Read Online Dark Tremor (Mated by Magic #2) by Stella Marie Alden, Chantel Seabrook - Free Book Online
Authors: Stella Marie Alden, Chantel Seabrook
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this.”
Josh shrugged as if the whole world weren’t being shifted off its axis. “Nicole has family here that she hasn’t seen in a while.”
“Thanks for being here.” He gave Josh an appreciative smile, then headed around to the driver’s side.
In the truck, Jace leaned over to put the cage on Terra’s lap, then turned on the ignition. “You doing all right?”
“I don’t know.” Her fingers shook as she poked between the front grate and rubbed the cat’s nose.
“Keep your face down. I’ll get you out of here.”
He had to dodge several newscasters and a couple of firefighters, but after a few minutes, they were free and clear. “My brother booked a room on the Strip. You can stay with us until we figure things out.”
“I can’t stay with you.”
Not this again.
He took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice calm. “Why not?”
“Who knows what Mic will do. I don’t want to involve you.”
“I’m already involved.” Turning onto the highway, he glanced in the rearview mirror. No one appeared to be following.
“Still…” She rubbed her arms and shivered.
He could hear her teeth chattering.
Ignoring his common sense, he reached out and placed his hand on hers. Instead of pulsating heat, her skin was ice cold. Shit. She was most likely in shock. The little weasel had done a half-ass job healing her.
“Stop…the…car.” She was shaking uncontrollably now. “Ple-please.”
“Okay.” He pulled off on a gravel road and put the truck in park.
Terra tumbled from the truck, took a few wobbly steps and doubled over, clutching her stomach with one hand, the other gripping the gravel like a lifeline. A heart-wrenching cry tore from her throat.
He raced from the truck and crouched beside her. “What can I do?”
“I…just ne-need…a…moment.” The words came out in small gulps.
Screw that. The last thing she needed was to be left alone. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up and holding her tight against his chest, ignoring the energy that pulsed between them.
Silent sobs shook her body.
“Everything’s gone.” The desperation in her voice cut him.
“We’ll fix it.” He tried not to notice how perfectly she fit against him. “Whatever you lost, we’ll figure a way to get it back.”
“I can’t go back there.”
He held her tighter, knowing she was right. A sense of guilt washed over him. If he hadn’t shown up, ignored the trespassing signs, none of this would have happened. Or maybe it would’ve and she would have had no one to protect her. His body tensed at the thought.
“We’ll get you settled. You can come back to Jersey with us. With me.” He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. “Mic won’t be able to touch you there.”
“Now that he’s sure I exist, he’ll find me.”
“Not with my family’s help. I promise I’ll never let him anywhere near you. You’ll be safe. I promise.”
“Why would you do this for me?” She blinked up at him.
There was suspicion in her eyes. But hell, after everything she’d gone through, why wouldn’t there be?
His heart tightened painfully in his chest. The need to protect her rode him hard. The need to possess her, even harder. He clenched his jaw, fighting for control.
“Because I can and I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you.”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and looked down. When she finally looked back at him, there was acceptance mixed with resignation in her gaze.
“Okay,” she said softly.
He breathed out a sigh of relief. “Good. Now let’s get you to the hotel so you can rest.”
“First, I need to show you something.”
Chapter 12
They drove past the Air Force base at Indian Springs, then Terra instructed Jace to drive north on Mercury Highway. Nothing but blue sky, scrub brush, and telephone poles for mile after beautiful mile. At high noon, desert shadows vacated, making the area seem even less
Josh shrugged as if the whole world weren’t being shifted off its axis. “Nicole has family here that she hasn’t seen in a while.”
“Thanks for being here.” He gave Josh an appreciative smile, then headed around to the driver’s side.
In the truck, Jace leaned over to put the cage on Terra’s lap, then turned on the ignition. “You doing all right?”
“I don’t know.” Her fingers shook as she poked between the front grate and rubbed the cat’s nose.
“Keep your face down. I’ll get you out of here.”
He had to dodge several newscasters and a couple of firefighters, but after a few minutes, they were free and clear. “My brother booked a room on the Strip. You can stay with us until we figure things out.”
“I can’t stay with you.”
Not this again.
He took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice calm. “Why not?”
“Who knows what Mic will do. I don’t want to involve you.”
“I’m already involved.” Turning onto the highway, he glanced in the rearview mirror. No one appeared to be following.
“Still…” She rubbed her arms and shivered.
He could hear her teeth chattering.
Ignoring his common sense, he reached out and placed his hand on hers. Instead of pulsating heat, her skin was ice cold. Shit. She was most likely in shock. The little weasel had done a half-ass job healing her.
“Stop…the…car.” She was shaking uncontrollably now. “Ple-please.”
“Okay.” He pulled off on a gravel road and put the truck in park.
Terra tumbled from the truck, took a few wobbly steps and doubled over, clutching her stomach with one hand, the other gripping the gravel like a lifeline. A heart-wrenching cry tore from her throat.
He raced from the truck and crouched beside her. “What can I do?”
“I…just ne-need…a…moment.” The words came out in small gulps.
Screw that. The last thing she needed was to be left alone. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up and holding her tight against his chest, ignoring the energy that pulsed between them.
Silent sobs shook her body.
“Everything’s gone.” The desperation in her voice cut him.
“We’ll fix it.” He tried not to notice how perfectly she fit against him. “Whatever you lost, we’ll figure a way to get it back.”
“I can’t go back there.”
He held her tighter, knowing she was right. A sense of guilt washed over him. If he hadn’t shown up, ignored the trespassing signs, none of this would have happened. Or maybe it would’ve and she would have had no one to protect her. His body tensed at the thought.
“We’ll get you settled. You can come back to Jersey with us. With me.” He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. “Mic won’t be able to touch you there.”
“Now that he’s sure I exist, he’ll find me.”
“Not with my family’s help. I promise I’ll never let him anywhere near you. You’ll be safe. I promise.”
“Why would you do this for me?” She blinked up at him.
There was suspicion in her eyes. But hell, after everything she’d gone through, why wouldn’t there be?
His heart tightened painfully in his chest. The need to protect her rode him hard. The need to possess her, even harder. He clenched his jaw, fighting for control.
“Because I can and I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you.”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and looked down. When she finally looked back at him, there was acceptance mixed with resignation in her gaze.
“Okay,” she said softly.
He breathed out a sigh of relief. “Good. Now let’s get you to the hotel so you can rest.”
“First, I need to show you something.”
Chapter 12
They drove past the Air Force base at Indian Springs, then Terra instructed Jace to drive north on Mercury Highway. Nothing but blue sky, scrub brush, and telephone poles for mile after beautiful mile. At high noon, desert shadows vacated, making the area seem even less
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