by Milly Taiden
Slade got out of his car, and she smiled. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure coming her way fast.
“You fucking bitch!” the man said, grabbing her by the arms and squeezing so hard she screamed. “You better give me my fucking money.”
It was the same man from the hotel casino. He screamed in her face and dug his fingers into her arms. She had been caught off guard and didn’t get a chance to catch her bearings when a loud roar filled the air. Then the man was yanked away from her so fast she fell to the ground.
She scrambled backward, watching a massive tiger toss the evil man like he was one of Jill’s rag dolls. She got up slowly, aching from the fall and knowing she’d have bruises on her arms where he’d grabbed her, and scrapes on her legs too.
The tiger tossed the man against one of the back walls, from which he bounced and landed on his face. The guy got up and pulled out a knife. Her heart jumped to her throat as fear clogged her lungs.
The tiger leapt forward and took the man down. She couldn’t see enough to know if he’d been injured from the knife. She rushed forward, completely ignoring the common sense that screamed “Stay back!”
“Slade?”
The tiger turned to face her. Suddenly a mass of cars showed up, and the tiger rushed off into the woods. A group of men she recognized wearing the Tigris Striped logo picked up the injured man and put him into a van.
Had she blinked, she would have missed it all. She wasn’t sure what to do. Slade had run off so fast she didn’t get a chance to see which way he’d gone. She decided to go to his car and wait. He’d have to come back at some point.
She’d been waiting for about ten minutes when a woman jumped out of a taxi, glancing around the parking area. She recognized her as the crazy man’s wife. The woman saw her and ran forward.
“Oh, my god. He was here, wasn’t he?” She glanced around, her gaze filled with panic. “What did he do to you?”
“Not much, thanks to someone helping,” she said, rubbing the sides of her arms, which hurt like hell. “What the hell is wrong with your husband?”
The woman glanced down, her shoulders dropping and embarrassment written on her face. “It’s my fault… You see, the day we saw you at the hotel, I’d gotten a small check from my mother for groceries. He wanted to go gamble.”
“But you didn’t?” Gabby supplied, seeing the answer in the woman’s face.
“No. I couldn’t say no, or he’d get angry and break everything. So I went with him, and I put some of the money into a machine, let it load, and then pressed the max button by mistake. I won five thousand dollars.” The woman glanced at her with pure disbelief. “I’d never won anything. I don’t even like gambling. Anyway, he didn’t want to leave the machine in case it was hot, according to him, so he told me to take the ticket and go cash it.”
Realization dawned then. “You didn’t cash it. You ran into me!”
She nodded, shame making her pale features crimson. “I didn’t want him to get ahold of that money, so I accidentally dropped it into your coat pocket and told him I lost it all on a different machine.”
“He didn’t believe you, did he?”
“He’d been watching and saw when I bumped you. I think he realized what I’d done, but since I’ve never lied to him for fear of being hurt, he assumed you stole it out of my hands when I wasn’t paying attention.”
Wow. All that time she’d had the paper and had no clue. She’d hung up that coat and hadn’t bothered to check the pockets since. “How did you know to drop it there? What if I’d been a real thief?”
The woman shrugged. “It was a chance I took. I just didn’t expect him to obsess this much. I had hoped that I’d be able to catch up with you and explain and hopefully you’d give it back. Either way, it’s not like I would have been allowed to keep it if I gave it to him.”
“Your husband was hurt tonight,” Gabriella blurted out. “I feel the need to tell you that. I don’t know how badly, but it was bad.”
The woman didn’t even blink. “I needed that money to run away from him. I’m tired of his gambling and his anger. It would be a fresh start.”
Gabby nodded. “If it’s in the pink coat, it’s yours. I’ll go inside and check. I’ve got it hanging in the club. Come with me.”
They went back into the club, and Gabby ran into the section reserved for her costumes and extra clothing changes. She reached into the pocket. Sure enough, she pulled out the piece of paper from the Striped hotel for five thousand dollars and change.
She turned to face the woman and handed her the casino payment voucher. “I wish you luck.”
The woman’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded. “Thank you. You’re so kind. I’m getting as far from that man as possible.”
She gave Gabby a hug. Gabby stopped a security guard and asked him to put the woman safely in a cab.
She was walking out the back of the building a second time when she saw Slade. No longer in tiger form, he was dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. She ambled toward him slowly, unsure if he still wanted to be alone or what.
Then she saw the insecurity in his eyes. He was afraid of what she might think over what he did. She marched with more power in her step and threw herself in his arms.
“I was so worried about you,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry I scared you.” He held her tight. “When I saw the guy grab you, I lost all control of my tiger. The tiger wanted him dead, and I wasn’t going to stop him.”
She glanced up into his molten-gold eyes and nodded. “I understand. I’m yours to protect.”
“I thought seeing that would have made you disgusted or scared.” He searched her face, looking for something.
She shook her head. “I still love you. Probably more now. No one has ever come to my rescue before. We’ll just have to work on your mauling your way through the Strip.”
A smile broke over his lips. “I’d do anything to protect you. I didn’t want to rush you, Gabriella, but I love you. You’re the one woman I want. The only one.”
She hugged him again. “You’re the man I want, Slade. I’m sure of it.”
He glanced up at the club at her back. “Do you have to keep working here?”
She smiled, knowing why he asked. “I’d been saving to open up my own curvy dance studio. I’ll get there sooner than you think.”
He cupped her cheek and brushed his lips over hers. “What if I want to invest in this studio? Can we get this done sooner?”
She nodded. “I’m open to negotiation.”
A sly grin curled his lips. “Great. I’m about to negotiate us being together forever.”
She laughed and kissed him. “You don’t need to. I’m in agreement with you there.”
He turned her to face his car. “Good. Let’s go home, so we can fine tune these new ventures between us,” he said, guiding her to the car and opening the passenger side door. “Just remember, you’re never alone. Never again.”
She leaned back into the seat and let the stresses of most of her life slide off her shoulders. She still had Joel to deal with, but with Slade by her side, she could do it. Her heart filled with love for her tiger. He’d given her more than she’d thought anyone could. The shy girl finally got her man. And he was a more than just wild in bed.
THE END
Check Out
Paranormal Dating Agency
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TWICE THE GROWL
GEEK BEARING GIFTS
HER PURRFECT MATCH
CURVES ‘EM RIGHT
TALL DARK AND PANTHER
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FUR-OCIOUS LUST SHORTS (BEARS)
A New Werebear Romance Series
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read it for free with Kindle Unlimited
FUR-BIDDEN – BOOK 1
FUR-GOTTEN – BOOK 2
FUR-GIVEN – BOOK 3
Also new from Milly...
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FUR-OCIOUS LUST SHORTS (TIGER)
New WereTiger Paranormal Romance
Only 99 cents
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read it for free with Kindle Unlimited
STRIPE-TEASE – BOOK 4
STRIPE-SEARCH – BOOK 5
The Sassy Mates Series
And Fall for Girls with Curves and Guys with Fur
Humor. Heat. Romance.
Get yours!
Scent of a Mate - Book 1
A Mate’s Bite – Book 2
Unexpectedly Mated – Book 3
A Sassy Wedding – Short 3.7
The Mate Challenge – Book 4
Sassy in Diapers – Short 4.3
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Milly Taiden (AKA April Angel) loves to write sexy stories. How sexy? So sexy they will surely make your e-reader sizzle. Usually paranormal or contemporary, her stories are a great, quick way to satisfy your craving for fun heroines with curves and sexy alphas with fur.
Milly lives in New York City with her hubby, their boy child, and their little dog “Needy Speedy.” She’s aware she’s bossy and is addicted to shoe shopping, chocolate (but who isn’t, right?), and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.
She loves to meet new readers!
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Find out more about Milly Taiden here:
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.millytaiden.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/millytaidenpage
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If you liked this story, you might also enjoy the following by Milly Taiden:
Sassy Mates Series
Scent of a Mate Sassy Mates Book One
A Mate’s Bite Sassy Mates Book Two
Unexpectedly Mated Sassy Mates Book Three
A Sassy Wedding Short 3.7
The Mate Challenge Sassy Mates Book Four
Sassy in Diapers Short 4.3
Federal Paranormal Unit
Wolf Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book One
Dangerous Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book Two
Black Meadow Pack
Sharp Change Black Meadows Pack Book One
Caged Heat Black Meadows Pack Book Two
Paranormal Dating Agency
Twice the Growl Book One
Geek Bearing Gifts Book Two
The Purrfect Match Book Three
Curves ‘Em Right Book Four
Tall, Dark and Panther Book Five
FUR-ocious Lust - Bears
Fur-Bidden Book One
Fur-Gotten Book Two
Fur-Given Book Three
FUR-ocious Lust - Tigers
Stripe-Tease Book Four
Stripe-Search Book Five
Other Works
Wolf Fever
Fate’s Wish
Wynter’s Captive
Sinfully Naughty Vol. 1
Club Duo Boxed Set
Don’t Drink and Hex
Hex Gone Wild
Hex and Kisses
Hex You Up (coming soon)
Hex with an Ex (coming soon)
Alpha Owned
Bitten by Night
Seduced by Days
Mated by Night
Taken by Night
Captured by Night (coming soon)
Match Made in Hell
Hellhound Needs a Mate (coming soon)
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