Knight Shift

by Paulette Miller

  He hid in an alley and, using his stealth form, he hunted for his prey. Once he spotted a woman who obviously had too much to drink, he hid in a nearby alley that would cross her path. As she passed his position, he pinned the woman against a wall and struck silently and quickly. He preferred to take blood from the neck but, as Penny’s face flashed in his mind, that now seemed too personal. Instead, he bit into her wrist. He was doing this because of a need, not for pleasure, so for Penny’s benefit, he also tried to make it as painless and quick as possible. He released his prey in record time and left her giggling and swaying as she left the alley, completely unaware of what just happened to her.

  Back at the room, Penny sat on the edge of the bed and looked toward the door whenever she heard voices. She had hoped Jax had changed his mind and come back but, when the voices faded, she decided she needed to get out for a few minutes. There was a bar next to the hotel so she changed into a pretty top and skirt and headed out the door.

  After a short walk, she entered the bar. It was early so the room wasn’t very crowded. There were just a few couples and a small group of men still in suits. She guessed they had stopped by after work to share a few pitchers of beer.

  She sat down at the bar and, when the bartender asked her what she wanted, she replied, “Just surprise me.” She gave him a weak smile.

  With an unknown fruity drink in her hand, she watched the television playing in the corner. Much to her dismay, the news was on and they were discussing the plane crash. She was distracted from the news anchor by a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see an attractive middle-aged man smiling down at her.

  He said, “Hello. My name is David. My friends and I…” He pointed to the table of suits. “We were wondering if you wanted to join us for a drink.” Seeing the look of pain in her eyes, he asked, “Are you alright?”

  She looked back to the television and a tear fell down her cheek. He followed her gaze and when he saw what was on, he asked, “Did you know someone on that plane?”

  Without moving her eyes from the pictures of the crash scene, she nodded slowly and held up four fingers. He gasped. She turned back to him, desperate to talk to someone and said, “My family—parents and my twin brothers. They were all I had. I’m on my way to identify their bo—” She couldn’t finish her thought.

  The man made eye contact with the bartender and said, “All her drinks are on me.”

  The bartender shook his head and said, “No, they’re on the house,” and placed a shot of something in front of her.

  Penny looked down at the familiar brown liquid of Jack Daniel’s—her brothers’ favorite drink. She knew she shouldn’t, but the pain welling inside her was too much. She picked up the glass and downed its contents in one swallow, giving a silent toast to the lost. She felt the burn down her throat but, when a slight numbing sensation followed, she sighed in relief.

  David stepped back to his table to have a discussion with his companions and returned by the time Penny’s shot glass was refilled. David held out his hand to her and said with true sympathy in his voice, “Why don’t you come sit with us for a while.”

  At first she stared at his hand, unsure what to do. But then she took it in hers and gratefully accepted the feel of someone’s touch.

  David guided her to his table and introduced his colleagues, who all stood when she joined them. Once he was done with introductions, Penny replied, “I’m Penny.” When she wiped away a tear on her cheek, she added, “I’m not sure I’m the best company right now.”

  One of them men said, “Nonsense. A beautiful woman is always good company. Please sit.”

  At first the conversation was forced and awkward. They were unsure how best to comfort her, but after they all downed several shots in honor of Penny’s family, the real conversation started. Several talked about love ones they had lost over the years, downing several more shots to ease the pain of the memories. After a while, the alcohol was starting to take effect and the discussion began to include funny family stories and laughter. Penny even shared stories of her and her brothers as they grew up. When she spoke quite affectionately of her traveling companion and how his strength was the only thing keeping her together, David found he was jealous. It was obvious that Penny was smitten by the man she referred to as Jax.

  Before anyone realized it, hours had passed and Penny was drunk. With the bar now full of people laughing and dancing, David asked Penny if she wanted to dance. Penny nodded, staggered after she stood, and let out a giggle. For the first time in days her body was pleasantly numb. Later when an impromptu dance content began, she leaned into her table of new friends and slurred, “I’ve got this in the bag, boys,” and joined in on the fun.

  Meanwhile Jax finally returned to the hotel. Finding the room empty, he felt a twinge of panic in his chest. Just as he was about to head out the door to use his hunting skills to find her, his eyes spotted a folded piece of paper.

  He read the words to himself. “J. I’m walking over to Mel’s to clear my head. I’ll be back later. P”

  Knowing she was at the bar next door, he headed out into the night to go retrieve her. Guilt washed over him, realizing he shouldn’t have left her alone. When he approached the bar door, the bouncer automatically moved to the side to get out of his way. As he walked in, many turned to stare at him. With his shaved head, tattoos, and piercings, he didn’t blend in to their normal clientele. But since he made no threatening moves, they ignored him and went back to their partying.

  Jax searched the bar looking for Penny and was irritated by the cat-calling for a couple of women who were on the bar dancing. His irritation turned instantly to anger as he noticed Penny was among them.

  A drunk man that was standing next to him said, “You can look, but don’t touch. That green-eyed one in the middle is all mine. Look at that that body move.” He was unable to see Jax’s quickly growing fury, because the man’s eyes were still glued on Penny’s form. Not realizing the danger he was in, he added, “She needs a real man to comfort her and I plan to be the one to do it.”

  Jax knew he had no claim on Penny, but the obvious interest in her by other men bothered him to his core. He was the one that needed to care for her, not these strangers. He replied with his fists clenched, “She’s mine and is leaving with me.”

  The drunk man swayed and laughed him off, saying “She doesn’t have a ring on that finger so she’s fair game. She’ll be leaving on my arm before the night is over.” He staggered as he made his way closer to Penny so that he would have a better view of his target.

  As Jax felt his inner fury stir, he started a low predatory growl. He wanted nothing more than to rip the man’s throat out. For Penny’s sake, he contained his inner beast. While he made his way through the crowd, everyone naturally gave him a wide berth. Even drunk, no one was going to argue with a man that looked like he could rip them apart with his bare hands.

  When Jax stood protectively in front of his traveling companion, he commanded, “Penny, get down now.”

  When she heard the familiar voice, she looked down and called, “Hi, Jax.” A huge grin lit her face and, as she focused all of her attention on him, her moves changed to be sultrier and the crowd roared their approval.

  David saw the exchange and knew who the new arrival was. He approached and said, “You must be Penny’s traveling companion, Jax. She speaks quite highly of you.”

  Jax snapped his head toward the man. David gasped and instinctively took a step backwards, seeing the animal behind Jax’s eyes. He instantly knew that there was so much more to Penny’s companion than a mere Human. Jax’s protective nature caused a shiver to run up David’s spine, informing him that the entire room was in grave danger.

  David glanced up at Penny’s bright green eyes and, seeing the genuine affection she was directing towards Jax, David squared his shoulders and said calmly, “I’m glad you’re here. It’s time for you to take Penny home.” Seeing the shocked expression on Jax’s face for David’s comme
nts, David added, “Although I’ve only known her for a few hours, I can already see how special she is and she has no idea the impact her presence has on those around her. Her pain has made her exceptionally vulnerable right now and she needs you.”

  For some reason Jax couldn’t explain, he replied to the Human, saying “What she needs, I don’t know how to give. She deserves better than to be stuck with someone like me.”

  Realizing that the one in front of him didn’t understand how Penny felt about him, he replied, “Stuck? I bet if anyone tried to take her away from you, she would fight them with every ounce of energy she has.” Seeing his disbelief, he said, “You have no idea how lucky you are. Take a close look at the one on the bar.”

  Jax did as asked and, when David saw their eyes lock, he added, “She needs and wants only you. Take her home where she belongs.” Between the stranger’s words and the twinkle in Penny’s eyes, Jax’s fury began to subside. Noticing the calming effect Penny had on Jax, David added, “And it looks to me like you need her just as much as she needs you. Open yourself up and let her in.”

  When Jax turned back to the man, he found his hand extended to him. Not sure what to do, Jax accepted it. After they shook, David said, “I wish you both good luck on your journey together.”

  Jax nodded.

  To the disappointment of the crowd, Jax helped a giggling Penny off the bar. Unable to walk without swaying badly, Jax threw her over his shoulder and carried her through the crowd as everyone sent her their best wishes. In a matter of a few hours, the entire room had already grown to genuinely care about her. As he exited the scene, Jax knew that David was right. He needed to step up and be the one to offer Penny the comfort she needed.

  Once back in the room, Jax dropped his roommate on the bed with a bounce. She instantly scrambled to her feet and, while standing on the bed, she kicked off her heels and sent them sailing across the room. She then held out her hand to Jax, commanding “Get up here and dance with me.”

  He growled in response and, when she nearly fell off the bed, he replied, “Get down before you hurt yourself. It’s time to get ready for bed.”

  A huge grin lit her face and she replied, “Okay.” Instead of crawling off the bed, she decided to get undressed right where she was. In stripper-like moves he recalled seeing the night she celebrated her brother’s birthday via the computer, she started to undo her skirt. He tried to talk her down, but she wanted nothing to do with stopping. Once her skirt was pooled at her feet, she kicked it at him and it hit him in the chest. Before he could stop her, she pulled off her top in a single, seamless move. She was now standing on the bed in her underwear. Before she went any further, he reached out for her. She avoided his outstretched hands and jumped off the bed, squealing in delight.

  He decided to end this quick and grabbed her as she tried to run past him. Her self-defense training kicked in and, in a flash, he found himself flat on his back with Penny sitting on top of him wearing a very proud smirk. She leaned down, kissed the tip of his nose, and exclaimed, “Got you!” She giggled even louder.

  He was momentarily impressed since he had been completely taken by surprise. Hearing her laughter, he didn’t fight her but, instead said, “Penny, you’ve had your fun. Now get in bed so that you can sleep this off.”

  She rubbed the material of his shirt between her fingers and slurred, “Only if I get to wear your shirt.” She leaned in closer and took in a deep breath. “I like the way it smells…like you.” She gave him a playful snarl.

  He was willing to do whatever it took to get her under control so he didn’t stop her when she started to unbutton his shirt. When her eyes caught sight of several deep scars, she said, “Let me kiss your boo boos.”

  Although the touch of her hot lips on his skin made him sigh, his contentment was short-lived when she sat back up with a start and tugged on the material, commanding “Stand up.”

  Penny backed off and he stood as requested. He was too tall for her so she pushed him down so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed. After crawling onto his lap with her legs straddling his sides, she slowly peeled off his shirt and let it drop to the bed. As he looked away to pick up the shirt for her, in a flash, she undid her bra and tossed it. As she spread out her arms, she said, “I want you to dress me.”

  When he looked back at his captor, he was momentarily mesmerized by the sight of her body. Although he had seen her naked many times, her skin was never so close or offered so freely to him. While Penny giggled, he helped her put on the shirt. As he buttoned the center button, he allowed his fingers to gently touch her silky skin. She gasped and closed her eyes, feeling the iciness of his touch. She surprised him when she pressed his hand in the valley between her breasts and said, “I love your cool fingers. It’s like you’re a walking ice pack.” Her eyes shot open in delight and she let out a laugh, saying “Ice pack… do you get it?” She was very amused at her inadvertent pun.

  The alcohol was winning the battle and she fell forward toward him, forcing him back flat on the bed. With nothing but a single button separating their skin, she snuggled into him with her cheek resting above his heart. Feeling the slow rhythm, her giggling stopped abruptly as her mood instantly shifted. She said somberly, “We’re much alike now. I’m also alone in this world.” She closed her eyes and passed out.

  He lay motionless for a long while, loving the feel of her heat pressed on him. Knowing that they couldn’t stay in this position, he then rolled her over so that she was on the bed next to him with way too much of her body exposed. After scooping her up, he tucked her gently under the covers. For a moment he recalled David’s words and contemplated letting down his guard and holding her in his arms. Instead, he arranged her pillows the way she liked them and sat on his own bed. He stared at her while she slept with his body longing to feel the heat of her skin again.

  In the morning, Ice left early to get food since Penny wasn’t feeling well enough to go out. By the time she had dressed for the day, Jax returned. Penny examined the food he brought, which were again items she often ate at home. While she nibbled on a cinnamon roll, Jax pulled a small box from his pocket and, after handing it to her, he commanded, “Wear this. It will help you stay out of trouble.”

  She gasped when she found a beautiful, antique diamond ring.

  The platinum ring had a large two carat, brilliantly round cut diamond bordered on each side by slightly smaller stones. Instead of a solid band, there was a trail of small inlaid diamonds running the center of the band and held in place by a gentle swirling of silver. As Penny turned to examine the ring in the light, all of the cuts caused the ring to give off a blinding sparkle no matter how she held it.

  With all of the rings in the world, she would have picked this one for herself. Penny said, “This ring is stunning. What is it for?”

  He took the ring out of the box, guided it onto the ring finger on her left hand, and said, “This will make it easier to explain in Virginia why I’m at your side. They might only let family in and I don’t want you going anywhere alone. I’m also getting tired of chasing men away from you. Hopefully, if they see that you’re taken they’ll keep their distance. “ To himself he added, “And hopefully help my inner animal from ripping those men apart.”

  Penny explained, “But they just wanted to talk to me, nothing more.”

  “Some yes; others no. Your pain is leaving you wounded and, like any predatory animal, men sense your weakened state. The hunters are circling you. They’re waiting for just the right moment to strike and take you down.”

  “You think the worst of everyone.”

  He knelt in front of her and said honestly, “And you wear your heart on your sleeve and are way too trusting. Not everyone has your best interest at heart.”

  Initially she was going to argue, but she knew he was right. She had the same argument with her brothers many times. “I know that my brothers watched over me more than they wanted me to know, but I am the way I am. I don’t know how to
live any other way.”

  “That’s why I plan on protecting you until you’re strong again.”

  “So in your words, this ring is marking me as a member of your herd?”

  He replied, “Yes and, from this day forward, I won’t let you out of my sight.” He caught the sparkle of her new ring on her hand and was pleased. It would be very difficult for others to miss.

  Hearing the honesty in his words, a lump formed in her throat. To his shock, she flung her arms around his neck and, while squeezing him tightly, she whispered, “Thank you. And I promise not to make it so hard on you in the future.”

  He couldn’t stop himself from melting at her touch and found his arms wrapping around her. After they released each other and he walked away, she stared down at the ring with admiration. Without looking up she asked with curiosity, “So are we engaged or married?”

  Jax stopped to think about the answer to that question and sad, “You pick.”

  “Given that I’ll know some of the people we’ll see, I think engaged is a better cover. It will make it easier later when I have to explain that we broke off our engagement.” She turned to look over at Jax and asked, “Have we picked a wedding date?” She giggled but then cringed, as the movement caused her headache to spike. Jax tossed her a second bag. In it she found a very large bottle of aspirin. As she swallowed several, she said, “I’m sorry for last night and the late start this morning.”

  He gave her a growl and began to pack up their stuff, intertwining her items with his.

  She walked over and put her hand on top of his to stop him. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek and said, “Thank you for bringing me home before I did anything really stupid.”