Checkmate by Annmarie McKenna Page B

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