Fury of Desire

hung out to dry. Her ass in the sling. So for him to pooh-pooh her concern, flush all she’d worked so hard to achieve down the toilet? Well…

The dismissal pissed her off. Pushed all the wrong buttons. Now all she wanted to do was wind up, let loose, and knock some sense into him. Too bad that time had come and gone. With the jailbreak in full swing, she was pretty much screwed. The cops wouldn’t understand or believe the escape hadn’t been her idea. So instead of the scathing comeback he deserved, she said, “I’m serious.”

Amusement sparked in his eyes. “I can see that.”

“You know what I said about you being nice before?”

“Yeah.”

“I take it back.”

“I’m relieved. About time you pulled your head out of your…” Dark brows furrowed, Wick trailed off. He tilted his head, almost as if he was listening to something, and J.?J. got a bad, bad feeling. “Shit.”

Bingo. Score one for women’s intuition. The intensity of his tone said it all. Trouble. A lot of it headed their way. “What is it?”

“Company.” A muscle twitched along his jaw. He tugged his hand away from hers. Each breath sawing in her throat, J.?J. clung a moment, then let go. As a whisper of pain returned, he met her gaze. “Whatever happens, vanzala, keep your head down. Don’t make a sound. It’s about to get rough.”

“Oh my God.”

The police.

Her heart beating an erratic pace, J.?J. glanced out the rear window. Nothing yet. No wail of sirens or revolving splashes of flashing lights, but she knew they were coming. It was only a matter of time before the SPD closed in and…

She curled her arms against her chest. God. She was so screwed. About to be caught, cuffed, and sent back to prison. For a very long time.

Dread spiraled deep, causing a nasty chain reaction. One that tightened her throat and made panic rise. Tears surfaced in an irrepressible wave. And as moisture pricked the corners of her eyes, J.?J. shook her head. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. Less than a day ago, she’d held all the hope in the world. A chance at freedom and a second start in life. And now? All her hard work lay in ruins. Wrecked by a man she didn’t know, but who clearly had an agenda of his own.

11

Shock absorbers working overtime, the SUV sped over another rough patch on the deserted dirt road. Tree trunks and skeletal branches flashed in Wick’s periphery, casting shadows over the forest floor. Headlights turned off, his night vision pinpoint sharp, he scanned the narrow lane ahead, looking for the next turn, and almost snorted.

Lane. Right. A total exaggeration. God-awful trail was a better description.

Cursing under his breath, Wick slowed down to wheel around a rocky outcropping. Pine needles played on the windshield, jumping against glass as the front tires dipped and…

Bam!

Shit. Another pothole, one of many and—

A gasp sounded to his right.

A quick glance confirmed his suspicions. Jamison was in pain, tears welling in her eyes even as she tried to be brave. To ride it out without complaining or distracting him. Wick clenched his teeth, debating. What should he do… reach over? Take her hand again? Or say the hell with it? She was a grown female, for fuck’s sake. Well past the point of babying. More than able to care for herself.

Great argument. One that absolutely worked for him.

Too bad his dragon half didn’t agree. The bastard kept poking him—with a barbed stick—urging him to do something stupid. Like what? Murmur her name. Bridge the distance over the center console to touch her. Soothe her until she believed he wasn’t the enemy, but her only way out.

Totally screwed up reaction? No doubt. He wasn’t anyone’s knight in shining armor.

He was the other guy. The asshole in black. The one who brought death and destruction everywhere he went. The male no female wanted to be near. So the compulsion to reassure her surpassed idiotic to land in laughable. Yet, he couldn’t suppress the urge. And as the beast inside him rose, he did the unthinkable. He reached out and cupped her cheek. Sky-blue eyes glistening with unshed tears, she turned her face into his touch. Her bottom lip quivered, and his heart went tight, balling up inside his chest.

Shit on a stick. He disliked her distress. Hated her fear almost as much as what he was about to do. And what did that entail? Frightening her again by showing her all his cards.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” she asked, her voice less than a whisper. “We’re going to get caught.”

“No, baby.”

“Please don’t lie to me.”

Brushing his thumb over her cheek, Wick shook his head. He should’ve guessed she was astute. Any other time he would’ve admired her for it. He appreciated smart—straightforward too—but not tonight. He preferred she stay oblivious. Or better yet, went back to sleep before she got a look at what hunted them. But inevitable was just that… inevitable. Meant to be, so to speak, so he’d just have to go with it. Make the best of a bad situation while he hoped she didn’t freak out and have a heart attack or something.

Static buzzed between his temples. One eye on the sky through the towering pines, Wick fired up mind- speak. “Venom.”

“What?”

“You busy?”

“Just a tad.” The shriek of claws against scales sounded. A male screamed. Venom grunted and… crack! The snap of bone echoed inside Wick’s head. “One down… two to go. Whatcha need?”

“Backup.” Wick cringed as the word left his mouth. He never asked for help in a firefight. He never needed any. Tonight, though, bypassed normal, heading straight into clusterfuck country. So to hell with his pride. With Jamison curled up beside him in the passenger seat, all bets were off. The more warriors to watch his six so he could protect her, the better. “I got a trio of rogues on my ass.”

“Shite.” Forge snarled and metal rattled, joining a symphony of breaking glass. A wet gurgle sounded as a male choked on his own blood. Wick’s mouth curved. Dollars to donuts, the Scot had just used the sharp side of a building to gut a Razorback. “How much time we got tae get there?”

Hard to tell. With the forest providing cover, it might take a while for the rogues to find the opening they needed to attack. “A couple of minutes… three tops.”

“J.?J.?” Mac asked.

Wick drew a gentle circle on her temple. “Scared but alive.”

“Keep her that way.” Venom growled. Another rogue screamed. “Stall, Wick. Give me a minute to break free. I’ll come after you.”

Stellar plan. Except for one thing.

The forest was thinning, trees becoming scarcer by the moment. The road dipped, veering into a sloping turn and… fuck him. A clearing. Dead ahead.

Biting down on a curse, his gaze swept the terrain. Nowhere to go. Which meant he was headed into open space, one the rogues would use to their advantage… if he didn’t do something. Right now.

“Jamison.” He glanced out the window, gauging the distance. Shit. Three winged shadows off the driver’s side. Thirty seconds out and closing fast. “Buckle your seatbelt.”

“But—”