“Let’s just say the guys who caused me problems are no longer around.”
There was silence and then Jacinda blurted, eyes growing wide, “Did you kill them?”
“No, but I should have,” he said emotionlessly. Jacinda’s mouth fell open and Phoenix took advantage of the fact that she was speechless to say, “Can you give us some privacy?”
She looked at me and I nodded, showing her that it was okay.
“I’ll be right outside if you need me.” She then left, not hurrying as she eyed Phoenix suspiciously.
When she was gone Phoenix grinned and said, “She’s loyal and pretty fierce. I see why you guys are friends. You two have a lot in common.”
“Tell me what happened. Start at the beginning,” I said not caring for idle chatter. I needed answers.
“I paid Marquez a visit. Apparently he didn’t know that his two guys had targeted you as a way to get to me.”
“And you believed him?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s a grandfather who is raising his grandkids on his own. His daughter died in childbirth.”
“That’s terrible,” I said softly, meaning it.
“He doesn’t take kindly to men who beat on women. Anyway, they won’t mess with us anymore. They’ve been permanently eliminated.”
“So they are dead?” I said feeling sick.
He shook his head, “I wish. No, there were warrants out for their arrest. It turns out they worked with a crime syndicate out west and were rumored to have stolen from a pretty nasty drug cartel. Someone made an anonymous call to that cartel and to the police. No clue who found them first, but they’re either swimming with the fishes or will be serving back to back terms in prison. Not that I care about their fates. I only care about you. I’m so sorry for all of this. It’s all my fault. All of it. If I hadn’t walked away, I would have been there with you and they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to hurt you.”
“You’re right.” I said simply. “But you also showed up and saved me. That counts too.”
He shook his head, “Not for much. Please forgive me, Bree. Please. I just was so shocked by you being pregnant. I didn’t know what to say or how to say it. So I walked away. But I can do better. I will do better. For you, us and the baby. I’m not going to walk away again, that is if you still want me around.”
I thought about rejecting him, making him hurt like he had hurt me, but I wasn’t a vengeful person and life was too short to hold grudges, especially against the man who had saved my life.
“Please, Bree,” he continued as I stayed silent too long for his comfort, “Just give me a chance.” The last statement was said softly and his voice broke at the end.
I looked up at him, knowing that the emotion in his voice is what truly made me consider his words. A chance? Did he deserve one? I didn’t know the answer to that, but I know I deserved a chance. I deserved a chance to try at love, to try for a family. And part of me, no all of me, knew that I wanted Phoenix to be the center of it. I wanted him to be my rock, my confidant and my lover. And I wanted him to be more than just some guy I’d slept with. I wanted him to be my child’s father in the real sense of the word.
“One more chance, buddy,” I said taking his hand. “But two more strikes and you’re out.”
“I can agree to work with that.” He then bent down to kiss me and I knew as his lips covered mine that life was all about second chances and in Phoenix, I had found mine.
The End
Paranormal Romance Collection
Part I
Bad Wolf
Shifter Romance
About the Book
Becky Taylor learned early, trust no one but she forgets that lesson one fateful day when she takes some advice about where to take her first holiday. At 25 Becky has never had a real holiday and she’s worked a very long time to get what she has. Drug addict parents made for a bad childhood but Becky has worked to bring herself out of poverty and the life her parents had planned for her, a life she ran away from home to get away from. Now she’s camping, learning about a slower pace of life, and things couldn’t be better.
That is until a black wolf shows up, stalking her through the countryside, injured after a fall that leaves her unable to leave her camping area. Then another wolf and a mysterious man show up. Are they really one and the same? And who is this other wolf? Becky allows herself to trust again, to open herself to love, but then the black wolf returns, bent on revenge and seeking payment for a debt owed. Will Becky survive? Is James really her hero? She wants the tall, sexy shifter to be everything she’s dreamed about and more but can she survive long enough to find out?
Chapter 1
“You can have Becky...just bring me a few more hits.”
Those were the last words Becky remembered hearing her mother speak. Her mother had been in bed, Becky’s father passed out beside her. She was begging her dealer for more drugs, willing to trade her daughter’s life for just a little more. Her mother was so desperate for another fix that she was willing to trade her blonde haired, blue eyed teenager to a 20 stone drug dealer. Somehow, at 16 years old, Becky managed to run away that day to her Aunt's house. That was nine years ago today.
Once she'd earned some money, one of the first things she did was dye her hair black. It was not as a symbol of depression, or an attempt to fit in with the crowd, but to take away that angelic look so many men seemed to find alluring. Her hair had turned every shade of the rainbow since then, but it finally landed upon a dark shade of brown.
Her parents were now both in prison on drug charges. They had attempted to smuggle in heroin from Bali, ending any futile attempts either one of her parents made at reconciliation. She had no use for them anyway; they’d only given her life, and then tried to take it away. Today she celebrated her own independence day, and decided that it was time to actually start living.
Becky had worked hard after that day, finishing school, training to be a nurse, and providing for both herself and her aunt Janey. Janey eventually passed away from Breast Cancer when Becky was 21. Becky had learned a lot of hard lessons in life, the first one being you cannot depend on anybody but yourself. Through her own hard work she’d paid off Aunt Janey’s remaining bills, bought herself a car, provided her own home, and had made a decent life for herself. She knew now that she could finally relax, take a little time off, and learn what life was really about. Becky had endured a terrible childhood, but she’d learned through the love of her aunt that life wasn’t always tragic. She was ready now to see what the bright part of life was.
Settling into her dinner in a staff room at the hospital, Becky wondered where she should go. She wanted peace and quiet, to get away from work, her mobile, the internet, all of it. Utter peace and quiet were all she wanted and she thought the country might be the best place to get it. Yes, perhaps a camping trip, she thought.
“Oh, hello Dr. Kade, how are you this evening?” Becky asked as she heard the door open to the staff room. Smiling at the man, she made room for him at the table and looked at a few travel brochures she had collected over the past few months.
“Going on holiday are you, Becky?” Dr. Kade asked as he sat down, observing the brochures in her hand.
“Yes, I’m just not sure where. Ow, I do wish this pain would go away!” Grabbing her jaw she wondered how prawn salad could make her jaw ache so much.
“What’s the problem, my dear?”he asked. Dr. Kade was in his late 40's, and always insisted on calling Becky “my dear”. She thought it was an endearing affectation and allowed him the use of it. They often shared the same shifts and dinner times and she’d grown quite fond of the man, though more in a fatherly way than anything. He was always there to give advice and to lend a hand when she needed it.
“I think I have been grinding my teeth at night. It’s making my jaw ache and my teeth hurt. I’m even starting to develop headaches from it, and that’s what finally convinced me it was time to get away. I’ve never been on holiday and I guess my b
ody is finally telling me it’s time to have one.”
“Yes, it sounds like it. I think you also need some pills for that jaw, to help you relax when you’re asleep, I’ll see to it for you. As for holiday where do you plan on going?”
“Oh, I want to go camping. I’ve never been and so many people rave about it I thought it might be something worth trying. I’ve purchased all the gear I need; I’m only left with deciding where to go. I need to decide quickly as well, my leave starts next Monday!”
“Ah, I may have a suggestion. A friend of mine has a place out in the country. It’s secluded, with lots of woods, hills and moors to climb, if that’s the sort of thing you’re after. I can give him a ring later, if you’d like and see if you may go there?” Dr. Kade offered.
“Oh, that sounds just like what I’m after! How far is it from here?” Becky asked.
“Only about a quarter of an hour, not far at all really. I’ll draw you a map if he approves. I’ll let you know before our shift ends, alright?”
Becky agreed and having finished her salad, went back to work, delighted that she’d managed to address two problems at once. She was also feeling more positive than when she’d first gone into the staff room, the memory of her childhood momentarily swept away from her mind.
“Becky! Oh good, I caught you before you left. My friend says you can use his place as long as you would like, and this is the prescription I told you about. Get it filled at the pharmacy before you go home. It should help you sleep and help ease the pain. Oh, and this is the map with the directions.” Dr. Kade handed two slips of paper to Becky, who took them, her good mood from earlier returning in a flash.
The night had been a rough one, with two stabbings and six sick children being brought in. Her good mood had evaporated through her shift, but knowing she had somewhere to go and a bit of pain relief in hand helped to bring a smile back to her face.
“Thanks Dr. Kade, I’ll see my regular GP when I get back from my holiday. I really do appreciate this. I’m sure it’s going to be wonderful!” She gave him one more smile and waved as he walked away to answer a telephone call.
Heading out to her car she looked over the directions, wondering if she could look up the property on the Internet. She’d like to see it before she went, and hoped she could find it. Sometimes it was easier to find your way when you’d seen where you were heading to first. That was the brilliance of today’s technology; you could actually confirm places even existed before you went there!
Pulling into her driveway after the 15 minute drive, she tried to remind herself to get the medicine filled before she went to sleep, and started making lists of everything she’d need.
Two hours later she had everything packed, had her medicine in hand, and was staring at her laptop at the vast woodlands surrounding her friend’s property. Lots of trees, hills, and open spaces, just as he’d claimed. No mobile tower or television towers in sight either, just open fields and grass. She already loved it and couldn’t wait to get there. Popping one of the pills into her mouth, she got into bed, hoping she could get to sleep despite her excitement.
Chapter 2
Becky climbed out of her car and gazed at the landscape around her; rolling hills for as far as her eyes could see, grazing sheep, and nothing but a few houses dotting the spaces in between. This really was her idea of paradise for the moment. Stepping out of the car she began to unpack it, wanting to get the tent set up while it was still early and there was plenty of light. Looking around, she found the spot with the fewest rocks and began the process.
Two hours later, after reading and rereading the instructions (along with a few frustrated screams) she had an air bed and the tent set up, along with a camp fire, her water supplies, containers of food, and other products she was going to leave in the car. Becky had seen a pub on the way in, but wasn’t prepared to go back into town for an evening meal. She instead went out walking around the campsite.
She clambered over the hills, startling wandering cows and grazing sheep, discovering pretty flowers and beautiful scenery that took her breath away. The English landscape just could not be beat.
After awhile, Becky headed back to the campsite, prepared a meal, and settled down in a camp chair to read a book by the fire. For her first holiday it was going pretty well, she thought. She’d never ventured out into the country before, preferring the familiar noise and buzz of city life, but right now it was peaceful. She found her mind wandering as she read. The book wasn't bad, but the peace allowed her thoughts to drift.
Becky remembered all the times her dad had promised to take her camping, but never quite got out of his drugged up stupor long enough to do it. Her mum never cooked, much less entertained the notion of going out into the woods to do it. She, like her husband, was far too caught up in the make believe world of heroin and meth. Most nights Becky fended for herself, eating canned foods and whatever she could scrounge up.
Before long Becky realized the fire had died down to a dim glow, and that she'd turned through ten pages without actually reading. Shaking her head and standing up, Becky made a resolution to end such thoughts for the rest of her holiday. She knew it might be tough, as the thoughts were never far, but she wanted this holiday to be memorable for nothing but good reasons.
Moving into the tent she settled down onto the airbed, snuggling into her down sleeping bag. She'd recently bought it from the "always going out of business" camping supply store. She turned on the lantern hanging over her bed and began to read her book again. She’d finally got into a rhythm and was enjoying the book when she heard a noise outside of the tent. Looking up she concentrated, wondering if she had heard the wind or something more.
Straining to hear, she was unsure but thought she could hear something padding around. She almost jumped when she heard a snuffling sound, followed by a growl. Dismissing her brain’s idea of a bear (there were no bears in England after all) she assumed it was probably a stray dog. She hoped that it would go away once it realized there was no food. She settled back down to read, but her concentration was broken.
Finally, she heard the animal running off, the long grass around her camp site rustling as the animals feet moved through the blades. "Well, heck," she thought, "It seems I’m not meant to read tonight."
Settling back into the covers Becky decided to go to sleep. The animal had left, she was out of danger, but she couldn’t go back to reading. Reaching up to flick the light off she stopped, deciding that maybe leaving the light on was better, just for tonight. It was something she hadn’t done since childhood, but tonight she could not sleep in the dark. Her memories and the animal combined in her mind to make it impossible to sleep in the dark. She wasn’t afraid, but she felt safer with the reassuring light on than she did without it. Pulling the sleeping bag up over her cheek she closed her eyes, hoping the light was enough to keep her nightmares at bay.
Becky woke early to the sound of birds chirping and sheep calling to each other. "No sleeping late in the country", she grumbled to herself as she prepared water for coffee. She used her camp stove to boil it, and then sat back and enjoyed the sun rising in the distance, banishing the darkness with its bright rays of light. She’d never seen anything like it; the light slowly burning away the mist from the hills and shadows disappearing as the giant star rose into the sky overhead.
She didn't want to waste her day doing nothing, so Becky prepared some breakfast and got out her walking guide to see where she could hike on the footpaths she was near. Deciding on one, she got her walking stick, a bottle of water, filled her pockets with her keys, wallet, and a granola bar and headed out into the wild. She snapped pictures as she walked, and stopped on a rock outcropping to take a picture high above the town below her, moving to get the whole village into one shot.
Becky let out a yelp as her right foot slid out from under her, landing hard on the rocks as she felt her ankle pop. Her only thought was to keep from breaking her expensive and new camera as she fell, and she didn’t
even realize she’d screamed. As she bounced on the ground the camera fell onto the rocks, the lens shattering instantly. She forgot the camera (and its now shattered lens) as pain burst from her ankle and radiated throughout her body.
Once the pain dulled down to low roar, she inspected the injury. Not broken, but badly sprained. She needed ice but knew she wasn’t going to be getting any, and she knew she was totally alone and vulnerable once again. No mobile, nobody knew where she was except Dr. Kade, and she was injured. Steeling herself she pulled her body up until she was standing on her left foot. Bracing herself against the walking stick, she tried to decide which way to go, and found she could only manage a slow hobble.
Looking around her she could see that she still had plenty of daylight, which was of some relief. Becky gritted her teeth against the pain, determined to at least get back to camp. She didn’t think she could drive, as putting any sort of weight on the ankle just increased the pain, but she had some pain relievers that might get it down to a manageable level. She gave herself a pep talk as she walked, telling herself it had only taken a short while to get as far as she had so it wouldn’t be too long before she got back to her camp.
After twenty minutes or so she pulled herself towards a tree to rest. Looking back she decided she must have been speed walking, because she was a lot further out than she thought she was. She drank from her water bottle, almost spitting the water out as she heard a growl coming from behind the tree. Standing as still as she could, with muffled breath, the animal came up closer to the tree, still growling.
Becky tried not to panic or scream as a black paw reached out, feeling around the tree. It snorted, then ran away as she caught her breath. Becky tried to hobble faster and felt in her pocket to make certain that her keys were still hidden in the depths of her coat. She felt their reassuring presence as she hobbled on, her car now in view. Between the pain and the fear she was quickly running out of energy, and a howl behind her convinced her to move even faster. She didn’t care if she ever walked again; she just wanted the safety of her car.
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