by Vella Day
“I bet that comes in handy.”
“It does, though he rarely uses his magic, fearing someone might see him.”
“What do they do now?”
“When I was about ten, both of my parents decided to devote their lives to healing the soul and exploring the spiritual elements in life. It might have been a bit of rebellion on my part that made me want to serve, because I didn’t want to follow in their psychic ways, despite having a bent in that direction. I wanted something more grounded—if that’s the right word.”
Her pulse sped up. “I totally understand. I think that’s why I ended up studying math. There isn’t any ambiguity in science like there is in witchcraft. Being a shape shifter is bad enough, but then add in my other talents, and all I yearned for was some normalcy. Mind you, my Wendayan talents are nothing like yours. Hell, it’s almost like I don’t have any.” She mouthed a few of the words to make sure no one heard.
“That’s not true. You’re strong and agile.”
“Compared to you, I’m not. In a fight, I’m not sure it will be much of an advantage.”
“We need to continue working on that. Have you done any weight training? You might improve faster than most.”
She’d never had the time or the funds to join a gym, but if Sam would help train her, she was game. “No, but I’d like that!”
Their server stopped by and Sam ordered a bottle of wine for them. This seemed more than just a feed-the-poor-girl dinner. It felt like a date—a real one. “You planning on seducing me later? Is that the reason for the wine?” she joked.
When his face turned red, Lexi wished she could take back the words. “Is that what you want?” he asked.
Touché. Now it was her face heating up, but she was glad the topic had been broached. “I wouldn’t turn you down if that’s what you mean.”
Sam let out a laugh. “You are something else, do you know that?”
Lexi didn’t know whether to be insulted or flattered. It didn’t matter; she’d find the right time to explore him in the very intimate way she desired. Keeping a strong seal on her heart and her wolf in check would be the real challenge.
The waiter returned with their wine and then took their order. Lexi decided on something simple—prime rib and potatoes while Sam chose the rib eye steak with mushrooms on top.
“Have you called your brother yet?” Sam asked as he sampled his wine.
“I finally did last night. I didn’t want him to worry.”
“Does he know about Justin?”
She nodded. “Yes. I told him when I asked him for my escape money. Ronan asked where I was, but I said it would worry me less if he didn’t know. I certainly don’t need him down here looking for revenge against someone as powerful as Justin. My brother would want to play Mr. Protector, and I already have plenty of them here.”
“That you do.”
“I explained that I was in good hands, and he agreed to stay put, though he wasn’t happy about it. I kept all names out of it.”
“I trust you didn’t contact your father?”
She barked out a laugh. “That would be a no.”
The waiter returned. “Mr. Pompley?”
“Yes.”
“You have a phone call at the hostess stand.”
Sam glanced at her. “Other than Connor, I didn’t believe anyone knew we were here.” He patted his pants and extracted his phone.
“I told Devon we were going out, but not where.” Lexi nodded to his cell. “Did he leave a message?”
“No. Nothing. My phone has plenty of charge too. I can’t imagine who it would be. It must be Connor.”
As soon as Sam left, a wave of melancholy descended. She liked being with him. Not only did he provide a sense of security, his mere presence helped calm her.
That’s because he’s our mate, silly, her wolf called out.
That may be, but mating with him would be too dangerous—for him.
Having sex, however, was in the cards. Mating right now? Probably not.
Just as she turned around to check on him, a loud blast sent her world spinning. People screamed and then smoke rolled down the corridor to where she was seated. Oh, my goddess. Sam!
*
Sam couldn’t explain why he stopped before reaching the hostess station. Perhaps it was because the hostess wasn’t there, or else his sixth sense kicked into high gear. It was the same weird feeling he’d had when he and his men were supposed to enter an Afghani building that claimed to house a terrorist cell. At the last minute, he called off the mission and sent in a robot instead. They’d attached a tall antenna to the machine to simulate a human. Sure enough, it hit an electronic trigger and the building exploded.
He’d just turned around to return to Lexi, a bomb exploded behind him. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest as a blast sent shockwaves through the air, forcing him to shield his face from any flying debris.
A few seconds later, he regained his bearings, and his first instinct was to make sure Lexi was okay. Justin might have created this diversion in order to take her. His heart lurched. Smoke entombed him, but the lack of heat implied there wasn’t a fire.
Sam charged against the stream of the screaming crowd who were trying to exit the front where the blast had occurred, while a few were running toward the back. If the smoke hadn’t been so dense, he’d have a better idea what had occurred.
“Lexi?” he shouted. His heart pounded as he tried to find their table. “Lexi!”
Not only was his vision impaired, chairs had toppled, blocking his way. Angry and scared voices obliterated his ability to hear if she answered. A lot of pushing and shoving made it difficult to even find the tables and booths.
Someone grabbed his arm, and he spun around. “Sam, it’s me!”
Thank God, it was Lexi. “Are you okay?”
She coughed. “Yes, you?” She handed him his jacket, but he didn’t take the time to put it on.
Thank goodness for her shifter vision or she might not have found him. “I’m fine. Let’s get out of here.”
The lights flickered and then extinguished. More screams and panicked shouts rent the air. Fuck. Now they were blind. The crowd jostled and bumped into them, and the smoke stung his eyes. Lexi managed to stay on her feet so far, but to prevent her from falling he wrapped an arm tightly around her waist. “Hold on.”
“This way,” Lexi said.
Given her excellent eyesight, he let her lead. They’d moved less than ten feet when something hard slammed into his side. Anger rushed to the surface as he stumbled, but Lexi tightened her hold to prevent him from falling.
Embarrassed at nearly being knocked over, he charged forward. His lungs burned and his vision was nil. Images of Afghanistan surfaced again, but he tamped them down.
Someone grabbed his left arm and tugged. What the hell? Did they mistake him for someone else? “Let go,” Sam shouted as he jerked out of that person’s grasp.
Stepping over shards of wood, he and Lexi finally reached the front door, and then burst into the street. Fresh air met them. As much as he wanted to stop and ask her questions about whether she saw anything, they needed to get the hell out of there. Even in war, he hadn’t seen such panic.
Unlocking the passenger side door to his truck took some doing, as the smoke had followed them outside. Add in the fact that lights in front of the restaurant were out, it made seeing difficult. Now would be a great time to have enhanced shifter sight.
Sirens sounded. Not wanting to be blocked in, he helped Lexi into the passenger’s side then jumped into his seat. Seconds later, they were clear of the crowd and headed north to their office.
“What happened in there?” Lexi asked, clearly shaken.
“I was on my way to the hostess station when something inside me said not to take the call. I’m not even sure there was one.”
“It sounded like something blew up.” She nodded to his arm. Blood stained his sleeve. “You’re cut. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Her concern warmed him. “Yes. I didn’t even feel it. Too much adrenaline I guess.”
“Sam, do you think this had something to do with me?”
“It’s possible though I was the one who was called to the front.”
“What better way to get to me than to put you out of commission?”
His gut soured. “You might be right. If I went down, and if you managed to escape, Connor or Jackson could take care of you.”
“That’s a lot of ifs.”
True. His sixth sense had saved her—this time. His mind raced to what might happen next. “I think you should stay at the office tonight.”
She let out a huff. “I understand it’s necessary, but I want you there with me.”
“Absolutely. I’m not leaving you.” His protective side was in full force. He wasn’t going to leave her under any circumstance. Keeping his distance however was a given.
Right now, the urge to hold her and kiss her was strong, but with his emotions high, he had to be careful. “I’ll need to stop at my place and pick up a few things.”
“Sure. Can we then stop at a drive thru afterward? I’m really hungry.”
They never did receive their meal. “How about I cook something at home? I’m sure you want to enjoy what little freedom I’m affording you for as long as possible.”
She grinned and his heart sang. “Thank you.”
While he didn’t live far, Sam kept his gaze on the rear view mirror. Thankfully, no one seemed to be following him. Before he reached home, the phone rang, and he depressed a lever on the wheel. “Sam, here.”
“It’s Connor. What the hell happened? The news crews are all over the explosion. Are you and Lexi okay?”
“Yes.” Sam brought his boss up to speed.
“It sounds like someone followed you two and then planted the device by the hostess station.”
“It was probably Kapok, trying to get to Lexi.” Sam turned to her. “Did you catch the name of our waiter? He told us about the phone call. He might remember who told him about the call.”
“I think his name was Jacob or maybe Jack. I could be wrong. I might just have Justin’s name on my brain.”
“I’ll check it out with the owner,” Connor said. “Are you going back to the office?”
“We will after I pick up a few things at the house and fix something to eat. It’s safer at the office.”
“Agreed. Just be careful,” his boss said.
“You can count on it.”
Sam disconnected. He checked his surroundings once more before turning down his street. Using the garage remote, he opened the door. Only when it was closed, did he relax.
Lexi started to get out, but Sam wanted to be extra cautious. “Let me check the house first.”
“Really? You think Justin would sneak into your house? How would he even know who you are?”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you. Stay here, please?”
“Fine.” Lexi sank back against the seat. “If a shifter is inside, I can sense him immediately, you know.”
As much as he didn’t want to expose her to danger, she was right. “Okay, but stay by my side.”
She tossed him a small smile. “I will.”
Together they entered his darkened house. “Anything?” he asked.
“No shifter.”
Sam flicked on the light that illuminated the living room. “Stay here while I look upstairs.”
Lexi grabbed his arm. “I can sense a shifter that far away. He’s not here.”
“I know, but I want us to be safe.” For the first time since the blast, the tension released from his body.
She slipped off her jacket and placed it on the back of the living room sofa while he ran up the steps. Seeing nothing disturbed, he returned.
Lexi moved closer. “You look cold,” she said.
As much as he’d enjoy a warm hug, he didn’t trust himself. He tossed his jacket next to hers. “I’m okay. I guess I should have put that on.”
Lexi grabbed his arm and leaned in close, disrupting his thoughts again. “You’ve been through a lot. How about I make you some hot tea?”
So now she was the caretaker? “That would be great, but I only have coffee.”
She smiled. “Works for me.”
Since she’d never been to his place, she might not be able to find what she needed. Sam followed her past the dining room table and into the kitchen. With the large pass-through window, one could still see the living room.
“The cups are in the cabinet above the sink,” he said. “I’ll get the coffee.”
Because the kitchen was long and narrow, they almost bumped into each other twice, yet somehow it wasn’t awkward. There was an ease between them he’d not remembered having with anyone else.
Once she set the cups on the counter, Lexi hopped up next to them. “When we were headed toward the door, someone seemed to yank on your arm and you almost fell. What was that about?”
“I wish I knew. Maybe that person thought I was someone else. I couldn’t see who it was, partly because I was squinting to keep the smoke out of my eyes.” The coffee finished perking, and he poured two cups. “Black, right?”
“Yes.”
Once he fixed their drinks, he motioned they return to the living room where the seating was more comfortable. “The phone call implies they were either targeting me, or just trying to get me out of the way in order to get to you.”
“It would have been easier to say there was a call for me and then pressed a gun to my back and escort me outside.”
Sam’s gut churned. He set his cup on the coffee table and sat on the sofa. “That’s a horrible thought. If the waiter had told you that your brother was calling, would you have answered the phone?”
“No. I didn’t tell him I was in Silver Lake. Even if I had, Ronan understands why it’s dangerous to contact me. There’d be no reason to call.”
“Are you sure? If something happened to your dad, Ronan might have tracked your whereabouts to tell you.”
Lexi glanced to the side then sipped her coffee. “If dad had been murdered and I found out about it, I probably wouldn’t want to discuss it with Ronan. I’m still too pissed off at my dad.” She leaned her head back on the sofa. “I’m such a horrible person. I really tried to get Bill to change his ways, but he was stubborn.”
“You aren’t horrible. The man tried to sell you because he gambled too much. He had an addiction.”
“I know, but I wish I could have loved him the way I used to.”
“He changed.”
“Very true.”
They didn’t need to be thinking about what could have been. “Bottom line, I believe the bomb was designed to take you,” Sam said. The coffee had cooled enough for him to drink half the cup in one long draw.
“So now what should we do?” she asked. Sam didn’t like how dejected she sounded.
“Now? We wait.”
Chapter Ten
‡
Waiting was not Lexi’s strong suit, but what choice did she have? That explosion was a message, but for some reason it didn’t scream Justin. While she’d only interacted with him once, he seemed to be a straightforward kind of guy who played the odds, not someone who created elaborate plans. Cheating was his game—not blowing things up. Then again, he might be desperate.
On the drive back to Sam’s house from the restaurant, she had debated leaving town that night. This wasn’t Sam’s fight, and he shouldn’t be dragged into her issues. However, if Justin had his eyes on her right now, leaving would play right into his hands.
“Do you think anyone was seriously hurt in the explosion?” she asked.
Sam seemed to be okay. The blood on his arm had caked, implying his cuts weren’t too deep.
“I don’t know, but Connor and the gang are going to find out.” He tapped his thighs and stood. “Ready for some food?”
“Absolutely.” She stood. “I’ll help.”
“I wasn’
t going to do anything fancy. I thought I’d make some bacon and eggs. That’s all. How does that sound?”
“Divine. I still want to help.” The incident had upset her more than she was willing to say and cooking might help take her mind off things. “How about I do the bacon?”
He must have heard the stress in her voice. “Sure.”
She also wanted to move about in order to help her think how she wanted the rest of the evening to go. It wasn’t because she wanted to merely blow off steam. The sexual tension had been building for days. If Lexi didn’t take things into her own hands, her wolf might come out at the most inappropriate time. One thing was for sure. Getting naked had to be part of the evening festivities.
If Sam turned her down, Lexi might break. She needed his warmth and caring, but most of all, she wanted to be with him. Mate or no mate, he was the first person she’d met who really seemed to understand her.
Her stomach grumbled, and she returned her focus to the task at hand. “If I use the microwave, what do you want me to use to cook the bacon?”
Sam smiled. “The plate is already on the counter.”
Oh crap. That meant she’d spaced out. Time to get to work. Separating the strips, she placed them on the dish then covered it with a paper towel. Once she slid it into the microwave and set the timer, she leaned against the counter to watch him.
“How about I find something to clean up that cut?” she asked, still needing to be useful.
“It doesn’t hurt, but I will have to treat it at some point.” He unbuttoned his shirt, and when he slipped it off, she couldn’t help but stare. Given it was winter, Sam often wore a lot of bulky clothes. Even this shirt hid the wonders underneath it. Broad shoulders and rippled abs drew her eyes downward.
“I’ll get the supplies if you can scramble the eggs,” he said.
“Be happy to.”
A few minutes later, Sam returned with bandages and a bottle in his hand—along with a clean shirt. He set the items on the counter then opened the iodine bottle.
“I can do it for you,” she said, turning down the heat on the eggs.
“I’m good.”
She shifted her weight to one leg. “It takes two hands to put a bandage on. Besides, let me take care of you for a change.”