Filed To Story: Secret Shifters Next Door Series PDF Free
AVA
I’d hoped Blayne would return after his meeting with the guys, but he didn’t. I sat up waiting for him, peeking out the windows every ten or fifteen minutes to no avail. I picked at the dinner Marissa had cooked and ignored my family as they discussed various dealings. Uncle Sam was curiously absent. Dad had gone to bed early, so I couldn’t wrangle him for information.
Eventually, I fell into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning throughout the night. Each time I woke, I went to the window to see if I could see Blayne’s truck, but I never did. When I woke up the next morning, it felt like I’d barely slept at all.
The second I stepped down the last stair, I immediately knew something was up. The tension in the house was so thick, I could cut it. My cousins were pacing, talking on their phones or texting God only knew who. I could see the worry and anxiety in their faces. Plus, Blayne still wasn’t back.
I went back upstairs where I heard my father talking in his office. Deciding I needed answers, I opened the door and found him sitting at his desk. Sam, Mike, and Luis were all sitting around him. They looked up in surprise as I entered unannounced.
“What the hell’s going on? Where’s Blayne?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
Dad patted the air with a hand. “Easy now. Everything’s fine. It’s good that you’re here because I wanted to tell you that your security detail will be increased for the duration.”
“Everything is fine, but you’re going to have more guys following me around for the duration? That doesn’t add up. Spill it, Dad. What happened?”
He sighed and glanced at his brothers. “Antonio didn’t take the deal. We all assumed that was the route he’d take, but he was
much angrier than anticipated. From what I understand, he was absolutely shocked that I could flip those guys. He must have thought he’d scared the shit out of them and they’d never spill. He thinks he understands people, but obviously he is out of touch.”
My heart sped up and my palms went clammy. That was bad news. If Antonio was furious and knew we had dirt on him, he would become unhinged.
Dad must have seen the look on my face. “Ava, it’s going to be okay. We all knew that this was a possibility. We sat here in this office and discussed it. We’re all going to be okay.”
“Well, where is Blayne? Shouldn’t he be here so our guys can protect him?”
“Blayne’s a big boy. He and his buddies can handle themselves. You need to let them do their job. Blayne needs to focus. He can’t afford to be distracted while they prepare.”
A sliver of ice slid into my heart, and I remembered the night I’d broken up with Liam. He’d gone off with his mind all over the place and hadn’t been mentally prepared for the job. Even the idea that I might cause the same thing to happen to Blayne kept me from calling or texting him.
I tried my best to follow my father’s instructions. I continued checking my phone every few hours, but there was nothing from
Blayne. The day seemed to drag on at a snail’s pace. Most of my family left to work on whatever the plan was. Only Dad stayed behind, and not by choice. He was supremely annoyed that he couldn’t be out in the field with his guys.
Out front, more of the Francis soldiers and family associates showed up. Dad had called all the “family” in. The entire property swarmed with guys. Several patrolled the entrances and exits, others were out on the perimeter, and still others were probably in the woods around the house or in cars along the road. I’d never seen so much security around here before. Even if my father didn’t appear scared, this show of force told me he was worried.
After an entire day of hearing nothing from Blayne, I made my way up to my room and tried to read a book. As the sun vanished behind the mountains, I tossed the book aside and turned on a movie, watching it without watching. All I wanted was some background noise because it was too quiet. The only sound was the sporadic voice from downstairs or a snippet of conversation from the guards outside drifting up to my window.
Right before one in the morning, the white sweeping shimmer of headlights pulled around the house. Leaping up and running to the window, I saw it was Blayne’s truck. Before I could even think, I was out the door, down the steps, and running to the back door.
“Miss Francis? Are we all good?” a voice called from behind me.
I spun, my hand already on the doorknob. It was one of the younger men who worked for my father. I’d only met him once or twice in passing. It took a second for his name to register in my brain.
“Uh, hey…uh, Emilio. I’m fine. I was going out to check on Mr. Walker. I saw him pull in.”
He glanced out the kitchen window and saw the truck; its headlights clicked off as he checked. He nodded. “Okay. I’ll let the guys outside know you’re heading to the guesthouse.”
“Thanks.” The security was necessary, but it still irked me that I’d basically become a prisoner in my own home.
Blayne had his door open before I even got to the porch. He opened his arms, and I plowed into his body, wrapping myself around him as he closed the door behind me. He held me for a moment before I pushed away and checked his body for bruises or cuts.
“Are you okay? Did you get hurt? I haven’t heard from you all day.” I swatted his arm once it was obvious he wasn’t injured.
He smiled, but it was a tired smile. I took a step back and noticed he was sweaty, dirty, and had bags under his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said. “We were busy. I didn’t even get three hours of sleep last night.”
“I can tell,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “You stink. You need a shower.”
He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “If you join me, I will.”
The temperature in the air around me immediately shot up. A tingle went up and down my legs and arms, and a pleasant ache twisted between my legs.
Blayne must have felt my mood shift. He took a step closer, pressing me against the door, the heat of his body melting into mine. My knees went weak from the oppressive sexual tension surrounding us.
“Do you want that? To join me in the shower?” Blayne asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
It only took a moment’s thought for me to decide. My mouth was dry. “I do. Yes.”
The color of Blayne’s eyes changed. For an instant, they were the bright yellow of a panther.