by Dianna Love
“Huh. I must have missed that day in class. Look, I can get that titanium out. I have a special cleanser for shallow wounds. I’m pretty sure your skin is on fire and the titanium is preventing you from healing that shoulder. Let me do this for you. Please.”
Every inch of that body built for a female fantasy stood there like a school boy waiting to see if he could carry her books.
She didn’t know what got to her more. Those dark brown eyes filled with concern or that deep voice pleading to do something nice for her.
Damn him for making her notice every little thing about him.
Suspicion forced her to demand, “Why?” She expected to hear that he wanted her lucid and at her best when he interrogated her.
She didn’t get that answer.
His gaze softened. “I’ve missed you and I can’t stand to see you hurt.”
She shouldn’t have asked why.
His words would live in her head on replay. Hearing them made her want to admit she’d missed him too. Bad thing to show any weakness. The sooner she got rid of him, the safer it would be for both Adrian and her heart?
She’d come here for one mission. Failed by killing Kaiser. Once she cleared her name, she would disappear so she couldn’t be found. Eventually, she’d return to her Kodiak clan. If she didn’t make that happen soon, she’d fall victim to the pull on her heart.
And her energy.
This small contact had her energy spinning around, ready to play with Adrian’s. What the hell was going on with their bodies?
Could he feel the same pull and frenetic energy?
Was he making this happen?
Growling irritably to hide her emotions, Jaz said, “Okay, fix it.”
Fighting a smile, he tugged her gently to go with him.
“I’ve got the SUV parked over there,” he explained.
He’d grown a beard since she’d last seen him. Clean shaven or not, Adrian had a rugged attractiveness. Put him in a room full of the top male models and a woman’s gaze would go to Adrian first every time. He had that kind of presence.
When he reached his vehicle, he opened the passenger door and lifted her up on the seat before she had a chance to step up.
She gave a grumbling sigh for that.
His lips tilted with a smile.
Digging a packet from a pocket on the door panel, he used his teeth to rip it open. Then he handed the package to her and ordered, “Hold this.”
She doubled down on her scowl, but snatched the packet away. She held it open. He pulled out a shiny yellow cloth. It unfolded to ten inches square and had a sharp chemical smell.
Wadding up the cloth, he started carefully moving her sleeve up to reach the wound.
Without saying a word, she untied her shirt and let that side fall free.
“Hell, Jaz.” Adrian pulled back and looked away. “Give a man notice before you do that.”
She snorted. “I’m a shifter. We get naked, or have you forgotten?”
Sweat beaded on his forehead while he kept his eyes diverted from her exposed breast. He muttered, “You naked is different.”
Oh, she wanted to ask why, but feared hearing more words she wouldn’t be able to pry out of her heart. She’d been starved for comfort so long, since a child, in fact. What few times she’d opened up to a man for a night of comfort, she’d been disappointed.
Not that she’d intended to mate those men, but she had wanted more than sex, which made no sense. Even her logical Tarski had pointed that out more than once.
The cloth turned orange every time it picked up titanium. She’d heard of a cleanser developed from dioxygen that broke down titanium.
With each wipe, the skin on her shoulder stopped throbbing.
He handled her with so much care. Did he think she was going to break?
Fighting the urge to lean into Adrian, Jaz tried to hurry him along. “You don’t have to be careful with my boo-boo. I can take pain.”
He never took his attention off his ministrations when he muttered, “I can’t take you in pain.”
His words hit her in the chest again.
But why would he even care if he hunted her for law enforcement?
With the titanium out, her arm stopped throbbing and the pain lowered to uncomfortable. Her natural healing would take over to heal her leg by midnight. They both needed their energy to rebuild. She wouldn’t push Tarski to shift again to heal faster. She would only do that if they needed the power this minute to survive, but she was under no threat from Adrian.
Not a physical threat, but she couldn’t speak for her hormones humming at his touch. Hell, her energy still buzzed and now it seemed to rush to meet his fingers.
He paused. His eyes said he’d felt that, too.
She eased her arm from his fingers and pulled her top back into place. “Thanks.” Her energy bounced around like aggravated bees at the spot where he’d touched her.
She’d have to talk to Tarski about this.
Adrian still had a perplexed look on his face.
Jaz didn’t want him to ask about that energy meet-up. She wanted him to leave before he got tangled up in her mess and ended up dead. “You need to leave, Adrian. If you’re not here in an official capacity, then find another way to pay back your friend.” She added, “Or is this official law enforcement business?”
“No.”
That meant he knew Tanza personally?
How could he know her?
She’d never heard Adrian’s name mentioned during her time with Kaiser’s pack. She made it simple for him. “I’m not guilty of murder, but neither am I going to be interrogated.”
He hooked a hand on the open door. “But you’re here because of something tied to Kaiser’s death, right?”
If she answered that honestly, she’d never get him out of here. She drew a little on her power to convince him of her answer. “No.”
“Lie.”
Her jaw dropped. He heard that lie? She’d never had a shifter catch her. Never. Not even her Kodiak bear clan.
“Is your nose broken?” he asked.
Her nose had to be swollen with a bruise across her face by now. Why did she always look like a war refugee every time they met?
“It’s not bad,” she said, brushing him off even though her nose hurt like hell. That damn jackal had smashed Tarski’s snout with his boot.
“Where do you live? I’ll give you a ride.”
She’d been standing there fighting exhaustion, but his words brought her wide awake.
He thought she’d leave with him willingly?
She jumped out quickly, thinking her good leg could handle the landing, but her bad leg folded.
He caught her under her arms, before she hit the ground.
She gripped his shirt. “Don’t, Adrian.”
“Don’t what? Did you think I’d stand by and let you fall?” He clamped his hands at her waist and lifted her back inside the truck and closed the door.
Why should she trust him when she had so many reasons not to?
Because he could have brought a team and arrested her tonight. He’d come alone and he’d cleaned her wound. Her logical wolf would be telling her to find out exactly what Adrian wanted from her.
By the time he left, she’d know if he were friend or foe.
When he climbed in and started the engine, she warned, “If you don’t go where I say, I’ll shift inside here then jump out.”
What did he do?
Laughed, then said, “I want to deal with that dead jackal on the way out. Try to stay put this time Evil Knievel.”
Unbelievable.
Chapter 8
Adrian forced his breathing to stay calm and maintain an even heart rate, but damn. He hadn’t been this excited in a long time. He’d found Jaz and would get more information tonight to help him gather evidence to prove her innocence.
He loved being a shifter when it meant the ability to scent the truth in her words.
It was a fair fight. I
did not murder Kaiser. He attacked me.
She should stand in front of his boss and say those same words.
She couldn’t lie to a shifter.
The Guardian would clear her name.
Jaz kept giving him directions. “Continue on this road and I’ll tell you when to turn.”
He sensed her pulse rising from anxiety and he had an idea why after finding no body on their way out. “I’m guessing the other jackal in the van snuck back to remove his partner’s body parts and sanitize the area, but the scents will remain. They aren’t known for any sense of valor when it comes to fallen pack members. That points at removing the body as a cleanup, not just a sidekick coming back. Who do you think are behind the jackals?”
Her hesitation countered her words. “I don’t know.”
Not entirely true. Adrian wanted peace between them, but that wouldn’t happen if she kept secrets at this point.
What was she hiding?
He wanted to clear her name and go to Tanza to give the woman closure. But would Tanza accept her shifter ability to scent the truth in Jaz’s words or would she just want to punish the person who killed her brother?
This might not be as easy as he thought.
Priority one had to be getting SCIS off Jaz’s back.
Adrian had never been pushed off the trail of an enemy or stopped from bringing one to justice, but Jaz wasn’t his enemy. She needed a friend, not a white knight. Either way, he could help her out of whatever trouble she seemed to still be in besides the Kaiser killing.
Jaz was no damsel to be saved. She was a warrior through and through, but everyone needed to know someone had their back. He’d needed his brothers in arms to survive missions.
Who fought beside Jaz and watched her six?
He wanted to be that person, especially now that he had his answer about why she killed Kaiser. Why should she open her arms to him after he’d shown up hunting her?
In her shoes, he’d throw up walls, too.
He’d just have to breach those walls. He needed enough concrete evidence the Guardian would accept. If Adrian delivered that, plus convinced her to meet his boss to give her statement, he could ask for the Guardian’s support to clear her with SCIS.
That was only if he could explain why the Guardian should intervene. Okay, so his plan had holes. He’d find ways to fill them. His best move for gaining more information might be to simply lay out everything he knew for Jaz, then ask her to come with him to tell her side to the authorities.
Shifters had to accept truth they scented.
He’d have to convince Jaz to go with him.
No, Mad Red ordered.
Oh, hell. Adrian glanced at Jaz who stared out the side window, ignoring him. He spoke to his wolf mind to mind. I’m trying to be fair with Jaz and with Leonard.
Golden wolf will run, Mad Red stated as if positive.
Adrian said, If that happens, we’ll find her.
His wolf came back with, You ask for human body after wolf fight. I gave, but I can stay wolf. If you make golden wolf run, I run with her.
What the hell? Adrian frowned, trying to make sense of what was going on with his wolf. He drove in silence, pondering Mad Red’s threat. The only reason for his wolf to make that threat had to be because he cared for Jaz’s wolf.
Could that be?
When had their wolves communicated to know anything about each other?
Adrian asked his wolf, Have you been talking to the golden wolf?
All Mad Red said was, Golden wolf listens. Golden wolf smart. Golden wolf mine to protect.
How had his wolf and Jaz’s interacted? Adrian asked, Are you saying you want her to ... mate?
Golden wolf is mine, his wolf made clear.
Adrian suffered a flash of jealousy.
Jaz’s wolf had a relationship with Mad Red, but he didn’t? This complicated the hell out of things. Adrian cared about Jaz and wanted to see her free to live her life. He could be honest enough to admit he wanted to spend time with her, but the further his wolf moved away from him, the less chance Adrian had of surviving long.
What would happen to Jaz if their wolves bonded in some way? Could Mad Red pull that off with the Gallize energy?
Shit fire. Like Adrian needed one more fucking complication?
How was he going to take Jaz in to clear her name if his wolf threatened to force the change and stay in wolf form?
Adrian couldn’t fight on two fronts right now.
Jaz told him what turn to take next and returned to looking out the window.
Adrian told Mad Red, Give me one chance to talk to Jaz. I promise not to take her in if she can share enough intel so that I can clear her name without having her meet with the Guardian. He would be the best hope we have of SCIS ending the hunt for Jaz. She said the golden wolf killed Kaiser’s wolf because he attacked first. Has her wolf shared anything we can use that Jaz hasn’t told me?
Adrian waited for an answer and got none.
That was not encouraging. He added, All I’m asking for is the chance to get all the answers so we can face Tanza and claim we did our job. You agreed to do this for Leonard. You were friends with his wolf.
Mad Red said, I wait for now. But not if you make mistake.
No pressure there.
One conflict down, one to go.
Jaz oozed hurt and not just from her wounds. She’d been disappointed he showed up asking about Kaiser. He didn’t want her hurt or angry with him.
Not tonight.
He’d fought Mad Red all day and his conscience over tracking Jaz the rest of the time.
Everything had become so jumbled in his mind. He wanted to just spend a little time with her tonight as friends. He gave her a suggestion. “What do you say we call a truce tonight and you stop thinking I’m going to take advantage of you being injured? I’m not going to trick you into going with me. I’m not that guy. If you choose to tell your story to people I believe who can help you, then I’ll be there to support you. But that would be entirely your decision.”
When she turned to him, a flicker of embarrassment lit her expression. This time, when she gave him the next turn to take, her voice lost the brittle edge from earlier.
They had covered at least three miles already. Had she intended to limp all that way?
Probably. Jaz had a stubborn streak a mile wide.
So did he.
Chapter 9
At the south end of the Vickers Farm, Jaz directed Adrian to turn down a narrow rutted path in the woods. The old homestead of generations past had crumbled not far from this old barn. That’s why the current family lived at the other end of the property with a beautiful new barn.
The two room apartment above the rickety barn that housed a couple pieces of rusting farm equipment had been perfect. She didn’t want to live around their home in case she had unexpected shifters show up.
Like tonight.
Adrian slowed as he neared the structure of weathered wood and stared hard. “Do you have power in there?”
She followed his gaze to where one of the barn doors hung half off since no one used the lower area these days.
“I’m in the upstairs. It has power and water.” She couldn’t wait to climb into a tub of hot water. If she were human, she’d ice her leg, but her shifter genes were already working to repair the damage. She should just shift and let Tarski finish the healing, but her wolf needed rest, too.
Adrian parked and ran around the truck.
She already had her door open and lowered the foot of her good leg down first. Her injured leg had stiffened in that short ride. She eased that foot down and hissed in pain.
Fifteen steps up those stairs and she’d be home.
Right now, that felt like climbing a mountain.
Adrian offered, “If you won’t attack me, I’ll carry you.”
“No, thanks.” She took a step and pain shot up her leg. She grabbed the door frame.
“How’re you going to make it up thos
e stairs?” Adrian asked with his arms crossed.
She didn’t answer. “Just leave, Adrian.”
He kept at her. “You plan to sleep down here?”
Actually, that had crossed her mind until he made it sound stupid. “If it means you’ll leave me alone, yes,” she snapped, sounding like an injured animal.
Moving so quickly he caught her off guard, he hoisted her over his shoulder fireman style.
“Dammit, Adrian!” She slapped his back.
“You’re welcome.” He closed the door and laughed as he carried her to the top landing. With barely enough room to stand, he opened the unlocked door. The light switch he flipped on sent a soft glow over her Spartan interior.
She didn’t feel an ounce of embarrassment, only gratitude for this place.
A double bed had been shoved against one wall. The tiny kitchen area had a microwave and hot plate, none of which matched the ugly green refrigerator, but both worked.
Out of energy and patience, she said, “Put me down.”
He kept her on his shoulder. “Are you taking a shower?”
“Yesss.”
He crossed the few steps to her bathroom, then he lowered her slowly to her feet. Having her body slide down the front of his sent heat zinging from her too-sensitive nipples to her womb.
Brushing over his hard dick left no question how much he wanted her.
With Adrian’s face so close to hers, she struggled with her next breath. Her breasts were having a party against his chest. He looked down and she did, too.
Her buttonless shirt had fallen open, threatening to let the girls out.
His dick thumped against her.
The air heated and energy buzzed through her. What was that all about? Lost in the moment, she licked her dry lips.
He inhaled. His chocolate brown eyes turned turbulent. “Please don’t do that.”
“Lick my lips?” she asked innocently.
“Like you don’t know what you’re doing to me?” he countered.
He had her there.
She’d have a hard time denying her reaction to this wolf, which is why she intended to ignore it.
She needed her head straight to deal with a formidable force like Adrian. A long hot bath would buy her time to figure out what to do about this man.