“What the hell?” Bonzo swung around.
The Kurjan hissed and pulled out a gun. Almost in unison, the two riders, who were somehow navigating the middle of the alley side by side, reached into their pockets and pulled out weapons. Green lasers instantly fired through the night, hitting all three Kurjans and then all four shifters before any of them could get off a shot.
Leah frantically searched for an escape. Those were immortal-injuring guns. The lasers turned into metal upon hitting immortal flesh, and all the males around her dropped, still in the act of reaching for their weapons.
The two on the motorcycles, their heads covered by helmets, continued to fire. Damn it. She turned and leaped over one of the shifters, then pivoted and ran down an alley—this one also lacking any light. Both motorcycles followed her. She didn’t know who they were, but they were no doubt another Kurjan faction. Rumor had it they were working in small vigilante groups these days.
She ducked her head and ran as fast as she could, reaching a rickety fire escape. Using all her strength, she jumped and grasped the bottom rung, pulling it down so she could climb. If she could reach the roof, she could find a quicker way out.
One of the riders manacled her waist in one smooth motion and pulled her onto the bike in front of him before she could climb a rung. She shrieked and struggled, but he banded one iron-strong forearm around her waist and pulled her against his hard body before plopping his helmet onto her head and swiftly fastening it under her chin as he sped down the midnight-black alley.
She paused, and her ears heated. They’d only spent one night together, but she knew this male. His scent wrapped around her, and her body turned to lava as if she’d been waiting for him with every heartbeat. “Jasper,” she whispered.
* * * *
Jasper had never been this pissed off in his entire life. He held the struggling bundle in front of him as he maneuvered the dangerous streets of Paris to reach a tall and luxurious building. There, he parked, tossed his key to the valet, threw his wayward mate over his shoulder, and stalked into the beautiful vestibule without saying a word.
She fought furiously, beating her head, still safely ensconced in his helmet, against his lower back. He ignored her and the shocked looks of everyone in the lobby as he strode to the elevator with his brother, Dax, loping along next to him.
Jasper stabbed at the button for the penthouse, temper heating his blood.
Dax snorted next to him, and it was all Jasper could do not to punch him in the face.
Meanwhile, Leah somehow managed to get the helmet off and threw it on the tile floor, bashing her fists against the top of his ass.
“Knock it off,” he said.
She growled. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
He shook his head. She had the audacity to be angry?
Dax wisely bit back a smile and leaned against the side of the elevator until the doors opened. They walked out.
“I’ll catch up with you two later,” he said, amusement far too evident in his voice as he strode across the expansive living area to one of the many bedrooms, easily sidestepping a series of blue and yellow Legos on his way.
Jasper walked toward the back of a sofa and flipped Leah over his shoulder to land safely on the thick cushions. Her wild hair flew all around her, and she pushed it out of the way before jumping to her feet, turning, and facing him. “What are you doing here?” She threw a teddy bear at him.
He caught it and gently placed the toy on the sofa table.
God, she was glorious. Her hair was thick and black, curling slightly as it hung down her back, and her eyes… Those eyes had haunted his moments—day and night—for far too long. They were dark brown like the mysterious depths of the cosmos, far beyond what the human eye could discern. Yet a light lived in them—one that had always entranced him. She was of average height, maybe five feet six inches, and her skin was smooth over sharply angled features.
She glanced beyond him to the door, obviously measuring the distance.
“Not a chance in hell.” He unzipped his leather jacket and tossed the heavy material to the floor.
She shook her finger at him. “Why are there teddy bears and Legos all over this place?”
Truth be told, books, tiny cars, Legos,andstuffed animals were strewn across the luxurious penthouse living room. “It’s Benjamin Reese’s property. He invests heavily in real estate and often lets us bunk at one of his places for a night or two.” Jasper flicked a glance at a miniature science set shoved into the corner. “I think he and his mate are trying to populate the world with miniature Benjamins. They have at least three boys, if not four. Maybe five by now.” Which was rare in the immortal world, and frankly frightening, considering Benny had never been all that stable or sane. Still, the guy did share his properties with all his friends.
Leah took a deep breath. “That’s great. We should vacate this place and give Benjamin and his progeny their home back.”
Benny was probably already back in the States, and Jasper had more important problems right now. His irritation had finally simmered enough that he could talk rationally. “What the hell did you think you were doing in that alley this late at night?”
She smacked both hands against her forehead as if she couldn’t believe his lack of intelligence. “I was trying to catch a Kurjan.”
The words echoed in his head several times as his temper spiraled into an unhealthy zone. “You were trying to catch a Kurjan,” he repeated slowly. There was no way he had heard that correctly.
“Yes,” she said. “And you completely messed up my very strategic plan.”
