Purrks of the Job: Paranormal Ex-SEAL Surprise Pregnancy Mafia Romance (Chicago Catastrophe)

by Anya Nowlan

  It wasn’t a dilemma she had to wrestle with for long, as River’s eyes snapped open and his fingers clamped around her wrist.

  Fuck.

  Eleven

  River

  River woke up with a growl, his animal instincts taking over. His gaze swung around wildly as he determined the source of danger his tiger had detected, not realizing he already had it in his grip.

  Kate stood, very still, before him, her wrist firmly encircled by his fingers.

  Oh, and she was completely naked.

  That’s a new kind of wakeup.

  He took deep breaths, forcing his primal side to calm down. She waited patiently, studying his face, not an ounce of embarrassment about her. When his gaze moved to lingeringly roam her body however, she rolled her eyes and yanked her hand free.

  The swell of her breasts, the way the outline of her body dipped in at the waist and exploded at her hips demanded his attention. River found himself wanting to run his tongue up from her belly button to her delicate collarbones, slightly obscured by strands of blonde hair that made her look like an angel when he knew she was everything but.

  “If you wanted to crawl into bed with me, you could have just asked,” River remarked, smirking, letting go of her gently.

  “Don’t flatter yourself,” Kate huffed, turning to get back in her own bed and giving him a great view of her voluptuous ass.

  It took all the self-control River had not to crawl under the blankets with her and kiss his way down her body until she begged him to take her, even though he was fully aware it was a terrible idea.

  It’s just the heat talking. I have to keep my cool.

  River’s tiger roared, miffed at how this gorgeous woman was naked mere feet from him and he wasn’t doing anything about it. But he knew that while he found Kate attractive in ways he couldn’t even have imagined when he started this whole thing, she didn’t feel the same way.

  Or did she? he suddenly wondered, taking a deep breath.

  Kate’s scent was still earthy and fresh, but there was just a hint of arousal mixed in. Her heart had also been beating faster when he’d grabbed her hand, but he’d just chalked it up to her getting caught trying to escape.

  Which was foolish, now that he thought about it. This was a woman he had watched kill a man with a steady pulse. She didn’t get rattled that easily.

  But physical attraction alone couldn’t override the disgust she expressed towards him any chance she got.

  We may not be able to control our bodies’ responses, but we can choose if we act on them or not.

  Still, knowing even she was only human was a good bit of information to have.

  “Maybe you should sleep next to me. I could wrap my arms around you and make sure you didn’t move a muscle,” he called out as she pulled the blanket up to her neck.

  It should be a crime to cover up a body like hers. His dreams were bound to be filled with images of her soft, pale skin glowing in the moonlight. If he managed to fall asleep again at all. His hard cock was a good sign that it was going to be difficult at best.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve learned my lesson,” Kate shot back, turning her back on him.

  River smiled to himself. This mission was turning out to be a lot more entertaining than he had thought.

  He did manage to get a few good hours of sleep in, which was all he really needed. When morning came and he opened his eyes, Kate was already getting out of bed wearing her usual brooding expression, not bothering to cover herself up as she made her way to the bathroom.

  It didn’t surprise him, really. She was nothing but coldly rational. He had seen it all already, what was the point of hiding now?

  The rain had subsided during the night and the sun was just rising when they left the room, Kate back in her green dress and heels and he in a fresh t-shirt. Jeremy jumped to his feet as soon as they made it downstairs, being very careful not to look at Kate.

  “Did you sleep well, sir? Ma’am?”

  Look at him, manners at last.

  Not bothering with small-talk, especially not with Jeremy, River threw the key and some cash on the counter and walked to the exit, holding the door open for Kate. She strutted past him, looking like she was deep in thought. He took a moment to enjoy the way her hips swayed when she moved before following her to the car.

  They got in the Camaro and River couldn’t help but study her face in the soft glow of the sunrise. She looked different now, without the makeup and perfectly coiffed hair. Less like a femme fatale and more like a regular woman, even more beautiful than before.

  There was a crease between her eyebrows as she pondered something, and he resisted the urge to reach up and smooth it out with his fingertips.

  Once I touch her, I won’t be able to stop…

  “Well, what are you waiting for?” she asked, emerging from her ruminations. “Are you going to tie me up again? I can tell you right now, that’s unnecessary.”

  “Says the woman I found crouched over my bed in the middle of the night,” River countered wryly.

  “What do you think is going to happen? I’m going to attack you while you’re driving? Something tells me you can easily survive a car crash, but I’m a little more fragile.”

  River mulled that over, deciding she had a point. And if this small, human woman did manage to overpower him somehow during the drive, he probably deserved to die.

  “Okay,” was all he said as he started the car and pulled back onto the highway.

  Something Kate said last night, or started to say at least, was nagging at him. She told him she didn’t believe in destiny, that there couldn’t be such a thing, but then she stopped short in her reasoning. It was the first time he had heard real emotion in her voice, except for anger or disdain.

  He knew there had to be something behind that. Curiosity had killed the cat, but he hoped the same wouldn’t happen to him.

  Though, considering the woman he was dealing with, he certainly wasn’t about to bury the possibility entirely.

  “You said something yesterday about fate that stuck with me. Care to elaborate?” he prodded, looking at the seemingly unending road stretch out before them.

  “What is this? Are we buddies now? Having a little heart to heart?” Kate scoffed, not even bothering to look away from the window she was staring out of.

  “No, but we have a long drive ahead and we might as well try to make it tolerable,” River reasoned.

  He just wanted to learn more about her, but he couldn’t really come out and say that. Getting Kate to talk was a mission on its own. She was already more than cold towards him and he had a feeling one misstep could land him straight in the ice age.

  He liked the game. Maybe she did too.

  “I just meant we make our own choices. Sure, we all get dealt a hand, some a better one than others, but that doesn’t mean we still don’t have free will.”

  Her response was entirely reasonable and rational, but that was not what River was looking for. He wanted to get past the veneer, and that required some risk. It was time to bring out the big guns.

  “So it had nothing to do with your husband?” he asked, his fingers squeezing around the steering wheel as he waited for a response.

  Kate’s head whipped around, her eyes narrowed and her gaze downright deadly.

  “What did you just say?” she snarled, and even River’s tiger cowered back a little.

  Maybe that was a button I shouldn’t have pressed, he thought, wincing internally.

  Twelve

  Kate

  Kate was all but ready to jump at River’s throat right then and there, not even caring if they ran off the road or not.

  How dare he even mention David!

  His memory belonged to her, and River had no business to meddle in it.

  “Who told you about David?” she demanded, twisting her body in her seat so she could get up in his face.

  River’s eyes darted from her to the road as he looked slightly confused and gri
m. It was clear he had gotten a bigger response than he had bargained for. Kate tried taking deep breaths and calming down, but it wasn’t really working.

  Fuck it, I’m done playing nice.

  “I didn’t know his name was David!” River replied coolly.

  She leaned back into her seat, continuing to eye him suspiciously.

  “You know something,” she commented, crossing her arms. “Too much.”

  “Richard saw a picture at your house of you and a man, both wearing wedding rings, so he made his assumptions. That’s all he told me.”

  Kate pursed her lips, considering that answer. It sounded probable enough, she did vaguely remember him catching her looking at a photo of her and David. He must have snuck into her office to get a look at it.

  That sneaky bastard.

  “Another reason to be glad he’s dead,” she muttered.

  “It’s a long drive. I wanted you to tell me something real about yourself,” River said, throwing her a sideways look. “I think you owe me one for trying to bail on me last night.”

  Probably wondering if I’m going to try and strangle him.

  The thought struck her amusing. What a weird dynamic they had. River

  His admission was odd, as well. Why was he going to these lengths to get to know her is he was just going to kill her later on? She was certainly curious about him, but that was just because it made sense to get to know your captor, possibly learn something to use against them. Right?

  Yes, that’s definitely the reason, she assured herself, even as she found herself staring at the way his muscles rippled under his white t-shirt.

  “Why do you want to know? Do you play your own version of twenty questions with everyone you plan on murdering?” she ended up asking, focusing on her anger instead.

  It was safer than the alternatives. Like thinking he might have a genuine interest in her background for reasons other than murderous.

  River fell silent. Kate fumed, deciding to give the man some time as she crossed her arms over her chest. He seemed to be struggling with his answer.

  “I’m not going to kill you.”

  “Then you’re an even bigger fool than I thought.”

  The words just slipped out of Kate’s mouth. That was how dumbfounded she was. Why on earth would he keep her alive? It would only undermine his status as a ruthless, fearsome leader. That was very important in the world of shifters, last she checked.

  River laughed at her reaction.

  “In a hurry to die?”

  “No more than anyone else, I suppose. I just don’t understand you at all.”

  River let out a sigh and when he glanced at her, she could swear he looked…self-conscious.

  The surprises kept on coming. She hadn’t thought him capable of that particular feeling.

  “I’ve decided you’re way too good at what you do to just end your life. You can make up for your actions against the Crimson Claws by being our in-house assassin. The last guy tried to dismantle us from the inside, so you’ve got your work cut out for you, Katie.”

  Kate’s mouth gaped open.

  Had this been his plan all along? Did he think making her his slave was a punishment worse than death? If he did, then he really was stupid. All that did was give her access to his organization, enabling her to do even more damage to it. He had to know she would never be an obedient lapdog.

  Sure enough, he seemed to have plenty of run-ins with traitors.

  “That’s one decision you’re definitely going to regret,” she remarked.

  “Tell me about it,” River sighed. “It’s not going to go over well with the others.”

  His voice was almost sing-songy, like he was enjoying the mayhem he was creating. Kate was getting more confused by the second. She had already pegged him as reckless and rash, but from what she’d heard, he’d built the Crimson Claws from the ground up. Despite the occasional slip-ups, that was a tightly run organization.

  There had to be some sense in him, even though it didn’t seem like it at the moment.

  “Wait a minute. When exactly did you decide you were going to keep me around?”

  River seemed hesitant to answer, which already told her a lot.

  “I’m not going to kill you. Isn’t that enough information for now?”

  Kate stared at him wordlessly. What was going on in that head of his?

  His profile looked tense, yet regal somehow as he didn’t look away from the road. High cheekbones and a strong nose coupled with a jaw carved from stone definitely made him look like someone you’d want to follow into battle.

  I wonder if that’s why they all listen to him…

  “So, can we get back to the fact that you have a husband?” River asked, flipping it around on her again. “Richard’s assumption was right, or you wouldn’t have reacted so forcefully.”

  “You’re not going to let up, are you?” she replied, feeling tired all of a sudden.

  “I’m stubborn like that. I’ll tell you something about myself in return, if that makes it more fair.”

  Her head fell against the headrest as memories of David came crowding in. First, happy ones. Then, the ones of him on the ground, eyes open and unseeing, her hands covered in his blood.

  She hadn’t even said his name aloud in a long time. Was she ready to talk about him?

  Maybe it was time. She had given her past too much power over her for too long. And she did have a question for River she’d like an answer to. A little give and take couldn’t be that bad… she hoped.

  “I had a husband, but I don’t anymore. I was weak and afraid. I couldn’t help him. He’s been dead for almost a decade now.”

  She managed to keep her voice even, if only barely. It didn’t make sense for her to still feel so strongly about her life with David. She had moved on, hadn’t she? Remade herself. Dealt with her feelings of guilt.

  But somewhere deep in her heart, the wound still wasn’t completely healed.

  “What happened?” River queried softly, his voice surprisingly gentle.

  His expression had eased as well, no longer the stern visage of a leader, but of a guy willing to listen. She couldn’t have been more confused by him if she tried.

  “No, that’s enough about me for now. I want to know about you. Back at the motel, you said you tried to escape your fate once. How?” Kate countered sternly, anxious to get the spotlight off her.

  “I joined the Navy, straight out of high school. I was determined to be something different, to use my advantages as a shifter to maybe do some good. I was a naïve kid.

  “I got into the SEAL program, completed it and eventually even got my own unit to lead. It was exhilarating and I felt like I had found a place I really belonged,” River answered, growing more wistful as the story unfolded.

  What was it about shifters and the Navy? Stone had been a SEAL as well, and Kate knew of many others with similar backgrounds. It seemed like their animal side drove them towards seeking out dangerous achievements. It made her look at him in a whole new light, though.

  She wasn’t quite sure if she was ready to see him as anything other than a mob leader.

  River had paused in his tale and Kate found herself tensely waiting for him to continue, studying his expression.

  “Go on,” she encouraged.

  “Somehow word of who my father was got out. One squad member in particular thought that my background made me unfit to wear the uniform. Things got heated, especially when his buddies jumped in, and I lost my temper.

  “They all ended up in the hospital and I was quietly forced out. The whole thing left me bitter, so I decided, what the hell. I am my father’s son, and I was already acquainted with the business model, so I founded the Crimson Claws. Can’t be different than you are inside, right? I bet you know a thing or two about that.”

  River looked more vulnerable that she had ever thought possible. This big, brutal man looked like a hurt boy for a moment.

  “Maybe,” she allowed cau
tiously.

  River shrugged and returned his attention to the road, his wide shoulders still noticeably tense.

  Kate had no doubts everything he had said was the truth, and she found herself sympathetic to his struggles. They had both gone through things that pushed them onto the path they were on now, and it wasn’t fair for Kate to judge him so much more harshly than she judged herself.

  But it didn’t mean she wasn’t going to escape his custody the first chance she got. There was no way she was going to work for the Crimson Claws, and she had a feeling the other high-ranking members were not going to be happy with River bringing her back alive.

  Sorry, River, but you’re going to have to return empty-handed.

  Thirteen

  Kate

  “I’m sorry you feel trapped in your life,” Kate commented after a while, trying to make peace.

  The car felt thick with emotion and tension and she just needed to clear the air a little. If for no other reason than to make him let his guard down a little.

  River considered that for a moment, making Kate think maybe she could have phrased it better.

  “I’m sorry about your husband,” he replied.

  A tentative truce seemed to float between them as they both relaxed, understanding each other a little more. Kate still despised what the Crimson Claws stood for, but maybe she’d been a bit too tough on River?

  I can’t believe I’m even thinking that, she mused with a gentle roll of her eyes.

  Being lenient to the past transgressions of a mobster definitely wasn’t something Kate had planned for her day.

  But maybe it was unfair to judge him for everything his subordinates were up to? It was a lot easier to hate someone from afar. Now that she had some idea of who he was, she found herself mellowing.