“Thank you for setting this up, Cal.” Ashlee spoke in quiet tones.
“Whatever.” They followed her up to her aunt’s apartment.
The apartment matched the elderly woman who sat on a worn-out upholstered rocking chair decorated with cats. The orange shag carpet looked like something from the ‘70s, but was oddly comforting in the strangely decorated home. The cat figurines and painted tea cup collection on the flowered wallpapered walls finished the décor.
The woman may have looked old and weathered, but her eyes were sharp and focused. “Would you like some tea?”
“No, thank you.” Tucker stood, his arms crossed over his chest. “I met a vampire named Andre who claims the Witches’ Council put a hit on Ashlee.”
Callie’s aunt Elizabeth chuckled. “She’s human. You can’t possibly think we’d jeopardize a truce over a human girl who poses no threat to us.” She shook her cane at Tucker to reinforce her words.
“He had no reason to lie.” Tucker stood his ground.
“So, we put a hit on her, why?” Elizabeth asked.
“That’s what we’d like to know.” Tucker continued to lead the conversation.
“If such a thing happened, I would know nothing of it.” She stood up on shaky legs. “There is no reason for us to do such a thing. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like you to leave.”
“I think you’re lying.” Tucker stood his ground.
Chapter Twelve
Ashlee
“COME ON, TUCKER, IT IS time for us to leave.” Ashlee tried to move him toward the door. He wouldn’t budge. The muscle in his square jaw began to tick, his glare zeroed in on Elizabeth. The intensity between them was terrifying, two powerful forces in a stare down. A part of me wondered if we were about to see a supernatural, magical showdown.
I pulled on Tucker’s arm with more force. “I really think we should leave now.”
He didn’t speak. Silence continued to be their weapon of choice in their stare down. When he finally spoke, I sighed with relief.
“We’ll leave, but if anything happens to her, I’ll make sure anyone involved in the hit is punished.” He turned to go.
“I’m really sorry,” I told them as I followed him out the door.
The cool air hit us as we walked out onto the street. Night had fallen and everything seemed darker, mysterious, and far more dangerous than before. Even the sounds changed. Tires screeching in the distance sounded more ominous, a cat mewing in the alley sent tingles up and down my spine. None of that was as terrifying as Tucker was when he faced off against Elizabeth.
“What the hell was that?”
“I needed to make sure they both understood, whether they were or weren’t involved, that if any harm comes to you, I will find the people responsible and deliver retribution,” he stated simply as he crossed the street to his car.
I followed, irritated he was my only ride. “You didn’t have to threaten my friend and her family.”
“I did.” He opened the passenger door and waited for me to slide into the car. He closed it and jumped into his side of the vehicle, started the engine, and turned toward me. “I think you should come back to the compound tonight.”
I shook my head. “No. If vampires are really out to get me, then I am safer at my own place. They can’t enter unless I invite them, but at your place they can.”
“Then I’ll stay with you.”
“No, you won’t.”
“How can I keep you safe if you keep stomping on my suggestions?” He asked as he ran a shaky hand through his hair.
“You said I’m not a prisoner. I’m going home, and tomorrow, I am going to work, if I still have a job.” I mumbled the last part. There would be a lot of groveling in the morning, I was sure of it.
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then you’ll have to allow me to watch over you.”
“No.” I refused his offer.
“Quit being stubborn, Ashlee.” He slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “The only way I’m going to let you go home and work tomorrow is if I can keep an eye on you. Until this is over, you are not safe.”
“If you say that one more time I swear I am going to hurl.” I covered my face with my hands and rubbed my eyes. “I can’t hide from the world. I have a life. I get that I might be in danger, but you can’t be there all the time. I need to be able to protect myself otherwise I will be forced to live in fear my entire life. That isn’t okay.”
Tucker stared at me without speaking. “Fine,” he finally said reluctantly as he put the car in drive and headed down the street.
We didn’t talk, other than giving him directions to my home, the entire ride there. When we arrived he didn’t speak, so I simply said, “thank you,” got out of the car, and went to my apartment building and went inside.
It was so wonderful being home, but I felt terrible for how I treated Tucker. His overbearing over-protective attitude was just too much. The man really needed to give a girl some space.
***
Tucker
Gray surprised Tucker when he slipped into the passenger seat of the car. He was so focused on watching Ashlee’s apartment through the night he was hardly aware of the things going on outside his line of sight.
“Thank you for keeping an eye on her today,” Tucker told him without turning in his direction.
“No problem. She’s really gotten under your skin, hasn’t she, boss?” Grayson asked as he flashed a lop-sided, crooked-tooth grin.
“I’m afraid so. She’s infuriating with her need for independence and inability to protect herself, but there is something captivating about her at the same time. We weren’t able to discover the culprit behind the hit, or even why she was targeted, but I was able to deliver a nasty threat. I have a feeling word will get back to the guilty party. I just hope it’s enough to keep her safe.”
“I’ll keep her safe until you get some rest and can take over.”
Tucker turned in his direction. “Thanks again, Gray. You really are my right hand man.”
“You’d do the same for me, even without the compulsion of our blood oath.” Grayson shrugged and got out of the car to get in his own. Tucker had to agree. They’d been best friends long before he was ever named alpha. The blood oath connected them and made them even closer. There was no one other than Gray he’d trust with Ashlee. He started the car and put it into drive slowly, reluctant to leave. He knew he’d be worthless without a little rest. Leaving her was a necessity. Hopefully, soon, she’d be open to him staying with her. He’d sleep better knowing he could hear her heart beat next to him.
Chapter Thirteen
Ashlee
AFTER A COUPLE OF PAINFUL minutes of groveling, my boss relented and let me keep my job. It wasn’t like I could tell her I had been attacked by a vampire and shacked up with a bear shifter for the past few days, so apologizing and pleading for leniency was my only option. I’m sure it helped that I’ve had perfect attendance up to this point, she was well within her rights to fire me with two no call/no shows in a row.
“I’m just glad you’re back. I was worried about you,” Joanna said as she took a sip of her coffee. My boss was the definition of posh, which seemed out of place for our little corner book store. She always said, dress to impress, and she never missed a beat in that department. Today was no different. I knew she’d scrutinize my attire over the brim of her coffee cup, and prepared for it by wearing a satiny blue dress and classic pumps. I’d much prefer to wear jeans and a t-shirt today, but dressing to impress was important when asking to keep my job.
“Thank you.”
“A group of us are going to head over to Shipley’s for happy hour after work. You should join us.”
And that was her sign of approval.
“Thank you, I’d love to.”
It was the last thing I wanted to do, but I wasn’t in a good place to refuse a generous offer while begging to keep my much needed income.
/> “Great, you have a lot of work to catch up on. See Jesse to find out where he’s at and join him in marking the bargain books down.” And with that, I was dismissed.
I found Jesse in the stacks and joined him in pricing books. He was a college student who worked part time at the store, and we got along fairly well, at least until he started in on his tirades on how technology was destroying our country. Then, while his conversation held merit, his passion on the subject was too much to take. Apparently, he missed me while I was gone because he started in almost immediately.
The rest of the day went by smoothly, unless you took into account every time the chime on the door rang my heart raced and I searched for the nearest exit. My fear of the vampires returning to take me out was definitely there. I checked my purse countless times making sure I had my pepper spray at the ready, not that it did a lot of good last time, but a girl can hope.
By the time we left for Shipley’s my nerves were raw, and I really needed a drink or five. Shipley’s was a local small-time bar at the end of our street. Half the time, the employees from the neighboring stores kept the place in business, so happy hour really was for us. That afternoon, the place was busier than normal. The jukebox was playing a variety of pop music which told us the ladies from the hair salon across the street were already holding court.
Happy hour was interesting. Joanna played queen bee while all her friends buzzed around her, looking for any way to please her. I wasn’t into those high school games so I gravitated away from the group and found myself a nice couch to relax on. I deserved this, I told myself, as I leaned back into the soft pleather cushions and sipped my margarita.
A few guys interrupted my relaxation time and I shooed them away as quickly as possible. None of them compared to my handsome Neanderthal, Tucker. I missed him, odd as that may sound. His very presence made me feel safe, even when he was just there, quiet, which was most of the time, since he wasn’t a chatty guy. Just having him around was… nice.
“Ashlee?” I looked up at the man with the familiar voice that interrupted my thoughts. I’d seen him at Tucker’s compound, but was never introduced to him. He had dark, shaggy hair and green eyes. His build was solid, just like Tucker’s. He wore a day’s growth of facial hair which was different from when I’d seen him last.
“Do I know you?”
“Yes, well, kind of. I am a friend of Tuckers. You may have seen me at his home?”
I sucked in a deep breath. It was the man that threatened to rip out Andre’s heart. The wolf. Realization hit me hard. This man was dangerous.
“I’m Brand. Your mate and I are in peace discussions.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Brand. But I think you’re mistaken, we aren’t mates.” There goes that word again. Why did people in the supernatural world enjoy throwing it around like a ball in a football game?
“Just because you haven’t defined your relationship, doesn’t mean you’re not mates.” He indicated the spot next to me on the couch. “May I sit?”
I wanted to say no, but thought better of it. If he and Tucker were in peace negotiations, I figured I’d be reasonably safe. “Sure.”
He sat down and scooted closer than I was comfortable with, but instinct told me not to move away. “What brings you here?”
“I’m just curious.”
“Curious?”
“Yes, curious about a couple of things. I wanted to meet the woman that has Tucker tied up in knots, and I wanted to see if all the vampire hunting is dealt with.”
“Wouldn’t that be a question for Tucker?”
“Tucker is pretty closed-lipped when it comes to you. I thought I’d go to the source.”
“Because being aligned with him could put you in danger.” It was a statement, not a question. I was fast learning to adapt to this world.
He grinned. “You’re smarter than you appear.”
“I could take offense to that.” I sipped my margarita.
He nodded, his dark hair bouncing around his ears. “But you won’t.”
“No, I won’t. As for your question, Tucker has made the threats, and as you can see, he has let me be out in the open without a bodyguard so I think you’re safe.”
“Your bodyguard is sitting at a table, alone, next to the men’s room.”
“My what?” I looked over at the table and saw Tucker’s blond friend from the compound. “Unbelievable.” I stood up and walked over to him. “Do I know you?”
“No, I don’t think so. My name is Grayson.” He offered his hand to shake.
“Hi, Grayson. You’re kind of cute.”
He took a drink and almost choked on it. “Excuse me?”
I ran my fingers across the table and brushed them against his hand. “I said, you’re kind of cute. Are you seeing someone?”
He pulled his hand away. “No, but you are seeing someone, aren’t you?”
Oh, this was getting good. I stepped closer and leaned in so my lips were inches from his ear. “No, I’m seeing a lot of guys. Want to be part of my harem?”
Grayson stumbled backward and slammed against the wall to get away from my reach. “Harem? How dare you! After what Tucker has done for you.”
I started laughing uncontrollably. The poor man was going out of his mind. It was good to know he was loyal to his friend. It took him a moment to catch on that I was joking. When he finally did, he grinned. “You’re a clever one, aren’t you?”
“Smart enough to know you’re watching over me. I told Tucker I didn’t need a babysitter.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Obviously, you do. You’re putting yourself in unnecessary danger. Tuck is not going to like this.”
“Tucker is not my keeper. Neither are you. Leave me be.”
“I can’t.” He shook his head.
“Give me your phone.” I held my hand out and waited for him to comply.
He slapped it into my palm. I turned it on and searched the contacts for Tucker’s number.
“I’m sure you have his number in your phone,” Grayson objected.
“I’m sure I do, but I want to make sure he answers.” I dialed his number and Tucker picked up on the first ring.
“I’m minutes away.”
“You are? Really? I thought we agreed…”
“We didn’t agree to anything. You insisted and I agreed to disagree. Why are you at a bar?”
I placed a hand on my hip. “That is none of your business.”
Tucker sighed heavily. “You are my business, Ashlee.”
A crash across the room grabbed my attention. I could hear him still speaking, but had no idea what he was saying. Grayson jumped in front of me.
“Are you still there, Ashlee?” Tucker’s voice sounded urgent.
“Just a minute,” I told him as I searched across the sea of heads to discover what was happening. The crowd seemed to part like a vee in the road, and it looked like a drunk man staggered through the bar tables and fell. “It’s nothing, just a--”
A hand went over my mouth just as I was about to scream. Another hand snaked around my waist and pulled me backward. One minute I was in the safe confines of the club, and the next I was outside in a dark, smelly alley.
I realized in an instant that I was in major trouble. I sought out my purse, but it must have dropped in the commotion leaving me completely defenseless. The man threw me across the alley and my body slammed into the grimy dumpster. The pain snapped through my entire body. I looked at my attacker. His eyes glowed red. I knew immediately he was a vampire. He wasn’t Andre, but his eyes and teeth were familiar.
“You’ve been a troublesome little human, haven’t you?” His voice was deep and held a slight English lilt.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Where is Andre?” He glared with menace taking slow, calculated steps in my direction.
“I don’t know who or what you’re talking about.” I tried to stand, looking for an escape route.
“Don’t play coy
with me. You’re not smart enough to pull it off.”
Pain bloomed in my head as I stood on wobbly legs. “I’m not…”
He moved so fast across the alley I thought I was imagining it, but there was no mistaking his hands around my neck as he moved in to bite me. I screamed and his grip tightened cutting off the air and making the call for help sound more like a squeak.
This was not going to happen again. I fought. I kicked, punched, clawed -- nothing worked against his strength. He was too strong. I braced myself as he was about to stick his fangs into my neck, and stared into the eyes of my killer. I wouldn’t go easy.
“I’m wondering, are all vampires this stupid or is it just members of your house?” Brand’s familiar voice cut through the panic that had gripped my heart.
The vampire tossed me like a rag doll into a pile of trash bags and cardboard boxes that had been discarded by the dumpster. I coughed up the trash that was sucked into my lungs while I tried to focus through blurry, tear-filled eyes on the scene between Brand and the vampire. My fingers went to my neck, and a rush of relief flooded me when I realized he hadn’t punctured my skin. At least I wouldn’t have another vampire obsessed with me and my blood.
“This doesn’t concern you, wolf.”
“Aw, see it does. You’re attacking a human in public. The ‘Powers that Be’ don’t allow this, and when it happens, they get pretty mad.” He moved to step in front of me. “That’s when they crack down on all of us in the form of curfews and witch hunts. I’m not in the mood to deal with those days again.”
Callie and Tucker came from the street entrance of the alley. Callie ran to me and handed me a vial of blue liquid. “Drink this.”
“What? No?” I pushed her offering away. Tucker stepped in front of me, next to Brand just as Grayson joined them from the club rear exit. The vampire was surrounded.
Callie shook my shoulders. “I need you to trust me, Ash. Drink this!”