Checkmate Page 5

  The second set of doors opened.

  “There you are.” He tightened his finger again. He’d have a perfect opportunity when all three of them were out the door.

  “Fuck!” A beam of sunlight reflected off a side swinging door when someone exited next to his witness, blinding him through the magnifying effects of the scope. He tore the rifle off his face and rubbed at his eyelids with his thumb and forefinger, desperately trying to ward off the sudden blindness before he missed his chance.

  “Goddamn it!” By the time he was able to reposition himself, his prey was already at the car and one of the muscles was lifting her into the backseat. Then the man climbed in after her.

  “Like a fucking sheet of glass is gonna keep your head from exploding.” He could still do this. If the fucking man would get out of the way. He couldn’t afford to take two shots. His palms sweated, making the rifle slick, and his heart rate fluctuated. “Bitch.”

  No woman was going to make him feel like this.

  * * *

  Her slim body felt perfect in his, making him remember the time when she’d been sixteen and he’d had to drag her out of the lake when she’d gotten a cramp. Back then he hadn’t thought anything of holding her so close. Now his cock hardened and begged his big brain for permission to bury itself inside her sweetness.

  “You’re my hero.”

  Her nasally rendition made Eli chuckle. Whatever that doc had given her was making her more than loopy. When she’d had her hand on Caelan, he’d just about lost it. Her hands weren’t going to be touching anybody but him. Eli willed his erection away and sighed. She sagged in the seat, wilting even as he held her. Lifting and maneuvering her into the seat had been the easy part. Leaving the sweet vee of her thighs would be next to impossible. Nikki-Raine looked up at him, her eyes big, her lashes incredibly long and thick. His gaze drifted down to her tiny bow of a mouth just as the tip of her pink tongue darted out and swept across her bottom lip. He wondered what it would feel like wrapped around the head of his cock. Tight and wet and sucking him until every last drop of his come was wrung from his balls.

  Jesus. There was going to be a fucking zipper line etched into his cock if she didn’t stop tempting him. He tore his gaze back to the widened disks of her eyes. Her pupils were dilated and as much as he’d like to think it was because she felt the same way about him that he did about her, he knew it was whatever she was doped up on.

  She blinked and squirmed her hips beneath his, rubbing along his cock inadvertently. Her eyes widened further in reaction to what she felt, and he couldn’t resist.

  Ever so slowly, as if they had all the time in the world, he lowered his head. “Turn your head now if you don’t want this, Nikki-Raine, because once my lips touch yours, there’s no turning back. You will be mine.” His chest rumbled with his growl.

  She shook her head and swallowed. “No.”

  Shock froze him in place. No? Fuck. His lungs bellowed as he forced air out of his clenched throat and closed his eyes.

  A soft hand brushed his cheek, cupping his face. He opened his eyes.

  “Please don’t stop.” She looked tormented, like a woman unable to get to her last meal.

  He descended once more. His lips met hers, melding and sealing their mouths together. He licked along her perfect teeth until she opened for him, inviting him into the warm recesses of her mouth. Cinnamon burst on his tongue from her earlier gum chewing.

  They dueled inside her mouth and he slanted his head. Deeper, he had to go deeper, to taste all of her. Nothing existed except the two of them.

  Until Caelan cleared his throat and Derek pounded on the window.

  Eli jerked his head away so fast he smacked the roof of the SUV, and glared at Nikki’s mouth, now red and puffy. They were both breathing hard, panting. He lifted himself, or would have had his shirt not been twisted up in Nikki’s fist.

  “Later, baby. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.” He dislodged her hand. “Trust me, when we get home, nothing will stop me from having you.”

  “But—”

  “Nothing.”

  Her lips, still wet from his kiss, formed an “O”. A perfect spot for his… Christ. Get it fucking together. His canines lengthened for the umpteenth time that day. He wanted to howl at the moon for the unfairness life had dumped at their feet.

  He was supposed to have returned home, staked his claim and settled them at the ranch to raise the next generation of the pack. Instead he found himself having to delay his union and protect his mate from the vile life forms who’d dared to lay a hand on her sweet skin. He’d run every one of them to ground and tear them to shreds.

  Nikki’s eyes closed on a sigh and she slumped in the seat, resting her head on the armrest of the opposite door. Eli backed out of the car and shut the door.

  Sucking in a deep breath, he faced his best friend and brother.

  “You’re good to go,” Derek said. “I’ve been by the car since Caelan went in to get you. There’s been nothing suspicious.”

  “Doesn’t mean there’s no one out there somewhere,” Eli snarled, scanning the parking lot. Damn his hormones and lack of willpower. He should have had them out of here by now, instead of practically trying to mate with her in the backseat. Any other day, any other situation and he would have been long gone. Instead, he’d given anyone a chance to get to her.

  Derek nodded. “You’re right. And I’m trusting you to keep my baby sister safe.” Derek backed away from the car.

  “I will.” He’d keep her safe or die trying. No one would take his mate now that he’d acknowledged her. And God help those who’d already tried.

  “I’ll call you later tonight.” Derek turned and stalked off to his car.

  “Let’s get out of here, E.” Caelan called from the driver’s side.

  Didn’t have to ask him twice. He jumped in the car, slamming the door shut behind him. The lot was quiet. There weren’t even that many cars, surprisingly. Except the one that conveniently pulled in catty-corner at their front bumper, blocking them in.

  Eli’s hand went to the gun at his back, Caelan’s groped under the seat.

  A man jumped out of the driver’s door and ran around to the other side, threw open the door and gingerly extracted a little girl whose sobs Eli could hear in the SUV. The man held up a finger to them signaling to give him a minute.

  “Son of a bitch,” Caelan hissed and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. Another car had driven up, blocking them from behind. What the fuck was going on? They went from no cars to a lot full.

  “Can you believe this?” Pissed at the turn of events, he searched their surroundings.

  Nikki kept her eyes closed when she really wanted to watch Eli and Caelan. Whatever they were talking about was sure putting Eli in a grouchy mood.

  “Are you all right?” Eli asked.

  Nikki opened her eyes. Had she made a noise? The concern in his voice was genuine. She searched his face. His eyes seemed to glow a golden brown. She knew they turned even more gold when he was angry. How would they look when aroused?

  “Hello?” He waved his hand.

  Crap.

  “I’m fine.” Jesus, had she sounded husky there? She cleared her throat. “I won’t break, E.”

  “I’ll break you in all right,” he muttered.

  Nikki shook her head, trying to reduce the drug-induced cobwebs. He hadn’t just said that, had he?

  “What did—”

  “You heard me. Now settle in, it’s a long trip.”

  “Geez, E, I don’t live in Timbuktu,” she muttered, choosing to ignore his outrageous comment for the moment.

  He and Caelan mumbled something she didn’t understand. Werewolf-ese? She giggled, earning an eyeful from both men, each sporting a cocked eyebrow. If only they knew the direction of her thoughts.

  “Why don’t you go to sleep, Nikki-Raine.”

  She jerked upright in her seat. “You don’t have to get all growly,” she said, sobering. What t
he hell had crawled up his shorts? His fur must be getting itchy. She laughed again, unable to hold it in. God, just the image of him covered in fur was ridiculous. Derek had to be mistaken. Turning into an animal wasn’t possible.

  This time Eli’s lip curled in the corner revealing too sharp teeth, while his eyes seemed to glow and his entire body shook with a low rumble. Nikki’s eyes widened. One minute he was all over her, practically sucking her lips off, the next he was madder than hell. What was up with that? She hadn’t asked him to take on this responsibility. He was the one who bullied his way in, made her reveal herself to him when she didn’t want to.

  So fuck him. If he didn’t like it, he could get the hell out.

  Her eyes burned in mortification, and her chest hurt. Not that she’d ever let him see how much he affected her. Bastard. Nikki slumped down in the seat and turned to stare out into the sunny day.

  The back window shattered behind her. She screamed in reaction. Her cheek tingled and she raised both hands to her face, yelping again when a tearing pain seared across her wounded shoulder. The blood drained from her head. Through the thick fog enveloping her brain, it sounded like Eli and Caelan were shouting.

  Christ had one of them been shot? “Eli?” she tried to yell but wasn’t sure if the words actually came out.

  A loud squeal pierced her ears and her head was thrown into the window, then she felt nothing.

  Chapter Six

  Eli hurdled the console into the backseat. Fuck. Nikki was too quiet. Not even out of the parking lot yet and the asshole had stolen advantage. If he hadn’t fucking kissed her. If he had just shoved her pretty little ass in the car and taken off like they were supposed to.

  Son of a bitch.

  “Is she hit?” Caelan demanded.

  Eli couldn’t see straight. Nikki was so still, slumped over, her head leaning toward the floor. He’d killed her. Sure as shit as if he’d shot her himself. His heart pounded, sweat coated his forehead, his hands shook.

  “Is she fucking hit, E?”

  Eli couldn’t answer. Not through the tightness constricting his throat. Caelan took a corner, throwing Eli over Nikki’s body and into the window.

  Shit. Pain sliced through his chin.

  Nikki moaned.

  Alive. She was alive.

  “Eli!” Caelan shouted.

  “I don’t know,” Eli yelled back. He turned Nikki onto her back, careful not to fling her head around any more than Caelan was doing swerving the SUV back and forth through traffic.

  Her eyes fluttered for a second before closing all the way and a puff of air separated her sweet lips. Lips he’d cradled with his own minutes earlier. An angry red scratch slashed across one cheek. Not deep, probably glass. Didn’t look like a bullet wound.

  He’d kill the motherfucker for drawing blood on his mate a second time.

  The same way he’d kill the three assholes who’d attacked her. Eight months wasn’t too long for the trail to go cold. He’d bet money if they’d tried once, they’d tried it again with some other unlucky female.

  “God damn it, Eli, if you don’t—”

  “Not shot. A scratch on her cheek. That’s it.”

  “Then why in the shit is she so quiet?”

  “She fainted.” I think.

  Caelan slammed his fist on the steering wheel. “You’d think one of us could actually mate with a female who’s not in the sights of a whacko.”

  “You’d think,” Eli murmured, caressing his thumb along the scratch. Nikki sighed and unconsciously turned her face into his hand. At least in sleep she felt comfortable with him. He’d have to work on her during her waking hours because whether she liked him or not, he was going to stick to her like glue.

  Eli clenched his jaw and looked up. Something in the door caught his attention and he leaned forward. A cut in the leather. He fingered it apart. Dull metal gleamed back at him. The bullet.

  He’d come so close to losing her. Another couple of inches and that bullet would have been lodged in her brain instead of the door panel. He punched the back of the seat, throwing Caelan forward.

  “There’s a bullet lodged in your door.” His teeth hurt from the pressure he exerted on them.

  “Better than the back of her head,” Caelan growled. “What the fuck happened?” he shouted into his cell phone.

  Eli hadn’t even noticed him making a call.

  “Do more than check out the angle the shot came from. Find the shooter. I thought everything had been cleared. My brother almost lost his mate by getting her fucking head blown off.”

  Eli idly stroked Nikki’s black cap of hair, loving the smooth silkiness of it between his fingers, and held her hand. He inhaled her scent again, not that it had ever left his brain. When he finally got her beneath him and marked her with his teeth, she’d never be able to hide from him. Her essence would be that strong within him. Put her in a stadium filled with forty thousand people and he’d be able to follow his nose to her seat.

  His cock hardened. Not now. Not when she lay here unconscious after someone had taken another potshot at her.

  “I’ll say fuck as many times as I fucking want to. Do you even understand the implications of what just happened?”

  Eli smiled. His twin was not a Prime you wanted to go up against and since many of the people at the hospital were shifters, heads were undoubtedly going to roll.

  “She’s part of our pack now, she’s Eli’s mate even if he hasn’t announced it yet.”

  Eli stiffened. Damn. There’s something he hadn’t thought about. He wanted time to have her to himself. Meeting the pack as his other half could wait.

  “Fine. Make sure it gets leaked that their witness is dead. She’s gone. Tell the detective assigned to her case to shout it to the press. Maybe this is the only way to keep her alive. Let the bastard think he won.” Caelan stared back at Eli through the mirror. His brother had to have seen the way Eli’s face drained of blood, leaving him pale and lightheaded at the mention of telling everyone Nikki had died.

  He swallowed and shook his head. Caelan clicked the phone shut.

  “It was the only thing I could think of, E.”

  “No, no it’s good.” He tightened his hold on Nikki’s fingers. Nodding once, he said, “It needed to be done.” Eli clambered back into the front seat with a great amount of reluctance. “Looks like she’s down for the count.”

  “Helps that we slipped her that sleeping pill before we left.”

  “She needs the sleep. Her eyes look haunted. I bet she hasn’t slept since it happened.” He twisted to pull his seat belt on. “Plus, this way, I don’t have to explain to her why we’re headed to the ranch.”

  Caelan laughed. “Nikki’s gonna kick your ass.”

  “She’ll get over it.” Eli turned and watched her sleep. Peaceful at last, other than the red line across her cheek. And the bullet wound. And the obvious concern she had with him learning what had happened to her.

  Not so insurmountable. In the next few lifetimes. He probably would never get over her being attacked, having some other man’s hands on her perfect little body.

  Eli clenched his fists.

  “I’ll make sure she gets over it.”

  * * *

  Nikki’s eyes flew open. A steady rock and hum combined with the low ramblings of some country music station and the constant sensation of an open window flooded her senses. She squinted at the bright sunlight filtering through the glass beside her just like the memories were doing in her brain.

  Someone had shot at her. Again. When would this end?

  And where the hell were they? She shifted in her seat and looked around. The rear window had a hole with spider web cracks radiating off it where the bullet had entered the SUV. Her entire body shook. Way too close for comfort. Nothing outside the car seemed familiar. Two-lane highway, lots of open land, space for miles. Not like the businesses that crowded Highway 70 until her exit for home. Even then houses lined the road here and there.

&nbs
p; How long had she been out? Her cheek burned when she swiped a hand over her face. For a moment, her heart pounded. With her fingertips, Nikki traced a fine, raised line across her left cheek.

  Great. Just what she needed, another scar. Maybe they’d cancel each other out. Her fingers came away clean so it must only be a scratch. The fear dissipated, leaving behind a tremble in her hands.

  Wiping her sweaty palm along her thigh, Nikki sighed and closed her eyes. Why did her brain feel like mush? Like the time she’d had too much to drink, or when she’d taken that painkiller…

  “You drugged me.”

  Eli whipped around, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. “Hey, Nikki-Raine—”

  “Don’t you Nikki-Raine me, Eli.”

  “I didn’t, I mean, Caelan did it,” he sputtered. Damn but it felt good to put him in his place. Eli pointed to his brother, a sheepish look on his face.

  “Some man you are.” Nikki focused on the back of the driver’s seat and tried to get more comfortable. “You sound like a girl, you big baby.”

  Caelan snorted a laugh. When Nikki looked back up, Eli’s eyes were narrowed.

  “Don’t think I won’t be showing you just how much of a man I am, Nikki,” he said softly.

  She dropped her gaze. Her belly quivered, and her nipples tightened to hard points beneath her T-shirt. Braless because of her shoulder, the tips brushed erotically against the cotton. Damn the man for making her feel like this now, in the midst of all this chaos. Especially now when she’d convinced herself he’d never like her after all the things that had happened to her. He was proving her wrong at every turn with his flat-out suggestions, glances, touches. And the kisses. Melt-her-into-the-ground, I’m-going-to-eat-you-up kisses. Who knew the man could kiss like that?

  And suddenly she was jealous of all the other women who might know exactly how he could kiss.

  “Look at me, Nikki-Raine.”

  Her cheeks reddened. How could she? Thank God he wasn’t a mind reader. She crossed her arms over her chest so he couldn’t see the state of her breast’s arousal. Nikki had to stop thinking about him this way, lusting after him like a lovesick puppy. Sympathy. That’s what all this was about. He felt bad for her and the situation and was trying anything possible to get her mind off it. Right? What other reason would he have for acting this way after all the years they’d known each other?