“The shifters are after you because of your mate?” Jared asked, his breath brushing Ronni’s hair.
“Put me down,” Ronni muttered.
“Quiet.” Jared emphasized the order with a hard shake. “Ginny?”
The blonde nodded. “Yes. It’s a long and sordid tale of families at war. You know. Typical of our people. I think I can handle it.”
Wow. Look who was all independent all of a sudden. Ronni cleared her throat, feeling like a rag doll suspended in the air.
Jared ignored her. “I can’t let you take on a shifter by yourself.”
Theo grasped the blonde’s arm. “I’ve got this. Take it as a mating gift.”
Ginny jerked free. “I don’t need your assistance, Reese junior.”
“Too fuckin’ bad,” Theo snapped. “Let’s go to the safe house, and we’ll figure it out.”
Ronni swallowed.
Ginny stopped struggling. “I’m finally trying to leave you, and now you want to get involved. Release me. Now.”
Sincere. For the first time, the woman sounded sincere. Ronnie tried to read her, to get an emotion, but everything was just too jumbled.
Theo growled. “The shifters are now after me, so we’re hitting the safe house and you’re going to tell me everything.” Anger buzzed along his voice, and he looked every inch the dangerous vampire.
“What a kind offer.” Ginny smiled, transforming her face into sheer beauty, even with the sarcasm. “Jared? Tell your brother to back off, please.”
Jared was silent for a moment. “We’ll meet you at the safe house, Theo. In about an hour.”
Ginny frowned. Theo took her arm and opened the door. Seconds later, they were gone.
Jared lowered Ronni and flipped her around, planting her on her feet. His eyes glinted a deadly black, and even barely dressed, danger oozed from him. “What the hell were you thinking?”
Chapter 9
Ronni’s mouth dropped open, and pain sliced through her heart. The man was mad at her because she’d fought with his precious Ginny? “Screw you, Jared.” She tried to shove away from him, but he manacled her biceps and held her in place. Easily.
He gave her a slight shake. “Your heart is still mending.” He bit out each word with a low growl.
She frowned. “Huh?”
He gave her a slight shake, as if he couldn’t help himself. “You’re not healed yet, and you just got in a fistfight with a four-hundred-year-old witch. Where in the hell is your damn brain?”
She blinked. “You’re worried aboutme?”
He looked at her like she’d completely gone insane. “Yes. One of us has to worry about you. You’re crazy. Nuttier than a fucking fruitcake. You’ve got bats in the belfry. You’re off the wall. Around the bend.” He sucked in air. “Or in the vernacular of the day, you’re fucking cray cray.”
She couldn’t think. Had a four-hundred-year-old vampire just called hercray cray?“You’ve lost your mind,” she stuttered.
“Yes. Yes, I have,” he said, his eyes wild. “One week of being mated to you and I’ve lost any semblance of sanity I ever had. Listen here, woman. I’m wild. I’m the crazy one. You will not turn me in to the voice of reason. I won’t allow it.”
She breathed out. The man was completely losing it. “Maybe you should sit down.”
He looked at the disaster in the living room and then back to her. Reaching out, he gently wiped blood off her lip. “You were fighting over me.” Amusement finally darkened his tone and brought him back to reality.
“Were not,” she snapped, her lip tingling.
“Were too.” He leaned in and licked her mouth.
