The Mercenary Read online

  The stillness of the house seemed amplified as they lay in each other’s arms. A comfortable silence, while they enjoyed being close to one another. Arriving home from the gym, Zach’s footsteps carried a dull echo as he crossed the floor to the kitchen; the telltale rattle of the fridge door told them he’d gone to get a soda.

  Assuming a far more dignified position, Danny and Jodie sat up. Zach sauntered back into the living room, coming to an abrupt stop as he saw the pair. Because they’d been quiet, he’d missed the fact they were even there.

  “Oh hi!” Zach said.

  Shaking Danny’s hand, he took a seat nearby. Though friendly and polite, Danny didn’t think Zach was happy with him being there, but at least without Luke he made an effort.

  “What’s happening tonight? Is someone going to be here with Jodie?” Zach cracked open his soda and looked at Danny.

  Danny knit his brows together, “damn, are you working? I have to work too.”

  “Sorry,” shrugged Zach. “Maybe we should call Laura and Ainsley.”

  “That’s a good idea.”

  “Hello, I am still here,” protested Jodie. “I do have a voice.”

  With a grin, Danny slung an arm around her shoulders. “I know you do honey, but you have to let us males be protective sometimes.”

  Zach laughed at that. “I’ll do it, you two look comfortable there.”

  “Thanks.” Danny called as Zach headed for the kitchen and moved in to kiss Jodie again.

  AROUSED FROM HER SLUMBER by the sound of Ainsley giggling on the back porch, Jodie smiled and pulled herself off the couch to go and answer the door. Laura had a DVD and Ains had a bottle of sparkling grape juice as they burst through the door chattering and laughing. Ainsley made sure to mention she’d wanted to buy wine, but Laura had pointed out it would interfere with Jodie’s hospital medication.

  The company of her two closest friends relaxed Jodie. As they turned the evening into a gossip session, the familiarity left her secure and satisfied. For one evening at least, the whole Luke-situation didn’t exist. Jodie needed that more than she’d realized.

  Before they knew it, Zach had arrived home from work. Ainsley and Laura went off home, leaving Zach and Jodie sitting in silence. She wondered if he’d had a hard night, looked tired as he stretched out, resting both feet on the coffee table. Leaning back, he raised his arms and cupped both hands behind his head.

  “Are you and Danny Archer an official couple now?”

  “I guess we are,” Jodie replied with a casual shrug. “Does that bother you?”

  “Yes and no,” he said with total honesty. “He appears to be a nice guy, and now that we know he’s the leopard, we know he has your best interests at heart. I just can’t get out of my head some of the things that Luke has said. I know Luke doesn’t know everything, but I’m worried Jodie.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not blind. I’m being careful.”

  “I hope so. I would hate for something bad to happen to you because you’re his girlfriend.”

  Jodie hoisted herself up off the couch ready to protest and Zach rushed forward to assist. “Do you need any help in the bedroom?” He asked in all seriousness.

  Unable to help herself, Jodie burst out laughing. Zach couldn’t have sounded more suggestive if he’d tried. She’d embarrassed him with her reaction, but he took it well and Jodie did need assistance. Things like raising her leg to climb into bed were dicult. The left side seemed tolerable; it was the right that caused all the trouble, like daggers in her spine. In some ways, the sprained back hurt far more than the cracked ribs.

  Since arriving home from the hospital, Jodie hadn’t left the couch. She had sat in the same position for too long and the couch’s design did nothing to help her recovery. She struggled to walk all the way to her room and could barely raise the leg at all. Zach had to pick her up. Jodie drew in a sharp breath as her muscles screamed. Zach couldn’t stop apologizing, which frustrated Jodie even more. It wasn’t his fault, he hadn’t done this. Poor Zach. Between Luke and I, we’ve put him through the wringer lately.

  Once Jodie had been tucked in, she’d expected Zach to say goodnight and walk out, but instead, he sat down on the bed next to her. For an awful moment Jodie thought he was going to declare his undying love for her, though thankfully that did not happen.

  “I wish I had been here when Luke went nuts. I wish I had been able to protect you,” were the words that came out instead.

  “Danny was just outside and even he couldn’t stop me from being brained by a toaster,” Jodie tried to make light of the situation.

  “I’m serious, this shouldn’t have happened. I can’t believe he’d do it in the first place. He’s not the guy I used to know.”

  God help me, I am about to defend my brother. Jodie took a deep breath, “yes he is. He is still the Luke he’s always been, it’s just buried beneath a cloud of intoxication. Once we get him sober, things will smooth out.”

  “I’m not so sure I believe that anymore. In a way, I agree, but there are too many external forces working against us. It’s not just the alcohol Jodie, there’s the shape shifting, and then there’s the thing with Danny...”

  “What thing with Danny?” Jodie cut in sharply, so much for getting some sleep.

  “Calm down, I’m not attacking him. Believe it or not, I actually like the guy,” Zach said testy after her response, dark eyes afire and cheerful demeanor wearing thin. “Look, maybe now isn’t the time to be discussing this.”

  Jodie thrust out her chin. “Now is exactly the time to be discussing this.”

  “Fine.”

  “I am not the one who started this conversation,” Jodie pointed out.

  “Luke says that Danny is a hit man.”

  “Oh,” she said, all the blood rushing to her head,

  “that.”

  “So it’s true?”

  Jodie had to be wary. She’d dug herself a very deep hole, and if she wasn’t careful, she would Danny right in it. “I didn’t say that, it’s a rumor, one that Danny endorses. When people think you are an assassin, they tend not to mess with you.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Zach pondered.

  “Danny does have enemies, and Luke seems to be getting all his facts from them. That’s not very smart when you think about it. The people Luke hangs around with gave him Lycanthropy. They’re the very same people that keep turning up here trying to kill us.”

  “You’re right; I don’t know why I listened to him. When he told me this, it sounded so believable but now it seems stupid.”

  “People believe what they want to believe.”

  “I worry about you, you know.”

  Jodie smiled and averted her eyes, “I worry about me too.”

  “All right, well goodnight then.” “Thank you,” she said.

  He frowned, curls bobbing as he turned to look at her.

  “What for?”

  “For being a good friend.”

  He grinned from ear to ear. “No problem.”

  Jodie could not get comfortable after Zach had gone. Tiredness had taken over, but she just couldn’t seem to fall asleep. So much for the comfort of my own bed, she sighed, getting annoyed with herself. Curse my stupid back! Still in pain, she couldn’t toss and turn the way others did when they were restless.

  Jodie had no idea what time she drifted off, though she knew precisely when she awoke. She knew this because at first she couldn’t see the clock, something seemed to be in her way. Jodie expended great effort in leaning and stretching until she could see the bright green numbers on the LCD display, 6:07 am. Satisfied that she hadn’t slept half the day away, she relaxed again. Then it occurred to her that there shouldn’t be anything obstructing her view of the clock.

  Jodie sat up with a start, and regretted it a millisecond later. Ow my back! Whoops, I woke up Danny. What the hell? No wonder she couldn’t see the clock, what on earth was Danny doing in the bed? Jodie mentally pieced together the last things sh
e had done before falling asleep and she knew Danny hadn’t been there. How had he gotten in?

  “Are you okay?” His sleepy blue eyes filled with concern.

  She took in his tussled caramel locks and smooth bare chest, “you’re in my bed.”

  “You really do have a bad habit of stating the obvious.”

  “What are you doing in my bed?” She questioned him, incredulous at his very presence.

  “Am I not welcome here?” He raised an eyebrow.

  Damn that looked hot. “You are, it’s just that, well...” Jodie floundered.

  “A bit of a surprise?” His soft warm lips met hers briefly and just like that, she forgot how to be angry.

  With difficulty, she wrenched her gaze from his beautiful toned body. “Yes - are you naked?”

  “Don’t be silly,” Danny laughed, pulling back the sheet to reveal black silk boxers. “I hope you don’t mind that I let myself in.”

  Jodie just gaped at him. He let himself in? He let HIMSELF in? Did he climb in the window? Pick the lock? Does he always do things like this?

  “Zach gave me a key,” Danny informed her.

  “Oh.”

  Even though it thrilled her to have Danny Archer in her bed, Jodie didn’t like that it had happened without her consent. A woman likes to be consulted about these things.

  “I planned to sleep on the couch. I just opened your door to check that you were all right, and then I couldn’t bring myself to leave. I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.”

  “It’s okay.”

  Jodie lay back down, and stubbornly ignored the pain. Danny snuggled into her and she gave a blissful sigh at the distraction. She would choose cuddling in a bed over trying to fit two people on a couch any day. Running her fingertips down his warm firm torso, Jodie began to feel lightheaded. How could that happen when she was lying down?

  Her heart rate sped up further as Danny slid his hand up the back of her pajama top. Drawing lazy circles between her shoulder blades, he slowly applied gentle pressure until it evolved into a gentle upper back massage. It drove her crazy in a very good way and Jodie didn’t think she would ever grow tired of the sensation of his hands on her flesh.

  Taking out his hand and propping himself up on one elbow, Danny’s hair spilled forward and he brushed it back over his shoulder. His hair is almost longer than mine is, Jodie observed in fascination. She had never dated a guy with long hair before, and had a permanent uncontrollable urge to touch it, and play with it.

  He looked so different without the ponytail that she found it dicult not to stare at him. When he had his hair tied back, it drew attention to his strong cheekbones, and well sculpted jaw line. With it loose, his full lips were all the more obvious, and the intensity behind his cobalt blue gaze a little more dicult to ignore. Oh God could he be any more good looking? Jodie’s lips twitched as she remembered the last kiss they had shared, but Danny yawned and brought Jodie back to the present.

  “What time did you get in?” She asked.

  “About an hour before you freaked out.”

  “I did not freak out!” Jodie protested, cheeks flaming.

  “Yes you did, and it was very cute,” he smiled as he kissed the tip of her nose.

  “Well anyway, you must be really tired. I should let you get some sleep,”

  “Only if you sleep too, if you are planning on getting up then I’ll get up with you.”

  Danny looked shattered and Jodie didn’t have the heart to make him get up after an hour’s sleep. “I can sleep too, I’m so tired,” she said as she pulled up the covers a little.

  “Oh thank God!” His relief burbled out of him in a laugh and he curled himself around her, getting comfortable again.

  Jodie smiled as she closed her eyes, feeling comforted by the security of his embrace, and she decided that more sleep sounded like a great idea.

  Chapter 11

  Sounds of pleasant conversation in the next room woke Jodie at 10:00 am. Raising her head from the pillow, John and Penny Fletcher’s voices registered at last. Jodie’s mouth dropped open, a barrage of thoughts racing through her head. I’m sure my father doesn’t expect me to practice abstinence at my age, but having him find me in bed with my brand new boyfriend is so embarrassing. We didn’t even have sex. What if I say something stupid? What if they find out he is a shifter?

  Jodie had to ask Danny to find her some clean underwear and clothes to put on. The walls of the old house were not very soundproof, so John and Penny must have loved the delightful conversation she had with Danny, trying to describe the things she wanted. Particularly the part where he told her she had great taste in lingerie.

  At last with Danny’s help Jodie got dressed and ready for visiting. She could have done it all by herself, but with her back still so painful it would have taken a million times longer. As Jodie reached for the door handle, she felt Danny come up behind her.

  “Personally, I would have gone for the black lace set,” Danny whispered in her ear as she opened the door to her parents’ expectant faces.

  Images of the super-sexy ensemble he’d just referred to filled her head. The teasing worked. A vision of wearing the black lace evolved into Danny’s hands caressing her body, which should have been the last thing on her mind when walking into a room containing both her parents.

  “Hi!” Jodie greeted with extra exuberance.

  “How are you feeling love?” Penny asked, unperturbed by Jodie’s extra enthusiasm.

  “I’m getting better,” Jodie replied.

  “Grace is at school,” Rose announced from John’s lap. Tiny arms wrapped around him as she clung on like a small monkey.

  “That’s great. I hope you aren’t too lonely without her,” Jodie said, fussing with her blouse, making certain the collar was set right and the shoulder seams in the appropriate places.

  “No. I like having Grandma Penny and Grandpa John all to myself,” Rose grinned. “Have you got cake?”

  “Rose,” Penny said in a stern voice. “It’s not polite to demand food when you have just arrived somewhere.”

  “I have cake,” Jodie assured her. “If you ask nicely, Danny might get it for you.”

  “I don’t like Danny,” Rose crossed both arms over her chest in defiance.

  “Rose!” Penny flushed with embarrassment, though not half as much as Jodie.

  “It’s okay,” he said, “she’s just being honest.” A lock of hair crept over his shoulder as he sat down, sliding the chair closer to the table. Jodie watched him sweep it back out of the way and she noticed John staring at him.

  “Why don’t you like him?” As he spoke, John’s eyes remained fixed on Danny.

  Rose glared at Danny, “because he hurt my Daddy!”

  John sighed, “Rose, Daddy got very angry and he hurt Aunty Jodie. She had to go to the hospital. Danny wanted to protect her. Your Daddy got so angry he didn’t realize what he was doing.”

  “Would it help if I said that I’m very sorry?” Danny asked, stooping down so that his eyes were level with hers.

  “No,” she declared, stubborn faced. “And you talk funny.”

  “I’ll get the cake,” Penny announced and hurried off into the kitchen.

  “Where is Luke anyway?” Jodie frowned. Surely they hadn’t left him home alone?

  “In the car,” John answered with reluctance.

  Jodie’s olive green eyes blazed with anger. “He wouldn’t come in?”

  “No, I wouldn’t allow it.”

  “Dad!” She cried. “I thought he’d stayed away because he didn’t care. Why didn’t you tell me you were keeping him from seeing me?”

  “It wouldn’t hurt him to have a little space,” Danny put in. “He’s a very confused man right now.”

  “I’m going out there,” Jodie decided.

  “Jodie,” John began, struggling to find the patience to deal with his headstrong daughter.

  “No, I need to do this,” she insisted, ignoring the look from Danny.

/>   Jodie hobbled out the door and down the porch steps to find Luke sitting in the back seat, looking very sorry for himself. Glancing up, he saw her coming and straightened in his seat. As Jodie got closer, she saw him notice the stitches and bruising on her face, and the trouble she had in walking. Averting his eyes, Luke fought to hide his crumpled expression, but Jodie had already seen it. With difficulty, she opened the car door and slid onto the backseat beside him.

  “Hi,” she said softly. Smells of upholstery cleaner and carpet shampoo tickled her nostrils, and Jodie knew that John had cleaned it in the last few days. Her father’s possessions were always immaculately presented with the car being no exception. Jodie tended to be that way also, so the clean smell comforted her.

  “I don’t know what to say,” Luke muttered, trying to fill the awkward silence. “There aren’t words enough to apologize. I did this to you and I don’t even remember doing it. I can’t believe I could hurt you like that.”

  “This is why you need help. I’m sorry I wasn’t enough. I tried to be what you needed and I failed.”

  “Don’t talk like that! I got myself into my own mess. It’s not your fault,” Luke moaned, ashamed.

  Jodie turned and looked over her shoulder at Danny standing on the porch. Both hands palmed the railing and his eyes were glued to her. He might have been keeping his distance but he stood within view, determined to protect her if she needed it. “I need to know why you don’t like Danny.”

  “He’s a bad person,” Luke scowled and scratched at a greasy spot on the knee of his jeans, refusing to look at her.

  “See that’s the problem, I don’t think that he is. I’m seeing him Luke and I know that’s not something you want to hear. If you want me to understand, you’ll have to tell me more than that.”

  “He’s a violent man Jodie. I’ve seen him fight, he’s dangerous. I don’t want you mixed up in all of that.”

  “He’s only violent when he has to be! He’d never hurt me, he’s saved my life three times, four if you count the toaster incident.”