Shift Happens Read online

  “It’s the truth.” He gaze captured hers and held it until heat blossomed in her cheeks. “I’m not happy I ruined your shop, but I don’t regret getting to know you.”

  She forced a laugh. “I don’t know what’s odder. You saying that or your idea of beauty.”

  “Stop it.” He slid his hand around her waist and physically pulled her down to the couch. “Quit belittling yourself. You’re an attractive, funny, successful woman, Ellie. I’d be a fool if I didn’t notice your charms.”

  The heat of his palms radiated through her sweater and pooled between her legs. Horny didn’t begin to describe the piercing lust. Sparklers ignited in her belly and spread along her nerves like wildfire. “Seriously, dude. What’s going on here? How have we gone from being victims on the run to this?”

  His cheeks creased with a smile. “I don’t question the good things in my personal life. I do it so much while working and I’ve found overanalyzing is the quickest way to ruin them.”

  “And that’s what you think I’m doing? Overanalyzing?” Nana would laugh herself silly if she heard Jackson say so. Ellie had a habit of leaping into situations without fully considering the repercussions. Only one of the many reasons her father had been against her buying Polished. “So what’s the plan? We stay here for the night, and then what? I can’t live with you forever.”

  His eyes crinkled at the corners as his smile widened farther. “If you want to move in, you should’ve just said so.”

  “Be serious.” The situation wasn’t funny in the least, but he succeeded in distracting her from the true seriousness they faced. “We need to tell someone. The cops. FBI. Someone.”

  His smile faded. “No authorities. The less people know about Ty’s firewall, the better. I’ll handle this.”

  She rolled her eyes. “And just how do you plan to do that? You have a secret army I know nothing about, one designed to combat terrorists?”

  He leaned back and slid his arm behind her, enfolding her in the heat of his body. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Ellie couldn’t believe what she’d heard. She blinked several times, but Jackson’s expression didn’t waver. He was serious, or one hell of a liar. “Explain.”

  Jackson took out his phone, a high tech little number that probably cost more than she made in a month, and pulled up a picture on the screen. “Ty, the friend I told you about, left college to join a special military unit. Only shifters can join, and they go through training similar to Navy Seals but to a greater extent. Ty specialized in computer-guided weaponry, which is why he was able to perfect the firewall. His brother, Greg, preferred fighting on the front lines. He did several tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. I trust them with my life. If anyone can help us, it would be them.”

  Ellie took the phone and studied the picture of two smiling men dressed in fatigues with their arms slung over each other’s shoulders. She couldn’t identify their hair color from the military haircuts, but their identical big smiles and tanned faces put any male model’s to shame. “I’ve never heard of a unit like this before.”

  “It’s a top secret endeavor between the US and Britain. The Blood Wolves had been used since Vietnam. I’d be concerned if you had heard about it, especially with your limited shifter knowledge.”

  “Blood Wolves.” The name rolled off her tongue. “So only wolves join?”

  He shook his head. “Originally, but now it’s open to any type of shifter who can pass the physical requirements and intelligence testing. Not many shifters make it past basic training. Those who fail typically join the Marines or Seals instead.”

  “Whoa. Sounds intense.” She handed the phone back. “You didn’t sign up?”

  “I served for two years.” He pocketed the phone before rolling up a sleeve. “I fought on the front lines with Greg until my father got sick and I had to return home. I took over his struggling electronics store and created my empire. The business degree came in handy.”

  She stared at the tattoo on his bicep. A bold black outline formed a typical droplet shape. Red and blue flames covered the inside. “I thought you didn’t speak to your family.”

  He lowered his sleeve. “A lie concocted by the heads of the Blood Wolves. It’s to protect our families from those who would use them to get back at us. If our enemies believe there are no connections back home, they don’t bother. Ty and Greg had to do the same with their family.”

  She sat back with a thump. “So you have military training. Explains your shooting skills.”

  For a moment, his face darkened. “I trained as a sniper. It wasn’t easy what I did. Sometimes…” He broke off and shook his head. “It was best I got out while I could. Greg served for ten years. He came back a changed man. I’m glad it didn’t happen to me.”

  “Me too.” It was on the tip of her tongue to ask more questions, but Jackson shut down. It was doubtful he wanted to relive what had to be painful memories. She’d heard of soldiers’ post-traumatic stress syndrome. Surely shifters were susceptible to it as well.

  Like a flash, his mood lightened. She wished she could switch gears so easily. “We’ll stay here tonight. In the morning, we’ll meet with Ty and see if we can rustle up some of the Blood Wolves. Greg has become a bit of a loner, but I’m sure he’ll help.”

  Troubled thoughts tumbled within her mind. A Tuesday, just like any other. A bit damper perhaps, but certainly a normal day of the week. How had she ended up in a situation like this? The sensible part of her brain knew she should be frightened out of her wits. The other portion, the one she kept buried, swung a lasso above her head and shouted, “Wahoo!”

  “I should call my dad. He’ll worry if I don’t.”

  Jackson reached for the phone again, but she held up her hand. “I have my cell. And before you ask, it’s a pre-paid phone. We should be safe, right?” At Jackson’s nod, she dialed her father’s number and held the speaker to her ear. “He’s going to kill me. He never wanted me to create my own business.” She covered the speaker and whispered, “Said I was too much like my nana. My head in the clouds.”

  Jackson waited for her to finish the call. Thankfully it went to voice mail. She rattled off a brief description of her shop being totaled, blaming it on gang activity, and said that she was using the time off to visit some of her friends in Florida. Her father hopefully wouldn’t become suspicious. She’d never been able to lie to him. It was true to her character to do something rash like an impromptu vacation after a traumatic experience, so she had that going for her at least.

  She ended the call and stuffed the phone back in her pocket. “He’ll call when he gets my message. My father is a bit of a worrywart.”

  “And Nana?” Jackson questioned.

  The familiar sadness swamped her. “She died. My grandmother got me, you know? I take after her a lot.”

  “Then she must’ve been beautiful too.”

  Ellie glanced away from him. She really wished he would stop being so sweet. It was hard enough to resist him as it was. “I know you said the Blood Wolves can help, but isn’t Atlanta’s police department going to investigate this morning’s events at my shop?”

  Jackson nodded. “It’s being handled.”

  She also wished she possessed half his fortitude. “Explain.”

  “I had to think of an excuse to throw them off the tracks, so I blamed it on gang activity. Just like you did. Great minds, by the way. You’d unexpectedly left town and my assistant happened to be walking past Polished when it happened. He was in the area scouting for a new location for The Grub Burger. He’s at the department now, filing a report.”

  “But…but that’s a lie!”

  Jackson shrugged. “It got you off the hook. If you’d rather spend hours downtown filling out paperwork, be my guest. I’m sure the detectives will call you, though, so you need to stick to the story.”

  It was then that the truth sank in. She was trapped here with Jackson Lawrence, a man whose every action screamed
wealth and masculinity, with plans to meet more men like him in the morning. For someone who’d avoided shifter males like the plague, it was just her luck to stumble into a nest of alpha types. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “So what do we do now?”

  His teeth flashed white when he smiled. “We can get to know each other.”

  “Hold up, Romeo. I’m only here because you think my safety depends on it. I’m not sleeping with you.”

  “Who said anything about sleeping?” He winked.

  She tried to contain the laughter, but it escaped in short, snort-like bursts. “Seriously? That has to be the most clichéd line ever.”

  His lips curled into a pout. “Usually works.”

  “I bet it does.” She needed space, so she walked to the floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the Atlanta skyline. She was startled when Jackson came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

  “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Ellie. You’ve got to trust me.”

  His breath ruffled the curls near her ear and she shivered. He was too close, the warmth of his body singeing her spine. The dragon within her purred with satisfaction. Goddamn it, what was up with the purring?

  She was about to turn to face him when a small, cylindrical object rolled under the door and ended up near her feet. Immediately, a sharp odor assaulted her senses. She jerked to attention as a cloud of smoke rose around them. “What is that?”

  Jackson burst into motion. “Tear gas. Try not breathe it in.”

  He covered his nose and mouth with one hand. She did the same, using the sleeve of her sweater to prevent the fumes from entering her nasal passages. Despite her efforts, her eyes watered at the acrid odor, a bit like skunk. On fire.

  He grabbed a vase from a nearby table. “Stand back.” Jackson pushed her aside and approached the window.

  She watched with horror as he drew back the vase and slung it into the glass before her. The window did little more than crack, while the vase shattered in his hands. She grabbed the closest object she could find. “Here. Use this.”

  He accepted the stone lamp, ripped off its shade, and slammed the post into the window. The glass splintered into a series of hairline fractures. Jackson helped the cracks along with a rapid procession of kicks.

  “Come on,” he said and grabbed her arm. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  She tugged backward. “How?” Surely he didn’t mean what she thought he did.

  Jackson nodded toward the window. “There’s a small ledge.”

  “Uh-uh.” She rapidly shook her head. “No way, José.”

  He gripped her cheeks and stared at her. Concern and determination filled his gaze. “We’ve got to hurry. They’ll be here soon, thinking their tear gas was enough to stop us.”

  She blinked several times, but the gritty feeling didn’t disappear. “I…”

  “Goddamn it.” She slumped forward, but Jackson cursed and caught her under the arms before she collapsed to the ground. “Ellie, look at me!”

  The panic in his voice made her lift her lids and stare at him. His gaze was worried, the planes of his face drawn into sharp angles. “I need you to follow me. If we don’t leave now, they’ll find us. I’m not leaving you behind, so if I have to carry you, I will.”

  The tear gas made her light-headed. Maybe that was the reason she laughed at the thought of him carrying her. Either way, he was right. They needed to keep moving. She didn’t particularly want to die. Not today.

  She called upon every bit of strength in her body and nodded. “I’m good. You can let go.”

  He helped her to her feet but kept his hands on her as if he was scared she’d pass out. She surveyed their escape route. And she’d thought the bathroom window was bad. Already nauseous at the thought, she eased toward it.

  He’d made a hole big enough for both of them to step through. The ledge outside was barely more than six inches. She clung to the metal rods running vertically up the building and refused to look down. They had to be at least thirty stories above the ground, and she’d never been much for heights, despite her dragon background.

  “I can’t do this,” she said with a moan.

  At once, Jackson slid his body over to cover hers. Her backside pressed against his crotch, and his hands cupped hers. “One step at a time, Ellie. That’s right. You’re doing great.”

  It was ridiculous, but her libido came to life. Every shuffle of her feet to the right brought her into shocking contact with his body. If she died now, she would do so with a smile on her face. Soon, sweat beaded on her forehead and dropped down the slope of her nose. It was hard work to cling to the side of a building and move at a snail’s pace. They’d made it barely ten feet, still about thirty feet from the fire escape, when something whizzed by her head.

  “Holy shit!” She looked down and sought the direction the slug had taken. Immediately she wished she hadn’t. The ground was terribly far away. If she wasn’t shot, she’d probably die of a heart attack.

  “Ellie, focus. Please, baby. I need you to keep moving.”

  The endearment spurred her into action. She moved as fast as she could, but it didn’t seem quick enough. “There’s no way we can outrun a bullet.”

  “They won’t kill us. They need me to find the firewall.”

  “Not very comforting, Jackson. I’m expendable.”

  He curved around her body, shielding her the best he could. “I’ll kill the motherfucker who tries to hurt you. I swear it.”

  A thought flitted through her mind. Could she really do it? “Jackson, I have a better idea.”

  “What?”

  She swallowed hard. “Remember how I said I can grow wings?”

  “Yeah. Don’t see how that’s relevant at the moment.”

  “It could be.” She’d never tried it, but she was ninety-nine point nine percent sure her leaps were good enough to get them to the building across the street. If it worked, maybe they could get away. “Hold on to me.”

  She turned to face him. Despite the danger of their situation and the second bullet that came within inches of her face, she experienced no fear. Something in Jackson’s gaze calmed her, made her wish for more time with him, time that would be taken from her if she didn’t act fast.

  Closing her eyes, she willed the change to come over her. Her body toughened. She could feel the crystalline hardness take over, her limbs becoming heavy and dull. Smoke whispered past her lips, and her hearing sharpened. She recognized the sound of a bullet clicking into a chamber and knew she had to hurry.

  A cry of pain ripped from her throat as the wings unfolded from the center of her back, pushing her sweater up to the back of her neck, and spreading around her and Jackson. It had been years since she’d sprouted them, and it was just as painful as she remembered.

  “Ellie.” Jackson’s voice coaxed her to open her eyes. “You’re amazingly beautiful. I need to say that in case I don’t get a chance to again.”

  She faked a smile. “Say it to me if I don’t get us both killed.” She let go of the wall and wrapped her arms around his waist. She prayed she and her wings were strong enough to support their combined weight. “One. Two. Three!”

  She pushed away from the ledge. Her arms felt like they were ripped from their sockets, but she kept hold of Jackson. He dangled below her, and for a moment she thought she wasn’t powerful enough to hold on, but then her feet landed on the roof of the nearby building. She collapsed to the ground, taking Jackson with her, and let out a sigh of relief.

  Gravel dug into her knees, but it didn’t hurt since her skin was still toughened. She flipped onto her back and laughed. “I did it. I fucking did it!”

  Jackson rolled on top of her and grinned. “You’re amazing.” He lowered his mouth to hers and whispered the compliment across her lips. “You’re beautiful.”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m not.”

  He eyes darkened with promise. “I’m going to keep saying it until you believe me.”

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nbsp; She held her breath and waited. Would he kiss her? The moment stretched into eternity. Planes crossed overhead, nothing but tiny specks with clouds of white trailing behind. “We should go.”

  It was the last thing she wanted. She wanted to stay and hear more sweet talk, but like he’d said before, they were sitting ducks in the open. She willed her wings away, and her spine throbbed as the leather-like appendages and tendons shrunk and returned to their normal spot. The stiffness left her limbs and her skin returned to its normal, human-like appearance. Tenderness would exist for several hours, but it was bearable. She couldn’t move as fast when her skin was crystalline. The important thing was finding a safe spot to hide.

  She got to her feet and dusted dirt and gravel from her clothes. “My car isn’t an option now. What’s the plan for getting out of here?”

  He held up his hand and extended his thumb. She stared at the offending digit. “Really? We’ve got to catch a cab?”

  Jackson shrugged. “Unless you have a better idea.”

  She threw up her hands and huffed. “I expected a more imaginative rescue. Aren’t you a billionaire or something? Where are the helicopters? The private limos?”

  Sunlight peeped behind the dark clouds and reflected like mirrors in his amazing eyes. “What can I say? I’m a small-town boy at heart. I prefer to go mudding in my truck than have a chauffeur drive me around town.”

  “Mud riding?” She shuddered. “Do people actually do that?”

  He winked at her. “One day I’ll take you.”

  “If we live that long.”

  He grabbed her hand and towed her toward the fire escape. “I have to get to Ty’s. We’ll find a cab to get us out of Atlanta and then rent a car.”

  “To Birmingham?” She swung her leg over the wall and stepped onto the rickety metal platform.

  “Montevallo, actually,” Jackson corrected. “It’s a few miles south of the city.”