Bear Assassin: Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (The Enforcers Book 3) (3 page)

“You’re right,” she admitted.

“Mason is checking right now,” Jacob said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she smiled at her friend.

Jacob was Logan’s best friend, and the three of them had grown up together. He’d always been more rational than her brother, but that was why they made a good team.

“This is Tobias Black,” Jacob said, motioning behind him.

She focused on where her mate had been standing seconds ago, but he was gone.

“Hey,” he said.

She looked down to find him crouched low, inspecting the brick on the ground between them. He’d moved without a sound, and worse, he seemed perfectly calm and unaffected by her presence.

“There’s something written on here,” he said, basically ignoring her.

“What does it say?” Logan asked.

Tobias brushed away the thin layer of white foam and read the words out loud.

“DIE BEAR SLUT.”

Well, damn!

This just didn’t seem to be her night.

“Any ideas on who would do this?” Jacob asked gently.

“No,” she shook her head. “None.”

“Okay, what’s the status on the window?” Logan asked.

“Ordered, but it won’t be here until morning,” Jacob said. “Mason has two men on their way to patrol until the window is installed. Layla, you’ll need to close for at least part of the day tomorrow.”

“You should close for the full day,” Logan suggested.

“I’ll think about it,” she said.

“And I don’t want you sleeping here tonight. You’ll stay with me and Becca.”

“No, I will not,” she said, firmly.

“Yes, you will. It’s not safe,” Logan countered.

“I’m not sleeping in here, and my apartment is fine.”

“No,” he roared.

A few more pieces of glass fell from the window, and they all stopped talking.

“Run,” Tobias roared.

She turned to run, but Tobias scooped her up and dove behind the counter. He landed on his back, acting as a cushion, and pulled her down on top of him. He covered her head with his arms, and a second later several loud, booming crashes filled the room.

A piece of glass hit her ankle and she jerked her knees up. The new position stretched her pussy over his cock, and answered the question of how big he was.

Holy hell!

She trembled, and despite the dangerous situation, she fought the urge not to grind against him. Luckily, he didn’t seem to notice her wildly inappropriate thoughts.

“It’s just the window giving up,” he whispered into her hair. “It will be over soon.”

The noise she could do without, but she never wanted to leave his arms.

At a loss for words, she nodded.

Eventually, the sound stopped and he released his hold on her.

“Okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she smiled, looking up at him.

He narrowed his eyes and brushed his thumb across the spot where her cheek collided with the nightstand less than an hour before.

“What’s this from?”

“I crashed into the nightstand when the alarm went off.”

“It’s healing normally.”

It wasn’t a question, but she answered him anyway.

“Yes,” she confirmed.

“Good. Stay with your brother tonight, okay?”

“Okay.”

God damn wimp!

Did he know she would do anything he asked?

“You have to get up now.”

Her cheeks heated and she quickly scurried off of him and stood. He stood next to her as Logan and Jacob emerged from their hiding places, and Mason appeared on the other side of the window. Together they surveyed the damage.

“Man, that was insane,” Mason said.

“Yeah, good call, Tobias,” Logan said. “Are you okay, Layla?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, and I’ve decided to stay with you and Becca tonight.”

“Good,” Logan smiled. “Mason, meet Layla at the back door and escort her upstairs so she can change and pack a bag.”

“I’m not changing,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“What time will the window be delivered?” Tobias asked.

“Nine,” Jacob said.

“Okay, I’d like to come back at seven or eight and look around.”

“Sounds good,” Logan said. “Let’s call it a night.”

Thirty minutes later, she laid wide awake in Logan’s guest bedroom, staring at the ceiling.

A few days ago, she didn’t think finding a mate was a possibility, and she’d been content to live the rest of her life alone. Now that she’d found Tobias, she couldn’t wait to be with him.

She closed her eyes, but too much adrenaline coursed through her veins and she immediately opened them again. The thought of feeling his hard body on top of her, loving her, set her nerve endings on fire and she smiled into the darkness.

She was excited, but more than that, she was…giddy.

What the hell?

When was the last time she’d gotten this excited about anything? Especially a man?

Never.

She’d never lost her cool over a man, but he wasn’t just any man.

He was a wolf, a big bad wolf, and he was her mate.

She couldn’t wait for him to claim her.

Chapter Three

Fuck me!

Tobias inhaled a deep breath and followed the scent of vanilla and fresh cut roses to Logan’s office. His boss and his mate were waiting, but he needed a minute to get his wolf under control.

Instead of entering the room, he continued past the door to the kitchenette and poured himself a cup of coffee. It was from the machine, not the fresh brew box, but the warm liquid still tasted better than any other he’d had before. Logan hadn’t been lying when he’d said Layla’s coffee was the best.

But her scent was better.

After they’d left the coffee shop the night before, he’d tried to sleep, but thoughts of his mate haunted him. Her scent, the way she’d felt in his arms, her voice, her smile…everything. He didn’t mind that she was a bear, in fact it made perfect sense. His sister, Violet, had mated with a bear, and they both had the same DNA. Apparently, their wolves were meant to be with bears.

His bear was feisty, too, and it was another thing he liked about her. The fact that she could stand up to her brother and Jacob, both strong alphas, and protect herself, made him want to claim her in the middle of the chaos. It would have been so easy to remove her flimsy pajamas and sink his cock into her warm center.

No! Focus!

The attack on her shop hadn’t been random, and he wanted to catch the person responsible. If they mated now, the crime could go unpunished, and he refused to let the perpetrator get away. He would find the responsible party, make them pay, and then he would claim his mate.

Begging would probably be involved, but he didn’t mind. Layla was his life now.

He finished his cup of coffee, took a deep breath, and masked his scent. Most shifters didn’t have the power or skill to perform such a difficult task, but he’d always been able to do what others couldn’t. It was one of the reasons he made such a good assassin. Even though he was only half-wolf, he’d always had more skill and power than full-blooded shifters.

Layla’s scent flitted under his nose, but he ignored the smell and walked toward Logan’s office. He’d just spent over an hour inside her shop, and though it had been hard to ignore the urge to mate, it hadn’t been impossible.

He could keep his distance until the time was right.

He rapped his knuckles on the door and entered when Logan gave him the word. Layla sat in an empty chair against the wall, and her narrowed eyes revealed she understood what he’d done.

“Find anything?” Logan asked.

“Not much,” Tobias said. “Mostly just confirmed what we already knew. It wasn’t an accident, or a one-time thing, and the attacker will strike again.”

“Okay,” Logan nodded. “That means you need to get in the ring,” he said to Layla, “and it needs to be with someone who won’t go easy on you.”

“I don’t need a refresher course in self-defense, Logan,” Layla said. “I can take care of myself.”

“When was the last time you fought someone? Not for practice, but actually fought someone trying to hurt you?” her brother asked.

Silence filled the room.

“That’s what I thought,” Logan said smugly. “Tobias is going to run drills with you after work.”

“What? No way!” she protested.

Interesting.

He’d definitely succeeded in making her mad.

“Everyone else is too close to you,” Logan explained. “They won’t push you hard enough.”

“He won’t either,” Layla said. “He’s my mate.”

“What?”

Layla and Logan both stared at him as he looked back and forth between the two siblings. Layla’s look was a cross between resolve and hope, and Logan hid his true feelings behind a mask of indifference. As much as he wanted to tell the truth, he couldn’t. Not yet.

“Sometimes, especially during moments of stress, the mind plays tricks on us. I’m not your mate, Layla, but I will protect you.”

“Then why are you masking your scent?” she asked boldly.

God he wanted her!

“Because I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. Honestly, you’re probably still shaken up from last night, and you’ll probably still think I’m your mate for the next few days.”

It lasted only seconds, but he watched as shame, sadness, resolve and anger flashed across her face. Anger he could deal with. She didn’t believe him, and that was okay, as long as she held onto the anger.

“Fine,” she said, standing. “I’ll meet you at the gym at six.”

“Actually,” Logan said. “Tobias is going to follow you around for a few days. He’ll be at the shop in about an hour.”

“Logan, I—”

“This is not up for debate,” Logan stated, cutting off her protest.

“Fine,” she sighed.

Layla walked out of the office with her head held high, but he wasn’t surprised when the door closed so hard it shook the pictures on the walls. The sound vibrated through him, and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his wolf.

“So, what’s the deal?” Logan asked. “I can’t smell you either. Is she your mate?”

“She is,” Tobias admitted.

“So…what? My sister isn’t good enough for you?”

“Exactly the opposite,” Tobias said. “She’s perfect for me. Absolutely perfect, and we will mate, but not yet. That attack wasn’t an accident, or a one-time thing, and whoever did it will come back for her. She needs to be on high-alert right now, not distracted by a mating. I need her anger until we can catch this guy.”

“Rejection isn’t exactly a new thing for her, but I’m not sure about this,” Logan revealed. “Are you?”

“I’m positive,” he said.

“Okay, then she’s your first assignment. Guard her at work, get her in the ring, and don’t go easy on her. I’ll have someone patrol her place at night so you both can get some rest.”

Tobias raised an eyebrow at the last remark.

“Well, you can try to get some rest,” the man laughed. “In fact, good luck with that.”

“Thanks,” Tobias laughed, too, and stood.

He was eager to get to
Java Corner
.

“One stipulation,” Logan said, his laughter gone. “If she gets hurt, then all bets are off.”

Tobias immediately understood the carefully veiled threat. He wasn’t the only one interested in protecting Layla, and her brother would seek vengeance if he failed.

Tobias nodded once, and left the room.

He never failed, and he didn’t plan on starting now.

***

Don’t cry! Don’t cry! Don’t cry!

Layla raced out of her brother’s office and flew down the stairs to the parking lot. She heard Jacob call her name, and several Enforcers called out greetings as she ran by, but she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t face anyone. If she opened her mouth to speak, then the tears would escape and it wouldn’t be pretty.

Fuck!

She hated men!

Why did she have to get her hopes up about Tobias? If her past had taught her anything, it was that all men sucked. She sped home, but when she pulled into the empty parking lot behind her business, she stayed behind the wheel and stared at the red brick wall in front of her.

The anger she’d felt in Logan’s office had dissipated into shame and sadness.

Days ago, she’d convinced herself she was happy being alone, better off even, but deep down she’d still held onto the hope of a mate who would love her unconditionally.

Unfortunately, Tobias was like all the others.

Tears welled in her eyes as she thought back to all the times she’d been dumped because she didn’t fit the mold of a helpless female who needed a man to protect her, or she didn’t conform to what a man wanted. She’d refused to be anything other than strong and independent, but at a great cost. There wasn’t a man alive, shifter or otherwise, who wanted a woman like her, and if they did give her a chance, she’d eventually find a way to ruin it.

In high school, her boyfriend gathered his buddies around the gym to prove his strength was greater than hers. She could have easily let him lift more, and win the challenge, but she’d refused to stand by and let him degrade her.

In college, her boyfriend tried to get her drunk and share her with his friends as a way to get back at her for not giving in to forced sex. When his plan failed, and she beat the shit out of everyone in the group, they told everyone she was a slut who liked things rough.

One tried to arm wrestle her in front of his friends, another told her to sit quietly and look pretty, and another dumped her after she took down a mugger and saved his life.

That’s why she’d stopped dating. A one-night stand never stuck around past breakfast, and she didn’t have to deal with insecure men hiding behind misplaced pride, mediocre muscles and mean words.

Her mate was supposed to be different.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t. They hadn’t even known each other twenty-four hours and he’d already rejected her. Was it because she could fight? Was she too bold? Too independent? Too slim? Tall? Ugly? Impulsive? She’d only been in his presence a few minutes the night before, but by morning he’d decided she wasn’t good enough.

Her heart ached at the rejection and a single tear slipped down her cheek. As if her humiliation wasn’t deep enough, her brother had assigned him as her bodyguard. She would have to see him everyday until her attacker struck again.

What if that never happened? Would she have to watch him flirt and court other women in the shop? She wasn’t sure she could take it. Luckily, she didn’t have to smell his heavenly scent, too, or she’d go insane.

Another tear escaped at the same time a full-size truck pulled into the spot next to her.

Shit!

Had it been an hour already? She brushed away the tear and glanced at the man getting out of the car. She didn’t need to stare to know it was Tobias, and she took the time to study his vehicle. It was a popular model, but it wasn’t new even though it looked it. He either didn’t drive it much, or he took really good care of it. She decided on the latter, and then cursed herself for caring.

She glanced in the review mirror and cursed again. One look at her face and he’d know she’d been crying over him.

Shit!

He tapped on her window, and as much as she wanted to put the car in reverse and speed away, she knew she couldn’t. Running wouldn’t solve anything, and worse, he’d come after her. His allegiance lied with her brother, and she knew he wouldn’t shirk his duties, or fail his new boss and mission. For whatever reason, the wolf had relocated to join the bear Enforcers, and she had a feeling he always finished what he started.

Layla grabbed her purse and overnight bag, took a deep breath, and excited her vehicle. She kept a small smile on her face, but she refused to look him in the eye. Instead, she stared at his shoulder.

“I need to run this bag upstairs, and then we can go in the shop and start cleaning up.”

“What’s wrong?” Tobias asked.

“Nothing,” she said, moving passed him.

“It’s been nearly an hour since you left Price Security. Why were you still sitting in your car?”

“I had to run an errand,” she said, starting for the stairs.

“Your car is cold.”

She stopped and sighed, but she didn’t turn around to face him.

“You can’t be that stupid,” she whispered. “Please just let it go.”

When he didn’t respond, she continued up the stairs and entered her apartment without looking back.

In the restroom, she splashed water on her face, brushed her hair and plastered on a semi-real, fuller smile. Though she wanted to curl up into a ball and hide from the world, she had a job to do. Cleaning up the mess from last night and getting the store ready to open would keep her mind off her mate, and the fact that he didn’t want her.

The tears threatened to fall again, but she blinked them away. After making sure her door was locked, she raced down the stairs and greeted Tobias as if she hadn’t seen him a moment before. He studied her critically, but she ignored him and led the way into the shop.

They walked through the storeroom and she briefly wondered if her broom and dustpan would be able to get up every shard of glass. Should she hire a clean up crew? If she did the work herself, it might take hours, and she definitely wouldn’t be able to open today. Would Tobias leave if she wasn’t opening her business, or would he stay and watch her sweep and clean all day? God, she hated being babysat…why did it have to be him?

When they entered the main room, she walked past the counter and stopped.

The night before, the floor and tables had been covered in glass, but now everything was clean and shiny. From where she stood, she didn’t see any remnants of the mayhem the night before, so she moved closer to get a better look.

Layla smoothed her hands over the tables and chairs, and then got on her hands and knees to inspect the carpet. Nothing. The place wasn’t only clean, it was sanitized.

She jumped up from the floor and smiled at Tobias.

“Logan must have paid them to clean up,” she said. “All I have to do is get the coffee going and we can open the doors.”