The Falcon Ridge Series Book 3 If Looks Could Kill

(Chapter song ‘Angel Eyes’ by The Jeff Healey Band)

LUKE

Do you know what I love about what we got going on here? Since I’ve been exclusive, which is a damn feat in itself, I may think about boning Alexi all the time, but it’s so easy to push it aside to do other things.

I feel like I’ve been body swapped or whatever.

Me. Luke Jackson. Wanting something other than sex from a woman. I don’t know if it’s because of who Alexi is or maybe it’s because I have a hell of a lot of respect for her. Either way, I'm finding that I actually want to get to know her. I know…shocking.

One of those ways to get to know her was a game we played in school called 20 questions. I’m sure we're all familiar with it.

So, I'm lying on my back while she's laying on her stomach. Fully clothed. This isn’t dirty questions. We can play that later. Nope. Just straight forward questions.

She has her feet in the air and crossed and I'm stretched out with my own feet crossed and a hand behind my head.

She has her arms under her chest as she fires her first shot. "What's your favorite meal?"

I grin and suddenly get a craving. "A triple decker cheeseburger with everything and six straps of bacon." I rub my stomach and lick my lips. Totally getting that later.

"Ugh... That's a heart attack on a plate!" She laughs.

"I'm a shifter. I don't get heart attacks." I shrug.

"It's still not healthy." She smiles.

"Ok. My turn.” I wave her down. "What's your favorite sport?"

She thinks. "I do fancy a nice game of cricket"

"I said sport, Alexi." I arch a brow.

"Cricket is a sport. It's a fine sport." She argues.

"No, it's not a real sport. A real sport is basketball, baseball, or hockey. That sort of deal." I roll my head to the ceiling.

"Listen here, Mister Luke Jackson..." She pokes my chest.

I roll my head to her. "Um. Alpha...Alpha Luke Jackson..." I correct.

She giggles. "Alpha Luke Jackson. Just because you don't understand the skill involved, doesn't mean it isn't a real sport."

"Ok. It's not a real man's sport." I laugh as she slaps me, calling me a cow or something.

"Ok. My turn. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?" She asks.

"That's easy." I turn back to the ceiling. "I'd go to the mountains to be free and wild. I'd let my guy out and hunt the way nature intended. You?"

"Tahiti." She smiles.

"Really?" My brow goes up.

"Yep. I seen a picture in one of mother's books when I was little and I used to dream about being on the beach. My toes in the sand. The hot sun on my face. It's really beautiful." She smiles.

"My turn. Favorite animal." I ask.

"An eagle. We had one living in the woods behind our pack house. I'd watch him from my balcony and pretend to ride him over the walls and over my people. Soaring through the clouds." She laid her chin on her arms.

"You really didn't get out much, did you?" I furrow my brow.

"No. My father didn't allow it." She shrugs. “I was under strict protection. Literally a princess trapped in a castle. I can’t believe I accepted that.”

“You didn’t know any different. Don’t blame yourself.” I run my hand down the back of my head then place it back on my chest.

She bumps my chest as she rocks her body. "Favorite color."

"Black. You?"

"Peach."

"Favorite song." I ask.

"Don't have one." She ticks her head.

"You don't have a favorite song?"

"Nope." She shakes her head.

I open my phone to my playlist. "OK. What do you listen to? Maybe we can find one." I set it up and drop it on the bed under her chin.

She looks at then pushes it away. "I don't listen to music."

"You don't? Everyone listens to tunes. Come on." I eye her up and down holding my phone up.

“My father felt music ruined a disciplined mind. It was never allowed.” She says in a robotic manner.

“Wow…” My brows go up. “That’s sucky.” I sit up and turn to her crossing my legs. "Well, you’re with me now and tunes are my life.” I look her up and down. “You look like a dance pop kind of girl." I hit the search button.

"Dance? Really?" She arches a brow.

"You don't dance?" I ask, dropping my phone in my lap.

"Never learned." She shrugs.

"Not cool." I flip through my playlist, choose a song and hit play. I get off the bed and stand in front of it as the guitar strums my one of my favorite rifts.

"Come on." I hold a hand out and crook my fingers at her.

"No, Luke." She laughs as she sits up on her knees.

I grab her hand and lean to her. "Dance with me." I whisper.

She lets out a little sigh, smiles and joins me on the floor. I pull her into my arms and set us up for a nice slow dance.

I hold her hand in mine as I start to lead us in a sway to 'Angel Eyes' by The Jeff Healey Band.

She was doing fine until I started softly singing to her. Her cheeks turned pink, she started getting second hand embarrassment and I want to crack up, but nope. I’m serenading my lady.

I sway and spin us around my room. She’s on her bare toes as she follows my lead. This is incredible. Her smile is huge. Her eyes are dancing with me and I feel like I’m on cloud fucking 9. Making this woman happy is making be feel like a hero to her. One that she needed, I think. She needs to be treated like the princess she is. Not the Dragon Alpha they want her to be.

I belt out the lyrics with passion and heart like a damn fool. I want her to feel this in every way possible because every bit of this song is so true for me.

I rock out the end, being extra dramatic and hopefully romantic, as she laughs at my stupid ass.

I have to stop singing because I lost it and started laughing. I grin as I catch my breath. "See you can dance."

"And you can sing." She smiles back.

"You make me want to sing." I nuzzle her nose her nose with mine and she scrunches it. “That’s what your angel eyes do to me, babe. It's messed. I've never wanted to just hang out, or…ask a girl 20 questions or sing. Fuck. I can’t even believe I’m dancing right now.”

I slow us down and cup her cheek. “Just like Jeff says…I don’t know why you picked me but…Alexi. You really are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

We stare at each other for what felt like a full minute.

“Alexi, I…”

“Luke…I…”

We both start to talk at the same time, but then there’s a quick knock on my door and it opens.

Terry pokes his head in. "Hey. Sorry to bug you, but you haven't seen Evan, have you?" He looks and sounds kind of panicked.

My brow cinches. "No. He's not back yet?"

"No. It's been hours. I can't get a hold of him." Terry whips out his phone and swipes it open as he walks to me. He shows me no response from the kid and that has me worried.

I pull out my phone, open Evan's contact and shoot off a text telling him to get his ass home. I stare at the screen then glance at Terry. I dial and put the phone to my ear.

After getting his machine, I know something’s wrong. Evan responds with lightning speed 100 percent of the time. For him not to even answer the ring, is really concerning.

I hang up and pocket my phone. “Grab everyone.” I mutter then walk to my jacket.

“You think something happened.” Terry states.

“I know it did.” I head back to Alexi as I shrug my jacket on. Terry leaves and I check my phone one last time. "Babe, I have to go look for the kid. It shouldn’t be too long, so just sit tight. I’ll text you in a few, ok?”

She looks as worried as I do. “You don’t think.”

I hold up a hand. “His phone probably died or something. There’s no reason to think this is Dragon related.” I reassure.

“Ok.” She mutters.

I can tell she doesn’t believe me. I better be right.

“Ok. I gotta go.” I lean in really quick and give her a quick kiss. "Love you." I say and rush out the room.

As I hit the top stair, I stop and my lips shrink. I swallow when I realized what I just said and I start to sweat. Inside is like emotional fallout! What the hell did I just do?!

“Luke!”

Gavin breaks my internal freak out and I whine as I pitch a fit down the stairs.

“What’s wrong with you?” Bobby asks.

“Nothing.” I grumble and walk out the door.

Fuck!

Now, I'm praying I didn't just screw things up. I didn't even give her time to respond. It was a complete gut reaction. It just felt right given the moment we had. What the hell was I thinking? DAMN IT!

Pushing it aside, I straddle my bike and start it. “I'll check downtown. You guys check everywhere else.” I push off and back the bike it.

“Got it!” They all run to their cars as I rev the throttle and take off. I'm going to kick myself if this kid is hurt. Then I’m going to find that pony-tailed asshole and drive his pretty face into the sidewalk. I know this is somehow Bastian’s fault. It’s too convenient.

****

We drove around for hours, met up and checked again. He’s nowhere and nobody's seen him. I’m feeling pissed off and worried at the same time. I hate it.

I pull in and park beside Bobby. We gather in the driveway and walk into the house. We're feeling completely defeated. I can forget the whole dead phone. This has Dragon written all over it.

We stand in the front hall and take our jackets off.

Lucy bounds down the stairs. “Anything?”

I look up and Alexi has joined her.

"No. It's like he fell of the fucking planet." I mumble as I hang my coat.

Bobby stands with Terry. “We'll get everyone on it. He has to be somewhere.”

“Unless the Dragons have him.” Terry says.

“Still. They can’t hide forever.” Bobby replies.

“Yeah, well. I’m grabbing something to snack on then I’m going back out and pounding heads. Someone has to know…”

I was interrupted by the sounds for engines. I cinch my brow at the windows. I see the outside light up. Headlights. A lot of them.

I push through the guys and open the door. As I step onto my porch, I ball my fists as my driveway and the road in front of my house fills with black SUVs and motorcycles. Bikers snarl at me as I walk to the front step. My guys step out behind me.

A man with white hair, wearing a black suit gets out of the SUV parked in front of me. He walks around to the passenger rear door and opens it.

I scowl as a leg steps out and then I see a white suit with long, white hair.

I cross my arms and put on a front as the driver shuts the door, pulls a gun and stands silently. The rest all do the same. Quick head count says at least 50.

“Alpha. How nice it is to see you again.”