outdoorsy and wild masculine scent that defined him.
“The money, Kori. Go put it there. I have to get
back to the hotel and change.” She knew Kori would have checked her friend
over, and since he never said Kim was still in danger, she was content to leave
him alone.
She moved past Kori and headed for the door,
fully expecting him to stop her. He didn’t.
Back at her hotel room, when she got out of the
shower, Kori was right there in the bedroom. Door closed behind him while he
leaned against it, arms crossed and an expression on his face which would have
scared the devil himself.
Her fingers tightened in the robe but she merely
arched a brow and looked at him. “What, Kori?”
“I’m ending this, Lera. I will go to him and get
your friend. But if you think I’m going to let that man put his hands on you…”
His jaw clenched and the raw anger of his wolf flashed in his gaze.
As if she weren’t wet from her shower and dressed
in a robe, Lera walked toward him. The flames in his eyes grew hotter, and a
few times, her steps faltered. When she stood before him, Lera held his gaze.
“It has to be this way, Kori. Murdock is…he’s…
I’m not sure what he is but he’s undeniably crazy. He won’t hurt me, not right
away; there’d be no sport in that. I don’t care about me. I care about Rissa.
She needs to be safe. You can’t go blasting in there; innocents may be hurt. So
with or without you, I’m going to trade myself for her.”
Fury raged in his gray eyes. “So you’ll give up
your virginity for Rissa’s life?”
“In a heartbeat. Not that the status of whether
or not I’m a virgin is any of your business.”
“You’ll let this man touch you, undress you, and
more for her?”
Bile rushed up, and Lera swallowed it back.
Clenching a fist, she took a deep breath. “I told you, Kori. I would kill for
my friends. I would also die for them. I’m not as harmless as you keep trying
to convince me I am.”
“Why the hell do you think I would go along with
this?” His words were razor sharp.
“I don’t know, Kori. All I know is I’m in your
debt, and if it is within my ability to repay you, let me know and I’ll do it.”
A pained expression crossed his face. “I don’t
like this, Lera. Not at all. You want me to let you go with a man who you’ve
admitted has deranged sexual appetites. You want me to take your friend
somewhere safe.” He gripped her arms, his fingers branding her through the
sleeves of the robe. “And leave you alone at his mercy?”
“Kori. Everyone who looks at me makes the
assumption I’m a scared little girl. I know what Murdock is capable of. I also
know he’ll wait before he starts anything. The thing is, he doesn’t know
what I’m capable of. I have the advantage. You said it yourself, I may
not be a shifter, but my daddy raised me. You know Daddy was an Enforcer. And
my uncles had some say in what I’ve learned as well.” She could see the
indecision in his eyes. “Please, Kori,” she begged.
“I will be collecting on that debt, Valera Grace.
On that you can be certain.”
“Anything, Kori.”
His gaze raked up and down her body, setting it
aflame. “Get dressed. We have plans to make and not a lot of time to make them
in.”
“Okay.”
When Lera reached down to pick up her bag, a soft
click reached her ears. Without looking, she knew Kori had left the room. She
fell to her knees and shook. It took her a few moments to pull herself
together. Lera pulled her shirt down over the top of her leather pants when the
door opened again.
Kori watched her, eyes cold and hard. “I called
in a friend to help.”
“Who?”
“One who will change places with me and take
Rissa after I get her from Murdock. Then, I will follow you.”
She licked her lips and picked up her weapon. “He’s
good?”
“So sure it’s a male?”
Blinding jealousy swamped her vision for a
moment. Lera forced herself to relax and shrug. “Sorry. Is she
“The money, Kori. Go put it there. I have to get
back to the hotel and change.” She knew Kori would have checked her friend
over, and since he never said Kim was still in danger, she was content to leave
him alone.
She moved past Kori and headed for the door,
fully expecting him to stop her. He didn’t.
Back at her hotel room, when she got out of the
shower, Kori was right there in the bedroom. Door closed behind him while he
leaned against it, arms crossed and an expression on his face which would have
scared the devil himself.
Her fingers tightened in the robe but she merely
arched a brow and looked at him. “What, Kori?”
“I’m ending this, Lera. I will go to him and get
your friend. But if you think I’m going to let that man put his hands on you…”
His jaw clenched and the raw anger of his wolf flashed in his gaze.
As if she weren’t wet from her shower and dressed
in a robe, Lera walked toward him. The flames in his eyes grew hotter, and a
few times, her steps faltered. When she stood before him, Lera held his gaze.
“It has to be this way, Kori. Murdock is…he’s…
I’m not sure what he is but he’s undeniably crazy. He won’t hurt me, not right
away; there’d be no sport in that. I don’t care about me. I care about Rissa.
She needs to be safe. You can’t go blasting in there; innocents may be hurt. So
with or without you, I’m going to trade myself for her.”
Fury raged in his gray eyes. “So you’ll give up
your virginity for Rissa’s life?”
“In a heartbeat. Not that the status of whether
or not I’m a virgin is any of your business.”
“You’ll let this man touch you, undress you, and
more for her?”
Bile rushed up, and Lera swallowed it back.
Clenching a fist, she took a deep breath. “I told you, Kori. I would kill for
my friends. I would also die for them. I’m not as harmless as you keep trying
to convince me I am.”
“Why the hell do you think I would go along with
this?” His words were razor sharp.
“I don’t know, Kori. All I know is I’m in your
debt, and if it is within my ability to repay you, let me know and I’ll do it.”
A pained expression crossed his face. “I don’t
like this, Lera. Not at all. You want me to let you go with a man who you’ve
admitted has deranged sexual appetites. You want me to take your friend
somewhere safe.” He gripped her arms, his fingers branding her through the
sleeves of the robe. “And leave you alone at his mercy?”
“Kori. Everyone who looks at me makes the
assumption I’m a scared little girl. I know what Murdock is capable of. I also
know he’ll wait before he starts anything. The thing is, he doesn’t know
what I’m capable of. I have the advantage. You said it yourself, I may
not be a shifter, but my daddy raised me. You know Daddy was an Enforcer. And
my uncles had some say in what I’ve learned as well.” She could see the
indecision in his eyes. “Please, Kori,” she begged.
“I will be collecting on that debt, Valera Grace.
On that you can be certain.”
“Anything, Kori.”
His gaze raked up and down her body, setting it
aflame. “Get dressed. We have plans to make and not a lot of time to make them
in.”
“Okay.”
When Lera reached down to pick up her bag, a soft
click reached her ears. Without looking, she knew Kori had left the room. She
fell to her knees and shook. It took her a few moments to pull herself
together. Lera pulled her shirt down over the top of her leather pants when the
door opened again.
Kori watched her, eyes cold and hard. “I called
in a friend to help.”
“Who?”
“One who will change places with me and take
Rissa after I get her from Murdock. Then, I will follow you.”
She licked her lips and picked up her weapon. “He’s
good?”
“So sure it’s a male?”
Blinding jealousy swamped her vision for a
moment. Lera forced herself to relax and shrug. “Sorry. Is she
Similar Books
