A Threat

J U L I A N

It had been a rough week, and things took a turn for the worse with a call from one of my brothers.

And then there was the stunning woman who had dismissed me like I was nothing.

Sure, I might have come on a bit too strong, but her response felt unnecessarily cruel.

Oh, the drama of it all.

"What’s so important that you had to track me down after sending a 9-1-1 text?"

I stormed out of the club and into the parking lot. Thankfully, anyone who knew me well enough wouldn’t dare approach me at night unless it was a real emergency.

And it had been ages since there was one.

At least it was my younger brother on the line; otherwise, I might have let my frustration loose.

"I was told to find you, Julian. Believe me, I didn’t want to interrupt my basketball game to play messenger for Mom."

Our mother, the queen bee of the family. She never missed a chance to remind everyone of her status.

After the earlier meeting, I had expected her call. She had bolted from the park, leaving the other council members in her dust.

She had also ignored my calls right after.

I could hear the irritation in Calix's voice, and honestly, I felt the same way.

The three of us had gone to a nearby bar for a drink after that bizarre event. We hadn’t needed to talk; the weight of our shared burden was understood without words.

"Why did you get stuck with the dirty work?" I asked, already pacing the parking lot, my thoughts drifting back to that captivating woman. I rarely visited dance clubs, but something had drawn me there tonight.

At least I had been rewarded with some stunning eye candy.

"Hell if I know, other than Mother knows I won't ignore her call. She's like a praying mantis. No, she refused to answer anything about earlier today. I tried. I'm over the council."

He didn't have much choice if he wanted to continue thriving.

"Who eats her young?" I teased. My brother always had a dramatic flair about almost everything.

"You know she would."

"What did she want, Calix?"

"A mandatory meeting on Monday at the East River plant office."

"Why? The quarterly meeting isn't for another three weeks. Maybe she's prepared to answer our questions."

Calix snorted. "Do you really think she was going to tell me? She just said it was vital. She was awful cagey today."

Yes, she had been.

Vital. Calix had gotten his enthusiasm and flamboyant ways from our mother, Mary Wolf herself, a woman that seemed to have enjoyed living in the seventies far too much. However, vital was a keyword in her vocabulary. She sensed something and her perceptive skills were never off.

Would she provide the truth? That was something unusual. She was bound by an entirely different set of rules to maintain classified information.

"What time?"

"Ten a.m. sharp. She issued her standard warning about being late. "

"I wouldn't dream of it." As I hit end, I took a deep breath. I'd sensed a stillness in the air, a strange sense of foreboding that I hadn't felt in a very long time. I had the distinct feeling that whatever was going on would change the peaceful calm we'd been experiencing.

I'd sensed something for weeks, although I hadn't been able to put my finger on what.

After slipping my phone into my pocket, I headed for my vehicle. I'd enjoy nothing more than heading back inside, asking the stunning woman to dance or at least share a drink with me, but I had a feeling I needed to search the internet for clues as to why my mother had called a sudden meeting.

A man's whistle caught my attention, a laugh from another indicating there were at least two assholes up to no good. The club had decent lighting, but there were still dark areas vagrants and criminals had decided to make their playground. The stench was enough that my senses pushed my tension to a high level.

When I turned my head, I immediately noticed the reason for their piqued interest. Two women were walking toward their vehicle from the club. It was the gorgeous woman I'd been attracted to with one of her friends.

There was no doubt what the two assholes were up to. I could easily see their figures in the dark, shadowing the women as they chatted. They were completely unaware they were being targeted.

After the horrendous meeting I'd been forced to sit through, I was still angry, which meant I could taste blood. It wasn't in my best interest to interfere, but I wasn't the kind of man to follow anyone's rules.

I moved through the darkness, choosing to head to the edge of the lot near the mile of forest that backed up to the parking area. The two men had already pulled hoods over their faces to hide their identities. The shine of weapons in the dim overhead light identified just how much danger the women were in.

While I owned a stock of weapons, including carrying two inside my vehicle, I didn't need them. I wasn't in the mood to have thepolice involved or to drag my name through the town papers. The family might be well known but not as killers.

At least we hadn't been seen that way in decades.

I wasn't about to change that now. Not even for two beautiful ladies in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yet teaching the asshole men a lesson was something I was willing and eager to do.

They approached the unsuspecting women seconds later, brandishing their weapons at the same time they issued their ugly command.

"Give us your keys or face our wrath."

To the point, but stupid.

Both women froze, obviously shaking.

"I don't think you want to do that, gentlemen." I'd startled them enough that they both turned around. As expected, both were also pointing their weapons, one barrel at my head and the other at my chest. I could smell their fear, which would be of benefit.

I moved so the women couldn't see me, but the assholes had a direct view.

"Fuck you, ass wipe. I suggest you get the fuck out of here. Get your own party girls," one of them was stupid enough to say to me of all people.

When they laughed, I debated my actions for a maximum of three seconds. They deserved a reason to need to change their shorts. I released my wolf from his lair where he'd been sleeping, shifting just enough they were able to see the silver glow in myeyes, the dramatic change in my jawline as my canines grew and became exposed.

The horror in both men was real. I had no doubt they'd both have nightmares.

Without two seconds of hesitation, both raced toward the forest and disappeared.

"What... the... hell?" the friend asked in a breathless voice. She backed against her SUV, pressing her hand against her heart.

The other woman, the one who electrified me, headed in my direction. Instead of my nostrils being filled with the scent of fear and piss, I gathered an incredible whiff of her exotic perfume.

And her desire.

"How in God's name did you do that? What are you, some superhero?” her friend asked, although her tone was demanding. She finally inched closer just as the beautiful woman was doing.

"Shush, Melissa," she hissed, her eyes never leaving me. "He is confident. Right? Men like you don't like to be called arrogant. However, how did you do that? Do you have a weapon? Are you some member of law enforcement?"

I'd been called arrogant a hundred times before, but never by a stunning woman.

"I have many weapons, but none would have been useful tonight. No, I am not a member of our police department. And yes, lamconfident."

"Well, thank you." She stopped moving any closer, her lovely eyes narrowed in disbelief. "You can go now. I dismiss you."

"What is your name?"

Her hesitation indicated trust issues. Not that I could blame her. I gathered a sense she'd been hurt before, taken advantage of by some asshole determined to bring her down.

"Tell him your damn name or I'll do it for you." Melissa was okay in my book.

"Fine. Summer."

"Well, Summer. Would you do me the honor of having a drink with me? We'll go to a quieter location where we can talk."

"Talk," she repeated. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Summer," Melissa chastised, taking two long strides and jerking her friend's arm so she could get in front of her. "Do you not know who that man you're blowing off and being nasty to is?"

I resisted smirking. Melissa was whispering in hopes I wouldn't hear her. Of course I could, my range far superior to that of a typical human.

"Why should that matter? That doesn't change the fact he's still a jerk." Summer wasn't whispering in return. She wanted me to hear her answers, her nonchalant attitude about my deed and the man behind it.

That certainly made her even more enticing.

"He's Jackson Wolf, for God's sake," Melissa continued. Her body language suggested she was a very controlling woman. "He has every right to be demanding."

"So what?"

"You need to get out more. He's one of three sons of the Wolfen Corporation. You know, the sexy sports cars you've seen around town?"

"Maybe."

"They have two plants located between here and Chicago. They run a multibillion-dollar business. The man is worth a fortune and from how the news presents him, he is the number one hottest bachelor from here to New York. Do you not get what I'm saying?"

Hmm... I had no idea I'd been listed as the hottest bachelor. It was certainly news I would toss in both Calix's and River's faces. They always thought they were the sexy ones. My smirk turned into a smile. The lovely Summer wasn't going to fall at my feet.

Excellent.

A challenge.

I did so love a challenge.

"You know I couldn't care less," Summer huffed and purposely looked over her friend's shoulder, the same eyes now questioning both me and my motives.

"One goddamn drink isn't going to kill you." Melissa shook her head, planting her hands on her hips. "Go." She turned to face me. "You'll drive her home?"

"Hold on now," Summer insisted. "I don't know this man. Just his pedigree. It means nothing. The best serial killers are closetedgood guys in sleek suits. I'm no fool. I've seen what their methods of torture could do."

A dark chuckle left my throat. I was more than curious as to what she meant by having seen the works of a monster. "You have an excellent point. A suggestion. Why don't you have your friend take a photograph of me with her phone? That way, if something terrible should happen, the police will know where to come."

"See. The man is looking out for your best interest." Before I could move, Melissa had whipped out her phone, immediately snapping a picture of me. "There. I have you locked down. And I will warn you. If you dare lay a finger on my friend, I mean that she doesn't want, I will track you down myself." Her smile was way too mischievous.

Summer promptly hit her on her arm. "Stop orchestrating my life. Best friend or no best friend." She was completely uncertain of what to do.

Vulnerable.

Considering most would call me a true predator, both in the boardroom and in the forest, she had every right to be cautious. I took two steps closer and could read Summer's mind. She was excited yet apprehensive, her thoughts centering on how she could use a scalpel on me. The woman was getting more interesting by the minute.

And my attraction was off the charts.

This girl was someone I needed to meet.

To get to know.

To embrace.

To fuck.

The filthy thoughts were a welcome change. Women had become boring, my life centered around business and nothing else. Our connection was unusual to say the least.

"Go. Enjoy yourself. He won't hurt you." Melissa was still staring at me with a warning in her eyes.

Or I would call it a threat.

I couldn't blame either woman for their actions or thoughts.

Summer worked up her courage as she crossed her arms, taking two long strides in my direction. "If I go with you, I don't want you to toss out the usual bullshit pickup lines. I will not tolerate them. I'm not that kind of girl and refuse to fall for the crap coming from a guy's mouth. Do you understand?"

She had both a tough spirit and an air of innocence. My mouth watered at the thought of devouring her. My goodness. I was a very bad man indeed.

"Agreed."

Yes, I planned on ravaging her and in my mind, it would be difficult if not impossible to let her go.