Free Jared (River Pack Wolves 3) - New Adult Paranormal Romance by Alisa Woods

shifter gangs out there who aren’t happy with my father. Apparently, there been some threats against me. My father wanted me to have a personal bodyguard, just in case.”
    Kylie’s face took on a look of horror. “Oh my God, Grace.”
    Nolan’s face had gone stormy. “What kind of threats?”
    “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
    “I’m sure it’s not nothing.” Nolan’s storm darkened. “The Senator wouldn’t do this if it weren’t necessary.”
    Grace shook her head. Her father, the Senator, was looking out for himself, primarily. That would be even more true, if he knew what she was.
    “I don’t like this.” Nolan’s voice had dropped an octave.
    “Well, I don’t like it, either,” Grace said. “It’s probably nothing, but I’m going to have a bodyguard for a while, so you guys will have to get used to it. Just for the campaign. Just a precaution.”
    “I think I need to have a talk with your new bodyguard.” Nolan wrestled the door open and squeezed past them to get out.
    “Oh Christ,” Grace said under her breath.
    Kylie scowled after him. “He better not mess with this. You need to get laid, Grace, and Hot Bodyguard Man seems like just the ticket. Don’t worry, I won’t let Nolan screw this up for you.” She charged out after him.
    Grace sighed and followed them both, scurrying in her high heels to try to stop Nolan before he reached Jared. But by the time she arrived at her office, Nolan was already laying into Jared, who was looming over him with his arms crossed. Jared’s expression, looking down at Nolan, was the kind you gave a steaming pile of crap on the sidewalk that you’d like to avoid stepping in.
    Nolan was getting in his face. “What kind of threat are we talking here? Do you have the details? Or are you just the muscle?”
    “Nolan!” Grace said, stumbling into the room. “For God’s sake—”
    “We have a right to know,” Nolan said, throwing a glance at her. “If there’s a threat against you, and you bring it into the office, we have to know what we’re dealing with.” He mimicked Jared by folding his arms.
    “Nolan, don’t be a pain in the ass.” But Kylie’s admonishment didn’t even make him flinch.
    “Shifters are dangerous,” Nolan said, his voice hard. “If it’s a gang, it’s even worse. If it’s some deranged individual, with a burr in his fur, they could be flat psychotic. A predator. They’re animals, and God only knows what they’ll do. So I want to hear everything you know about this threat against Grace.” Nolan’s words were hard and demanding—Grace was impressed that Jared kept his expression unchanging and inscrutable.
    “You’re the speechwriter, right?” Jared’s voice was ice cold.
    “What does that have to do with anything—”
    “No one cares about you.”
    Grace had to stifle her laugh. She really shouldn’t be laughing—Nolan was just trying to protect her. Well, throw his testosterone around a bit, like he was marking territory or something, but also protect her. She knew him—he was genuinely worried. And he had cause to be, only not for the reasons he thought.
    Meanwhile, Nolan’s face was slowly turning red. “Maybe they’re trying to intimidate us. Maybe this threat from the shifters is all about derailing the Senator’s plans.” He swung a pointed look to Grace. “We’re not going to let them intimidate us, are we, Grace?”
    Jared flicked a look at her, boring into her with his dark eyes.
    “That’s why I’m here,” Grace said to both of them. “We continue on, just like normal. We don’t let anyone intimidate us.”
    She pursed her lips because she didn’t really want to have this conversation at all.
    Nolan and Kylie were both giving her nods of approval. Nolan unlocked his arms and strode toward the door. He brushed past her, giving her a still-angry look, but then he paused at the threshold. “We have that rally at two o’clock. I’m going. Kylie will go. But Grace… I think you