Change Me (The Protector Series Book 2) Read online

  I was still breathing heavily when I pulled into Macie’s complex. I wasn’t sure if that was from the running or from the thought of someone hurting her.

  I forced myself to take a few more calming breaths before letting myself knock on her door.

  “Uh, let me go shut the window,” she said after staring at me for a beat. I nodded and waited in the doorway for her to return, still trying to calm my racing heart.

  “Oh. You can come in,” she said when she came back down the hall.

  I took a step inside and gently closed the door. Macie made herself comfortable on the couch and looked up at me expectantly. I put my hands in the pockets of the sweats I’d been lounging in all day.

  “What happened to your wrist?” I asked as calmly as possible.

  “I hurt it at work.”

  “You’re lying. I saw the bruises. Who grabbed you?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m not lying. It happened while I was working. I don’t know his name, but I took care of it.”

  “I want to take care of it again,” I told her, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “I don’t need your help,” she huffed.

  “When do you work again?”

  “In about two hours,” she said after she glanced at the clock on the wall.

  “Good. I’ll go with you,” I said as I sat down beside her.

  Her eyes got wide and she jumped to her feet. “You will not.”

  “How will you stop me?” I smirked.

  She glared at me and I grinned.

  “I don’t have time for this. I’m going to get ready. Feel free to show yourself out.”

  I stuck my arm out and grabbed her around the waist, stopping her from storming back to her bedroom. I stood without releasing my hold on her. I towered over her, but she refused to look up at me.

  “I don’t like the idea of someone hurting you,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “I don’t like the idea of you worrying about me,” she said flatly.

  “Then we have something in common,” I whispered as I let go of her and let myself out of her apartment.

  I waited for her to leave for work so I could follow her. Maybe it would seem wrong to a normal person, but I’m a Raider; I never claimed to be “normal.” It was almost eleven o’clock when she finally left her building. She was wearing a black tank top and dark jeans that stuck to every inch of her legs. The red converse she wore with them made me grin. As if this gorgeous girl didn’t stand out enough, she had to pick some bright-ass shoes to wear around.

  I was shocked when she didn’t go to a vehicle in the lot. Instead, she started walking down the sidewalk. I was certain there were no places of business within walking distance this late at night other than Showtime’s. And I knew she didn’t work there; I would have seen her by now.

  I groaned as I left my bike in the parking lot and followed her on foot. She did the opposite of what I expected and turned the corner, heading away from town and toward some older apartment buildings. She put her right hand to her chest and picked up the pace. She stopped outside of a rundown building. There were multiple lights on, indicating that several people lived in the apartments. I watched her dig something out of her pocket and pop it into her mouth before she jogged to the back side of the building.

  I trailed her as quietly as possible and kept myself hidden behind a tree as I watched. She was looking up at an apartment on the third floor. The lights were dimmed but there was loud music playing inside. My jaw dropped as I watched Macie jump up to grab the ladder leading to the fire escape. The old ladder didn’t come all the way down like I had expected, but she didn’t hesitate to climb up the thing like she was doing the monkey bars on a playground. I was impressed by her strength and couldn’t help but enjoy the view.

  My heart rate picked up when she tried to lift the window to the random apartment. What was this girl doing?

  I came out from behind the tree when she used her tiny elbow to break the glass. I heard her grunting in pain as she climbed inside the apartment. I was climbing up the fire escape when I heard shouting from inside. I was through the window a second later. I’d entered through a bedroom window and the room was empty. I heard commotion out in the hall and slowly opened the door. I saw a teenage girl curled up on the floor, crying. I left her and went down the hall into the tiny living space. Macie had both of her hands around a grown man’s throat. His face was bright red and his eyes were wide. I stood there in shock until she released him.

  “You don’t want me to come back here again,” she said through gritted teeth as the man fell to his knees and attempted to catch his breath.

  When Macie turned around and saw me standing at the end of the hall, all of the color drained from her face.

  “What the—,” she started but was unable to finish.

  I hadn’t realized that the man had crawled behind her and knocked her feet out from under her. She bounced the side of her head off of a small table before collapsing on the floor.

  My body filled with rage in no time flat. I picked the overweight man up off the floor and slammed him against the nearest wall. I used my forearm to hold him in place as I punched him repeatedly in the stomach. I didn’t stop until vomit spewed from his mouth. I released him and watched as he writhed on the floor in his own puke before turning my attention to Macie. She was still out cold. I jogged down the hall and handed the teenage girl all of the cash in my wallet. As I got closer to her I noticed she had a black eye and her lip was busted.

  “Go somewhere safe,” I told her.

  I picked Macie up in my arms and walked out the front door of the trashy apartment. I jogged all the way back to her place and used a credit card to pop the lock to her front door. I gently laid her down on the couch before I started pacing through her apartment. What was she doing at that apartment? Did she know those people? How did she know the young girl was hurt?

  Hundreds of questions ran through my head before I remembered her breaking the window. I knelt down beside her and examined her left elbow: it was covered in small cuts and dried blood. I gritted my teeth as my eyes zoned in on the bruises around her wrist.

  Once again, I found myself wondering what kind of girl Macie really was and why the hell I even cared.

  When I came to I was lying on my couch with a bag of ice on my forehead. I lifted my head and attempted to look around, but the shooting pain in my head forced me stay still. I lifted my arm to remove the ice from my head and saw a bandage wrapped around my elbow. I stared at the bandage and tried to recall what had happened.

  “Are you feeling all right?” I heard Jasper ask just as the memories became clear.

  I sat up on the couch and ignored my throbbing head as I glared at him. He lifted his hands in a “calm down” motion as he took a few steps toward me.

  “I don’t want to piss you off. I want to make sure you’re okay,” he said softly.

  “You wouldn’t have to ask if I’m okay if you wouldn’t have followed me tonight. You distracted me. You’re the reason I’m hurt. Who the hell do you think you are?” I snapped.

  “I didn’t want you to get hurt again,” he muttered.

  “Get. Out. Now.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, Macie. Not if you’re going to go out there and break into some stranger’s apartment again. You could get yourself killed!”

  I stood and took one hard step toward him. “Like you have any room to talk when it comes to breaking into places, Jasper. Unlike you, I was doing it to help someone. Someone other than myself.”

  “Why?” He asked as he glared at me.

  “It’s my job,” I hissed, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “I know you’re not a cop, so what are you?”

  I opened my mouth to answer him but quickly snapped it shut and shook my head.

  “I can’t talk about this while my head is pounding.”

  “Fine, but I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  I rolled my eyes at his back as he
walked out of my apartment. I locked the door and then hurried to my bedroom. I ripped the sheet off of my bed and used thumb tacks to hang it over my window. I think I might have fallen asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

  ***

  The next morning I was feeling much better. I took some pain medicine with a glass of orange juice before I got in the shower. The knot on the side of my head was significantly smaller and the scratches on my elbow looked worse than they felt. I made up my mind to relax as much as possible that day. When I’d finished getting dressed, I took down the sheet that was covering my window. There was a note taped on the outside glass.

  Very funny.

  -J

  I chuckled to myself as I tossed the paper in the trash. What was I going to do about Jasper? He was suspicious about me, but I couldn’t trust him with the truth. I knew he wasn’t a trustworthy person just by seeing all of the things in that abandoned building. He was a thief. So why couldn’t I stop thinking about him?

  I was reading a book that Nat had given me when there was a knock on my door. I opened it to see a sheepish-looking Jasper with a pizza in his hands.

  “Peace offering,” he muttered as he held the pizza out to me. I opened the box and saw that half the pizza was pepperoni and the other half was Canadian bacon and pineapple.

  “Is the pepperoni half for you?” I asked, stepping to the side and allowing him to come in.

  “You like Canadian bacon and pineapple?” he asked with wide eyes.

  “It’s my favorite.”

  “Damn, guess I shouldn’t have gotten the pepperoni,” he said with a smirk.

  He was in sweats again and the t-shirt he was wearing was loose compared to the ones he normally wore. I found myself feeling disappointed that his muscles weren't on display. He started chuckling and I realized he’d just caught me checking him out. Again. I shrugged and took a seat in the center of the couch, leaving enough room for him to sit on either side of me.

  “Are we friends again?” he asked as he sat beside me.

  “Were we ever?” I asked with a smirk.

  “We probably shouldn’t be.” He smiled when he said it, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. I agreed with him, so I didn’t feel the need to question his reasoning.

  I ate one slice of pizza and let him have the rest of the half. Neither of us touched the pepperoni half, so he said he would take it to his roommate later.

  “Is that the guy from the abandoned building?” I asked, trying to seem uninterested as I watched the TV.

  “Yeah, that’s Sam.”

  “How’s his arm?”

  “It’s great. Thanks to you. How’d you find him in there?” he asked as he studied my face.

  “I heard him yelling,” I said with a shrug, not making eye contact.

  “You just happened to be in the neighborhood?” he scoffed.

  “If that’s what you want to call it,” I shrugged again.

  “When are you going to stop being a liar?”

  I looked at him with raised eyebrows and he glared back at me.

  “Maybe when you stop being a thief,” I snapped.

  Anger flashed in his eyes as he pinned me with a look that almost frightened me. I was the first to look away. I fidgeted in my seat uncomfortably, wishing I hadn’t started asking questions in the first place.

  Thankfully, my phone started ringing and I jumped at the opportunity to break the tension in the room. I smiled when Shi’s picture lit up the screen of my cellphone.

  “Hi, Bubba,” I answered.

  “Hey, Mace. How are things? How’s school?” I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was exhausted.

  “Things are good. I actually really like my classes now that I’ve finally caught myself up.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I’m proud of you, Macie,” he said as he tried to stifle a yawn.

  “Is everything okay, Shi? You sound really tired. Everything okay at work?” I asked. I glanced at Jasper to make sure he was focused on the TV and not on my conversation.

  “Everything is fine. It’s just been a long week. Nat is wondering when you’re coming to visit.”

  “It’ll probably be a few more weeks, but I’ll come as soon as I can. Is she doing okay?”

  “We’re all good, just missing our third wheel,” he laughed.

  “I miss you guys, too, Bubba. I’ll be home soon,” I promised.

  We said our goodbyes, and I sighed as I sat my phone down on the counter. I really missed home, but I was determined to be my own person without any help from Shi and Nat.

  “Where is home?” Jasper asked. I spun around quickly to see that he was standing right behind me.

  “I-I’m from Washington,” I stammered, flustered by his closeness.

  “And what made you choose Florida?” he asked with one brow raised.

  “I spent a few summers here as a kid and my best friend lives here,” I shrugged.

  He stared at me for a moment before finally taking a step back.

  “You’re a good girl, Macie. Do us both a favor and stay away from me.”

  I stared at him with what I’m sure was a look of confusion as he turned his back to me and left my apartment. I’m not sure why because I barely knew him, but I felt a sting of sadness as the door closed. I trashed the leftover pizza because I knew Jasper wouldn’t be coming back for it and I wasn’t going to eat it. I was dialing Taylor’s number when I got a text from Nat. After reading what it said, I called her immediately.

  “Hey, Macie,” she said, exhausted.

  “What’s going on, Nat?” I asked, worried at the sound of her voice after hearing the same tone from my brother.

  “Well, your brother is going to kill me for telling you, but I would want to know if I were you. Some of the Protectors in Seattle are trying to overthrow Bennett. They don’t agree with the lifestyle Bennett expects them to live. It’s been an exhausting week, and it doesn’t look like the chaos will be ending soon.”

  “I’m coming home,” I said without hesitation.

  “What about school?” Nat said through a yawn.

  “I’ll withdraw if I have to. I can re-enroll next semester.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Macie,” she trailed off.

  “Do you want my help or not?” I snapped.

  “See you soon,” she said before hanging up.

  I sent Taylor a text before getting in the shower letting her know I had to go back to Washington for a few days.

  I gathered a few of my things and stuffed them into a backpack before checking for flights online. The soonest one wasn’t until midnight. I groaned as I text Nat, letting her know it would be tomorrow before I could make it.

  I dried my hair and pulled it into a messy bun on top of my head and put a fresh coat of black polish on my nails while I watched an episode on the cooking channel. After I had finished trying to keep myself busy, I realized it still wasn’t even dark outside. I slipped on my Nikes and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. I hoped a long run would help me pass the time while also clearing my head.

  There was a park a few blocks south of my building that had several picnic tables and a trail that was perfect for walking or jogging. I took my time walking to the park. I popped in my earbuds and chose an old playlist that Taylor and I had made a couple of summers ago. After a few quick stretches I took off and attempted to clear all thoughts from my mind.

  I'd run over a mile before I noticed one of the couples sitting at a nearby picnic table. It was Jasper. Accompanied by a gorgeous brunette. Their hands were connected in the middle of the table. I hadn’t noticed them the last time I’d passed, so I assumed they'd arrived within the last couple of minutes. I slowed my pace as I watched her talk animatedly to him. He seemed less than interested in what she was saying, but she continued to ramble on endlessly. I refused to let myself admit to feeling hurt and jealous. I ran faster and pushed myself harder. I'm not sure if Jasper ever realized it was me on the trail, but
they were gone by the time I had made my way back around.

  I walked home slowly when the sun started to set. I knew I'd have enough time to shower again and get a few hours of sleep before I had to be at the airport. At least I thought that was going to be the case. Until I saw Jasper waiting outside my door. He was leaning against the wall with his head tipped back like he was looking at the ceiling. When I got closer I could tell his eyes were closed. I wondered how long he'd been standing there.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, not bothering to look at him as I opened my door.

  “Waiting for you,” he shrugged.

  I walked inside and purposefully left the door open for him. He followed me without invitation and shut the door behind him.

  “I know you saw me with Brooke.”

  “Who?” I asked, playing dumb.

  “Brooke. At the park. I saw you running, and I'm pretty sure you saw me, too,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “What's your point?”

  “Are you mad about it?” he asked.

  “No,” I scoffed awkwardly.

  “Well, that was convincing,” he smirked.

  I rolled my eyes and walked to my bedroom. “Why would I be mad? You can do whatever you want to do, Jasper,” I called as I put the last few items in my backpack.

  “What's with the bag?” Jasper asked. I hadn't realized that he had followed me down the hall.

  “I'm going out of town,” I shrugged.

  “When?”

  “Tonight,” I answered as I grabbed a change of clothes and walked to the bathroom. I made sure I locked the door behind me.

  “Tonight? Where are you going? When will you be back?” he asked through the door. I turned on the shower and stepped under the hot water before answering him. “Wouldn't you like to know.”

  “Don't try to be funny, Macie. Tell me where you're going,” he said.

  “Nah, I don't think I will. You know the way out, Jasper,” I said in my best fake-sweet voice.

  He didn't respond. I took my time in the shower, thinking about Bennett in Seattle. I was worried about him. When he’d first stepped up to be the leader of the Protectors, there had been a few women who weren't happy about it. One of them had left, and the other two eventually conformed. I hoped it wasn't as bad as Nat had made it sound.