Blood drops.
She locked onto those red drops and raced along the spattered trail. Austin had cut her hero too deeply. With that kind of wound, it was amazing that Az could walk at all. She’d been sure Austin had severed his spine—or come real close—but Az had acted like the wound had barely troubled him. An attack that brutal would have crippled her.
Az had killed with a touch. He’d been super strong. And he had amazing endurance.
Oh, yeah, he was the man she’d been dreaming of for years—the man who could finally help her.
Not. Getting. Away. When a girl had been waiting as long as she had for her hero to show up, she didn’t let the guy fly away.
Police cruisers whipped by her. Jade hunched her shoulders and rushed forward even faster. The blood twisted down an alley. Great. Another alley that reeked of piss. Why couldn’t just one ever smell like roses?
Her speed slowed way down as she entered the alley. Not rushing anymore, but more like creeping now as she carefully followed the blood trail. As far as she could tell, there was no way out of this dead-end alley. Red bricks stared back at her and her throbbing forehead reminded her that she’d already gotten up close and personal with the hard edge of bricks once and—
An arm snaked around her and hauled Jade up against a very big, very, very strong male body. There was no chance to scream—not that she’d been planning to scream—because a heavy hand covered her mouth.
“I told you to flee.” His low, rumbling voice.
But then she’d known Az’s touch instantly. There was no mistaking that deadly strength.
“You should have listened to me.” His breath blew over her ear, and she felt the lightest touch of his lips against her lobe. Jade couldn’t help it, she shivered. Her ear had always been a weak spot.
Besides, if Az wasn’t the type of man to make a woman shiver, no one was. Tall, strong, with a face sculpted to perfection, the guy was walking, talking sex appeal. And danger.
Why, why did she always have to want the dangerous ones? She should have learned her lesson by now. Should have fallen for a quiet accountant somewhere.
But if she had, the quiet accountant would have ended up dead—thanks to me.
Better to stick to the ass-kicking type of man.
She opened her mouth to talk and realized, yep, his hand was still over her mouth. More sirens wailed in the distance. Jade tensed, hoping none of those cops felt the urge to search the area, or, oh, follow the trail of blood that led straight to them.
When Az eased his grip, she took a deep breath, and her tongue snaked out just a little and licked his palm.
Maybe that move hadn’t exactly been accidental on her part.
Seduce. Use. Betray.
Some days, it was just her motto. If she’d been a good girl, she would have been dead long ago. Jade had learned that the bad girls lived longer.
Az sucked in a sharp breath at the sensual touch, and Jade felt the unmistakable response of his body behind her. Now that was interest—
He spun her around—spun them around—and pinned her against the bricks. He glared at her, those sky blue eyes of his so bright in the growing dawn. Too bright.
“You don’t want to play with me.” His voice probably would have frightened small children.
Good thing she wasn’t a kid. And, um, who said she was playing? “Y-you saved me.” He had. So impressive. “A-and you were hurt.” She didn’t even have to fake the tremble in her voice. Running from the cops often made her voice all trembly. It was that wild fear/adrenaline combo.
He glared down at her. “I heal fast.”
Wonderful. Extra bonus for them. She licked her lips, and his gaze flickered down at the movement of her tongue. Even better. This morning—minus the mild concussion and near dismemberment—was rocking for her. “Yeah, well, while you’re healing, you’re also leaving a trail of blood all over town.”
His brows pulled together as he tossed a glance at the blood that littered the ground near them.
“And cops are probably raiding your place right now,” she continued, talking too fast. But they needed to move. “So why don’t you let me take you someplace safe? You can finish healing, clean up the blood . . .”
His gaze searched hers. “You want to . . . help me?”
Not exactly. “Yes.” She smiled at him. Jade hoped the smile looked innocent. She’d been told before that she could fake innocent pretty well. Okay, except for the eyes. Her eyes always screwed things up for her, so she carefully lowered her gaze. “You saved me. Now let me return the favor.”
He didn’t speak.
So she took his hand. Jade carefully laced her fingers with his. The guy’s hand swallowed hers. His touch also made her heart beat way too fast.
“You shouldn’t touch me.” His words came out sounding gruff.
Now she forced herself to meet his eyes. “I’m not afraid of you. You saved me.” If it hadn’t been for him, she would have been on her way back to hell.
“You should fear me.” He tried to pull his hand away.
She tightened her grip. “And you should learn to trust other people.”
The wail of a siren drifted in the air. Jade tensed. The chitchat was fun, but . . . “We need to get out of here.”
His bright gaze raked her once more. But, after the briefest of hesitations, he nodded.
Yes.
“I’ve got a car waiting,” she told Az as she pulled him behind her. Good thing she’d stashed her ride close by, before the crazy shifter attack. She and Az could hop into the car and head out. Then he could just bleed in the vehicle and stop that dripping trail of blood. “In ten minutes, we’ll be safe.”
Well, as safe as they could be with one very angry pack of panther shifters after them.
Normally, panthers were a solitary breed. But if they got a strong alpha to lead them—a sick f**k who knew all about control—then they’d band together and make life hell for everyone else.
These particular panther shifters had been after her for years. Always hunting. Destroying everything and everyone in their path.
Some guys just had a real hard time letting go . . .
So you had to kill them in order for the message to sink in.
“Come on,” she whispered. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Before another hunt began.
“Austin’s dead.”
Brandt Dupre glanced up at the announcement. The swamp waited behind him, bloody with the fire of the rising sun. He cocked a brow as he studied the panther shifter before him. Riley was practically vibrating with rage, probably because the blood and bruises on his body indicated the guy had just gotten his ass seriously kicked.