Bodyguard (Shifters Unbound #2.5) (23 page)

"No, I want to know more about Brian, about
Shifters and the Shifter community. Who Brian's people are, how he
grew up, what it's like to live in a Shifter enclave." She smiled
again. "Finding six independent witnesses who swear he was nowhere
near the victim at the time in question wouldn't hurt either."

"Oh, is that all? Bloody miracles is what you
want, darling."

She wrapped a dark curl around her finger.
"Brian said that you're the Shifter people talk to most. Shifters
and humans alike."

It was true that Shifters came to Liam with
their troubles. His father, Dylan Morrissey, was master of this
Shiftertown, second in power in the whole clan.

Humans knew little about the careful
hierarchy of the Shifter clans and prides--packs for Lupines--and
still less about how informally but efficiently everything got
done. Dylan was the Morrissey pride leader and the leader of this
Shiftertown, and Fergus was the clan leader for the Felines of
South Texas, but Shifters with a problem sought out Liam or his
brother Sean for a chat. They'd meet in the bar or at the coffee
shop around the corner.
So
, Liam, can you ask your father
to look into it for me?

No one would petition Dylan or Fergus
directly. That wasn't done. But chatting about things to Liam over
coffee, that was fine and didn't draw attention to the fact that
the person in question had troubles.

Everyone would know anyway, of course. Life
in a Shiftertown reminded Liam very much of life in the Irish
village he'd lived near until they'd come to Texas twenty years
ago. Everyone knew everything about everyone, and news traveled,
lightning-swift, from one side of the village to the other.

"Brian never came to me," he said. "I never
knew anything about this human girl until suddenly the police swoop
in here and arrest him. His mother struggled out of bed to watch
her son be dragged away. She didn't even know why for days."

Kim watched Liam's blue eyes harden. The
Shifters were angry about Brian's arrest, that was certain.
Citizens of Austin had tensely waited for the Shifters to make
trouble after the arrest, to break free and try to retaliate with
violence, but Shiftertown remained quiet. Kim wondered why, but she
wasn't about to ask right now and risk angering the one person who
might help her.

"Exactly my point," she said. "This case has
been handled badly from start to finish. If you help me, I can
spring Brian and make a point at the same time. You don't mess with
people's rights, not even Shifters'."

Liam's eyes grew harder, if that were
possible. It was like looking at living sapphire. "I don't give a
damn about making a point. I give a damn about Brian's family."

All right, so she'd miscalculated about what
would motivate him. "In that case, Brian's family will be happier
with him outside prison, not inside."

"He won't go to prison, love. He'll be
executed, and you know it. No waiting twenty years on death row,
either. They'll kill him, and they'll kill him fast."

That was true. The prosecutor, the county
sheriff, the attorney general, and even the governor, wanted an
example made of Brian. There hadn't been a Shifter attack in twenty
years, and the Texas government wanted to assure the world that
they weren't going to allow one now.

"So are you going to help me save him?" Kim
asked. If he wanted to be direct and to the point, fine. So could
she. "Or let him die?"

Anger flickered through Liam's eyes again,
then sorrow and frustration. Shifters were emotional people from
what she'd seen in Brian, not bothering to hide what they felt.
Brian had lashed out at Kim many times before he'd grudgingly
acknowledged that she was on his side.

If Liam decided to stonewall her, Brian had
said, Kim had no hope of getting cooperation from the other
Shifters. Even Brian's own mother would take her cue from Liam.

Liam had the look of a man who didn't take
shit from anyone. A man used to giving the orders himself, but so
far he hadn't seemed brutal. He could make his voice go soft and
lilting, reassuring, friendly. He was a defender, she guessed. A
protector of his people.

Was he deciding whether to protect Brian? Or
whether to turn his back?

Liam's gaze flicked past her to the door,
every line of his body coming alert. Kim's nerves made her jump.
"What is it?"

Liam got out of his chair and started around
the desk at the same time the door scraped open and another
man--another Shifter--walked in.

Liam's expression changed. "Sean." He clasped
the other Shifter's arms and pulled him into a hug.

More than a hug. Kim watched, open-mouthed,
as Liam wrapped his arms around the other man, gathered him close,
and nuzzled his cheek.

* * * * *

About the Author

New
York Times
bestselling and
award-winning author Jennifer Ashley has written more than 35
published novels and novellas in romance, urban fantasy, and
mystery under the names Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James, and Ashley
Gardner. Her books have been nominated for and won Romance Writers
of America's RITA (given for the best romance novels and novellas
of the year), several
RT
BookReviews
Reviewers Choice
awards (including Best Urban Fantasy, Best Historical Mystery, and
Career Achievement in Historical Romance), and Prism awards for her
paranormal romances. Jennifer's books have been translated into
more than a dozen languages and have earned starred reviews in
Booklist
. More about the Shifters Unbound series can be
found at
http://www.jennifersromances.com
Or email Jennifer at
mailto:[email protected]

Books in the Shifters Unbound series

Pride
Mates

Primal Bonds

Shifter Made
(short story)

Bodyguard

Wild Cat

Mate Claimed
(forthcoming)

And more!

Books in the Mackenzies series

The
Madness of Lord Ian
Mackenzie

Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage

The Many Sins of Lord Cameron

The Duke's Perfect Wife

The Seduction of Elliot McBride

And more!