Blood Feud

by Heather MacKinnon

  I hadn’t even fed from Jason. The idea of putting my lips anywhere near him curdled my stomach after having a taste of Ashton.

  No. Jason was only serving one purpose, and that was changing my bodyguard’s mind about us. He came back every day because I’d glamoured him into thinking we were sleeping together. I would have felt bad about manipulating him that way, but all Jason knew was we were having mind-blowing sex, so I thought he wouldn’t care that I was using him a little.

  Unfortunately, things hadn’t been progressing the way I’d have liked them to.

  The first day I had Jason come over was a complete waste because he didn’t even get here until Ashton was gone. The next day was a little better, and the look on his face had been priceless.

  Only problem was, it still wasn’t enough to provoke him into doing something about it.

  So, I’d had to ramp up the stakes.

  I’d told Jason to come an hour before I’d even be up, knowing Ashton would be left to deal with him alone. I giggled again as I thought about what an uncomfortable trip around the clock that would be.

  I pulled on a tight, slinky dress and paired it with some thigh-high boots. I was starting to lay it on a little thick with these outfits, but it was necessary. My previous efforts hadn’t gotten to Ashton yet, which meant I needed to go farther. Which meant sluttier.

  I took a look at myself in the mirror and shook my head. I’d just have to take all this shit off before I left for the hospital, but it was still worth it. I could just imagine the look on Ashton’s face when he saw me. His eyes had almost burned right through my skimpy clothes the day before, and what I was wearing now was even more revealing.

  He was going to cave soon. I just knew it.

  With a smile still on my face, I pulled the door open to find Ashton leaning against the opposite wall.

  I gasped and reeled backward, almost losing my balance in the stupid high heels. He rushed forward and caught me in time, my skin tingling wherever he touched me.

  “What the hell, Ashton?” I said between pants.

  He released me and took a step back, his face hard. “We have some things to discuss.”

  I rested my hand over my racing heart as I frowned up at him. “You couldn’t have waited in the living room? You scared the crap out of me!”

  The look on his face didn’t budge an inch. I don’t even think he blinked. “This can’t wait.”

  I expected him to elaborate, and when he didn’t, I propped a hand on my waist. “Well? What is it?”

  His eyes burned hotter as they landed on my hips and then slowly trailed down my legs before traveling back up to my face. His blue-gray gaze was like liquid silver as he stared at me, his jaw clenched tight. “Maybe you should go tell your boyfriend to leave first.”

  My heart was thumping so loud in my chest I was having trouble hearing him. “Boyfriend?” I asked.

  He jerked his head toward the front of my apartment. “Yeah. He said you told him to show up an hour early today.” Ashton kicked off the wall and stepped into my space. I was instantly surrounded by his heat and smell, and all it did was mess with my already hazy brain. “Why would you do that, Millie?”

  I swayed toward him before I caught myself and cleared my throat. “Huh?”

  He dipped his head until his warm breath caressed the side of my neck. “Why would you tell your boyfriend to show up before you’re even awake for the night?”

  I let out a shaky breath as I clenched my hands into fists to keep them from reaching for him. “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. In that moment, I barely knew my own name.

  He stepped closer, until his hard chest bumped against mine, the heat of his body scorching me. “You know what I think, Millie?”

  I closed my eyes and breathed him in. “Hmm?”

  He grasped a lock of my hair and twirled it around his thick finger. “I think you did that for my benefit.” He tucked those strands behind my ear, his hand lingering near my throat. “I think it’s all been a show for me. Hasn’t it?”

  Shit.

  I cleared my throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, my voice breathy and weak. “Jason’s a friend of mine. We’ve been catching up.”

  A soft growl rumbled through Ashton’s chest and right into mine, making me shiver. “I don’t want to hear about what you’ve been doing with him.”

  My lips twitched with a smile that I only barely concealed. “Why not?”

  He growled again as he eliminated all the space between us. Ashton’s hands cupped my hips for one brief second, the heat almost painful before he pulled away again. He dipped his head and crossed the hall to lean against the opposite wall.

  “You know why not,” he grunted. Ashton turned away, his jaw tight. “Go get rid of him before I do.”

  I could sense how close to the edge he was and instinctively knew not to push him any further. At least not right now. “Where is he?”

  He jerked his head to the side. “Out front.”

  I spun around and headed down the hall, my noisy heels almost covering the sound of Ashton’s heavy steps behind me. But when I made it to the living room, Jason wasn’t there. I spun around to Ashton with a frown. “I thought you said he was out here.”

  Ashton’s jaw was still so tight as he nodded toward the door. “I said out front.”

  My eyes widened as his meaning sunk in. “You left him outside?!” I hissed as I hurried toward the door.

  “He’s not outside. He’s in the hall.”

  I turned to give him a narrow-eyed stare. “That was rude, Ashton.”

  He crossed the distance between us in an instant, his hot body close enough to burn me again. “No. What was rude was inviting that asshole here early, so I’d have to deal with him until you got up. I know why you’re doing this and it’s not going to work.”

  I tilted my chin in the air and met his eyes. “What am I doing?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not getting into this with you right now. We have bigger things to worry about.”

  Ashton walked over to the door and checked the peephole, his hand reaching for his gun. He unlocked all the locks, one of which I didn’t recognize, before pulling the door open and sticking his head through.

  When he closed the door and turned back to me, his jaw was still tight. “Go tell him to get lost.”

  My mouth fell open in shock. “Why the hell would I do that?”

  His eyes burned brighter with barely concealed anger. “Because we have more important things to discuss than the sorry bastard you’re using to make me jealous.”

  I gasped, my mouth falling open again. “That’s not what I’m doing!” I sputtered.

  He gave me an unimpressed look before nodding toward the door again. “You either go tell him to leave nicely, or I’ll go tell him to fuck off. It’s your choice.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him again as we stared each other down. When it was clear neither of us was going to budge, he shrugged and turned toward the door.

  “Stop!” I yelled as I hurried around him. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it.”

  With a sigh, I pulled the door open to find Jason standing on the other side. His eyes widened with appreciation as his face broke into a smarmy smile.

  Ugh.

  What had I been thinking?

  I cleared my throat. “Hey, Jason. I’m going to have to cancel for today.”

  His face fell as he took a step closer, his hands reaching for my hips. “But you got all dressed up for me, baby.”

  I leaned as far away from him as I could get as I pried his fingers off me. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

  He leaned closer, digging his face into my neck. “Mmm, you smell so fucking good. Just give me thirty minutes. I promise I’ll make it worth it.”

  I almost gagged.

  In the next instant, his body was ripped away from mine as Jason staggered backward.

  “She said not tonight,” Ashton growled, his big frame position
ed between me and Jason.

  “What the hell, man? I thought you were just her fucking employee. You trying to get a piece of that ass now too?”

  Ashton was across the hall, fist flying toward Jason’s face before I could even get a word out. Jason fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, Ashton standing over him. I hurried to put myself in between them, but Ashton caught me around the waist.

  “Next time you talk like that about her, I’ll break your fucking jaw,” he promised as he spun us back around and stormed into my apartment.

  Ashton slammed the door closed behind us and set me on my feet before he turned to relock all the locks.

  “Was that necessary?” I asked, still out of breath.

  When he finally turned to me, a shot of adrenaline burst through my veins. He looked so violent. So fierce. Like he was on the very edge of his decency and one small nudge was all it would take for him to snap.

  And I’d never been more turned on in my life.

  “Yes. It was.” I squeezed my thighs together as the tension between us was stoked to life. He took a single step toward me before stopping and shaking his head. “Can you go get changed, please?”

  I frowned, my chest still rising and falling so fast. “Why?”

  He turned to me again. “Because I can’t talk to you when you’re dressed like that.”

  My frown deepened. “Huh?”

  He growled again as he crossed the space between us and pressed my back against the wall. Ashton propped his arms on either side of my body, careful not to touch me, but close enough that his heat was burning through my clothes.

  “I can’t fucking concentrate with you half-dressed. Go get changed into something normal so I can think about something else besides how badly I want to fuck you right now.”

  He stared into my eyes for another long moment before he pushed off the wall and moved away from me. I watched him leave, my breaths just gasps at this point.

  “I’m not changing,” I said.

  He sighed loudly before storming into the living room. I hurried after him, cursing the ridiculous shoes on my feet. Ashton grabbed his suit jacket off a chair and held it out to me.

  “At least put this on.”

  I was about to object again, but I could smell his blazer from here and it knotted my stomach in the best way. I accepted the coat and shrugged it onto my shoulders. The sleeves were too long, so I had to shove them up my arms in order to use my hands, but it smelled amazing.

  I turned to Ashton. “Happy?”

  His eyes were still molten as he stared at me. “Not even a little bit.” He shook his head, and all at once, the heat in his gaze faded and anxiety replaced it. “Listen, something happened today while you were asleep.”

  My heart stopped in my chest before racing ahead. “What?”

  “And I think they’ve tried getting in before.”

  I slowly sank onto a barstool as I tried to reconcile this information. To be honest, I didn’t think I’d really been taking the threat as seriously as I should have been. “What happened?”

  “Someone knocked on your door claiming to be maintenance. He said there was a leak in here. I told him to come back later, but he kept asking questions. When I told him you weren’t home, he seemed to back off, but that’s when I found the other guy out on the fire escape.”

  I gasped as my eyes darted to the emergency exit in my apartment. “Oh, no,” I whispered.

  Ashton nodded slowly. “I chased that asshole down the stairs, but when I realized he wasn’t running anymore, I knew he was just the decoy. I made it back up here just as the fake-ass maintenance guy keyed into your apartment.”

  I jumped to my feet. “They had a key?”

  He nodded again. “I’ve already talked to Hausle, and he’s got somewhere else for you to go until we sort this out. I’ll obviously still be protecting you, but not from here.”

  I shook my head, my brows furrowing. “Wait, what? I’m not leaving.”

  “Millie. You can’t stay here. There’s obviously someone after you and they’ve got a fucking key to your door.”

  “So, I’ll change the locks.”

  “I’ve already done that.”

  I shrugged. “Then we should be fine.”

  His jaw was tight again. “No. We’re not fine. We don’t know how he got the key in the first place, and the other son of a bitch just climbed up the fucking fire escape. This place isn’t secure, and we need to move you.”

  I just kept shaking my head. “No, Ashton. I’m not leaving. This is my home.”

  He held his arms open wide, face incredulous. “Millie, it’s just an apartment! I’m sure Hausle will put you somewhere nice.”

  “I don’t care where he sets me up, I’m not leaving.”

  “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “I don’t care. I’ve lived here for over a century and I’m not letting a couple of humans run me out.”

  “A couple of humans who only come here during the day. Have you noticed that? They either know you’re always home when the sun’s up, or even worse, they know you’re vulnerable at that time. I can’t properly protect you here. We need to go somewhere else.”

  I shook my head again, my jaw set in defiance.

  He sighed and crossed the room to me, his big hands wrapping around my biceps. I tried not to get caught up in him, but with his body so close to mine, it was impossible. I took a deep breath, pulling him into my lungs as I looked up into his eyes.

  “It’s not permanent,” he said softly. “It’s just for a couple days. When I talked to Hausle earlier, he said they were closing in on the boss of this operation. It’ll all be over soon.”

  “Good. Then there’s no need to leave.”

  He blew out a deep breath and shook his head. “Millie, I can’t protect you here. There are too many variables. Too many weak points. It’s not safe.”

  I leaned against him, letting my body melt into his like it’s wanted to do since I woke up and smelled him in my room. My fingers crept up the line of buttons on his shirt as I spoke. “You won’t let anything happen to me. I trust you.”

  He blew out another breath, the warm air blowing the hair away from my face. “It’s too dangerous here. Too many things out of my control. We can’t stay.”

  I took another step closer to him. “Don’t make me leave my home, Ashton.”

  He groaned as he shook his head. “I don’t like this, Millie.”

  “I trust you,” I said again, knowing each word was the absolute truth. I knew with everything in me that Ashton would protect me. I knew I’d be safe with him, just like I knew I’d won this fight. I just didn’t know at what cost.

  Chapter 11

  Ashton

  “Why did I smell you in my room when I woke up?”

  I looked down at Millie, my heart squeezing in my chest. It felt so good to be so close to her. To feel her curves against me, to breathe her in, to touch her soft skin.

  But I couldn’t do this.

  She was in more danger than ever, and I couldn’t afford to let her mess with my head. I disentangled our limbs as gently as I could and took a step back. I didn’t miss the flash of hurt in her emerald eyes.

  “You could smell me in there?”

  Her gaze was still cautious as she nodded. “Yeah, of course. What were you doing?”

  I reached up to scratch the back of my head as I looked away. If I’d known she’d find out I came in her bedroom, I’d have thought twice about doing it.

  Actually, that was a lie.

  In that moment, I’d needed the confirmation that she was okay, and seeing her chest slowly rising and falling with her breaths was the only way. I didn’t regret it at all.

  But being called out was still awkward as fuck.

  “I just went in to check on you.”

  She nodded slowly. “After the break in?”

  I blew out a deep breath. “Yeah. I was pretty sure no one had actually gotten in the apartment, let alone yo
ur bedroom, but I had to check anyway.”

  She nodded. “Thank you. For today.”

  I shrugged. “It’s my job.”

  Millie shook her head. “It’s more than that, and you know it.”

  I struggled to hold her gaze for a long moment before I finally looked away. This was more than a job. Millie was more than a job. But I would have done what I did for anyone. The only difference was, it wouldn’t have felt like my own damn heart was beating out of my chest if it hadn’t been Millie.

  It was absolutely unacceptable that she’d been so close to danger. Just thinking about it turned my stomach. I had to find a way to keep her safe for only a couple more days. I just didn’t know how I was going to do that here. Especially after today.

  “Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay somewhere else? It’ll only be for a few days and then everything will be back to normal.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not leaving my home.”

  My head fell back on my neck as I stared up at her ceiling. “What’s the big deal?”

  She pursed her lips, her eyes shrewd as she looked at me. “Did you know I grew up here?”

  My eyes widened as I looked around. “You grew up here?”

  She laughed as she shook her head. “Well, not in this apartment. That came later. But I grew up in this building. My family rented a place on the third floor my whole life. And then I married the owner’s son, and we moved up here.”

  My stomach fell as I listened to her story. “I didn’t know you were married,” I said quietly.

  She glanced away. “It was a long time ago.” Millie shook her head and turned to me again. “After my husband’s death, the building was left to me and I started renovating this place for myself.”

  “I had no idea.”

  She shrugged. “Of course you didn’t. But now you know why it’s not just another apartment to me. It’s the last thing I have left of my human life. Of my parents. I can’t just leave. It’s my home.”

  I blew out a deep breath, my insides twisting because I knew I was about to give in to her, and I also knew how dangerous that was. But how could I resist? With her big green eyes looking at me with so much sadness, I would have done anything in that moment to make it go away.