EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2017 T. Lee Garland
ISBN: 978-1-77339-334-6
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Karyn White
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
This is dedicated to Kirsten Ferrigan, Nerd girl, Harry Potter fanatic, and bona fide shifter expert. Thank you for your help and thank you for your answers to my endless questions.
“I can’t even.”
LILY’S LONER
Romance on the Go ®
T. Lee Garland
Copyright © 2017
Lily
The truck bounces and weaves its way up the dusty, deserted country road that leads straight up the side of the mountain. I glance my brother’s way. Ben’s mouth is set in a hard line, his forehead wrinkled as he concentrates on the curves ahead. His alert eyes constantly shift from side to side, seeing nothing. There is nothing to see on this desolate piece of land, nothing except trees, brush, and an occasional skittish rabbit. For the first time ever, I feel closer to the rabbit than the cougar shifter I am.
Ben must have noticed my anxious glances, because he reaches his hand across to snag mine and gives it a squeeze before saying, “It’ll be okay, Lil. Everything will be okay.”
“I’m sorry,” I say again. I must have said it at least fifty times over the past two days.
“It’s not your fault. What happened is not your fault. I’m just sorry you can’t stay with Amber and me, but with the baby due any day now I need my focus to be on them. I can’t protect you like you need—like a big brother should.”
I hear the regret and the stress. I have put a lot on him in the past couple of days. At twenty-two, I need to do a better job of taking care of myself. So far that plan is not working out so well.
“So this guy Max that you’re taking me to, you trust him?” I ask.
“Yes,” he answers simply. When he doesn’t elaborate I push further.
“Do you trust him with my life, Ben?” I whisper. I am almost afraid to say such a thing out loud for fear that the gods that be may see fit to test the theory. I am scared, terrified actually, and I have good reason to be. As a result, I am apparently having some trust issues as well.
Ben takes his eyes off the road for just a moment, but it was long enough to give me “the look”. The look that said if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be taking you to him. He turns back to the road before answering.
“Yes, I trust him with your life, my life, and Amber’s life. He’s the best there is. He will keep you safe, Lily, I promise. He was my CO, until his injury. He never asked one of us to do something he wouldn’t do first. He’s good, real good.”
I turn away from Ben and look out the window. The landscape flies past. Ben is speeding, and the road conditions are sketchy at best. I didn’t admonish him because I know he is in a hurry to get back home to Amber. His wife was due to have their first child any day now, and he hated leaving her. Amber isn’t a shifter like us. She is human, which makes her more vulnerable. Fragile, like the two humans I had witnessed torn to shreds days ago.
I close my eyes, but within seconds they pop back open. A scene of blood and horror plays over and over again in my head every time I close them. Like a damn horror movie stuck on repeat in the scary parts. A scene I know I will never be able to wash from my memory.
But Lord, I am tired, weary to the bone. Sleep, though, means nightmares in which I wake up screaming, even in the daylight. I had terrified Ben and Amber my first night with them. It is best to just keep my eyes open. Ben, my Special Ops older brother, was taking me to the woods at the top of this mountain, to stay in a cabin with a retired Special Ops buddy of his. A stranger, a fellow shifter, Ben said he had become somewhat of a loner since an accident had left him disfigured.
“I just wish he knew we are coming.” I am so exhausted I don’t even realize I have spoken the words out loud until Ben answers.
“Yeah, Max’s phone service out here is almost non-existent. He likes it that way. He’s not much into chit-chatting. It will be okay though. He won’t let us down. I promise.”
“A man who lives so far removed from civilization is doing so for a reason,” I point out.
“Okay, yeah you’re right. Listen, Max was injured in Afghanistan, an IED explosion that took out a couple of guys in our unit. Max has some scarring and he lost an eye, and because of it he just prefers his solitude. He’s the best, though, make no mistake about that. One of the strongest cougar-shifters I’ve ever seen. You will be safe with him, even safer than if you were to stay with me. You just have to trust me on this, Lily, okay?”
He has told me all of this earlier and he is my only brother. Of course I trust him, but still I have my doubts about this guy letting me stay. I know Ben has to do this, so for his sake and Amber’s, I let him. Their lives depend on me being as far from them as possible. I hope this friend of Ben’s can live up to his hype. Both of our lives will depend on it.
At my nod, Ben gives me a reassuring smile, “Good girl, because we’re here.”
We’ve come through a clump of trees into a clearing in which sits a small log cabin with a hunter green metal roof. The place looks neat, but deserted, empty … lonely. Much like the man who lives there, I imagine. Cougar shifters are normally loners, but this seems extreme even for us. I only hope he won’t be so much of a loner that he refuses to let me stay. He doesn’t know it yet, but he is my last hope.
****
Max
I step out on the front porch as Ben’s truck comes to a stop. Normally I would have gone out and met my old buddy, and communications sergeant, but I can see he is not alone and that it is not Amber who sits in the passenger side of the truck. So I hang back on the porch and wait for Ben to come to me. The girl, I note, stays in the truck. She casts nervous looks my way and glances down when she realizes I am watching her. Even from this distance I can see she is a beauty, and I can’t help but wonder what she’s doing with Ben.
“How ya doing, man?” Ben asks as he walks toward me stretching out his hand. We shake.
“I’m good, Ben, and you? How’s Amber? Has she had the baby yet?”
“No, not yet, man, but any day now. I still can’t believe I’m going to be a dad. It seems so surreal.”
I wait, knowing Ben has something else on his mind. I don’t have to wait long.
“Listen, I need to talk to you. That’s my baby sister, Lily,” he says, nodding toward the truck, “and she’s in trouble. It’s bad, real bad, and I need your help.”
I eye the woman in the truck with renewed interest. Even from this distance I can feel the heat of her gaze on me when she thinks I’m not watching, and I turn to make sure my scarred right side faces away. Doing so has become almost second nature to me. The scars don’t bother me. I’ve made peace with them. What I haven’t made peace with are the two men who didn’t come home when I did. I turn away because most people are uncomfortable with my scars. I can feel Lily’s curious gaze, and it heats me from the inside out.
Of course I know Ben has a younger sister, but I’ve never really thought much about her. My mind always went to some kid in pigtails, not a full grown woman. A woman who even from this distance has my heart racing and the cat in me yearning to pounce.
“You know I will help if I can. What’s going on?”
“She needs a place to hide out, just for a short time.” Ben sighs and runs his hands through his golden hair, sending the ends standing on up. I recognize the stress I see on his face. It’s the same look we all had in the big sandbox overseas. “Okay this is the short version of the story. Lily can fill you in on the rest herself. She graduated in May from college, and unknown to me and the rest of the family, she took a job with a local news station, which promptly sent her undercover to investigate a reported cult run by this fucking nut job named Vincent Flint. He calls himself a prophet of God and has been recruiting young people in the area. Lily infiltrated the damn cult!” Ben is pacing now, growling his frustration, and I fear he may shift out of control.
“She has spent the past two months with them. Lily says that bastard, Flint, tried to recruit her as one of his wives, but she was able to hold him at bay by telling him she had had a recent abortion and was still ‘unclean’. He bought the lie and thankfully never touched her. At least that’s what she says. I hope to God she isn’t lying about it. Anyway, four days ago she witnessed the ritualistic murder of two young people who were accused of being ‘unbelievers’ and possible spies. The cops caught wind of the murders, thanks to Lily, and they raided the compound. They were able to round up everyone except for two hard-core followers, and of course Flint himself. Lily’s exposé aired yesterday, and now Flint and his henchmen are looking for her. Man, with Amber and the baby coming I just don’t have the ability to focus on her and the protection she needs right now.”
“What about the police?” I ask. “Aren’t they willing to give her some protection? After all, she is the star witness to their case.”
Ben shakes his head. “They just don’t have the manpower, said the best they could do would be to step up patrols in the area around my house. Fuck, man! We are talking about my baby sister here! I just feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. I want to protect her, but right now but, there is so much going on—I need help, she needs some help. That’s why I’ve come to you. You’re the best, Max, and I wouldn’t trust her with anyone else, man. Your place is so isolated. They would never find her up here.” Ben turns and looks over his shoulder at his sister. His face softens as he turns back to me. “Listen, Max, I know this is really sudden and a lot to ask, but can you protect her? Can Lily please stay with you? ”
I reach up and adjust the eye patch that hides my non-seeing right eye. I am isolated for a reason. Taking in a young woman in trouble, a civilian to boot? It wasn’t an ideal situation, but I owe my life to Ben, my second in command. He had saved my life by pulling me from the fire after the IED that had left me scarred, but alive. Unlike the two soldiers in our unit that had paid the ultimate price. How could I tell him no?
The answer is easy. I can’t.
“Okay, sure. She can stay.”
The look that comes over Ben’s face is instant, both relief and gratitude mixed with a touch of joy. He clasps me in a rib crushing, back-thumping embrace. “Thank you, man. I owe you.”
“You owe me nothing, Ben. Listen, I know it goes without asking, but she doesn’t have a cellphone or other traceable electronic device on her, does she?”
“No, I took care of that.”
“And you’re sure you weren’t followed?”
“No. I kept an eye out on the way up here. Come meet Lily. She’s a sweetheart. I promise she won’t give you any trouble.”
She is going to be so much trouble. When she climbs from the truck, I feel a growl start low in my chest. The wind catches her scent and blows it my way, and I feel my blood heat up. The cat in me lifts its head and scents the air, smelling the female. She is tall and leggy, with golden hair that falls around her slender shoulders and a sweet, heart-shaped ass that is made for nibbling. Her eyes, when they land on me, are a pale green mixed with flecks of gold. I watch those amazing eyes widen with awareness and darken with heat and interest. She is perfection. She doesn’t turn her face away or look at me with pity or disgust. When Ben introduces us, she shakes my hand and boldly looks me in the eye and gives me a small, strained smile.
“Thank you for letting me stay.”
Her voice is sexy as fuck. It is a low purr from deep in her throat, and it goes straight to my cock. I watch her slowly lick her bottom lip as she looks up at me from beneath golden lashes. I have a sudden desire to slide my tongue along those lips while I bury myself balls deep inside her. I wonder what color her eyes would go when she comes.
Get a grip, man. She is here to be guarded and protected by you, not fucked.
She turns to her brother. “Ben, I love you. Thank you for everything. Now get home and take care of Amber. I can’t wait to meet my new niece or nephew.”
Ben engulfs his sister in a hug. “You’re in good hands with Max. I’ll come to you when I can.” I watch him kiss her on the cheek, and I tap down a sudden desire to punch my friend for touching what I already know is mine. Ben pulls her bag from the back of his truck and hands it to me. “Take care of her.”
I nod and take the bag, and we shake hands before he climbs back in the truck. The two of us stand silently and watch until we can’t see the truck any longer.
“We should get in the cabin and out of the open,” I point out.
Lily nods, and I place my hand on the small of her back to lead her in. The contact sends an aching from my fingers to my chest. I glance at her to see if she feels it, too, but if she does she keeps her face neutral.
It’s just me then. I’ve just been too long without a woman.
The cabin is small and efficient. A couch, a fireplace, a table with two chairs, a shelf stuffed to overflowing with books, and a ladder leading up to a half loft make up the main part of the cabin. To the left a kitchenette and a door that leads to the bathroom. I don’t need much.
Except her, my mind screams.
“You take the loft. I’ll grab the couch.” I start up the ladder hauling her bag with ease.
“I’m good with the couch. I don’t want to put you out,” she states, freezing me in my tracks.
I turn half way up the ladder and look at her. “You’ll take the loft. It’s not debatable. If someone kicks in the door they will have to go through me to get to you. Make no mistake, Lily, they won’t get past me.”
“Right,” she replies, drawing the word out. I feel her eyes watching me as I climb up the ladder. I place her bag on the quilt covered bed and start back down. She is still standing there, her eyes following me. I hop down from the last three rungs, and land lightly on my feet. My gaze seeks out Lily, and something unspoken passes between us. The cat in me recognizes the feeling for what it is. Lily is my mate. I don’t want it to be true. She is young and the sister to one of my best friends. I’m scarred and damaged, while she is whole and perfection. I like my loner life, don’t I?
“Do you want something to eat?”
“No, thank you.” She shoves her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, and my gaze moves to her breasts, which are forced forward. Her nipples pucker beneath my heated scrutiny. The feline in her stretches and purrs. She no doubt can see the desire in my gaze, but I rein it in and turn away from her, before she notices my rapidly hardening cock. “I haven’t been sleeping very well. Would you mind if maybe I lay down for a few minutes?”
The thought of her on my bed already has me hot and bothered. “You should eat something first,” I reply stepping into the kitchenette and beginning to make sandwiches. “Ham and cheese or PB and J?” Maybe keeping my hands busy and my mind off her will keep my cat caged.
Yeah, right.
****
Lily
Max may be medically retired, but the man is no slouch. His ass is swoon-worthy. The worn and tattered jeans he wears fit him like they have been custom made for optimum viewing of his muscular ass. His wide shoulders stretch to its limits the black t-shirt he wears. His massive biceps and forearms are tatted up with vario
us designs and sayings. His hair is tawny in color and long, pulled back in a low ponytail, yet part of it has come loose from the band holding it and now hangs limp, covering part of his scarred face. The jagged scar and the eye-patch make him look dangerous and mysterious. His one remaining eye is a gold flecked amber color that looks at me with such need and desire that it almost takes my breath each and every time. The reporter in me is curious. I want to know more about him. The woman in me just wants him.
“So, you and my brother were in the same unit?” I take a bite of the sandwich and chew slowly as I await his answer.
That one eye pierces me with a look that seems to tell me not to go there, but I’m a reporter. I go there. I don’t back down, and I hold his gaze until he answers. Despite his aloofness I feel his desire, and it gives me power over him.
“Yes.”
I swig a drink from the bottle of water he has given me, and I am aware that he watches when a drop slips past my lips, and slides off my chin, and down my throat. I wipe it off with the back of my hand. “Your injuries, my brother said it was an IED?”
He blinks, surprised perhaps that I have brought up the elephant in the room instead of tiptoeing around it.
He drops his sandwich to the plate and sighs. “The vehicle I was riding in ran over one. The two guys in the front seat were killed instantly. It caught fire, and Ben pulled me out.”
“They made you retire?”
“The army prefers its soldiers with two eyes,” he says with a shrug, but I’m not fooled by his nonchalant attitude. I can feel it’s a touchy subject for him. He was one of the best, yet the military had still kicked him out, even after he had paid such a high price for his country.
“Yet my brother, who loves me, still trusts your ability to protect me and keep me safe. Why is that?” I push.
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