The Wolf's Mate: Billionaire Shifter Paranormal Romance (Hearts on Fire Book 4) Read online

  “Y-yeah,” Roy squeaked behind her. “Tia, let’s go!”

  Tia pointed her gun at the man and saw that there were two of them. His accomplice was standing behind him, holding two homeless people by the scruff of their necks. One seemed to have lost consciousness, but the other was struggling weakly, blood trickling down his face.

  “Let them go,” Tia ordered.

  The man took a step back but his eyes remained on Tia. “We don’t like to kill cops. Too messy. But we will do what is necessary.”

  Tia’s finger tightened on the trigger. That thug had just threatened an officer.

  “Put your hands up where I can see them,” she shouted. “Let those people go. Roy, cuff him. Roy!”

  Roy stammered and began to shuffle away. “Tia, I don’t think...”

  Tia turned to glare at her partner over her shoulder.

  Big mistake.

  The thug came at her and slammed her to the ground. She squeezed off a shot but unbelievably, she missed. The guy had managed to dodge her shot, even at such close range.

  “Go!” the thug hissed to his accomplice.

  “No! Stop!” Tia yelled and fired again.

  But they had vanished.

  The accomplice had literally disappeared with the two homeless people. One second they were against the wall at the end of the alley, the next second they were gone.

  Where could they have gone? It was a dead end.

  How the hell could they have gotten away?

  The thug with the zigzag scar was retreating into the shadows, and she fired furiously at him. She couldn’t let this one get away as well.

  “Roy!” she screamed, hoping her partner would move his butt and do something.

  To her shock, Roy charged forward. Maybe he finally found his courage. Maybe he remembered his oath. Maybe he didn’t care any more.

  Two shots rang out.

  Both Tia and Roy dropped to the ground. Tia managed to raise her arm and fire one last shot, and she thought she saw the thug’s eyes glow with an eerie red light before her vision blurred.

  Tia was young, fit and fast, but Roy wasn’t. She had moved just a fraction to her right when the shot sounded, and that movement saved her life. The bullet tore into her shoulder, instead of through her heart.

  She looked up again, and saw just the wall.

  The alley was completely empty.

  Only Tia and her dead partner lay in that dark, dirty alley.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Tia opened her eyes and took a painful breath. The floral scent of her shampoo filled her nostrils and Tia remembered where she was. She was in her shower, not in that dirty, blood-filled alley.

  Her memories of the event never wavered. She knew what she saw. But—how could those thugs have disappeared into thin air? She must have been mistaken. They must have slipped past her somehow. Maybe the pain and the trauma had affected her mind and her memories.

  But what she could remember very clearly was Kerry’s reaction. Kerry had lost her mind when she saw Tia at the hospital. Even Nathan couldn’t hold her back.

  “I won’t let you do this, Tia,” Kerry had screamed. “I am not going to just sit by and watch you get killed! This has gone far enough. You wanted to be a cop, I let you be a cop. But I won’t let you get shot again! You were shot! You could have died! Please, just quit now. Why do you have to be a cop? There are so many jobs to choose from, jobs which won’t get you killed! I objected, but you went ahead and joined the police academy anyway. You’ve done what you wanted to do, and it’s enough. Will you listen to me, for once? Why are you so stubborn, Tia? Just quit, now!”

  The raw rage and pain in her sister’s voice had cut Tia to the bone. She knew how much she had hurt Kerry by being so stubborn, but she loved her job. She’d worked so hard to get to where she was. Being a cop was hard, gritty work, but Tia was prepared to do her part.

  She had been forced to stay on the sidelines and watch the world pass her by while she was sick. Now that she was well, she wanted to jump in with both feet and experience everything.

  She wanted to be part of the action. She didn’t want to just sit behind a desk all day. She wanted to help people, protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.

  Tia knew what she wanted, but she also knew that she was causing Kerry a lot of pain and worry. This wasn’t just about her. She couldn’t be so selfish and thoughtless.

  Kerry was her big sister, and she was the best sister anyone could hope for.

  It wasn’t fair to make Kerry worry for her. Kerry had been through enough.

  Finally, Nathan had come up with the perfect solution. He knew that Tia loved enforcement and investigative work, so he offered her a job at his security firm. Nathan assured Kerry that Tia would receive the easiest, safest assignments and he would personally vet the clients that Tia was assigned to.

  Her brother-in-law was trying to help her, and Tia appreciated everything that Nathan and Kerry had done for her. She promised herself that she wouldn’t let them down.

  Her life as a cop was over. She was an employee of Chase Security Inc., now.

  Tia had completed the mandatory training for new recruits at Chase Security. She would be starting on her new assignment tomorrow. She would uphold the good name and reputation of Chase Security, Inc., and make sure she was well prepared and ready for anything and everything.

  So—she would conduct some research and client reconnaissance tonight.

  She was to report to Treasure Hotel tomorrow morning, so tonight, she planned to check out the hotel and get a feel of the place.

  Tia picked a simple black dress that was more classy than sexy from her wardrobe, and aimed the hairdryer at her wavy brown hair. She combed through her hair with her fingers and gave a crooked smile when she saw that not a single strand of her hair had fallen out.

  She would never forget the sound of her own angry, horrified wail the first time she saw her hair falling out in clumps when she started her chemotherapy. Kerry had cried with her, and promised her that she would get well.

  Kerry had kept her promise. She was well now.

  Tia was twenty-four, and she wanted to live fully, courageously, without fear. She had to try to convince her worrywart big sister that she could take care of herself.

  “Too bad I got shot,” Tia mumbled and sighed.

  Tia slipped on the dress and scrutinized herself in the mirror. Her sleek black dress showed off her trim figure and toned legs. She looked good, even without makeup. She kept herself fit, and worked on her strength and speed. Any security officer who wasn’t fit and fast was more likely to get hurt or killed. She would not let her past hold her back.

  “Lookin’ good,” Tia complimented her reflection. “Now let’s roll!”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Caine Taylor stepped out of his office and went to the lobby. The office was quiet and empty. Even his hardworking and meticulous COO had left. Caine glanced at his watch and raised a brow in surprise. He hadn’t realized that it was almost ten.

  The offices of the senior management staff were on the very top floor of the hotel building. Treasure Hotel was a cozy, boutique hotel in the heart of the city. From his office, Caine had a breathtaking view of the entire city.

  Caine dialed his mother’s number as he stepped into the elevator. His mother answered on the second ring. “She’s sleeping,” Amanda informed him.

  “Yeah. I know it’s way past her bedtime now. How’s her appetite?” Caine asked worriedly.

  “Sarah finished all her milk today. And she ate a bit of mashed potatoes and carrots.”

  “That’s good. Is she having a fever? I read that some babies develop a fever when they’re teething.” Caine was desperately gobbling up every parenting book and magazine he could get his hands on. He was literally flying blind. What did he know about being a dad to a ten-month-old baby girl? Nothing! But he planned to learn everything as fast as was humanly possible. And being a werewolf, he did things faster than human
s so he should be able to learn this in half the time.

  “Sarah’s fine. No fever,” his mother answered soothingly. She heard the worry in his voice and changed the topic. “We read another Grimm fairy tale today, but I think Sarah wasn’t happy that the wolf got stereotyped as the bad guy. She knows that her daddy’s a wolf. So I changed the ending.”

  Caine grinned. “Did the story end with the wolf helping the grandmother mow her lawn and prepare dinner?”

  “Yes! And he also helped the grandmother turn her little cottage into a bed and breakfast, so the grandmother can be financially independent!”

  Caine smiled a little. Caine’s mother, Amanda Taylor, was a strong, proud human woman and she had raised him single-handedly after his father died when he was a toddler. She worked hard and refused to accept any handouts. Caine got his wolf shifter genes from his dad. Shifters were stronger and faster than humans, but a blade through the heart would kill anyone.

  After a pause, Caine began slowly, “I know you said you don’t need a nanny for Sarah...”

  “I don’t,” Amanda sniffed. “I can take care of my granddaughter myself.”

  “I know. But...”

  “What?” Amanda demanded. “What are you planning to spring on me?”

  Caine bit back a laugh. His mother was sharp as a tack.

  “Well...you didn’t say anything about not wanting a bodyguard, right?”

  There was a long silence.

  “Mom? You still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here,” Amanda answered tersely. “A bodyguard, eh?”

  “Yup. I want you and Sarah to be safe.”

  “Are we in any danger?” Amanda asked quietly. “Is it because of what happened to Mark...”

  “No. I don’t think you’re in danger. I’m just being careful.” He swallowed. “Mark...took his own life. He didn’t have any enemies. Not that I know of.”

  Caine heard his mother release a long sigh. “Okay. A bodyguard’s fine. If it makes you feel better. I know you’re trying your best. You’re a great dad, Caine.”

  “And you’re a wonderful grandmother.”

  “I love her,” Amanda said abruptly. “Sarah has been with us for only two months, and I love her so much already.”

  “Yeah. Me too.”

  Caine could hear the smile in his mother’s voice when she said, “I’m proud of you, son.”

  Caine wished his mother goodnight, and clicked off as he stepped out of the elevator on the ground floor.

  He walked past the bar on the ground floor of the hotel and stopped when he heard the beautiful, soulful piano music. He glanced towards the grand piano and saw Kenneth’s shock of white hair over the lid.

  Maybe he would have a drink at the bar and decompress before going home. Besides, there was no one home. His mother insisted on taking care of Sarah during the weekdays, so Caine only took Sarah home on weekends. He was getting quite good at changing a diaper without any accidents and he could prepare a bottle of milk in record time. He’d read every parenting book he could get his hands on from cover to cover, but there was only so much you could learn from books. Real-life, hands-on experience was the best teacher. He’d learned quite a few things on the fly himself.

  Caine sat down at the corner of the bar and ordered a drink. The bartender and some of the staff greeted him when they saw him, but Caine smiled and shook his head subtly. He was off work now. He wasn’t sitting here as the CEO of Treasure Hotel. He was just a guy, having a drink in the bar, and listening to a very talented pianist.

  Caine had met Kenneth in this very bar. He had seen the elderly gentleman sitting alone at the bar counter, crying into his beer. The poor man had just lost his wife in an accident, and he was trying to drink himself to oblivion.

  But the beer couldn’t drown his pain. When the weeping old man stumbled over to the grand piano on the stage, no one stopped him. Kenneth put his wrinkled hands on the keyboard and started to play. He wanted to play his late wife’s favorite song, the song that they had danced to at their wedding some thirty years ago.

  The small crowd in the bar had applauded wildly when Kenneth finished the song. The man could play the piano like a pro, and he played with so much feeling.

  Caine learned that he was a retired accountant, and he asked Kenneth if he would like to come back and play the piano again. Caine told him that the hotel had been looking for a pianist, but none had made the cut. Kenneth didn’t give him an answer that night, but two weeks later, just as Caine was leaving the hotel, he heard the most arresting, captivating music floating out from the bar. He found Kenneth at the grand piano, playing his heart out. The man was no longer unshaven and disheveled. He was smartly dressed in a suit, and Caine could tell that he had made an effort to tame his frizzy, unruly white hair. “Martha would have wanted this,” was all he said when Caine approached him. “She wouldn’t want me to join her before my time.”

  With a handshake, Caine knew that he had hired the best pianist this side of the city.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Kenneth didn’t look up from the piano when Caine entered the bar. His music had transported him to a different place and time, and through his music, his deep love for his wife lived on.

  Caine went to the bar counter and chose the corner stool. He watched the scene for a while, thinking about how his life had taken a hundred and eighty degree turn about two months ago.

  Caine let out a heavy sigh when he thought of Sarah’s father, Mark. He had known Mark for years, but Mark was a very private person. He didn’t even know that Mark had a daughter, until Mark appeared at his doorstep one evening with Sarah in his arms.

  “This is my daughter, Sarah. Please take care of her and raise her as your own, if anything happens to me.”

  Caine bit down a curse. He should have questioned Mark further. Instead, he had just dismissed his friend’s words as a joke and invited him into the house for a drink. They chatted for a bit, but Mark wouldn’t tell Caine who Sarah’s mother was. Caine assumed that the girl’s mother had simply dumped the baby on Mark and taken off.

  After a few drinks, Mark left with Sarah. And that was the last time Caine saw Mark alive.

  A few days later, Caine found Sarah on his doorstep. The little girl was fast asleep in a box lined with blankets and there was some milk on her chin. She had been recently fed and was warmly clothed.

  Caine rushed straight to Mark’s place but he wasn’t in time. He found Mark dead in his bed. His friend had overdosed on sleeping bills.

  Mark had left a suicide note, saying that he was going to join Sarah’s mother. She never rose from the ashes, so I’m going to join her.

  Could he have prevented Mark’s suicide? Could he have anticipated what his friend was about to do? Why didn’t he see that his friend was depressed? He should have asked more questions, probed deeper and made Mark tell him the truth.

  But all the self-recrimination and guilt in the world would not bring Mark back. Mark had entrusted his precious baby girl to him, and Caine would honor his promise to his friend.

  Caine immediately adopted Sarah, and frantically leaned all he could about taking care of a baby girl. His mother offered her help at once, and took care of the little girl while he was at work. Knowing his hectic work schedule, Amanda told him to leave Sarah with her during the weekdays. “But on weekends, you’d have to do your part,” she said. “You’re her dad now.”

  Sarah came into his life two months ago. And everything changed. Sarah was the most important female in his life right now. He hadn’t looked at another female since.

  Before he was thrust into parenthood, Caine dated on and off. But he knew that those women were really more interested in having a good time and being seen on the arm of one of the wealthiest, most eligible bachelors in the city.

  Caine knew how to give a woman a good time. He would wine and dine them, and fuck them out of their minds. Maybe some of the women were hoping for more than a night of fun and mind-blowing sex, but one
night was all he would give them. He would never allow these gold-diggers into his life. And more importantly now, Sarah’s life.

  Caine’s eyes swept slowly across the room, and landed on a tiny woman sitting at the other end of the bar by herself. The petite brunette stiffened and her gray eyes widened a fraction when their gazes clashed. His heart and world stopped. There was just something about her, something both unique and familiar.

  Her gray eyes were intense and intelligent, and she seemed to be studying everything and everyone around her with cool detachment. Including him.

  The woman regarded him for an instant. Caine held her gaze, expecting her to smile coyly at him.

  Instead, she blinked and looked away.

  Caine stared at her with growing interest and curiosity.

  Most women tried their best to catch his eye and hold his attention. They flirted with him and dropped not-so-subtle hints. They wanted him, or more accurately, they wanted what he could give them.

  But this tiny brunette simply turned away with a bored expression. His striking good looks, expensive watch, designer suit, all the obvious evidence of his wealth, status and success made no impression on her at all.

  Interesting.

  And intriguing.

  Caine was aware that his wolf had risen to the surface, and all his senses were heightened. The woman wasn’t wearing any perfume. Her natural scent was alluring, sweet, feminine and so exquisite.

  Caine rose. The predator in him was engaged, and the hunter wanted to snare that delicious little game in front of him.

  But she wasn’t a game.

  He had been with many beautiful women, but his wolf had never wanted any of them. But right now, his wolf wanted this female. And his wolf wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

  Neither was he.