RICHIE: New Orleans Wolf Shifters with plus sized BBW for mates (Le Beau Series Book 6) (7 page)

The man he assumed was Qball, was blatantly testing him, craving a reaction. He could smell his intent.

He forced himself to calm his rage as he watched the man lick his lips, savoring the terror filling the room.

“Your woman is a delectable little thing, isn’t she? I bet she has the most wonderful scream, I can hardly wait to cut her to find out.”

Richie’s nose wrinkled, the smell of the man’s excitement was repulsive. This monster enjoyed terrorizing his victims. But his cocky attitude wavered when he noticed the unexpected result of his knife pressed to Piper’s neck and his taunts. Richie knew the precise moment the man saw the sudden change in the color of his eyes from dark brown to glowing yellow.

Sirens were heard as the parking lot filled with squad cars. Someone must have called the police.

Fear shivered across Qball’s face. It was clear he didn’t enjoy being afraid. Richie watched as he sneered an ugly smile and stepped toward the door, dragging Piper with him. With each step the man took, Richie stalked forward, step for step. He had Qball’s attention, holding his gaze with his wolf’s stare. Waiting for his chance to make a move.

With an accuracy that only came from years of practice, Qball flicked the blade at him and shoved Piper to her knees. Richie saw it coming and stepped to his left. The knife clattered harmlessly to the floor. As soon as Qball retreated, the room erupted, women cried and men jumped into action, going to their families, some rushing to Piper’s aid. In the melee, Richie was hampered from getting to her or tracking Qball. He snarled in frustration trying to get through the crowd suddenly in front of him. The people unwittingly gave Qball the distraction he needed to slip away.

“Damn it!” Piper growled. Once she extracted herself from the well-meaning people helping her to her feet, she charged after Qball.

Richie hustled to follow Piper, her rage was bound to get her hurt or worse, killed. He’d never considered his mate would be a warrior, of sorts. When he’d pictured his mate, he’d imagined soft, and sweet, and kind of a Suzy homemaker type. But he couldn’t deny, Piper was damned sexy in action. Who knew he had the hots for Xena the warrior princess?

It took some doing, but he caught up to her when she stopped to catch her breath.

“What?” she barked, clearly angry she’d lost Qball.

Still leaning over with hands on knees she turned her head to glower at him. The moment their eyes met, he felt her anger recede.

Richie refused to back down and look away. This woman was his MATE. And she had been threatened.

She aroused his wolf; more than that, she enthralled him, but they were in a public situation, and he needed to control his wolf’s demands. Both he and his wolf were captivated. A thrill ran up his spine, he was more than willing to be imprisoned for eternity by her velvety soft, and enticing eyes.
Lock me up and throw away the key. Please!
But first he had a murderer to rip to pieces and feed to the gators.

Her steel blue eyes broke the mutual stare down they were trapped in and shifted toward the lobby, effectively snapping him out of his slobbering puppy trance. Yeah, that’s not embarrassing. No, not at all. Casually he wiped the corners of his mouth to verify slobber wasn’t actually hanging from his lips.
Thank the Goddess for small favors
he thought, as he brushed dry skin.

She raked her fingers through her hair, knocking the hairpins loose. “Dammit all to hell! I lost the bastard.”

He stood, hands on hips, watching her. “What’s our plan?”

“Oh, no, buddy. There is no ‘our’ plan. You can go back to the reception. I have a bounty to track.”

Richie crossed his arms, eyes glowing angrily. “If you think you’re going after that guy alone, think again.”

Piper opened her mouth to tell him where to go, but before she could speak a swarm of humanity was headed her way as the wedding guests rushed to leave. She and Richie flattened themselves to the wall and waited. Finally, she was able to continue her search. He had to be somewhere in the hotel. There were too many cops in the parking lot and lobby for him to have gotten out.

Systematically she searched each of the smaller event rooms that made up the event center of the hotel. Finally she threw her hands in the air. “Where the hell did he go! There are officers everywhere. He couldn’t just disappear into thin air.”

“Maybe that’s the problem, if he blended into the crowd, he could have moved around easily. Let’s make our way back toward the lobby. Maybe we’ll pick up his trail.”

“Maybe.” She wasn’t going to hold her breath. Qball was more slippery than an eel.

They walked slowly examining the floor, walls, and doors for a clue of Qball’s passing. The event center was shaped like a horseshoe compounding their efforts. It took them about twenty minutes to search the entire event center, dodging officers as they went. As they turned the corner into the hallway that led past the ballroom and ended in the lobby, Piper saw Qball wearing a cop uniform, slip into the now vacant ballroom. How the hell did he get a uniform! That explained why no one found him, he was hiding in plain sight. She held up a hand to alert Richie and used hand signals to stop.

Without looking his way, she waved Richie off, as if he would sit and stay, like a dog. He let out an annoyed snort that earned him a glower. They approached the ballroom, moving with care and stealth.

There weren’t many places for Qball to hide in there. The tablecloths only reached half way to the floor. That left only the bar and a heavy curtain along one wall as possible cover. Piper took a deep breath and tapped into her gift. Standing in the safety of the hallway, she sent her spirit or whatever it was that gave her the ability to see, into the ballroom. Her non-corporeal self inched to the edge of the bar and glanced behind. Not there. He was either behind the curtain or he was Houdini. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t use her gift to see behind the dark curtain. Even her gift couldn’t overcome darkness. She gripped her gun, ready for action and entered the room, careful not to make a sound.

As she reached for the heavy, black curtain, Richie spotted a man among the hefty cloth. His heart jumped and his wolf snarled.

Before he got a good look at the guy, he dissolved into the fabric pleats and folds. With an aggressive growl and a bit too much force, Richie pulled the curtain aside - then down. SHIT! He and Piper were about to be buried in hundreds of yards of velvet.

Just as his last glimpse of the room disappeared behind the falling weight, Qball pointed a gun at Piper. His wolf surged forward and slashed a huge hole in the heavy velvet. Using his wolf’s speed and strength, he launched himself at Qball. The murderer managed to move sideways and avoid a full on collision, but his gun was knocked free and slid across the room and out of reach.

Richie tried to regain his footing on the highly polished floor, but he struggled like a dog running in place on linoleum. Not his manliest moment. Screw that, he’d just saved his mate.

Piper struggled from under the curtain as Qball disappeared out the door, cackling gleefully.

“What the hell just happened?” Piper snarled surveying the damage.

Richie didn’t blink as he glared at the doorway, eyes glowing with an angry fire. His expression was intent as his muscles flexed and rippled. For a long moment, his gaze remained fixed on the door Qball had escaped through. Heaving from the rush of adrenaline, his chest rose and fell. His wolf pushed him to track the threat and kill it, but he also needed to protect his mate. As much as he wished he had the ability, he couldn’t be in two places at once.

Finally, he turned on his heel and stalked toward her. Helped her to her feet and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry he got away. I would have had him, but my feet slipped on this high gloss flooring.”

Piper knew his heart rate hadn’t slowed. Somehow she was able to feel each beat.

What the…
Her eyes widened and then her brows furrowed.

Piper couldn’t prevent the rise of alarm from feeling his heartbeat, nor her admiration for this man. He truly was dangerous. Funny, she hadn’t felt this side of him last night in the bar and certainly not in her bed. But for reasons unknown, she was absolutely positive he wasn’t dangerous to her, only Qball. He was protecting her. No one had ever protected her before. She was always the one doing the protecting. Strange. She was surprised to find she liked it.

Piper shook with her anger over losing Qball again. “I’ll get that bastard next time.”

His hand cupped her cheek and stole her attention from her anger and centered it on him.

“I’m sure you will.”

She watched as he searched her face, looking for something.

“I’m aware this is an inappropriate request, but I need to kiss you, Piper. I’m abundantly aware you’re covered in weapons and could easily use one on me. But I can’t help my reaction to the danger you were in, and at this moment, I don’t really give a damn if you shoot me.”

Piper’s eyes widened as she unconsciously moistened her lips, but she didn’t pull away.

“I’d never hurt you, Richie. You know that, right?”

She felt his breath hitch and watched as he focused on her lips.

Her body relaxed and responded to his need, a worrisome reaction for a woman accustomed to control. A teasing grin tugging the corners of her mouth. “You’d better make it a really, really great kiss, because it might be the last one you ever give.”

Her pulse thundered in her ears, drowning out her mind’s warnings that encouraging him before Qball was caught was a bad idea.

Richie loomed over her. There was hunger in his eyes, a desire that stole her breath and left her weak in the knees.

She was hypnotized, imprisoned by his gaze, his need transparent in his expression. Desire for her, for Piper the bounty hunter.

His fingers tunneled into her messy up-do and raised her lips to his. His passionate and protective male energy engulfed her, sending desire rushing through her.

His lips touched hers and the world rolled under her feet. She couldn’t process, or rationalize. Only feel. Her knees went wobbly and her body roared to life. His kiss was intense and edged toward demanding. Of their own volition, her lips parted and he dipped inside.

Piper wrapped her arms around his neck and Richie flowed into her thoughts, loving, cherishing, and determined to claim her as his mate. He opened his thoughts to her. Let her in to see his hopes and dreams of their future.

Happiness and a sense of coming home burst through her like a hurricane making landfall. She clung to him, as they became what felt like one person. Sharing a heartbeat, exchanging breath.

Her mind whirled as she tried to process what was happening to her. It was as if someone else was controlling her body and emotions. It wasn’t in her to behave like a horny teenager in the middle of a hunt. She needed to get a handle on herself.

Richie knew he exposed too much, too fast, but he couldn’t stop himself. He had to have her. His wolf demanded they claim her for their own. The compulsion had been growing since the moment he’d set eyes on her at the dinner. He knew he’d have a lot of explaining to do, but for now he just wanted to feel her safe and alive in his arms.

His pulse thundered and blood pooled, causing his pants to tighten painfully. She was his salvation – his private paradise. Everything around them became nonexistent; there was only Piper with her soft curves, and scent that drove him and his ravenous beast crazy. The only thing that mattered was kissing her, the world could crash down around his ears and he wouldn’t have noticed.

He was on fire for his mate, needing her intimately, but also as a companion. A best friend and confidant. He’d been unaware anything was lacking. He’d thought his life was full and happy. Surrounded by friends and pack. He loved his life. Sure, he’d prayed there would be a mate for him, a woman who would turn his heart to mush and his body to stone. He just hadn’t imagined it would happen so suddenly, like a bolt of lightning from out of the blue.

Piper turned his world upside down and at the same time completed him. She made him whole. Regardless, she needed him to be her partner right now, not her lover. And certainly not her mate. At least, not yet. So he ended the kiss and took a breath.

Her thoughts told him of her determination to protect her heart from ever feeling pain again. Someone had hurt her – badly. She was drawn to him and it intrigued her, but also terrified her. She wanted to trust him, and yet wasn’t sure if she could. Most of all, she was determined to hold him off until Qball was apprehended.

He felt her inside his mind, searching for answers and seeing more than she should, at least until he could explain what he was and what she was to him.

Her body stiffened. “What’s happening to me?” she whispered against his mouth when they both came up for air. Her soft steel blue eyes searching his face.

He rested his forehead against hers. “I have a lot to explain to you, but not here. Not in public.”

“I think I was reading your mind, but how is that possible?”

A slow smile curved his mouth. “You were. I let you in.” He held up his hands to stop her when she opened her mouth to speak. “I’m sure you have a million questions. But I think we should take a little time to collect ourselves. And before you become consumed with what you’ve learned, we need to check the hotel for Qball.”

She blinked, and moistened her lips again. “You’re not getting off the hook that easily. I have to tell you, I’m more than a little concerned that you think you can turn into a dog. But you’re right, I need to check the hotel and its perimeter. The last thing I want is an innocent victim. It looks like Qball thinks this is a game of cat and mouse.”

Richie pushed a hand through his hair. “Where do you want to start?”

Piper blinked. Stunned. A hint of indecision crept into her eyes. She frowned, and he bent his head to swallow her protest before she could utter it.

“Piper, I’m going with you,” he whispered against her lips.

She narrowed her eyes at him, then nodded. “Fine. You’ll follow me anyway, so I might as well know where you are and what you’re doing. I’d hate to accidentally shoot you. Keep in mind, I’m doing this under protest. I’m in charge and you’ll do exactly what I tell you to do or the deal is off.”

“You got it. I can assist you though. I’m an excellent tracker and I can handle myself.”

She pressed her lips together, still worried. “Let’s get started before my sanity returns and I send you packing.”

He grinned, very pleased with himself.

She rolled her eyes  “Oh, shut up, dog boy.”

His pretend growls under his breath, made her laugh as they walked to the doors that led to the hallway.

“I saw him turn right,” he told her, heading for the door.

A foot short of the hallway, Piper silenced them and signaled Richie to the side of the opening. She sent her gift out into the hall to verify Qball wasn’t lying in wait. The coast was clear.

“Stay close and don’t make a sound,” she ordered before stepping through the door.

She didn’t see Richie shake his head and grin.

If she only knew what I’m capable of…

One by one, she tested the doors that lined the hall. Everything was locked down tight. Good. Less places for Qball to hide. She glanced back to make sure Richie stayed close. Each time his eyes met hers, she felt a peculiar brush of butterfly wings. She glanced away and frowned, the sensation made it difficult to breathe. She didn’t need nor want butterflies or any other wings right now. But she had to admit, she loved his dark eyes and the way his gaze drifted over her like the lightest touch of fingers. She just didn’t want it this very moment. Stupid hormones.

There was no sign of Qball in the lobby or bar either. The perimeter of the hotel was the only area left to search. The long summer day would be helpful. Even at seven PM the sun brightened the sky.

She mustered the nerve to slide a sideways glance Richie’s way. He was gazing back at her, his expression rapt, but not in a creepy way. His hand was strong and yet gentle. Curiously, it felt right to hold his hand—as if they’d been together for some time. Did that mean that she really was his ‘mate’ as he claimed in his thoughts? Whatever a mate was. She assumed it was another word for girlfriend or something on those lines. At least Piper hoped it was.

She gave herself a mental shake.
You’re getting a little ahead of yourself. He danced with you, heck he made love to you, but he never asked you out on a date. Girlfriend… as if.
She snorted at herself and her thoughts. Men went to bed with women all the time without getting emotionally involved. Regardless, the odds were, there wouldn’t be a repeat performance.

The entire time they had searched, Richie strove to only breathe through his mouth or while facing away from Piper. Every time he got a lungful of her, he lost the ability to form a coherent thought. As enjoyable as that was, he needed his wits about him.

He retained hold of her hand the entire time they’d walked the exterior. Piper hadn’t resisted or shied away. As soon as they’d cleared the exit doors, a light wind had touched their skin. The scent of her had floated on the breeze and teased and tormented his senses. When her hair had gently ruffled, his need to tuck it behind her tiny ear, tested his resolve and had nearly overwhelmed him. He’d wanted to feel those silky strands sliding through his fingers.

It was crazy to have been absolutely spellbound when they could have walked into danger at any second. He'd suppressed a groan when she had stepped from the shadows into the light. The sun bathing the entrance of the hotel had played seductively over her flawless skin like a lover. Damn, she was killing him. Now he needed a cold shower.
Get ahold of yourself, man. She needs a partner not a lovesick pup.

With his wolf and libido once again under his control, he considered her thoughts. How was he going to get her alone, and once he had her alone, how the hell did he tell her how much she meant to him and what he was?

If only his brain cells functioned around the gorgeous bounty hunter. He couldn’t blame his deficiency on her beauty alone. Hell, no. She had an amazing mind and personality to go with her looks. How had he gotten so lucky?

And when she kissed him, he was completely screwed. His brain clocked out, closed up shop, and said adios amigos. It was a blessing he hadn’t tripped over a chair in the lobby or walked into a wall. At the rate he was going, he would be wearing a hazard sign by the end of the day.

He needed to focus. If he didn’t look at her and concentrated on where Qball was, he might make it back to his hotel room without the addition of the hazard sign. But damn, he liked looking at her.

*****

Nearing the automatic doors, they joined others coming and going. It was easy to see Qball wasn’t among them. Besides, there were officers everywhere. The hotel was more heavily guarded than Fort Knox. She knew because she’d spoken with every police officer on the scene and informed them that Qball was posing as a cop. They’d told her they would be processing the scene and hanging around through the night in the hopes of apprehending him. It was obvious with so many officers milling around Qball wasn’t going to come near the hotel again tonight.

“He’s gone… for now anyway,” Piper sighed. “I don’t know about you, but I need a drink.”

“Yeah. I could use one, too.”

“I’m going to change out of this dress. Do you want to meet me in the bar?”

“Sure, I’ll get us a table.”

“Great, I’ll only be a minute.” She left him outside the bar and hurried to the elevators.

During the walk back to the bar, Piper lectured herself. No more kissing! She would stay strong and keep Richie at arm’s length. This was just two people having a stiff drink after a near death experience. Nothing more. Until Qball was apprehended anything remotely resembling romance was downright dangerous. She had no business considering ideas like if he’d called her his girlfriend or going out on dates for that matter. Piper nodded to herself, she would be brave and avoid forming an attachment to the smoking hot Cajun. For now anyway.

A short five minutes later she had just taken her seat when he took her hand.