On Jason's Watch [Paladin Protection Agency 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (15 page)

Unable to speak, Jazz just cocked her head and waited for someone else to explain.

“She’s been showing us how to deal with the guys after her. I had no idea how fast or powerful they were going to be.” Val pointed to Jazz. “We’re going to be much better prepared now, thanks to her.”

Jase wasn’t a bit mollified. “Did she tell you that transforming is exhausting for her? Did she tell you how much it
hurts
?” He dropped to his knees and put his hands on Jazz’s head, looking her square in the eye. “You. Change back. Right now.”

Resenting the way he was ordering her around, Jazz just growled at him, unmoving.

“And don’t you backtalk me, either.”

“She didn’t tell us, Jase. She was trying to make us understand how dangerous she is and things sort of evolved from there.” Michelle cast a worried look at Jazz. “How tired will she be?”

“Very. It’s a side effect of the transformation. It only kicks in when they revert to human form. Apparently, it’s way worse if they go hybrid. But she’s going to need to sleep.”

He glanced around and spotted her clothes in the corner. “Bring me her clothes, will you? Sin’s keeping the other guys back, but they’d like the use of the gym soon, and I would rather they not see Jazz before she’s changed back and dressed.”

Feeling like a scolded child, Jazz turned her head and licked Jase’s wrist.

“Yeah, you should be sorry,” he grizzled at her, his hands gentle as they cupped her head. “I went looking for you and no one knew where you were. It’s been more than two hours, and none of these yahoos were answering their cell phones.”

Michelle and the others looked slightly chagrined as they brought over her clothes.

“Better change back, Fluffy.” Val handed Jase the shirt Jazz had been wearing. “We’ll do this again sometime.”

Jazz bobbed her head and yipped softly before settling herself down on the mat-covered floor. She would have rather not done this in front of Jase, but he was clearly not giving her a choice. She closed her eyes and visualized her human form, hanging onto it with all her mental focus as the pain swept over her and the transformation began.

Jase was helping her back into her clothes before she had even opened her eyes. His touch was tender, and she let him fuss over her. She was too tired to do anything else. As he lifted her into his arms, she opened her eyes and smiled up at him.

“Thank you. I wasn’t sure you’d still be here after you saw that.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I’m not done yelling at you for disappearing on me or turning into a wolf and tiring yourself out. And will you quit expecting me to run out on you? It’s not happening.”

“You’re kinda cute when you’re all bossy like this,” she murmured and then glanced over to where her friends were standing. Every single one of them was trying unsuccessfully to hide their amusement at Jase’s behavior.

“She’s right, you know, Jase.” Michelle snickered, and the rest starting laughing hard. “You’re a regular mother hen.”

“All of you fuck off.” He snarled and cradled Jazz close to his chest. “Before I have to get all superior and pull rank.”

“Yep, you’re adorable like this.” Jazz nuzzled his neck and closed her eyes again, feeling utterly drained. The last thing she heard as Jase carried her down the hall was the sound of three women, all laughing hard.

* * * *

She’d transformed into her wolf for them. Jase wasn’t sure if he was happy about that or not. It meant she was getting comfortable with the other members of Division S, but he didn’t like the idea of her sharing her secrets. At least not with anyone that wasn’t him.

She was more asleep than awake by the time he got her back to her room, and they’d garnered more than few odd looks as other staff members had seen him carrying her limp body down the hallway. He figured he had less than an hour before Remington knew what had happened. “I hope he’s in an open-minded mood. I don’t think ‘werewolf maneuvers’ was part of his training plan for Paladin.”

“Was my idea,” Jazz muttered softly, and he realized he’d spoken aloud. “Wanted them to know…know I was a monster.” She cuddled closer, her lips brushing his neck. “They don’t think so, though…kept calling me Fluffy!”

She sounded so incensed Jase had to bite back a chuckle. Maybe it had been a good thing after all. Maybe now Jazz would stop thinking of herself as nothing more than a monster.

He lowered her carefully to the bed and drew one of the blankets over her, smoothing the waves of her hair away from her face. There were dark shadows under her eyes, and her normally golden complexion was pale. She needed sleep. There’d be time enough for him to brief her on the plan when she woke up. They intended to have her back to her home by late afternoon. He was going to keep her safe, and once this night was over, they’d go after the creatures who were hunting her.

Chapter 10

He let her sleep for as long as he could, nearly two hours. By the time he woke her, the first team was almost done setting up the security cameras and creating an electronic command-center that the second team would use when they arrived. No one was sure if there would be an attempt to get to Jazz tonight. According to her research, all werewolves took to their hybrid form at midnight on the night of the full moon. Given the fact that there hadn’t been a moon-related crime wave in the city, they were assuming that the group hunting her was locking themselves away before they transformed.

He’d brought her up to speed as they grabbed lunch with the rest of the team assigned to guard her that night. The plan was fairly simple. He, Tara, and Val would drive Jazz back to her house in one of Paladin’s SUVs. Once she was safe inside, they’d join up with the team already there and lock down the property. An hour before midnight, he and Jazz would head down to her vault and secure her until the following morning.

It bothered Jase that they had to leave now that they knew the wolves were watching them, but there wasn’t any choice. There was no place inside Paladin that was secure enough to hold Jazz in her hybrid state, and they couldn’t risk her getting out. She’d never forgive herself if she hurt anyone again.

The sun was setting as they drove out the gate. The lack of light made it nearly impossible to see through the tinted windows and into the vehicle, but Jazz kept her head down until they were well clear, just in case. Security hadn’t spotted any sign of surveillance, but they weren’t taking any chances.
There is always a chance we’re wrong and they are coming for her tonight.

Val drove and Tara was in the passenger seat. The empath had her eyes closed, and Jase knew she was trying her best to scan as they moved, which was a nearly impossible task. He was grateful she was trying anyway. His nerves were on edge, and his instincts were telling him that
something
was going to happen. He just wished like hell he knew what it was. Jazz slipped her hand into his, and he squeezed her fingers. Her skin was warm and so soft he couldn’t help stroking his thumb over her wrist. Her pulse jumped slightly under his touch, and he shot her a grin. She flushed and ducked her eyes, and it was all he could do to resist the temptation to unbuckle her seat belt and drag her into his lap.

From the front seat, Tara coughed slightly, and he realized she was sensing his emotions. “Tomorrow I’ll start practicing my mental shields, I promise.”

Val chortled, and Tara turned around to glance at them both. “Teach Jazz, too. Between the two of you, I’m getting seriously overheated up here.”

“Sorry,” Jazz apologized, looking only slightly sheepish.

“Don’t be. I think it’s swee—” Tara stopped midsentence, and her eyes went wide. “They’re here!”

Those were the last words Jase heard before his world exploded into a whirling place filled with light and noise. The first thing he heard besides the ringing in his ears was a low groan of pain. It took him a few seconds to realize the voice was his own. Every part of him ached, and he felt off balance. Even his thoughts were coming to him slowly, too slowly. He opened his eyes and realized the problem. The SUV was on its side. His seat belt was cutting into him, and he knew he needed to get free of it. Jazz was just below him, her face splattered with blood. When another droplet hit her cheek, he realized she wasn’t the one bleeding, he was.

“Jazz?” He called her name and was relieved when she opened her eyes. There was confusion and pain in the amber depths, but she was awake and aware. “Sweetheart, I need you to get yourself out of there. If I undo my seat belt I’m going to fall on top of you.”

She gave him a dazed nod and unclipped herself, falling onto the concrete and shattered glass beneath her.

“Ouch.”

“That’s an understatement,” Val grumbled from the front seat.

“Hurry!” Tara’s voice was a frantic whisper. “They’re here for Jazz!”

Those words burned through the haze of pain and brought Jase back to his senses.

“Everyone out! Right now!” He barely felt the new pains that came as he landed on his knees in a sea of broken safety glass. He knew he would feel it later, but adrenaline was taking care of the problem for now. Val made it out first, having kicked loose the shattered remains of the windshield. The others made their way through the hole she made. He kept Jazz near, his arm around her waist as they staggered onto the road. He was so close he felt the rumble of her growl before he even heard it, it was the only warning he got. The next moment lights blazed, and he was temporarily blinded by the dazzling brightness. When he opened his eyes again, spots filled his vision, but beyond the dancing blips, he could make out shapes. They were no longer alone out here.

“Give her to us and you can all go,” a male voice called out from behind the lights.

“Not fucking happening,” Jase called back and tightened his hold on Jazz with one hand as he eased the safety off his gun with the other. It didn’t take a genius to figure out things were going to get ugly. He could hear voices, but they were speaking too softly for him to make out the words. Beside him, Jazz stiffened. She looked at him with wild eyes and a brokenhearted smile.

“There are too many of them. We can’t win.” She was in his arms so quickly he barely saw her move, her mouth brushing his as she whispered, “When it starts, run. I won’t let anyone get hurt because of me.”

“No, Jazz. Don’t.”

He felt the warm wash of her tears as she pressed one last kiss to his lips, and then she was gone. She tore out of his grip without effort, leaving him stunned and empty-handed. He could only watch as she hurled herself across the brightly lit road, her body already changing, her scream of challenge morphing into a savage howl of rage and pain. He could see enough to know the physical transformation was brutal, but the violence and speed of the changes made it impossible to see anything clearly. One minute the woman he cared for was charging across the pool of light, the next a creature out of his worst nightmares had taken her place. With fangs bared and claws raised, she moved with supernatural speed toward the men who threatened them.

“Val, I need those lights off!” He barked out the order and drew his gun as he took off after Jazz. She may have told him to run, but she hadn’t said in what direction. “Tara, stay down!”

In the darkness ahead of him, he could hear an unworldly chorus of howls and snarls, along with the sickening sound of tearing flesh. A high pitched shriek of an animal in agony filled the air, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
Don’t let that be Jazz. Please, don’t let that be her getting torn apart.
He ran faster.

A shot rang out behind him, and one of the lights failed. Val was leveling the playing field.

His eyes adjusted to the semidarkness, and he could see several massive forms fighting ahead of him. He skidded to a stop, his weapon pointing at the two battling creatures. He couldn’t fire until he knew which one was Jazz. Another shot rang out and the last light went out. Before his vision could clear, he heard something to his left and swung around to face it, gun leveled. He caught a glimmer of yellow eyes and foam flecked jaws as he fired. The creature kept coming, knocking the gun out of his hand and slamming him to the pavement. Stars exploded behind his eyes as his head hit the solid surface, and he found himself fighting just to stay conscious.

Jase lunged upward and slammed his fists into the monster sitting atop him. His hands impacted on a wall of solid muscle and fur, and he latched on, trying to wrest the beast away so he could stand. Snarls and growls filled the air around him, and he knew he was in the middle of a larger battle. He opened his eyes just in time to see teeth closing in on his face, and he threw up an arm to block the incoming bite. He felt the bones in his arm break as the creature bit down, and he knew he was in trouble.