Cadence opened the blinds in the master bedroom, looking closely. But the tiger pacing in the woods behind the fence was easy to spot, even in the dusk. During the day, the warriors who guarded the fence line were in human form, but at night, there was one in tiger form. Jameson said it was because they could see even better in their animal forms at night, and they weren’t taking any chances. The tiger suddenly paced out of sight, but she knew he’d be back.

As much as the thought of seeing Winston again, of having him come to her new home, filled her with terror, she almost wished he would show up and get it over with. She wanted to start her life with Jameson, but everything felt like it was on hold, in limbo as they waited on the danger to strike.

She wanted it over and done with already. But it’d been four days since they found the scent trail, and nothing had happened yet. She was beginning to wonder if it was even Winston who’d been in Durga. The tigers didn’t know his scent. It was all a guess based on where they’d tracked the person’s movements.

Although, that alone was a pretty good indicator that it was her ex.

Despite the stress, despite the fear and the waiting, they’d still been the most magical four days of her life. Being with Jameson was amazing, and night and day from how she’d imagined life with a man would be. Even before the horror of Winston, she never thought it could be like this.

The days were full of warmth and laughter, with little touches, caresses, and the way he took care of her… it was all simply amazing. She could take care of herself. She thought she proved that pretty well, all in all, during her life. But having him want to take care of her—it was mind blowing how much she reveled in it.

That shit with Winston, though—she lost herself then. All the pain, the misery, the hopelessness of her situation, it bogged her down, and she lost the will to change her fate. She couldn’t help being a little ashamed of that. She was a fighter. Always had been. But she let him turn her into a little mouse, afraid of her own shadow, just a ghost of who she used to be. And it was a travesty. Because like she told Jameson, she allowed that to be her fate the moment she gave up.

Smiling, she looked at her belly and rubbed it gently. The baby girl she was carrying changed it all. Put her life back in perspective. Gave her the will to find a way to get out, no matter what. Her daughter gave Cadence herself back, and that was a huge gift.

No matter the circumstances of her getting pregnant, she would have loved a baby with everything in her. But this baby had already given her so much, and she owed it to her to give her the best possible life she could.

It started with getting away from Winston. She’d die before she let him anywhere around her baby. And now, she added to it by giving her Jameson. Cadence knew he already loved her baby like she was his own.

There was a small part of her that was still worried. Still felt fear. She’d shown epically bad judgment with Winston. The thought of doing it again, and with a baby this time, filled her with terror.

But Jameson was nothing like Winston. Her instincts were screaming that he was a good man, and she felt it deep in her gut. He was thoughtful, kind, sweet, gorgeous. Yeah, the last part wasn’t really important in the grand scheme of things, but it was only the truth.

Winston, even when she first met him when she began stripping at Silk Silhouette, had always had a hint of hardness to him. His brown eyes would go cold, almost mean. But he’d smile, it would be gone, and she’d dismiss it. Even though her instincts were screaming that something wasn’t right with him. She had no one to blame but herself for getting into that situation.

Turning, she walked to the living room, smiling at the vase of wildflowers on the coffee table. Jameson gave them to her this morning. Example number three hundred and eighty-two of his thoughtfulness and sweetness.

Her thoughts tried to turn back to her ex, but she pushed them away. She’d gotten away from him. That was all that counted. There was no reason to constantly rehash her past.

“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Cadence. I’m not pleased about that.”

Freezing in place, the blood in her veins turned to ice as her mind raced. Fucking Winston was here. But how was he here? Where were the guards? Where was Jameson? He’d been out doing something in the shed. Surely, he would have noticed a strange man coming up to the house.

Slowly turning, she faced him, keeping her terror tightly reined in. She’d be damned before she let him know how much he affected her. Besides, she suspected he fed off of it. He enjoyed it. She wasn’t giving him the satisfaction.

He looked the same, although there were pronounced bags under his eyes. He was technically a handsome man, but his cruelty was shining through. He wasn’t trying to hide it. Why would he need to? She already knew the depths his depravity went. The look in his cold brown eyes made her scars tighten and burn, and she resisted the urge to rub them.

“Winston. How did you find me?”

He smiled, and it looked harsh, promising retribution. “You should know by now that my reach is large. I have my fingers dipped into all kinds of things. I was having different databases monitored for your name. You were smart, except when you went to the doctor. First in Tulsa, and again in Denver.”

“But you were here the same day I went to the hospital in Denver. I don’t understand how you got to me so quickly, let alone found this place.”

His eyebrows rose. “I didn’t realize anyone saw me when I made my first little trip here. I got lucky with that. I have a man in Denver who owes me. When your name popped up, he was immediately sent to the hospital, and then he followed you. I was on a plane coming here an hour later.”

“Fucking hell,” she whispered. “I knew we shouldn’t have gone.”

Winston’s face darkened as he took a step toward her. “You know how I feel about you using foul language, Cadence. No more. It was bad enough that you left. But to try to hide my baby from me? How dare you do that? That child belongs to me.”

She put her hands over her belly protectively, taking a step back from his rage. “She’s not a possession for you to own. And after the way you treated me? I’m sure as hell not going to let you treat a baby like that.”

Eyes narrowing, he took another step, closing the distance between them again. “I was hoping for a boy to pass my legacy on to. That’s disappointing, but no matter. A girl is fine, as long as she learns her place in this world. And I would never harm a child, as long as she learns her lesson the first time. It’s how I was raised and look how well I turned out.”

“I feel sorry for you,” she whispered, surprised to find she kind of did. Not for the man he was now, but for the boy he’d been who was treated as he was. It clearly shaped him into who he became, but she’d be damned before she let him do that shit to her child. “But this baby isn’t yours. You forfeited all rights to her the moment you hit me the first time, before she was ever conceived.”

His upper lip rose in a snarl as he raised his hand. Curling his fingers into a fist, he clenched it tight as he lowered it. “You deserve to be disciplined, for so much, but not here. Not yet. You’re going back to Atlanta with me, and it’s up to you how this goes down. I don’t want to get physical, not yet, but I will if I have to. Come along willingly, and that’s less you have to endure.”

Cadence stared at him in disbelief. He didn’t really think she’d just go with him, did he? “I’m not going with you, Winston. If leaving you wasn’t clear enough for you, let me spell it out. I’m not going back. Ever. Why the hell do you even want me when it’s obvious I don’t want to be with you? You can get any woman you want, unfortunately for her. So why the hell are you doing this?”

“First of all, you’re pregnant with my child. Second, you don’t get to decide when we’re done. I do. And I wasn’t done with you yet.”

She swallowed hard, her bravery faltering in the face of his rage. Suddenly, all the times he hit her, burned her, hurt her, were flashing through her mind, and it was all she could see. Wrapping her arms around herself, her breathing sped up, and panic overwhelmed her as she backed up.

No. No, she wouldn’t do this. She wouldn’t let him get to her like this. Not again. Forcing her breathing to slow, she fought the panic back, and her eyes slowly focused on his face. He was still snarling, eyes cold, face contorted by rage. Nothing like Jameson—

Fuck, Jameson. Where the hell was he? And how had she been so focused on getting answers and standing up to Winston that she forgot about him?

He should be here. He would be here, if he were physically able. Her worry and panic doubled as she looked at Winston.

“What did you do to him?”

He smiled coldly. “If you’re talking about the fucker in the backyard, he won’t be waking up any time soon. Or maybe ever.” Eyes glinting with sick amusement, he raised his shirt. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand when she saw the pistol tucked into his waistband. “I didn’t shoot him. It would have brought too much attention. I just hit him on the head with the butt of the gun. Maybe I used excessive force, but he deserved it for being with you. And don’t try to pretend you weren’t with him. You’ve been a whore since you left me, Cadence, but we’ll fix that soon enough.”

Her heart stopped, and without thinking, she took a step closer to him. “If you hurt him, I’ll—”

Quick as a lightning strike, he reached out and grabbed her wrist in a bruising grip. “You’ll what? I’d love to hear it. You’ve never been able to stand up for yourself, not against me. You’re weak, Cadence. Always have been, always will be. And now you’re pregnant. You can’t stop me, and you’re coming home with me. Accept it before you cause yourself unnecessary harm. And if you try to stop me, if you fight this in any way, then I will make sure that fucker in the backyard is dead. Now come.”

He yanked her toward the back door, and she stumbled as she followed him. Agony was overwhelming her at the thought of Jameson hurt, or worse, and it was threatening to pull her under. Tears pressed against the back of her eyes, and she bit back a sob.

She wanted to give in. Wanted to scream, and yell, and rail at Winston and the universe. Her presence here had done exactly what she feared. Caused harm to Jameson. Her heart. Her life.

But she couldn’t give in right now, no matter how much she wanted to. She knew if she did, she’d be lost in it, and then lost to Winston. She had to figure out how the hell she was going to get out of this. No way could she go back with him, especially not with the baby to think of. And if he got her as far as a plane, she was toast. She’d never get away then.

Winston eased the back door open and looked around before stepping out and pulling her with him. Cadence looked frantically around for any sign of Jameson, but there was none. The shed doors were open, but it was too dark to see inside. She didn’t understand how Winston had been able to sneak up on Jameson, but that was one more thing she couldn’t think about now.

Opening the back gate, Winston again looked around, and her heart leapt. The tigers! There was a patrol going around, and one was in tiger form. Surely, they’d see what was happening. But he pulled her out and into the woods, and there was no sign of a tiger or human patrol.

What the hell was going on? Where was everyone? No way had he been able to take all of them out, especially one in tiger form. None of this was making sense.

Keeping her wrist in his punishing grip—she’d have bruises for sure—he pulled her through the woods quickly. She tried her best to keep up, stumbling over tree roots. She almost fell once, but he yanked her arm up brutally, never slowing, and tears of pain stung her eyes. The whole time, her mind raced as she tried to figure out what she was going to do. But by the time, they reached the car parked on the side of the road, her mind was still blank.

Winston opened the passenger door and shoved her into the seat. Patting his gun, he said, “Don’t do anything crazy. I can shoot you to incapacitate you without killing the baby. At this point, she might be the only reason you’ll live. You’re in for a world of hurt when we get home, Cadence. No one runs from me. And there are plenty of ways for me to discipline you that won’t hurt the baby. Oh, this is going to be fun.”

He shut her door, and she sat frozen, watching as he jogged around the front of the car. She’d known he was cruel for a long time now, but she hadn’t realized how deep it went. He was psycho. Had to be. Who took that much pleasure in hurting someone else, unless they were insane?

After he got in and shut the door, he glanced at her as he started the engine. “Put your seatbelt on. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to you before we have our fun, would we?”

Numb, on autopilot, she clicked her seatbelt into place. The only other hope she had was at the airport, but it would be risky. He had a private plane. Odds were, they wouldn’t be directly in public, which meant she wouldn’t find help easily.

If only Jameson were here. To hug her, tell her everything was going to be okay. If only she could feel his arms around her. But there was a good chance she’d never see him again. Even if she got out of this, he might already be gone.

She hunched over in her seat a little, gasping at the pain that washed over her. Fuck, that hurt. Physically hurt. Breathing deeply, she felt determination wash over her. She wasn’t going to let this all be in vain. She’d find a way out. Jameson would want that. He’d tell her to push her pain down deep and focus on getting away.

So that’s what she was going to do. There was no one here to save her, so she had to woman up and save herself. She wasn’t going to let herself be victim again, and sure as hell not to Winston.

Straightening in her seat, she gave a small, determined nod. And it was then that the setting sun glinted on something between the passenger seat and the console. It was bright, shiny—it was another gun.

Smothering her gasp, she forced herself to act normal. That gun gave her a fighting chance. She didn’t know much about them, and she didn’t even know if it was loaded. But knowing Winston, it was. And she knew she needed to find the safety and turn it off for it to be effective at all.

Her stomach clenched at the thought of shooting another human being. She didn’t want to. She never wanted to hurt someone else. But this was going to come down to either him or her and her baby. She knew it. And her choice was her and the baby. Always. Every time. Her baby was more important than how horrible she’d feel after taking a human life. Even one as evil as Winston.

Cadence looked around as they drove down the road, then slanted a look at Winston. Her hands were clenched in her lap, and she ever so slowly eased her left toward the gun. She couldn’t get to it now, not with him able to see and stop her, but she felt better, knowing her hand was close.

She was staring down at her hand when Winston let out a strangled curse. “What the fuck?”

Her head whipped to the front and her heart stopped as she watched the orange tiger burst out of the trees in front of them. He stopped in the middle of the road, unmoving, a snarl on his lips as he stared the car down.

Winston turned the wheel sharply, but the tiger followed to stay in front of them. Cursing again, Winston slammed the brakes on, turning the wheel again, but he lost control of the car as it hit some gravel. The car spun, and she screamed as they headed straight for a tree.

The impact rattled her teeth, but thanks to her seatbelt, she didn’t move far. Winston, on the other hand, had been in too much of a hurry to put his on, and his forehead slammed into the steering wheel.

In a daze, she stared for a moment as he put his hand to his head, swaying. But then she realized this was her opportunity to get away, to get to the safety of the tiger, whoever it was. Rushing to unbuckle herself, she shoved the door open, and then paused. Reaching over, she fumbled to get a grasp on the gun. Better safe than sorry.

Winston groaned, glancing over just in time to see her grab the gun. He reached for her, but she was faster, jerking herself out of the car. She heard him shove open his door, and this time it was her cursing. Glancing down quickly, she found a button that she thought was the safety just as she stumbled, falling to her knees.

Shit, shit, shit. She flicked the button, turning in time to see him pointing his gun at her.

He kept it trained on her as he rounded the car. “Oh, stop, Cadence. We both know you won’t shoot me. And we both know I will shoot you. Now—what the fuck?” He stopped suddenly, swinging his gun to something behind her.

Swiveling her head, she instantly saw the massive tiger slinking toward them, eyes locked on Winston. He was stalking his prey, and it was evident in every muscle, every tightly controlled movement. He flicked his eyes toward her, and she gasped as she saw the color. She knew those eyes.

“Jameson,” she whispered shakily, relief making her dizzy. He was alive. Winston hadn’t hurt him.

Hearing her ex curse, she flicked her gaze back toward him. The gun shook slightly in his hand, but his mouth tightened. She watched him take aim, jerked her gaze back to Jameson, who was charging toward him now, and realized her tiger would never get there in time.

And she’d be damned before Winston killed the man she loved.

Without another thought, she turned back to Winston, raised the gun, and fired. The bullet—thank God, it was loaded—slammed into his chest and he cursed as he jerked back, looking down at his chest before glancing at her, eyes shocked. He dropped his gun moments before his eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground.

Her gut clenched as she dropped the gun, and she fought a wave of nausea. She might have just killed a man. And she honestly didn’t know if she was glad she had or not. But one thing was certain—she was so fucking relieved that he hadn’t had a chance to shoot Jameson.

A soft rustle sounded beside her, and a gentle nose nudged her shoulder. Tears stung her eyes and nose, and she turned. “Jamie,” she whispered.

He nodded, and she burst into tears, throwing her arms around his neck and soaking his fur with her tears.

Jameson was so fucking torn. He wanted to comfort Cady, but his tiger wanted to make sure the fucker she shot was dead, like he hoped he was. But he wanted to take her into her arms as she continued sobbing. Fuck, this was killing him.

He nuzzled into her shoulder, inhaling her scent deeply, before easing away. Quickly shifting, pushing it hard with a breathtaking burst of pain, he immediately wrapped his arms around her.

“Shhh. It’s okay. I’ve got you, baby. But I need to go check on that asshole. We don’t need him taking us unware.”

She sniffled, nodding as he eased away. Her face was tear-streaked, but so beautiful, and he gently brushed some of her tears away. Turning, he saw the gun she dropped and picked it up. She didn’t need to see it, and it could come in handy. Holding it in his hand, he walked cautiously around the car.

And then he clicked the safety on when he saw Winston. His eyes were open, staring sightlessly at the sky, and blood was blossoming under his shirt. He was dead. Needing to confirm it, Jameson crouched down, searching for a pulse and exhaling heavily when he found none.

Hanging his head, he stayed crouched down, thinking hard. There was a huge part of him that was relieved as fuck. It was over. The threat to his Cady was gone, and she never had to be afraid again. Not for herself and not for her daughter.

But she was sensitive, and not used to violence, other than what this motherfucker inflicted on her. Taking a life, no matter how evil the bastard was, would weigh on her. She’d had no choice. He would have shot Jameson and then done God knows what to her and her daughter. But having no choice might not make it easier to bear.

We can’t tell her, his tiger said, desperation coating his words. It will hurt her, and we can never do or say anything that hurts her.

I don’t want to tell her any more than you do, but I don’t know how it can be avoided.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. He wanted to kill this son of a bitch all over again for inflicting more pain on her with this. He could hear her sobbing quietly on the other side of the car. She’d been through hell, and now he was about to inflict more on her.

The sound of running footsteps hit his ears, and he turned to see Kian, Karis, Zane, and Arya coming toward them. Arya took one look at Cady and veered toward her, walking slowly, speaking low and soft as she introduced herself. And he realized that for the first time, the only people she knew other than him were Kian, Zane, and Tarun. He needed to change that. She needed friends here, and Arya, Kelly, Jessica, and Tarun were the best. That was something he needed to push along quickly. Kelly was pregnant as well, and he thought they were due around the same time. That would be a good place to begin to bond.

Kian, Zane, and Karis continued his way, and he straightened to his full height as they reached him.

“So he’s—”

Raising his hand, he shook his head sharply, relieved when Karis didn’t finish the sentence. Glancing quickly over to the women, his heart clenched when he found Arya with her arms already wrapped around Cady as she tried to comfort her.

Fuck, the sight of her tears gutted him. She’d been through so fucking much today. Hell, her whole damn life.

We’ll make it up to her. Nothing but happiness here on out, his tiger said with determination.

We absolutely will.

He looked back as Kian spoke. “Are you trying to keep this a secret for some reason?” he asked, voice quiet as he gestured at Winston’s dead body.

He nodded grimly. “Cady’s the one who shot him and look at her. She’s been through too fuckin’ much. I’d rather not add killing a man to the list.”

Zane’s eyebrows were high as he glanced between Cady and Winston. “Damn, she shot him? I thought it was you, but I was wondering why you’d use a gun and not your tiger. I’m pretty impressed with your mate, Jameson. First kneeing me in the groin, now this. She’s a closet badass.”

He shook his head. “She’s just a badass, period. She’s strong as fuck. But this… killing someone is a lot to have on anyone’s shoulders, and she’s been through so much. I don’t want to add to it.”

Kian exhaled as he stared at Winston’s body. “So what do you suggest we do?”

“Hell, I don’t know,” he replied, rubbing his hand over his head. He winced as his hand touched the tender spot on his head where the fucker hit him. He still didn’t know how he’d managed to sneak up on him. Glancing at Kian, he shrugged. “I want to tell her he’s not dead, and that we’re going to deal with it. Maybe say he was in an accident going home or some shit, because I want her to know he’s gone and she’s safe now. Just not how.”

Karis looked at him, his expression worried and amused at the same time. “You know if you ever turn her, she’ll learn the truth eventually. She’ll know you lied.”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.” Jameson glanced back to where Cady was still in Arya’s arms. Her sobs had quieted, but she was still shuddering with tears. Fuck, he wanted to be the one holding her right now, but this shit was too important. He looked to Kian. “You’re the alpha. What we do with him is your call. Even if he was alive, we’d still need to find a way to deal with him. He was too dangerous to be on the loose.”

“You know I hate to admit we need help,” Zane told Kian. “But I think you know what needs to be done.”

“Fuck if I want to do it, though,” Kian muttered as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. “Hey, Luke.”

Kian turned away to talk to Luke, one of the shifter Enforcers. Hopefully, he’d know what they needed to do. The bastard’s death needed to be explained somehow. He was too prominent and well known to just disappear. And the Enforcers were powerful. They dealt with stuff like this often.

The sound of more footsteps reached his ears, and he looked over to see Vynn coming toward them, a grim look on his face. And it was then that Jameson remembered that he was the warrior who was supposed to be guarding the back of the house in tiger form.

Where the fuck had he been?

We didn’t get the pleasure of killing the other rat bastard, but we can kill this one, his tiger said, voice dripping with venom.

Abso-fucking-lutely.