by Lola Kidd
“Great.” Shane led them to his Jeep and they all piled in. “Can you describe Jimmy Tony for me?”
Maura nodded. She told him what Jimmy looked like and what he had been wearing the last time she saw him.
“Any idea which animal he would try to hurt?” Shane asked.
“It would be something big, like a wildebeest, elephant, or a rhino. Maybe a giraffe.”
“We should check the giraffes first,” Branch suggested. “The installation is closed temporarily. It would be easy to sneak in.”
“We’re headed that way now.” Shane was driving at breakneck speed.
Maura didn’t know if Jimmy Tony would really hurt an animal, but she didn’t want to give him a chance. If he did kill an animal, there was no way she would be able to date Branch. She would feel too guilty. For the sake of their new relationship, she had to stop Jimmy.
Seven
Branch was on edge. They had to find this guy. If anything happened to an animal, there was no way Maura would forgive herself, and he couldn’t let that happen.
He knew she was a good person. He loved her; he was sure of that now. He loved her, and he wanted her to come live on Safari Island with him. That was already going to be difficult, since she had helped the PFA lunatic get onto the island, but he was hopeful that her cooperation would negate that little mistake.
If an animal died, it would all be over. She would probably get charged with being an accessory or something. But if he was the one to stop Jimmy Tony, Branch was confident he’d be able to get security to go easy on her. It would all work out if he could be the hero—and if she would stay with him. She was into him and would love him too. She was his mate, after all. Once everything had been cleared up, they would be fine.
But he had to find the crazy guy first. Security was swarming around the safari park, but there was no sign of Jimmy Tony.
“I need to go look.” Branch kissed Maura, who looked alarmed. “It will only be for a little bit. I’m not going to let anything happen to any of the animals. I want to be sure he isn’t hiding anywhere.”
He’d been able to pick up the guy’s scent in Maura’s room. There was a chance he could find him if he shifted. His elephant had a much better sense of smell when he was in animal form.
“Okay, but be careful,” Maura said.
Branch took off his clothes and left them next to Maura, then let his elephant free and lumbered off into the night.
It didn’t take long before he picked up the scent. Instead of heading toward the giraffe pens, it led Branch to the elephants. There was already a heavy security presence around all the elephants and they were agitated. He noticed one of the females had been tranquilized. Very unusual for Safari Island.
The security team gave him a glance but left him alone as he passed. He counted the animals and saw that all of them were there. When he was a few feet away, he realized his mistake and his blood ran cold. The calf. He hadn’t seen the new calf with the herd.
He began to smell everything. He was able to pick up Jimmy Tony’s scent and raced off. There weren’t many places to hide, but there wasn’t enough security to go around. He had a feeling Safari Corp would be adding whole new teams of security after tonight.
He heard the calf before he saw them. If it was making noise, it was still alive. Branch charged toward the sound.
“Whoa, there.” A skinny, dreadlocked man pulled the calf close as Branch approached. He had a large machete in one hand and held the calf with the other. “I know you want your mama. I’m sorry, little guy. I’m so sorry.”
Branch noticed the man was crying. Clearly, he didn’t want to hurt the little elephant.
Branch began to walk toward the man and the calf slowly. Jimmy Tony didn’t let go of the calf, but he didn’t move the knife any closer, either.
“Listen, stop, girl. Just stop.” The man began to weep and let the calf go. The calf ran into the night alone, looking for the herd. The little guy would probably get picked up by security before it got very far. He was making a lot of noise.
Jimmy Tony didn’t notice as Branch got closer and closer. He was crying with his head in his hands. Branch raised his trunk and wrapped it around the man’s throat. Jimmy dropped the knife and started scratching at Branch’s trunk. His fingers went limp after a moment and his head lolled to the side. Branch put him on his back and headed back to the herd.
The guy must not have known much about shifters or the animals he was there to “help.” If he had, he would have noticed that Branch’s elephant was way too big to be a normal animal. He was three feet taller than a regular elephant and much heavier. He almost felt bad for the man.
When he got closer to security, Branch took the unconscious Jimmy Tony from his back and shifted back to human.
“It’s Branch Dunkin,” he called to the security guards posted around the herd. “I’ve got the guy.”
There was a lot of back-slapping and offers to buy him drinks. He pulled Shane aside. “Is there any way you could go easy on Maura?”
Shane shrugged. “Probably. I don’t think Ward will want to let this get out of hand. Maybe she can be an informant or something.”
Branch nodded. “Thanks for the suggestion.”
He went back to Maura with a big smile on his face. “I got him.”
She threw her hands around his neck. “Oh my gosh. Thank you. Thank you so much. I can’t believe you did that.”
“It was nothing,” Branch boasted. He didn’t tell her that Jimmy Tony was a crybaby coward. “Listen, I think if you talk to security about the PFA, they’ll let you off with a slap on the wrist.”
Maura collapsed against his chest. “Oh, thank you, Branch. Thank you thank you thank you. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you enough.”
He let her cry against his chest while he rubbed her back. “You could come and live with me. That would be more than enough thanks.”
She looked up at him with teary eyes. “What?”
“Come and live with me,” he repeated. “My place is small, but I think it would be more than big enough for two of us.”
“Are you insane? Everyone will hate me. I can’t live here.”
“But you do want to live with me?”
She nodded and gave him a small smile. “I would. I…I love you. I know it’s soon, but I do. I love you, Branch.”
“I love you too.”
Despite all that had happened, it was the best night he’d had in a very long time.
***
“I can’t believe I’m moving in with Branch Dunkin.” Maura handed him the last box. “This is insane.”
It had been five months since the incident with Jimmy Tony. Maura and Branch had kept in contact that entire time. She hadn’t gotten in any trouble with the authorities because she’d given them all the intel she had on the PFA and their planned demonstrations. The incident had blown over quickly, but she hadn’t wanted to move to the island right away.
She would have tried to convince Branch to move back to Florida if he didn’t love the island so much. Instead, when the ache of missing him became too much to bear, she agreed to move to Safari Island to be with him.
Branch laughed. “You act like I’m some kind of teen idol.”
Maura put her arms around his waist after he put the box down. “You’re my teen idol.”
He kissed her. “I’d think I’d rather be your husband.” He bent down onto one knee and took a box out of his pocket. Would you marry me?”
Maura began crying and nodded. She could only whisper her response. “Yes.”
Branch put the small diamond on her finger. “It’s conflict free, of course.”
She wiped her eyes. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
Maura didn’t know what she’d done to be so lucky, but she would never take it for granted. She couldn’t wait to become Branch’s wife.
~~~~~~~~~~*
Thank you for reading Elephants Neve
r Forget! If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review. Thank you so much for your help :)
Coming Soon
Once a Cheetah (Safari Shifters Book 4)
Parker Travers’ life is in shambles. His beautiful girlfriend has left him and his latest restaurant was a flip. He decides to let his love life take a backseat to focus on his career again. He’s perennially unlucky in love but he knows he can jumpstart his career. He just needs one big event and he’ll be back on top again.
Clementine Blue is the newest media darling. The curvy chef won a reality tv cooking contest and her career is white hot. She knows she’s talented but she’s still unsure of her next step in her career. When she gets an invitation to come cook for a wedding on Safari Island, she jumps at the chance. A working vacation is just what she needs to recharge.
When Parker hears about the upcoming wedding, he pulls out all the stops to get himself attached to the project. He’s surprised when the feisty Clementine isn’t so easily pushed aside. She isn’t about to let the sexy cheetah steal her job! Will these two chefs heat things up outside the kitchen? Find out in Safari Shifters book four!
Sign-up to my private mailing list to be notified when this book is released.
A Note From Lola
Thank you so much for reading Elephants Never Forget. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review. It really helps other readers decide to take a chance when looking for new authors to try out. I would really appreciate it if you have the time!
If you’d like to keep in touch you can always join my new release mailing list. I won’t spam you’re inbox but you’ll get an email whenever I have a new release. You can also friend me on Facebook. –Lola
Other Books by Lola Kidd
Safari Shifter Novellas
Rhino You Love Me (Book 1)
Between Two Crocs (Book 2)
Elephants Never Forget (Book 3)
Mail-Order Mates Novellas
Loving the Lion (Book 1)
Wolf Seeks Wife (Book 2)
The Bear’s Bride (Book 3)
Taming the Tiger (Book 4)
A Wife for the Wolves (Book 5)
Surrendering to the Stag (Book 6)
Pursuing the Panther (Book 7)
The Leopard in Love (Book 8)
Witch and Wolf Universe Novels
The Witch and the Wolf: The Complete Collection
The Vampire and the Bear
The Lost Tribe: Complete Collection
Black Oak Shifter Universe Novels
Taken by the Shifters: The Complete Collection
Captured by the Shifters: The Complete Collection
The Shifter’s Wife
The Shifter’s Surprise
The Shifter’s Choice
Table of Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
A Note From Lola
Other Books by Lola Kidd