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Jamming the car into drive, the Watcher followed her from place to place, but his
insatiable need to see everything she did, and would do, made him tired. She thought she
was so superior, and the hate mixed with his desire for her.
Deep, undeniable hunger built to appease the craving that seemed to eat through his
stomach lining. So much rage poured into the Watcher’s gut, filling him with a powerful
desire to create in order to destroy.
Destroy before Autumn and Dillon somehow learned the truth.
Chapter Thirteen
A shadow loomed from around the corner of the station house as Jack headed toward
his car in the parking lot the next day. Jack’s muscles went on three alarm alert. He came
face to face with George.
“Hey, Dillon.”
Surprised at the man’s appearance, he said nothing. Play it calm and cool and maybe
the idiot will disappear.
No such luck.
“I’ve got some serious business with you, Dillon.”
George’s voice sounded gravel-filled, as if he’d been chewing on rocks for dinner.
His eyes were bloodshot and his skin pale. Although Jack didn’t smell any alcohol,
maybe George had other drugs in his system.
“Make it quick,” Jack said. “I haven’t got all day.”
George clenched his fists at his sides. “Stay away from my women.”
He can’t be serious. Jack took a long, slow breath to settle the jumpy feeling in his
muscles and his rising anger. “Which women would that be?”
“You know who I’m talking about.”
Jack shook his head. “Afraid I don’t. If you mean Cherry, I’m not interested in her.”
When George moved forward a step, Jack didn’t budge. “You know, I’m not sure I
give a rat’s ass what you do with that bitch. Maybe I’m ready to share her.”
Revulsion made Jack’s stomach burn. For a second he felt like a pudgy boy of eleven
being picked on by the Mafia Boys. With a swift, mental kick in the pants, he pulled back
from the history that promised to undermine him.
“I said I’m not interested in Cherry. Back off.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I don’t care about her, all right? Just take it easy.”
“Who said anything about caring for the stupid whore?”
While Jack heard cursing around the firehouse on a regular basis, he hated men
talking trash about a woman. Lightning snapped in his nerves, tightening and responding
to a rush of adrenaline.
George’s smile stretched into an ugly caricature. “Now Autumn … hell … there’s a
sweet piece of ass. I guarantee I’m going to get me some of that.”
Jack almost lost it then. Almost shoved his fist through the creep’s face. Instead, he
held onto a thin thread of control. If he turned and walked away, he knew George would
take it as an affront and attack. Since he doubted he could reason with the man, he would
have to either fight him or intimidate him some way. No way would Jack run.
Now or never. Let him know where you stand and see what happens from there.
“Look, I think it’s time you listened up. First, I have no interest in Cherry. Second, if
you touch Autumn MacAllister again, as you did the other night at the newspaper, I will
personally see to it that you regret it for the rest of your life. Third, Autumn is my
woman. Don’t even think about coming near her again.”
Jack braced, anticipating physical aggression. If he had to, Jack could knock that
smirk off George’s face with one swing of the duffle bag clutched in his fist.
Instead, George smiled, his grin oily and adding to his already manic appearance.
“So you wanna fight over her, eh?”
“No. I don’t want to fight. I want you to leave her alone. She’s not interested in you.”
“What makes you think she even likes you?”
Jack took the plunge, willing to lie to get this creep away from him. “She more than
likes me. She loves me.”
George threw his head back and laughed, high pitched and screwy.
“This ain’t finished, Dillon.” George punched the air with his fist as he turned and
started to walk away. “I’ll be watching you. I’m gonna take her away from you! No one
is going to have her but me!”
Once inside his truck, Jack roared down the road, his hands white-knuckled on the
steering wheel. Damn it all to hell. He had to warn Autumn about George. Primitive
feelings raged through Jack that he’d never experienced before. Then he realized
something with one startling jolt. When he’d told George that Autumn belonged to him,
he’d meant it with a primeval feeling of possession and determination.
Jesus. What did it make him if he found such satisfaction in declaring aloud that
Autumn was his woman?
Fuck me. He realized with a growing since of panic and gratification that he’d just
revealed something he wanted to be true in the worst damned way.
* * * *
“What?”
Autumn heard Bitsie’s concerned voice from the kitchen as she sat in the living room
chatting on the phone. Apprehensive, Autumn peeked around the kitchen door at her
landlord.
Bitsie sat on the couch, her ear glued to the cordless phone. “Oh, Jack.”
Autumn’s heart did a flip at the mention of his name.
The worry on Bitsie’s brow made that seem irrelevant. Bitsie looked up at Autumn,
then frowned.
“Certainly, darling, she’s right here.” Bitsie handed Autumn the phone, then headed
toward the kitchen. “It’s Jack.”
Alarmed and curious, Autumn spoke into the phone. “Jack? Is everything all right?”
“I just got home from the stationhouse and needed to warn you about something.”
“Warn me?”
“Keep your eyes peeled for George. He stopped by the firehouse and was acting
strange.” He gave her a quick run down of what George said, then added the final touch.
“He seems to be under the incorrect assumption you’re one of his girlfriends. He told me
to stay away from you.”
She rubbed her forehead. “Oh, God. How stupid can one man get?”
“There’s more. You may not like this, but I had to tell him something to make him
back off. I’m not sure if it’ll work, though, and I’m worried.”
Sighing, she said, “Go ahead.”
“You know as well as I do he’s a throwback to another age, right? A real
Neanderthal. I decided I had to give back a little of what he was giving.”
“What did you do?”
“I told him you were my woman and to stay away from you.”
His admission startled her so much she almost dropped the phone. “Your woman?”
“Yeah. And there’s more.”
She decided she needed to know the entire gruesome tale. “Yes?”
“I told him that you love me.”
Stunned, she asked, “Why did you say that?”
“I figured it would throw him off.”
“How?”
“I thought if he believed you love me, he’d stop pursuing you.”
“I see.” She sighed. “He didn’t try and fight you, did he?”
“Believe me, he was thinking about it.”
Relief made her sink into the chair by the bay window. “Oh, God. I’ll keep on alert.”
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