Black Hills Desperado (Black Hills Wolves Book 3) Read Online Free

snapped open; the grogginess faded with his close proximity. Wonder what he’d look like naked? Reality hit, snapping her out of her goo-goo trance. “I told you he’d try to kill me. At least one of us was paying attention or we’d both be dead.” She blinked to settle the spinning.
    “I assure you, I’ll never be caught off guard again. I was distracted, and I almost got you killed.”
    Distracted by what? Does he know? “A smart man would get as far away from me as he could.” She gave him a soft smile, but he didn’t return it.
    “I…you. I’m…n—going….”
    Super-senses came with a hefty cost. Her hearing cut in and out, and it could be days before it was back to normal if she couldn’t shift. She’d failed to catch the rest of what he’d said, but she got the gist. He knew and thought they’d mate. She hated to tell him that wasn’t going to happen. They were no good for each other. She wasn’t playing this game of cops and robbers—at least not with him.
    Everything seemed to move, and focusing on trying to read what he said didn’t help. She squeezed her lids shut again, certain she’d heave otherwise.
    He did the most unexpected thing. A wet, coarse tongue traveled up the bridge of her nose, stopping in the middle of her forehead.
    Startled, Xio opened her eyes. What the hell? “You licked me.”
    “I said, stay awake.” He grinned down at her, and continued talking at her, with only an occasional letter coming out clearly, as if he was playing some demented game of hangman.
    I’d like to buy a vowel, please.
    Ha-ha .
    The least of her worries. As for the bomb? Diego wouldn’t chance a second attack in broad daylight. This had been a message. She got it, loud and clear. You can run, but you cannot hide .
    She put her hand up to stop Marcus. “I can’t hear you.” A doctor would need to look at that since she couldn’t take care of it in the usual manner. No way could she shift where she had policemen outside her room and hospital staff monitoring her every move. More delays, more chances for Diego to catch up with her. This was not good.
    He frowned. Emergency crews arrived, rushing here and there, pushing bystanders back, checking injuries. The two of them hadn’t been spotted, or at least that’s why she assumed no one had yet come over by the Dumpster.
    “I need to kiss you.”
    And she heard that. The bitch inside her howled and practically did backflips.
    “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
    “Who’s thinking?” He leaned closer, until their lips nearly touched. “You’re….”
    All activity blurred together and the world ceased to exist as he captured her mouth, speaking in a language that didn’t need words. A completely inappropriate place for it, but damn. In that moment, Xio forgot to tell him he wasn’t going with her.
     
    ***
     
    Two days in the hospital and finally she was on the road home, with hearing in one ear and a favorable prognosis she’d recover it in the other. Of course, she would—when she embraced her wolf. But that would have to wait a little longer. The best place would be the wilds. Shifting in populated areas never went well, and hotel rooms—if someone heard her howl, or her wolf went berserk trying to break free, especially with how long it had been...the secret could get out. Not a risk she’d take.
    Xio stared out the window as buildings whizzed by. Up ahead, a large chain bookstore stood out against the storefronts in the small Midwestern town. She perked up. Exactly what she needed to get her mind off everything.
    At the last town, where they’d stopped for lunch, a Chinese woman sitting in the booth next to her had struck up a conversation—in Mandarin. She’d never been so embarrassed as when she’d had to say she couldn’t speak Chinese.
    The woman harrumphed, gave her a crusty look, and put her shoulder to her, like she was some kind of traitor. There was no sense in explaining. The woman didn’t want to hear