Forever Is Not Enough [Council Enforcers 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

far, he was the only man who had given her a reason to trust in him, and she hoped it stayed that way.
    Cold water snapped her out of her thoughts, and Jacqueline quickly got out of the shower and dried herself. She found a pair of sweats and a T-shirt on the bed and put them on. After putting her wet hair in a ponytail, she opened the bedroom door and was relieved to see the large guard was no longer there. She wasn’t ashamed to admit the man scared her with his size. He could really hurt her if he wanted to.
    Following the sound of voices, Jacqueline made her way to the kitchen. When she entered, all conversation stopped, and every head turned in her direction. The attention was very uncomfortable to say the least until Ben stepped up beside her and threw his arm around her.
    “Everyone, I would like you to meet the woman who saved my life. This is Jacqi Percival.”
    “It’s Jacqueline actually.” She felt her cheeks heat as she blushed.
    “Did you say Percival?” a man who she had never seen before asked. He was gorgeous, but every man in the room was.
    “Jacqi, you’ve already met Mitch and his mate Tessa. This is Ken and his mate Ryan.” Ben pointed to each man. “This little guy is Nico, Tessa and Mitch’s son.”
    Jacqueline watched as Ben let her go to lean down and lift Nico up. He threw the little boy over his shoulder and tickled him as the boy squealed and laughed. She couldn’t help but smile. Nico looked to be about two or three, and he was beautiful, just like his mother. She could tell Nico was happy and not afraid of anything Ben was doing to him. That went a long way in calming her nerves and making her feel safe. She had a feeling she could get attached to these people very quickly, so she decided to get everything out in the open as soon as possible. She couldn’t get close to these guys only to have them hate her and throw her out as soon as they found out who she truly was.
    “It’s nice to meet you all, and, yes, Ben said Percival. He is my father.”
    “What?” Ryan said.
    “Why the hell did you bring her here, Ben?” Mitch growled.
    “No, he isn’t,” Ken quietly mumbled.
    Jacqueline ignored Ben’s growl as he came up behind her with Nico still in his arm and wrapped his other around her. The comments from the other two were exactly what she expected to hear, but it was Ken’s statement that had caught her off guard.
    “What do you mean he isn’t my father?” she asked Ken.
    “You don’t smell of shifter. You’re one hundred percent human. There is no way that man can be your father.”
    Jacqueline sat dawn heavily in her chair. “I don’t understand. How can he not be my father? He’s all I’ve ever known.”
    “Where’s your mother?” Tessa rubbed her back as she asked the question.
    “Dead. My father told me she died when I was two. I’ve never even seen a picture of her.”
    “Jacqi, don’t you think that’s strange? Why wouldn’t Percival at least have one picture of your mother?”
    Jacqueline laughed. “You don’t know my father. The man is beyond cruel. He made it a point of letting me know growing up how much he hated my mother and how lucky I was that he kept me instead of giving me away. The man is not, nor has he ever been, sentimental, so, no, I don’t think it’s strange he doesn’t have any pictures.”
    A growl had her snapping her head up. She knew it came from Ken, but it hadn’t been directed at her. He was looking at her with sympathy on his face. His mate, Ryan, was rubbing his arm, comforting him. Mitch sat staring at her with an annoyed look that she was starting to believe he used on everyone except his mate and cub.
    “I’m starved. Let’s eat.”
    She was glad when Ben changed the subject then sat next to her and squeezed her hand. Jacqueline wasn’t used to all the attention being focused on her. In her world, attention was not a good thing. Flying under the radar and going unnoticed was the safest way to stay alive.
    Jacqueline ate lunch in silence as she watched everyone at the table interact with each other. They teased and joked, but it was all in fun and not meant to be cruel. She didn’t think she had ever heard so much laughter in one place. Even little Nico laughed along, although she had a feeling he didn’t have a clue what they were laughing at. They all showed concern for Ben and his health. Tessa made sure he had enough to eat as she fussed over him, and even Mitch took the time to ask him if he