Claiming Her Heart Read online

“I’m sorry,” I said, practically shaking with my need to fight, to protect. “I know how that feels.”

  Harley cocked his head, watching me. Assessing. “Somehow, I think you’re telling me the truth, little wolf. For that part, at least.”

  Julian wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “She is.”

  Harley nodded once, his gaze on me changing, growing more trusting. “We have something in common, then, though I’m sorry to say that.” He stood from the table, his huge body taking up way too much space in the small seating area. “Be careful, little wolf. I’ll be around, but I can’t be too near the building for fear of being recognized.”

  “I’ve got this.”

  He smirked again, this time without all the doubt behind it. “I almost believe you.”

  As soon as Harley walked out the door, I sagged, the stress of the past few minutes heavy on my shoulders. Julian, though, simply looked worried.

  Really worried. “What’s wrong?”

  Julian frowned. “I don’t trust him. There’s something he’s not telling us.”

  “You’re just scared I’ll get caught or hurt or something.”

  He grabbed my hand, cradling it. Raising it to his mouth so he could kiss the back of it. “That’s to be expected. I like my mate whole and safe. I really like her willing and wet.”

  “Julian.” My whisper sounded deep and dark even to my own ears, filled with need and excitement. Adrenaline raced through my veins already, heightening my awareness, my senses, my…desires.

  Julian must have heard all that. “Test run first, then you can Julian me in that voice all night long.”

  I leaned in to kiss him, licking into his mouth until he grabbed my hips, before pulling away.

  “Tease,” he said, out of breath.

  “Just a little bit.” I sat beside him and pulled up the pictures of the idol from Harley’s email again. “Okay, test run time. Here’s my plan.”

  TWELVE

  Julian

  The next morning, after spending the entire evening on edge trying to pinpoint why Harley bothered me so, I hunkered down for a few hours in my room over the garage. I cleaned, I fixed a loose handle or two on my dresser, and I paced. All because something didn’t feel right. Something I had no idea how to fix. And I did it all alone because Angelita had headed to the house that morning. Alone until a knock sounded on my door. The three hard, quick raps told me exactly who had come to visit.

  “What’s up, Rebel?” I asked as soon as I pulled the door open. If the fact that I knew it was him without his saying a word surprised him, he certainly didn’t sound like it. Of course, it wasn’t the first time I’d known who was coming before they spoke. With his wolf senses, he understood the value of scents and sounds.

  “Just wanted to come see how you were doing.” His heavy boots clomped across the floor when I stepped back, his steps stopping somewhere around my desk. “How’d the date go last night?”

  “You really here to talk dating with me?”

  “No. But there are about a dozen women and kids in my house right now. I needed to escape.”

  Angelita had gone over to the cottage hours ago to spend time with Charlotte and Sariel. They’d invited the witches—Scarlett and Zuri—so the kids could all play together. Calla, Beast’s mate, must have joined them and brought their daughter. Thankfully, I’d escaped shortly before the first temper tantrum had been thrown. Rebel wasn’t that lucky, apparently.

  “I don’t have any beer, but the TV works, and there’s probably a game on.”

  “Thank the fates.” He must have sat down, as the creak of my desk chair gave away movement. “There’s a documentary on duels in the eighteenth century that I wanted to watch.”

  Of course he did. A man who earned his road name during the Whiskey Rebellion at the end of the eighteenth century would practically have to watch a documentary on duels. He’d also probably pick apart everything that was inaccurate about it.

  “See, that reenactment is bullshit. I knew they’d fuck this up.”

  Yep. Picking it apart.

  I sat on my bed, listening to the narrator talk about rules and weapons, about famous duels and ones that changed history, and still, my mind wandered. But as the show moved into talking about seconds—the men brought by each participant to be their spokesperson and make sure the duel was fought fairly—my thoughts narrowed. In the modern era, I would be seen as Angelita’s second, yet we were dealing with supernatural creatures. Ones who would have no trouble taking me down without my even knowing they were there. As much as I wanted to protect her, to be all she needed, my humanness hindered me, which meant I needed a plan. One she probably wouldn’t be happy about.

  “You’re being awfully quiet over there,” Rebel said, his voice even yet curious.

  “Just thinking about Angelita and me.”

  He paused, silent for a long moment, before asking, “Anything you want to talk over?”

  Yes. And yet… “I don’t really know that I can.”

  “Okay.” And that was why I got along so well with Rebel. He never pushed. My sister? She’d ask over and over again, growing frustrated when I refused to tell her. Rebel had more patience. More trust. He knew I’d come to him if I needed him. And truly, as much as I hated to admit it, I needed him.

  So I talked. “Angelita and I are…doing stuff.”

  Rebel sorted a laugh. “Yeah, kid. I know. I saw you both post-stuff the other day.”

  “Not like that.”

  “So you’re not fucking?”

  On the bed, on the floor, in the shower, over the desk… “Well, we are. But that’s not the problem.”

  “For a kid your age, sex is always a problem.”

  “Fine. But it’s not the problem. Not the one I can’t stop thinking about. That one’s a little more…dangerous.”

  The TV clicked off and the chair squeaked, the sound growing closer. “How dangerous?”

  “Not too bad. I don’t think, at least.” I took a deep breath, hoping I wasn’t betraying Angelita. “We have this project.”

  “You’re not going to tell me what kind, are you?”

  “No.” Some secrets had to be kept. “It’s supposed to be easy enough. Angelita thinks so.”

  “But you’re not sure.”

  I gave that statement a good thought, let it settle over me. Let my instincts come up with an answer. One I knew Angelita wouldn’t like.

  “No.”

  Fabric shifted as if Rebel was moving. Maybe shrugging, maybe sitting back. “Always trust your gut.”

  I nodded, having heard him tell me that numerous times over the past few years. And I did—trust my gut, that is. Which was why I had to ask, “What if we needed backup for this project?”

  “You going into a fight?”

  “No, but…you know how back in your time, if someone dueled, they always had a second.”

  “Yeah.”

  “What if Angelita and I needed a second? And it couldn’t be Bez. Or you.”

  “Not me, huh?” Rebel hummed once, the chair squeaking again as he moved. Was he…fidgeting? “Depends on what you need them for. If you want strength and attitude, call Scab. He’s an asshole, but he’s a loyal asshole who isn’t afraid of a fight. He’d have your back and keep your secret. If you want a strategist, call Gates or Shadow. Both of them are smart enough to get you out of whatever the fuck you’re getting yourself into.”

  “Okay. Scab, Gates, or Shadow.”

  “I’m not done.” He inched closer, the wheels of the chair making a crushing sound on the rug. “If it was me, and there was a possibility I needed strength, attitude, and a cunning wit to get me out of shit I couldn’t get out of myself? If I couldn’t call my whole team and had to rely on one person? I know exactly who that’d be.”

  He definitely had my attention. “Who?”

  “Scarlett.”

  “I—” No matter how much that answer shocked me—she wasn’t a member of the Feral Breed, only mated t
o one—it also made a lot of sense. Scarlett was a witch, and a damn good one from what I understood. She’d helped Angelita shift from wolf to human after she’d been trapped for so long. She also had an attitude that made her seem ten feet tall and bulletproof at times. Plus, her elemental power was fire, and what animal—supernatural or not—wasn’t afraid of being burned alive? “Makes sense.”

  Another silence, but this time when Rebel spoke it, he sounded different. Worried, almost. As if the advice that had settled my mind had upset his. “You know you can always come to me if you need help, right?”

  “I do, but I also know you could never lie to my sister.”

  “True.”

  “I don’t want to put you in a position where you’d have to. Or where she’d be pissed that you knew if something happened.”

  Rebel sighed. “Fuck, kid. If it’s that dangerous—”

  “It’s not. I only wanted to know my options. Just in case.”

  “If you say so.” A ping sounded, and Rebel hissed out another curse. “Shit. I have to go to the denhouse. You remember who I told you to call, and try not to get into any trouble, okay?”

  I grinned. “I can’t promise that.”

  “Smartass.” He gripped my shoulder, his hand warm and heavy. Comforting, in a way. “You know I’d go with you, right? If you need a second, I’d be proud to back you up.”

  “I know, and I would totally ask you if I weren’t worried it would piss my sister off to no end. I don’t want to mess up your relationship.”

  “Fair enough.” He opened the door. “If you need any of my guys, use my name as who sent you to talk to them. They’ll help you no matter what, but letting them know I’m cool with whatever you have going on could grease the wheels a little. And make sure you call one of them. If your gut is telling you there could be trouble, believe it and go in prepared.”

  “I will. Thanks, Rebel.”

  “Anytime, brother.”

  When the door closed behind him, I sat up and grabbed my phone. The only problem was, I still had no idea who to call. Everything depended on what we’d come up against the night of the mission, what sort of trouble we might run into. Without knowing that, I couldn’t identify our needs. Couldn’t prepare to make sure Angelita came home safely.

  Which meant I had some major considerations to think over.

  THIRTEEN

  Angelita

  Sweating. I was sweating hard, which didn’t exactly make me look prepared and professional. True, I could dress the part of a thief—skintight black pants, shirt, small tool bag across my body. I’d even pulled my hair back into a bun to hold it in place. Yet my nerves wouldn’t settle. Neither would my wolf.

  Julian crept up behind me, his hands coming to my shoulders as I watched in the full-length mirror. His face stoic.

  “Here” He handed me a small earpiece. One that could come in handy since I wouldn’t have my phone. “I’ll be listening from the alley.”

  “The coffee shop.”

  He sighed, grabbing my hips and pulling me back against his chest. “I need to be closer than that to get reception, and you need backup.”

  “I don’t want you too close, though. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to you.”

  He spun me and wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me tight. Holding me up. “Fine. But you’d better be a fucking chatterbox while you can to keep me from moving closer.”

  By the fates, how I loved this man. “Deal.”

  “Here. Let me fix this for you.” He pulled back and straightened the strap of my tool bag, the one running between my breasts. The one that didn’t require him brushing the backs of his fingers over my cleavage to move. The tease.

  I raised an eyebrow as he brushed a thumb across my nipple. “Thanks.”

  His smile was quick—both to show and to disappear. “You nervous?”

  No point in lying. “Yeah.”

  “You can back out.”

  “No, I can’t. This is my chance.”

  He cocked his head, brows furrowing. “Your chance at what?”

  “Freedom. If I can do this, make money helping people and sneaking around to recover things they’re willing to pay for, I can be independent. I can move up here, and you can go to school. No one would be disappointed in us or be able to stand in our way.”

  “Is that what this is about? Leelee, no one’s ever going to be disappointed in us. Charlotte wants me to go to school because she sees it opening doors for me later, and I want to get my degree. That doesn’t mean I need some life-on-campus bullshit. I’m not the frat guy. I never have been.”

  I knew that. Of course, I knew that. But doubt was a bitch who never let go. “What if you look back on this time and wish you had been the frat guy?”

  “I won’t.”

  “How do you know?”

  Julian shrugged. So sure. So confident. “Because I know. Now kiss me and tell me if we’re backing out.”

  I rose onto the balls of my feet and pressed my lips to his, licking inside once he opened for me. And just for a second—for a tiny moment—I thought about stripping everything off and taking him back to bed for the evening. But I had plans for us. Big ones. So I broke the kiss instead. “Not backing out.”

  “Then let’s get this over with.” He laced his fingers with mine and pulled me toward the door.

  Ready for the final run for the idol.

  * * *

  I hated crowds. “Will you be okay here?”

  Julian sat with his latte, seemingly oblivious to the bevy of people sitting around the coffee shop. They were all just so…loud. “No. I should just go with you.”

  “Not happening.”

  He grabbed my hip, pulling me closer. “Lee—”

  But I had to back away. Had to get my mind in the game. “We’ve gone over this. If I’m worried about you, I won’t be able to do this. I’ll make a mistake. Just stay here, be safe, and listen to me babble at you, okay?”

  He huffed, his hand curling into a fist. “Fine. But don’t be too mad at me.”

  “For what?”

  “Anything.”

  I’d have questioned him more, but a glance at the clock told me it was time to make my move. I didn’t have long to pull this off. “Okay, we can talk about what might make me mad later. I have to go.”

  Julian yanked me down, almost pulling me into his lap before planting a big, deep kiss on me. One that left me breathless and shaking with my need for him.

  When he pulled away, his face looked flushed and his chest heaved. “Be fucking safe, angel.”

  “Promise.”

  Though I had no idea how to keep my word on that one.

  Walking out the door, I kept up a whispered stream of thought solely for Julian’s sake. Litter on the sidewalk, a burned-out street light, and the color of every car that passed—those were the things I talked about. He wanted me chatty? He got me chatty. At least for a few minutes. He didn’t comment back, though I could hear him breathing in the background. Noticed a chuckle or two as well. At least I could entertain him.

  It took almost no time to reach the alley between buildings. Once there, I whispered a “going silent” message to Julian. His response came through staticky and too quiet, too much space between us, but I got the gist of it.

  “Love you. Be safe.”

  “I will.” I took one last deep breath then pulled the earpiece from my ear. No sense blocking one of my more valuable senses when I’d be needing it inside to make sure no one snuck up on me. Tucking the metal and plastic piece in my bag, I thought through my plan one last time before heading for the metal ladder. I was on the second-floor fire escape when a shadow moved below me.

  “I always did think you were a sassy one.”

  I growled and spun, ready to fight. Ready to defend myself. But the woman who walked out of the dark shadows below wasn’t a threat.

  “Scarlett?”

  “In the flesh.” She curtsied, looking far more dangero
us than normal in her jeans and boots with her hair pulled back tightly. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “Excuse me? What are you—” I closed my eyes, hissing a quiet curse. “Julian called you.”

  “Don’t be mad at him. He wants to keep you safe and alive. Be able to fully mate with his woman so the two of you can have babies and stuff.”

  “He told me not to be mad at him.”

  “See? That’s two of us saying the same thing. We win.” She looked up at the building I’d eventually need to enter, frowning. “You worried about cameras or alarms?”

  “No cameras. I’m sure there are alarms because there’s an electronic keypad, but I’m relatively confident I can disengage it.”

  Scarlett nodded. “You know, I can help you out with that.”

  “You can?”

  “Sure. For a price.”

  A deal with a witch rarely went in your favor, or so Bez had always told me. Still, this was Scarlett—the witch who’d saved my humanity. I trusted her. “What’s your price?”

  “Don’t ever do something like this again with just Julian as backup. As strong and independent as he is, he’s still human. If something were to happen to you, it would kill him that he might not be able to help you.” Her face serious, her voice hard, she made her final point. “It would kill him.”

  As much as I hated to admit it, I knew those words couldn’t be more right. “Fine.”

  “Good. Now, go be Spiderwoman or whatever superhero is cool these days. Shadow will be pissed if he figures out where I am. The man is like a human tracking device when it comes to me.” She cocked her head, her brow furrowing. “Well, not really human. Not really wolf, either. Tiger-wolf-human tracker.”

  I…had nothing to say to that. “You’re babbling.”

  “I am. How did we let that happen? Time to work, little angel.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Scarlett winked and grabbed the post where the electrical came into the building. She closed her eyes, whispering something I couldn’t hear as a strong wind blew through the alley. The air suddenly smelled like a lightning strike, and my wolf whimpered.