by Iris Abbott
Justin brushed his lips across hers in a very light and chaste kiss. “I’m not mad at you, Rose. I’m upset with myself. I let you distract me, and while we were carrying on our little conversation, whoever is trying to kill you could have picked us both off with a long-range rifle. We’d have been sitting ducks if they knew what they were doing. It was a rookie mistake, and I know better.”
He said the latter more to remind himself than to reassure Rose. He had to keep his head in the game.
“Let’s go by the inn to pick up your things. Then I’ll take you to a nice little Italian restaurant I know. It’s frequented by employees of Gannon Security. It’s the safest place for us to enjoy dinner.” Yes, it was definitely safe, because it was owned by pack members. He wasn’t about to share that with Rose. Shifters jealously guarded their existence and for a good reason. Their lives depended on it!
THREE
“What!” Mitch gave his brother a look full of disbelief.
Justin fought the urge to snap at his brother, the alpha. It didn’t matter what Mitch said. Justin wasn’t backing down. He counted to three so that his voice sounded a lot calmer than he felt. A riled up Mitch would be less open to compromise.
“You were the one that wanted me to protect her,” he reminded his brother. “There’s nothing like home field advantage in a tactical battle. You know as well as I do that no one can penetrate the security here.”
He held up a hand when it looked like his brother was about to object. “You might as well know before you hear it from Lucian or Phillip. I claimed Rose. Detective Aquila will coordinate his investigation not only with me but with the council as well.”
Mitch raised a brow when he heard the word claim, but he wisely kept any comments about that to himself. “I’m not worried about someone breaching security,” Mitch was quick to clarify. “But have you forgotten that Rose Banks is a wolf expert. She was sent here to investigate reported wolf sightings in the area. Is it wise to have her staying in the heart of the pack with shifters right under her nose?”
Justin shrugged. The worry briefly crossed his thoughts, but he wasn’t going to change his mind. “I want her here, Mitch.” He straightened his spine. “You know that as your brother, the second in command, and pack enforcer, I would do nothing to jeopardize the pack’s wellbeing. They are family. Consider this a drill. Wolf shifters have to live and work side by side with humans all the time without giving away their secrets.”
Mitch shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, fine. You’re in charge of this job. We’ll do it your way. Scarlet’s human, so at least I don’t have to worry about her walking on eggshells or putting herself in danger.”
Justin smiled for the first time since the brief meeting started. “It’ll be good practice for the pack. I’m sure everyone will be extra vigilant while Rose is around.”
“I’ll call a mandatory pack meeting for tomorrow at noon. Make sure you have Rose far away from here well before then and keep her away for a couple of hours at least.”
Justin nodded his agreement. “Thank you, Mitch. This means a lot to me. I know just the thing to get her out of the house. I’ll take her to Acadia for a quick drive around the park and a tour of the headquarters. She’s already talking about not letting the attempt on her life affect her job.”
Mitch grunted. “Just make sure she doesn’t do her job too well. Our future and the future of the entire pack is at stake.”
Justin agreed and excused himself. He left Rose in the guest bedroom right next to the master bedroom suite he occupied. He was anxious to check on her. He was reluctant to let her out of his sight, but he had to have the conversation with Mitch in private. The talk was unavoidable, and the whole discussion only took about ten minutes. That didn’t matter. Justin was antsy the entire time, and the separation grated on his nerves.
He jogged over to the staircase that led to his half of the Gannon homestead. He took the stairs two at a time. He slowed when he reached the top of the landing and turned toward the bedroom that now housed Rose. Feminine laughter greeted his ears. The musical sound stopped him in his tracks. More laughter followed, and he recognized his sister-in-law’s voice.
He sauntered forward, and this time his steps were much lighter. He tapped on the partially opened bedroom door and waited. Rose’s sweet voice beckoned him to enter. Scarlet gave him a funny look, and he realized he wore a goofy grin, one that Scarlet wouldn’t recognize coming from him.
Rose jumped up from the bed as soon as she saw it was him. She glanced at him from beneath lowered lashes. “Justin, I was just thanking Scarlet for your family’s hospitality. Your home is gorgeous. Enigma Inn is nice especially for a hotel, but it has nothing on this place.”
Pleasing warmth spread through Justin at the discovery that his home charmed Rose. The sudden image of her spread naked atop his black satin sheets took root in his mind and refused to be dislodged. Trouble, he was in deep and sinking even further every minute he spent with Rose.
Scarlet quickly stood. “It was nice meeting you, Rose. I’m sure Justin will take excellent care of you while you’re here, but don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything.” With that offer, she made a hasty retreat.
****
Rose watched the Scarlet leave with a little trepidation. The two women clicked with each other right away. They even joked about the fact that both their names were shades of the color red. Now that she was alone with Justin, Rose nervously fidgeted on the edge of the bed. The fingers of her left hand found the hem of the sheet. She pleated the soft material between her fingers and waited for Justin to say something.
Rose wasn’t quite sure why she was so nervous in his presence. He came to her aid when she needed it most. He was her personal bodyguard and tasked with the responsibility of keeping her safe. It had to be the physical attraction she felt for him. It went far beyond anything she ever experienced before, and it scared her.
The very shy and introverted Rose could count the number of relationships she was involved in on the one hand and still have fingers to spare. She wasn’t a flirt by nature. She usually had her nose buried in a book or was doing research in the field. Most men found her boring. Even if they were attracted to the outside wrapping, they weren’t really interested in the whole package.
Rose usually liked to take things slow. Most men gave up long before they reached the intimate stage of their relationship. Something about Justin made her want to throw caution to the wind and live life to the fullest, no holding back. The intense longing he stirred inside her was way outside her comfort zone. She was going to have to deal with it though because Justin was going to be by her side and in her sights for the unforeseeable future.
“I wanted to check on you and make sure you were settling in okay.” He offered her a friendly smile. Her tensed body relaxed, and she could have sworn the smile grew bigger.
“Everything’s perfect, thanks.” She lightly chewed on her bottom lip. “Actually, no it’s not.” She let go of the sheet and twisted her fingers together. “Someone tried to kill me. I have no idea who wants me dead, and now you’re saddled with me. I don’t mean to doubt you, but good intentions make me nervous.” She arched a brow. “You do know what they say about the road to hell, don’t you?”
He shrugged and casually sat on the edge of the bed far enough from her so that they weren’t touching. “I’m getting paid, and a pretty penny at that, to guard you with my life if it comes down to it. My only intention good or bad is to keep you alive. In the process, I might find the person who set the car bomb, but that’s really Detective Aquila’s priority, not mine.”
Rose blinked at the quick change in his demeanor. She shifted on the bed and put more space between them. The only thing that stopped her retreat was the danger of falling off the end. She changed the subject to something that made her comfortable.
“I need to shop for a new laptop. I can’t do my job without one and mine was in the car when it expl
oded.” Thank goodness, she backed everything up on a flash drive that was attached to her wallet, and her purse was with her when she exited the car.
“Actually I have a couple of extra laptops on hand. I keep them in stock for when the security company hires new employees. I’ll be more than happy to loan you one until this is over.”
She pushed aside the nagging doubts and smiled. “Thanks, I wasn’t looking forward to being surrounded by large groups of strangers while shopping.” She actually shuddered at the thought. She would be glad to have access to a computer so that she could get back to work. Nature was a soothing balm to her soul and getting out in the field would help her de-stress.
Justin reached out for her hand and attached a thick silver bracelet around her wrist. “This is an emergency beacon,” he told her. He pushed the latch located on the side of the bracelet. A small compartment sprang open to reveal a tiny red button. If you get into trouble, and for some reason I’m not around, push the button. It will contact Gannon Security and let us know that you’re in trouble. It also has GPS, so we’ll be able to track down your location.”
Rose looked down at the bracelet. It was pretty enough and could pass as a piece of jewelry to anyone who didn’t know any better. Rose withheld a sigh. She suddenly felt like one of the animals she spent years tagging and tracking. Oh, the irony.
Better change the subject. “Umm, Scarlet invited me out for lunch tomorrow.” She gave him a questioning look. “She said to run it by you first, but to tell you that her friends Brittany, Selena, and Julie would be there too.” Rose shrugged. “She seemed to think their presence would make a difference.” Rose secretly wondered if Justin was involved with one of the before mentioned women, but she wasn’t dumb enough to ask.
Justin frowned. “I agree to the lunch as long as I get to pick the location. I’ll speak to Scarlet about it later. You should meet Brittany anyway. She teaches self-defense moves to the ladies of Enigma, and she’s an expert. It wouldn’t hurt for you to learn a few tricks. It isn’t likely you’ll need them here with me on the job, but they might come in handy later on down the road.”
He jumped up from the bed fast enough to startle Rose. Though it was the unmistakable growl she heard and not the quick movement that made her yelp.
“Sorry about that.” Justin was already headed for the door. He turned around and looked at her once he was in the hallway.
“I’m going to go get that laptop for you, and then I’ll speak to Scarlet about the lunch arrangements. She’ll get back to you sometime tonight, so you know what you’re letting yourself in for by agreeing to a lunch date with those four women.”
Rose watched Justin make a hasty retreat. He was in such a hurry he was running. She stifled a laugh. It seemed her dark angel wasn’t so immune to her after all. She just might get up enough nerve to ask Scarlet if Justin was involved with anyone. After all, a girl could dream, couldn’t she?
FOUR
His idea of a preliminary trip to Acadia got vetoed by Scarlet and her friends. That’s how Justin found himself sulking at a table between the five women he guarded and the main entrance of the restaurant. His back was to the wall. He had an unobstructed view of both the front door and Rose’s table. Just because he wasn’t happy to be there didn’t mean he wasn’t doing his job.
They were back at the Italian restaurant for safety reasons. There was four on-duty Gannon security personnel on location as well. Two of them guarded the service door and kitchen area, and the other two were in the main body of the restaurant guarding Scarlet, at Mitch’s insistence of course.
The steak masala on the plate in front of him was very rare. Just the way he loved it. Justin tried his best to savor the meal even though the pesky waiter tending to the women did his best to ruin Justin’s meal. He was a member of the pack, so he wasn’t a danger to the women. He just wouldn’t stop flirting with Rose, and it was getting on Justin’s last nerve.
The young upstart probably saw Rose as a safe bet. The other women at the table were taken and by very alpha paranormal beings too. All paranormal creatures in and around Enigma were aware of that fact. None of them wanted to get on the wrong side of Mitch Gannon, Phillip Saint John, Alessandro Russo, or Logan Justice. Well, they didn’t want to get on Justin’s bad side either, and he was just about to show why.
He stared at the waiter long and hard enough to make the man’s wolf pick up the threatening vibes. When he turned startled eyes toward Justin, the intensity of the stare increased. Justin narrowed his eyes and bared his fangs just enough for the other wolf to know he meant business.
The waiter got so nervous he accidentally knocked over Rose's water glass. To add insult to injury, he grabbed a napkin and started to pat down Rose while profusely apologizing. His hand came way to close to a breast, and Justin growled before springing into action.
He was at Rose’s side in a flash. “I think you’ve done more than enough for today.” He held out his hand and waited for the younger man to place the napkin there.
The waiter muttered another apology and scurried off to the kitchen area, his eyes lowered to the floor as a show of respect to the enforcer of the pack.
“It is quite all right, Justin. I’m sure it was just an accident, but you scared that young man half to death. Shame on you!”
“He deserved it,” Justin insisted. “His hand strayed to areas better left untouched unless he wants to lose a few fingers or better yet a whole hand.”
Rose gasped. The rest of the women smiled and gave each other knowing looks. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you Justin Gannon, but I don’t think that waiter was going to kill me with an inappropriate touch.”
Justin growled, and his wolf urged him to throw Rose over his shoulder and take her home where she’d be safe. He had to rein in his wolf and fast. He could almost feel it pacing inside him waiting to jump out and stake a claim to Rose. The timing couldn’t be worse. They barely knew each other, and the circumstances were anything but safe. He reminded himself one more time that distractions could be deadly. It was the creed he lived by, and he could never afford to forget it.
Scarlet stood and held out a hand to Rose. “Let’s go to the bathroom. They have one of those really powerful electric blowers for drying your hands. I bet it’ll dry your clothes in no time.” She glanced at Justin, trying to gauge his mood. “We should still be able to go shopping,” she said to the ladies.
Justin felt pressure behind his eyes. The blood in his body was pounding through the veins. His blood pressure was probably through the roof it was so high. Was Scarlet intentionally trying to make him lose his cool and have a meltdown of gigantic proportions?
“Shopping?” he gritted out through clenched teeth. “Nobody said anything about shopping earlier.” His eyes narrowed, and he looked at all five women. “I feel the need to remind everyone that Rose is vulnerable, and her life is in danger.”
“I think Justin might be right,” Rose quickly agreed. “Lunch was nice, but maybe it’s time to call it a day.” She shrugged. “I have some research I want to get done before Justin takes me to Acadia tomorrow anyway.”
Scarlet let out a deep heartfelt sigh. “Rose, we’d never do anything that we thought might endanger you.” She gave her brother-in-law a sharp look. “And Justin would know that if he was thinking straight.”
Justin read between the lines. Yes, he was struggling to keep his libido and his wolf under control. He apparently wasn’t doing a good enough job. He took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down.
Brittany threw in her two cents worth. “Even without Justin’s personal attention, we’re all well-guarded. Besides, the boutique we’re going to is just a few doors down, and it’s owned by a close friend of my grandmother. I talked to her last night, and she agreed to close the shop for us this afternoon.” She gave Rose a friendly smile. “Shopping with us is so much fun.”
“That’s right.” Selena piped up. “You won’t know how much fun you’re miss
ing unless you come with us!”
“Absolutely,” Julie added. “Besides, each one of us needs a killer dress for the Valentine’s Day ball!” A secret look passed between all the women except for Rose. “Alessandro and I are hosting another masquerade ball this year. After all, the one last year turned out to be so much fun.”
The four women looked at each other and burst into laughter.
****
Rose knew it was an inside joke, and she shouldn’t feel awkward, but she did. She crossed and uncrossed her ankles. Shopping wasn’t her thing, but she did love to dress up occasionally. She’d love to have the chance to knock Justin’s socks off and maybe a few other things too with a killer outfit.
“I’d love a new dress and the chance to experience the masquerade ball for myself.” Valentine’s Day was not her favorite holiday. Somehow, she was always the girl and then the woman without a boyfriend when the holiday rolled around every year. Who knew, maybe this year would be different.
She glanced at Justin and was rewarded with a smoking hot smile. It warmed her insides and melted her heart. She felt the sizzle all the way down to her toes. A light touch startled her, and she looked down to see his hands resting possessively on both her shoulders. She closed her eyes and savored the moment.
“Okay, ladies. I agree, but only because I know you took the proper safety precautions, and because Rose wants a new dress. But I warn you, no loitering. Let’s get this little shopping expedition over with as soon as possible.”
****
Two hours and the clock was still ticking. Justin impatiently looked at the watch on his left wrist one more time. Laughter spilled out of the dressing rooms and filtered into the entire shop. The sound reminded Justin why he hadn’t dragged Rose out of the dress shop already. Her laughter was mixed in with that of the other women, and he didn’t have the heart to pull her away when she was obviously having fun.
Justin himself was having anything but fun. He jumped every time the front door jangled and another disappointed shopper was turned away. He wondered for about the fiftieth time just how many dresses could five women try on in one afternoon. He propped himself against the wall and continued an intense survey of the entire shop. His eyes with their keen sight flickered from one corner of the shop to the other, taking in everything in between without stopping.