Shadow Watcher (Darkness #6)(36)

Paulie did a quick summary of the phone call. Then said, “They don’t want you. Not yet. I don’t know who’s in charge, but right now they are after the one with the most power—Sasha. Will she defend herself? Will she do what needs to be done if she has to?”

He couldn’t imagine her killing anyone. She was such a sweetie. Always putting people before herself, and trying to help everyone out with the magic and fitting in and just getting along. She was more saintly than vigilante.

Everyone chuckled at his question.

“She’ll set the world on fire if she has to.” The Boss sobered as they burst outside. Jonas’ Hummer waited for them in the parking space. The Boss jogged around it as he said, “But she’s heavily pregnant. She doesn’t have the ability to move much.”

Paulie could hear the blind fear in the Boss’ voice. It was probably the only time this man would show it.

Jameson stopped beside a blue SUV and pulled open the door. Three people hovered around it as others found their own vehicles. The Boss kept going until he ducked into a covered area at the very far end of the lot. He yanked off a cover and exposed a cherry red Ferrari.

“Holy—” Paulie’s mouth dropped open as he slowed.

The Boss glanced his way. “C’mon. Hurry up or you’ll be left behind.”

“Why haven’t I seen this before?”

“It draws attention. But it goes fast. We need speed right now.”

“Yes.” Paulie couldn’t help a grin as he pulled open the door and slid into the plush interior.

As the engine roared into life the Boss said, “Do not tell Sasha about this car. I haven’t driven it since she came to live here. She’d steal it and probably kill herself.”

“She’s going to find out,” Paulie muttered.

* * *

I stopped along the path and took a moment to breathe. The fresh breeze tickled my skin and calmed my nerves. The grasses swayed beside me, natural and beautiful. I was no more than fifty yards from the house and definitely ready to head back in. Walking was just a pain in the butt these days. I was tired almost immediately.

But if walking sped this whole pregnancy deal along, it was worth panting over.

Jonas stood beside me, my hand still in his. He wasn’t a touchy-feely kinda guy, but when he gave himself to a job, he went whole-hog. It wasn’t really helping, though. I wanted Stefan. I wanted his protection and possessiveness. I needed his presence and his assurance that everything would work out okay. That it wouldn’t hurt too much.

“Oh, God, this is totally going to hurt, isn’t it? And there are two,” I whined.

I felt the squeeze of Jonas’ hand. “It’ll be okay. You won’t even feel the second.”

“Seriously, Jonas?”

I got a grunt. Yeah, that was a dumb thing to say.

I glanced up and saw that Charles and Ann were descending the path to us. They’d stayed behind to get food setup even though there were staff on duty around the clock. I had a feeling Charles didn’t trust them to put out enough food for him. The man ate more than two people combined.

I stopped for a moment and closed my eyes to feel the breeze. I took a few breaths. And then felt Jonas tense beside me.

I opened my eyes and saw Ann and Charles on the path up ahead. They were both looking out over the field.

Like I gunshot blast, I felt it. My gaze swung out over the mostly fallow field covered in long grasses.

“I’m supposed to be safe here,” I muttered with a tingle working up my spine.

I took stock magically, identifying location, my gaze slid across a pair of eyes. I picked up that familiar feeling. The shifter! Two yellow eyes from a predator at the top of the food chain stared at me before the world burst into movement. A feline body was in the air, claws spread wide and jaw opened. Jonas stepped in front of me to take the attack as his sword arched outwards.

He wouldn’t be able to bring it up in time.

It didn’t matter. I’d reacted without even meaning to.

Power pulsed and pounded around me. A wall of electric razors zigzagged in front of Jonas and I. It sliced into the furry body before a solid wall of magic slammed into the body from the side. The panther screamed as it was pushed to the side. Its body hit the ground and rolled, smears of red coating the ground behind it.

Jonas was on it a moment later, sword out, ready for a kill strike.

“No!” I screamed. I threw a cage around it and then a shock barrier to keep Jonas away. “We need info from that *. What the hell is he doing following me? Where does he go when he’s not loitering around town? And in what screwed up world is it okay to try and kill a heavily pregnant woman? What the hell is wrong with that guy?”

“Oh, shit, we shouldn’t have killed them?”

I glanced from a seething Jonas and the whimpering panther to see Charles with a mountain lion standing next to him. Both had blood splatters across them and two bodies at their feet. One was a lioness, the other a lynx.

“All cats,” I said softly. “To sneak around, I guess. What the hell were they planning?”

I glanced back at the panther as a hard stab of pain rocked my body. I put a hand to my stomach and reached for Jonas. “Ow.”

“What’s happening?” Charles jumped over the bodies and sprinted down the path.