The Devil In Disguise (Bad Things #1)(15)

She’d been looking down at the water, but at his words, her gaze jerked up and locked with his. “But…I thought you wanted to hurt me.”

He wasn’t sure what he wanted from her yet, but her pain? No, despite the stories circulating about him, her pain wasn’t on his agenda. Others? Well, of course, but…not her.

They were at the back of the boat now. Rayce stood near the ladder.

“Give her to me!” Rayce called.

Luke curled his hands around Mina’s waist and he started to lift her up. Rayce was hanging over the back of the vessel, his arms outstretched to her. “Be careful, wolf,” he said, the warning slipping from him without thought. Handle her with care.

Luke lifted Mina as if she weighed nothing. Water poured down her body and Rayce locked his hands with hers, pulling her up.

Luke followed, dragging his body up the ladder. He swiped a hand over his face, wiping away the water. Then he paced forward. Mina stood there, her arms around her waist, and her clothes were soaking wet. Her shirt clung to her like a second skin and her skirt had hiked up her incredible legs even more. She was shivering and he could see the tight outline of her hard nipples against the front of her top and—

Rayce was staring, too.

Luke walked past him and shoved the guy in the gut. “Look away.”

Rayce spun on his heel, immediately turning his back to Mina. He started whistling. Off-key, terrible whistling.

Marcos hurried toward Luke. “Here’s a blanket, boss.”

Mina jerked at the sound of his voice. Her eyes were so big and she seemed so…helpless standing there, soaking wet. Though he knew someone with her particular skill set would never truly be helpless.

Unless she couldn’t speak.

He took the blanket from Marcos, and Luke wrapped it around Mina’s shoulders, being extra sure to pull the ends forward so that the front of her shirt—and her breasts—were covered. “Are you okay?”

Her hands had flown up to clutch the blanket. “No, I am not okay.”

She sounded furious. Her fear seemed to have vanished now that they were on the boat and away from any potential shark attacks. He nodded toward Marcos. “The lady’s all right. Get us back to the island, would you?”

After a quick inclination of his head, Marcos rushed back to the wheel. A moment later, Luke heard the whir of the anchor rising. When he’d jumped overboard, Marcos must have lowered that anchor really quick. Luke made a mental note to give the guy a bonus for his work.

“Is it okay to turn around?” Rayce asked, voice amused.

Since he wasn’t feeling a bit of amusement, Luke shot the wolf a glare. “Yes, but watch yourself.”

Moving slowly, Rayce turned toward him. Rayce met Luke’s stare first—a sign of respect—and then the wolf shifter’s gaze darted to a still shivering Mina. “You sure swim fast.”

“If it hadn’t been for the shark, I would have kept swimming.” Her focus was on the water. She swallowed. “It was circling me. I could feel it in the water. Just going around and around me. Like it was holding me in place.” Suddenly, her stare jerked toward Luke. “Did you do that?”

He let his brows climb. “Did I convince a shark to hold you prisoner? Interesting idea…and I’m flattered that you think I can control everything and everyone around me…but sharks don’t exactly fall in my dominion.” They weren’t evil. They were just…

Fish. Swimming. Eating. Surviving. No matter what Hollywood and their movies wanted to say, sharks weren’t some sort of predatory killing beasts. And, to date, he’d never encountered a shark shifter. Not to say there weren’t any out there but…

“What is your dominion?” Mina asked as the boat turned and she stumbled just a bit.

Automatically, his hand reached out to steady her. His fingers curled around her waist and he pulled her against his body. Much better. Her shivers seemed to ease when he touched her.

“She doesn’t look particularly afraid,” Rayce mused. “Shouldn’t she look afraid?”

Probably.

Mina’s head turned toward the wolf. “Same eyes,” she said. “I guess they don’t change, whether you’re man or beast?”

Rayce blinked the green eyes in question.

“White wolf,” Mina continued. The lights from the boat shined down on them. “That would explain the blond hair.”

Rayce’s blond hair was thick and unruly, curving over his forehead.

The guy was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Luke was glad the shifter wasn’t bounding around naked any longer. When you had shifters as friends, you learned fast that they let their animal sides out…a lot.

“Uh…did you just call me a wolf?” Rayce laughed. “Lady, you must’ve had one hell of a lot to drink to—”

“She knows the score, Rayce.” Luke kept his hold on her. He liked having Mina close. “So don’t bother with the bullshit. I’m not.” Most humans didn’t know about the monsters who lurked in the dark. Most didn’t want to know.

Mina was different.

Because she was one of the monsters?

Rayce’s features tightened as he took a step toward Mina. He suddenly didn’t look quite so easy going. His gaze raked over Mina and his nostrils flared. “She doesn’t smell like a shifter. She smells like—”