Filed To Story: Secret Shifters Next Door Series PDF Free
Blayne put his hands on his knees, sucking breath. “They got away. They had a truck waiting in the woods. I ran as fast as I could, but I couldn’t catch them. They took some shots at us while they went.”
“Assholes nicked me,” Steff said, fingering a bloody scratch on his shoulder. “I’ll live.”
Once we were sure they were gone, we went inside. Tate secured all the windows and doors and checked and double-checked that the alarm system was on while Steff and Blayne helped bring Miles downstairs. They set him up on the couch, and I was surprised at how much better he looked. It made me wonder if shifters healed faster than humans.
Tate, finally sure the house was secure, sat with us. “Okay, good news. I don’t think the hunters are going to make any more moves very soon.”
“Why do you say that?” Miles asked, frowning in confusion.
“Well, the guy made sure to let us know that there’s someone bigger in charge, who wants me for himself. They know I’m a dragon, and that will require they take their time planning. I think this whole thing today was their attempt to kill Harley or one of you three.” He nodded toward Blayne, Steff, and Miles. “They wanted to do something that would send me over the edge and make me easier to take down. That whole plan went to hell. They’ll have to drop back and be more careful with the next plan.”
“We can’t let our guards down, but I think we’ve bought some time. For now, the danger is moving away from us. It’s coming back, but not immediately.”
Steff pointed at my necklace. “So, I guess the witch wasn’t all bad after all. Did you guys see that thing?
Tate raised his hand and gently thumbed the opal around my neck. I could see the look in his eyes. He was as thankful for Emily as I was. Even in death, she’d saved my life. It made me more heartsick. Maybe she could have truly changed if she’d had a little more time. I wished she was here, even for only a few seconds, so I could tell her how grateful I was to her.
THIRTY-SEVEN
TATE
I had one more job to do. It needed to be done before I could ever relax. It had been a couple of days since the hunter attack. Miles was almost back to normal, his shifter healing had brought him back better than I’d thought. None of us had ever seen someone get shot full of that much silver and survive. Saying I was grateful was an understatement.
Harley was still on edge, but I’d actually grown calmer and less tense. In my opinion, not only had Emily saved Harley’s life, she’d also scared the hunters off for even longer than most of the others thought. I’d told them I thought they’d be gone for a couple of months, but deep down, I thought it would be even longer. The spell that had stopped the bullet had probably scared the shit out of them. They hadn’t known about that, which gave them something else to consider. The hunters would have no idea what other spells or curses Emily might have cast before she died. There were no others, as far as I knew, but
they
didn’t know that. They would be like dust in the wind for a while. Maybe even years.
When I voiced that thought to Harley, she said, “They’ll still be back. Aren’t you worried?”
I shook my head. “I can’t be worried forever. I truly think that, for now at least, the danger is gone.”
That night in bed, I told her about the job I had to take care of, hiding the truth as much as I could. “I’ve got to fly out tomorrow. I’ve got a thing I’ve been putting off. Should only be gone a day or two.”
She looked at me, and I could feel that strange connection we had now. There was the weirdest thought that she knew I was hiding something, but she could also tell it was important and not to push. She nodded. “Okay. Be careful. That’s all I ask.”
Before we fell asleep, I whispered, “Don’t worry. Nothing is going to keep me away from you for long.”
The next afternoon I landed at La Guardia Airport. I’d only brought a single backpack for the trip. I hadn’t been lying when I said I’d only be gone a couple of days. I took a taxi to The Plaza Hotel. On the ride, I pulled out my phone and dialed the number Blayne had been able to dig up for me.
It only rang one time before there was an answer. “This is Luis, who the hell is this?”
“Ortiz?” I asked.
A long moment of silence filtered over the line before Luis said, “Oh, if it isn’t the homewrecker. How are you doing, cocksucker? Has Harley dumped you yet? Did you call to let me know she was on the way back to me?”
“I want to meet. You name the place. We need to get things settled,” I said, not rising to his insults.
“Brass balls on this one. Okay, we can do this,” he said and then gave me an address near the docks in Hell’s Kitchen.
“When? I can be there in two hours.”
“Be there in an hour. Otherwise it’s off.” He hung up without waiting for an answer.
I’d let him choose the location because it would give him a false sense of security. He’d think he had the upper hand. He
and his men would be sloppy and unprepared. Harley’s last few months of pregnancy should be as stress-free as possible. This trip would ensure that. I leaned forward and tapped the glass, getting the cabbie’s attention. I gave him the new address and sat back to enjoy the ride.
I got to the location twenty minutes early. I had the taxi drop me off a few blocks away and walked the rest of the way, scoping out each alley and around every corner. I didn’t think they’d have anyone out this far to intercept me, but I wanted to cover all my bases. The spot was what had once been a warehouse—right on the waterfront that looked like it had been bought and renovated into some high price condos and penthouses. There was a doorman at the entrance. My trained eye could see the bulge of a pistol beneath his suit jacket.
He saw me walking up and said, “Are you Mr. Mills?”
I nodded. “I have an appointment with your employer. Ortiz.”
The man glared. “That’s
Mr. Ortiz to you.”