by Nowlan,Anya
“Maybe. But look, the original plan was probably to kill you,” Stone started.
“Not probably. His men took me to the woods and he held a gun to my head. He changed his mind at the last minute,” Selina interjected. “Does that mean anything?”
“That’s not good. I don’t know a lot about this organization, but I have a feeling it doesn’t end with Parker. He’s too flashy and hands-on, someone else has to be pulling the strings. Which means he disobeyed an order by not killing you.
“That shows a level of attachment. He could still come after you. Do you want to be with your family when he finds you?” Stone looked at her sternly, hoping the gravity of what he was telling Selina reached her.
She pressed her lips into a thin line, shaking her head slightly. “Good. I’ve been asking around a little. The Crimson Claws are taking some hits lately, people fighting back here and there. All the more reason to think that your Parker is not the guy in charge. But that doesn’t necessarily help us any…”
“What’s your plan then?” she asked after a small pause, arms crossed in front of her.
“We wait it out for now. See how Parker reacts and go from there,” Stone said, leaning back in his seat.
It was really the only thing they could do.
Her protests, while valiant, were ultimately unnecessary. Stone wouldn’t allow her to argue with him on the topic of her safety, which had for some unfathomable reason become paramount for him. And his damn lion.
Stone got them a room at the motel, checking in under false names. He slipped a little money to the clerk, in case anyone came looking for people matching their description.
While Selina obviously wasn’t happy about the turn things had taken, she played along.
The room wasn’t much, to put it nicely, but Stone was used to more than a little discomfort. Selina seemed to be almost relieved to be in squalor instead of splendor.
The only easy day was yesterday.
He got his phone out and dialed Joe’s number.
“Joe, I’ve got her, she’s alright. But we have to stay low for a while, the guy who had her has grown attached. I’m putting her on now,” he said before tossing the cell to Selina, who had taken a seat on a couch.
“Joe, are you guys all right? Yes, I’m really fine. If you say so…” she said, pacing around the tiny, drab room.
The bedspreads were a faded red, matching the peeling wallpaper. The door to the small bathroom was open. It looked clean enough, once you ignored the mold.
“He’s a what?” Selina exclaimed, her eyes darting to him as she got up, pacing the room.
“Okay, stay safe, I’ll keep in touch,” she continued after a while before handing back the phone.
Joe was still on the line, thanking Stone profusely when he got the phone back.
“Listen to what your sister said. I’ll call you with updates,” Stone said before hanging up.
“So you’re a shifter?” Selina remarked the moment Stone finished the call, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Yes, a lion,” Stone answered evenly while his insides roared.
His lion kept urging him to reach out and touch Selina, to see if her skin was as soft as it looked. He wanted her in his arms, her long hair tangled between his fingers, his lips on hers. He pushed the thought down, growing angry at his animal side. The poor woman was probably traumatized and definitely didn’t deserve to be pawed at.
Selina sank onto one of the beds, hugging herself.
“I assume you’re not going into heat, right?” she asked with a snort, though Stone could hear the fear behind it.
It cut him like a knife, the fact that she thought he could hurt her.
“It doesn’t work like that for lions.”
“Good… He won’t find us here, will he?” she asked, her usually defiant gaze turning fearful.
Stone sat down on the other bed, facing her.
“You’re safe. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
He meant what he said, but at the same time he knew it was a promise he shouldn’t have made.
Parker had the backing of what seemed to be a large and wealthy criminal organization. All Stone had was himself.
It better be enough, he thought, looking at the woman in front of him.
There were bags under her eyes, but otherwise, her skin was flawless. Her black hair tumbled down her back, turning slightly wavy at the ends. She stood, and Stone couldn’t help but run his eyes over her soft curves, meant to be loved and admired.
“I need to get out of these clothes,” she suddenly said.
“What?” Stone blurted, jerked out of whatever fantasy that had been building in his head without his permission.
She was already yanking her cardigan off, looking like the piece of clothing had bitten her.
“He made me wear them, I don’t want to anymore,” she explained, tears glistening in her eyes as she tore at her clothes.
Stone had a feeling she hadn’t let herself cry in the time she was being held. Even now, she blinked the tears away, hands balling into angry, ineffectual fists.
“I still have my bag in the trunk of the rental, you could borrow some of mine,” he offered, understanding her need to take back control.
His eyes fixed on Selina’s now bare arms. Purplish finger-shaped bruises encircled her biceps. Stone’s lion growled, low and menacing. Selina’s words echoed through his mind.
Not like that…
Stone’s eyes started to change as he stared at those bruises, anger welling inside of him.
Selina started backing away slowly, clearly frightened.
Shit.
Seven
Selina
“I’m sorry,” Stone said, gold slowly dissipating from his eyes. “I got upset, it won’t happen again.”
She glanced down at the marks Parker had left, feeling very exposed all of a sudden.
“It’s fine, I’m just shaken from all that’s happened,” she said, surprised at the strong reaction her bruises elicited.
“I’ll get the clothes,” Stone uttered quietly, rushing out of the room.
Great, now he thinks he’s freaked me out, Selina thought.
But hadn’t he?
The reaction had definitely been unexpected, but her brother trusted Stone and he had told her that she should, too. Somehow, Stone’s presence made her feel safe again. Even as she had been backing away from him, her mind had been telling her that he wouldn’t hurt her. She wasn’t sure why she was so convinced of that.
And that rescue had really been something else. The man definitely knew what he was doing.
Just calm down. Not all shifters are deranged psychos.
Stone returned with a small suitcase and placed it on the bed. He opened it and turned it towards her.
“Take whatever you want. I’m going to go take a shower, let you get settled in in peace. We’ll spend the night here before moving on tomorrow,” he said before disappearing into the bathroom, seeming to avoid her gaze.
He’d thrown on a hoodie before they checked in, but Selina knew he was still wearing the bloody catering shirt underneath.
“Sweet for a scary guy, isn’t he?” she murmured to herself, throwing a glance at the closed bathroom door.
She waited until the water came on and picked out a couple of pieces of clothing. Nothing Stone owned was flashy, but she could tell from the quality it was on the expensive side. She slid out of her clothes and into one of his black t-shirts. With some embarrassment, she picked up a pair of his boxers to wear as shorts.
She couldn’t help but inhale deeply when his scent hit her nose, strong and masculine, pine and a hint of lemongrass.
Selina carefully got under the covers, after checking them for stains. Her body relaxed for the first time in what seemed like ages. The sound of running water from the bathroom was calming, even more so than usual because she knew there was a strong man on the other side of that door, ready to protect her.
> It didn’t take long until she could hear the shower being turned off.
“Are you done in there?” Stone’s voice called out.
“Yup,” Selina responded, smiling privately.
And considerate, too.
Stone emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. It was not a sight Selina was prepared for.
His toned body glistened in the light, drops of water running down his chiseled chest towards the hard ridges of his stomach. Long, smooth lines connected his collarbones to his wide shoulders and his shoulders to the solid curves of his muscular arms. His powerful body rippled as he bent over the suitcase and thoughts of being wrapped in his strong embrace started swirling in Selina’s head.
An intricately shaded tattoo of a skull graced his left shoulder, black and white save for the orange glow emanating from its eye sockets. On the right side of his chest, a lion roared, its mane exploding into a kaleidoscope of patterns. They were both gorgeous pieces, but another, more simple one on his left ribcage was the one that held her attention.
It was an eagle clutching an anchor, a trident and a flintlock pistol in its talons. Selina immediately knew what that meant.
“Holy shit, you’re a SEAL?”
The words left her mouth before she could stop herself.
“I was,” Stone said, emphasis on the past tense.
“I just assumed you were a Marine, like Joe… It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” Selina fumbled, feeling her cheeks grow red.
“It’s not a secret,” he replied with a slight shrug. “Just not something I lead with in casual conversation,” he continued, grabbing some clothes before heading back to the bathroom.
Like we’ve had a casual conversation to begin with, Selina thought.
Knowing he was dressing just on the other side of a flimsy door did strange things to her. Maybe it was just the built-up adrenaline of the last couple of days, but everything felt heightened around Stone.
Parker’s touches had been violent and cold, while this man definitely exuded a primal heat, melting through her and heading straight to her core. She couldn’t help but wonder what being touched by him would feel like.
Something told her that he wouldn’t live up to his name in that regard.
You just need your sleep, she told herself, burrowing into the covers.
She could hear Stone emerge from the bathroom and move around the room, but soon all sounds faded away as she fell into a deep sleep.
Parker’s voice echoed through the haze of slumber.
“Time to wake up,” it said, tugging at her mind.
“Breakfast is here,” Parker continued, and she could feel his cool hands on her shoulder.
“No,” she mumbled, willing herself to go back to sleep.
This can’t be real.
“Seliii-naaa,” Parker cajoled in a sing-song voice, his grip on her shoulder tightening.
She opened her eyes to see him hovering at the side of the bed, grinning from ear to ear. She jerked up and scooted back as far as the small bed allowed, eyes darting around the room in a panic. The walls were covered in blood and Stone was nowhere to be seen.
Selina could hear a scream rip through her, even though her mouth remained closed. The more she screamed, the happier Parker looked.
Warm hands circled her from behind and she thrashed against them as Parker started to fade away.
“It’s okay, it was just a dream,” Stone murmured into her ear.
Selina opened her eyes to the dimly lit motel room. There was no blood, no Parker. And Stone was there. He crushed her to his hard chest until she calmed down and stopped struggling.
“You’re alright,” he whispered to her, green eyes ablaze, as Selina turned to face him.
She pressed her face into the hollow of his shoulder and sobbed. Uncontrollably, loudly, desperately. She had barely shed a single tear in the days she spent in Parker’s apartment, as his prisoner.
She’d feared once she started crying, she wouldn’t be able to stop and that just wouldn’t do. They would not see her cry, she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
Now it all came out at once. Tears streamed until the shoulder of Stone’s t-shirt was completely soaked. By the end, she was a blubbering, snotty mess. Stone just held her, silent, one hand around her and the other either stroking her back or smoothing her hair away from her wet cheeks.
After Selina grew quiet, he tucked her back into bed. She grabbed his arm as he was getting up from sitting on the edge of the mattress.
“Can you stay?” she asked weakly.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be in the next bed right here,” he answered, his voice low but gentle.
“No… Can you stay here?” she asked again, scooting over in the bed and flipping the blanket up. “Please.”
Stone hesitated for a minute before pulling off his wet shirt. He got in next to her and Selina could feel herself immediately relaxing. The bed was small and he pulled her close, wrapping her into his arms. Selina felt warm and protected, encircled by his huge, strong body, her back against his firm chest.
Even bad dreams can’t get to me now, she thought naively.
Eight
Stone
Stone had considered keeping watch all night, but had drifted off when their situation seemed safe enough. When morning came, Selina stirred, bringing his attention to the fact that he was in bed with her, holding her luscious body in his arms. His lion yawned, bristling contentedly, as if saying ‘told you she was ours’.
A thin layer of cotton was all that separated her back from his chest. Stone wanted nothing more than to run his fingers over her creamy skin, to taste her sweet flesh. He pulled her even closer to him, nuzzling his face into her hair and breathing in deeply.
She sighed, stretching her sleepy muscles and rubbing her body against the length of his in the process. The sensation was maddening. His arms around her tightened on their own, pressing her into him with a deep need.
Selina suddenly stiffened and squirmed out of his embrace, sitting up on the edge of the bed and looking slightly confused. He let her go without contest, though it pained him to have away from him.
The hell is wrong with you, Stone…
He didn’t have time to debate with himself over that as she turned towards him, her beautiful face wearing a hesitant expression.
“I’m sorry I made you sleep here, the bed is so small… I hope you weren’t too uncomfortable.”
“I’ve known discomfort. This was not it, I promise,” Stone replied, bending his arms under his head and stretching his legs.
Selina hurriedly looked away.
Didn’t like what she saw or liked it too much? Stone wondered.
He knew which option he would prefer out of the two.
She pulled on the same jeans from yesterday, but kept wearing his t-shirt. That pleased him more than it probably should have.
A buzzing sound drew his attention away from Selina’s deliciously voluptuous ass wiggling into tight pants and redirected it towards his suitcase. One of his burners was ringing. He had only given the number to one person.
“Mike?” he asked, taking the call.
“Hey, buddy. I have some news for you,” the man’s voice flowed into his ear.
“I already found the phone,” Stone said, puzzled.
“Yeah, yeah… Well, I sort of figured you’d gotten yourself into something so I, uh…” Mike stuttered, skittish.
“Just spit it out,” Stone growled, growing impatient.
“I put a track on all your accounts and…”
“You did what?” Stone roared.
“Hear me out! About twenty minutes ago someone accessed your personal credit card data, the one in your real name,” Mike explained urgently.
Shit. That’s the one I used to rent the car.
I’ve been out of the game for too long.
“I’m going to have to call you back.” Stone replied before hanging up.
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“We have to go now,” he said forcefully, already pulling on clothes and shoving the suitcase shut.
“What’s wrong?”
He hated hearing the worry in her voice. All he wanted to do was make her feel safe and it gnawed at him that he had failed so quickly at it.
“They’re coming,” was all he told her as he wrapped an arm around her and guided her out of the room.
Once they were outside, Stone scanned the area, weighing their options.
“The car is burned, follow me,” Stone commanded, grabbing her hand and dragging her towards the back of the motel so they wouldn’t be seen from the main road.
They could steal a new car from the parking lot, one the Crimson Claws didn’t know about.
An SUV came hurtling down the highway, right as they slipped behind the corner, screeching to a halt in front of the motel. Five men piled out, guns in hand. Selina’s hand flew to her mouth as Stone flattened her against the side of the building.
The men’s heads swiveled as they sniffed the air.
“They know your scent. Here, take the keys to the car. Drive around in circles until I call,” Stone said, pressing another burner phone into her hand.
Having her in a car the Claws could track was still safer than having her here, in what was about to be a fight to the death. His lion roared, and he couldn’t tell if it was because he was about to be separated from Selina, or because he was about to kick some ass.
He opened the hidden compartment of his suitcase and pulled out two guns.
Thank you, Joe.
“What are you going to do?” Selina asked, eyes wide.
“If I don’t call in fifteen minutes, dump the car and make it on foot to a heavily populated area and call your brother,” he continued, disregarding her question.
“What do you mean if you don’t call?” she demanded, frantic.
“Go!” Stone commanded, giving Selina a little push towards the parking lot behind the building.
She took off running.
Parker’s goons were already headed straight towards them. He had to keep them from following her for as long as he could.