Griff plopped down on Lara’s window nook bench that was filled with frilly pillows. He couldn’t take his gaze off the photo of her firm’s annual picnic. Lara stood next to Mr. Hartley and his screwed-up son, all of them holding a beer with bright smiles on their faces and without a care in the world.

“When was this picture taken?”

“Last year.”

He couldn’t breathe. His vision turned dizzy. He clenched his fists, willing himself to stay in control, but sweat seeped through his skin. His tiger hissed. He was one step away from changing into a man-eating tiger.

Lara clasped his knee. “Griff, I’m so sorry.” Her soft voice and touch calmed his beast and he could breathe.

He clutched her hand, desperate to hold on to his sanity. “No wonder no one could find Kevin Brown. He didn’t exist.”

She squeezed his hand. Tears welled in her eyes. “I know.” The emotion in her voice grounded him.

He cleared his throat. “Do you think your lousy boss would frame me to protect his son?”

“In a heartbeat. He’s always bragging about Kevin’s accomplishments.”

“You mean like being a drug dealer?” He couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice and couldn’t understand why the hell she wanted to work for such a twisted fuck.

She clicked on the USB drive and waited for it to load. “Apparently, he forgot that one.” Her voice was low and a tinge of red flashed over her cheeks.

“Is there anything worth looking at in that thing?”

She nodded. “I only had time to vaguely skim over it before I was forced to hide it.”

Pictures of the fire burning through the complex appeared–close ups of him transforming into a tiger and saving the two children.

He turned ice cold, and he felt the sense of his fingers and toes turning numb as if all the warmth in his body left. He frowned. “How did he get these pictures? I don’t remember any of these being at my trial or in the news.”

But those weren’t the pictures that made his lungs freeze up.

Pictures of him passed out in Kevin’s apartment flashed across the screen, the filthy basement where candles and paper were littered all over, flames eating through the basement like a fiery monster, and a blonde woman with bright green eyes stared into the camera.

Lara looked at him, her face pale. “Oh my God, the arsonist took these pictures.”

“No, shit. The question is whether it was your boss’s son or Grant Sellars.” His bitter voice was strained and more of a snarl.

She glanced at him warily. “Are you okay?”

“No.” He was losing control. He’d lost four years, four years of his life, because of her dip-shitted boss who never gave a hang about Griff rotting in prison. His heart betrayed him, sending adrenaline pumping through him. His muscles rippled underneath his shirt, his fingernails lengthened, his bulk thickened. He gulped down deep breaths and gritted his teeth, barely containing his tiger.

“Mr. Hartley would only care about his son. He’d turn on Grant on a dime.”

She clicked on the slides of the same blonde woman getting into a car, going into a new apartment, shopping at the grocery store.

“Who are all these pictures of this woman?”

Lara shrugged. “I don’t know.”

The hair on the back of his neck stood up and chills scampered down his spine. “Wait a minute.” Griff gripped Lara’s arm. “Isn’t that Gerri Wilder with her?”

A photo of Gerri was with the blonde woman. They were walking into Texas Roadhouse together.

“I think I know who this is. I need to call Cora and see if Gerri is still with them.”

Griff ran his shaking hand through his hair. “It’s Sandy Mason, isn’t it?”

The next frame left a burning bitterness in his throat that slid down to his bubbling gut. Fiery flames were devouring what used to be a car, the same shape car that early pictures had shown Sandy getting into.

Griff clenched his fists, fighting to keep his tiger at bay. “There are times and dates of these photos.”

“I know.” She quickly pulled out her cell. “Hi, Cora. How are you?”

“Good. Yes. Griff and I were both fine. We’re safe.” A lie. He could hear it in her voice.

Griff stared at those pictures, damning pictures. Whoever took them wouldn’t want anyone to see them. Why the hell did her boss have them?

“Good. Is Gerri with you? Yes, I need to talk to her.”

Griff peeked out the window that went into her backyard. She had too many damn lilac and dogwood bushes where someone could hide.

“Hey, Gerri.”

He closed the blinds. This wasn’t good. How had Lara gotten this information without getting her fool self killed?

“I need you to ask you a question about Sandy. Did she mention anything about someone having a camera at the crime scene?”

“No, not cell phones. This would be a high end camera.” She stared at Griff, her voice turning five shades of gray. “Gerri, this is really important…Don’t tell anyone what you just told me…” Her voice turned extremely sharp. “Yes, it’s important.” She smiled. “Thanks.”

Griff rubbed his frigid hands together, still not able to shake the cold. It was as if his heart had just given up and a river ice flood through his veins. “Sandy was murdered.”

“I believe so. She told Gerri about the guy taking pictures. She even described him.”

He put two fingers on the bridge of his nose and his thumbs on his chin. “He looked like a pirate.”

“No. A frat boy.” Her even voice sent chills down his back.

“Kevin Hartley.” This whole time he thought Grant Sellars was the arsonist, but to find out it was a clean-cut kid nearly drove him mad.

“I can’t believe it. I think he murdered Sandy.” Her voice was low as if she were afraid her walls had ears.

He got up, not able to sit anymore, and paced the room, remembering how many times he’d done the same thing in his cell. “And your boss covered it up?”

“Yes.”

He slammed his fist against the wall. Pain exploded against his knuckles. “So, why would Hartley keep all these photos?”

She frowned. “Don’t hurt your hand. I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s not good.”

“My hand’s fine.” A definite lie. His hand throbbed. “Since you acquired these illegally…”

She flashed him a grim look.

“We can’t go to the cops.”

“Maybe we don’t need the photos. We have someone who knows exactly what happened.”

“Grant Sellars. He came to the trial to see if Gerri or you or me connected the dots.”

“Yeah, the bastard’s definitely in the middle of this.” He put his hands behind his head. “Well, I can tell you Grant won’t coorperate. Not legally anyway. He needs to be persuaded.”

She folded her arms over her chest. “I bet Kevin Hartley has been in the sedan.”

“Maybe. I doubt your boss would want his precious son to get his hands dirty.”

She walked over to him. He wrapped his arms around her, and she laid her head on his chest. Her spicy scent tempted him to seduce her and bury himself inside her to forget about the hate brewing inside him.

“So, what do you think we should do?” Her drained voice brought him back to reality.

“I think we take the offense. Where does Grant live?”

She looked up at him. “He lives in Cherry Creek Farms.”

His heart stilled. “Before I went to prison, Grant had some one-bedroom condominium. It was only two steps above my hotel room.”

“Oh, God, Griff.”

“I think there’s a very good reason why your boss has these photos.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, shit.”

“Somehow Grant got a hold of Kevin’s camera.”

“And he’s been black-mailing Mr. Hartley.”

“I’m sure Kevin doesn’t have any money.” His tiger senses tingled. He sniffed. “Do you smell that?”

“I don’t smell anything.”

“Well, I do. Wait here.”

“No.” She shut her laptop and put it in her case. “I’m not staying here.”

He glared at her, but he didn’t have time to argue. She came up right behind him. He motioned for her to wait. He stepped out of the office. The smoldering smell was faint, but definitely there.

He inhaled deeper.

Shit, gas.

He whirled around and grabbed Lara, lifting her into his arms.

“Griff, what are you doing?”

Adrenaline blocked out everything but escape. He charged toward the bay window and pushed his shoulder down like he used to do in football. Glass and wood shattered.

Lara screamed and clung to him.

His heart thundered. Blood pounded between his ears.

Pumping his legs as fast as he could, he bolted toward the lilac bushes. He jumped into the thickest one. He slammed Lara onto the ground and covered her body with his.

An explosion rocked the house. Wood, mortar, and glass shot over him like bullets. Burning leaves and flowers fell on his body. Heat rippled around over him. If it hadn’t been for the bushes taking the brunt of the explosion, they’d be dead.

He slowly lifted his head. Lara’s once beautiful house was engulfed in flames. Windows were blown out. What must have been the kitchen was a half empty shell.

“Lara?”

“Oh, God. My house. My house.” She broke into sobs.

She was heartsick, but alive. Helpless to do anything else, he held her.

Burning ash drifted on top of them. He scanned the backyard, but didn’t see anyone. Every tiger sense–smell, vision, taste–was primed for an attack. If he saw anyone taking pictures, he wouldn’t be responsible for the outcome.

The sick bastard must be taking pictures. That, he was sure of.

He looked at the houses around them. A movement in a tree caught his gaze. Someone was in the tree, someone wearing an orange polo shirt.

Fury fired into his heart like a gunshot. Adrenaline spurred the revenge buried deep within him. He growled and scooted off her. “Lara, I see him.” His voice was full of death.

Sirens screamed in the background.

“What?” She wiped her tears. “Where?”

“I see him. In the trees. He’s shooting pictures.” His upper lip pulled back into his sneer. “Are you hurt?”

“No. What––”

He didn’t answer her. He quit holding back his tiger that was fueled by hate, anger, and vengeance.

He released a loud roar that shook the trees. He stepped out from the lilac bush, his paws crushing the ash, glass, and wood. Sparks fell onto his fur and singed him, but he ignored the sizzling pain. His gaze never left the man’s face that changed from excitement to pure terror.

He froze. When Griff moved, he clamored down the branches, but he was no match for Griff. Rage spurned him on, making him more powerful, stronger, hungrier for death.

He lunged over the fence, mangled with holes and debris embedded in the wood. He dodged curious and terrified on-lookers.

Nothing mattered.

He shrieked.

His prey––Kevin Hartley––ran toward the same damn green sedan with a busted, bloody windshield. Griff could smell his sweating fear.

This time there was no escape.

He was faster.

Kevin dropped his camera and screamed.

Griff snarled and lunged. He flew through the air and landed squared on Kevin’s back, dropping him five feet from his car. His paws were on each of his shoulders.

“Stand down.” Police officers were on either side of him. “Or we’ll shoot.”

“No.” As usual, Lara hadn’t listened. She was waving her arms. “Don’t shoot. Don’t shoot. The tiger’s got the man who blew up my house.”

“Wait, wait.” A bulky policeman grabbed her arm.

“Let go of me.” Lara twisted and stomped on his foot.

“I said calm down.” He held both of her arms.

“Help me.” Kevin turned his head and his brown eyes were huge, almost completely black. “Shoot him.”

Griff growled and put his ears back. Drool splattered onto Kevin’s brown hair. Every tiger instinct screamed kill, kill, kill.

“Change back now, or we’ll shoot.” Police officers fanned around him. This was the apartment building all over again.

“No. He didn’t do anything. He trapped the culprit. Listen to me….Please.”

Griff changed back into himself, but kept his hands on each of Kevin’s shoulders. “Talk, fire boy, or I’ll change back and rip out your damn throat.”

“He’s crazy.” Kevin struggled underneath him.

He was smaller than Griff and no match.

“My father…” His voice was strong but his eyes and trembling mouth betrayed him.

Griff clutched Kevin’s hair and yanked his head back hard. “Your father isn’t here. And you’ll pay for threatening my mate.”

He looked to the side. “Please, help me.”

Shots rang out. Bullets whizzed over Griff’s head.

A fire dance of bullets thundered all round him. His heart pounded faster and his skin crawled. Griff put his shaking hands over his head.

Just as sudden the shots stopped. He looked up.

Firemen aimed water hoses at Lara’s burning home. Black, gray, and white smoke swirled around the smoldering frame. The stench of sulfur and ash was enough to choke him.

“Both of you get up. Hands in the air.”

“Please, Griff.” Tears stained Lara’s soot covered cheeks.

He took a deep breath and forced his shaking legs to stand. The cops had trigger fingers. Griff had no intention of being a causality. He raised his hands high over his head.

“Move away from him.” The burly cop who had restrained Lara motioned with his revolver.

“He’s got a gun.”

Griff turned his head. Kevin had a gun and aimed right at him.

He flashed him a deadly smirk and his eyes were filled with madness. “Say good-bye, Tiger.”

He fired.

Someone shoved him out of the way, and he fell on his side.

Cops fired. Bullets riddled through Kevin. He twisted and turned in a deadly dance. Blood rolled down his chin and he dropped the gun. He fell motionless. Madness and flames reflected in his baby brown eyes.

But Griff didn’t care.

Lara had pushed him.

Don’t die. Don’t die. Please don’t die.

But the gods were against him. A circle of blood magically spread over the center of one breast. She gurgled, spitting up blood. He held her in his arms, willing her to stay alive.

“Lara, you’re going to be all right.” His voice cracked, his throat squeezed tighter and tighter, and his eyes burned. Something pushed against his chest, something he hadn’t felt since he was a small boy, something he swore he’d never feel again.

“I love you.” Her voice faded. Her eyes stared into space then closed.

The feelings of sadness, loss, and misery burst through his ribs, shaking him to his very core.

“No.” He tossed his head back and screeched. Not an animal screech, but a wail of a man who had just lost everything.

Revenge had cost him his mate. This was his fault. He shouldn’t have chased Kevin. He should have made sure Lara was safe. It was his job to protect her.

He held her close, her hair falling over his arm, and rocked back and forth. The cops, and the fire, and Kevin’s corpse blurred away and for the first time in a long time, tears fell. His throbbing chest heaved and he struggled to breathe. He wept like a little boy. His tiger whined. His heart shattered.

He hadn’t cared about anyone for a long time.

Until now.

And he lost her.