazy.
“It’s okay,” he repeated. “I won’t hurt you.”
“I… I know,” she said even though that was a bold-faced lie. The way her entire body was trembling made it more than obvious she was lying.
“Is there a problem at the office?” Cooper said.
He did that a lot. Changed the subject from her obvious fear, pretended like he couldn’t smell her terror or see the way she was on the verge of bolting if only she could get her frozen legs to carry her.
She didn’t mind. In fact, she appreciated it. Cooper ignoring her debilitating fear often made it ease a little, which she supposed was strange if she really thought about it, but any port in a storm, right?
“No. Wes got stuck with a client and I offered to check on you tonight and, uh, help you with stuff.”
That stuff included helping Cooper shower. Wes had been totally blunt about that, and she had pretended on the phone when he called into the office like it was no big deal. Had pretended like seeing her boss naked for a second time in less than a week was absolutely normal. She didn’t relish the idea of seeing Cooper naked, but he had saved her from that horrible jaguar shifter, and she owed him.
Please, girl, like you don’t want another glimpse of that hard, tattooed body and giant dick of his.
Her face got hot and her neck got itchy and her fear disappeared under a wave of embarrassment. She’d only gotten a glimpse of Cooper’s penis before he’d covered up, but it’d been more than enough for her to see exactly how large he was.
And you gave him a glimpse of how tiny your tits were.
More heat flooded her face and she resisted the urge to fan herself. Cooper had been bleeding badly from the shoulder and she needed something to stem the blood before he bled out. She’d had to take off her shirt, giving him a view of her boobs in their boring beige bra in the process.
“Wes had to work late?” Cooper was still blocking the doorway with his big body, confusion on his face, and blood dripping from his hand, and … wait, blood?
“You’re bleeding,” she said.
He glanced at his hand. “Yeah, I cut myself on some glass.”
“It’s bleeding a lot,” she said. “Do you need stitches?”
“Nah, I’ll put a Band-aid on it.”
If the blood dripping onto the front porch from the soaked tissue wrapped around his finger was any indication, it needed a lot more than a Band-aid.
“I can help you,” she said.
“That’s okay,” he said. “I appreciate you stopping by, but my arm is better. I can handle things.”
Stupidly, she felt a little hurt by his obvious desire for her to leave. Cooper had always been nice to her. In fact, he was probably the best boss she’d ever had, and he’d never once made her feel stupid about her fear of him and everyone else in the office.
Also, he’s, like, a great kisser. Right?
She skittered away from that thought immediately. She wouldn’t – couldn’t – think about kissing Cooper. Not when half an hour after kissing her, he’d almost shifted in a parking lot and scared the bejeezus out of her.
He hadn’t meant to scare her, she knew that, but it didn’t negate the fact that she’d been terrified when he’d started swelling and growing hair and threatening to kill the jaguar.
“Do you?” she said. “It’s only been three days and you’re right handed. How are you going to cook dinner?”
“I’ll order in,” he said.
“How will you fix that?” She pointed to his finger.
“It’ll be fine,” he said. “Talk to you later, Daisy.”
“I want to help you,” she said. “Please let me.”
Weird laughter was bubbling up in her chest. Was she actually begging to be allowed into the – literal and figurative – lion’s den?
The pupils of his eyes turned to slits as he went inward and spoke to his lion. Just seeing his pupils go from round to slit, the startling blue of his eyes beginning to turn yellow, brought fresh fear to her belly.
She made herself breathe her way through it, repeated, he’ll never hurt you, a half dozen times in her head while Cooper talked to his lion.
“I don’t want to frighten you,” he said. His eyes were back to normal and a heavy layer of guilt covered his face.
It was one of the few times he’d directly mentioned her fear and she hated the shame she felt about being so afraid. “I appreciate that, but, uh, I’m good.”
She wasn’t good, not by a long shot, but she needed to do this. Not only because she felt the need to repay Cooper for saving her, but because it would be good for her. Being alone with a shifter in his house was a major step toward conquering her fear.
“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Cooper said.
“I know you don’t, but I’ll feel terrible if my boss bleeds to death on the night I said I would check in on him. Pretty sure Wes would fire me if that happened.”
His face relaxed the tiniest bit. “It would be Grayson who did the firing. He’s next in line for running the office.”
She smiled at him and it almost felt natural. “Let me come in and help you with your hand, okay? If it’s, uh, too much for me, I’ll leave and let you fend for yourself. Deal?”
His pupils turned to slits for about ten seconds before they flipped to normal and he nodded. “Deal.”
This is a very bad idea.
Now that it was actually going to happen, her inner voice had completely changed her tune.
Please don’t go in there, Daisy. Please. We can’t be alone with him.
We’ve been alone with him before, she said to inner Daisy.
Not like this. Not in his house where he could trap us and scare us and-and hurt us. No one will hear u
s scream. Is that what you want? To die like Josh did, in a puddle of our own piss and blood? Please, don’t do this. He’s not good. No shifter is. We’re going to die.
He won’t hurt us.
“No, I won’t. Ever.” Cooper said.
Shit! She’d spoken the words out loud… what was wrong with her?
She swallowed hard. “I know.”
Cooper studied her for a few seconds before backing into the house until he was standing at the far end of the hallway. Light spilled out from the open doorway to his right, accentuating the way his shaggy blond hair stuck up from his head at odd angles. The poor guy really did need to shower. She took a deep breath and stepped across the threshold, shutting the door behind her.
Trapped!
His nostrils flaring, Cooper took another step back. He looked uncomfortable and nervous, and she suddenly hated herself for making such a nice man feel bad.
He’s not nice! He’s a shifter!
She let the anger at being such a chickenshit fill her up a little, pushing out some of the fear until she felt a semblance of normal. “Where’s your first-aid kit?”
“In the bathroom upstairs,” he said.
“Go sit down at the table before you pass out from blood loss,” she said. “I’ll grab the kit.”
“Sure.” He disappeared into the open doorway and she made herself take the first few steps. It got easier with each step and she glanced into the room to her right as she passed by. She could see the broken glass gleaming in the sunlight on the floor in front of the desk as well as some splashes of drying blood.
She passed the kitchen, satisfied when she saw Cooper sitting at the table like she’d asked, and climbed the stairs at the end of the hallway.
“First door on the right,” Cooper called. “The kit’s under the sink.”
She stepped into the mid-size bathroom and squatted next to the cabinet. She grabbed the kit tucked neatly next to the pipes and then stood and checked her reflection in the mirror. Her face was a little red, but she didn’t have a look of terror in her eyes, so she called it a win and left the bathroom, standing at the top of the staircase for a moment.