Then she noticed it. The snap of a twig and the distinct sound of footsteps. Regret filled her. What if something happened and she didn’t have the chance to tell him how she felt? “I’m not leaving you.”
“Dammit, Ellie. Don’t be stubborn. Go to the house now!” He shoved her away from him. In the blink of eye, he was on all fours. She watched in fascination as his human image shimmered before her. His clothes ripped away and his form was replaced by a large gray wolf. His big head turned toward her and his golden eyes looked at her as if to say, “Run.”
She made a move toward the house but hesitated long enough to see the Petrov brothers emerge from the woods. They were both bald and neither seemed to have a neck, but both held guns. Big-ass, extremely deadly looking guns. Jackson would be no match for them. How did he expect to fight off two men while simultaneously dodging bullets?
Jackson swiped his tail at her, but she stood firm. “I’m not leaving.”
He growled and bared his extra-long fangs. She shushed him. “Stop your caterwauling. I’m not going anywhere.”
He growled again, and had he been in human form, she was quite sure her ears would be burning. The Petrovs stopped at the edge of the woods but kept their guns trained on them. Ellie hated that they mostly seemed focused on the wolf at her side instead of her, but at least it gave her time to shift into her version of a dragon.
“Where is Lawrence?” one of the brothers asked in fluent English.
She nearly jumped for joy when she remembered they didn’t know Jackson was a shifter. There was no way for them to know that he was the wolf beside her. On the downside, they were more likely to kill Jackson, not realizing he was the man they needed to obtain the firewall. She caught her hand in the scruff of Jackson’s neck. “He’s running errands.”
“Lie,” the other man ground out. “Tell us where he is or I’ll put a bullet between your eyes right now.”
Jackson eased his huge body between her and the gun. For the love of Pete, did the fool have a death wish? Her skin was bulletproof. Not his. “I’ve already told you. He rode into town. I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”
“Then we wait for him,” the first brother said. He eased forward, keeping his gaze trained on the wolf at her side. “What kind of dog is that?”
Jackson growled, probably at the supposed insult, but Ellie tugged on his fur. “Quiet. Do you want to get yourself shot?” She lifted her head and focused on the talkative brother. “He’s a mastiff.”
Jackson made a sound between a whine and a snort. Stubborn man. She stepped in front of him again. He butted his head against her ass, but she swatted him away. If he would give her a chance, she’d prove that she could handle the Petrov brothers.
“Would you two like to put down the guns and come inside for a drink?”
The brothers looked at each other like she’d lost her marbles. Perhaps she had. Maybe she was even worse at thinking on her feet than she believed she was. One of the brothers, the bigger of the two, stepped toward her. He kept his gun trained on her forehead. “What kind of game are you playing?”
She held up her hands in surrender. “Chill out, dude. I’m just offering you a drink.”
The man turned to his brother and rattled off a string of incomprehensible Russian. She could say she tried to follow the conversation, but she’d be lying. A few Spanish phrases were the extent of her foreign language skills.
“You. Get down on the ground.” The second brother waved his gun at her and motioned to her feet.
It was a good thing she wasn’t fond of the clothes they’d picked up. If it had been the pink sweater she’d worn the day before, the Petrovs would have a fight on their hands. “It’s wet.”
“Down. Now!’
Ellie sighed and stretched out on the damp grass. The chill from the day before soaked through the jeans. “Is any of this really necessary?”
She zipped her mouth shut when the barrel of a gun was pressed into her temple. “Now tell us where Lawrence is, and no more bullshit about errands. We saw him in the car with you.”
A howl alerted her to Jackson’s intention. She watched with horror as the Petrov brother moved his gun from her head to point at Jackson. She didn’t pause to think. Lurching from the ground, she threw herself in front of Jackson’s wolf form a split second before the gun went off. “No!” Her body had hardened as she moved, but not enough to prevent the bullet’s impact from hurting. The bullet didn’t break the skin, but pain shot through her rib cage as it connected with her sternum.
She fell to the ground and clasped her hand to her chest. She gasped for the breath that had been knocked right out of her. Jackson went after the closest Petrov brother. She closed her eyes, but the sounds of his growls and the man’s screams let her know who the victor would be. When she opened her eyes again, both brothers lay on the ground, bleeding and motionless.
Jackson padded toward her in wolf form but shifted into human shape right before he reached her. Naked, he crouched before her. “Are you OK?”
She shivered and reached out to him. “Are they dead?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Close enough. Let me see.” He brushed her hands away and lifted her shirt to inspect the large bruise forming in the center of her chest. “You could’ve been killed.”
She could’ve been, but in that instant it hadn’t mattered. All that had mattered was making sure he was safe. “Are they dead now?”
Jackson glanced away. “If they’re not, they will be soon.”
She shivered as a dozen emotions buffeted her. Fear, relief, elation. But most of all, a budding hope of happiness. “But it’s not over, is it?”
Jackson shook his head. “It won’t end with the Petrovs, but at least your involvement is at an end. I hope. You’re safe now.”
She didn’t know whether to be pleased or disappointed. Did he mean he was through with her? What did all his previous statements amount to then? “What do we do with their bodies?”
Jackson smoothed down her shirt and helped her to her feet. “I’ll call Greg. He’ll know what to do with them. He still has contacts in the government.”
“So do you,” she reminded him. “The governor.”
Jackson kept his hand wrapped around her elbow and steered her toward the house. “A business contact. That’s all. I told you, that life is behind me.”
Minutes after Jackson got off the phone with Greg, he and Ty showed up in a shiny black SUV. Greg exited the vehicle and shoved a pair of dark sunglasses to the top of his head. “Apparently my source was misinformed. Sorry, man.”
Ty strolled over to the bodies and studied them. “Clean kill. Neat, not too messy.”
Ellie, who’d looked everywhere but at the bodies, grimaced. The guys were definitely military. She’d never be able to act so cool under fire. Jackson slung an arm over her shoulders. “Ellie is the real hero. She took a bullet for me.”
Greg’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Ellie rubbed the sore spot on her chest. “Hurt like hell.”
Ty came back and gave her a high five. “Way to go. You’re cool in my book.”
“Thanks,” she said with a laugh. “Does this mean I can go home?”
Jackson squeezed her shoulders. “It’s over. We can go home now.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Two days later, Ellie was back in Atlanta. After a brief consult with the Blood Wolves, the Petrov brothers’ bodies had been disposed of and the evidence wiped clean. She found it hard to believe how quick it had been resolved. Apparently when you had ties to a super secret military unit, things got brushed under the rug. Thank goodness. A few hours after being ambushed by the Petrov brothers, she and Jackson had said good-bye to Greg and Ty and headed home.
Friday was typically a busy day for her. Instead she crouched in the middle of her shop and swept pieces of glass into a dustpan. Jackson had offered to pay for a clean-up crew, but she’d refused. Thankfully the police had boarded up the broken windows for h
er, so she hadn’t had to worry about theft. Although what someone would do with the few dozen bottles of nail polish that hadn’t been broken, she didn’t know.
Around lunchtime, a familiar head popped inside the shop. “Girl, you scared me to death! Where have you been?”
Ellie dumped the broken glass in a wastebasket and stood. “I’m sorry, Antionette. I should’ve called.”
“Damned straight. I saw a piece on Polished on the news and about had a heart attack. If something happened to you, who would do my nails?”
“Maybe I can make house calls for the next couple weeks.” Ellie laughed when she realized the woman was kidding. “This place is a wreck. I don’t know how long it’ll be until I can reopen.”
“I do.”
At the unexpected voice, Ellie spun around to stare at Jackson. He was dressed in a suit and tie but had the familiar grin on his face. He stopped in the center of the room. The distance between them turned into a magnetic force, but she denied the tug. Jackson’s gaze locked on hers. “I missed you.”
“Whoo hoo. Now I see what’s been keeping you so busy.” Antionette cackled.
“What are you doing here?” Ellie dropped the dustpan and tossed aside the broom. She hated that she’d chosen to wear a tacky pair of pajama bottoms and oversize T-shirt to clean.
Jackson stepped over the wreckage of the miniature Eiffel Tower and headed for her. “You haven’t answered my calls.”
Antoinette stepped away, being careful to keep her expensive heels out of a puddle of almost-dried red nail polish. “I’ll come back later. You two need to chat.” Behind Jackson’s back, Ellie’s client gave her two thumbs up and mouthed, So hot.
Ellie tended to agree, but she’d needed the time away to clear her mind. “I had to meet with the police and my insurance company. My father’s been antsy and hasn’t let me out of sight. Today’s the first time he let me drive into the city alone.”
“I would’ve come with you.” Jackson slid off his coat and laid it across a nearby chair. He unbuttoned his wrists and rolled up the cuffs. “You need help cleaning?”
“Surely you have better ways to spend your time.”
He bent down and snagged the trash can. “I’d rather be with you.”
“Thank you, but I can’t let you do that.” She tried to wrestle the can out of his grip, but he held tight.
He covered her hand with his. “Talk to me, Ellie. Let me know what I did wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” She gave up on the trash can and fetched the broom. One or two furious swipes later, she had a large pile of glass in the center of the floor. “I just needed time to think.”
“And?” Jackson prodded. “What was your conclusion?”
She motioned around the shop. “I’m a mess, Jackson. I’m sloppy and sometimes I forget to brush my hair. I’ll always be chubby, and I’m addicted to reality television. I can’t be the person you want in your life.”
“As a matter of fact, you’re the only person I want.” He stood and took the broom out of her unresisting hands. “Be as sloppy as you want. I’ll hire a maid. Your hair is the most beautiful red I’ve ever seen. Your body is perfect just as it is. And I happen to like reality television. You’ll have to think of a better excuse if you want me to walk out that door without you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Name your favorite show.”
“Do you doubt me?” he asked with a smile.
She plopped a hand on her hip. “Are you stalling for time?”
Jackson leaned the broom against one of the nail stations. His cheeks turned pink. “The Kardashians.”
She covered her mouth with one hand. “Really?”
“See. I have bad habits too.” He pulled her into his embrace. “You’ll keep my secret, won’t you?”
She stared into his eyes, determined to find any hint of untruth that may exist. “I’ve never dated a shifter.”
“Me either.”
She pulled up short. “Are you serious?”
He led her to the chair and forced her to sit. He knelt before her and took one of her hands within his. “I don’t know what happened between Montevallo and here, but I still want to be with you, Ellie.”
She shifted uncomfortably. She’d been scared, but too proud to admit it. After the Petrov brothers were dealt with, she faced the impending loss of Jackson and aimed for the route with less heartbreak. That didn’t mean she hadn’t thought of him every minute they’d been apart. “What happened with your fast food joint’s deal?”
His eyes sparkled. “Don’t try to change the subject.”
“I need to know.” She could be stubborn too.
He stroked the inside of her palm with his thumb. “I found another location. We close on the property next week.” He lifted his other hand to trace the edge of her lips when she grimaced. “Don’t hate on The Grub Burger. It brought us together.”
She sighed. “Jackson—”
“No.” He covered her mouth. “I refuse to let you talk me out of the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m falling for you, Ellie, and I don’t think I can live my life without you. There. I’ve said it. I’ve laid all my cards on the table. If you tell me to go, I will, but I wanted you to know that you’re all I can think of. It’s driving me crazy not being with you.”
“Jackson—”
He shook his head. “That’s a lie. I won’t go. I can’t. I refuse to give up on us. We have something good, something I want to explore further. One night can never be enough.”
“Jackson—”
Again he cut her off. “And before you say it, I don’t care. Whatever excuse you’re going to use, I don’t care. I’ll take you however I can get you. You’re all I want in a mate, Ellie. Beautiful, strong, capable. And so fucking sexy, I can’t think straight.”
“You think I’m sexy?”
He rolled his eyes. “Would I seriously be on my knees before you begging you if I didn’t?”
She leaned forward and kissed him. All the doubts, all the reasons she’d drummed up, floated away on a cloud of surety. Jackson was the man for her. They had to move slowly, but she was prepared to continue their relationship. It wasn’t every day that a man like Jackson came along. She’d be a fool to push him away. “I’m going to mess up. I’ll drive you crazy and eventually you’ll hate me.”
“Not going to happen.” The sexy smirk returned. “Not in a million years.”
“You can’t know that.” She toyed with a loose stand of hair that fell across her cheek. “You blew in my life like a hurricane. I need time to adjust.”
His eyebrows lowered and his lids seemed heavy. “You can’t adjust if you’re not with me. Come home with me, Ellie. Let me prove that we’re right together.”
Even though her cheeks turned as red as the polish puddle, her libido screamed in agreement. “We’ve already proven we’re compatible in that area.”
“Then do it because you want to, because you want me.”
She rubbed her palms on her jeans nervously. “Me wanting you isn’t the question here.”
“Then what is?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I’m not sure.”
Jackson studied her for a few moments. Finally, he nodded and stood. “I get it.”
“You…you do?” She peered up at him.
“You’re scared. You’re scared of what you’re feeling. News flash, Ellie. I’m scared too. But you’re the first thing in a really long time that I want to fight for. I’ll fight for you, and I’m not leaving.”
Air ripped from her lungs when he snatched her from the seat and threw her over his shoulder. From the upside-down angle, she saw his ass and that was pretty much it. But what a wonderful view. “Jackson, put me down! I need to clean my shop.”
His hand landed heavily on her backside. “I’ve hired a cleaning crew. They should be here in the next fifteen minutes. By this time tomorrow, Polished will look as good as new.”
She stared at the des
truction around her. So many of Nana’s mementos ruined. Tomorrow, they would be repaired, but she wouldn’t be. She couldn’t move forward with him until she knew one thing. “Why me?”
Jackson paused and set her down on the pavement outside. Her head swam from the abrupt change in position. He stood motionless as people streamed past them, his gaze never wavering from hers. “I’ve never met anyone who made my heart skip a beat just by looking at me. You smile, and I want to smile too. You make me laugh even when I’m pissed at you, and trust me that doesn’t happen often. You’re so worried about your own shortcomings that you don’t even entertain the possibility I may possess them too. You’re sweet, funny, and utterly captivating. That’s why I’m falling in love with you, and that’s why I’m unable to let you go.”
She blinked several times, but the honesty in his gaze remained. “You’re serious?”
“Completely.” He wrapped his arms around her and dipped his head. “We’ll mess up. We’ll probably piss each other off. But I plan to make this relationship work. I’m willing to give it everything I have.”
She stepped closer. Her lips brushed his in a tender kiss. “OK.”
His smile rivaled the sun as he swooped down and took her lips in a longer, hot kiss. When they finally broke apart, a small crowd of passersby gave them a light round of applause. Ellie ducked her head in embarrassment, but Jackson led her away and guided her across the street to a massive black and chrome truck. “This is really your ride?” she asked as he helped her inside the monstrosity.
“I told you I prefer trucks.” Jackson climbed in and started the engine. The rumble sounded like thunder.
She ran her hand across the shiny leather and grinned. There were so many things she didn’t know about him, but as she looked at his handsome profile, she realized she would have a blast learning each and every tidbit. “I’m falling for you too.”
He slid his hand across the bench seat and gripped hers. “I know.”
“My nana would’ve loved you. I wish you could’ve met her.”
Jackson gave her hand a squeeze. “Tell me about her.”
So she did…and a lot more.
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