Enforcer's Heart: (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Stratton Wolves Book 3) Read online

  “Uh-uh. Not happening.” Kelli shook her head, hair dancing around her shoulders as they left the nail salon. “You’re a guest of the pack. What you need, we provide. Besides, shopping? That at least I can do at the moment. Anything more strenuous is out, because of the bump.”

  She rubbed her distended belly as she walked, well, waddled.

  “Hmm, thank you. If you’re sure.” Ce wondered how far along she was. Would it be rude to ask? She didn’t know many pregnant women, or women with kids. Was there some kind of etiquette with the questions? “Do you have long left…”

  “To go? Ugh, thankfully not long now. A couple of weeks, perhaps less…” She smiled indulgently. “It’s a little girl. They’re usually early in my family.”

  Without warning all Ce’s cop senses went into high alert. The sound of roaring engines filled the sleepy town’s main street and a second later three big Harleys thundered into view. Instinctively, she assessed them as they approached. They weren’t doing anything illegal. Yet. But the way they were riding seemed too intent, too aggressive for them to be on a simple little ride through town.

  Movement on the street stopped, all eyes turning toward the bikers but no one went running. Huh, obviously didn’t get too many problems with biker gangs. But then, this was a shifter town so it’d be a tough gang who’d try to set up shop here, especially with Riley around. But still…

  Her eyes narrowed the nearer they got. Was it her imagination or were they edging to this side of the road? Taking a step forward, she reached an arm out to herd Kelli behind her. Sure, the other woman was a shifter and could probably bench press cars for fun, but she was pregnant, which meant all Ce’s protective instincts were in full force.

  The bikers dropped out of formation, one sped up and another fell back so they rode in a line. They were almost level with her and Kelli. As the first one reached them, she caught the movement of an arm and the glint of sunlight off the metal of a barrel.

  “Down!” she bellowed, throwing herself to the side and turning to put her own body between the spray of bullets and Kelli. The sharp rap-rap-rap of gunfire filled her ears and the windows behind them shattered. A woman screamed. Ce didn’t think it was her. She hoped it wasn’t her. She had an image to maintain as a cast-iron bitch cop.

  Then they were past and she turned, a snarl on her lips as she went for her gun…only to find it wasn’t there.

  “Shit!” She ran into the middle of the road, squinting after the bikers and trying to get their plates. Fuckers had some nerve, trying a drive-by shooting in the middle of the goddamn day. All she needed was a few details and they could get an APB out. It was no good though, they were moving too fast and their back tires kicked up too much dust for her to make out the plates.

  “They got away,” she said to Kelli as she returned to the sidewalk. Noting the other woman’s pale face, Ce did a quick visual check. There was no blood and she hadn’t fallen. Looking around, she met the eyes of one of the nail girls through the missing window. “Hey, can we get a chair out here. Kelli? Kelli…are you hurt?”

  Kelli shook her head, blinking as though waking from sleep. Her eyes flared amber. “No. I’m good. But we need to get you looked at. You’re bleeding.”

  “Don’t be stupid,” Ce returned automatically. “I’d know if I’d been hit, been doing this for years. People always love to get off a round or two at the cops. Bullets practically bounce off me.”

  “No, seriously, hun. Look…” Kelli shook her head, her gaze fixed on Ce’s arm.

  She looked down, surprised to see red blossoming over her shirt sleeve. “Huh… okay. Why is that not hurting?”

  The girl emerged from the shop with a chair in her hands. As soon as it was put on the ground, Kelli urged Ce into it. As she sat, the other woman put her hand over the bloodied, torn area on Ce’s upper arm. Fire and agony stabbed through the limb, making her gasp.

  “Fuck! Now it hurts. Can you not do that again?”

  “Sorry, hun. Pressure and all that. We don’t want your arm to fall off. Can arms fall off due to gunshot wounds?” Kelli asked as she dumped her purse on the ground next to the chair. “Jane, could you get my cell out of there and call Max, please? Tell him we have a problem.”

  Chapter Six

  “Problem?” Max slammed the door as he got out of Riley’s truck. Even though he was pack alpha, he rarely raised his voice. Now, it was an all out bellow as he stalked into the nail bar and toward his very pregnant mate. “You call being shot at a problem? I call it the start of World War fucking Three!”

  Riley followed right on Max’s heels. His attention wasn’t on his sister though. With Max on the warpath as he was, no one was getting anywhere near Kelli anytime soon. He just hoped the guy calmed before she went into labor. Hospitals, as a rule, tended to get a little pissy with relatives who tried to rip the heads off the delivery doctors.

  No, Riley’s attention was all for the silent, pale-looking woman who sat on the chair next to a standing Kelli. For a moment irritation surged. His sister was pregnant, her belly enormous and she was constantly tired. Would it have killed their guest to let her sit?

  But then something teased at his sensitive sense of smell and the bottom fell out of his stomach. Blood. He smelled blood. More than that, he smelled Ce’s blood. After last night, her scent and taste were so embedded into his memory that even in a hundred years he’d be able to track her across continents.

  He lurched forward, his wolf taking charge and knocking him out of his semi-paralysis.

  “Ce? Are you okay?” He was on his knees in front of her in an instant. His heart gave another hard squeeze when she just looked at him, her expression a little dazed.

  “I got shot,” she informed him, as though that fact surprised her. “Someone actually shot me.”

  “And here I was thinking a cop would be used to that…” He managed to smile, even though he didn’t feel like it and looked down to examine her arm. Clean towels were wrapped around it, the ends tucked in and the bundle held in place with gauze bandage. It even had a jaunty little bow.

  A neat, if makeshift job, but if it worked who cared. He pried at the edges gently with his fingertips, trying to peek underneath, but his vision was secondary to other senses and the smell of blood wafted up. It had started to seep through the dressing, but his wolf assured him the flow was slowed. Too fast for a human to start healing. She might not be a wolf yet, but already her physiology had started to speed up.

  She snorted. “Yeah, I know right? We get shot at a lot, but I’ve never actually been hit!”

  “Given what could have happened, let’s be glad they were terrible shots.” He was having trouble keeping his voice level and his hands off her. He’d left her with Kelli because he’d been pissed off with her for calling her partner, but when Max told him they’d been shot at—in the middle of town of all places— all he and his wolf could think of was getting back to her. And if he thought Kelli had a masters degree in nagging, then it was nothing compared to the creature within him.

  Still, the fact that she’d called Tom or whatever his name was still niggled at him. The affection and trust in her voice, and the fact she had contacted him rather than a member of her family had been eating at Riley’s gut since he’d left her.

  But he’d never expected anyone to try… This.

  “Indeed,” Max dropped into a squat next to Riley. “Want to tell me what happened?”

  Instantly, the dazed expression faded from her face, her voice professional and calm when she answered.

  “Kelli and I were out on the street when I heard the sound of bike engines. Harleys. No idea what type, just big.” She looked up as workmen filed through the main door carrying sheets of plywood to board up the broken window. They nodded to Max and Riley, then went about their business without a word.

  Ce cleared her throat and carried on. “I don’t know why but I had an odd feeling about them, so I moved closer to cover Kelli.”

  Riley he
ard the slight catch in Max’s breath. She might not have realized it, but with that one simple act, Ce had gained Max’s respect, and he was a hard man to impress. Riley felt his chest expand with pride at his “charge.” She wasn’t fully turned, but she’d still put herself in danger to protect Kelli without a thought.

  “They slowed. All big men, plus six foot easily. Wearing cuts but without badges. And they looked new, not worn. No helmets, but glasses. One with a full facial beard. Another had a tattoo wrapped around his upper arm. Nearest arm to me, so that would be the right.”

  Her voice grew calmer as she rattled off details, obviously sliding deeper into her cop persona. Maybe. Riley watched her like a hawk. The paleness of her skin due to the blood loss and the tiny waiver of her bottom lip bothered him. On impulse, he reached for her hand. A thrill rolled through him when she accepted his touch without question. Slid her fingers between his.

  “Then?” he urged. They could pull the security camera feeds from the buildings, but that would take time. Besides, with her background, she could have insight they wouldn’t get from the digital feed.

  “They dropped out of the three across formation. One went in front, one dropped behind. Pulled handguns, started firing.” She frowned, her gaze unfocused as though she was looking into the past. Riley was impressed, she had excellent recall. Definitely a bonus in her line of work. “The first one couldn’t have got off more than a couple of shots before he passed us, but the whole move was practiced. Had to be, otherwise they’d have gotten in each other’s line of fire.”

  Max nodded, his expression preoccupied. Riley knew that look. Max knew or suspected something about the attack.

  “Fuck.” Ce dropped her head back. “If I’d just had my gun, then I’d have popped the back tire on the last one and we’d have an ID and an arrest.”

  Both male wolves nodded, while Kelli avoided eye contact, none of them willing to clue her in that there would have been no arrest . Just a body for the next of kin to identify. If anyone turned up.

  “Wait…what? I thought you said you didn’t shoot a lot?” Riley asked. “You’re telling me you’re good enough to shoot out a tire on a moving target?”

  She shot him an amused look. “Actually I said I didn’t get hit a lot. My target scores are the best in the department.”

  “What?” He couldn’t help the question or the hint of jealousy that colored his voice. “Even better than loverboy Tom? Can’t be much of a man… First doesn’t protect you from a shifter, then he’s a shit shot.”

  Anger flared in her eyes, lightening them by several shades. “Tom could shoot a flea off your back at a hundred yards,” she said, her voice cold. “I could give you a shave and a haircut while I’m at it. And for your information, Captain FA, I don’t need a man to save me from anything.”

  “Captain FA?” He would regret asking, he knew he would.

  “Captain Furry Asshole,” his sister added helpfully, and with more than a little glee. “I have to say it rather suits you.”

  Even his glare didn’t stop her giggles. In fact, it only made them worse, until tears streamed down her cheeks. Ce wasn’t laughing. Instead, she studied everything in the room but him. With a sigh, he turned his attention to Max.

  “What do you think, boss?”

  “I need to make some calls.” The alpha’s demeanor was grim. “They knew the lay of the land and Kelli’s schedule so that means someone, somewhere, talked. Until we find out who, I suggest you take Ce up to the cabin. Kelli, you and the kids will be visiting Kristen at her beach house for a while. At least until this dies down. And I know you’ve been dying to see her. No!” he growled when she started to argue. Then his voice softened and he stood to take her in his arms.

  “You’re my entire world…I can’t do this with you and the pups in danger.” His hand dropped to stroke over her belly. “All of them.”

  Riley looked away, feeling like he was intruding on a private moment. His gaze collided with Ce’s and his wolf surged, trying to break his control. He relented enough to let it take a peek through his eyes. It grumbled but didn’t struggle, seemingly content with reassuring itself she was okay.

  “That’s the plan then,” Max said, arm still around Kelli as he turned back to them. “I’ll deal with this side, you get our guest up to the cabin…Captain,” he added with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

  Riley sighed.

  He was never going to live that down.

  ***

  When Max had said the pack had a cabin in the hills, Ce imagined a quaint little log built affair with cute quartered windows and mismatched curtains. The type of woodsman’s cabin featured in soppy chick flicks. Or horror movies, but she really didn’t think even a hardened serial killer wanted to take on a pack of werewolves.

  What she hadn’t imagined was a freaking palace with remote controlled gates.

  “This is the cabin?” she asked, her voice more of a squeak as Riley threw the remote back on the dashboard. Up ahead, an imposing structure played peekaboo through the trees. Two-story with wraparound panoramic windows, it would be the closest thing to actually living in the forest, for about a hundred people.

  “Yeah,” Riley’s reply was non-committal, all his attention on the dirt track in front of him.

  “That,” she paused for emphasis. “Is not a cabin. Nothing that fits my entire apartment block in it can possibly be described as a ‘cabin.’ What the hell do you people do with something that big? Hire it out for weddings?”

  “Nah, we hold orgies and BDSM parties here.”

  Her head whipped around. He caught her amazed stare and laughed, the muscles in his forearm bunching as he put the big truck into park. “You should see your expression now. No darlin’, we don’t hire out for weddings or hold orgies or anything. But when the full moon rises and the pack runs, we need a place to crash after. Somewhere private and close to nature.”

  He leaned on the steering wheel, arms crossed and blue eyes piercing as he looked at her. As though he could see into her soul to the wildness growing ever stronger there.

  She swallowed. She’d been so convinced this was all a horrible mistake. Sure, she’d been “bitten” but it was a little scrape, barely more than a paper cut across her skin… there was no way she’d have gotten the lycan virus from something so small, surely?

  Since this whole thing had begun, she’d told herself it was all about people being too careful. Taking no chances in case she had been infected, but that infection was just a minute, outside possibility. The full moon would come and go without incident. She wouldn’t go four-legged and furry…it would all be hunky-dory and she could go back to her normal life.

  But looking into Riley’s eyes, set in a face a model would envy and a body that would make any hot-blooded woman sit up and take notice, she had to admit there might be a few advantages to the furry life.

  “Yeah, it is close to nature.”

  Suddenly the truck cab felt too enclosed and small. As though the tiny space were getting smaller, crushing the life out of her. Gasping for breath, she yanked on the door handle and fell out to escape.

  As soon as her hands hit the dirt, something shifted sharply within her. The change so abrupt and knifelike she gasped, fighting for breath.

  “Shit! Ce? Ce…are you all right?” The truck’s other door opened and slammed shut. The sound of Riley’s boots on the packed dirt were like hammer blows to her sensitive hearing.

  “Hey, darlin’. It’s okay. I got you.”

  Within a heartbeat he was there, lifting her with strong arms into his embrace. Instinct made her turn to him, the same changes that scared the crap out of her, also telling her he would help. That he might be the only one who could.

  She shoved the thought away. What the hell was wrong with her? Was she sick? Had the bullet that had grazed her arm been poisoned? Could bullets be poisoned, or was that just in the movies? Her mind raced a mile a minute, feeding possibilities to her, each with a more horrific
outcome than the last. Oh shit, she was going to die…

  “Look at me, darlin’. You okay?”

  She lifted her head to meet his gaze and sucked a breath as shock washed over his features. Almost instantly, his expression tightened, hardened, and his eyes flared amber, no blue left.

  “Oh, shit,” she moaned as fire washed over her skin. Skin that felt three sizes too small and scratchy. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

  A small muscle in the corner of his jaw pulsed. She couldn’t look away, the temptation to lean forward and press her lips against it almost running away with her.

  “Not bad, exactly.” His voice was hoarse, a low, growly note in it that she hadn’t heard before. Her body clenched in response, her clit throbbing in time with her pulse. “You’re turning, Ce. Faster than I’ve ever seen it happen. You’ve already gone into needing.”

  *

  “Needing? What’s that?” Her voice was husky with her emerging wolf and he had to fight back the howl that wanted to climb the inside of his throat. A howl that, should it emerge, would quickly turn into a howl of possession and claiming. And after Jenna, he had no right to be claiming anyone. His wolf growled, not wanting to think about that bitch and Ce in the same thought.

  She was so delicate in his arms, but at the same time she’d shown such strength of character and personality that even human, she would have tempted him to break his own rules about dating non-shifters. The fact she was undergoing conversion—that already her wolf was powerful enough to push her into her first needing, something that shouldn’t happen until at least a year after infection—almost shattered his control on the spot.

  He held still for a moment as his wolf snarled and fought him. It wanted to claim the female. Now. Before she turned completely and any other males got near.