The Tiger's Heart (5 page)

“
You expect me to rest?
How do I know you’re not teamed with the guy who took me hostage?
Maybe you wanted me all to yourself, that’s why…” Her voice trailed
off.

“
I killed him? That’s
ludicrous. I saved your life, brought you here, surgery was done on
your knee, and you’ll walk again. But you think it is some plot to
what…kill you in the end? Why would I risk my ass to save you, only
to kill you myself? Why would we waste the time and effort for the
surgery if we’re going to kill you? If that’s what we were going to
do then why not just leave you to suffer?”

She seemed flabbergasted by the
questions.

“
I want to help you. I
swear you are someplace safe.”

“
I asked you to take me to
a hospital.”

“
Do you not hear him say
he was hired by someone? That someone would know you escaped and
would be looking for you? It wouldn’t take long to find you lying
in a hospital bed with a busted knee. You would be helpless there,
drugged, unable to escape. Is that how you want to die?”

Raja knew he was being harsh, but if
she didn’t see the truth soon she would cause problems. If she
tried to leave, she could get herself killed, and he would be
damned if he was going to let that happen.

“
I don’t want to die.” Her
features showed the terror he was making her face.

“
Let me protect you, at
least until you are back on your feet. You know you are helpless in
the condition you’re in.”

Until she is back on her
feet, my ass. It will give me enough time to convince her she’s
mine. Then she won’t want to be anywhere but in my arms.
She laid there watching him, her face hard to
read. He wasn’t sure if she was angry that he wanted to protect her
or because she was helpless.

“
Bethany, you need help.
Let me help you.”
He reached for her hand,
and she didn’t pull away.

She nodded, still fighting to keep her
eyes open.

“
Rest. I’ll be here
keeping you safe. I won’t leave your side.” He rubbed his thumb
over the back of her hand in small circles.

A sizzle of electricity passed from
his hand into hers, making her eyes fly open.

“
What was
that?”

“
Sorry, I think I shocked
you.”
Finally a sign that she’s truly my
mate.

“
It felt like I put my
hand in the electric socket.” Her voice was heavy with sleep and
her eyes closing again.

“
It just startled you
because you were so close to sleep.” He watched her eyes close with
a smile on his face. The jolt of electricity was just want he
needed to launch himself out of denying his mate.

Chapter Nine

“
How is she doing?”
Tabitha asked from the doorway. Her mate stood behind her, his hand
resting gently on her hip. Mates liked physical contact with each
other.

“
Better. At least I think
I have her convinced I’m not going to kill her.” Raja ran his hand
over his face. It had been too long since his last restful night’s
sleep, and it was beginning to take a toll.

“
I can sit with her a
while if you want to lie down.” Tabitha moved into the
room.

“
Thank you, but I’d rather
just sleep in the chair. I promised her I wouldn’t leave and lying
to your mate probably isn’t a good way to start.” He tried to
smile, making light of the whole thing but could tell Tabitha
wasn’t buying it.

“
I understand, but you
won’t be any good to her or us if you are worn out. You know where
I am if you change your mind. Just send me a text and I’ll be down
in minutes.”

Raja nodded. His Queen was right but
leaving his mate when she needed him the most felt like betrayal.
Still, he had his duties as their Lieutenant.

“
Ty, if I could just stay
with her until she’s a wake, then I’ll get another guard to watch
over her so I can deal with my duties.”

Ty held up his hand. “It’s fine. Your
mate needs you. If things change with the Pierce situation, then
you might need another guard to watch her. But for now stay with
your mate. Just get some rest. I need you at your best if there’s
an attack.”

“
Thank you, sir.” Ty’s
concern and understanding touched him. The appreciation he had for
Ty at the moment touched him.

“
The sister is arriving
tomorrow afternoon. I’ll want you in on that meeting. Tabitha and
her guards can watch over Bethany. I’m sure some female bonding
time will be good for her.”

Raja nodded. He had to be at that
meeting, as Pierce’s sister might provide information they needed.
He couldn’t let finding his mate jeopardize the clan. After what
happened to Bethany and the attacks on Tabitha, it was more
imperative to take Pierce down, and soon.

“
I did bring you this. I
know sitting around waiting for someone to wake up isn’t the best
part. I thought you might want to be able to work. It might help
keep your mind off things and bring us one step closer to Pierce.”
Tabitha handed him a bag that he didn’t realize she was
holding.

“
Thank you. I appreciate
it. I was starting to climb the walls.” He placed the bag on the
bedside table, knowing he would find his laptop and notes in it.
Tabitha was always well attuned with others’ needs and
desires.

“
Lukas’s brother sent
another transmission. You should find it in your email.
Unfortunately this one wasn’t in time to stop the attack…it was
about Bethany.”

A growl escaped before he could get
ahold of it. “Did he mention her by name?”

Ty shook his head. “But it implies
she’ll only be the first of many.”

“
With a little luck,
having to find another to do his dirty work will slow him down…the
guy who kidnapped Bethany won’t be doing anyone’s dirty work any
longer. He’s dead.”

* * *

It was after eleven o’clock at night
when Bethany woke to find Raja asleep on the chair next to the bed.
His neck resting at an odd angle, his hand still wrapped around
hers, and a laptop on his lap.

He didn’t leave. If he
wanted to harm me, would he really be sitting here passed out in
the chair, holding my hand?
She shook her
head at the idea but still she had the feeling something was
different about him and that he hadn’t been entirely
straightforward with her. Earlier she saw the concern for her on
his face.
Why would he care about
me?

She caught a glimpse of
his cell on the nightstand.
If I can only
reach it without waking him, I can call home.

She adjusted slightly. Careful not to
jar the bed, she reached for the phone.

Her fingers closed around the phone
when a throat cleared behind her. She almost dropped the phone in
her haste to move away.

“
Planning to call
someone?” Raja sat there in the chair watching her as if she was
under a microscope.

“
Umm…”

“
You’re not a prisoner
here, Bethany. You can call someone without sneaking
around.”

“
Well then…” She unlocked
the phone and pulled up her contact list.

“
How about you wait until
morning? If you’re calling your family, it’s past four in the
morning.”

Her hands dropped in
defeat.

“
What are you going to
tell them anyway?”

“
Umm…” she stuttered. She
didn’t think of that.

“
Wow, you have it all
planned out. Don’t you?”

“
I’m going to ask my
father to come get me. He can fly out here and help me get back
home.” She was proud she was able to come up with something so
quickly. But she wasn’t sure if it was the truth. Would she have
been able to tell her mom she was right and now needed to be saved?
She would hear about that until the end of time.

“
Are you going to tell
them you were kidnaped? How your knee got busted?”

“
What do you care what I
tell my parents?” Frustration filled her voice.

“
I care because I killed
the man who did this to you, remember?”

“
If you’re worried I’m
going to turn you in, don’t. You helped me when I couldn’t have
done it myself. I’m just trying to rid you of the problem. I’ll
tell them it was a snowboarding accident.”

“
I’m not worried about
myself. I’m worried about you. You leave here and you’ll have a
bull’s eye on your back.”

“
I don’t see how it
matters if I’m here or back with my family. This asshole will still
want me. At least back home I have the upper hand. I know the lay
of the land and have people who will protect me.” She leaned back
against the pillow.

“
No one can protect you
like I can. Plus we’re already on the trail to finding this
bastard.”

“
Oh a He-man who thinks
he’s the only one good enough for the job.” She let a puff of air
out, blowing the hair away from her face.

“
I don’t think. I know,”
he growled at her.

She sank back into the bed, wishing it
would swallow her whole. Anything to get away from him.

“
I’m sorry. It’s just that
I don’t want to see you hurt worse or possibly killed.”

“
Oh and you think I
do?”

“
You’re sure the hell
acting like you don’t value your life very much.” He set the laptop
on the stand and stood. “If you would just trust me, we’ll deal
with the situation while you’re recovering, and then you can do
what you want.”

“
Who is we?”

“
There is a group of us
that live here together. I don’t know how you got dragged into
this, but the man behind your kidnapping it someone we have been
hunting for a while. He’s very dangerous and has killed before.
Taking your life…he wouldn’t lose a night’s sleep over
it.”

“
What did you do to
him?”

“
It wasn’t what we did to
him. It was more like what he did to us. It’s a long
story.”

She heard the anger in his
voice but more than that, she recognized the pain.
What happened to him to have such pain in his
voice?
“Tell me.”

“
Another time.” He reached
up and tied his hair back with a leather strap. “How are you
feeling? Are you in pain?”

He was trying to get away from the
topic, and for now she would let it slide. She didn’t have the
strength to fight him now.

“
Not real pain. I feel
drunk more than anything.”

“
It’s the pain medication.
It will make you think you can fly if you let it.” He smiled down
at her for the first time.

Wow, what an amazing
smile. It could light up the darkest room.

“
You have a beautiful
smile. You should use it more often.”

“
You’re starting to sound
like Tora.”

I can’t believe my
luck—he’s married.
She looked down at his
left hand but there was no wedding band.
Not every man wears his ring. I should know that better than
anyone.

As if he caught her looking at his
hand, he smiled again. “Tora’s my sister.”

“
Your sister?” She was
unable to keep the surprise out of her voice.

“
Yes. She’s married to
Marcus, and they have a beautiful daughter, Scarlet.”

She could hear the happiness and love
in his voice. His whole body came alive when he spoke of them. “You
seem close to them. How old is Scarlet?”

“
I am. Tora and I have
been through a lot together over the years. Scarlet is fourteen
months, and she has her Uncle Raja wrapped tightly around her
little finger.”

She smiled, picturing Raja with
children. She loved children and hoped someday to have some of her
own.

“
In your tone I can hear
how much you adore Scarlet. Any children of your own?”

“
Not yet.” He laughed.
“Someday I want a few dozen of my own.”

“
Dozen?” her voice full of
shock.

“
Yeah, why
not?”

She let out a heartfelt laugh. “You
better find a few very understanding women to give you that many. I
doubt one woman would give you a dozen let alone a few
dozen.”

“
I guess when I find the
woman I’ll know and I’ll take as many munchkins as she will give
me.”

Uncomfortable, she tried to readjust,
pain shot across her face, making her eyes water.

Raja reached for her. When his hands
closed around hers, the pain subsided.

“
What just
happened?”

“
You’re not due for
another pain fill for any hour, but if you’re in that much pain
I’ll get Doc. Surely there’s something he could do for
you.”

“
Raja, you just ignored my
question. I have a feeling you know what I’m talking about. Answer
me.”

“
It’s nothing.” He lowered
himself back into the chair he recently vacated.