Rapier (Apache County Shifters Book 3) Read online

  “Shut up, Bell,” Zoe snapped. “He left mom. We live here now. If he wants to live anywhere with us, it should be here.”

  Jasmine’s shoulders slumped. “We’ve had this discussion, Zoe. Your father and I couldn’t stay together. It was too dangerous.”

  Any other day, Rapier would know how to fix this. Sitting at the table with his daughters, he was lost. Completely and utterly out of his element. “The situation is a bit more complicated.” Should he tell them about all the people who died in the last few weeks or the fact Raymond had people searching for Jasmine? “Which is why we really can’t sit around and wait.”

  “Can I speak to you?” Jasmine pointed to the back of the house. “Alone.”

  Rapier nodded. “Anything, kitten.” He stood from the table, then followed his mate down the short hallway. No pictures hung on the walls. No decorations of any sort. He frowned at the thought of their house never really being a home.

  “Here.” She opened the last door on the right and ushered him inside before closing it behind them. The smell of cinnamon was thicker there. Like in the hall, nothing adorned her room. The sparse furnishings shouldn’t surprise him. Two packed bags, like she’d said, sat near the door. If they had to leave, they couldn’t worry about filling a moving truck and taking it with them.

  “Bell and Zoe,” he said. “I like their names. They fit their personalities.”

  She let out a huffed laugh. “You have no idea. Zoe is so strong willed while Bell is soft, almost too submissive for her own good.” She crossed her arms and stared up at him. “Give it to me straight. How much trouble are we in?”

  Rapier couldn’t stand it any longer. He pulled Jasmine into his arms and moaned. It physically hurt him to be parted from her for so long. Ten long, bitter years were over in a flash as they stood in her room. He buried his face in the crown of her head and inhaled. Through the crisp scent of shampoo and body wash, he caught the hint of her natural perfume. Cinnamon.

  His mouth watered. His groin tightened to the point of pain. He needed to gather his tattered wits. Later when they were safe he’d take his time with her. “It’s bad. Raymond is in jail, finally. So is Marjorie. Tiffany is dead.” He took a step back from her, afraid if he held her any longer, they wouldn’t make it out of the house. “It’s a mess. I had to come now because he threatened to kill you. I couldn’t take any more chances. It’s why we’re here now. Hauser Benefield, Jerome Blackhorn, and Kalkin Raferty have turned Window Rock into a safe place for us—everyone. There are still a few things that need to be done, but Keeley, Kalkin’s mate, said she’d take care of it once you’ve arrived.”

  Jasmine closed the distance between them. “Afterwards?”

  He blew out a breath, holding on to his threadbare control. “Stop tempting me, kitten. I’m ready to explode here, and you’re not making it any easier on me.”

  A cocky glint filled her hazel eyes as she smirked. “Who’s tempting who, mate?” She ran her finger down his chest. “Ten years has been long enough, don’t you agree?”

  Arousal grabbed him by the gut. His heart hammered. His lip curled. A harsh yowl fell from his lips as the lion pushed forward. “Kitten...”

  She ran her thumbs along the hem of her yoga pants before tugging them down, exposing her creamy flesh to his gaze. No panties. Rapier pounced on her. He tugged the fly of his jeans down, releasing the straining length from its confines. Fuck, they shouldn’t even be entertaining this idea, but he also couldn’t stop himself. Once he got a hint of his mate’s scent, he’d been a dead man.

  He pushed her up against the dresser then stepped on her pants, pushing them to the floor. Jasmine whimpered and wiggled her ass at him. Her sex gleamed in the light of the room. Fuck, it’d been way too long. The urge to go to his knees and lick up all her sweet cream rode him hard. Unfortunately, they didn’t have time. Later. When they finally arrived back at the house, he’d take his time. He’d eat her pussy until she begged him to stop then he’d fuck her until they both passed out from exhaustion.

  Pre-cum dribbled from his tip with each pulse of his cock. He wasn’t going to last. Already the tingle in his stomach warning him of his impending climax started to spread through his body. “Won’t last long.” He positioned himself at her pussy before shoving forward. In one long thrust, he filled her.

  “Neither will I.”

  Jasmine covered her mouth. Her muffled cry mixed with the pulse of her tight pussy trying to milk the cum from his dick. He sank into the sensation. Fucking heaven. He groaned through her climax. She hadn’t been kidding. Rapier laid his forehead against her spine. It’d taken all of his will power not come the second he entered her, now he couldn’t hold it. It felt too good. Too hot. It was too much of everything, and he couldn’t stop it.

  “Coming.” He latched onto her neck and pumped his hips twice before spilling inside of her. The force of it stole his ability to breathe.

  He couldn’t move.

  Below him, Jasmine whimpered, rocking her hips as she trembled in his arms, taking everything he gave her. It wasn’t enough though. It would never be enough. He gave a weak chuckle, wrapping his arms around her.

  “What’s so funny?” She glanced back at him with heavy-lidded eyes.

  “Not what I had planned,” he said.

  “Me either,” she whispered. “Are you sure we’re in danger?”

  He pulled out slowly and groaned. The drag of his piercing along her walls had him raring to go again. “Yeah, kitten. You are. We all are.”

  “Is it the only reason you came for me?”

  A bit of his release slid down her inner thigh. A single-minded possessiveness filled him. “No. It’s time. Been time. I should have come and got you when we moved to Window Rock. I’ve been a stubborn asshole.” He tucked his still hard cock into his pants and zipped up. “This just proves it.”

  When she faced him, she took his hands in hers. “You didn’t know. You did the best you could at the time.”

  Yeah, but at what cost? He went to ask the question when the screen on the front door slammed shut. Osirus and Jenna’s raised voices put him on alert. From the minute Osirus met Jenna, he’d insisted Jasmine’s sister was his mate. Jenna had other ideas about his so-called claiming.

  “You were going to shoot me,” Osirus said. “Admit it.”

  “Only because you deserved it,” Jenna replied. “Where are your parents, girls?”

  “In her room,” Zoe answered. “Momma wanted to talk to him.”

  Jenna snorted. “Sure, talk.”

  Jasmine’s cheeks reddened. “We should go back out there before world war three erupts.”

  “Agreed,” he said. “After we eat, we’ll leave. I want to take the long way around, so we should be to the house about eight tonight. I’ll call ahead.” He grabbed her bags on the way out.

  When they’d finished eating breakfast, Rapier made a quick call to Kalkin to let them know they were back on the road. At the state line, Rashid and Jace would meet them then escort them the rest of the way to town. Going the longer route, even to Kalkin, was the best decision. Raymond’s men were lurking around town, since word got out Raymond had been picked up. It made Kalkin an edgy motherfucker, and he couldn’t blame the Alpha.

  The only upside to all of this had been the release of several Quincy Pack members. If the kids were hard to look at, Kalkin said the adults were worse. At least thirty people, according to Kalkin, had come into town to denounce the Quincy Pack. Rapier didn’t trust them as far as he could throw them, but Kalkin would give them a chance. Since it wasn’t his call, Rapier had to hold his tongue. For now, he’d been satisfied having his mate at his side.

  Ten fucking years.

  The quickie in Jasmine’s bedroom had been the worst idea he’d had in a long time. Her scent enveloped him, kept him hard and ready for her. Osirus and Jenna rode in the backseat with the windows down a bit. If Jasmine’s scent drove him wild, he couldn’t imagine how Osirus or Jenna felt or how
uncomfortable they were.

  Rapier glanced over at Jasmine. She’d spent most of the ride staring at the passenger mirror. It gave him a chance to gaze at her features. He noticed straight off when he saw her at the door. She’d looked tired. More importantly, both Jenna and she did. He wondered how much sleep either woman had gotten in the last ten years. How long they spent on alert.

  “I’m hungry,” Zoe said.

  “You’re always hungry,” Bell admonished. “You should have eaten all of your breakfast.”

  “Says you,” Zoe shot back. “We’ve been cooped up for hours.”

  Not necessarily hours, but it had been a few. Rapier glanced at the clock on the dash and frowned. Okay, more than a few. “Next exit with a food joint we’ll stop. But it might be a while.”

  “We should have brought food. It would have been easier,” Jenna said. “Oh wait, who am I kidding? Isn’t like we had time to prepare.” Her words dripped with sarcasm and a bit of anger.

  “Not like we had a choice either, sweet pea,” Osirus grumbled.

  “Okay, children.” Jasmine turned toward the backseat. “We all weren’t given many options. We’ll make the best of what we have right now.”

  Rapier glanced up in the rearview mirror. Zoe and Bell were seated between Osirus and Jenna. Both had e-pads in their hands. While Zoe tilted hers back and forth, the tip of her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration, Bell tucked her knees to her chest and sighed wistfully at whatever she watched. He shook his head. Two little girls, both different as night and day.

  “They’re a handful,” Jasmine murmured, drawing his attention. “Zoe has always reminded me of you. Bell is soft, motherly. She’s the voice of reason when Zoe wants to go off half-cocked.”

  “I thought you were talking about Osirus and Jenna,” he teased.

  She huffed a soft laugh. “Them too.” She took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. The warmth of where they touched spread through his arm and into his chest. How many nights had he spent imagining this moment? How many nights had he felt empty and alone? Too many.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I should have come for you sooner. I shouldn’t have let you go.” He lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of hers.

  She shook her head. “We did the right thing at the time. Even if it doesn’t feel like it now, it had been for then.” She glanced out the passenger window. “Really, I don’t want to talk about it. We have enough to worry about now.” They did. Getting home unseen happened to be the biggest thing on his list.

  An hour later, they pulled into the parking lot of a small truck stop diner. They still had three more hours before they’d get home. He should have stopped sooner, but the girls curled into Jenna and Osirus and fell asleep. He hadn’t wanted to wake either of them. There’d already been too much upheaval in their short lives. While Jenna and Jasmine escorted the girls to the bathroom, he and Osirus found a booth away from windows and prying eyes.

  Rapier made another phone call to Kalkin, who advised him to stay where he was. Rashid and Jace were almost there. The niggle of being watched temporarily slipped away at the knowledge one of his friends and brother would arrive soon to watch his back. The weight holding his shoulders down lifted slightly, and for the first time since he decided to bring Jasmine home, he was excited. Happy even.

  The girls joined them moments later. Bell sat to his left and Zoe wiggled her way in on his right. Rapier tucked them into his side and grinned. He probably looked like a fool, but he didn’t care. These were his girls. He’d missed so much of their lives, and he didn’t want to miss any more. He had to know everything about them.

  “So, where do you go to school?” Rapier asked.

  “Momma teaches us,” Zoe said, glancing at the menu. “We’re in the fifth grade.”

  “I get all A’s,” Bell said.

  “And you,” he prodded Zoe.

  “Meh, B’s. Some C’s. I like it all right, I guess. Some of it doesn’t make sense.” She peered up at him. “What do I need to know the Louisiana Purchase for?”

  Rapier swallowed a laugh. “So you understand the history of the country.”

  “Okay, but what is it going to do for me in the future?” God, she reminded him of himself.

  “Depends on who you want to be,” he answered.

  “That’s such an adult answer,” Zoe muttered. “Mom says the same.”

  This time, he laughed. “Your mom is pretty smart.”

  “Debatable,” Jenna answered. “She mated you.”

  “Jenna.” Jasmine narrowed her eyes. “Be nice.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes and went back to staring at the menu. Neither of them had changed a bit. Oh sure, outwardly, Jasmine’s breasts were a bit bigger. Her hips a little wider. She was soft in all the right places, and Rapier chided himself for not taking more time to feel her up. Next time. When we’re able to go slow. She’d also stopped wearing those glasses of hers. He frowned. He liked seeing her with them on. They were a complete turn on along with her full-arm tattoos. From the corner of her shirt, he spotted a new one. One that hadn’t been there the last time he saw her.

  “So, what have you two been doing since, you know?” He hated saying since I ran off. Because in essence it’d been what they both did to protect her and the baby, or in this case babies, she carried.

  “Up until the first phone call we received from you, I worked with the Colorado Springs police department’s SWAT division. Jasmine stayed home and took care of these two rugrats.” Jenna winked at Bell and Zoe. “It was easier than trying to find babysitters or schools that would take them in while also not making them a target.”

  Jasmine nodded. “I went to school online at night at first, so I could get a degree in something...anything, so I could make money on the side for us.”

  “What degree do you have?” For a second time in a matter of hours, pride welled within Rapier.

  “Therapy. More exactly social work. I have a masters now and before Keeley called, I thought about working on my Ph.D.” She blushed. The pink tinge crawled across the bridge of her nose, highlighting the soft freckles there.

  “Once everything is settled, if you’d like to continue, we’ll make it happen. Don’t you worry, kitten. Besides, I think I know someone who could use your help as long as you don’t mind working with kids.” Rapier winked at her.

  Shit. He missed the way her eyes lit up whenever she got excited. Missed the soft expression on her face right before she’d say I love you. He missed her gentle sighs. The way she fit perfectly in his arms at night. Now, he had her back and he’d do whatever it took to keep his kitten and their daughters happy.

  “Oh?” She glanced up from her menu.

  “Danielle and Keeley opened an orphanage for all the shifter kids who need someplace to go. I bet they’re going to have a shit load of work between birth certificates to housing and whatever it takes to get kids adopted. You’d fit in perfectly with them.” Knowing Keeley and Cookie as well as he did, Jasmine would have her hands full with both women before too long. If one wouldn’t be mothering her, the other would.

  “I’ll think about it,” Jasmine said, as their waitress arrived to take their order.

  * * * *

  Back on the road after lunch, this time with Rashid and Jace following them, the sign for Arizona came into view. Three more hours and they’d be home. He glanced down at a sleeping Bell, cuddled into his side. She was absolutely beautiful. So prim and proper. The way she said daddy made his heart soar. Zoe leaned against Jasmine with her mouth open just a bit. Soft snores came from her, denoting just how exhausting the trip really was.

  He supposed they could have gone the direct route to their new home; however, he hadn’t wanted to take any chances just in case. Plus, it would have shaved only an hour or two off their drive time, not much in the grand scheme of things.

  When he lifted his gaze, he found Jasmine staring at him. A small smile played on her lips wh
ile she ran her fingers through Zoe’s hair. Fuck, he’d missed so much. He’d missed their first words. Their first steps. He’d missed school and play dates, if they even had them. Worst of all, he’d missed their birth. He hadn’t been there to help Jasmine. To hold her hand through the pain. To be the first one to hold his daughters when they’d been born. He didn’t get a chance to do late-night bottle feedings or change a diaper.

  He’d be there for them now though. No matter what, he’d make sure the girls knew he regretted every minute of not being in their lives. To not be able to help their mom. From today on, he’d be the best father he could be to them and any other children Jasmine and he might have.

  “You look so serious,” Jasmine whispered. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’m...a little overwhelmed.” He placed his arm around Bell.

  “You’ll get used to it. Try having two of them at birth.” She gave a silent laugh.

  “I wish I could have been there. For all of you.”

  “You were.” She made a wistful sound. “You were always with me. They know everything about you. I feel stupid not having at least one picture of you, but we couldn’t chance it.”

  No, they couldn’t. If the photo, even on a phone, had gotten into the wrong hands, Rapier didn’t want to think of what could have happened. They’d made a pact the day they went one way and she and Jenna went the other. No matter what, he’d come for her. However, she couldn’t search for him and vice versa. She also had to keep her and the cubs safe and protected. Seeing all three of them together, Jasmine and Jenna kept their promise, and now he had a mate who would make something out of her life.

  “Tate and Henry will be happy to see you. Same with Utah,” he murmured. “The boy is built like a fucking lumberjack.” Unlike Keeley and her policy about language, Jasmine and he never had a qualm with it. Someone in the house was always going to say shit. Might as well be open about it.