by Khloe Wren
Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2014 Khloe Wren
ISBN: 978-1-77233-131-8
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.
TIGERS ARE FOREVER
Romance on the Go
Khloe Wren
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
"Dammit!"
Ebony pulled the lever to pop the lid on her old Volkswagen Beetle. This was so not how she’d planned to spend her afternoon. Every year, New Year’s Eve was a struggle for her to get through. Having her car break down in the middle of a hot Australian summer’s day, was a headache she could have done without.
As she did every year on this horrendous day, Ebony had come to the cemetery to visit her parents. They'd died seven years ago to the day, when a damn drunk driver plowed straight into their car. No one had survived the accident. Ebony had been sixteen years old and staying over at a friend’s house when it happened. Soon after, she’d found herself three towns away living with her grandma, her only remaining relative, until the older woman had passed away two years ago. Ever since then, Ebony had been alone in the world. It had been her choice for the most part. She’d had more than enough of people leaving her behind, so she’d decided it was just easier to just keep to herself.
She moved around to the rear of the car and glared at the quiet engine with a sigh. Why the hell had she bought this thing again? Oh yeah, it was all she could afford. There hadn't been any money for her to go to university or anything fancy. Nope, at twenty-three Ebony Taylor was still working the checkout of the local Target store.
Knowing how long Dale at the road side assistance garage would take to arrive, she put the call in before she grabbed a rag. Carefully, she reached in to pull out the oil dipstick, cursing when she caught the side of her hand on the hot engine. Ignoring the twinge of pain, she wiped the dipstick clean and thrust it back in before taking it out once more. It came out showing just under full, so that wasn’t the issue. Maybe the distributer cap was loose ... wouldn't be the first time. Again, using the rag to protect herself from further burns, she wrestled with the clips that never easily released for her. Eventually, one popped free, and she stood back to stretch her back out before continuing. Being hunched over in the summer heat wasn't really enjoyable, and she could already feel the sting of the sun burning her shoulders.
The town of Emerson where she lived was on the edge of the Blue Mountains. It stayed fairly cool compared to other parts of Australia, but still, summer Down Under was hot as hell no matter where you were.
"Well, what do we have here?"
The back of Ebony's neck tingled, and the muscles in her arms tightened. She knew exactly the class of sleaze-ball who belonged to that voice. Jet Richards had been chasing her skirt since she moved to Emerson, and he was a stupid fool who didn't like taking no as an answer—or maybe he did. She'd been giving him that answer for the last seven years, so he must like hearing the word.
"Piss off, Jet. Go bother someone else."
"What and leave you all alone out here? Now, that wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me and my boys here."
Just fucking great. All she needed was him getting all cocky in front of his little posse of creeps. Wiping the grease from her hands on the rag, she turned to face them.
"Jet, I don't think you even know how to act like a gentleman. I've certainly never seen you manage it."
Jet's eyes narrowed on her as his lips curled into a sleazy grin as his buddies chuckled.
"That's because you ain't ever given me the chance, doll. I can be the perfect gentleman when I need to be."
Disgust rolled in her belly as his gaze traveled over her body. She was wearing a short lightweight summer dress. It was pretty and girly and exactly the type of thing her mother would have approved of. Sadly, it seemed Jet and his mates also approved.
"Seriously, Jet, leave me alone. I've put a call in to Dale, and he's on his way. I'm not in the mood for your crap today."
"Dale? Oh, honey, me and the boys can fix so much more than that dinky little car of yours before he gets his lazy butt here. Won't we, fellas?"
Jet had never gone so far as to threaten her before today. Normally he stuck with crudely attempting to flirt with her and gave up quickly when she shut him down. This more persistent and domineering side of him was new and rather unsettling. A quick glance around confirmed that, aside from Jet and his creeps, she was all alone on the outskirts of town. Ebony scanned his mates as they made various grunting noises of approval and moved closer. They all wore shorts and loose sleeveless shirts, which showed off their muscular biceps. She couldn’t stop the shiver of fear that crept down her spine. There were six of them to one of her, and she knew they'd overpower her in a heartbeat if they wanted to—and it looked like that was exactly what they wanted.
Guess Jet isn’t the harmless sleaze I’ve always thought he was.
As Ebony’s heart kicked up a gear, she moved to the side of her car, trying to look as relaxed as she could manage with adrenaline flooding her system. On the pretense of putting the rag into the rear seat of her Beetle, she leaned into her car and gripped her mobile with her sweaty palm. Keeping her hand out of the men's view, she quickly dialed the police station. After turning on the speaker-phone and muting the call, she waited for the call to connect before she took a deep breath for strength and turned to respond to Jet.
"So you boys think that when you find a woman alone with a broken down car, outside a cemetery of all places, the gentlemanly thing to do is threaten her?"
She hoped Jet wasn’t bright enough to work out she was saying more about their location than she would normally. Jet strolled up closer to her Beetle before he answered her. "Oh, Ebony, we're not threatening you. It was more like a promise. I know you hooked up with Brett a time or two last year, and if you liked what he did to you, you’re gonna love what me and my boys can do."
Bile filled her mouth, and she shuddered as she forced the shit back down. Brett had been a mistake. She’d been so lonely and had only given in to his advances because he was known for never getting serious with his women. He’d been an okay lover, but he loved the sound of his own voice way too much and his attempt at dirty talk left her feeling, well, dirty. And not in a sexy way.
****
Cooper growled into the phone as he heard that asshole say Ebony's name. He'd already put the call out and the two closest units were on their way, but neither of them were near enough to prevent those men attacking Ebony. He was stuck at the damn station on the other side of town from the cemetery. Even if he shifted to his tiger form and ran, he'd still be a good ten to fifteen minutes away from her. He snatched up his mobile and dialed his best friend.
"Jaxson, where are you right now?"
"Hey, Coop, I'm down Main Street, why?"
"You need to get over to the cemetery right fucking now. Ebony's called in. She's about to be attacked by a group of guys. I don't have anyone close enough to get to her in time."
"I'm on it."
Cooper slid his phone back into his pocket, confident that Jaxson was on his way to go save their girl. Not that she was theirs. At least, not yet. After allowing another officer to take over monitoring Ebony’s
call, he grabbed his keys and gear then ran out of the station and mounted his bike. Giving the machine plenty of throttle, he raced out of the car-park with his lights flashing.
Cooper and Jaxson were both two years older than Ebony and had initially noticed her when she’d turned up at Emerson High School one day while they were in their senior year. True to her name, Ebony had long straight midnight black hair that had always looked so damn soft and shiny. He'd lain awake many a night imagining what that hair would feel like wrapped around his fist as he used it to control her in his bed. Her skin was pale and perfect, and she had the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. Even though her deep sorrow and pain had been clear to see in their depths, they were like the center of a glacier, sparkling in their beauty.
While Cooper had always been fixated on her eyes, Jaxson had been drawn in by her lips, with good reason, as they were naturally dark red and just a little puffy. Cooper's dick began to stiffen as he thought about the wicked things he wanted to do with that mouth, but he reined his imagination in. Riding a bike with a hard-on was not comfortable, and he had a job to do.
As he got closer to the cemetery he heard the other sirens filling the air. He pulled into Cemetery Road and was relieved to see Jaxson's large frame standing between Ebony and the men his colleagues were dealing with. When he got closer a deep growl rose up his throat. Ebony was sitting on the ground leaning back against the side of her old beat-up Volkswagen. She'd have looked serene and beautiful in the pose if it wasn't for the glaring bruise that was already forming over her cheek bone.
Cooper pulled up beside her car and removed his helmet before he swung his leg over the back of the bike to dismount. He took a deep breath to settle his nerves before he turned toward Ebony. She didn't know how they felt about her. When they’d first met her, she’d just moved to town after losing her parents. She’d been trying to adjust to her new life, and he and Jaxon had figured they needed to give her some time.
Initially, they’d tried to befriend her, but she’d been wary, so they’d kept a little distance while they watched over her. They’d made sure no one ever messed with her, although Cooper doubted she even knew they cared. Toward the end of their senior year, they’d both attempted to ask her out, but she’d shut them down fast, accusing them of trying to play a cruel prank on her.
By the time they’d finished school, both he and Jaxon had known for sure that Ebony was the one for them. It had been painful to be so close to her and not have her even acknowledge them. Cooper didn’t blame Jaxson for leaving. Since he was a young boy, Jaxson had wanted to be in the Special Forces. So, following his dream, he’d signed up for the Army, and had quickly risen through the ranks to became a Commando and had gone off to the other side of the world to do who knows what in the name of peace and honor.
It hadn’t taken long for Cooper long to focus on his own dream, which had him leaving town for the Police Academy. But they’d both vowed before they left that they would return and claim their chosen mate when she was older.
Both Jaxson and Cooper were Siberian Tiger shifters and they mated for life in sets of three. As young cubs, male shifters would form a close bond with another male, normally of the same age. They’d grow up together, often functioning as a single unit, similar to how human twins behaved. Once they hit puberty they’d start seeking out the female who’d complete their family. Cooper knew that Jaxson felt the same as he did about Ebony. They'd discussed sharing her several times over the years, hoping that one day she'd accept them both and be their chosen mate for them to cherish and love for the rest of their lives.
Cooper hoped that time was now. They might just have a chance with him now working in town and Jaxson home on medical leave after he’d taken a knife to the side a fortnight ago. For a human the injury would have him out of the service for months, but of course as a shifter, Jaxson already healed up. But he couldn't very well explain that to his superiors, so he was home laying low until he could go back. Although, if they managed to capture Ebony's heart, that might be enough to change Jaxson's mind about going back.
Stop it. You’re getting ahead of yourself.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Cooper strode over to where Ebony sat. She hadn't moved since he first saw her, except she now faced him as her gaze tracked his movements. Jaxson briefly turned to give him a nod, before returning to watch what the others were doing.
Cooper knelt next to Ebony and gently cupped her jaw in his palm as he tilted her face to get a good look at the damage. Seeing her skin bruised had his stomach in knots.
"Are you hurt anywhere else, Ebony?"
"I'll be fine, Cooper."
Jaxson grunted as he turned on them. "The bruise on her cheek is courtesy of the bastard backhanding her. She's also got a small burn to her left hand, and her knuckles are scuffed up. Jet learned how Ebony has a set of claws she's willing to put to good use. She broke his nose."
Even as fury coursed through him at her injuries, Cooper didn’t miss the note of pride in Jaxson’s voice. He was rather proud of her, too. She’d not only managed to call for help without Jet realizing but had gotten a solid hit in on her attacker as well.
"Okay, so no ambulance required then. I'm just going to go check on what's happening, and then I'll be back."
Cooper reluctantly left Ebony's side and went over to where the other officers where hauling Jet and his crew into the squad cars.
"Hey, Cooper, you get a look at Ebony? Your buddy wouldn't let us near her."
"Jaxson can get a little over-protective. She's scuffed up, but she'll be fine."
"Okay, well, we'll take these boys back with us and process them. You hit record on her phone call, right?”
“Yeah, we have Jet threatening Ebony on tape.”
“Brilliant, that will make it easier to get the charges sorted out. Why does this shit always have to happen on public holidays?”
“No idea, but it happens every damn time. You right to book them without me?”
“Yeah, we’ve got it covered. Ebony will need to make a statement at some point, too. Assuming she wants to press charges.”
"I’ll be suggesting she does. Bastard threatened her with rape then hit her. I’ll handle her statement. I’m going to make sure she gets home safe before I return to the station.”
As he watched the squad cars disappear up the road, Cooper was relieved he wasn’t working tonight and could stay with Ebony. If she’d let him. As he turned to head back over to Ebony he hoped like hell he could keep a level head as he took her statement.
****
Leaning her head back against her Beetle's peeling paint job, Ebony released a sigh that was a mix of relief and frustration. Her eyes pricked with tears, but she refused to let them fall. She would not cry with Jaxson and Cooper standing so close. She was part way into giving her statement to Cooper, and if she could just hold it together for a little longer she could send them on their way and be alone again.
“So, after Jet mentioned Brett and ‘promised’ better, then what happened? Remember, we don’t need word for word what was said. Thanks to your extremely clever idea of calling us, we have the verbal side of the incident recorded.”
A shudder ran through her body as Cooper forced her to focus on what had just occurred, and she tightened her arms around her middle to try to settle the feeling. The sound of Cooper’s smooth, deep voice was like a cool breeze through her mind, which helped her stay relatively calm. Even though Ebony hated to have to relive Jet’s bullshit, she understood the need to make a statement. She was definitely going to press charges. Jet was a creep and needed to know that what he’d done to her was far from okay. She took a deep breath and continued to tell Cooper what happened.
“Jet moved toward me as he spoke. I pressed myself back against my car to avoid him. His buddies had circled behind him removing any chance I had of making a run for it. Jet came right up to me and trapped me by putting his hands against my car on either side of me. No doubt, trying to m
ake sure I was scared. Bastard. That was when he first touched me. He ran his nose up my neck.”
Ebony’s skin crawled at the thought of Jet’s touch, and she jerked herself to her feet. She needed some movement to burn off the disgust rolling through her.
“How did you respond to his unwelcome touch?”
Huffing out a breath, Ebony held Cooper’s gaze as she spoke.
“I refused to be his willing victim. I shoved him off me. With both hands against his chest, I pushed as hard as I could. He mustn’t have expected it and stumbled back. He barely caught himself before he landed on his ass.” She smiled a little. “It did look funny. But when his crew of creeps started laughing at him he got pissed. He got this glint in his eye, and I was really afraid of what he’d do.” She raised her hand to gently cup her still stinging face, “I felt the pain before I saw him move his hand. He’s fast. He backhanded me across my cheek, and the force of it knocked me against my Beetle. I held still as I cupped the burning side of my face. I can’t believe he actually hit me. Rat bastard.”
Ebony winced a little. She really didn’t want to have to admit that she’d lost control.
“Please, Ebony, keep going.”
She paced away from the car before returning, and with a deep breath she continued.
“I lost my temper.” She paused to rub the bridge of her nose. “I’ve always had a quick temper, and Jet hitting me pushed right over the edge. As my rage rose, all my fear disappeared and I. Ah, well, I punched him. I landed my fist against his nose. You know, I’ve never hit anyone before. It hurts, dammit.” She shook her hand out as she thought about how it had stung earlier. It still ached a little. “Jet yelled at me that I broke his nose, and I yelled back that he shouldn’t have fucking hit me in the first place and what the hell did he expect me to do? He should have known I’d never just lie down and take being hit. I’ve never been a pushover.”