When Lightning Strikes Read Free

one of his enforcers stepped forward, grabbing my hand. “I’m Rip,” he crowed with teeth flashing. His piercing blue eyes stared at me with interest. Too much for my liking. There was way too much confidence in his golden surfer guy swagger. He looked like something right out of a fashion magazine.
    “Really?” I rolled my eyes, removing my hand from his. “My panties will not be dropping for the likes of you, golden boy.”
    He upped the wattage of his smile. “I like her.”
    A throat cleared and the tightly muscled guy with jet-black hair cropped in a buzz-cut pushed away from the door. He smiled, flashing a dimple as he studied me leisurely but thoroughly. “I’m Jackal.” He waved his hand over his shoulder and noted dismissively. “That’s Soar.” Soar ran his hand over his chestnut short-cropped hair as his mouth curled downward.
    Rip puffed his chest, smiling flirtatiously. “So, Lightning, are you single?”
    “Rip.” Ryker’s voice was harsh.
    I laughed at his bold flirting. I heard through the Other rumor mill about Ryker’s new enforcers. They didn’t look as deadly as Others made them out to be, but looks were sometimes deceiving. I glanced at Ryker, who was glaring at Rip with murder in his eyes.
    “Nice to meet you three.” I leaned closer to Rip. “And I’m very single.”
    His smile widened as his blue eyes left me and moved to where Ryker sat at the edge of the desk.
    I looked at Storm quickly. “Where’s Noah?”
    Noah was Storm’s friend and an enforcer for the Alfero pack, Ryker’s pack, the largest and toughest New York wolf-shifter pack.
    Rip, Jackal, and Soar looked at Knox with raised brows before clearing their throats loudly. “Noah decided to take a position in England,” Rip responded.
    I arched a brow. “That was sudden.”
    Storm grumbled, “Apparently.”

    “Rip. Move,” Ryker snapped.
    Blinking innocently, Rip turned to him with a wide smile. “Why? If you’re not interested, then—”
    Ryker moved from the desk. Rip winked at me before sliding back to take post by the door. Ryker sat back down and scowled.
    “Wow, okay, that was intense,” Storm mused loudly while looking at Knox’s arms pointedly. He released her. She smiled, leaning up to kiss him hard before swaggering over to me. Her eyes narrowed. I knew she could see the frayed emotional walls around my mind, that and the fact I hadn’t slept in days. She kissed me softly on the cheek. “You okay?”
    “Not with Wolfie all up in my face.”
    Storm looked from me to Ryker, then back to me. Her eyes widened. “Oh, I see.”
    I rolled my eyes. “No. You don’t see… because there’s nothing to see.”
    Storm smiled cheekily. “Why don’t you take your own advice and submit?”
    I gritted my teeth. She was throwing back my advice to her about Knox, encouraging her to give him a chance. Ryker and I were not the same. She knew that. I had issues… and from the smug look on Ryker’s face, he did too.
    “I’ll deal with you in private, Stormy Credence,” I hissed.
    Storm smiled widely. “I’m not scared.”
    Knox came up behind Storm, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Come on, baby.” He winked at Ryker. “Let the Alpha play with his new submissive.” He pulled her toward the leather sofa while whispering something in her ear.
    My eyes narrowed on Knox. “I did like you, rock star. Now? Not so much.”
    Reason leaned back, watching us silently as if we were some horrible experiment gone wrong. “I feel like I’m missing something here and I can’t figure out what.”
    I snapped my fingers loudly. “You, lawyer girl, we’re paying out the ass for you to do lawyer stuff. Close your mouth and do your job.” I nodded over at Ryker and his enforcers. “Get rid of wild kingdom and let’s get on with business.”
    Reason rolled her eyes. “Simmer down, Lightning. My job is to get you out of trouble; it’s not to prevent you from getting into it.” She stood up, strolling