Free My Feline Protector (Middlemarch Shifters Book 6) by Shelley Munro Page A

gave me. I-I…he hurt me. Gave me a bloody nose and my eye went black.”
    Fury pounded Gerard. A growl squeezed past his compressed lips and feline claws dug into his clenched fists. He inhaled and forced his feline to subside.
    London frowned at him and he managed a sheepish laugh, although the lingering edges of his temper remained sharp and capable of flaring out of control if he didn’t take care.
    “I told him to leave.” She swallowed, her cheeks devoid of color and he wanted to reach for her hand. He couldn’t because claws still protruded past his fingernails. “He dragged me upstairs, kicked me in the ribs because I wasn’t quick enough to climb to my feet and he… I ended up with a broken arm to go with my blood nose and black eye.”
    “You should have had him arrested.”
    She swallowed loudly. “I wanted to forget the whole thing.”
    “Didn’t your sister notice your injuries? Your friends?”
    “Royce made sure I was isolated, and Jenny traveled often.” She shrugged. “I was always an uncoordinated child, so Jenny believed Royce when he said I was the clumsiest person he’d ever met. Jenny believed I was denying my clumsiness because I was embarrassed. Royce played us both.”
    “I see. What happened next?”
    “Royce stayed away from me, and I thanked the stars for my lucky escape. But then I realized he and Jenny were dating. They’d been seeing each other on the sly, and he’d asked her to marry him. I tried to tell Jenny she was making a mistake, that he was a violent man. She accused me of jealousy and trying to wreck her happiness. Our relationship became frosty and when she married Royce two weeks later, I knew I couldn’t stay in London. A friend was moving to Bath for their job, and when she suggested I should go too, I seized the opportunity. I haven’t regretted the move, but I missed my sister.”
    “When did you get back together again?”
    “Jenny rang me out of the blue. She apologized and told me I had been right about Royce and she wanted out of the marriage. At first, I hung up on her, but she persisted. She left her job and joined me in Bath. A part of me was still angry at her. She’d shattered my trust, but she was the only family I had. Eventually, she talked me into this holiday. After three and a half years, I wanted to know my sister again—despite the past. I wanted to reconnect, so I jumped at the chance when she offered to pay our airfares. I figured, if everything went pear-shaped, I could return to Bath.”
    “Lucky break for me,” Gerard said, meaning every word. “If it wasn’t for your sister dragging you over to this side of the world, I’d never have met you.” He seized her hand, careful not to prick her with his claws. “I mean it. I like you a lot, London. It’s not the right time now, but I want to get to know you better.”
    A blush flooded her pale visage, a tremulous smile forming on her lips.
    “I promise to treat you right. I can’t promise I won’t lose my temper at times, but I will never strike you in anger.” His gaze connected with hers. “Never.”
    She frowned, and his feline ceased the motorboat purring he’d started once Gerard held London’s hand.
    “You don’t believe me?”
    “What? Yes, I believe you are telling me the truth. Your eyes…” She blinked and regarded him closely.
    He had to force himself not to move, to focus on batting his feline into submission. The last thing he wanted was to scare her. He’d tell her once they got to know each other better, once his human mind was sure she was his mate and his feline wasn’t steering him wrong. He wanted certainty and truth between him and London. Besides, hitting on her right after someone had murdered her sister was plain tacky.
    “I must be tired. I thought…never mind. It’s been a long day.”
    Their meals arrived, delicious as normal. Gerard kept London talking and did a fair share himself as they traded personal info. She told him how her parents