Filed To Story: Secret Shifters Next Door Series PDF Free
“Okay.”
Miles went back to cooking, and I was content to watch him. My writer’s brain couldn’t stop whirring, and new questions popped up every few seconds. As much as I wanted to let things be, I yearned to know more, especially since I was fully involved now.
“What’s the next move?” I asked.
Miles was cooking bacon in a pan and glanced over his shoulder at me. “You mean about the hunters?”
“Yeah.”
“Honestly, we aren’t sure. The Antonio guy is rich. Like, wipes his butt with hundred-dollar bills rich. He’s probably got connections and really good security. Getting to him won’t be easy. One thing we know for sure is that he’s got a real hard-on for Tate. I think he sees him the same as the dragon shifter that stole his wife. We know he isn’t going to stop until he gets him. Maybe that’s something we can use to our advantage, but who knows.”
My mind kept circling back to Felicity. As bad as it was, I could still see things from her perspective. Her mother ran off with a man she barely knew, took her away from her father, and then she found out he was something that shouldn’t be real. No wonder she went a little crazy. Try as I might, I couldn’t blame her for not being able to deal with living in that shifter world. I mentioned this to Miles, and he shook his head.
“I don’t blame the shifter or the mother. All the blame for what happened to Felicity goes on her dad. You can be mad at your mom for tearing your family apart. That’s normal. What isn’t is that you turn into a bloodthirsty murderer. He did that to
Felicity, Mariana…whatever. She may not have become what she is without him twisting her mind.
“It’s not her fault what she is now, but she is a hunter. That can’t be changed. Their only goal is to eradicate all shifters. If I claim you”—he looked at me with that same intensity that always took my breath away—“she’ll come for you. You’ll have a target on your back. If she cares for you at all, she’ll try to protect you from that fate. I think that’s part of why she wanted to steer you away from me. You need to keep your head on a swivel. We saw with April that they aren’t beyond kidnapping.”
His words echoed in my head. I watched him put the burger patties onto a hot pan and then walk over to me. He put his hand out. “Let me see your phone.”
I pulled it out of my pocket and handed it over. “What are you doing?”
He pulled open my contacts and started putting in his friends’ numbers. “I want you to be able to get a hold of any of us at any time. If there is ever a moment when you feel unsafe or worried and can’t reach me, call them.” He handed the phone back to me and looked me in the eyes. “They’ll come. Hell or high water, they’ll come.”
Chills ran up my arms, making the hairs stand on end. I believed that was true. His eyes told me they would walk into war for each other. What kind of friends did he have?
“Okay, thanks.”
“I don’t want to rule your life or try to control you, but I’d like you to try and be safe. Especially when I’m not around. If history tells us anything, the hunters will make some kind of move soon. We’re going to have one of our team watching you twenty-four-seven. A bodyguard basically.”
I nodded. That was something I was used to. “I actually used to have one.”
He arched an eyebrow. “You had a bodyguard? When?”
“When my first book became a bestseller. I was only a teenager. My publisher and my agent wanted to make sure I was safe when I went out for book signings and stuff. It didn’t last long. Once they saw what a homebody I was, it was pretty unnecessary. Authors get stalkers, but I only had a few weirdos way back in the day. But trust me, I’m fine with someone being on the lookout.”
“Okay, cool. That makes things a little easier.”
He went back to the stove to flip the burgers and pull the bacon off the pan. Not wanting to sit there like a bump on a log, I sliced tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. I saw that he had bleu cheese in his fridge, and my mouth started watering. “I knew there was a reason I liked you, Miles,” I said, showing him the container.
He laughed. “Best cheese for a burger.”
Fifteen minutes later, we sat side by side at his table, eating hamburgers and baked potatoes. It was one of the best meals I’d ever had. The food was good, yes, but it was the company that made it taste so much sweeter. I ate until I was stuffed and set my napkin on the plate. Miles finished his own meal and put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close until my head was resting on his shoulder.
“You’re handling this really well,” he said.
“Thanks. If I do everything you asked, do you think it’ll keep me safe?” I wasn’t sure if I wanted the answer, but I had to hear it.
“I think it’s the best chance, yeah.”
“Well, if that’s the case, then it isn’t a hardship. At least I know I’m in danger. I’m fine giving up a few things to stay safe.”
Miles pulled me in and kissed me. Every kiss with him was like the first—passionate, hungry, and loving. My body relaxed, and I let him pull me close, when we were done, snuggling against him.
“I’m going to do everything I can to make you happy.”
I smiled to myself because I believed him.
TWENTY-TWO
MILES
My ear ached from being on the phone for so long. Hours had gone by, and I’d talked to at least a dozen different alphas from surrounding areas. The guys and I had decided to spread the word to everyone, and I was glad we did. Everyone we talked to had the same reaction—fear, shock, and outrage. Once we told them everything we’d found, they all understood that Antonio was a force to be reckoned with.
In the past, hunters had merely been heartbroken people desperate for revenge, those who’d lost loved ones to random feral or psychotic shifters. They came together in a loose group and did what they could to kill us. Sometimes they were successful, but more often than not, they’d piss their pants and run the first time they went head to head with a shifter. It had been that way for centuries.
This was different.