20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

J asmine

The click of my heels echoes ominously through the deserted parking garage. My heart pounds so hard I wonder if Martinez and her team can hear it through the wire. Bold's solid presence at my side is the only thing keeping me from bolting.

We'd discussed whether Bold should come with me or if I should go alone. I didn't want my wolven bodyguard to scare Scorpion off, but I'm sure he's been watching me and knows Bold doesn't let me out of his sight. Since my cover story is that I'm meeting an informant, it would send alarm bells to Scorpion if Bold wasn't at my side.

His hand rests lightly on my lower back, a reassuring warmth as he scans our surroundings. His nostrils flare, scenting the air, tail raised like a flag behind him. I've come to recognize this as his high-alert stance.

"Remember," he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear, "at the first sign of trouble, you get behind a pillar and hide. Let us handle it."

I nod, suppressing a shiver that has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with his proximity. Focus, Jasmine.

We approach the designated meeting spot, a shadowy corner that sets my nerves on edge. I clutch the slim briefcase, playing my part as bait. The weight of hidden cameras tracking our every move does little to calm my racing pulse.

A figure emerges from the shadows, and my breath catches. Scorpion. He's even more menacing in person—all coiled muscle, jailhouse tattoos, and eyes as cold as a shark's. The jagged scar bisecting his cheek twists as he smirks.

"Well, well," he drawls, "if it isn't the troublemaker herself. And her pet dog."

Bold tenses beside me, a low growl rumbling in his chest. I squeeze his hand in warning, silently pleading for him to stick to the plan. We need Scorpion to reveal who hired him.

"Who are you?" I demand, cursing the slight waver in my voice. "I was supposed to meet a woman."

Scorpion's smirk widens, revealing yellowed teeth. "Call me Scorpion, sweetheart. And there's no one here but me, here to tie up some loose ends."

Ice floods my veins. This isn't going according to plan. By the look on his face, I don't think there will be a long conversation or a voluntary admission of guilt. Where the hell is Martinez?

The glint of steel is my only warning before Scorpion lunges, a wicked blade slicing through the air. Bold presses me aside, his snarl pure animal fury as he meets the attack head-on.

"Run, Jazz!" he roars, claws extended and fangs bared.

Everything in me screams to stay, to help somehow, but I know I'll only be a liability. Heart in my throat, I sprint for the nearest concrete pillar, peeking around it to watch the deadly dance unfold.

Bold is magnificent, all primal grace and raw power as he trades blows with Scorpion. But our opponent is wickedly fast, his knife a silver blur as he probes for an opening.

A feint, a twist, and suddenly crimson blooms across Bold's shirt. His pained roar turns my blood to ice.

"No!" The scream tears from my throat before I can stop it.

Scorpion's dead eyes lock onto me, a predator scenting new prey. Bold stumbles, one knee hitting the ground as he presses a hand to his side with a grunt of pain.

Time slows. Scorpion coils, ready to deliver a killing blow. Bold, my protector, my… everything, is about to die. And it's all my fault.

No. Not like this.

Some primal instinct overrides all reason. Spying a discarded length of pipe, I emerge from my hiding place, grab it, and charge.

"Jazz, no! Stay back!" Bold's anguished howl barely registers as Scorpion pivots, his blade arcing towards my heart.

I raise the pipe, winding up with all my might, when a blur of fur and fury slams into Scorpion from the side. They hit the ground hard, a whirlwind of flashing steel and snapping fangs.

I stagger back, pulse roaring in my ears as Bold and Scorpion roll across the concrete. Please, please let him be okay.

An eternity passes in seconds. Then Bold rises, chest heaving, shirt in tatters. At his feet lies Scorpion, unconscious and disarmed.

Shouts and pounding footsteps announce the arrival of Martinez and her team, but I only have eyes for Bold. His gaze locks with mine, revealing a maelstrom of emotion I can't begin to untangle.

In two long strides, he's here, crushing me against his chest. I cling to him, breathing in his scent, feeling the rapid thud of his heart against mine. My hands scrabble at his back as though I have to touch every inch of him to reassure myself that he's alive.

"I thought I lost you," he rasps, voice raw. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

I pull back just enough to examine his wound, which is bleeding heavily. "I'm not the one who's bleeding, Bold," I manage, my voice shaky. "We need to get you to a hospital."

He shakes his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "It's not as bad as it looks. Wolven heal fast, remember?"

Before I can argue, Martinez approaches, her face grim. "We need to get you both out of here." Perhaps it's only now that she notices Bold is bleeding. "You need a hospital."

"I respectfully decline."

"You're dripping blood on the pavement, Bold. Don't be stubborn." My voice is so full of passion, I imagine every police person in the garage heard that.

"It's nothing. Let's fill out the detective's paperwork so I can get you home." His gaze drills through me and my shoulders sag in response. I know when I'm defeated.

"He's right. You have paperwork…" As Martinez leads us away, I can't stop stealing glances at Bold. The adrenaline is wearing off, leaving me shaky and hyper-aware of how close we came to disaster. Of how easily I could have lost him.

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. I care for Bold. Deeply. More than I've ever cared for anyone outside my family. The thought of losing him is unbearable.

But as we're ushered into separate cars for questioning, I push the revelation aside. There will be time to sort through these feelings later. For now, there's paperwork and then, perhaps I can have that little nervous breakdown I've earned.