He leveled a gun at her. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m not with them anymore,” she said and raised her hands to hopefully placate him and get him to drop his gun.
“Bullshit! No one leaves the gang,” he spat.
“I did. I have nothing to do with that lifestyle anymore.”
“You stole from me!” he yelled and swayed on his feet. He reeked of stale beer. Obviously drunk. But she wasn’t sure if that played to her favor or not. She chewed on her bottom lip. A drunk guy with a gun could be unpredictable to say the least. She needed to diffuse the situation. But how?
* * *
Alex had spotted Tara walking towards the exit close to the end of the band’s set. The tiger within him shuddered. The attraction they had for each other was undeniable. But was it enough to get her to call him? Would it be too stalker-like for him to call her first? Meeting up again would be the best situation, and serendipity had provided. He didn’t want to let the chance pass him by.
He grabbed John by the shoulder but kept an eye on Tara to keep from losing her in the crowd. Alex lifted his chin. “I’ll meet you at the car.”
Tony slapped him on the shoulder, grinning wide while supporting half-conscious Mark. “Get her!”
Alex nodded and made a beeline for his prey. As a shifter, he walked faster than an average human, but today he restrained his stride enough to keep from drawing attention to himself in the crowd.
She exited the festival grounds and disappeared from his sight. Alex picked up speed and jogged.
As he rounded the corner, he found her standing in the middle of the road, next to some motorcycles. He darted between two vehicles and waited for some ladies to pass. They gave him appreciative glances, and flirtatious smiles. He nodded at them and offered a tight-lipped, I’m-not-interested smile and glanced away. Tara stood only a few feet away, her profile, beautiful.
“Hey,” he said, so focused on her he didn’t realize there was a man in front of her with a gun aimed in her direction until Alex noticed her hands up and quickly deduced the situation.
Tara’s eyes widened when she turned her head toward Alex. The man with the gun’s gaze never wavered from Tara’s and in the next instant, he pulled the trigger.
Tara tried to dodge, but she stumbled a step on the uneven ground in the gravel parking lot.
The bullet hit her in the shoulder, causing her to fall backwards.
Alex rushed forward to grab the gunman, but the man slipped through his grasp and hopped on his motorcycle. Alex gripped his jacket and pulled, but the man revved the motorcycle and tore the jacket from Alex’s grip. He growled in frustration, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. The scent of her blood filled his nostrils, making his stomach twist. He knelt down next to her.
“Are you okay?” he asked. She sat on her butt, tapping her wounded shoulder.
“Out and I still got shot. Mother fucker.”
He helped Tara stand. “Let’s get you to a doctor.”
“Tiger,” she reminded him, gripping her shoulder.
“I’ve got someone I can take you to,” he offered, pulling gently on her uninjured arm.
“Can’t you just cut it out? I’ll heal on my own after that.” She refused to move forward with him, her eyes pleading.
He shook his head and tugged gently again. She followed reluctantly. He needed to reassure her. “Come on. My doc’s got magic hands. Literally.”
* * *
A mage doctor? She’d always been warned to stay away from them. And her last encounter hadn’t gone very well. She drug her feet, but let him lead her, the parking lot gravel crunching beneath her feet. Her eyes darted toward the growing number of people moving between the cars. Everyone was too drunk to take note of her and her injury. Or was it because she and Alex were huddled so closely? Regardless, she couldn’t let him continue to guide her.
“I don’t have enough money to pay for a mage’s services,” Tara whispered, embarrassed to have to admit that to Alex. She stumbled slightly. Would he change his mind about wanting her to call him?
He gently picked her up, one arm under her legs and one under her shoulders. “Where’s your car? I carpooled with the four guys you met earlier.”
“Three aisles down, fifth on the right,” she whispered, wrapping her free arm around his neck to steady herself.
“I’m sorry I didn’t stop him before he shot you,” Alex said softly through clenched teeth.
Tara blinked. Surely he didn’t blame himself for this.
“Hey man! Is she okay? What happened?” a random concert attendee asked.
Someone noticed. Likely because he’d started carrying her.
“I’m taking her to the hospital,” Alex told the man and quickened his pace. The last thing they needed was the police showing up.
“That wasn’t your fight,” Tara said frowning, her eyes meeting his for a moment just as they stopped at her car.
“Is this you?” He lifted a chin toward the older two-door.
She nodded, and he set her on her feet. She fished in her jeans pocket for the key and started to hand it to him.
“What were you talking about before he shot you?” Alex asked.
Should she admit her past to him? Her fist clenched the key in her hand. She didn’t want to lie, and he seemed like the type to appreciate the truth. She assumed he was a Taurus from their interactions so far.
“I used to be part of a motorcycle gang,” she admitted, and offered him the key in an open palm. “I got out a few years ago when I realized I was wasting my life. That man was the leader of a rival gang. He always hated me.”
“He always wanted you,” Alex corrected her, unlocking the passenger door of Tara’s car and helping her in. He closed the door before she could answer and dashed around the front to the driver’s side.
He was right. She’d seen the lust in Jasper’s eyes, even as he had glared at her.
When Alex settled into the driver’s seat, he adjusted it for his long legs. Tara nodded. “You’re right. Jasper tried to get me to join his gang, but I refused.” The movement of nodding sent a fresh jolt of pain through her and she hissed.
Alex frowned, started the car, and drove them to a mansion in the East Hills. The East Hills was full of the mansions of corporate CEOs, actors, and musicians. Tara didn’t find it too surprising that a mage would be rich. Most could heal things normal doctors couldn’t. Which meant, they could charge whatever he wanted. Alex parked, then rushed around to open Tara’s door. Gently, he picked her up and carried her to the front door. She hit the doorbell button with her uninjured hand, since Alex’s hands were full.
The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man with a designer suit, a sun pendant hanging around his neck, and the greenest eyes she had ever seen. Simon.
His eyes widened when he saw her, then they darted between them both for a moment before finally settling on Alex. “Alex, what—”
“She’s been shot. She’s a shifter, so I couldn’t take her to the hospital,” Alex explained.
“She can’t afford my fee,” Simon told Alex flatly with a frown, his gaze barely lighting upon her again.
Tara could see the recognition in his hate-filled eyes and wanted to run with her tail between her legs. Last time she’d seen Simon, he’d been patching up her gang.
“I’m covering the cost,” Alex said, tone sharp.
Simon sighed, nearly rolling his eyes before he stepped back, and let them inside.
* * *
There was no mistaking Simon’s dislike of Tara. Alex had never seen him sneer so much. How did they know each other? Did it have something to do with the gang she had been a part of.
Alex shook his head. He didn’t really care. He just wanted her healed. The scent of her blood was nipping at his control and he wanted to literally bite something.
Simon led them down the tile hallway and to the laboratory downstairs without a word to either of them. Tara’s cheeks had reddened at S
imon’s statement earlier and she lay submissively in his arms since.
He had wanted to punch Simon for his rude declaration, but he needed the mage’s help. The smells of ozone and aluminum intermingled with each other as they approached the lower room. As if they were entering a cave, the air grew cooler.
“Lay her on the table there,” Simon said and pointed at a metal table on the right. On the left side of the room lay various medical machines and tools. While Simon’s magic could cure almost anything, Alex had noticed in the past that the mage still liked using the equipment to double check his diagnoses.
Alex set Tara down and she immediately averted her gaze, staring at her lap. His urge to hit Simon returned, but he exhaled softly.
I am not an animal. I will not give in to my primal urges.
It was his personal mantra and helped ground him.
Simon inspected Tara’s arm, then set his hands over the wound. His hands glowed bright blue, then the bullet popped out of her wound.
Tara cried out, then bit her lip, and ducked her head.
“There, your wound should start healing,” Simon told her and waved at Alex to follow him.
“I’ll be right back,” Alex told Tara, who didn’t lift her eyes – she just nodded.
Alex followed Simon to the small office on the far side of the room and folded his arms across his chest.
Simon shut the door, then turned to face him. “That female is trouble. You should steer clear of her. She’s part of the Tiger’s Claw.”
Alex hadn’t known the name of the gang, since she hadn’t mentioned it, but it surprised him. The Tiger’s Claw was a notoriously tough gang. One that had been involved in a lot of crazy activity over the years.
“I appreciate your warning, but she already told me she had been in a gang,” Alex said.
“Not just in it. She is their princess.”
“Was,” Alex corrected, his molars grinding together.
Simon’s eyes widened. “You can’t leave that gang. They kill you if you try.”
“You know I can sense lies. She got out,” Alex replied, glancing her direction. Tara’s submissive posture hadn’t changed. He returned his attention to the mage.
“I saw her two years ago,” Simon told him, shaking his head. “She had those men wrapped around her finger. Don’t let her manipulate you too.”
* * *
“Don’t let her manipulate you too,” Simon said from his office to Alex.
Tara’s eyes watered and she stood silently from the cold metal table. She couldn’t face Alex when he came back. Even though Simon was wrong, she was too embarrassed to try to explain herself. She swiped at her eyes and slipped through the door.
She left the house the way she came, leaving the judgement and electrically charged air behind her. Nothing but bad memories were related to the smell of the mage’s house. Once outside, she stared at her car in frustration. Her stomach sank. Alex had the keys and she didn’t want to leave him stranded after he’d helped her and paid so much to the mage. She rolled her shoulder. Not much pain remained other than a dull ache. Her arm was healed enough, so she started the long walk home. It pained her to leave Alex, more than it should for just meeting him.
It had been so long since she had been around a tiger shifter. He made her feel so safe and calm, like they could accomplish anything as long as they were together. He was also hot as sin. She wanted to roll in his scent and lick every inch of him. But, that was just a dream now. She’d lost her chance with him, thanks to her past showing up. Had she been in feline form, her ears would be low on her head and her tail would be drooped behind her.
* * *
After paying Simon, Alex walked out of his office to get Tara and take her home. But, she wasn’t on the table. His stomach twisted in his gut.
Had she heard what Simon had told him? His jaw clenched
Most likely. She was a shapeshifter too. Her hearing would be as keen as his own.
He went out front, following her scent through the house, expecting her car to be gone, but it sat where he’d parked it. Had she walked home? In the west, the sun had painted the sky with hues of orange and pink.
He sniffed around a minute and caught her scent. She’d definitely walked down the gentle slope of the driveway.
Should he follow her? He walked down to the end of the drive and peered in the direction her lingering scent told him she went. It would be stupid to follow on foot and leave the car behind. If she’d overheard what Simon had said, Alex might cause her more grief by following her. He turned back toward the two-door coup. He needed to return her car, but he worried he would come off too aggressive if he pushed to do it right now.
After a minute of deliberation, he decided he would drive her car to his home, then contact her the next day to arrange giving her the car back. That was the best option. It allowed her time and distance from the current situation and allowed him to see her again without being too pushy.
* * *
After a fitful night, Tara slumped in the chair of the small table in her kitchen with a steaming mug of cocoa in her hand. She’d turned up the air conditioner overnight in the hopes that the cool air outsider her warm bed might help her sleep. Nothing had helped. She glanced at the time on her microwave as it turned over to eleven a.m. and pulled a sip from her mug.
Her shoulder still ached a bit, so she switched hands she used to hold the mug. The mage really had sped up the healing process, where pulling the bullet out by hand would have caused more damage. If only he wasn’t so expensive. She hated being indebted to anyone. She would have to find a way to repay Alex. She had no idea how, but she would think of something.
Her phone chimed, startling her so badly, she almost dropped her cocoa.
Alex: How’s the arm?
Tara: Perfect. Thank you.
Alex: Glad to hear it. Are you available for lunch? I need to drop your keys and car off with you.
She debated her answer. She did want to see him again, but how could she face him?
She couldn’t believe he even wanted to see her again after everything.
Tara: Where?
Alex: Dante’s Bistro. 1 pm?
Tara: Perfect. See you there.
Tara jumped in the shower. She hadn’t realized how dirty she’d gotten until she watched grass and gravel wash down the drain. She had spent a lot of time on the ground yesterday. No wonder she couldn’t sleep. Feeling rejuvenated, she pulled a summer dress out of her closet. The bright yellow floral pattern reminded her of the sand at the beach but in a clean, fresh way. She glanced at her discarded jeans and tank top from the night before, still covered with grime and her blood. Alex had seen her at her dirtiest and sweatiest. She needed him to see a different side of her. The clock in her room said noon and she blinked at it. How much time had she spent in the shower? She slipped into the dress and put on some makeup before running out the door toward Dante’s. It was only a few blocks away, so she arrived with plenty of time to spare.
But, Alex was already there, sitting at one of the stone tables the bistro had on their outdoor patio.
Her heart quickened at the sight of him in designer jeans and a t-shirt again. He was hot.
He stood at her approach with a warm smile. He took in her appearance and heat blazed in his eyes.
She was glad she’d chosen the summer dress.
She sat and he sat in the seat across from her.
“Sorry about putting you through so much trouble,” she said and smiled at him. Something about Alex relaxed her and excited her at the same time.
He set her keys on the table and she reached over to take them, but he set his hand on hers. “Eat lunch with me first?” he requested.
She couldn’t turn him down, so she nodded.
He rewarded her with a huge smile and she knew she had made the right decision. He pulled his hand away and they both opened a menu.
Tara glanced at Alex over the top of her menu. His shoulders were relaxed an
d his lips were turned up at the edges. The slightest dimple appeared on his cheek. He was too delicious to look at for long. Warmth generated in her core.
After all he had found out, he still asked her to lunch. A gentleman with a tiger inside. Being near him was electrifying and calming at the same time, making her skin buzz and heart beat faster.
The waiter took their orders and Tara looked down at her hands, clenched in her lap.
“So, were you at the festival to see a specific band? Or do you just enjoy that type of music?” Alex asked.
She raised her eyes to meet his. He now leaned slightly in his chair, the picture of relaxation. He had a friendly smile on his face as he waited for her answer.
“My favorite band is Electric Puppies, so I mainly went for them. But, I like hearing the local bands they bring too,” she said, relaxing a bit more.
“They’re my favorite, too.” He blinked at her as if gauging if she was for real. His smile widened. “Normally I avoid the crowded venues, but my buddies begged me to come.”
“A bodyguard?” she guessed with a smirk. They had likely needed someone to diffuse situations with the one friend who had been really drunk.
He chuckled. “Yeah.” His phone rang and he sighed. “Sorry, just give me a moment to take this.”
She nodded.
He stood, answered, and headed toward a quieter area by the potted plants. “Alex,” he said in a deep and commanding voice.
A business man? It didn’t really surprise her. She had known he had money, but from the way he held himself and that tone, was he a CEO?
Alex returned a few minutes later and smiled apologetically. “Even on weekends work follows me. Sorry about that.”
“No problem,” she said and smiled. “What do you do for work?”
His eyes lit up with excitement and pride. “I own and run a company that creates prosthetic limbs.”
Tiger Tears: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Taurus Page 2