Brink Of Passion (Alpine Woods Shifters) (24 page)

They stood, Laurie clutching Max’s forearm with both hands, until the sound of the elevator doors closed behind him. She closed her eyes as his breath warmed her ear. Her heart soared.

He loved her. Yes, there were still problems to resolve. A killer to find. But they would solve it. Laurie refused to entertain any other option. They were strong together.

His mouth closed over the top of her ear, causing a shiver to snake down her spine. Warm and wet, his tongue caressed the area before his teeth closed on it sharply. She gasped at the dual sensations.

“How badly are you hurt?”

“A bruise on my hip where it met the sidewalk. Nothing more.”

Silence descended. Neither moved from their embrace.

“Are you lying to me?” he finally asked.

“No.” Laurie paused, then rolled her eyes even though he stood behind her. “It’s sore. Really sore. I’ll shift a few times tonight and it will be fine by morning.” Although it wouldn’t heal more serious wounds, shifting did speed up the healing process for minor injuries.

“Wait until after the meeting with the others. I want your input.”

Pride swelled in her chest. He wanted her involved in the plan to capture their attacker. She felt his trust bloom inside her. Contentment filled her, making her feel settled and secure in a way she hadn’t since moving to New York. Since before that. If she were honest, even as secure as she’d felt in Alpine Woods, things hadn’t been the same since her conflict with her brother’s future mate. For the first time in too long, she felt important.

“Is that okay?” Max asked when she didn’t speak.

“That’s perfect,” she murmured, turning to face him, but the movement jarred her sore hip and she winced. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Max frown. Before she knew it, his hands were reaching for the zipper of her jeans.

“Hey, wait!” But he ignored her, brushing her hands away and pulling her pants down. Laurie flushed in embarrassment as he knelt down and examined her hip up close. She heard his sharp inhale as he saw the size of her bruise. She raised her gaze to the ceiling. Earlier, when the paramedics had examined her, it had just begun to purple. She could only imagine how it looked after some time had passed. Hopefully not too much worse. It had been gruesome enough at that time.

“Damn.”

Laurie cringed, waiting for his condemnation. A soft touch made her glance down as Max placed a butterfly kiss against the injury. The gentleness of the gesture, as well as the significance, almost brought tears to her eyes. No yelling about putting herself in danger. No condemnation. It felt as though he finally accepted her place in his life. No. As though he accepted
her
. Strengths, weaknesses and all.

“It will heal,” she whispered, sliding a hand into his hair.

“I hate to see you in pain.” Another kiss. “We still have time before Tyler and the others get here. Why don’t you shift once beforehand? It will help with the stiffness.”

He was right. And as much as she wanted to rip his clothes off and have her way with him after hearing him say he loved her, she wasn’t up to it at the moment.

“You sure?” she asked.

“Positive.” He stood and backed away from her, but Laurie drew him in for a quick kiss. Her lips lingered on his as she pulled away.

“I love you,” she told him firmly. The first time she hadn’t yelled it or worded it as a question. The light shining from his eyes at the declaration made her glad she’d taken the time to repeat the simple phrase.

“I love you too, wildfire.”

She pulled him in for one more kiss, before pushing him away. If she wanted to shift, she’d have to do it quickly. Time was ticking down until the others arrived.

Chapter 16

Max moved toward the kitchen, his emotions in turmoil. Knowing Laurie loved him made his heart soar. But the fear of almost losing her made his stomach churn with dread.

He gripped the kitchen counter until his knuckles turned white. Thankfully, she was safe. He owed Tyler more than he could ever hope to repay for saving her.

How could he protect her from something he couldn’t see? The attacker had gotten to him, not once, not twice, but three times. This afternoon, he’d almost gotten Laurie and Tyler.

Anger overshadowed the fear in his gut. He would find this fucker. And when he did, God help him, because Max would kill the bastard. If the man had stuck to attacking him, he could have turned him over to the shifter council and let them deal with him, but the man had gone after Laurie and Ryan and Tyler. No one went after his family.

The cracks and pops tapered off behind him, signaling the end of Laurie’s shift. It would have been painful this time, with her hip injured. Even knowing the shift would help her heal, he couldn’t bear to watch, knowing the normally comfortable stretching sensation would have stung. He never wanted to see her in pain.

He turned once they’d stopped and stared at the gray timber wolf panting on his living room floor. She rested on her stomach, a goofy grin on her face.

As if sensing, or maybe smelling, the presence of a new animal, a low whine sounded from upstairs. Both turned at the sound. Max glanced at Laurie questioningly. She turned in a circle and play bowed.

Just like that, his spirit lifted. Yep, he loved her. Needed her in his life. He’d protect her, no matter what.

“Okay, I’ll let her out.”

Kitty bounded down the stairs ahead of him. He heard playful growls as she no doubt jumped on Laurie. Making his way down, he saw them wrestling as they ran around the room. He paused, smiling at their antics. First Laurie would chase Kitty, they’d wrestle a bit, then Laurie would run and Kitty would chase her.

The elevator dinged, signaling someone’s arrival. Max frowned, glancing at his watch. Fifteen minutes had passed. Far from the forty-five Tyler had promised them. Direct access to his floor was limited to family. Only something terrible would cause him to come back early.

Fearing the worst, Max hurried down the rest of the stairs. Even Laurie and Kitty paused to stare at the entryway arch.

Halfway across the room, Max stopped as Leah poked around the corner. Tears glittered in her eyes, and her hands were clasped nervously in front of her.

“Leah? What’s wrong?”

“Max…” Her voice broke on a sob. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Her throat contracted as she swallowed. “Do you have a minute?”

*****

The door opened before Tyler could raise his hand to knock. A flustered Colin almost crashed into him as he rushed out the door.

“Damn, you scared the crap outta me,” Colin said, clutching the doorway. Glancing further into the room, Tyler saw Ryan following close behind. Always the easiest of the four to read, anger twisted the lines of his face.

“What’s going on?” Tyler asked.

“We need to talk to Max. Now.” Anxiety infused Ryan’s words.

“He wants to talk to us, too. In forty minutes.”

“Forty minutes?” Colin asked.

“I believe he wanted time to make sure Laurie was okay.” And time to be all lovey-dovey with his mate, but these two didn’t need to know that.

“Why would he need to make sure she’s okay?” Ryan asked.

Tyler opened his mouth, but the creak of a door down the hall reminded him that they weren’t alone on the floor. He waved at Chad as his cousin-in-law left the apartment. Unlike the Premier’s suite, the rest of the leap apartments were smaller, with several to a floor. The three floors below the top suite housed the rest of The Family.

Nodding toward the room, Tyler stepped inside the closed the door behind him. Whatever they had to say was best said in private.

“We were almost run over today.” As he said it, Tyler glanced at his arm where it had scraped the pavement. The paramedics had bandaged it, and the stark white gauze reminded him how close they’d come. He felt no fear. Hadn’t even at the time of the accident.

Weariness filled him. The pain of the injury had nothing over the pain echoing in his heart.

“What?!” Colin and Ryan fired questions at him, but he waved off their concern. Not for the first time, he wondered how long he could continue as he was. The longer he stayed in Manhattan, the more the urge to visit his mate taunted him. But his decision remained strong. Even as it killed him inside, staying away from her was best.

“We’re both fine, but Max called a meeting to discuss the incident.” After that, Tyler remained silent, waiting for the two to fill him in on their news.

“Fine. I suppose it can wait another half hour.”

Ryan looked like he wanted to argue with Colin, but didn’t speak up. Part of the reason Ryan wouldn’t make a good Premier, though he made a great officer, was his instinct to avoid arguments.

The couch beckoned him to rest, but if he sat, he wasn’t sure he could get back up again. Instead, he crossed his arms and glanced between the two.

“What can wait?”

“We got the tox-screen back from the hospital,” Colin stated. “Oleander.”

“Oleander?” Tyler asked, a thread of unease filtering through his brain. Why was that raising red flags? “What is that exactly?”

“A flower.”

Tyler glanced in Ryan’s direction. His gut tightened with dread and disbelief.

“Okay.” If this led where he thought it led… No. He wouldn’t even think about it. There was no way the attacker could be a member of The Family.

“Just like the ones sold in Leah’s flower shop.”

“That doesn’t mean… They must sell oleander in a lot of flower shops.” It simply wasn’t possible. Leah would never betray them like that. She lived for family.

“No, they don’t. We’ve checked. And I don’t know anyone else in the leap who has one in their living room. Not to mention the fact the attackers had to have access to the Premier Suites in order to plant the poison in Max’s coffee cup.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“We didn’t want to either, but the speed of the gunman, the knowledge of security cameras and access to upstairs, the poison, it all fits.” Colin’s pained expression let Tyler know how difficult the accusation was for him.

“Yeah, but…Leah?”

*****

“Of course, Leah. Come on in.” Max gestured to the sofa across from Laurie and Kitty, but Leah remained standing, wringing her hands.

Curious and concerned, Laurie jumped off the couch and padded over to stand beside Max. Even in wolf form, she was still mate to the Premier. If something was wrong, she couldn’t stand on the sidelines.

“I think…” She closed her eyes and firmed her shoulders. “No. I
know
who’s been attacking you.”

A growl rumbled in Laurie’s throat, but she cut off before it could fully develop. Anyone could see the misery lining Leah’s face. The agony in her posture. Laurie might not like Leah, but she didn’t hate her, and she couldn’t ignore someone in so much pain.

“How did you know I’ve been… Never mind. Tell me everything.”

Before she could speak, the elevator dinged again. Leah’s eyes widened and she turned toward the archway as Chad came around the corner, a smile on his face.

The clack of gunfire boomed through the room. Uncomprehendingly, Laurie stared at Leah as she collapsed, her face twisted in pain as she clutched her side.

Max started forward, but the gun swung his way, making him pause. Laurie froze, one foot in the air in her own attempt to act.

“Ah, ah, ah. You wouldn’t want to get shot and leave your mate to our mercy would you? Just for the hell of it, I’d leave you alive long enough to hear us torture her.”

Beside her, Kitty growled, her shoulders hunching in a clear warning. Liking the way the dog thought, Laurie prepared herself to attack.

Chad’s brother and an unfamiliar leopard came around the corner, freezing her in her tracks as the word
our
registered. Chad wasn’t acting alone, and three was too many for her to take on. Especially with the gun still pointed at Max. That was a risk she wasn’t willing to take. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Max glance at Leah’s writhing body. Soft whines escaped the woman between sobs.

“Don’t worry. Leah won’t die. She might be an annoying bitch, but she’s a useful one.”

Leah’s cries increased, and Laurie turned to see tears streaming down her face as she stared at her mate.

“Why?” she cried, clutching her stomach where blood darkened her shirt.

“Did you really think I dated you because I was madly in love with you? That I would mate such a selfish, bitchy, snobby woman out of choice?”

Chad’s brother laughed. Even the leopard’s shoulders shook. How could they be so callous toward another’s pain? Did they have feelings at all?

But Chad wasn’t finished, seeming to thrive on his own cleverness at fooling Leah for so long. Fooling them all. Hell, even Laurie had believed his good-guy act. “When I sensed that you were my mate, I was appalled. Until I figured out what it meant. An in with The Family. I bided my time, figuring eventually I’d be accepted as one of you. But you assholes,” he said turning his attention back to Max. “You assholes never acknowledged me.”

“We have always accepted you,” Max said through gritted teeth, anger tightening his face. “Always treated you with respect.”

“Respect?” Chad spit beside Leah’s body. “Fuck respect. I wanted influence! I wanted to help make decisions. To make a difference!”

“And this is the way you make a difference?” Max sneered.

“A hell of a lot better than you. What have you done, really done, since becoming Premier? You sit in your penthouse suite, and meet with other Premiers just to, what? Keep things the same? How does that help anyone but yourself and your family?”

“If you didn’t like the way the Leap was run, you always had the option to leave. You and your brothers,” he said, glancing at the other two with him.

“Where? To do what? My family has been in this leap for generations. Before it moved to New York. My family were members of this leap at a time when yours wasn’t considered Family. And you know what? Maybe it’s about time we got some new blood ruling. Someone a bit closer to the average leap members. Someone who knows their concerns and their troubles.”