“I’ve asked someone to come along with another car.They’ll drive this back to the compound, and we’ll take the fresh one.”
Relief rushed through her and she opened the door, stumbling out onto the road.
Shawn yelled, “Get back in the damn car, El!”
She shook her head, drowning in panic.“No.Not with him there.”
In less than two minutes, both men were out on the side of the road with her.She could tell they both wanted her back in the vehicle, and that both wanted to hug her, but she wanted neither.She wrapped herself up in a self-comforting hug and waited for the SUV to come roaring down the road.
When the driver jumped out, Ryan muttered to him, “Take it back to the compound.Adam’s called the right people.”The new guy eyed them all, but didn’t start screaming when he saw the corpse in the passenger seat, just hopped in and took off, leaving them with a squeaky-clean ride.
“I appreciate you trying, but if you get involved, there will be press coverage,” Shawn advised Ryan as he herded El into the new SUV.
It was ridiculously similar to the one that drove off.Considering she knew hers was specially fabricated to be like a small tank, it spoke loudly of Ryan’s wealth if he owned one too.
“There always is,” El whispered bitterly, and she tightened her fingers on her clutch purse.“The press are always everywhere.I’m so sorry about this, Ryan.I wish I could…”
He immediately shook his head.“You need never apologize for something that isn’t your fault.”
“This is part and parcel of living with me, of being with me,” she murmured, keeping her gaze trained on her knees.“How many kidnapping threats this year, Shawn?”
“El, that’s neither here nor…”
“How many?”she butted in, tone harsh.
“Twelve.”
“And it’s not even July yet,” she said on a disgusted huff.
“You’ll be safer once you’re claimed.”
If Shawn’s brows could go any higher, they’d be kissing his widow’s peak.But that was nothing to her eyes.They were aching from being flared so wide.“Claimed?”she demanded, tone husky.
Ryan nodded, totally at ease as he rested his elbows on his knees and stared through the console out onto the road ahead as Shawn set off.“Next left, straight for two miles, and then a right.That puts you onto the subdivision.I’ll direct further when we get there.”
So saying, he settled back in his seat, cocked his leg so he could turn toward her fully, and murmured, "I have a lot to explain.”
“Ya think?”she retorted, then her gaze flashed over to the passenger seat where Jamie’s slumped corpse had been in the other car, and the insanity of the past five minutes hit her like a tidal wave.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Ryan whispered, hustling over to her side of the SUV and curling his arm about her shoulder to tug her into him.
She didn’t know why she let him, but she just did.El huddled into him, loving the embrace, the truth of it.He wanted to be here.He wasn’t puking his guts out in fear, wasn’t even taken aback at what had just happened.
Was this where she’d been going wrong?
She’d been looking for a partner in a human dating pool.Apparently, she had to go all Laurell K Hamilton and pick up some kind of paranormal for them to accept the cray cray that was part and parcel of her everyday life.
She hiccupped a laugh.Was that what they were called, she wondered?Paranormals?
Nestling into him, she pushed her face into his throat.The move had her breath brushing his skin and when he shuddered, she was too close not to notice.
“What’s wrong?”she whispered.
“That’s a very sensitive area, and I’m very receptive to you right now.”
“Just right now?”El asked, uncertain where the purr had come from in her voice.
“Always,” came the husky retort, and she felt his lips brush her temple.“But now more than ever.Adrenaline,” he said ruefully.“Plus, my Lion is… Well, he’s raw.Ready to defend you to the death.”
