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 the 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
“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 the 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
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