Chapter 1
Fletcher Stone tapped out a rapid beat on the steering wheel then glanced down at the big hand for the hundredth time. Was the fucker even moving? He lifted the watch to his ear. Nope, battery hadn’t gone flat—more like he’d lost his ever lovin’ mind.
God, he hated the city, boxed in like a damn prison cell. All this steel and concrete was giving him an eye twitch. His wolf reared up, clawed at his subconscious, wanting to break free, to run off this closed in, edgy feeling.
He forced it back and focused on keeping his conflicted emotions in check. There was no going back now. His gut churned with anticipation and, he could admit, a good dose of fear. It’d been so long since he’d allowed himself to feel much of anything and the now constant, erratic pounding of his heart was making him light headed.
Dropping his gaze, he watched the last fifteen seconds tick by then glanced up. Right on cue, Delaney Jones pushed through the glass double doors of Black Hills Consultancy, like her body clock was hard wired to the wall-mounted digital in the foyer.
“Laney.” Her name rushed past his lips, forcing all the oxygen from his lungs.
Time hadn’t diminished the effect she had on him. That winded, achy feeling he got when he looked at her was right there, front and centre.
He watched her step out onto the street. She’d always been punctual, even when they were kids. She’d never be so rude as to leave her keepers waiting.
Only today they weren’t coming. Their Escalade should be smoking up a storm, having broken down on the side of the road by now.
Studying her face, he couldn’t believe how little she’d changed. And he should know. Every detail remained etched into his memory, never dimming or fading from the last time he’d seen her.
She looked relaxed and sexy in jeans, boots and a fluffy pink sweater. Her thick, multihued hair was pulled back in a messy bun and he could see at least two pens poking out of the heavy mass.
Irritation rose at the sight of her standing there, so defenceless, so sheltered. A casual observer would never suspect the casually dressed female, currently head down, studying a pile of dog-eared papers was the CEO of a highly successful IT security company.
Thanks to Delaney’s hard work and vision, the she-wolf and her people were thriving. The Black Hills pack had every luxury and modern convenience available, which made her a prize addition to any one of the surrounding packs, and the reason her father kept her on lockdown or had her followed around by goons.
For the first time in his life, Fletch was thankful for the grim reputation he’d more than earned. Brody, the alpha of nearby Oakwood, had wanted this job done by the best and Fletch was without doubt the best. It wasn’t something he was proud of, but he couldn’t change the past. If that were possible, well…a lot of things would have turned out differently.
How would she react when she saw him?
In a few moments he’d know the answer to a question that had given him more sleepless nights than he could count.
He continued to watch her, oblivious to her surroundings. Completely absorbed in her reading. Just like Brody said she would be. The bastard was right. Living under her father’s constant watch had made her one hell of an easy target. Her complacency made him grit his teeth so hard he was surprised he didn’t lose a fang.
Shoving on a pair of sunglasses and yanking down the ball cap he’d acquired , Fletch climbed out of his truck. The clothes he’d stolen from her minders, after he’d poured sugar in their fuel tank, were not his usual thing. He’d never worn slacks in his life, but their stench should at least mask his scent long enough to get her moving. He didn’t hesitate and strode towards the oblivious female. She offered up a distracted ‘hey’ when he reached her side. Still, she didn’t even lift her head.
“This way.” Fletch attempted to soften his tone, though he
Fletcher Stone tapped out a rapid beat on the steering wheel then glanced down at the big hand for the hundredth time. Was the fucker even moving? He lifted the watch to his ear. Nope, battery hadn’t gone flat—more like he’d lost his ever lovin’ mind.
God, he hated the city, boxed in like a damn prison cell. All this steel and concrete was giving him an eye twitch. His wolf reared up, clawed at his subconscious, wanting to break free, to run off this closed in, edgy feeling.
He forced it back and focused on keeping his conflicted emotions in check. There was no going back now. His gut churned with anticipation and, he could admit, a good dose of fear. It’d been so long since he’d allowed himself to feel much of anything and the now constant, erratic pounding of his heart was making him light headed.
Dropping his gaze, he watched the last fifteen seconds tick by then glanced up. Right on cue, Delaney Jones pushed through the glass double doors of Black Hills Consultancy, like her body clock was hard wired to the wall-mounted digital in the foyer.
“Laney.” Her name rushed past his lips, forcing all the oxygen from his lungs.
Time hadn’t diminished the effect she had on him. That winded, achy feeling he got when he looked at her was right there, front and centre.
He watched her step out onto the street. She’d always been punctual, even when they were kids. She’d never be so rude as to leave her keepers waiting.
Only today they weren’t coming. Their Escalade should be smoking up a storm, having broken down on the side of the road by now.
Studying her face, he couldn’t believe how little she’d changed. And he should know. Every detail remained etched into his memory, never dimming or fading from the last time he’d seen her.
She looked relaxed and sexy in jeans, boots and a fluffy pink sweater. Her thick, multihued hair was pulled back in a messy bun and he could see at least two pens poking out of the heavy mass.
Irritation rose at the sight of her standing there, so defenceless, so sheltered. A casual observer would never suspect the casually dressed female, currently head down, studying a pile of dog-eared papers was the CEO of a highly successful IT security company.
Thanks to Delaney’s hard work and vision, the she-wolf and her people were thriving. The Black Hills pack had every luxury and modern convenience available, which made her a prize addition to any one of the surrounding packs, and the reason her father kept her on lockdown or had her followed around by goons.
For the first time in his life, Fletch was thankful for the grim reputation he’d more than earned. Brody, the alpha of nearby Oakwood, had wanted this job done by the best and Fletch was without doubt the best. It wasn’t something he was proud of, but he couldn’t change the past. If that were possible, well…a lot of things would have turned out differently.
How would she react when she saw him?
In a few moments he’d know the answer to a question that had given him more sleepless nights than he could count.
He continued to watch her, oblivious to her surroundings. Completely absorbed in her reading. Just like Brody said she would be. The bastard was right. Living under her father’s constant watch had made her one hell of an easy target. Her complacency made him grit his teeth so hard he was surprised he didn’t lose a fang.
Shoving on a pair of sunglasses and yanking down the ball cap he’d acquired , Fletch climbed out of his truck. The clothes he’d stolen from her minders, after he’d poured sugar in their fuel tank, were not his usual thing. He’d never worn slacks in his life, but their stench should at least mask his scent long enough to get her moving. He didn’t hesitate and strode towards the oblivious female. She offered up a distracted ‘hey’ when he reached her side. Still, she didn’t even lift her head.
“This way.” Fletch attempted to soften his tone, though he
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