I hung up.
They would show tonight if they wanted her. If they didn’t, then I would get her. It was win-win for me. However, the money was less appealing the longer I thought about her blonde locks. Those brown eyes. She had a fucking killer body—a generous-sized chest, curves, and long legs. It was more than that, though.
Eden had more spunk than I originally thought. Sure, she was meek, but she kept surprising me. A few minutes ago in the bedroom being a perfect example. Shaking my head, I tried to dislodge the images of her licking her lips and screaming my name.
Fuck, she would be my undoing.
I knew she would be the moment I caught her scent.
My mate.
It was fucking laughable … of course this was how the Fates would lay everything out. Not only was my mate my mark, she was also a human. A dragon and a human. I was sure it wasn’t unheard of. A lot of shifters found their mates to be humans; there’s nothing wrong with it.
It had to be her though.
I spent the rest of the day avoiding the bedroom. I was certain if I saw her in there again—in my bed—nothing would stop me from taking her. She was quiet and moved around a little. I didn’t want to be as curious as I was about what she was doing. When I brought her a simple lunch, I wished that I had more in my house then raw meat. She didn’t seem to turn her nose up at the turkey sandwich I made her, so I was glad that at least she ate meat. Vegetables and fruits weren’t part of my diet.
It was getting dark out and it was time. I had to prep her, even though I wasn’t sure how I would be able to let her go. My need to keep her was growing. The beast side of me wanted her.
Entering the bedroom, my eyes swept over the room. She was curled up in the chair, gazing out the window. She seemed so damn peaceful. I was certain that I was losing my mind. She looked perfect even in captivity. She belonged in my house.
She turned her head toward me, her eyes squinting so that I wasn’t even sure they were open. I cocked my head, not understanding what she was doing. She laughed. The sound was like bells; it was light, feminine, and incredibly sexy.
“Sorry, I took my contacts out.” Standing, she brushed her long locks behind her ear. “I’m near-sighted.”
Eden moved around the bed, holding onto the frame and walking toward the bathroom. Once she got there, she plucked her contacts from a disposal cup. I cringed as I watched her widen her eye to put her contact in. My insides squirmed and I glanced away. She turned to me after blinking a couple of times.
“So are you finally going to tell me what I’m doing here?”
Her hands were twisting together in front of her, and she wouldn’t look me directly in the eye. She kept biting her lip and nibbling on it. It brought forth a lot of other images, and I shifted my weight. Shit, just being the same room as her got me harder than I thought possible.
“You are my mark. I’m being paid to kidnap you and hand you off.”
She took a step back, and I could see real fear creeping into her eyes.
“I am not a nice guy, Eden. I am not going to fuck with your head either. I don’t know what the people who paid me to kidnap you want from you. But …” Pausing, I really looked at her. Hope shone through those brown eyes. I wasn’t sure that I could tell her I was her mate, that I would do anything in order to protect her. I couldn’t because I wasn’t sure how much I even believed it. I wanted to pretend to be the good guy. The one who would change at the drop of a fucking hat and do anything to save her. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure I would be able to keep the act up forever, and the woman who stood in front of me deserved the fucking best life could give her. She didn’t deserve some murdering mate who didn’t give two fucks about anyone but himself for years.
I strode forward. Pressing against her jaw, I pushed her head upwards. I raked a hand through her golden locks and kept the heel of my hand behind the back of her skull.
“I will not let them hurt you.”
Leaning down, I claimed her in an unapologetic kiss to her lips. It was a harsh movement. Dangerous. Demanding. All-consuming. All I could taste, smell, feel was her. Fuck, it was like flying without having left the ground.
She was so careful with her response. Her tentative touches were delicate, hesitant. I plunged forward into her mouth, my tongue dancing with hers. The wet, hot heat of her mouth was just a preview. She submitted to me, quietly moving with a restrained dance. The vixen who had captured me earlier was gone. I hoped that I didn’t steal her courage.
The tips of her fingers brushed against my forearms. Her tongue moved, inexperienced and nervous. I found it all the more endearing. She was sweet in a way that I wanted to find sickening, but instead it fueled my need to protect—my need to claim.
Pulling her waist tight against my hips, my erection pushed against her softness, and I groaned into the kiss, dipping deeper. My waist moved closer to hers, my hand holding her in place. She wiggled against me as if she was unsure what she was doing. I was painfully hard now. Touching her and tasting her was not going to be enough. If I didn’t stop right fucking now, I would take her. I would take her hard, fast, and dirty, and make sure she never forgot my name.
She would never belong to another.
I tore my lips from hers and walked out of the room without looking back.
How the fuck was I supposed to give her up?
I shook my head. I would find a fucking way. That was how. I would get my damn money—a fucking king’s ransom—and then I’d get her the hell out of there. Take her someplace safe. Where, I was not yet sure, but I would find her some haven far from me.
Chapter 10
Eden
I touched my lips.
I had never been kissed like that. Earlier, the kiss was something completely different. I felt my face flame. That was crude passion. This was something so different.
I had my share of kisses; I had lost my virginity when I turned nineteen, and it was an awkward, horrible experience. I hated recalling it because in the end I knew it wasn’t with someone I really loved. I thought I did. But he was just using me. I was too stupid to believe that he wasn’t. Until one night I found him with another girl. After that, I sort of swore off men. I didn’t want to be used for my father’s position, and my father was very strict as well. It was just a horrible experience all around. My father had approved of Brady for a while. He was from a good, respectable family of grizzlies. I was infatuated. He had paid me a lot of attention, told me that he loved me, wanted me.
In all the time we dated, he never kissed me like that.
I’ve never felt such passion, or such demand in a kiss before. Dominic had owned my very body in a single kiss. I wanted to laugh, but laughter seemed an insufficient gesture for what I felt. That wasn’t just a kiss. It was like heaven on Earth. It was like sex in a kiss. Allowing him to do what he had done earlier was so unlike me. I flushed again to think how much I loved it.
It didn’t escape my attention that he seemed to be protecting me from the moment I met him. While he was crass, he also saved me and Bonnie from the gunmen at the club. He flew from the apartment, protecting me with his taut, strong wings. He even told me that he was going to protect me. I knew he could be trusted. I didn’t trust my instincts often, not after Brady, but things were different now. I had someone to rely on.
My dragon protector.
***
Almost an hour later he returned. This time he brought something with him. I backed away the moment I saw it, and while my body sort of fluttered in response, my mind was screaming no way. A silk black blindfold dangled from his hand. I was blushing fiercely. I might not be a virgin, but that was too extreme for me. I wasn’t ready for that sort of trust. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to sleep with him.
Oh, who was I kidding? Of course I did.
Dominic raised an eyebrow as he watched me back away with my hands out and low.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked.
“I am not letting you put
that on me.”
Gods, was he serious? Yes we shared one seriously hot make-out session, but I was not ready for that.
“Of course I have to blindfold you if I’m going to make the trade. Get over here.” His eyes darkened when he realized what I thought he was trying to do. My face was completely red now. I was certain that I looked like a tomato. Embarrassed that the thought had even entered my mind, I averted my gaze. I was even more embarrassed about the heat in his eyes. Did he want me as badly as I desired him?
After taking tentative steps forward, I stood in front of him. When I looked up at him, I knew it was a mistake. I was staring at his lips. I wondered if I stared long enough and willed him, if by my desire alone he would react. I didn’t want to completely admit it, but I was trying to use the force on him. But it wasn’t working, so I turned my back to him instead.
Dominic’s arms moved to the sides of my head, and I watched the black material descend and press against my nose. It covered my eyes, but I had already shut them in fear. His fingertips brushed lightly against my forehead and cheeks. I shivered against the fiery trails they left behind. The fabric knotted, and I felt weak in my knees.
Dominic moved around so I was certain I was facing him. Bringing my hands up, I pressed them against his chest. I felt his heart race under my palm. I wondered if I affected him as much as he did me.
“Come on, we don’t have a lot of time.” He pulled me closer and lifted me up. I’d never felt so weightless as I did then. He cradled me close. I had to trust in him.
The night air wrapped around me as he moved with me in his arms. Feeling his muscles shift and flex under my body, I tried to control the urge to move closer. To feel him everywhere.
“Don’t be scared,” he whispered against my ear. I didn’t know what he meant, but his grip tightened and I felt the air rush past us. I yelped and held him tighter. It was a scary experience, flying while blind. I was completely at his mercy. I only had him.
I was scared.
But his heat seeped into my skin. His chest expanded and contracted in deep, even breaths. For reasons unknown I trusted him. He would take care of me. I found myself trusting in that.
***
When we hit ground, his knees bent, and he held me a little closer. I swallowed hard as he let my legs slip through his grasp and touch down gently. I held onto his arm, still unable to see. I wanted him to take off the blindfold. I wasn’t even sure why we needed it as we flew. I wouldn’t have been able to make anything out. Unfortunately, even though we were safely back on land, I wasn’t really ready to run from him. Something about him called out to me, begged me to explore a little more.
“Hand the girl over, and we will give you the money.”
The voice was more robotic than human. Flinching, I moved a little closer to Dominic. I knew logically he was going to give me up—I wasn’t his to keep—but the devil I knew was safer than the devil I didn’t. I would stick with Dominic as long as I had the choice.
“The money first, or you’ll never see her again. I’ve never backed out of a deal, you know that. But I don’t know you at all.”
Dominic’s voice was loud, demanding, and so unafraid. Fear iced my veins, from my head to my bare feet—which was better than the heels that I was wearing the night before. It still didn’t make it easier to run.
I wanted to pull the blindfold away to get a look at the people who were paying him to kidnap me. Before I could put my hands up to pull down the blindfold, there was a loud bang. Shuddering, I moved into what I thought was Dominic.
I brought my hands up and removed the blindfold.
I blinked a couple of times before the scene came into focus. There were three men across from us—one held a briefcase and the other two stood on either side of him. I wanted to laugh a little at the briefcase. I didn’t think that was a real thing. But there’s a first time for everything when it’s amateur hour.
We stood in a forested area; the crickets had gone silent, and the trees barely shook even with a cold breeze cutting through me. The moonlight was the only thing that offered me a semblance of what was happening. Even with the absurdity of the briefcase, my fear rose higher like a room filling with water. It was babbling under my chin, threatening to drown in seconds.
In unison, the three men across from us turned their heads to the right. Moments later I heard the creaking and breaking of branches. What fresh heck is this? Worried, I scooted a little closer to Dominic. Five new bodies stepped out into the clearing. They were built huge, I could see the outlines of big guns strapped across their chest. The two flanking the man in front held hand guns between their hands. All this for me? My head swam as I tried to think of something, anything to get out of here.
Peering up at Dominic, I saw that his eyes were blazing red. I swallowed when he glanced down at me. He was showing his teeth, his canines had grown, and I saw the anger in his eyes.
I noticed his arm braced on his other bicep. It was red with blood. My eyes flew up to his again. I was about to ask if he was okay when the leader of the group of five spoke up.
“Give us the girl.” His gun was pointed at Dominic’s head.
I swallowed. I wasn’t going to let them kill him for me. A surge of protectiveness washed over me, and I gathered my courage. I had to do this to protect Dominic. I took a step forward toward the new group, while still keeping an eye on the first group. I didn’t make it far before Dominic reached out and grabbed my arm with his bloodied hand. Sickness swamped my tummy. My poor Dom, he was bleeding because of me. No, not mine. I just felt protective because he was nice. He was the only one I was pretty certain wouldn’t hurt me. Physically at least.
“Fuck you,” he growled, showing his teeth again.
The group cocked their guns, pointing them at me, but in an instant I was shielded by Dominic. I could barely peek around him to see what was happening when the man across the way fired his gun. I screamed and jumped behind him all the way.
I wouldn’t let him die for me. Slipping around him before he could grab me, I held my hands up.
“Move and I shoot her,” the leader of the group of five stated. He kept the barrel of the gun trained at my head. Dominic’s roar echoed around us, sending quiet trends of fear even through me. I twisted to face him and walked backwards, already pleading with him not to come after me … not to do anything dumb. The man behind me grabbed my arm and yanked me back.
Dominic’s gaze narrowed to where the man held my arm a little too tightly. His eyes flashed to that dangerous shade of red. He seemed to grow bigger as he stood there, his nostrils flaring. His fist tightened until he released them, showing off shiny black talons that were growing. Bones cracked and snapped as they reformed. His face morphed, elongating. Scales emerged. The shift was long, but quick at the same time. His wings sprouted from his back growing bigger in size than they had when I first saw them. He was doing a full body transition.
Bursting from his skin, a giant blue-black scaled beast, with wicked looking spikes along his back and down his tail emerged. His larger than life wings unfolding stirred up the wind, until he tucked them close to his body.
Holy … wow.
The men around me tensed up, and the front man who had a hold of my arm pulled me backwards into the circle of them. Bodies rippled as they all started to sprout fur and shift around me. My heart slammed in my chest. While they were distracted, I slipped around them. Unfortunately the opening led me close to the first group of men who had arrived. I edged away from them, hoping they were too distracted by Dominic to see me scurry past them.
The men finished their shifts, and now stood five huge Kodiak bears that I knew from anywhere. They had been masked before, but I knew their bears almost as well as I knew their human faces. My stomach dropped to my feet. These were my father’s most trusted guards. Men I had considered family. What they hell were they doing here? Had the man who hired Dominic tried to double cross him? I was confused, brokenhearted, and desperate to get
away from these men.
Had they double crossed my father?
The only person … shifter out here that I trusted was the big, hulking dragon whose attention was on the group of Kodiaks growling loudly. My heart hammered in my chest as I kept my eyes on him. I needed to get to him. My leg muscles bunched as I readied to launch myself in his direction. Before I could run toward him, I was swung around by a hand clasping my shoulder, twirling me around.
It was the leader from the third group. I twisted my lips as I struggled under his hold. Distracted by the dragon, and perhaps not expecting me to fight back, I managed to put enough space between us. In a move that was all too familiar to me, I bent my knee and brought it upwards in an alarming speed. The man let out a quiet squeak as he fell to the ground cupping what was left of his balls. A dangerous swell of pride snuggled in my chest.
Unable to help myself, I reached down to unmask the man who’d hired Dominic to kidnap me. My hair fell forward as I tugged back the mask. A familiar scrunched up face writhed on the ground, whining in pain.
“Brady?”
What in the hell is going on?
I took off before one of his friends decided to make a grab for me. Dominic watched my progression and slammed his tail down between me and the Kodiaks. They all looked as murderous as the dragon did. I didn’t know whose side they were on, but I wasn’t willing to take any chances. The only person I trusted was Dom, and he didn’t seem like he was going to let the others get to me either.
I rushed to his side, unsure of what I should do. He was a hired gun. Would he be willing for me to pay him to get me the hell out of here? The dragon kept his eye on me as the Kodiak bears growled and roared the protest.
Breathless, I stood before the giant dragon.
“Dominic, I will pay you whatever you want if you will help me escape.”
Leaning his head down, smoke billowed from his nostrils. His wings unfolded and he flapped them heavily against the wind, his knees bent as he lifted off.
“Dom! Pl—”
Freelance: Mercenary Shifters (Mercenaries For Hire Book 1) Page 6