A quick smile. Shark strong. “This one’s better. It’s not on the market yet.”
He’d gotten rid of the blood, upgraded her protection, and he was there to stay the night. Erin could only shake her head.
“You’re not what I expected, Jude Donovan.” Not at all.
“Sweetheart, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
The radio blared, rocking the car. Not the classic, easy listening crap that Lee Givens listened to when clients or coworkers were around.
No, his music. Country, through and through. His thumbs pounded out a beat on the steering wheel as he snaked down the winding roads leading to his house.
Another damn day done. He’d get home, shower the stench of his clients off his skin, then put in a call to his ex-wife. This weekend was his son Tommy’s fifth birthday, and he would be at that party. He’d missed the last three weekends with Tommy because of work.
No more.
He’d finally gotten the all clear. They were making him partner at his firm. No more busting his ass to prove himself. Now he’d take the plush office and easy street.
He had Tommy’s new bike all nice and ready, just sitting in the garage, waiting for the kid.
Yeah, he’d call Melissa, even though it was late, because he missed that boy, and her, but—
Blindingly bright lights flashed in his rearview mirror.
“Shit!” Lee jerked the wheel and the tires screeched. “Asshole, turn off the brights!” He steadied the car and thought about throwing up a prominent finger. The shitass behind him sure would be able to see the gesture. His headlights were making the whole county glow.
Lee shoved his foot down on the gas. He’d lose the jerk. Couple more bends and he’d be turning off the old road and making the last stretch for home and he’d be—
The bright lights shot closer.
He stiffened. “If you want to pass, move the f**k around!” He rolled down his window and shoved his arm out, waving his hand forward. “Come around!” Don’t need this shit. He should have moved closer to the office, but he’d kept the house.
Melissa liked it. Tommy had a tree house in the back. If they came home, they’d need a place to—
The other vehicle slammed into him, sending his car jerking forward. “What the f**k!” Fear dried his throat. Shit. Shit.
Shit.
An attack.
He’d handled too many criminal cases, made too many enemies, gotten too many threats.
Threats he’d never taken seriously. Until now.
He pinned the gas pedal flat against the floorboard but the other vehicle was closing in on him again. All he could see in his rearview mirror were those shining lights, making stars dance before his eyes.
What the hell did that guy have under his f**king hood?
Jesus! He swiped the sweat off his forehead. No, no way—
The car slammed into him again.
Lee’s car jerked and his head snapped back. The seatbelt bit into his shoulder and chest and he tasted blood on his tongue. His teeth had snapped closed on it. Lee spit, snarling as—
The car flew up on the left. Lee finally caught a glimpse of it. Big, black SUV. Tinted windows. What the hell?
Too close.
His knuckles whitened around the wheel.
The black bitch slammed into the side of his car.
His secondhand BMW couldn’t take the impact. The car flew to the edge of the road, trembled. Lee yanked the steering wheel, praying.
Not like this. He couldn’t go out like this!
His breath heaved out. His heartbeat slammed so loudly in his ears he could barely hear the radio anymore.
The SUV plowed into him once more.
The BMW lost the fight.
The car tumbled off the road, rolled, again, again.
Glass shattered. The air bag exploded before him, a white cloud that surrounded him.
The radio died.
Metal crunched. Twisted. The top of the car thudded into the earth.
Oh, God, Tommy—
Sorry, son.
Too easy. He smiled as he watched the blue car fly into the tree. Steam exploded from the hood.
Humans were so weak.
Hardly worth his time.
But if the bastard had survived the crash, maybe he could have a bit of fun with the lawyer.
Maybe a lot of fun.
Smiling, he started down the ravine.
Headlights flashed in the distance.
Dammit.
The roar of the truck’s engine reached his ears. One of those big, souped-up trucks that the hicks in this area seemed to love.
His jaw clenched. This kill wasn’t over.
But the truck was coming closer, and he was in the open.
He cast one more glance down at the twisted metal. Odds were good that the ass**le was dead.
And if he wasn’t, there was always next time.
Next time.
He turned from the ravine and hurried back to his idling SUV. If he got his butt out of there, the other driver probably wouldn’t even notice the wreck.
Humans were like that. So self-involved. Never seeing the danger and death until it was too late.
Fools.
He jumped into the vehicle. The night was still young. If he hurried, he might even be able to catch his lady.
Another hunt—this one, the most important of them all.
Chapter 6
She couldn’t sleep. Erin stared up at the ceiling as the soft patter of rain began to fall onto the house. The storm that had been threatening since late afternoon had finally come.
The patter quickened as the rain strengthened, falling harder, harder.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
But saw Jude.
The shifter had played the gentleman. He’d walked her through the new security system. Done a top to bottom search of her house.
They’d eaten together. Hell, he’d even cooked.
Then he’d walked her to her bedroom door.
And left her.
Without even one touch.
Should have been what she wanted.
But, no, he was what she wanted. She wanted him so much that she was aching.
The need was like that for her. Had been, since she was sixteen. When she wanted someone, she wanted. Craved.
Needed so badly that her body throbbed.
For most shifters, puberty was the time when real power kicked in. The first shift.
Not for her.
The beast—or whatever the thing inside her was—had awakened, and with it, so much hunger and need.
Control.
It had become the center of her life. Maintaining control. Always having control.
Then the stalker ass**le had come along and ripped all of her careful control away.
Her hands knotted beneath the sheet.
Where was Jude? When she’d offered him the room beside hers, he’d shaken his head and stared at her with blue eyes that burned with hunger. “Too close,” had been his growled response.