Page 20

Chapter

Nineteen

“I have an idea,” Jade said the following afternoon as she and Brick relaxed in the apartment over the garage after lunch with his parents.

“A sexy one? You’re insatiable,” he said, his eyes dancing.

She rolled her eyes. Then she swung her leg over his and straddled his lap. Leaning in for a kiss, she said, “I’m always thinking sexy things about you. But I was wondering if we could go out?”

“Out…of the territory?”

“Yep.”

“For what?” He slid his hands slowly up her sides, delving under her top.

“A date.”

His brows rose. He cupped her face and drew her down for a kiss. “I’d love to take you out. Did you have something in mind? We’ll also need an escort, of course.”

Leaning into him, she rested her head on his shoulder. “Something fun.”

His wolf rumbled in his chest.

“Have you been to Lykos?”

“The shifter bar?”

“Yep. I haven’t been in a while. The last time I was there, I was escorting Brooke and Harper.”

“Oh, I like them, they’re sweet,” she said. “So it’s a date?”

“Of course. We’ll grab a bite and hit the bar for some hot and heavy dancing, and then I’ll sex you up good when we get home.”

She grinned. “You can sex me up good right now.”

He grabbed her tightly and rose to his feet, hauling her over his shoulder. “Whatever my sweetheart wants.”

She giggled as she landed upside down, staring at his butt.

“Just you, Brick. And a night out.”

“You got both.”

“Hey, want some company?” someone called from the street as she and Brick walked out of the house to meet up with Leo and Solan, who would be their security escorts for their night out.

Jade looked to the road and saw Cinder waving from the front seat of a dark blue SUV.

“Sure!” She hurried down the driveway and told them what their plans were.

“You two can ride with us,” Adam said. “Leo and Solan are waiting.”

Brick came up to the SUV and Cinder opened the door. “Brick, you can take my seat.”

“Absolutely not, you’re the alpha,” he said.

“I want to talk to Jade, and if I turn around while the car is in motion, I’m going to barf everywhere.

So either I drive, which you don’t want because Adam says I make him nervous with my lead foot and tendency to flip people off, or you sit in the passenger seat and talk to your cousin while I get to know the newest member of the Beaumont family. ”

“She’s got you there,” Jade said with a laugh.

“Indeed.”

Brick opened the second row’s door and Cinder and Jade slid onto the bench seat. He closed the door and got into the passenger seat.

“We were going to try Cactus Cantina,” Brick said. “It got good reviews online, and Jade said she’s in the mood for a strawberry margarita and chips with salsa.”

“Sign me up, but not for the booze part,” Cinder said.

“Works for me,” Adam said.

They pulled away from the house and headed to pick up Leo and Solan. When they’d met up with the security escort, they hit the road. While Brick and Adam discussed security for the pack, Jade and Cinder talked about the bar, the night ahead, and Cinder’s pregnancy.

After having the most amazing strawberry margarita and the best chips and salsa on the planet, they parked at the back of Lykos.

“So we just…walk in the back?” Jade asked as she took Brick’s hand and stepped out of the SUV.

“Yep,” Brick said. “Paris has an arrangement with the high ranked males of the shifter groups who live in Northern Ohio so that they can come in the back if they’d like, along with the alphas, of course.”

“That’s pretty cool,” she said.

He took her hand and said, “It’s handy when the weather sucks, that’s for sure.”

They knocked on the back door and a female wearing a bar T-shirt opened it. “Hi, everyone, come on in.”

“Thanks,” Brick said. Leo walked through first, then she and Brick followed with Adam and Cinder, and Solan brought up the rear.

The bar was busy and the music was loud and it took Jade a moment to adjust to the pounding bass. They settled at a table that was reserved for members of the wolf pack that were high ranked, and Brick said that there was always at least one table set aside for each shifter group in the area.

Brick took her hand and led her toward the bar. “Come on. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Behind the counter stood a striking figure. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair and eyes. He smiled when he recognized Brick.

“Paris,” Brick said as they reached the bar.

“Heya, Brick, who’s the lovely lady on your arm?”

“This is my mate, Jade. Sweetheart, this is Paris.”

He extended his hand and she shook it. “Nice to meet you,” she said.

“You’re Alli’s friend. She told me about you when she was here the other night,” Paris said.

“She’s been really wonderful,” Jade said.

“She could start a refuge for shifters in need of help, I swear.”

Jade agreed.

“What can I get for you?” Paris asked.

“I don’t want anything with alcohol,” she said. “I’m still a little warm from the margarita.”

“Me either,” Brick said.

“Coke?” she asked.

“I have syrups. Do you like cherry?”

“Yes,” she said.

“How about a cherry coke?”

“Sounds awesome,” she said.

“Make that two,” Brick said.

“Sounds good, I’ll bring it over.”

“Thanks,” Brick said.

While waiting for their drinks, they hit the dance floor, and she swore she’d never had so much fun in her life.

They stopped at a table with a small group on the way back to their own table, and Brick introduced her to tiger shifter Gavin and his mate Sadie.

Brick spoke to Gavin for a few moments privately, and then they returned to their own table.

“Everything okay?” she asked as she sat down and smiled at the drink in front of her. The tall glass had a slight red hue to it, and two cherries on top of the ice.

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “He and I have been keeping in touch about H. A. S. I contacted him after the attack at the drive-in and when we captured that Wiccan spying on us. I wanted to let him know we hadn’t had any other issues, but we’re staying sharp.”

“We’re definitely keeping a close watch on our borders,” Adam said. “Foley would be a fool to come against us again.”

Foolish and dangerous, which was a bad combination. She didn’t understand someone wanting to destroy shifters just because they could shift.

“Some people are terrible,” she said.

“One hundred percent,” Brick said.

When they left the bar two hours later, Jade’s feet hurt a little from all the dancing and her ears rang from the loud music, but she’d had the time of her life.

Her mate was sexy and could dance, and she’d fallen even more in love with him over the course of the evening.

Charming didn’t even begin to cover it.

The low thrum of music inside the bar was muffled as the door swung shut. The night air was humid and the sky was full of stars, a perfect summer evening.

“This was so fun,” she said.

He grinned. “I’m glad you liked it. You danced like you’ve been doing it your whole life.”

Jade laughed softly. “That’s because you’re a good partner.”

“I’ll drive,” Brick said to Adam.

“I was going to suggest you could do that for your alpha,” Adam said, tossing the keys to Brick.

Leo and Solan waved from their SUV as Brick unlocked the SUV and opened Jade’s door.

After settling her in her seat, he shut her door and walked around the front of the SUV, sliding behind the wheel.

As he started the SUV and pulled onto the road to head back to the pack’s territory, she relaxed into the seat, letting the memories of the evening replay in her mind.

“I’m really glad we came,” Jade said, breaking the silence.

“Me too,” Brick said.

“Ditto,” Cinder said.

“Absolutely,” Adam said. “It was a great night out, and we should definitely double date again before our pup is born.”

“I’d love that,” Cinder said.

Jade nodded in agreement. She’d had a lot of fun getting to know her alpha female. She was warm and compassionate and really cared about the pack.

She opened her mouth to say that she would love to double date again when her answer was cut off by the revving of several engines and the flood of bright headlights from behind them, too close and too fast.

“What the heck is that?” Jade asked, shielding her eyes from the brightness reflected in the sideview mirror.

Brick growled. “Trouble.” He reached for the GPS screen and pressed the button for the phone.

The first hit came without warning. The jolt pushed Jade into the seatbelt and she threw her hands out to brace against the dashboard.

“Hold on!” Brick said as he tightened his grip on the wheel.

“Adam!” Cinder said loudly with a sob in her throat.

“Brick, get us out of here!” Adam shouted.

Another hit from behind sent the SUV skidding to the side of the road. Gravel sprayed up as Brick tried to control it.

“Leo!” Brick said as he managed to connect a call to the security team. “Where are you?”

“They forced us off the road! We’re under attack!”

Jade’s heart pounded as the vehicle rammed them again, and the truck spun, the world outside spinning in a blur of headlights.

“Brace!” Brick shouted.

The SUV hit the guardrail with a bang, jerked to the side, and tottered for a moment. Jade’s head swam as she slammed against the door. The SUV landed on all four tires with a creak.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m okay, Jade, are you?” Brick asked.

“My shoulder hurts from hitting the door, but I’m okay. You guys?” she asked, looking at Adam and Cinder.

“We’re good,” Cinder said. “What the heck was that!”

“Stay in the truck,” Brick said, looking pointedly at Jade. He opened his door, which creaked loudly.

“I’ll come,” Adam said.

“Be careful!” Cinder said.

Jade’s instincts screamed at her that they were in even more danger than when they’d been run off the road. Where was the truck that had hit them?

She saw something dark out of the corner of her eye, and she shouted for Brick a moment before he was tackled.

An engine roared, and brakes squealed outside the SUV, and then her door was wrenched open, and she was pulled out.

As she struggled and screamed for help, something sharp jabbed into her arm and she felt a sudden heaviness descend over her.

Her vision blurred and her muscles went lax.

She tried to call for her mate, but the only thing that came out was a soft whimper as her whole world faded to nothing and the feeling of being carried away from the most important person in her life.