Untamed (20 page)

Tara grabbed Cathy’s hand and squeezed. “Please don’t say anything. If he asks, tell him I just had to go deal with insurance stuff and the fire and I’ll be back.”

Cathy nodded and dropped Tara’s hand. “Is Ethan okay? The General wouldn’t tell me.”

Tara chewed on her bottom lip. “He took a bullet, but
I’m sure he’s fine.” Tara turned to walk in her room, stopped at the last minute, and turned back. “Cathy…you need to ask Ethan about his secrets. They’re life-altering, huge secrets that you need to know, and he needs to be the one to tell you. You need to know the truth.”

Tara closed her apartment door and walked toward her bathroom. She made quick work of showering and changing
. She called her parents to let them know she was coming home and glanced around the room once more. She closed her eyes, and let the energy take her and pull her through the void. She honed in on the only place she’d ever felt safe. The only place she’d every called her own—her beach house.

Chapter 20

After a full day
’s rest, she’d gotten to work. Two days later, Tara was going over new plans for the restaurant; her father had talked her into bigger and better plans. She drove two streets over from where her restaurant had originally stood and popped into the bar to grab some files and make sure the bar was still standing, and that everything was right in her world.

She walked into the bar and was greeted by
James. “I hear they caught Mary. Is it true?”

“Yep, they sure did.” Tara grinned and nodded. That was the first thing her dad informed her. The police not only had caught Mary trying to leave the country but had recovered most of Tara’s money.

“Why did she do it? Have they asked her yet?”

Tara pulled a water bottle from the color and picked up the files she’d come to get. “Apparently Peter planned it, but I don’t know all of the specifics yet.”

James nodded. “He wanted to get you home.”

Tara bit her lip. Had that been the reason? Did all of this stem from him wanting her back? He couldn’t have been that desperate.

“Little good it did him. It’s not like he can come visit when he’s behind bars.”

James
chuckled and moved back toward the other end of the bar. “I don’t know what you saw in him. He was a weasel; I liked Brody better. ” James tilted his head. “He seemed to genuinely care about you.”

Tara patted
James on the back as she rounded the bar. “Yeah, I guess he did.” She left the bar and was in her SUV minutes later. She let the conversation play around in her head. Even knowing that Peter and Mary were behind most of her troubles, it had given her little peace of mind as she drove back to her house. She was exhausted and worn out, but she still had things to do. She needed to pack. It was time to return and face the music. She and Brody needed to have an adult conversation…as if that was possible.

She walked into her house and dropped the keys on the table in the foyer. She flicked off her sandals and moved into the living room and stopped. Her mouth parted. She swallowed around the lump in her throat. Brody was
lounging on her couch, kicking back with a box of what looked to be cookies in one hand and his feet propped up on her coffee table.

“They told me you weren’t coming back.” Brody placed the box on the table and stood, crossing his arms over his chest. “
They told me you didn’t want me and to let you go.”

“Who
told you that?”

Brody stepped around the table and stopped. “It doesn’t matter who. Just tell me they were wrong.”

Tara kept her feet rooted in place, afraid that if she tried to move her legs might give out on her. She’d known this moment would come. Every fiber in her being screamed for her to tell him why she’d left. “They were wrong. I had things to take care of, things I couldn’t put off. I was going back in the morning.”

A look of relief flashed across Brody’s face
, and the tight pull of muscles in Brody’s chest relaxed. He moved to stand in front of her. “Why didn’t you wait for me?” He cupped her cheek and leaned down until his mouth hovered above hers. “We’re partners; I would have come with you.”

He closed the distance and pressed his lips to hers before she could stop him. As if she had no control, she tilted her head and let him deepen the kiss. Damn
, she’d missed this man. Damn, she could get lost in just his kiss. He leaned his forehead against hers and broke the kiss. “I’ve missed you.”

She pressed
her hand against his chest, giving him a good pat, and she stepped around him and walked to the big windows giving her a good view of the ocean and the breaking waves. “We need to talk.”

She turned back to face him and wrapped her arms around her stomach. He started to step toward her
, and she held up her hand. “You need to stay over there until I’m finished. I can’t think straight when you touch me.”

His lips twitched
, but he stopped. “Spill it. Let’s get this over with because I have a few things I need to say to you too.”

Tara cleared her throat. “I used the restaurant as my excuse to come back, but that wasn’t the whole reason why I left.”

Brody lifted a brow and gestured to the couch. “Why don’t you have a seat and  let me go first?”

Tara liked to think of herself as a strong woman, but when he offered to go first, she jumped at the chance. Once she told him about the baby
, there was no going back, and she would never know if what he wanted to tell her might had been altered by the news of her pregnancy. She needed to know how he felt and know that his feelings weren’t swayed. She moved to sit down on the edge of the couch. “Okay…you first.”

Brody moved to sit on her coffee table
, facing her. He took her hands in his and let out a breath. “Tara…you deserve better than me…”

Tara’s heart started to sink. Was this going to be one of those
“it’s not you, it’s me” break-up speeches? She held back the tears that threatened to fall. It was better to know this now, rather than later.

“
I know that on occasion I’ve been known to be immature, self-centered, and somewhat of a pain in the ass.”

Tara opened her mouth to agree with him but snapped it shut. The last thing she needed was to start an argument before she told him about the baby. He was
either going to be man enough to step up to the plate, or she’d be raising the child alone. Regardless, she was having this baby, with or without him.

He looked up into her eyes. “But
, somewhere along the line, I fell in love with you, and I hope that you love me back.” He picked up the box of cookies and peeled the lid off. “You’ve been my partner for the last nine months, and I want you to be my wife for the rest of my life.”

Nestled in the middle of the cookies was a little blue box. A lone tear escaped her eye. She had to stop him. He had to know everything before he made a
decision...one that he could later regret.

“Brody…”

He pressed his lips to hers and leaned back. “I love you, Tara, and I already know what you’re going to say.”

She paused and tilted her head. How was that possible
? No way did he know she was pregnant.

“You can’t possibly…”

He shut her up by pressing his lips to hers again. He opened the ring box and took the ring out. “I went to your parents and asked permission for your hand in marriage.”

She blinked
, unable to form a sentence.

“I also spoke with your Grams
. She told me about the baby.” He held her gaze. “Our baby.”

He placed his palm on her
still-flat belly.

“I was going to tell you
. I just needed time to work it out in my head.”

“I know.” He spoke against her lips before pressing his to hers in a soft
kiss. “Marry me, Tara, and be not only my wife but the mother of my children.”

Tears fell down her cheeks as she nodded.

He slipped the ring on her finger and crushed his lips to hers.

She leaned her forehead against his. “Brody
…we come from two different worlds. Yours is kicking ass and fighting bad guys. Mine isn’t.” She hesitated and pulled back. “How are we going to do this?”

Brody scooped her up in his arms. “We’ve got a lifetime to figure it out.”

He kissed her before moving them into the bedroom, where she surrendered her heart and body to the one man who had already stolen her heart and given her the one gift she’d thought she’d never have—a fiancé who loved her and a family of her own.

Chapter 21

Four months later,
Tara moved around the kitchen of the restaurant and smiled over the counter at her husband. Their little wedding ceremony had included her family, friends, and the Phantoms. She couldn’t have asked for more. Even her mother seemed to be taking it all in stride and was accepting it all. Well, who was she trying to kid? The woman was just happy that Tara was settling down and she was getting a grandbaby out of the deal. Regardless, Tara was thankful for the small miracle.

Brody roun
ded the kitchen counter. “You shouldn’t be on your feet. You’ve got staff that can serve, and I’ll help.”

He kissed her cheek and patted her on the ass. “Go sit.”

She winked at him and grabbed the breadbasket. “Only if you come with me.” She linked their hands together, and pulled him out into the one-day-old restaurant. The grand opening wasn’t scheduled for another few days, which was why she’d asked everyone to come celebrate, even if they did have to return to the base in two days. Brody pulled out her chair as she set the breadbasket down. The smell of the lasagna filtered to her nose, making her stomach growl. Brody placed his palm on her belly. “Sounds like the baby is hungry.”

Tara grinned.
If he only knew. She sat down, and conversation started around the table. Gracie, Ridge, the twins, Cathy, her parents, and Grams. This was her family, well, most of it. All of the other Phantoms that had attended the reception were on their way back to base. She should have known, another day, another threat. That was the life of the Phantom Protectors.

Tara leaned over to Cathy. “Have you heard from him?”

She shook her head. “Not a word.” Cathy twirled the pearls around her neck. “It’s been four months, and he hasn’t even called.”

Tara had learned that not only
had Ethan left within a week of returning to base from the fight, but that he’d left without telling Cathy about his abilities. Brody had convinced Tara to keep the secret since Ethan did have a role in saving their lives. She’d kept her mouth shut trying to give Ethan enough time to come to his senses, but the more time that past, the more Tara was convinced that he wasn’t coming back. She just didn’t have the heart to tell her best friend that she’d kept this secret from her. The fallout would be devastating. “After dinner we need to sit down, and I’ll tell you what happened during the fight. You have a right to know.”

Cathy gave Tara a sad smile. “Thank you.”

Brody placed a plate, heaped with food, in front of her. She glanced up and smiled at him as he sat down. She cleared her throat and tapped her water glass with her fork.

“I want to thank everyone for coming. A lot has changed in the last year.” She took Brody’s hand and squeezed. “I have some news to share…” She glanced over at Brody. His brows dipped. Yeah, she hadn’t even told him yet. She could still surprise him
, and this surprise might just make him faint.

“I just found out that we’re having twins.”

Brody’s mouth fell open. Gracie threw her head back and started to laugh. Only her best friend who’d gone through the same thing would understand and appreciate the humor of the situation.

Ridge rose from his chair
, walked over to Brody, and patted him on the back before pulling Tara out of her seat and into a hug.

“Congratulations.” Ridge glanced over his shoulder at his twin. “I think he’s in shock.”

Tara lowered to her knees and put her hand on Brody’s leg. “Say something, anything.”

Brody’s lips twisted up into a grin.
“Two of me.”

“Us
,” she corrected him and smiled.

Gracie laughed and moved to the bassinet
s to pick up one of the fussy twins. “Just what the world needs.”

The End.

Ethan and Cathy’s Book

Chapter 1

Ethan
paused outside of the restaurant, looking in the window through the slit in the curtains. Cathy was seated next to Tara. Her gaze was on her plate while others around her laughed and carried on. He fought against his instincts. Every fiber of his being told him to go to Cathy, pick her up in his arms, and kiss the frown from her face. His soul was being pulled to her. He’d known the moment he laid eyes on her that she was his. His one true mate, the one he’d spent his entire life trying to avoid meeting. He wasn’t ready for this; he wasn’t ready for her…not yet.

The phone in his hand vibrated. He answered it without looking at the caller
Id and pressed it to his ear. Only two people might be calling him; only two people in the whole world had any idea of who he really was.

“Where are you?”
the ice-cold voice demanded.

“I had to make a stop. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“What the hell is more important that assuming your role by my side? The territory bosses are growing restless with Veronica’s death. They are starting to question my judgment and ability to effectively deal with the Phantoms. You need to get your ass back here and take over your sister’s role in the organization, so we can plan our attack.”

Ethan turned away from the restaurant and started walking down the sidewalk. “She’s not my blood
, and neither are you, old man. I don’t owe you anything.”

His father growled
, the first sign he’d struck a nerve with the old man. “If it weren’t for me, you’d be dead like your parents and still in that godforsaken orphanage. Now get your ass back here.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed
Tara and Brody’s book and are looking forward to Cathy and Ethan’s book.  I wanted to take a moment and thank you for sticking with me on this journey with the Phantoms. It’s been a pleasure writing it, and I’m grateful to each and every one of you who took the time to read my books.

As a bonus I want you to be the first to know that the talented Jessica Coulter Smith and I are currently writing a new series of paranormal books centered around the town of Paradise Falls, the town where Ethan Jacobs grew up. The first two books in the series are set to be released at the beginning of September.

Here is your sneak peek of Book 1 written by Jessica Coulter Smith.

Not My Shifter

Chapter One

Devlin narrowed her eyes at the large shifter, his meaty arm pressed to her throat, his bulk blocking out the other bar patrons. The sounds of the raucous crowd hadn’t dimmed since their altercation began, so she doubted anyone was paying them any attention. She knew she shouldn’t have let him goad her into a fight, but she hated shifters, especially werewolves, and hadn’t been able to pass up the opportunity to put big and smelly in his place. He’d gotten in one or two licks but hadn’t done any permanent damage. She’d have a bruise or two by morning, but that’s all.

Shifting her hips, she angled her leg between his, hooking her foot behind his knee. Devlin gripped his arm and twisted her torso, throwing her shoulder into him. She knocked him off balance and took him to the ground. It was a textbook maneuver and would’ve gone down smoothly if the fucker hadn’t hung onto her like he was
Velcroed to her ass. A quick elbow to his gut released his hold on her, and she rolled to her feet.

He grabbed her leg with his ham-like hand, his fingers sliding up toward her thigh, and she saw red. Baring her teeth, she drew back her foot and nailed him right between the legs, feeling more than a little satisfied when he dropped his hand to grab his crotch, howling long and loud in agony.

“The next time you grab a lady on the ass, make sure she wants your attention, asshole,” she spat at him. “The amount of alcohol I’d need to consume in order to sleep with you would probably kill me.”

She stepped over his body, now curled in a fetal position, and strolled up to the bar. Signaling the bartender, she ordered a shot of whiskey. Her body was still thrumming with excitement, every nerve alive and screaming for more action. She
needed something to calm her down. About the only way she was going to burn off this energy would be a hard night at the gym, or a long night of lovemaking. Seeing as how she was between boyfriends, she didn’t see that as an option. Not that she’d ever truly had a boyfriend. Fuck buddies were more her style. Unfortunately, her last one had decided he’d had enough of playing the field and had gotten married two days ago.

Slamming her shot glass down on the bar, she turned and surveyed the room. The werewolf was still down, but he’d drawn a crowd of sympathizers.
More shifters.  Just what she needed. The place was crawling with them. Hell, there was even a vampire at the end of the bar. But she wasn’t here to bust anyone tonight. She’d come to O’Leary’s to kick back and relax, blow off steam. A smile spread across her full lips. She’d blown off steam all right.

Her eyes cut to the werewolf again. Hmm. Trouble seemed to be brewing. Two shifters separated from the group and were ambling toward the bar with her in their sights. One was short and wiry, probably a cat shifter. His spiky hair was gelled to perfection, and his skin held the honeyed glow of a warm tan. The other was taller, with lean muscles and a hard edge to him. His eyes were shifty, his nose blade thin.
Werewolf? No, that wasn’t right. He seemed cagey, as if he wasn’t used to being in civilized company. Coyote.

They stopped in front of her, hatred burning in their eyes. The smaller one looked her up and down, his look both lascivious and insolent. It was clear that he wanted her yet didn’t want to want her. Not that she gave a rat’s ass what he wanted. If he laid one finger on her, she’d feed him his teeth.

“Can I help you boys with something?” she asked.

“That was a cheap shot,” the bigger one said. “In a fair fight, you’d have never taken down Big Mike.”

Big Mike? Seriously? She snorted. “Yeah, well,
Big Mike
cries like a little baby.”

The smaller one gave her a chilly smile. “If you’re so sure of yourself, maybe you’d like to go up against a real fighter.”

“Sure. When one gets here, you let me know.” With a smirk, she turned around, dismissing them. She wasn’t completely stupid though. She could see them in the mirror over the bar and watched as they made a move on her. Spinning around, she kicked out at the bigger one, sending him staggering back several paces. Hmm. Not the result she was going for. He should’ve been knocked on his ass, possibly even been thrown across the room. Her kicks had been known to do some serious damage.

The smaller one attacked, coming at her with a right hook. She brought up her arm, blocking him effectively, and slammed the heel of her hand up into his
nose, breaking it. She watched as his eyes teared and he grabbed his broken snout. But she didn’t have time to do anything more because the coyote was on her again.

Everyone had cleared a path for them, giving them more than enough room. A few cheered them on, some yelling for the men to put
the bitch
in her place. If they weren’t careful, they’d be on her list next. She could do this all night long and never get winded.

The coyote howled and rushed her, his hands out, fingers curved like claws. She braced her feet, bent her knees, and waited. When he was close enough, she dropped her hip and launched a punch to his solar plexus. It didn’t stop him, but it stunned him momentarily. While he was confused, she snapped a sidekick into his stomach, sending him backward several feet.

Devlin advanced on him. He came at her with a swinging punch, but she blocked it and nailed him with one of her own, right across his left cheek. She felt the bone give under her knuckles and smiled at his roar of pain and fury. He launched himself at her, shoving his shoulder into her stomach and knocking her back a few paces, but she didn’t falter. She brought her elbow down hard where his neck met his shoulder. When he released her, she brought her knee up into his face, clipping his chin before he had a chance to raise his head.

The coyote rose to his full height, towering over her five-foot-three-inch frame. Before he could come at her again, Devlin spun, her leg arcing. A moment
later her heel connected with his temple, knocking him out cold. The shifter fell to the floor in a boneless heap.

The shouts and cheering stopped as everyone stared in both horror and fascination. One pint-sized woman had just taken out three men – shifters – who were much larger than her. She could tell by their faces that they weren’t sure if they should be in awe or be afraid. Fear worked for her.

“Anyone else?” she taunted. “Is there anyone else who wants to get their ass kicked tonight?”

The crowd moved back, giving her space. They parted like the Red Sea as she made her way back to the bar. Devlin smacked the wood bar top twice, and the bartender slid another whiskey down to her. She caught it easily and threw it back in one gulp. It burned going down, the fire licking its way down her throat and into her chest. Throwing some cash down, she stepped away from the bar and sauntered to the exit, feeling every eye in the place on her.

She slammed her hands against the door, shoving it open and stepped out into the brisk night air. The black stiletto boots encasing her tiny feet clicked on the concrete as she made her way to her pride and joy. As she slid into the candy apple red Mustang, her black leather pants squeaked against the leather seats. Closing the door, she engaged the locks and started the engine, smiling as her baby purred to life.

Tilting the mirror down, she fluffed her long red hair, wiped away a smudge of lipstick, and winked at her reflection, her green eyes sparkling with mischief and mayhem. Her blood was still pumping from the fight, and she wasn’t ready to go home.

A commotion across the lot caught her attention. Two men were arguing, the smaller one gesturing wildly. But it was the larger one who held her attention. He was tall, which was enough to draw her eye, but she found she liked the overall package. Longish brown hair, a tattoo covering one arm, and a glint of something at his ear. An earring perhaps? He had bad boy written all over him.

Devlin licked her lips. If he weren’t in such a heated discussion, she’d get out and go introduce herself. She needed a diversion tonight, and she had a feeling he’d be more than adequate in the sack.
Just looking at him set her on fire.

Mr.
Lickable hefted the smaller guy by his neck, and she wondered if she should step in. She reached for her door handle, but her phone went off, the ringtone indicating it was the chief. Tearing her eyes away from the scene before her, she answered the call.

“St. Claire,” she said, holding the phone to her ear.

“Do you want to explain to me why I just received a call from O’Leary’s that you’ve been in a bar brawl with not one but
three
shifters?” the chief yelled into the phone.

She winced. “I didn’t start it.”

“Sure you didn’t. You never start it, do you, St. Claire? I want your ass in my office at 0800 hours. And not a minute later! Is that clear?”