Page 33 of Venice Heat (Urban Heat 2)

Eiji turned from him as if he hadn’t spoken. He spun Shae in his arms and trapped her face once again between his hands. “Shae, kiku. Listen. You must calm down.”

She scratched at him and shook her head. Blind rage and hate dominated her thoughts. All she wanted was to kill, and since Darryl’s scent faded with each passing moment, maybe she should focus on Eiji. Then again, hunting Darryl might give her satisfaction. From a great distance, Eiji called out to her, his tone insistent, but she swatted at the sound, waving her hand.

“Why are you here? Let me go!” She managed to break from his embrace only to have him pounce on her to flatten her in the sand.

“People are watching. Do you really want to talk here?” he demanded.

“They can witness me kick your ass.” She snapped her teeth together in a sneer, but he appeared unimpressed.

“Gomen.”

“What do you mean you’re sor—”

He grasped a small one-inch area on her wrist like he was checking for a pulse. A flash of feeling, as if cold water rushed up her arm, came over her. Before she could react, Eiji moved his hand to a point near her elbow and then ended with a swift, light tap to her temple. A burst of white light hit behind her eyes, and all went dark. His name exploded in her mind as she lost consciousness.

* * * *

When Shae came to, Eiji kneeled over her patting the area at her nape. She rested her forehead on his chest, and the memory of what he’d done came back, except without the rage.

“Just breathe,” Eiji instructed.

“W-What did you do to me, you bastard?” Her words held no heat. She managed to push his hand away and look up at him. The red tint over her eyes had gone, and while she didn’t run her tongue over her teeth, she was pretty sure they were normal.

“Come. I’ll take you back to the house.”

“How long was I out?”

He didn’t answer, but raised her to her feet. Shae resisted him carrying her, but he held a firm arm around her waist. Within a short time, they arrived at the house, and she sighed in the cool interior. She shoved him away, and he let her.

“Answer me, Eiji. What did you do?”

“I helped you to calm down.”

“Yeah, because I wouldn’t obey you. Is that it?” She put a hand on her hip.

“I did what was necessary. I’m sorry.”

“You keep saying that, but somehow I don’t think you even give a fuck. About me or anybody. Certainly not since you found out I’m a Keith. I’m surprised you even showed up at the beach.” She spun on her heel and walked toward the bedroom, and he followed. “But don’t even worry about it. I’m over this mess. I’m doing things the way we always do them, the way I should have from the beginning. I always have someone watching my back and making sure I’m not hurt.”

She caught the jump in his jaw muscle and the narrowing of his eyes, but that didn’t stop her from punching in the number on her cell phone. When the voice on the other end came on the line, she frowned. “Joe, where’s Ace? I need him.”

“He’s indisposed. I’m at this number right now. What do you need, Shae?”

She hesitated. “Indisposed” usually meant one of their members was either injured or dead. Ace was her protector, and they’d been lovers for a time. “He’s not…?”

“He’ll be fine. Again, what do you need, Shae?”

She bit her lip. Joe was good at what he did, but he was also her sister’s ex-boyfriend, and in Juneau, he’d made plain that he wouldn’t mind starting something up with her. She’d put the asshat in his place and laid the matter to rest, but did he still have notions? The tone of his voice said business, but that could be a ploy.

“I need a protector, and I need a team. I have…”

Eiji laid a hand on hers. His dark gaze bore into her, cutting her deep despite the harsh way he’d treated her earlier. “Don’t. I will look after you.”

Shae shook his hand off. She had time. Darryl had said it himself. Six days. Her family could swoop in and wipe out Darryl and his pack before anyone was the wiser about her being no longer human. They deserved it, but she would still not tell them about Eiji. Then she could disappear somewhere far away. At the thought, her throat closed, and she had to take a moment to clear it before she spoke again.

“There’s a wolf pack here. They need to be dealt with. I need a protector and a team. How soon can I get help?”

“By sunrise,” Joe snapped. “Are you sure about this? Are you safe? If you need me to, I can drive over tonight. The rest can come behind me. You haven’t been made, have you?”

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