Bodyguard

  His arm was aching, and he was slipping. He was going to fall. Five hundred feet to the ground. Why the hell hadn't he asked to be put on desk duty?

  Diego tried to swing his feet up again, but he missed the girder. The jolt of his feet swinging back down nearly jarred him loose. That's it, his hold was going. Damn it, damn it, damn it . . .

  Two strong hands caught Diego under his shoulders; two very strong arms dragged him up and up, stomach grating on the beam, and onto the catwalk. Diego lay facedown on the relative solidity of a catwalk, drawing long, shuddering breaths.

  When he could, he rolled onto his back, and found himself looking up into the white green eyes and ferocious face of the Shifter, again in its half-shifted state. A female Shifter, from the hint of breasts under the fur and from the sheer, strange beauty of her. She had a wildcat's face, and the morning light glinted on silver links of a chain around her neck.

  Before Diego could find his voice, the Shifter spun away in another gravity-defying leap. She landed on all fours, flowing back into the shape of a snow leopard. Diego sat up and watched her, stunned by the beauty of the long, powerful animal running with inhuman grace fifty stories above the ground.

  Another pop of the tranq gun had him on the floor on his stomach again, this catwalk staying in place. Diego raised his head, finger on his trigger. He heard a snarl, the leopard's angry growl, and then running feet, both human and animal.

  Diego pointed the gun through the shadows, but he could see nothing. The rising sun showed that he was on this floor alone, though the footsteps continued above him. Lights approached on the road below, Shifter Division finally arriving, bringing a couple patrol cars and an SUV.

  A blinding flash lit up the floor above him. Diego squinted through the spaces in the catwalks, aiming, but the light vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. The running ceased, and all was silent except for the patrol cars' sirens wailing below.

  Diego lowered his Sig and was about to sit up when two feet landed on the catwalk in front of his face.

  Two human feet, female feet, naked feet. Diego lifted his head to find two strong female legs, skin tanned from the desert sun, right in front of him. He looked up those legs to two strong thighs, with an enticing thatch of dark blond between them.

  Diego forced his gaze to continue upward, over her flat stomach with a small gold stud in her navel to firm human breasts tipped with dusky nipples. He made his gaze move past them--though he knew he'd dream about them for a long time coming--to be rewarded by a breathtaking face.

  The Shifter woman's face was strong but contained the softness of beauty. Her eyes were light green, a shimmer of jade in the darkness. Sleek, pale hair fell past her shoulders, and a chain with a Celtic cross fused to it glinted around her slender throat.

  Damn. And damn.

  She was definitely all woman, not in any in-between state now. Diego had never seen a female Shifter before. His cases had never taken him to Shiftertown, which lay north of North Las Vegas, and he'd only ever seen the male Shiftertown leader, Eric Warden. He'd had no idea that their females were this tall or this crazy gorgeous.

  Her breasts rose with her even breath, and she expressed no embarrassment at her nakedness, didn't even seem to notice it. "He's gone," she said. "You all right?"

  "Alive," Diego croaked. He dragged himself to his feet, trying not to look at her delectable body or to imagine what that smooth, tanned skin would feel like under his hands. "Where'd he go? The guy with the tranq gun?"

  "I don't know." The answer seemed to trouble her. The man hadn't fallen, the lift wasn't moving, and no one below was chasing him.

  "At least I've got one of you," Diego said.

  "Wha--?" She stared at him, stunned, then her light-colored eyes flicked to the beams above, calculated the distance. Diego brought up his pistol.

  "Don't try it, sweetheart. Get facedown on the floor, hands behind your back."

  "Why? I just saved your ass."

  "You're trespassing on private property, that's why, and I have two cops down. On the floor."

  He gestured with the gun. The Shifter woman drew an enraged breath, eyes flashing almost pure white. For a moment, Diego thought she'd leap at him, maybe change into the wildcat or half Shifter and try to shred him. He'd have to plug her, and he really didn't want to. It would be a shame to kill something so beautiful.

  The Shifter woman let out her breath, gave him an angry glare, and then carefully lowered herself facedown on the catwalk. Diego unclipped his handcuffs.

  "What's your name?" Diego asked.

  Her jaw tightened. "Cassidy."

  "Nice to meet you, Cassidy," Diego said. "You have the right to remain silent." He droned on through Miranda as he closed the handcuffs on her perfect wrists. The Shifter woman lay still and radiated rage.

  Diego's hands were shaking by the time he finished. But that had less to do with his fear of heights than with the tall, beautiful naked woman on the floor in front of him, hands locked together on her sweet, tight ass. The best ass he'd ever seen in his life. He wanted nothing more than to stay up here and lick that beautiful backside, and maybe apply his tongue to the rest of her body.

  Diego broke into a sweat, despite the cool wind wafting from below, and made himself haul her to her feet. The Shifter woman's look was still defiant, but he couldn't help himself imagining crushing her against him to kiss that wide, enticing mouth.

  Diego made himself steer her to the lift.

  Not until they were rapidly descending did Diego realize that since Cassidy in her human form had come into his view, he'd not once thought about how far he might have fallen had she not caught him, and the spectacular splat he'd have made when he hit the ground.

  * * * * *

  Pride Mates

  Shifters Unbound

  Book One

  by Jennifer Ashley

  Chapter One

  A girl walks into a bar . . .

  No. A human girl walks into a Shifter bar . . .

  The bar was empty, not yet open to customers. It looked normal--windowless walls painted black, rows of glass bottles, the smell of beer and stale air. But it wasn't normal, standing on the edge of Shiftertown like it did.

  Kim told herself she had nothing to be afraid of. They're tamed. Collared. They can't hurt you.

  "You the lawyer?" a man washing glasses asked her. He was human, not Shifter. No strange, slitted pupils, no Collar to control his aggression, no air of menace. When Kim nodded, he gestured with his cloth to a door at the end of the bar. "Knock him dead, sweetheart."

  "I'll try to keep him alive." Kim pivoted and stalked away, feeling his gaze on her back.

  She knocked on the door marked "Private," and a man on the other side growled, "Come."

  I just need to talk to him. Then I'm done, on my way home. A trickle of moisture rolled between Kim's shoulder blades as she made herself open the door and walk inside.

  A man leaned back in a chair behind a messy desk, a sheaf of papers in his hands. His booted feet were propped on the desk, his long legs a feast of blue jeans over muscle. He was a Shifter all right--thin black and silver Collar against his throat, hard, honed body, midnight-black hair, definite air of menace. When Kim entered, he stood, setting the papers aside.

  Damn. He rose to a height of well over six feet and gazed at Kim with eyes blue like the morning sky. His body wasn't only honed, it was hot--big chest, wide shoulders, tight abs, firm biceps against a form-fitting black T-shirt.

  "Kim Fraser?"

  "That's me."

  With old-fashioned courtesy, he placed a chair in front of the desk and motioned her to it. Kim felt the heat of his hand near the small of her back as she seated herself, smelled the scent of soap and male musk.

  "You're Mr. Morrissey?"

  The Shifter sat back down, returned his motorcycle boots to the top of the desk, and laced his hands behind his head. "Call me Liam."

  The lilt in his voice was unmistakable. Kim put that w
ith his black hair, impossibly blue eyes, and exotic name. "You're Irish."

  He smiled a smile that could melt a woman at ten paces. "And who else would be running a pub?"

  "But you don't own it."

  Kim could have bitten out her tongue as soon as she said it. Of course he didn't own it. He was a Shifter.

  His voice went frosty, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out. "You're Brian Smith's lawyer, are you? I'm afraid I can't help you much. I don't know Brian well, and I don't know anything about what happened the night his girlfriend was murdered. It's a long time ago, now."

  Disappointment bit her, but Kim had learned not to let discouragement stop her when she needed to get a job done. "Brian called you the 'go-to' guy. As in, when Shifters are in trouble, Liam Morrissey helps them out."

  Liam shrugged, muscles moving the bar's logo on his T-shirt. "True. But Brian never came to me. He got into his troubles all by himself."

  "I know that. I'm trying to get him out of trouble."

  Liam's eyes narrowed, pupils flicking to slits as he retreated to the predator within him. Shifters liked to do that when assessing a situation, Brian had told her. Guess who was the prey?

  Brian had done the predator-prey thing with Kim at first. He'd stopped when he began to trust her, but Kim didn't think she'd ever get used to it. Brian was her first Shifter client, the first Shifter, in fact, she'd ever seen outside a television news story. Twenty years Shifters had been acknowledged to exist, but Kim had never met one.

  It was well known that they lived in their enclave on the east side of Austin, near the old airport, but she'd never come over to check them out. Some human women did, strolling the streets just outside Shiftertown, hoping for glimpses--and more--of the Shifter men who were reputed to be strong, gorgeous, and well endowed. Kim had once heard two women in a restaurant murmuring about their encounter with a Shifter male the night before. The phrase "Oh, my God," had been used repeatedly. Kim was as curious about them as anyone else, but she'd never summoned the courage to go near Shiftertown herself.

  Then suddenly she was assigned the case of the Shifter accused of murdering his human girlfriend ten months ago. This was the first time in twenty years Shifters had caused trouble, the first time one had been put on trial. The public, outraged by the killing, wanted Shifters punished, pointed fingers at those who'd claimed the Shifters were tamed.

  However, after Kim had met Brian, she'd determined that she wouldn't do a token defense. She believed his innocence, and she wanted to win. There wasn't much case law on Shifters because there'd never been any trials, at least none on record. This was to be a well-publicized trial, Kim's opportunity to make a mark, to set precedent.

  Liam's eyes stayed on her, pupils still slitted. "You're a brave one, aren't you? To defend a Shifter?"

  "Brave, that's me." Kim crossed her legs, pretending to relax. They picked up on your nervousness, people said. They know when you're scared, and they use your fear. "I don't mind telling you, this case had been a pain in the ass from the get-go."

  "Humans think anything involving Shifters is a pain in the ass."

  Kim shook her head. "I mean, it's been a pain in the ass because of the way it's been handled. The cops nearly had Brian signing a confession before I could get to the interrogation. At least I put a stop to that, but I couldn't get bail for him, I've been blocked by the prosecutors right and left every time I want review the evidence. Talking to you is a long shot, but I'm getting desperate. So if you don't want to see a Shifter go down for this crime, Mr. Morrissey, a little cooperation would be appreciated."

  The way he pinned her with his eyes, never blinking, made her want to fold in on herself. Or run. That's what prey did--ran. And then predators chased them, cornered them.

  What did this man do when he cornered his prey? He wore the Collar; he could do nothing. Right?

  Kim imagined herself against a wall, his hands on either side of her, his hard body hemming her in . . . Heat curled down her spine.

  Liam took his feet down and leaned forward, arms on the desk. "I haven't said I won't help you, lass." His gaze flicked to her blouse, whose buttons had slipped out of their top holes during her journey through Austin traffic and July heat. "Is Brian happy with you defending him? You like Shifters that much?"

  Kim resisted reaching for the buttons. She could almost feel his fingers on them, undoing each one, and her heart beat faster.

  "It's nothing to do with who I like. I was assigned to him, but I happen to think Brian's innocent. He shouldn't go down for something he didn't do." Kim liked her anger, because it covered up how edgy this man made her. "Besides, Brian's the only Shifter I've ever met, so I don't know whether I like them, do I?"

  Liam smiled again. His eyes returned to normal, and now he looked like any other gorgeous, hard-bodied, blue-eyed Irishman. "You, love, are--"

  "Feisty. Yeah, I've heard that one. Also spitfire, little go-getter, and a host of other condescending terms. But let me tell you, Mr. Morrissey, I'm a damn good lawyer. Brian's not guilty, and I'm going to save his ass."

  "I was going to say unusual. For a human."

  "Because I'm willing to believe he's innocent?"

  "Because you came here, to the outskirts of Shiftertown, to see me. Alone."

  The predator was back.

  Why was it that when Brian looked at her like this, it didn't worry her? Brian was in jail, angry, accused of heinous crimes. A killer, according to the police. But Brian's stare didn't send shivers down her spine like Liam Morrissey's did.

  "Any reason I shouldn't have come alone?" she asked, keeping her voice light. "I'm trying to prove that Shifters in general, and my client in particular, can't harm humans. I'd do a poor job of it if I was afraid to come and talk to his friends."

  Liam wanted to laugh at the little . . .spitfire, but he kept his stare cool. She had no idea what she was walking into; Fergus, the clan leader, expected Liam to make sure it stayed that way.

  Damn it all, Liam wasn't supposed to like her. He'd expected the usual human woman, sticks-up-their-asses, all of them, but there was something different about Kim Fraser. It wasn't just that she was small and compact, where Shifter women were tall and willowy. He liked how her dark blue eyes regarded him without fear, liked the riot of black of curls that beckoned his fingers. She'd had the sense to leave her hair alone, not force it into some unnatural shape.

  On the other hand, she tried to hide her sweetly curvaceous body under a stiff gray business suit, although her body had other ideas. Her breasts wanted to burst out of the button-up blouse, and the stiletto heels only enhanced wickedly sexy legs.

  No Shifter woman would dress like she did. Shifter women wore loose clothes they could quickly shed if they needed to change forms. Shorts and T-shirts were popular. So were gypsy skirts and sarongs in the summer.

  Liam imagined this lady in a sarong. Her melon-firm breasts would fill out the top, and the skirt would bare her smooth thighs.

  She'd be even prettier in a bikini, lolling around some rich man's pool, sipping a complicated drink. She was a lawyer--there was probably a boss in her firm who had already made her his. Or perhaps she was using said boss to climb the success ladder. Humans did that all the time. Either the bastard would break her heart, or she'd walk away happy with what she'd got out of it.

  That's why we stay the hell away from humans. Brian Smith had taken up with a human woman, and look where he was now.

  So why did this female raise Liam's protective instincts? Why did she make him want to move closer, inside the radius of her body heat? She wouldn't like that; humans tried to stay a few feet apart from each other unless they couldn't help it. Even lovers might do nothing more than hold hands in public.

  Liam had no business thinking about passion and this woman in the same heartbeat. Fergus's instructions had been to listen to Kim, sway her, then send her home. Not that Liam was in the habit of blindly obeying Fergus.

  "So why do you wa
nt to help him, love?" he asked. "You're only defending him because you drew the short straw, am I right?"

  "I'm the junior in the firm, so it was handed to me, yes. But the prosecutor's office and the police have done a shitty job with this case. Rights violations all over the place. But the courts won't dismiss it, no matter how much I argue. Everyone wants a Shifter to go down, innocent or guilty."

  "And why do you believe Brian didn't do it?"

  "Why do you think?" Kim tapped her throat. "Because of these."

  Liam resisted touching the strand of black and silver metal fused to his own neck, a small Celtic knot at the base of his throat. The Collars contained a tiny programmed chip enhanced by powerful Fae magic to keep Shifters in check, though the humans didn't want to acknowledge the magic part. The Collar shot an electric charge into a Shifter when his violent tendencies rose to the surface. If the Shifter persisted, the next dose was one of debilitating pain. A Shifter couldn't attack anyone if he was rolling around on the ground, writhing in agony.

  Liam wasn't sure entirely how the Collars worked; he only knew that each became bonded to its wearer's skin and adapted to their animal form when they shifted. All Shifters living in human communities were required to wear the Collar, which were unremovable once put on. Refusing the Collar meant execution. If the Shifter tried to escape, he or she was hunted down and killed.

  "You know Brian couldn't have committed a violent crime," Kim was saying. "His Collar would have stopped him."

  "Let me guess. Your police claim the Collar malfunctioned?"

  "Yep. When I suggest having it tested, I'm greeted with all kinds of reasons it can't be. The Collar can't be removed, and anyway it would be too dangerous to have Brian Collarless if he could be. Also too dangerous to provoke him to violence and see if the Collar stops him. Brian's been calm since he was brought in. Like he's given up." She looked glum. "I hate to see someone give up like that."