Bodyguard (Shifters Unbound #2.5) by Jennifer Ashley Page B

opening of the alley, Sean
stopped about halfway down, and the third man came to a stop right
behind Marquez's car.
    "Your brother almost killed Elizabeth," Ronan
said. "That pisses me off too."
    Marquez looked up at Ronan's nearly
seven-foot height without fear. "You're the Shifter who took him
down?"
    "I wasn't out to kill him. I only meant to
stop him."
    "I figured that," Marquez said. "You're a
Shifter. If you'd wanted to kill him, Julio would be dead. But,
see, he's my brother. I don't want him in prison. Not only would
that be dangerous for him, it would be bad for business."
    Elizabeth understood his concern--there might
be plenty in prison with a grudge against Marquez who would use his
younger brother as an opportunistic target. But she only had so
much sympathy.
    "So, what are you saying?" she asked. "We can
come to some sort of arrangement?"
    "I want to make a deal, yes," Marquez said.
"Julio's going to trial--he's been released in my custody but he
has a court date. Which he will keep. What I'm asking is for you
not to show up. You and your sister close up shop and leave town,
start over some other place. I'll put the word out ahead that
you're not to be bothered. But you go, never come back to Austin,
never talk to anyone about Julio and Pablo Marquez."
    "Leave?" Elizabeth started for him, but Ronan
dodged in her way. His Collar emitted one spark. "I can't leave,"
Elizabeth said. "I worked my ass off for this store. I'm not moving
my whole life because your little brother is out of control."
    "You haven't heard the other half of my
deal," Marquez said, his hard voice breaking through hers. "You go
and start again somewhere safe, or you have no life at all. Neither
does your sister. I won't bother trying to scare you or harass you,
or any juvenile shit like that. You're either alive in another
city, or dead here. Nothing in between. I'll give you three days to
pack and shut down. Then you're gone."
    Ronan leaned in to Marquez. "Here's our
counteroffer. You leave town, you let your brother go to
prison for what he did, or your life will be a living hell. We'll put word out ahead wherever you go that you shouldn't
be bothered, but you'll be watched. You're now on every Shifter's
shit list, which is someplace you don't want to be."
    Marquez didn't move. "You're Shifters. You're
powerless. Shifters are executed for harming humans. You lay a
finger on me, the whole bunch of you goes down. I don't even have
to ask for a hit. The cops will do it for me."
    "That's our offer," Ronan said. "If you want
to get out of this alley alive, you'll give us your answer."
    Marquez opened his coat to show that he had
an automatic in his shoulder holster. "These sweeties will take you
out quickly, leaving nothing but dead Shifters behind. You can't
move fast enough to dodge bullets, and your Collars mean you can't
attack me. So. I'll leave you to make your decision, Ms. Chapman. I
understand about family. For your sister's sake, you'll go."
    Elizabeth did not like the look of that
weapon, but Ronan scarcely seemed to notice it. "Your answer," he
said.
    Marquez's hand drifted toward his gun,
but--so swiftly Elizabeth didn't see him move-- the Shifter who
resembled Sean was in front of Marquez, hand on Marquez's
wrist.
    Marquez's eyes widened as the Shifter put
pressure on the wrist, and Elizabeth heard something crackle.
Marquez's man reached inside his coat, but Marquez shook his head,
though his eyes were nearly bulging. The Shifter's Collar didn't so
much as glint, and he said not a word.
    Sean spoke without moving his position.
"We'll give you a day or two to think about it, lad. Then it's best
you go. We'll make sure nothing happens to your brother inside. We
know about family too."
    The Shifter kept his hold of Marquez's wrist.
Marquez looked up into his cold, cold eyes, and finally showed
fear.
    "Let him go, Dad," Sean said.
    The Shifter opened his hand and took a step
back. He was very calm, every movement precise and