With Just Cause by Jackie Ivie Page B

Please say yes, my love.
Please?”
    “Oh... Grimm.”
    She swayed in place. There wasn’t any way to
resist such a perfect man. Perfect proposal. Perfect ring. She was
moving her left hand out when a movement in the road beyond him
caught her eye. Oh, crap. She’d forgotten the Hunters sent after
him.
    “Got you!”
    Deandra leapt Grimm before the words ended,
shielding him from an arrow coming at killing speed. It hit with a
sickening thud into her right breast, sending fire and agony down
her arm and through her torso. The momentum also carried her
crashing into Grimm, who went full-out onto his back on the road
with her atop him. Like an automaton, Deandra groped for her left
gun with her working hand. Grimm grabbed for the right pistol. He
sat up, bending her with it. And then they both fired; the sound
simultaneous and loud.
    Both Hunters fell, both shot with perfect
accuracy right in the centers of their foreheads. Their crossbows
landed on either side of them. She and Grimm had reacted as one.
Together. Indivisibly and indelibly linked. With just cause. And
perfect aim.
    “Nice shot.”
    She and Grimm said it simultaneously. And
she’d have laughed except the pain grabbed her again, this time
encompassing her entire right side.
    “Hold on, love. I’ll get... this out.”
    Grimm spoke between gritted teeth, then
smacked at the arrow shaft; sending it shooting out her back, and
dousing her with blood. A moment later, he had his shirt off,
ripped in half, and was holding the wads of material to the front
and back of her. She heard his destroyed shirt start singing
somewhere near her chest. Grimm swore, lifted a thigh to keep
pressure against the exit wound and a second later he was fumbling
through the pad of material for what turned out to be a cell
phone.
    “Yeah?”
    Words came through the phone. Something about
the hacienda and damage control and then her name. It sounded like
Len.
    “Got her.”
    Len answered, barely audible. She could make
out words about a team. Containing the letter D. Then a break.
    “Send them.”
    Grimm was back to short remarks. That was
cute. His voice was going to haunt her. It already did. Len said
something more. Waited.
    “Yeah. Two bodies. Head shots.”
    Then Grimm tossed the phone aside and bowed
his back, putting his face close to hers.
    “Oh, Deandra my love. How could you do
something so courageous? So incredibly brave? That was sanctified
wood. Had it pierced my heart—?”
    “I did it because... I love you, Grimm.” The
words came out garbled. Filled with liquid. She coughed, and a
ribbon of blood came up with it.
    “And... you’ll marry me? We’ll be together?
From now until forever?”
    Agony was overtaking her world. Making the
night even darker. Giving her a view tinged with burgundy. Like
blood.
    “Grimm?” she whispered.
    “Yes?”
    “You still got the ring?”
    He grinned down at her. “Oh yeah.”
    “If I become a... vampire... it takes away
pain? Right?”
    “And suffering. And deformities. And
diseases. And aging issues.”
    “And you’ll be... there waiting?”
    “You just try and get rid of me,
Sweetheart.”
    “Then, what are you waiting for? Get
cracking, Cowboy. Before I get annoyed with you. You don’t want to
see me annoyed. Remember?”
    It would’ve sounded better it she hadn’t
sputtered with blood through it. But he grinned, bared sharp fangs,
lifted her fully against his chest... and stabbed into her throat.
And replaced the pain with bliss.
    -o0o-
    Jackie is an Alaskan author who crafts
full-length Scot Historical novels for Kensington, while
moonlighting with her paranormal series: Vampire Assassin league,
available in ebook. She loves hearing from fans, who can contact
her at www.jackieivie.com