"You think this is political?"
"Maybe, yeah. Maybe I do. Watch out for your woman. The most effective way to bring a kingdom down is to take out the Kings. He didn't have a way in before, but once you bring her into the Pride?"
"We'll be wide open," Jude finished grimly.
8
The possibility that association with him could endanger Lily rocked Jude's foundations. And she wasn't the only vulnerable woman in his charge. Summer was just as much a target. As soon as Cavin signed off on the plans, Jude fired off a text to Summer and then burned pavement driving to Lily's shop.
It was just about closing time, but all the spaces outside her storefront were filled. The other shops along the strip were still doing a lively business, too, and Jude had to park at the far end of the lot.
After what he'd learned about Lily's past, distance was probably best. He didn't trust his lion-or himself for that matter-to stand face to face with her and not stake a claim.
And, hell, she didn't deserve to become a chess piece in some sick fuck's game to dethrone the Kings.
Knowing that didn't get him to leave the way he'd come. She was already vulnerable after the scene with Hawk. Despite being run by a Murder of crow shifters, the Phoenix wasn't a true shifter stomping ground. Odds were decent that his reaction to Hawk touching Lily had gone unnoticed by everyone except the crow shifter bartender and her manager, but decent wasn't good enough. Fuck. He slammed his fist against the dash. Either she'd flown under the radar or she hadn't. He couldn't rely on some middle ground where she'd been noticed but maybe dismissed as irrelevant. Even if she hadn't caught the interest of the guy who'd been attacking the Jungle's female patrons, she had her own history. A former lover who, by Cavin's account, posed just as much a threat. Maybe more of one.
He needed to be near her. Needed to see for himself that she was safe. So he sat in his SUV and watched the comings and goings of shoppers, and he engaged his considerable network to find out everything he could about the man who had presumed to exercise dominance over his woman.
Cavin hadn't lied. Paul Stark had every mark of a mean bastard. His picture was everywhere, both on business and social blogs. The man seemed to have no interest in keeping his private life hidden from his professional life even though he was banned from five public clubs along the West Coast. Jude also gleaned just enough veiled information from a popular lifestyle forum to know Stark had a marked disrespect for safe words and house rules that had resulted in injuries to several casual bottoms. Paul would never get into the Jungle by traditional methods.
And if by some unforeseen error he did, he wouldn't leave in one piece.
Jude resisted the urge to search out information about Lily. If she had wounds, he wanted-needed-to earn the right to them.
About an hour after Lily's scheduled closing time, she walked out the front door and turned to lock up. Frowning at her exposed back, he stepped out of his SUV and approached at a casual pace, giving her time to notice him. It wasn't until she'd locked the door, reorganized things in her purse, and started for her car that she looked right at him and drew up short with a startled gasp.
"Jesus. You scared me," she said.
"You weren't paying attention." He couldn't keep the frustration out of his voice.
Lily parted her lips-tempting with deep red lipstick-but closed her mouth and scowled "What are you doing here?"
He watched her with narrowed eyes for a long minute. His lion was angry with her for her careless disregard for her own safety but she wasn't ready for that kind of territorial statement. It galled him to bite back his own first words but he exhaled and held up the file he'd brought. "A proposal for updated security at the store and a set-up for your house."
"I wish you hadn't done that. I got the stuff you e-mailed. I was going to reply when I had a chance to sit down." She looked away, her knuckles white where she gripped the strap of her bag. "I'm afraid the modifications won't work for me. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."
A snarl slipped free. Her wide-eyed gaze flew back to him. She looked away almost immediately and retreated a couple of steps.
"I … listen, I don't think this is going to work out." She gestured at the store, then at him. "Continuing our contract, I mean. I looked over the cancellation terms and I'm fine with paying the six months' service termination fee. I've booked a consultation with another company and won't need you anymore after the end of the month."