by Jodi Vaughn
“Come on.” His tone was hard, and even from this distance she could see the muscle twitching in his cheek.
“I’m not going with you.” She clasped her shaking hands together and glanced around. They might look like they were out here alone, but it didn’t feel like they were alone. John always had eyes everywhere.
Jaxon rubbed the back of his neck and studied the ground. “I don’t have time to argue with you, Ginny. We’ve got to leave now.” His voice was even and calm, but she could still hear the anger concealed just under the surface, waiting for its chance to burst through.
She shook her head and swallowed. “I can’t go with you.” If she did, would be a death sentence.
He let out a string of colorful curses, words she’d never heard him say in front of her, and headed in her direction.
His face was a storm of dark emotions. She’d seen that look before. She’d seen it on John’s face right before his hand would strike her.
She took a step back and cringed.
“Do you think I would hit you?” Hurt flashed through his eyes, and he propped his hands on his hips and stared.
She swallowed back her fear. She hated herself in that moment. She’d hated what she’d become. Scared and unsure. She never used to be either of those things.
“Tell me, Ginny. When did I ever hit you?” His stare hardened.
“Never.” She lifted her chin.
“You don’t get the right to be mad at me. I’m the one who gets to be mad. I’m the one you destroyed,” he said.
And I’m paying for it every day of my life.
“I’m not mad at you, Jaxon.” She forced her arms to relax at her side and held his gaze.
“Well, you don’t look exactly happy.” He folded his arms over his chest.
“My car is stolen. I have no way to get home.” She narrowed her gaze. “You’d be a little put out if that happened to you.”
“I wouldn’t be put out. I’d be fucking pissed.” He arched his brow.
She snorted and then bit her lip to keep from laughing.
“Ah, see. There’s a glimmer of the girl I once knew.” A slight smile played at the corners of his beautiful lips.
She shook her head and let the smile go. “No, that girl is gone.” She’d been gone a long time.
He opened his mouth and looked like he wanted to say something. But then he shrugged and looked over his shoulder at his bike.
“Well, we both need to find that witch. She has your car, and I need to take her in.” He looked back at her. “Go inside the bar and call someone to pick you up.”
The flesh on the back of her neck crawled. She couldn’t go inside and call John. She was looking at a punishment as it was for being late getting home. But if she told him her car had been stolen, that punishment would be a thousand times worse.
“Do you really think you can catch her?” she asked.
“Absolutely.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” She walked past him toward the Harley. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Jaxon shook his head and followed Ginny over to his bike. He didn’t get women. Honest to God, he didn’t know what made a woman tick.
First she was mad as hell to see him. Then she acted like she expected him to beat her. Now she was standing by his bike, wanting to go with him.
Something was up. Once they got the witch secured and on her way back to Mississippi, he was going to have a one-on-one talk with Ginny and get to the bottom of things.
He strode over to the bike. He wished he had a helmet for her, but he didn’t wear one.
“Your hair’s going to get all messed up.” He smirked. In her white pants and pink shirt, she looked like a Harley was the last place she belonged. “Need a bandana?”
“Yes.” She sighed and fashioned the material around her head.
“I’m ready now.” She held his gaze.
He fought a smile. She didn’t look like she belonged on a Harley, but he wasn’t going to tell her that.
He straddled his bike and waited for her get on.
Her hands rested on his shoulders as she climbed on behind him. His heart sped up, and his muscles tensed at her warm touch.
Despite all she’d done to him, he still wanted her in the most carnal of ways.
Sometimes being a werewolf was a bitch.
He started the engine and the bike roared to life. He never got tired of hearing that sound.
He pulled out of the dusty parking lot, turned onto the road, and increased his speed.
Her hands slid from his shoulders to his waist. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight as they raced down the back roads of Arkansas.
The sun was fading fast. Soon they would lose daylight. He had no idea where the witch could be headed or how far she’d gone. The only thing he could go by was his heightened sense of smell and his gut instinct.
He approached a four-way intersection and stopped. The land was flat and each direction was surrounded by rice fields.
Ginny leaned closer to her ear. “She went to the right.”
“How do you know?” He frowned and shot her a look over his shoulder.
“I have a tracker on my phone.” She held up her cell phone.
“Why the hell didn’t you say that before we pulled out of the parking lot?”
“You seemed to know where you were going. Besides, you didn’t ask.” She smirked.
He faced the road.
She thought she wasn’t the same girl. But her last comment had proven something.
Ginny was there. She was just hidden under a whole lot of makeup and bruises.
* * *
“What’s been going on, Granny?” Ava tried to keep her tone casual as she looked at the older woman over the magazine she’d picked up and pretended to read. Ever since the Valentine Day disaster where Granny had gone on a blind date with a fugitive, everyone near the old woman had been keeping a close eye on her to make sure she didn’t get into any more trouble.
Granny put down her knitting and gave Ava a hard stare.
“Ava, I know what you’re doing, and it’s not working.”
“What do you mean?” Her eyes widened and she blinked.
“You want to know if I’ve had another date since Valentine’s Day.” She narrowed her wise old eyes and pursed her lips. “You’ve been staring at me over that magazine you’re holding upside down for the past fifteen minutes.”
She frowned and glanced down at the magazine. Granny was right. She’d been holding the magazine upside down.
She threw the magazine on the coffee table and sank back on the couch.
“Fine. You’re going to make me beg. I’m not above begging, you know.” She gave Granny her best puppy dog eyes.
“No kidding.” Granny studied the ceiling before looking back at her.
“Well? Have you had any more dates?” Ava sat up.
“You’re too nosy for your own good, Ava,” Granny scolded.
“Says the pot to the kettle.” Ava smirked.
“Fine, sassy pants.” Granny sighed and relaxed back in her favorite green-and-white upholstered chair.
“After Valentine’s Day”—she narrowed her eyes—“I didn’t get back on that dating site. Sounded like a whole lotta fruitcakes on there.” She shook her head in disapproval. “My curiosity finally got the better of me the other day so I went and checked on my profile, you know, just for kicks and giggles.”
“And?” Ava leaned forward.
“I had four hundred hits.” She frowned. “Is that what you call it? Hits?” She cringed. “Sounds like doing drugs.”
“Holy crap, Granny! Four hundred? That’s a hella lot.”
“Language, Ava.” Granny pursed her lips together.
“Sorry. But seriously, that’s lot of responses.” Ava said. “Are you going to go out with any of them?”
“I don’t know. I read most of them and they all seem so… needy. Like they are looking for a wife. I�
�m not looking for a husband. Just some companionship from time to time.”
“Like a booty call?” Ava giggled.
“Really, Ava? I don’t need a man for that with all the merchandise I can get my hands on,” Granny deadpanned.
Ava barked out a laugh.
Granny sold adult toys and made damn good money too. She wouldn’t tell anyone exactly what she made, but Ava knew it was in the six figures.
“So are you going to answer any of them?”
“Probably not. I still can’t shake the one who lent me his RV.” Granny frowned. “I returned that thing in one piece, and he still had the nerve to call me a tease. He had no idea I was in deep cover.”
Ava bit back a grin. Granny had showed up in New Orleans and saved Barrett and his Guardians after Lucien had been captured and tortured. Granny had managed to commandeer an RV from an older gentleman who’d offered it in exchange for a little romantic time with Granny. Needless to say, Granny did not hold up her end of the bargain. She’d taken the RV, rescued the Arkansas Guardians, and driven them to safety. Barrett had returned the RV to the man so she didn’t have to see him again. But he was a persistent gentleman and had found her home phone number and left message after message.
“Seriously, if he’s bothering you, let Jayden or Damon take care of it.” Ava sat back in the couch and studied the old woman.
“I don’t need anyone to take care of it. I’ve got a concealed carry. I’ll shoot him right in the pecker if he dares to show up here.” She crossed her skinny arms across her chest. “I told him that too. I think he liked it. Seems like he’s into that BDSM stuff.”
Ava frowned. She wouldn’t classify shooting a man in the dick as the same as BDSM, but she wasn’t about to argue with Granny. She knew she’d never win.
“You and the boys should come over for dinner Friday night.” Granny relaxed. “I can make a pot roast. I know that Lucien is fully recovered from his injuries. We’ve haven’t had a proper dinner since all that happened in Louisiana.”
“I don’t know who all is in town. I know that Damon and Jayden have been working surveillance for Barrett. He won’t tell me where he is or what’s he’s doing.” Ava frowned. “It’s very irritating.”
“Hmm. It probably has something to do with Louisiana.” Granny raised her eyebrows.
“That’s what I thought.” After finding out that Louisiana had been behind the attacks on Arkansas Guardians, Barrett had been very close-lipped about what action he was going to take next.
“I’m not so sure I want to know this time.” Granny’s voice was but a whisper. Her eyes crinkled on the sides as she frowned.
“What do you mean? If Barrett gathers enough intel on Louisiana, won’t he just bring it before the other Southern Pack Masters?”
“It’s not that simple, Ava,” Granny said. “I’ve seen a lot of Pack Masters come and go. The bad ones always outlast the good ones. I’m concerned what kind of retribution Barrett will face if he pursues this.”
“But that’s not right. Louisiana can’t just commit a crime like that and get away with it.” The heat rose in Ava’s face.
“Life isn’t always fair, honey.”
“Well, I trust Barrett and I know that he always gets what he wants. He’s been the best Pack Master I’ve ever met. He won’t let us down, Granny. That I can promise you.”
Chapter Five
Jaxon tried to ignore Ginny’s soft hands clinging to his waist. He tried to ignore the sweet scent that drifted over his nose every time he turned his head to the right just a tiny bit. Most of all, he tried to ignore the way his heart sped up in his chest, not because they were chasing the witch, but because she’d always made his heart speed up whenever she was near.
The first time he’d laid eyes on her, he’d known she was the only female for him. Now she had become his Achilles’ heel.
“Take a left,” she said near his ear and held out her phone to show him the direction the arrow was facing on her tracker system.
He slowed his Harley so he could take the curve. She tightened her arms around his waist and leaned into him. Her pert breasts pressed into his back and he groaned, hating how much he was still attracted to the woman who had not hesitated to rip out his heart.
He increased his speed down the desolate country road. The quicker he found the witch, the quicker Ginny would get her car back and drive out of his life forever.
His gut twisted.
The bruises. How had Ginny gotten involved with someone who hurt her? How had the girl he’d once known, or thought he’d known, ended up with a male like that?
Fuck. He needed to stop overthinking shit. Ginny had made her choice. And she didn’t chose him.
Still, he knew that he couldn’t just let her ride out of Arkansas and back into Louisiana until he had the whole story about what was going on, even though he knew he couldn’t make her leave a dangerous domestic situation. Hell, he’d hung around Braxton enough to hear how that shit turned out.
Braxton, a fellow Arkansas Guardian, had tried to get his mother to leave his abusive father for years. When the old man had been found dead, Braxton had been blamed. After the real killer was found and taken back to stand trial, his mother still hadn’t left Louisiana. She still mourned the male who’d beaten the hell out of her every day of her life.
He’d seen the hurt in Braxton’s eyes when talked of how his mother had cut herself off from him. Braxton had offered to move her to Arkansas to live with him and his mate, Kate. His mom refused. So he quit trying to be part of her life. He still sent her money every month, but she never responded.
Was that how Ginny was going to end up?
Nausea rolled around in his gut. He knew he couldn’t just let her leave until he gave her a way out. A female shouldn’t have to live her life in fear.
“Fuck me.” He scrubbed his hand down his face. If he didn’t watch it, he was going to get sucked back into being vulnerable with her. That was something he couldn’t afford to do.
* * *
Ginny didn’t suppress her grin. She’d never been on a Harley in her life. But something about the speed and the wind rushing across her skin made her feel alive, something she’d not experienced in a very long time.
The heat from the exhaust scorched her ankle, and she tried to hold it away. Jaxon turned and threw a scowl over his shoulder. He must have felt the shift in the balance of the bike, but she wasn’t worried. He was clearly an expert rider. He knew how to handle a bike. He knew how to handle her.
He slowed down as they approached a gas station. He turned in and pulled up beside a pump.
Planting her hands on his shoulders, she got off the bike. Her heel caught on a pebble and she stumbled. Jaxon dismounted and caught her before she fell.
“I’m fine.” She stepped out of his embrace and stared up at him.
He said nothing.
“We need to hurry if we’re going to catch the car.” She glanced around the gas station. It was a habit of hers, looking around and surveying her surroundings. These last few years, her life had consisted of surviving, and she made a point to not let her guard down. Letting her guard down could cost her.
“We’re not going anywhere until we get you some different clothes to wear.” His gaze drifted down her body to rest at her feet. “Last time I checked, heels were not exactly considered riding gear.”
“If you have a bandana or rag, I can tie it around my ankle. No need to get new clothes.” She might look like she had a million dollars, but she didn’t have a cent to her name. The times she did spend money on something, it was through a credit card. She wasn’t allowed to carry cash. She knew why. It was just one more way John could control her.
“Well, you’re ruining my image, sweetheart. I can’t have a female on the back of my bike looking like some fancy lawyer.”
“So you’d rather have a biker chick.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“There was a time you might have liked being a b
iker chick.” He leaned in and smiled.
Her stomach warmed and turned to Jell-O. It had been years since they’d seen each other. He shouldn’t still have this effect on her.
“I don’t have any money. I can’t buy any clothes.” She couldn’t use the credit card. He could track her down within an hour, and there’d be hell to pay. She was in enough trouble as it was. She didn’t need to make it worse.
“Are you kidding, sweetheart? No money? That ring alone looks like it could be worth at least twenty thousand.” His gaze narrowed on her wedding ring.
“Thirty,” she corrected him and twisted the ring on her finger. Remembering her insignia ring, she shoved her right hand into her pocket before he could get a good look. Jaxon would hate her if he found out who she really was.
If she could be a big enough bitch, then he would be more than willing to let her go after they found her car. He’d probably count himself lucky that he hadn’t ended up mating with her.
Her throat tightened. She felt her heart break a little more.
She lifted her chin and reminded herself that she was doing this for Jaxon. That she had to keep this up. If she wanted Jaxon to live she could sacrifice herself.
Something flashed behind Jaxon’s eyes, yet he said nothing. She knew that hurting him now would save her trouble down the road.
“Go inside and see what kind of clothes they have.” His voice was low and void of emotion. He pulled out his wallet, tugged out a couple of hundred-dollar bills, and shoved them at her. He didn’t wait for her to argue or watch to see if she complied. Instead he turned his back and reached for the gas pump to fuel up his Harley.
She turned on her heel and sauntered inside the gas station. The cashier glanced up from reading his paper. He gave her a nod of acknowledgement before his gaze drifted back down to his newspaper. To the left was an area that served freshly made sub sandwiches. To the left were the snacks and coolers for drinks. She glanced toward the back of the gas station and noticed a door going into a different area of the store.
She passed the snacks and stepped into the next room. There were a few racks of secondhand clothes and some shoes, along with some secondhand furniture. An older lady looked up from the counter and smiled.