Miss Taken (11 page)

TWENTY-NINE

Kira pulled her hair into a ponytail. The road to Luna’s house was much easier to get to. Carly would show up any moment now. She’d been able to GPS the place.

The sound of a horn honking got her attention. She got up and glanced out the front door. Sure enough, it was Carly’s big SUV making its way towards them.

“That’s my friend, Luna,” she called out.

Luna strolled out of the kitchen with a breezy grin. “Maybe she can come in for coffee.” She slapped her cell phone on her palm and shook her head. “I don’t know what happened. After the last time you used it, the darn thing won’t pick up service. Maybe the snow last night took down the tower on this side.”

“Thanks for the coffee invite, but I’d rather go back to the office and see what I can do. I want to help you, and get Peter’s lawyers to leave you alone.”

She gave Luna a hug and rushed out the door. Carly jumped out of the passenger side of her SUV and her brother Peter hopped out of the driver’s side.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him. Peter looked disheveled and tired. His suit was wrinkled and his hair looked like he had been running his hands through it for hours.

“I came to find you, of course,” he snapped. “You could have called. I worried that something happened to you.”

She raised her brows, glancing at Carly and the furious glare she threw Peter. “Carly?”

“Peter caught me as I was leaving the office. He decided
he
should drive
my
car here.”

Oh boy. It was a miracle her brother was still alive. When Carly gave that look, grown men stuttered; the world needed to watch out.

“She’s my sister,” Peter said, and approached Kira with a pretentious frown. “Did you find out what I sent you here for?”

“You were so worried about me, that you look like hell, but the first thing you ask is where is my information.” She was so tired of his pompous, arrogant ways. “Why, yes, brother. I am fine; thank you for asking.”

Carly cleared her throat. “Yes, she did. The owners are under an umbrella. There is not a single owner, but five. The largest land-owner is one Luke Lyen.”

Kira blinked. Luke? Her Luke?

“Oh, my god,” she heard Luna gasp behind her.

Kira glanced around, noticing the four men surrounding them. All wearing camo gear and holding rifles in their hands. “Ah, shit.”

“What is this?” Peter asked, his eyes going wide. “Who are these men?”

“Do I look like a fucking search engine!” Kira snapped. “I don’t know.”

“Why are they all pointing guns at you?” he asked, his voice filled with sarcasm.

She realized at that moment the men were in fact aiming their weapons at her.

Then the guy on the left was sucked into the trees. One second he was there, and the next,
nada
. Her gaze moved to the next guy. And the next. Until all four men were gone. The only sound she heard was growls followed by pain-filled screams.

“What was that?” Peter screeched, going around in a circle. “Where did they go?”

“Again, I do not have Google tattooed to my forehead,” she yelled. She did have an idea what could have happened. Luke.

A loud roar sounded and a massive bear stood between the set of trees the first rifle guy had been. A massive hiss and a white snow leopard took the second guy’s place. A big white wolf poked from her right to take the third guy’s place. And finally, Luke’s big lion form headed towards them, his face full of blood. Now that she thought about it, she glanced at the animals. They were all covered in blood.

“What is…is that a lion?” Peter asked, running to stand beside her.

“If it looks like a lion, sounds like a lion, then I’m guessing it’s a lion,” she said, her gaze stuck on Luke’s alter ego. The animal’s eyes were narrowed and a big angry bellow came out of him.

Peter did the unthinkable. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and shoved it into her side.

“Stay back,” he yelled. “I’ll kill her,” he pressed the muzzle of the gun harder under her ribs. “I don’t need a reason to. I will do it.”

She glanced at the gun. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

“No. I finally got you to this place for what I planned. You’re going to die here.” He gave her a slick grin. “I have dangerous friends. They’ll come in and take out every one of these freaks of nature for killing my poor sister--whose car broke down on their property thanks to me--and Nick, some guy she was fucking. Then their land will be mine. So will Rakida.”

She tried to tug away from him but couldn’t. “You sorry piece of shit. You think you’ll get away with this?”

He laughed. “Um, yes. Yes, I am.”

“Is this why the FBI was asking around about me and you? Do they know what you have planned?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ask Carly. They came around asking questions about you, and wanting to talk to me. I don’t think they are going to help like you think they are. I think they are on to you and your idiotic plan.”

“This is bullshit, what have you done. I had everything planned. You fucking bitch, this is all your fault.”

She glanced at the lion that continued to approach them slowly. “Tell him to stay back, Kira. You and I both know I’m a great shot.”

“Luke, stop!”

“I have been counting the days until I could get you out of my company,” Peter said with disdain. He lifted the gun to her head and pressed the cold metal to her cheek.

“You won’t get out of here alive, Peter,” she growled. “If I can’t kill you, he will.”

“No, he won’t,” he said, his voice filled with contempt. In a swift move, he shifted the gun from Kira’s face and pointed at the approaching lion.

“Peter, what the--” Carly shouted.

Bang

Bang

Bang

“No!” Kira screamed, jolting out of Peter’s hold and rushing toward the lion as he went down. Another set of shots rang out, but she didn’t care if Peter killed her. Not now that she saw Luke bleeding profusely. She threw herself at the lion bleeding from multiple gunshots. “Luke,” she managed to get out, her throat filled with sand. “Luke, get up. Please.”

She glanced back and saw Peter’s body on the ground where he’d stood, his body crumpled and a look of shock frozen on his face. Blood seeped from the side of his head, sliding down to his open eyes.

Her brother could rot in hell. She needed to save the love of her life. “Help me!” she screamed at Luna.

Luna dropped the gun in her hand, and with Carly, rushed to her side. Within seconds, other men, including a naked Bastien carried the giant lion into the house.

“Take him to his old room,” Luna instructed, following behind.

“Kira, are you okay?” Carly asked, her eyes wide with concern. “I had no idea Peter would go nuts like that.”

Kira nodded absently. Peter was an asshole. He’d been spoiled his whole life. He knew time was running out for him to keep Rakida. What shocked her was that he had really wanted her dead she’d had no idea he hated her that much. She couldn’t think about that now. There would be time later.

She glanced at Carly. “Sit down. You look ready to faint. I need to help Luna with Luke.”

The men left Luke on a giant bed and retreated from the room, leaving Luna and Kira alone with the wounded lion. Luna cleaned away the blood as best she could from his fur, but large, sticky red blobs remained on his chest.

“That’s all we can do,” Luna said, rubbing her shoulder, slowly turning toward the door.

“That’s all?” Kira stared helplessly at Luke’s mother. “But…but…”

“I’ve done everything I can. The rest is up to nature. I’m sorry, Kira. That’s just how shifters live and die. If you’ll excuse me, I need to take aspirin for my shoulder.” Luna walked out the door, leaving her alone with the big lion.

He was going to die and she was worried about her shoulder. What’s wrong with these people? She sat on the bed, petting the massive lion’s hind leg and taking a choked breath.

“I’m sorry, Luke,” she struggled out. “I…”

There was so much she wanted to say but didn’t know how. He’d been claiming she was his from the very beginning, but she rejected the idea. Why? She didn’t want to admit it, but she had fallen into more than lust with the big sexy man.

“I care so much about you,” she whispered, hot tears sliding down her cheeks. “I didn’t want to love you,” she said, “I didn’t want to give someone so much power over me again.” The lion gave a low groan. She winced. He had to be in so much pain. “But you won me over,” she gulped. “You’re so stubborn. Always saying I’m yours.” She laughed, running her nails in his fur. It wasn’t stiff or hard, but soft and smooth. “You were right all along. I am.”

She pressed her cheek to his side, the sound of his labored breathing drawing more tears. Her heart would die with him. In what amounted to less than a week, Luke had stolen her heart. He’d shown her compassion and care and gave her hope that her mother was right, she was beautiful the way she was.

“I wish we had more time to see where this relationship could go,” she whimpered. “I love you.”

Bastien stuck his head through the door. “Hey, Luna’s making biscuit and gravy for breakfast. You want one? That cute assistant of yours is all in. She’s a hotty. Grrrrr.” With a big smile, he waited for her reply, which was not forthcoming. In fact, she was almost speechless. But not quite.

Kira crawled off the bed toward Bastien with an expression that turned his smile into a scared-as-shit look.

“Lemme guess, you don’t like biscuits. Lactose intoler--”

“What is wrong with you?” Pain and anger exploded from her. “Your best friend is dying and you want to eat freaking biscuits? How could you?”

Bastien raised his brows. “We’re hungry. Breakfast is the most import--”

“Get out!” Kira shoved the door. “Just get out!” Bastien snatched his head back and let the door slam closed. Hands covering her eyes, she leaned against the door and cried. A scratch sounded on the other side of the wooden barrier.

“Uh, Kira. He’s not dying, you know.”

Her breath stopped and confusion muddled her brain. She grabbed the knob and jerked the door open. “What did you say?”

Behind her came a voice. “Lots of red meat, Bastien. Need a lot of protein right now.” Kira spun around to see Luke sitting up on the bed, pulling the comforter over his manly junk.

“Hey, boss man. Luna’s all over it. Filet and T-bone coming up.” The bedroom door closed, leaving Kira speechless. Totally, this time. Luke stretched, letting the covers fall away from his body. Still she remained standing at the door.

He sighed. “Come here, baby.” She launched herself at him, half ready to hold him, half ready to beat the shit out of him. He picked her up and had her knees straddle his lap on the bed.

“I don’t understand. You were shot three times. How are you alive?”

“I told you, baby, shifters heal quickly. There’s only so much you can do and nature takes care of the rest.”

“I-I thought you were dying and I’d never see or hold you again.”

“Nah, everything is fine. Especially since I’m right.”

Her brows lowered. “Right about what?”

A sly grin covered his face. “You admitted it. You’re
mine
.”

Kira punched him in the shoulder. “You were faking dying! You dog! How much did you hear?”

“Now, baby.” He wrapped his arms around her, scooting her straddled legs forward to where her clothes-covered pussy snuggled against his very hard, very bare, cock. “All that matters is I love you, too.” He went in for a deep kiss. Tongues tangled, he managed to say, “And my wet little pussy I can’t wait to get into.”
Mine.

THIRTY

Later that night, Kira pressed a kiss to Luke’s neck, loving the feel of being held in his arms. “Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

“I had to. You’re mine. I would never let anything happen to you.”

“Are we back to that?” she grumbled, secretly hiding a smile. She loved that he kept saying she was his. It was rather romantic now that she realized he’d never said the words to anyone else. She’d figured out that saying she was his was the shifter form of saying
I love you
. It might be more barbaric, but these guys were half animals. She’d take it.

“You are mine, sweet Kira. All mine,” he slid a hand down her chest, fondling her nipples at first and stopping at her belly. “And this little one is mine too.”

Wait, what?

“What are you talking about?” She hadn’t even missed a period yet. Had she? “How in the world could you even know that?”

“Does it bother you?” he asked, his voice soft with a tone she hadn’t heard before in him. She turned her head, met his gaze. A slash of fear darted through his eyes.

She realized then that he was probably worried she’d do the same thing his mother did: drop off their child and go on with her life like he didn’t exist. “No,” she said, a bit hesitant. “No,” she said again with more conviction. “It doesn’t bother me.”

She didn’t mind being pregnant. Not with Luke’s baby. She loved it. She’d reached an age she didn’t know if she’d get a chance to have children unless she found the right man. The more she thought about it, the happier she became. Luke was a good man. He protected his loved ones. He treated her like she was the only woman in the world. It didn’t get better than that.

“I love you,” she sighed, coming to terms with her feelings for the big lion. “I’ll love our baby too.” He slid above her, cradling her head in his hands and pressing his cock at her entrance. “I love you, you smart-mouthed woman.”

She grinned and stared deeply into his blue eyes. “You say the nicest things.”

Her body went up in flames before he was even inside her. “Let me love you, Kira. Be mine.”

She chuckled at his deep, possessive voice. “You already dictated I am. Just know this isn’t going to be easy. I’m not always going to agree with whatever you want.”

“If I wanted agreeable, I’d get a pet.” He brushed his lips over hers, taunting her with his prickly beard.

“Look on the bright side, you didn’t have to marry me to stop the company from annoying the hell out of your land-owner friends.”

He pushed deeply into her, taking her so fast, he took her breath away. “I’d marry you tomorrow, if I knew you weren’t against it.”

She curled her arms around his neck and widened her legs to fit him better. “I don’t have anything against marriage or marrying you, Luke. It’s marrying someone I didn’t love.” She pulled his head down for a kiss, stroking her tongue over his. Her body came to life with every slow rock of his hips into her. “I love you. I’d marry you if you asked.”

“Good, because I’m asking.”

She laughed. What a bossy man she had. Good thing she wasn’t bothered by his aggressiveness. In fact, she really liked him all forceful and growly. It did something to her. Brought out her wild side.