Shadow Mated (Ouachita Mountain Shifter Book 5) Read Online Free PDF

question.
    “Maybe I do. Maybe I want Magic to kick me out of here so you’ll be safe.”
    “You make us safe. You set up the security cameras. You secured the premises. You take the nightwatch. You make it possible for us to do our jobs around here.”
    Gash swallowed, looking away. “I led my brother here. And you don’t know him like I do. If you thought Rigor and his wolves were bad, just wait until Felix gets here.” His hand squeezed hers tighter, bringing the back of it to his chest right above his sternum. She could feel the patter of his heart as it tripped double time.
    “Would your brother leave us alone if you left?” She thought she knew the answer, but she had to ask.
    Gash was quiet for too many seconds before finally admitting, “No. No, he wouldn’t. It’s why I’m still here.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I made a deal with Rigor. He was supposed to take me back to Memphis, but I knew Felix would send a crew here after I was gone, and I couldn’t let that happen.”
    “A deal?”
    Gash flicked his thumb under the hole in the knee of his jeans. A nervous gesture? The first one she’d ever noticed from him.
    “I did what I do, Bailey. I figured out what he wanted most and offered to get it for him.”
    Bailey frowned. “And… what did he want?”
    Gash found her gaze, his eyes going hallow. “Revenge.”
    The word made the air around them go chilly. Left her tiger twitchy.
    “And you’re going to get it for him?” Asking gave her mouth a bad taste. She knew where Gash came from was ugly, but he’d changed. He wasn’t that man anymore.
    “I don’t want to,” he croaked, and she could hear him breaking behind the mask he always wore. “But the truth is, I’ll do anything— anything —to keep you safe. You’re important .”
    Bailey’s heart pounded, her chest squeezing tighter with each breath until she had no air.
    You’re important .
    There was still a hint of the hard shell expression Gash forever had in place, but he’d said… he’d said…
    Did he mean it?
    “Me?” she breathed, still unsure and not wanting to be shut down as soundly as she had the first time. That had effing hurt. But the look he gave her before he went with Rigor, it meant something didn’t it? Didn’t it?
    Gash opened his mouth and then slammed it shut, looking confused, and her hopes came crashing down like a falling Jenga puzzle.
    Oh, shit. She’d misunderstood. Her tiger curled into a ball behind her chest, ducking its head in shame.
    Once again, Gash went to speak but nothing came out.
    Mortification bled like wet paint over her cheeks, so hot she wanted to press her face to the inside of the walk-in freezer door. Her heart raced impossibly faster to account for all the extra blood rushing to her skin. And her fingers and toes went numb, especially where Gash held her hand.
    Dear god, she needed to get away from him so she could breathe. Think. Cut her damn tongue from her mouth so she’d never make her stupid assumptions vocal again.
    “No.” She gave a little shake of her head and attempted a weak smile. “Okay. I misunderstood is all. You… you meant the clan. All of us. We’re important.”
    She tried to extract her hand, but he held it too tightly.
    “No, I meant you ,” he said, frowning. “But I felt something through our bond.”
    Bailey stilled. He was giving her whiplash.
    Sitting forward, he stared like he’d never seen her before, his eyes flicking over every facial feature before digging deep into her gaze. “Hope,” he husked. “I felt your hope . Such beautiful hope. It was like the sun shining on morning frost, or some shit.”
    Bailey’s eyes went wide, her embarrassment ticking up a notch. She yanked her hand away from his to tuck it close to her chest, her mouth fishing open, searching for a response.
    “How long?” he demanded, sounding angry now. “How long have you been hoping for us? And don’t you dare think about lying.”
    She frowned at his words.