LUKE NODORF STALKED around his desk. The office was too small. He was too far up to pace out to the street and take a walk. Times like these, he missed the little home he'd grown up in. He'd been something of an anomaly in those days, a white boy in the ghetto, but it was the best his family could afford. Even now he'd buy his parents a real home if they'd let him, but they just turned their nose up whenever he offered to help.The simple fact was that Luke didn't need them anymore. He'd offered out of respect. If his parents wanted to ride their high horse into the grave, so be it. That was their dying wish.Luke had bigger problems to worry about. Like the National Council of Provinces.Two more of his loyal men were out. This was after nearly a dozen representatives Luke had counted on lost their elections. At this point there were less than twenty-four sitting representatives for him to ply with cash and promises to sway votes his way.And what a time to be on the outs with so
COCO COULDN'T KEEP hiding in the bathroom, but beyond that door was a man. A man she'd allowed to sleep in her bed, hold her and do unspeakably pleasurable things to her.What had she been thinking?She hadn't. She'd been feeling. And that was a very deep pool she didn't know how to get out of. The truth of it was that Coco had allowed herself to get swept up in all those feel-good things. She'd been touch-starved, and he'd offered her a buffet.Now what did she do?Coco had never brought a man to her place before. Her previous boyfriend had fizzled out years before and the few, brief romantic interludes were always the sort of thing where she had to go to them. All of which left her totally unprepared for what the hell she should be doing now.She paced the length of the bathroom. In the light of day it was easier to examine the things she'd felt and thought. Her heart had gone way over the line. While he might have drunk too much, she'd been drunk on feelings.He had to go. She
PAXTON WRAPPED HIS arm around Coco's shoulders from behind and knelt with her in the grass. Sobs shook her. Hell, just looking at the wounds that had taken down such a magnificent creature made him want to weep. But he had a job to do. Aegis Group had volunteered to come down and help with the poaching problem and here it was for him to see.He pressed a kiss to the silk turban still containing her curls then stood.Before leaving home, Paxton had sat in on a seminar like everyone else on the basics of poaching and what they were up against. There were many similarities in the methods used to combat the crimes that ran parallel to Paxton's current work, both making use of his training from the Marines. He dusted off his hands and pushed the animal loving kid inside of him to the side so he could examine the scene.He circled the body.Several tranq darts stuck out of the animal's thick hide. He wasn't a good guess at the rhino's weight, but it had to at least weigh over two tons. T
COCO PULLED HER phone out of her pocket as she walked up the lane toward the honeymoon villa at the new resort. Still no new texts or missed calls. Not a single notification.Why was she disappointed she hadn't heard from Paxton after kicking him out the way she had? Could she blame him?She slid her phone into her pocket then covered her face in her hands, muffling her groan. A half hour alone had helped her find her calm, but it also made room for the guilt.Paxton had been kind, considerate, sweet, even gentle with her at times. And how had she repaid that? By snapping in his face and yelling at him to get out.Had she yelled?It had been so quiet and her voice was loud in the small space. It had felt like she'd yelled.There was no changing her introverted nature. Sometimes she just needed to be away from people. It was a fact and it wouldn't change anytime soon, but she could have been nicer. Now she wasn't sure if she should reach out of what the correct thing to do was. Fo
PAXTON KEPT HIS hands on his knees, tapping his fingers against his shins.There was still time to leave. Lots more people than he'd anticipated had shown up for the wedding. No one would miss him.Probably not even Coco.He didn't like admitting that, but it was the truth. Why did that truth bother him? He wasn't in the habit of letting people get to him this much.Fuck it.He was going.Paxton stood as a man wearing clerical robes accompanied Shane to stand under the spread of flowers and leaves that had been hung from the trees overhead. Lights twinkled behind him as the sun cast a riot of color across the late afternoon sky."Sit, man." Silas chopped the back of Paxton's knee, causing his leg to buckle.He sat down hard as the first strands of music hushed the crowd.He'd waited too long.His throat tightened, and he clenched his fists. He really didn't want to be here.The stragglers rushed to their seats and most people turned to watch back up the aisle. Paxton wasn't
"Hey? Hey, it's okay." He closed the distance between them and saw the tears clinging to her lashes.Coco wrapped her arms around him, but leaned her head back. "It's a lot of make-up.""I don't care. Come here." He pulled her in closer and she squeezed him tight.They stood like that for several moments. He didn't like seeing her upset, but it did sooth a part of him to know that she'd hugged him first. She took deep, shuddering breaths as she regained her composure. When she'd caught her breath, she placed her hands on his chest and tipped her chin up."Apparently I suck at the morning after stuff.""It's okay-""No, it's not. Just shut up for one second." She took a breath, her gaze never leaving his. "I'm better with animals than I am with people. When we woke up, all I wanted was an hour or two by myself to...mentally prepare for today. And instead of telling you that like a reasonable, rational person, I freaked out. I'm sorry. It was me, not you."Everything fell into pla
COCO STARED OUT at the activity spread out in what was typically a parking lot. The Aegis Group guys had turned it into a command center with a huge tent, housing their planning areas and equipment storage. Today their teams were upgrading and installing cameras around the perimeter of Mlilo. It was astounding to see so much change happening.And all because Lacey had gone off and fallen in love with the right guy.Coco shook her head and smiled. Lacey was a force of nature. Nothing should surprise Coco anymore when it came to her friend.She pulled out her phone and checked the time.Just after lunch.Technically she was still on holiday, but she didn't trust many people with her pangolins, so she'd been up at first light to tend to their injured and Sushi Roll.She had enough time.Daluxolo had said she could use his car rather than take her bike into Soweto.If she was going at all, she needed to go now. Before too much time had past.She was doing it.Coco turned and head
By the time they reached Soweto she felt like she knew Silas to some degree. She wasn't entirely certain she liked him as much as Paxton did, but she understood their bond better."Where we going?" he asked.She pulled out her phone and gave him directions."How'd you find this kid?""Cameron had references. I called and asked around.""What are you going to do if you find him?""A lot of that depends on him." She glanced at Paxton. "I didn't have a good feeling about hiring Cameron on in the beginning because of how he was acting. That doesn't mean I didn't want it to work out. There are few enough opportunities as is. I get why he did what he did.""Is this it?" Paxton peered up at a four-story apartment building."Yeah." She popped her seatbelt. "Stay in the car. I'll be back. Do not get out, okay?""I'll be right here." He placed his hands on the steering wheel.She paused and glanced at his backpack. "Are you, I mean, do you carry...?""Do I have a gun with me?" He turn