from the closet.
Jade ditched her bloody clothes and dressed quickly. The top was a little tight across the breasts, but she wasn’t about to be complaining.
Not even close.
She eased up the stairs and then out onto the balcony. Her gaze swept the crowd below. She saw a large, rippling mass of bodies. Laughter. Drinking. Kisses.
Then . . .
Az.
He stood in the middle of the crowd, silent, strong, and he was staring right up at her.
Her heart seemed to stop. His stare was so hot, even across that stream of bodies. It almost seemed like she could feel the burn of his gaze and the heat from his touch.
Fear? Yeah, she feared him. How could she not, after everything that had happened? But, she wanted him, too. In that instant, Jade realized that she wanted Az far more than she feared him. Dangerous, but . . .
She wasn’t exactly the type to play things safe. Her reckless side was part of her problem.
He’s the key. Use him. They can’t hurt him.
But. . .
But her gaze darted over Az’s shoulder, and she saw two familiar figures moving toward him through the wild crush of the crowd. The figures were steadily closing in on their prey. Az was focused on her. He didn’t even know that danger was right there.
Riley and Anton, two of Brandt’s vicious packmates, were stalking toward him. Their gazes were on him. Even far away, she could see the flash of their claws.
“No!” Jade shouted as she gripped the wrought-iron balcony railing.
But the crowd below her just cheered. Az didn’t move.
He’d touched and killed, but what would happen when he didn’t have the chance to strike first?
Jade didn’t want to find out. “Riley, Anton!” She screamed their names. “Here I am, bastards!”
More roars from the crowd. They would yell at anything. But she knew the shifters heard her because their gazes ripped away from Az and locked right on her.
“Leave him alone.” She knew her words would be lost to the madness of the crowd, but those shifters with their enhanced senses, if they couldn’t hear her actual words, then they’d still be able to read her lips.
Riley smiled at her, and shook his head. Then he brought his claws up to his throat and mimicked slicing across his neck.
Bastard.
Az was not going to die while she watched.
C HAPTER F OUR
T he crowd’s roar drowned out her screams. Az began walking toward her. The shifters kept stalking behind him.
No, no, no.
“Behind you!” Jade yelled as loudly as she could. “They are right behind you !”
Az didn’t glance back. This was not working. Her gaze darted below her. Okay, that was just a one story drop. She’d survive that fall, right? Maybe with a few broken bones, maybe just with some bruises. She could do this.
She had to do this.
Drawing in a shaky breath, Jade climbed over the railing. The crowd cheered louder. Louder .
She jumped.
And was caught by three guys. What the hell? They swung her around, cheering.
Crazy assholes. But they had just saved her some hurt. So she placed a fast kiss on the nearest cheek and leapt out of those cradling arms. Then Jade started running for Az. “They’re after you, they’re—”
A gunshot ripped through the crowd. The blast of the gunshot finally— finally— brought silence.
Silence that lasted for only a moment’s time because then another shot thundered in the air.
Jade’s eyes were on Az so she saw the jerk of his body as the bullet tore into him.
Then the screaming started, as the shock melted away from the revelers. The humans scrambled, running, shrieking, dropping their drinks and their beads as they rushed away from the gunfire.
Desperate to get to Az’s side, Jade shoved her way through them. My fault. This was what happened to men who tried to play her white knight.
They wound up stained with blood.
Her side ached as she rushed toward him. He was slowly turning around now, finally facing the bastards who were after him. Too late.
Another crack of gunfire. She was close
Jade ditched her bloody clothes and dressed quickly. The top was a little tight across the breasts, but she wasn’t about to be complaining.
Not even close.
She eased up the stairs and then out onto the balcony. Her gaze swept the crowd below. She saw a large, rippling mass of bodies. Laughter. Drinking. Kisses.
Then . . .
Az.
He stood in the middle of the crowd, silent, strong, and he was staring right up at her.
Her heart seemed to stop. His stare was so hot, even across that stream of bodies. It almost seemed like she could feel the burn of his gaze and the heat from his touch.
Fear? Yeah, she feared him. How could she not, after everything that had happened? But, she wanted him, too. In that instant, Jade realized that she wanted Az far more than she feared him. Dangerous, but . . .
She wasn’t exactly the type to play things safe. Her reckless side was part of her problem.
He’s the key. Use him. They can’t hurt him.
But. . .
But her gaze darted over Az’s shoulder, and she saw two familiar figures moving toward him through the wild crush of the crowd. The figures were steadily closing in on their prey. Az was focused on her. He didn’t even know that danger was right there.
Riley and Anton, two of Brandt’s vicious packmates, were stalking toward him. Their gazes were on him. Even far away, she could see the flash of their claws.
“No!” Jade shouted as she gripped the wrought-iron balcony railing.
But the crowd below her just cheered. Az didn’t move.
He’d touched and killed, but what would happen when he didn’t have the chance to strike first?
Jade didn’t want to find out. “Riley, Anton!” She screamed their names. “Here I am, bastards!”
More roars from the crowd. They would yell at anything. But she knew the shifters heard her because their gazes ripped away from Az and locked right on her.
“Leave him alone.” She knew her words would be lost to the madness of the crowd, but those shifters with their enhanced senses, if they couldn’t hear her actual words, then they’d still be able to read her lips.
Riley smiled at her, and shook his head. Then he brought his claws up to his throat and mimicked slicing across his neck.
Bastard.
Az was not going to die while she watched.
C HAPTER F OUR
T he crowd’s roar drowned out her screams. Az began walking toward her. The shifters kept stalking behind him.
No, no, no.
“Behind you!” Jade yelled as loudly as she could. “They are right behind you !”
Az didn’t glance back. This was not working. Her gaze darted below her. Okay, that was just a one story drop. She’d survive that fall, right? Maybe with a few broken bones, maybe just with some bruises. She could do this.
She had to do this.
Drawing in a shaky breath, Jade climbed over the railing. The crowd cheered louder. Louder .
She jumped.
And was caught by three guys. What the hell? They swung her around, cheering.
Crazy assholes. But they had just saved her some hurt. So she placed a fast kiss on the nearest cheek and leapt out of those cradling arms. Then Jade started running for Az. “They’re after you, they’re—”
A gunshot ripped through the crowd. The blast of the gunshot finally— finally— brought silence.
Silence that lasted for only a moment’s time because then another shot thundered in the air.
Jade’s eyes were on Az so she saw the jerk of his body as the bullet tore into him.
Then the screaming started, as the shock melted away from the revelers. The humans scrambled, running, shrieking, dropping their drinks and their beads as they rushed away from the gunfire.
Desperate to get to Az’s side, Jade shoved her way through them. My fault. This was what happened to men who tried to play her white knight.
They wound up stained with blood.
Her side ached as she rushed toward him. He was slowly turning around now, finally facing the bastards who were after him. Too late.
Another crack of gunfire. She was close
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