Garret pressed his wet nose into the palm of her hand, and she laughed. “No matter how long forever is.”
Joe kissed her cheek. “May it be a long, long time.”
In the shadows, they didn’t notice the creature who watched them, and they definitely didn’t seem him shift into a man. He smiled. His work here was done. He knew she would have a life filled with love and laughter and he would always think of her fondly.
Even if she had had the bad taste to name him Roger.
Excerpt from Mastered by Malone
“What? You both disagree? Tough shit. I’m the one being charged with keeping her alive. She needs to obey me.” He turned his gaze on her. “Mia, come here.”
Her body immediately leaned towards him, but her mind brought her to a stop. She had to be loyal to her cousin. The only person in the world who loved her. Just because this guy had a face that could stop a woman in her stride and a voice that could command an army did not mean that she had to do what he said, right?
“All right, enough,” Jardin said in the firmest voice she’d heard from him. “You’re scaring her.”
“I don’t think she’s scared. I think she’s torn. And this is why he needs to go. There can only be one person in charge here. One person she obeys.”
“And you think that one person is you?” Mike snarled. “Bullshit. Forget it, Mia. I’m not leaving you here with this asshole. Come on.”
“You can take her if you want,” Alec said to Mike. “But you’re going to get her killed.”
“I got her away once.”
“And he found her. He nearly killed her. Murdered someone else he thought was her, isn’t that right?”
She trembled as she recalled the sight of Angel lying on the ground. Pale and still. Nausea bubbled as an anxiety attack loomed. No, not here. Not in front of these alpha males. She couldn’t.
“Mia, you all right?” Jardin asked in a soft voice.
At least someone cared to talk to her instead of speaking about her like she wasn’t even there. Her mind raced, trying to figure out a way to make everyone happy in this scenario. She looked back at Mike then over at Alec.
“She’s exhausted,” Alec said quietly. “And you’re not making this any easier on her. You need to leave. Don’t contact her. Don’t contact me. You have anything urgent to tell us, call Jardin. But make sure you do it from a secure line.”
“I’ve been an NYPD detective for fifteen years. I don’t need you to explain this shit to me.”
“Then let me explain this. You want her kept alive? I’m your best shot at that. But things are done on my terms. I’m putting my life—my brothers’ lives—on the line to keep her safe because we owe a family debt. But that’s all I owe you. I don’t need to give you an explanation about what I do in my private life. I don’t need to listen to your bullshit judgment. I’m not fucking going to force her to submit to me. I have plenty of women eager for me to do perverted shit with them, I don’t need to force anyone. She’s not my type anyway.”
Ouch. Well that didn’t hurt. But it wasn’t anything she didn’t know already. Plain. Boring. Still, people didn’t usually say that stuff to her face.
“Jesus, Alec,” Jardin muttered.
“You do anything she doesn’t want, and I will make the rest of your life very short,” her cousin threatened.
“Understood,” Alec said calmly. God, he was cold. “Mia, I’m going to be in my office. You have ten minutes to meet me there. I’ll take that as you agreeing to my protection and the rules that come with it. Including cutting ties with your cousin. You’re not there in ten minutes, I expect the two of you to get off my land and never return.”
Excerpt from Daddy’s Sweet Girl
Abby frowned as Kent guided her over to a huge ass black truck. “My car is over there.” She waved her free hand towards the left.
“Is it?” He beeped open his truck.
“Umm, yes, so I guess I’ll just say good night here.”
He opened the passenger door and the inner light went on. Then he turned to her. “Abby, didn’t you hear me say I was going to take care of you?”
“Umm, well, yes, but—”
“And that I told the sheriff I would take you home?”
“Well, I heard that, yes, but that doesn’t mean—”
“That I told the paramedic I would look after those cuts on your hands—”
“Yes, but you see—”
“And I told Zeke and Eden I was taking you home in my truck.”
“Urgh! Could you please just let me talk!”
There was a moment of silence. She opened her mouth to speak, finally he was going to be reasonable.
“No.”
No? No? He couldn’t be serious. He reached down, grasped her around the waist and lifted her up into the passenger seat. No doubt she would have had to take a running jump to get up but he’d lifted her in as though she didn’t weigh a thing.
“Kent!” she squealed.
“Yes?”
“You can’t just lift me like that!”
“Why not?” He grabbed the seat belt and pulled it over her, his arm brushing against her already stiff nipples. Oh Christ, he couldn’t feel them through the layers of clothing, could he?
“Because I’m too heavy.”
More silence. Only there was disapproval in this silence.
“You did not just say that.”
“Umm...” Why was he mad?
He grasped hold of her chin and turned her to face him. He seemed to have this thing about her looking at him when he spoke. “Listen to me, Abby. Really listen and take this in. Talking bad about yourself is not allowed. Saying things like you are too heavy is a surefire way to end up in trouble with me, you got me?”
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