Bodyguard

"I'm making this deposit tonight," she said, heading toward the office. "You've been here all day, Ronan. Don't you have a job of your own?"

"Starts at nine," Ronan said. "I'll take you to the bank on my way."

"You go. Spike can drive me. I don't want you to be late because of me. You've already done so much."

Ronan stepped squarely in front of her. "Spike drives like a maniac, and he's heading the same place I am. You're stuck with me, sweetheart."

"What place?" Elizabeth caught up her lock bag and turned out the lights. "Where do you work, anyway?"

"Shifter bar." He opened the back door for her but walked outside first, as Shifters did, to check that the way was safe. "I'm the bouncer. Come and say hi to everyone."

*** *** ***

Ronan took her on his motorcycle to the bank around the corner and stood close guard--at the same time keeping himself out of sight of bank cameras--while Elizabeth put the deposits into the slot. After that, she was free.

As Ronan pulled out onto Congress and headed for the bridge and downtown, Elizabeth again felt the heady joy of simply riding with him. She wished they could go on through the city and keep on riding, to the long, empty stretches of highway Texas had so much of. Out there, in the darkness, they could find freedom.

But Ronan had people to take care of, as did she. Responsibility was a tether, but at least in Elizabeth's case, it was a tether of love. She thought, as they sped toward the illuminated dome of the capitol building and the Saturday night craziness of Sixth Street, that the tether Ronan had found here had become one of affection, even if it hadn't started that way.

Ronan drove through downtown and out again into darkness and more derelict streets. He pulled up in front of a bar near the open field that led to Shiftertown. The bar was a squat, dark building with no windows and a small parking lot already filled with people. No, not people . . . Shifters.

There were plenty of humans in the mix too, Elizabeth saw as they dismounted and walked to the bar. Shifter groupies, mostly, she saw--humans of both sexes who liked to hang out with Shifters, some wearing fake Collars. More than one woman looked at Ronan with appreciation and calculation, which irritated Elizabeth for some reason.

The bar inside was crowded, with tunes playing on a jukebox and Shifter waitresses hurrying back and forth to serve beers and take away empties. The bartender was human, Elizabeth saw. Maybe Shifters weren't allowed to actually dispense the drinks. Liam Morrissey didn't own this bar, she knew--a human did. Shifters couldn't own property, but Liam could work for the human owner and manage the place.

A number of Shifters greeted Ronan by name or slapped hands with him as he went by. Interestingly, many greeted Elizabeth by name, including the six-foot blonde called Glory who was a regular at Elizabeth's store, but they were deferential, looking to Ronan first.

Ronan led Elizabeth through the crowd, staying close by her side. Some of the groupies looked at her with envy, some with resentment.

Kim Fraser came forward to meet her. She opened her arms to Elizabeth and gave her a hug with a squeeze. "I'm glad you came. Let's go into the office."

Elizabeth threw a glance to Ronan, who shook his head. "What's up?" Ronan rumbled.

"Nothing terrible. Liam just wants a word."

Elizabeth stopped. "I want to call Mabel. We like to check in with each other."

"Mabel's here." Kim pointed across the bar to where Mabel sat in a booth with the lanky Connor Morrissey, Scott, and a dark-haired Shifter woman who was obviously pregnant. The dark-haired woman gave Kim a nod, said something to Mabel, and pointed. Mabel looked around and sent Elizabeth a cheerful wave.

"Andrea will take care of her," Kim said. "Mabel was getting antsy, cooped up at Ronan's, so Liam said it was all right if she came. Don't worry. She's in good hands."

Elizabeth was going to have to have a talk with Mabel. Mabel was of legal age, so that wasn't a problem, but she looked way too cozy laughing and talking with the Shifters. Mabel was very accepting of people as they were, something Elizabeth had always admired about her, but then, Mabel wasn't the greatest judge of character, either.

Or maybe Elizabeth was being too protective. She'd always gone back and forth about Mabel, torn between wanting to shield her from the evils of the world and fearing to stifle her with too much restriction.

Kim guided Elizabeth to a door marked "Private," and Ronan came so close behind her that Elizabeth felt his body heat.

On the other side of the door she found Liam Morrissey inside a cluttered office. Liam sat behind a desk, his long legs propped on the desk's top, and he held a baby on his lap.

Elizabeth wasn't sure which was more incongruous--the child held up by Liam's big hands or the man standing on the other side of the room with a huge sword strapped to his back, the hilt slanting above his head.

"He's underage," Elizabeth said, looking at the baby.

"She," Liam said. "Katriona Sinead Niamh Morrissey. Sinead for her auntie, Niamh for her grandmum, and Katriona because we like it. Born three months ago."

"And you'd think she was queen of the gods," Ronan said. "The attention she gets." Ronan went around Elizabeth to the baby and gently poked her stomach.

"Shifter?" Elizabeth asked.

Kim reached for the child. At the same time her hands closed around Katriona's waist, Liam leaned up to Kim and kissed her on the lips. It was a warm, loving kiss, the look in Liam's eyes heart-melting.