“You getting into some shit without us, bro?” asked Winston as the four men walked between Leonard and his crew, never removing their eyes off the men.

“Nope,” Andrew replied, his eyes remaining on Leonard. “I was waiting for you.”

Andrew gave Leonard one last look before he turned to Nyla. He looked her over; taking in her distress before shifting his eyes to one of his brothers. “Deacon, take Nyla and her friends where they want to go. There’s no reason why all of you need to stay. I’ll meet up with you in a bit.”

Deacon, who had tanned skin, black hair and stood about 6’3”, 250 pounds solid, nodded and brought his green eyes to Nyla.

“What?!” Nyla blurted her eyes wide. She turned to face Andrew. “What are you going to do that I can’t stay and watch, Andrew? Listen, a minute ago you wanted to get out of here and talk.” Nyla moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers slid into his hair. “Well, here’s your chance, big boy,” she offered. “We either talk now or not at all.”

Andrew studied her for a moment and saw the truth in her eyes. She’d meant every word she had said, which didn’t give him much of a choice.

We’ve got an audience, Brody spoke to Andrew in his mind, breaking into his thoughts. Andrew looked around and saw they indeed had a crowd forming. If he stayed, no doubt things would get extremely messy. The way he had been feeling, all of the built-up aggression flowing through his veins, was proof that bodies would definitely drop in this parking lot. That couldn’t happen, especially not with a crowd of human onlookers. Andrew sighed resolvedly and deeply and nodded reluctantly.

“Fine, you win. Now, go put on something more comfortable and we’ll go for a ride.”

Nyla frowned and stepped back. “Not gonna happen, Pierce. Now, are we going or what?”

Relenting, Andrew nodded his head. Nyla sighed audibly, relief flooding her body. She nodded once and told him, “Okay, let me go and tell my friends that I’ll see them later then we can go.”

As soon as Nyla was out of earshot, Andrew turned his focus on Leonard and his crew. “Don’t think I’ll forget what happened here. The only reason why I’m not ripping your throat out is because of that woman.” The space between Andrew and Leonard disappeared quickly. Predator and prey were less than a foot apart from each other. Andrew’s eyes bored into Leonard. “Oh, but I will see you again,” he promised through gritted teeth. “And when I do, you better have your reinforcement with you.”

Leonard parted his lips to reply but stopped when he saw the eyes of this alpha turn to their natural color. He had only been warned about this alpha’s existence. He had never encountered the Westside Shadows wolf pack before. He had thought he held his own against their leader. But it was wishful thinking. He knew deep down that if they had been alone, things would have turned out a whole lot different. So, Leonard held his tongue. He cautioned his crew to do the same. This son of a bitch will get his in due time. Just be patient.

Andrew took the man’s silence as submission but smiled at his thoughts. “Yeah, be patient, motherfucker,” Andrew warned. “You’ll definitely see me real soon.”

Andrew wasn’t slow. He knew Leonard wasn’t about to let this go nor would he forget. He also didn’t want this to come back on Nyla. So, he stepped back and said to Deacon, “You know, Deac, I think my life’s been threatened by these six thugs.”

Deacon looked at Andrew and smiled. He looked at Leonard and his crew. “Yeah? Do you want to press charges, sir?”

Confused, Leonard frowned. “What the fuck are you talking about?” He looked around at his friends and then at Deacon.

“Yup, I think that’s a good idea. You know, since I fear for my life and all,” Andrew answered.

Leonard laughed cautiously. “Yeah, you funny. You act like there’s cops around here to…”

Before Leonard finished his sentence, Deacon, along with Brody and Winston, pulled out badges that hung from metal chains around their necks. Winston then pulled out a walkie-talkie from his back pocket and turned it on. He pushed the side of the device and began speaking into it. “Dispatch, this is Detective Hill badge number 6-8-7-9-4. I’m over at the West Commons apartment complex on Cedar.”

“Go on, Detective. What do you have?”

“We have a disorderly conduct and harassment issue between one Caucasian male and six African American males. One of the males has a weapon. I have the scene under control. But can you send a few black and whites to this location to pick up the perps?”

Leonard’s eyes grew the size of saucers as he realized what was happening. “Oh, fuck that.” He looked at Winston then Andrew. “This is bullshit, man. You can’t…” he began but Andrew didn’t let him finish.

Andrew moved with lightning speed and gripped Leonard tight by his throat; the man’s Adam's apple a hard lump along his tight grip. He moved within inches of his nose and gave Leonard a look that could stop death. Leonard, fighting to get just a smidgen of air into his lungs, desperately clawed at Andrew’s fingers. There was no use because Andrew didn’t let up. In fact, he clamped his fingers around his neck tighter, sufficiently cutting off blood flow through his carotid artery. Wheezing and gurgling sounds came from the big man, and Andrew knew he couldn’t keep this hold up without killing Leonard. Besides, he didn’t want to kill him…at least not yet.

“Listen, you piece of shit,” Andrew whispered into Leonard’s ear, through gritted teeth. “I can do whatever the fuck I want. Do you understand? Let me hear Nyla is receiving any problems from this little encounter of ours, and I’ll make your life a living hell before I rip your arms off and beat you to death with them. Do you get what I’m saying to you?”

Andrew met Leonard’s chalky face to make sure he could see the truth in his blood-red eyes. It didn’t take long for Leonard to see the error of his ways. However, unable to speak he simply nodded his reply vigorously.

“What’s going on?” Nyla asked as she approached the two men.

Andrew let Leonard go, walked around his hunched over body and met Nyla before she got close.

“Who knows? The little shit pissed his pants I think,” he uttered tersely, then took her hand. “Let’s get outta here.” Andrew walked toward his car and away from his prey, disappointment and regret eating away at him. He wanted to fight. The overwhelming aggression he felt was overriding rational thought. Tussling with his brothers before coming over to Nyla’s place wasn’t enough. The need to destroy someone was prevalent and growing with each beat of his heart. Another time for sure, he told himself as he looked back at the now subdued and weary pack.

Andrew’s brothers were in work mode and stood circled around Leonard and his crew. From what Andrew could surmise from the one-sided conversation, Deacon was setting the young crew straight. He hoped that warnings were being stressed and threats were given. He’d hate to have to come back here looking for this pack, but he had no problem doing it. However, their leader had it coming. He knew damn well they were in neutral territory. The fact that he had approached him with so much aggression was grounds for a war and Andrew knew the weak alpha didn’t want any parts of a war he couldn’t win.

Soft my ass… Andrew said to himself, thinking about what Cedric had called him. There was no way he was turning soft.

Andrew hit the key fob attached to his key ring just as they arrived at his car. He looked down at Nyla. “Is there any place, in particular, you would like to go?”

She shook her head. “No, you choose. Just don’t make it your place.”

Andrew bit his tongue as he helped her inside his car. As he walked around to the driver’s side, he again looked to his brothers and froze. Something wasn’t right. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Leonard and his crew were on their knees, their hands flexi-cuffed behind their backs. The two women that were with Nyla were standing by a black Land Rover parked on a curb outside Nyla’s apartment. Brody was talking to them. Everything was cool, and yet something wasn’t right. Something was off and he couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

“Hey, is everything all right down there?” he asked his brothers using his mind to communicate.

Winston looked in his direction. “You still here?” he replied back. “Everything’s fine man. Get out of here.” He heard snickers from the others resonate in his thoughts and he sighed audibly.

“Ha-Ha, funny. Listen up. Nyla and I are heading to the park by the lake. An escort is not fucking needed.”

He got a lot of grunts in return, but they all looked over at him and gave a short nod. Satisfied that he and Nyla would be alone, he climbed into the car and slowly peeled out of the parking lot. He made a left and headed to his second favorite place in the city.

* * *

The silence between Andrew and Nyla was painful as they drove along quiet streets and highways. Neither occupant spoke a word, both in their own worlds, staring out into the night. The car floated slowly along the smooth dark asphalt, despite the view outside passing in a colorful blur. The top was down and Nyla had expected to feel the rush of air through the car, but the windows kept the flow to a minimum. Nyla closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. She was just starting to calm down. The smooth instrumental jazz that flowed through the speakers aided in calming her. She could feel her anxiety melting away, her body thankful for the cool soft leather and the summer night breeze against her skin.

Now, all she had to do was stop shaking. It was the adrenaline wearing off; she knew that. What had happened tonight had the potential of being much worse, which was the reason why she was in a complete state of shock. The darkness she had seen in Andrew’s eyes, the fierce rage she had felt rolling off him, had scared the hell out of her. If she hadn’t interrupted and gotten him to leave with her, there was no telling what could have happened. That thought alone made her hands ball into fists, hoping to stop her hands from shaking.

“Are you all right?” She heard Andrew ask. She thought about ignoring him. Her eyes remained closed, but she felt his hard stare searing into her.

“I’m fine,” she replied coolly. She relaxed her fingers and rested them on her thighs before opening her eyes. The rush of the scenery outside the passenger’s window was floating by in a sea of darkness.

“Are you cold?”

She frowned and brought narrowed eyes to his shadowed features. “No!”

“Are you sure? I can blast a bit of heat if—”

“I said I’m fine,” she returned, her frustration ebbing through. “You know what? Instead of concerning yourself with my body temperature. Why don’t you tell me what happened back there?”

Andrew turned his eyes back to the road, but Nyla could see and sense a change in him. The dark smoldering look he had a second ago grew darker; as if that was possible, Nyla surmised. His jaw clenched. His arm flexed and tensed. She could see the whites of his knuckles as he gripped the steering wheel.

She thought that he would ignore her, but he managed a reply that was cold and flat. “I’m sure you can guess what happened back there. Instead of getting to the bottom of us, you preferred—”

“No,” Nyla said quickly, cutting him off. She knew exactly where he was going with his statement and she refused to let him off the hook. “I’m not talking about you and me. I’m talking about you and Leonard.”

“What about that little shit?” Andrew asked, his voice dripping with spite. He glanced at her briefly before returning his attention back to the road.

Nyla shifted slightly in her seat so she could face him better, repositioning the seatbelt as she moved. “You know what I mean. It looked as if you were going to rip him into pieces. You two even looked comfortable in the standoff like you two had squared off before. Is that true? Do you know Leonard?”

Andrew hesitated slightly, sighed, and then answered, “No, I wouldn’t say that I know him; not directly anyway.”

“What do you mean by not directly?”

Andrew turned off the interstate and made a left at a stop sign at the end of the off-ramp. Nyla caught a sign to the right of the road that read Kennesaw Park, fifteen miles. She glanced back at Andrew.

“Are we going to the park?” she asked. The park closed at eleven every night. There was no way she was stepping foot inside the park. There were surveillance cameras throughout the grounds. It may be no big deal for him to pay a fine for trespassing after hours, but she didn’t have it like that. She was about to tell him to pick another place to go when he replied off-handedly.

“We are heading in that direction, but we aren’t exactly heading into the park. There are a lot of private homes along Kennesaw Lake. I know someone that has a great view of the lake on their land.”

“And they don’t mind you trespassing?”

Andrew gave her a sly smile. “Trust me. They won’t mind.”

Andrew turned onto a two-way road and switched on the high beams. Tall, dense foliage covered both sides of the road, crowding out natural light and making it harder to see with just using standard car beams. They drove a few miles in silence, Nyla taking in the eerie darkness around them, before she asked, “How do you know Leonard?”

“I told you I don’t know him directly,” Andrew said exasperatedly. “I just know his type. He thinks he can push his little weight around because he’s established a little name for himself. That don’t work on me.”

“So, you decided to pick a fight?”

“I didn’t pick a fight. You saw what happened. You were there. He stepped up to me. I kindly asked him to get the fuck out of my face and he refused. He even brought reinforcements. As far as I’m concerned, it was him that picked a fight.”

Nyla folded her arms and gave him a side eye. “And, I take it walking away wasn’t an option for you?”

The look that suddenly arrested Andrew’s face caused her to gasp slightly. If she was able to blend into the car door at her back to get away from the heat coming from him, she would have done it. The rage that seemed to fill the car was almost suffocating.

Andrew pointedly kept his dark cold eyes on Nyla as he informed her, “Walking away will never be an option.”

“Even if it meant your life?”

Andrew laughed sardonically and shook his head. He made a right-hand turn onto a dirt road that led them into the dense forest. “In no way, shape, form or fashion was my life ever in jeopardy. He and his crew’s life yes, but mine no.”

Nyla kept questioning eyes on him for a long while. She wanted to discredit him somehow. She wanted to say that he was mistaken. It was six against one. Those odds weren’t in his favor. And yet, as she continued to stare at him, she found truth in his words. She felt it in her bones that no matter what the odds were back there, Andrew would’ve remained standing. Even before his brothers arrived on the scene. She knew it in the pit of her stomach. It was also why she was so quick to get him away from Leonard. The realization was that she wasn’t trying to save his life, but she was trying to save Leonard.

“We’re here,” Andrew announced, bringing the car to a stop and turning off the lights. Nyla let her eyes get accustomed to the sudden darkness and took in her surroundings. The beauty before her caused her breath to catch in her throat.

“It’s beautiful out here,” she expressed softly.

Andrew had driven into a large field that looked to have been carved out of the forest along the coast of the lake. The area stretched at least a quarter of a mile, providing an unobtrusive view of the lake that stretched out for miles. The darkness around them only giving way to the bright full moon above them.

Nyla looked over at Andrew and found he was watching her. “Do you want to get out?”

“Is it safe?” she asked hesitantly. “I mean, I heard these woods were filled with bears and mountain lions.”

Andrew smirked, tilting his head to the side. “Yes, there’s probably a few wild animals out there, but don’t worry. I’ll protect you. They won’t come close.”

“Why is that?”

“Because they’re afraid of me,” Andrew admitted without a hint of humor in his voice. He then grinned at her and winked his eye. He then opened his door, and stepped outside, leaving Nyla to take his words however way she wanted.

Nyla didn’t move. Afraid of me… she repeated in her head. What in the hell did that mean? She asked herself. She stared at his empty seat for at least fifteen seconds. She wasn’t sure if she should feel secure or scared for her life. She heard the trunk latch release and looked back to see what Andrew was doing. Maybe he’s getting a shotgun. Yeah, she thought. That’s what he meant about the animals being afraid of him. He had a big shotgun that…

Nyla’s thoughts trailed off when she saw that the only thing he had in his hands was a blanket. Nyla removed her seatbelt and exited the car.

“What’s the blanket for? How is it going to protect us? Is that the cloak of invisibility or something?”

Andrew stared at her blankly. “What is a cloak of invis—”

“Never mind,” said Nyla dismissively and rolled her eyes. She pointed to the blanket and asked, “What’s the blanket for?”

Andrew started toward her. “It’s for you. It can get cold out here and I don’t want you to freeze.”

Nyla narrowed her eyes on him and placed her hands on her hips.

“For the last time, I’m not…” she started to say, but trailed off when a gust of wind traveled right through her thin dress, chilling her to the bone. She blinked a few times and shivered. Andrew could see the goose bumps cover her chest and arms. He held out the blanket to her.

Nyla, not wanting to admit she needed the blanket, snatched it from his hands, turned abruptly and walked away from him.

Through the darkness, Nyla could make out a picnic bench in front of her. She headed in that direction, opening up the folded blanket as she walked. Nyla looked around and despite the desolate surroundings, the view before her was just breathtaking. She marveled at God’s creation, wondering if He knew this spot right here would be very pleasing and comforting to anyone that came here. Whoever owned this area had a gold mine. She could imagine having a huge family picnic right here. Maybe docking a boat on the bank and swimming. Nyla propped herself on the picnic table, letting her legs dangle off the side of the table. She crossed her legs and stared out into the night, covering her shoulders with the blanket.

Andrew had stopped a few feet from Nyla, watching her silhouette against the moonlight. He took a few deep breaths to gather himself. He was in love with her. That was obvious to him. He didn’t understand how on earth it had happened or when. It was too fast. He barely knew her and she didn’t know him at all. But he couldn’t think of any other reason for the way he was feeling. The thought of losing her and never seeing her again still terrified him, despite her stubbornness. She was his weakness. Cedric was right about everything. He would lose his mind if anyone hurt her or Se’Nya. It would also destroy him if she rejected him. He couldn’t let that happen; wouldn’t let that happen. Whatever it took, she would be his forever.

Andrew closed his eyes as another fierce gust of wind swirled her addictive scent in his direction. He took in another calming breath before he headed toward her, keeping a sizable distance between them as he moved closer. He faced the lake and took in the scene himself. It was beautiful out here. Besides the bluff, this was his second favorite place to be. There was nothing in front of them but the lake, the horizon, and the sky. The night sky was clear. The stars winked at them as if encouraging him that everything was going to be all right. The full moon provided just enough light, setting a peaceful mood for what he needed to do.

When he looked to his right at the quiet woman next to him, he could see the wall she was slowing building. She met his eyes and he could see this wasn’t going to be easy.

Here we go!

Andrew turned to face her. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and prepared himself for the fight of his life.

Andrew walked closer to her keeping his eyes solely on hers. The forest noises surrounding them seemed to quiet with each step he took. The sudden urge to claim her right here and now came over him, but he resisted. Mainly, it was the frown that accosted Nyla’s beautiful features that made him pump the brakes.

“So, Pierce, you wanted to talk. Let’s hear what you have to say,” she said coolly and then added for emphasis, “Even though I don’t think there is anything you can say to change my mind, here I am. Talk.” Nyla folded her arms across her chest.

Damn, she was beautiful when she was pissed.

Andrew couldn’t help but drink her in. Just being in her presence did things to him that blew his mind. Never in his wildest dreams or imagination did a woman affect him like this. Nyla turned him on with the deepest and unsullied desire he had ever felt in his life. He felt it in his bones, his soul. He wanted to touch her, he needed to have her in his arms again but before he succumbed to needs, Nyla’s eyes grew wide as hell. It was as if she knew exactly what he was thinking and tried to steady herself for his invasion.

“Why did you ignore me?” she asked him abruptly.

Andrew, surprised by her tone and question, paused. He stood in front of her, searching her eyes. She steeled her will to resist him and did her best to keep her feelings out of her eyes. He blinked a few times before he sighed and replied, “I wasn’t ignoring you. Not on purpose. I…” Andrew began, but stopped and just looked at her. His mind throwing him deep inside his past; the desires that had been driving him gone.

The silence around them was deafening in the hushed quiet. The way Andrew looked at her as well as the quiet made her somewhat uneasy. Nyla then noticed something appear in Andrew’s features that put her on edge. It wasn’t lust or desire she saw. It was something more, something deeper. She had only seen it once from him back at her apartment when she was wrapped up tight in his arms. When he was expressing his heart to her.

Andrew swallowed up some of the distance between them and took in Nyla, sincerity drenched in his eyes. “Look, Nyla, I don’t have an excuse for my behavior. It wasn’t my intention to make you feel like I was ignoring you. I had been so wrapped up in keeping Downs’ hands off you and the baby and doing a lot of unnecessary traveling that I forgot everything else. It’s been a long time since I had someone in my life that mattered. Or maybe I should say that it’s been a long time since I mattered to someone. But my behavior isn’t indicative of my feelings for you.”

His words surprised Nyla. She expected him to provide her with some kind of an excuse. She just didn’t expect the heartfelt honesty and openness in his words. “Andrew, I understand that you’ve been working quite a bit. But just a quick text message would’ve been fine.”

“I know,” Andrew replied, running his fingers through his hair. He gave her a side smile. “Like I said it’s been a long time since I’ve been in a relationship. I’m a bit rusty on the nuances.”

Nyla frowned. “Yeah, you keep saying that. What do you mean? When was your last relationship?”

He sighed. “Roughly, about six years ago.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Six years ago? How can that be?”

It was Andrew’s turn to look confused. “What do you mean by that?”

Nyla unfolded her legs and tucked her hands underneath her warm thighs. She leaned forward slightly, resting her weight on her arms. “I mean what about that blonde woman that I saw you with all the time? Wasn’t her name Lori? I know you said you all weren’t a couple, but were you two something else before? Or maybe you—”

Andrew shook his head before Nyla could finish her sentence. “No, I told you before,” he interrupted. “She and I were never an item.”

“But, you two used to come to the diner together all the time. I know for a fact she didn’t come for the food or the atmosphere,” Nyla said blandly.

“Yes, well, Lori and I did have an understanding of sorts. Still, it wasn’t anything more than just a friendship. She would meet me at the diner because she knew it would be the only way to get a hold of me; we had never arrived together. In the past, she and I would also get together for drinks or a friendly dinner, but that was it.”

Nyla shook her head dubiously. “That’s just so hard to believe. The way she used to look at you. I could have sworn you two were an item. Do you think she has feelings for you?”

“I haven’t a clue. Lori understood the nature of our friendship. She was only around for a purpose. That was it. I made no promises that we would be anything but what we were.”

“And what was that exactly?” Nyla asked and Andrew just stared at her. He didn’t respond and it took her a few seconds to catch on. Her eyes grew wide and she looked around nervously.

“Ah, okay I get it,” she said softly.

“But,” Andrew began and she met his eyes. “She and I haven’t been like that in quite some time.”

“Really?” Nyla replied, her voice still but a whisper.

“Really.”

“How… um… when was the last time…”

Andrew gave her a sly grin and admitted, “I haven’t touched Lori since the day I stumbled upon you at the diner.”

Shocked, she shook her head unable to wrap her head around his words. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open. When she realized that she was ogling at him, she closed her mouth and cleared her throat. “Um… Okay,” she managed to get out. “So, your last true relationship was really that long ago? Was it serious?”

Andrew fell silent again. He had this faraway look on his face for a few minutes before he seemed to snap out of wherever he went and moved even closer to her. The moonlight lit up his face enough for Nyla to see his expression clearly. The pain that she saw in his eyes put her on guard.

“Andrew,” Nyla called softly after she realized he was lost in his own thoughts.

He seemed to look right through her for a spell before he blinked a few times and dropped his eyes to the ground.

“Yes, it was serious.”

Nyla waited for more, but Andrew didn’t offer any other information. He still had this preoccupied look on his face that was starting to alarm Nyla. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she had hoped he would tell her whatever it was he was holding back.

After what felt like a lifetime, Andrew focused his dark eyes on her. He said to her, his voice wooden and distant, “The last serious relationship that I had was with my wife.”