The top floor of the building was empty when Paige stepped off the elevator. Even in the rain, the view was fantastic. She wondered if, when the building was complete, the occupants would appreciate the beauty right outside their windows, or would they be so caught up in their day-to-day activities that they would forget to look up and see the beauty all around them? She moved closer to the edge of the floor, remembering Quinn’s anger when she’d gotten too close.
“Well, well, well, who do we have here?”
Paige jumped, startled by the voice coming from behind her. “Oh, you scared me.” She put a hand to her chest, trying to still her fast beating heart. The man moved toward her and Paige got an incredible urge to run away as fast as she could. “Who are you?”
“I’m, shall we say, a business associate of your, um? Exactly what are you to Quinn Blackwood?”
Something, some instinct, warned her not to tell this man the truth. “I’m just delivering some papers to Mr. Blackwood.”
He came closer and Paige had nowhere to retreat. Behind her was the edge of the floor. She stepped to the side, trying to get closer to the large iron girder that was to her left.
“Oh, I think not, sweet cheeks. See, I’ve had Quinn followed for the last several months. I believe you recently went out on a date with him, didn’t you? A blind date?”
Paige kept her mouth closed tight. Was this the man who had been causing so many problems for Quinn? And what did he want with her? Because he did want something, she saw it in the dark, evil depths of his eyes. The elevator dinged behind them. Before she could do anything, he moved with a swiftness she could only assume meant he was a shifter. Within seconds he’d twisted one of her arms behind her back and was holding her against his body with an iron arm clamped around her neck.
Paige’s shouldn’t have been surprised when a large bear lumbered out of the elevator. She was surprised the metal cage hadn’t buckled beneath the animal’s massive weight. It was Quinn. The man holding her fumbled for something under this jacket and pulled out a gun.
“No,” Paige whispered. Quinn was big and damn scary looking, but he was no match for a gun, shifter or not. Her mind whirled with ways she could save him.
“That’s far enough,” the man holding her ordered the bear to stop. Quinn did, but not before letting loose a roar that filled the air. She felt the man behind her tremble.
The bear sat down and stared at the man. The animal’s eyes were a dark gold with a small ring of red around the iris. The bear wasn’t happy. At all. Her breath caught as the bear disappeared and one very pissed off Quinn appeared in its place.
“Let her go, Marcum.”
She licked her lips as he stood there in all his masculine, male glory. How inappropriate, she thought to herself, seconds before he gave her a sexy wink as if knowing she couldn’t control her reaction to him. And to reassure her, she hoped, that everything was going to be okay.
“Not likely. Not until you agree not to come after me.”
Quinn threw back his head and laughed, completely oblivious to his nakedness. “You burnt that boat the moment you put your hands on my woman.”
“Quinn,” Paige whispered.
Marcum’s arm flexed around her throat, choking her. She whimpered and used both hands to try and break his grip. He was too strong.
Quinn growled and stepped forward.
“Hush, bitch.” Marcum not only tightened his hold, he took a step backward, closer to the edge.
Paige didn’t know if a shifter could survive a ten-story fall, but she sure as hell knew she couldn’t. Her fear left her to be replaced by anger. There was no way in hell she was going down without a fight. She’d just found Quinn.
She’d been so engrossed in the play between Marcum and Quinn she hadn’t realized the elevator had left only to return with Ryland and Ryker. Both men exited and walked swiftly to Quinn’s side. “Here, bro.” Ryland handed Quinn a pair of jeans and he quickly dressed.
She didn’t need to be a shifter to smell the fear rolling off the man behind her. Who wouldn’t be scared looking into the faces of three bear shifters? One of which looked like he was just waiting to tear you limb from limb?
“This is the last time I’m telling you, Marcum. Let her go.” Quinn took one step, then another. When Marcum backed up again he stopped. “It’s over. We caught your pack and the Council is on its way.”
Quinn didn’t like the look of panic that crossed Marcum’s face. From the subtle movement of his brothers, he realized they had seen it as well. The look of a desperate man.
“Let her go and I just might let you live.” He knew the Council would show the man no mercy, especially now that he’d threatened Quinn’s mate. He hadn’t bonded with her yet, but she did carry his scent and bore his mark. He could kick himself six ways to Sunday because he hadn’t known someone had been following him. Following her.