Jace grabbed the knife and jumped to his feet, prepared to fight.
As he lunged forward, a surge of power pumped through Jace’s body. Without warning, he grabbed Robert by the back of his neck and ripped him away from Damon’s fists, then stabbed the knife straight into the fucker’s side.
“Damon, get the girls out!” Jace yelled. He ripped the knife from Robert’s flesh and stabbed him again.
Robert threw a wild punch, his fist slamming backward into Jace’s kneecap, and Jace crumpled to the ground right alongside him. The bastard was indestructible. There was no way he could manage to stab him in the heart. Jace scrambled to his feet, but Robert slammed into him again, pinning him to the ground. His nails dug into Jace’s wrists, and Jace could tell he was channeling all his strength in order to hold him down.
“Just let me kill you, Jace. Give up and I’ll leave your bitch and her friend in peace.”
Jace spat into Robert’s face and snarled. “Not a chance, you murdering motherfucker.”
“Don’t make this harder on yourself than it has to be, Jace. I have you trapped. You have no way out.”
Jace growled. Robert was right. He had him pinned. The other hunters were trying to get Frankie and Allsún out safely. They couldn’t help him before Robert made his move. The bastard could strip him of the knife any time he wanted, and once he did it would be inside Jace’s heart within seconds.
“It’s too bad it had to be this way, brother,” Robert went on patronizingly. “You would have made an excellent Skinwalker if you weren’t such a bleeding heart, so weak.”
Jace ground his teeth together. Weak? No. He was a lot of things: a stubborn, hardheaded smoking asshole who drowned himself in alcohol. But he was not weak. If he had his way, he would rip out Robert’s throat with his...
Jace’s eyes widened. With his teeth. He would rip Robert’s throat out with his teeth.
Robert’s fingers dug into the flesh of Jace’s hand, and Jace felt the knife begin to slip from his grasp. He ignored that and focused on Robert’s disgusting face. He thought of all the women he’d hurt, all the women he would hurt if no one could stop him. He thought of his dickhead of a father, who’d created the monster before him. His inner beast stirred, and he pushed all his energy into his chest, straining beneath Robert’s grip.
In one massive push, Jace lunged forward, his body contorting and shifting as fur sprouted from beneath his skin.
Robert recoiled, the knife in his hand. He raised his arm, but not quickly enough.
Jace’s muzzle collided with Robert’s neck, and he sank his canines into the meaty flesh of Robert’s throat as he ripped through the bastard’s jugular.
Blood spurted from the wound, and Robert’s body convulsed several times, thick red blood pouring from his mouth.
Within seconds Jace’s fur folded in on itself and he lost his shift, but it didn’t matter. He glanced down at his body as the claws retracted back into his hands. His shirt hung off him in shreds. He’d only managed to shift the upper half of his body, but he’d done what he’d needed to.
His eyes shot to Robert, and he realized the fucker still wasn’t dead. He stared at the bloodied mangled mess that he was ashamed to call his brother. Already the skin of Robert’s neck was beginning to knit together.
Grabbing the knife, Jace loomed over the killer and let out a low growl. “Say hi to Dad for me.” He stabbed the blade straight into Robert’s heart, and scarlet arterial blood spurted from Robert’s chest.
In one last attempt to save his own life, Robert reached for Jace, going straight for his neck, but Jace simply twisted the knife. Robert’s body continued to twitch for several moments until finally he fell limp. Jace’s breath caught. Dead. Robert was finally dead.
He let go of the knife and leaned back. The intricate blue designs pulsated on his skin, then quickly faded. Energy trickled out of him as if he were a drained battery. Black dots swam in front of his eyes.
“Jace? Jace!” Frankie cried.
It was the last thing he heard.
FRANKIE THREW HERSELF to Jace’s side and gripped his hand. Her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath. Sweat beaded on her forehead and chest, and she blinked several times to clear her vision.
“Frankie.” Jace squeezed her hand, his eyes wide. Without warning, he started laughing hysterically. “Frankie, I shifted. I shifted and I killed him.”
Despite the carnage around them, she couldn’t help but smile. He looked at her, and she could see him drinking her in as if she were a tall glass of Bushmills. Her heart thumped in her chest.
A moment of silence passed. There were so many things she wanted to tell him, but she didn’t know how to say them. She inhaled and started as simply as she could. “I was wrong, Jace. Really wrong. I don’t know how I ever could have thought you were involved with Robert. At the time, it just seemed like such an important detail that you were—”
“The same type of creature that killed your parents.”
“Robert killed my parents.” A lump invaded her throat, and she fought to swallow it. She was stupid. How could she have screwed this up? “I’m sorry, Jace. I’m really sorry. I need to...” She couldn’t take this. She started to turn away.
“No.” Jace grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her toward him. “I don’t blame you for feeling that way. I would have been suspicious of me, too. I hunted your kind and took you captive when we first met. I threatened to kill you.”
She stared at the floor. “And I made you lose your job and nearly your life when Robert took me. So we’re even.” She glanced up at him.
He nodded. “I’ll get my job back—I hope. They saw me kill Robert, so I think I redeemed myself. But I want you to know that even if I’m hunting rogues, I won’t lay a hand on any law-abiding member of your pack. You have my word.”
She forced a smile.
Another lull passed between them, one that seemed to stretch for hours...months. She examined his body, and heat boiled through her. Damn, she loved him. And there was no way on earth it could ever work out for them.
She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb as she stood. He quickly followed suit.
“I should help David take care of Allsún, and the other hunters will have a lot of questions for you. Even if we’re enemies now, it’s been nice knowing—”
Jace grabbed her hand again and pulled her toward him. “Wait. Frankie, I have something I need to say.”
* * *
JACE HAD NEVER felt more nervous in his life. His stomach flipped as he clutched Frankie’s hand in his, drawing small circles across her tanned skin with his thumb. He inhaled a deep breath. This was it.
He cleared his throat and prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. “Knowing I caused you pain hurts me more than you can imagine. This is the thing, Frankie. I don’t want to be enemies. I have to have you. I want all of you, every inch of you. If this ends right here and now, I don’t know if I’ll ever be capable of caring for anyone again. I know I’m not perfect, not even close. I’m more flawed than anyone I know. I’m uncontrollable, stubborn, hardheaded and proud. I smoke, I swear and I drink like a fish. It takes a brave soul to love me. I don’t know how you ever managed it. I sure as hell couldn’t have.”
He drew her closer to him. “Whether you hate me or not, I want to be with you. I need to be with you. Because I don’t care if you’re a werewolf, I don’t care if you’re packmaster or if you were supposed to be someone else’s, because I want you to be mine. The day I marry you will be the happiest day of my life. If you’ll have me, I want to spend a long and happy life with you.”
Tears clouded her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. He brushed one aside. He hoped they were tears of happiness. He didn’t know if he could stand it if she rejected him. He sighed. “I wanted to let you know that I love you more than the world, and I think you are the most beautiful and intelligent woman I’ve ever had the fortune to know. I adore you, Frankie.”
; He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her flush against his body before she could protest. Leaning down, he kissed her deep, their tongues intertwining in an erotic dance. Relief washed over him when she didn’t pull away. Instead, she melted against him.
When the kiss finally broke, he held her tight in his arms. “Please don’t continue hating me. I want to spend forever with you. I want to be your destined mate.”
She buried her head in the crook of his neck. The gardenia smell of her hair filled his nose. The scent was intoxicating. He could get drunk just from being near her.
She whispered against him, her words and lips brushing over his neck, “I’d like that.” She ran her hand down his chest, and his body stiffened in response. She pulled back and smiled at him, lighting up the room. “I didn’t mean it when I said I didn’t love you, or when I said I hated you. I do love you, Jace. I’ll always love you. I’ve wanted you ever since we were first together in your apartment. Since then, I haven’t dreamed of anything else, haven’t wanted anyone else. I don’t want to be enemies again, either.”
He snaked his hand down to her lower back and pushed her hips against his. A soft moan escaped her lips. Before she had time to protest, he scooped her up into his arms and held her close.
A grin spread across his face. “Let’s get you cleaned up before I show you the true meaning of Skinwalker.”
* * * * *
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Wow. I can’t believe I’m already getting to write another one of these—not that I’m complaining. Who doesn’t love to write acknowledgments? I’d like to give huge thanks and my deep gratitude to the following people:
Foremost, thanks to my friend Britt Marczak: thank you for pushing me through the first drafts of this book. You were the very first person to read about Jace and Frankie, and you loved them and this series before anyone else did. Without you, I don’t know if I would’ve pushed through this. You encouraged me every step of the way. I can’t thank you enough for being my friend, my mini-editor, my personal cheerleader, and for dishing out the tough love when I needed it. You’re going to make a fabulous editor someday.
To my friend and agent, Nicole Resciniti: for giving me a chance when no one else would and for making this novel the best it could possibly be. Nic, you changed my life with a single phone call, all because you fell in love with Jace the same way I did. You believed in his story immediately, and there is no way I could ever express my gratitude for all you’ve done to ensure that this book and this series would make it to publication. There aren’t words to express how truly grateful I am. It is a blessing to have you in my life and to always have you by my side, fighting for my best interests. Thank you.
To my editor, Leslie Wainger, and to Tara Parsons, the former head of the HQN line: thank you for pushing this debut author and her little manuscript through acquisitions and for believing in this series. Leslie, thank you for all the hours of work you’ve put in to make sure Twilight Hunter debuts at its absolute best and for guiding me through the ups and downs of the publishing process. I’m looking forward to having you in my corner for many books to come.
To my fellow authors and friends Kate SeRine and Cecy Robson: thank you for being the best BFFs around. Thank you for all the support, all the love, and all the shared cursing, hehe. Love you both.
To my whole family: thank you for always being supportive. To my mom and dad: thank you for investing both time and money in the future of my writing career before it could even be called a career. Thank you for always believing in me even in the face of rejection. I love you.
Thank you to my amazing husband, Jon. Writing this book while we were dating was a challenge, but you were the best kind of distraction. You influenced Jace’s character in so many ways, but most importantly, you kept my belief in love and happily-ever-after going strong during a difficult time and in a way no one else could. You always hold me up when I need it most, and I know you’ll always be by my side. I couldn’t ask for a more loving and loyal partner in life. I love you. You’re a true blessing. My heart will always be yours.
And last but not least, thanks be to God, who shows me what grace is every day by treating me like a favorite child.
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ISBN: 9781460318089
Copyright © 2013 by Kaitlyn Ballenger
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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Twilight Hunter (The Execution Underground) Page 26