Page 26 of Bodyguard Wolf's Fated Mate
"I'm not sure that I can explain it. Let's just say that I have a unique skill set. I'm what you would call a specialist when every other method fails. Your father doesn't even know about my contribution to his latest success. He fired Luke, but he couldn't let it go. You don't need pharmaceutical aid. What you need is some time alone with Luke. I'm not in the business of telling somebody what to do. You have all the facts and what you do with them is your business." Mercedes walked out of the bathroom with several young ladies panting after her.
That's why I felt threatened. It wasn't because she was more beautiful than I was. The wolf inside me recognized a kindred spirit. She exuded this raw power. Something about her was very compelling. She could've asked anybody anything and they would've jumped at the opportunity to please her. That was the feeling I was getting from her when she walked away in this cloud of aromatic endorphins.
I gazed upon my vice until I swept it into the sink without even touching a granule. A deep breath was soon followed by a newfound conviction to make Luke mine.
She didn't have to tell me any of that, but it did save me from taking the path of least resistance. The only drug I wanted was the release of pheromones when we expressed our feelings physically. Earth-shattering orgasms were better than any drug on the market.
Some people said I had an addictive personality. It dawned on me that maybe I was trading one drug for another, but Luke was the man of my dreams. That was the kind of addiction I could get behind or in front of.
This time nothing was going to stop me from having my cake and eating it too. Luke could be a little aloof, but I was no longer willing to be a pawn in the game.
Voices raised and screams ensued.
I dashed from the bathroom in time to see Luke fighting with Caitlin. She had a hypodermic needle filled with some unknown liquid pressed against his neck.
My father was unconscious at their feet in a pool of his own blood.
Caitlin and Luke went over the railing, plummeting to the street below. My heart jumped out of my throat.
CHAPTER 15
_____
LUKE
Going out onto the balcony to get a breath of fresh air only made things worse. Jasmine was clearly upset. Mercedes shook her head and called me a typical man, but I had no idea what she was referring to.
I wasn't expecting company until he spun me around to face him.
"My daughter is off limits. I'm not going to tell you again. This party is for her, and I won't have you bothering her. Why can't you take a hint?" Jules asked with a fistful of my shirt.
The smell of alcohol was pungent on his breath. "I'm not here for her. I know you fired me but coming here is my way of giving myself some peace of mind. I found out you have a serious bounty on your head. The attempt on your life is supposed to take place here." My attention was drawn away from him with several men and women dropping like bags of potatoes inside the lavishly decorated ballroom.
Balloons of different colors hung from streamers across the room.
They were twitching on the floor with white foam bubbling between their lips. It had to be something they all ingested. The food was the natural suspect.
"What have you had to eat?"
"I haven't been able to eat or drink anything. I just didn't have an appetite. What business is that of yours? I'm asking you nicely to leave."
A woman in red navigated around the bodies writing on the floor. The perfume followed her out onto the balcony. Caitlin fished into her purse and suddenly had a hypodermic needle.
I shoved Jules out of the way and grabbed her hand before she could inject him. He lost his footing and cracked his head against a potted plant. The clay shattered with fresh blood adorning the surface.
"I'm not going to be denied. Your girlfriend is already dead. It was so easy to tempt them. You would think they would be suspicious of somebody offering something for nothing. Jules is the only one that didn't take the bait. It just meant I was going to have to get a little creative." Caitlin confessed to being a cold-blooded murderer with no remorse.
The needle was dangerously close to puncturing my neck.
I was able to pull her toward me off-balance until we both tumbled over the railing. The last thing I saw was Jasmine staring in abject terror.
The needle pricked my skin but didn't go any further before she had to let it go. Caitlin screamed on the way down. It was a good thing I was able to snatch the bottom of the railing. The fall probably wouldn't have killed me, but I wasn't exactly thrilled by the prospect of bones breaking.
I hauled myself up with my own strength to find Jasmine right there to lend a hand. Time stood still until she turned her attention to her father.
"You saved my life." Jules held the back of his head where there was a nasty gash.
"All in a day's work. Make sure you tell your friends about my services. Word-of-mouth is the best advertising," I said glibly.
