Darin: The Pride of the Double Deuce - Erotic Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (4 page)

“He’d be out someday. Dead is forever. And I’m thinking that he’d get to you even from behind bars. That man has a long arm and no sense of what’s right.” Mercedes got up and kissed her dad on the forehead before moving to the door. “You’re gonna come back, aren’t you? I mean today?”

“I live here too, Dad. I’ll be back every night. I just have to go and figure out where my workplace is, as well as supplies I’m going to need for the office here. Susie said that they’d put one in at the horse ranch, too. I need to tell her what sort of things, drugs and such, I’m going to need to get started.” He asked her to take some pictures. “Come on out with me. You can pretty much go and come as you please, Mason said.”

“I don’t want to be a bother.” Mercedes could see that he really wanted to go. “You know they put in a ramp for me too? Right out there on the deck, like it was something that they’d meant to do all along.”

“I’m sure that they expect you to use it too.” She opened the door for him, and he rolled toward her. “We’ll make our way to the offices first. Gerard said that they were near the barn.”

There was a lot of construction going on today and lots of men and women working around the ranch. Several dozen of them were working on a big building that looked nearly completed. Mercedes wondered if that was the dairy that they’d been talking about. She knew that this family had money. While the men seemed to be a little less comfortable with their wealth, the women for the most part seemed to fit it like a well-worn rug. Not Susie. She was like her, or used to be. Poor as a church mouse, as her dad used to say.

The building she was using for a sort of clinic was right where Mason had told her it would be. But the size of it was breathtaking. The office building that she had worked at before would have fit in this one nicely, and this was all hers. And it was well equipped too. Her dad was looking over some of the cabinets and their contents when someone walked in the room with them. Mercedes moved to stand near her father.

“My name is Landon McBride. Emma is my little girl. I didn’t mean to startle you, darlin’.” She nodded but didn’t move. “I heard tell you were a might skittish. That’s all right, sweet pea. I’m sort of, too, around a pretty young woman. My wife said I’m harmless and I am.”

Ignoring his flirting, Mercedes pointed to her dad and made the introductions. Mr. McBride moved toward him and shook his hand. The two of them seemed to hit it off really well, and Mercedes felt herself relax a little. There were so many new people coming and going here, she couldn’t help but be nervous. Hearing a car pull up out in the drive, she looked out the window to see her daughter being let out.

Moving out to catch her, she was knocked over when she came running at her. Mercedes was still laughing when Mr. McBride gave her a hand up. It was so nice to have her daughter being this happy again that she didn’t care at all to be dirty. Mercedes introduced her to Landon, as he’d asked to be called, then her father. Bonnie took to her dad like they’d been together all her life, but her dad was as emotional as she was.

Her father sobbed for ten minutes when he met his granddaughter for the first time. Mercedes decided right then if she could have this kind of happiness every day, she’d almost work for the Douglas McBride ranches for free.

While she made her list, keeping an eye on Bonnie and the men around the ranch, Mercedes decided that she was going to enjoy this as well. The equipment was new and up to date. There was enough room for her to take care of just about any animal that came to see her, and they’d even provided her with a car big enough for her entire family to get around in so she’d not be stuck at any one place. Susie came in to see her just as she was putting the last few things on the list.

“I’ll take you over to the other station in the morning. But they have the same lay out with the same equipment. Mason pointed out that we didn’t want you to have to wait on equipment or whatever if it was needed at one of the other ranches. But for now, we’re about ready to go into town, and I know you don’t want to miss that.” Mercedes wasn’t so sure and said as much to her. “It’ll be fun. You’ll see. And you’ll meet the rest of the family. I know we can be a bit overwhelming, but getting it over with all at once will be better for you. And they promised to be on their best behavior. I wouldn’t count on it, but they said they’d try. Really, there are only two more brothers to meet. I think you’ve met the rest of them.”

“Yes, Zack and Darin, I think their names are.” Susie nodded. “My daughter is quite taken with Darin. He drew a rainbow for her on her cast and took her to lunch. She said that she also got to be taste tester for some scones for tomorrow, as well as some sort of salad dressing. I’m surprised that she even consented to a salad. Normally, she’s not a big fan of green and leafy.”

“Neither are we, but we make an effort.” Susie laughed as they made their way out of the building. “Mercedes, remember when I told you about seeing strange things around here? And that I wanted you to keep an open mind?”

“Yes.” As soon as she saw the wolf, Mercedes froze. Her daughter was petting the biggest wolf that Mercedes had ever seen. “Is that your pet?”

“No. He’s our neighbor and friend. I’m sorry to have to do this to you, but things are moving faster than we expected. The wolf is a shifter. His name is Paddy Sexton. His wife is Julia. They live in the house about four miles from here.” Mercedes looked at her, then back at her little girl who was playing with a smaller version of the big wolf. “That’s his son, Patrick. He’ll go to school with Bonnie. They’re shifters. Like we are.”

“No.” Susie nodded that they were. “No, I don’t believe in shifters. I...they don’t exist. They’re made up, like in books.”

“No, we’re very real. I’m telling you this now because I wanted you not to be afraid when you come upon one of us out in the woods, and you will. We run here, that’s why it’s important that we have plenty of land. And we share with the other shifters around here too.” Mercedes was still shaking her head. “We’re cougars. All the Douglases are.”

“But you’re a person.” Susie assured her that she was that, too, and put out her hand. As the dark fun started to grow over her arm, Susie started telling her about how she was born a cougar but the other women had been turned. “This isn’t real. I don’t know what’s going on, but this isn’t real.”

“It is real. Paddy is a pure blood too. As is his wife.” Mercedes backed away from her as she continued. “Your father knows what we are. He didn’t know we were cougar’s, but that we weren’t human. He said that you’d be harder to convince. I want you to be okay with this.”

“Dad? What is she talking about?” He nodded at her, and she sat down on the floor. “I don’t understand this. Any of this.”

“Honey, that’s why they can protect you so well. They’re not human, and when that bastard comes here, they’re going to protect you like nobody else can.” Her father took her hand in his. “Mercedes, look at them. They’d no more hurt you than I would.”

“But I don’t believe this.” As the world started to narrow down to a pinpoint, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye and fell back when one of the men in the yard went from man to beast. A huge fucking cougar was standing beside the equally large wolf.

Chapter 4

Darin walked around the table again, just to be sure, he told himself, and smiled when he saw that everything was as perfect as it could be. He looked up when Truman came into the room with several baskets of breadsticks. Darin took half of them and helped place them on the table.

“I cannot thank you enough for bringing me help. Christ, Julia can work for me full-time if she wants to. And Candace Luna can come here and bake bread for us every day of the week if she wants. Hell, I’d even pay her out of my own pocket to have her do it.” He pulled one of the still warm breadsticks out of the basket in his hand and handed it to him. “These are what she called last minute sticks. They took her less than two hours to put together. I have several dozen of them that are unbaked in the freezer now for the next few days.”

As he munched on the wonderful bread, Darin asked him about the others. “I hired two of the high school kids to come in and wash up for us when we serve dinner. They’re saving for a car. Also, there is a man coming in tomorrow to help me with the breakfast buffet set up. I’ve never done one of them before, putting it together, but I was assured that he’s good at it.”

“Bill. Yeah, he works at the homeless shelter. When the thing came in, the instructions were less than helpful, but he got it together in no time. He’ll help out.” Truman nodded as he put the flower vases on the square table that would hold all of them for dinner. “This is nice. I thought you’d have us at one long table.”

“Julia. She said that if we boxed up the table like this, that you’d have more room to move your elbows, as well as everyone could talk to each other. Christ, Darin, you should have hired her instead of me.” Darin said nothing as he picked up one of the name plates by the plate closest to him. “Bonnie made those for me when you were on the phone. I had to use them. She did me a solid when she said my dressing needed more mayo. That kid is wonderful.”

He put the name plate down and smiled at the way she’d drawn a rainbow on each one of them. Darin had had a wonderful time with her this afternoon and had hated to see her leaving with Mason. As soon as Jessie told him that the first cars were arriving, he told Truman that it was going to be great and left him to it. Darin was standing at the desk when his aunt and Palmer came into the lobby. He was glad now that he’d pulled on a tie and jacket to have dinner. Everyone, it seemed, had dressed up too.

His aunt and Palmer had married two weeks ago. And Darin and the rest of his family had sent them on a short cruise from which they’d only just arrived back a few days ago. He was so happy for Aunt Georgie and Palmer and the fact that his aunt was living a wonderful life now. Darin wondered if Logan was going to take over the family homestead as he’d been threatening to do for a few days now.

Palmer hugged him tightly after Darin kissed Aunt Georgie on the cheek. “My boy, this is spectacular. Very open and inviting. A man would be a fool not to enjoy having his business meetings here.” He told Palmer that he thought so as well. “I bet the rooms are just as lovely. Emma said that when she was here earlier that you’d gotten all the blinds hung.”

“Yes. She just took one look around and knew what was missing.” Darin invited them to go up and have a look around while he and Jessie waited on the rest of the family. He was still standing at the front desk when Bonnie came running toward him. “Hello, my dear. I hope you’re enjoying your stay here with us so far. Emma said you have her old room from when she was a child there.”

“It’s all girly and stuff.” He grinned at her. “I’d rather have one with horses and cowgirls, but Mom said that we have to be nice.”

He wanted her to come out to his home and see Emma’s room at the ranch. It was full of things like trophies that Emma had won as a teenager. And a saddle still graced the corner of the room. He’d meant to ask Emma about it but hadn’t gotten around to it as yet.

“That’s my mom.” Darin looked at the woman and felt like someone had punched him in the head. “Isn’t she really pretty? I think she’s upset though. Miss Susie showed her that you’re not real.”

“Not real?” Bonnie nodded and pulled him along to meet her mom. He stopped her before they got very far. “Honey, what do you mean, not real?”

“That you’re a great big cat.” Darin looked around at the rest of his family, then back at the woman. She
was
upset. And more than that, she looked ready to bolt. His cat stirred along his skin, reminding him that he really was a great big cat and that he needed to comfort Mrs. Crosby. “Mom, this is Darin. He’s the owner of this this place. And he and Mr. Truman made me lunch today.”

“And what is Mr. Truman? A cat too? Or is he a...I don’t know. A vampire perhaps?” Christ, she was beautiful, and being pissed off like she was made her all the more gorgeous. For some reason, Darin thought it was funny.

“No. He’s an elite shifter. Which means he can shift into anything. The only vampire I have working here is the night watchman. He’s not able to come in this early. I think he needed to drain a few dozen people before he came to work.” He saw her sway a little just as his aunt popped him in the back of the head. He felt horrible for what he’d said and that he’d made her more upset. “I’m sorry. I should have been nicer about that. I’m guessing that you don’t think you’ve had a lot of contact with our kind before.”

“No, I have not.” When she reached for Bonnie, who dodged her mother’s hand, Darin wanted to tell her again how sorry he was. “Bonnie, come here. I think we should leave.”

“Because you have your panties in a twist? Or is it because you’re seeing something that you don’t understand?” He knew that his brother was getting angry with him for talking out of turn, but for some reason he wanted to see her pissed, not upset. He leaned closer to her to see what other shifters she’d been around in the last hour and nearly fell forward. Her scent. It was.... It was all he could do not to pull her body to his.

“Darin?” He looked at his brother and realized that his cat was purring along his skin. Jace told him twice to control him, and it was all Darin could to not to shift and take the woman. “Darin? Damn it. What’s wrong with you?”

“She smells like sex.” The slap across his face had him grabbing the woman and pulling her to his body. She was furious, and his cat wanted to mark her. Burying his nose at her throat, Darin was aware on some level that he was scaring her and that his family was right there. When he moved back, but didn’t let go, he looked at Mason. “She’s my mate. I can smell it on her.”

“Well, shit.” He looked at Aunt Georgie when she cursed and cocked his brow at her. “You boys are going to be the death of me. You know that, don’t you? Mercedes, honey, I’m sorry about this, but my nephew here is your mate. I know that you have no idea what that means, but if we can go in the dining room now, I’m sure that I can make you understand.”

“I don’t think so. I want to know why he thinks I smell like sex. And what the hell does that even smell like?” Darin felt his cat rub along his skin, and he knew that she could feel him too. “What was that? Are you going to turn into something?”

“My cat. He wants to touch you.” When she struggled to be let go, he did, but not without some pain from his cat. “I need to touch you or he’s going to come out. And if he does, then you’re going to run and he’s going to think it’s a game. I believe my aunt is right. We should go and have some dinner and we’ll talk when this is finished.”

“No. No. I don’t want to talk to you. I want to know what is going on.” Darin tried to hold his cat, but she was upset and he wanted her to be calm. Touching his hand to her arm, Darin felt his cat calm little by little. “You have to back off. You’re scaring me.”

“He’s not going to hurt you, but you have to let me touch you. I’m sorry. I know this is a lot, but I promise you this is the best way.” He could see that she was freaked out. Well, he was as well. “I’m a cougar. And we’re not going to hurt you. Ever. You have to believe me when I say that to you.”

“I want to go home. Please. I want to go back home.” Darin didn’t bother telling her that wherever she went from now on, he was going too. As he guided her to the dining room, the rest of his family followed. No one said a word as they moved to be seated. “I can’t be here. I just want to go home.”

“I promise you, Mercedes, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know about us. Just don’t run or leave us. If you do, then he’s going to come after you. Not to hurt you, but he’s bigger and sometimes very clumsy.” Mason laughed across from him. “You’re not helping.”

“I’m not, I’m sure, but you should tell her what happens if she runs. I don’t want that any more than you do.” She asked him what happened. “You call his cat. I mean, he will shift and while he won’t hurt you, it will hurt him a great deal.”

It wouldn’t, but before he could correct his brother, Jace touched his mind.
She won’t run if she thinks you’ll be hurt. At least I hope not. Just let her think that for the time being and we’ll deal with this as it comes. Right now we’re here to have dinner. And to invite her and her little girl...well, I guess into the family.

Christ, I don’t need this right now.
Jace asked him what he meant.
I have too much shit on my plate as it is. This place and the men coming in tomorrow. I’m supposed to go out and show her the...mother fuck. I have a daughter.

No, she has a daughter. And until she’s willing to share her with you, then you are nothing to her.
Darin started to argue.
If you don’t believe me. then by all means, tell her that her daughter is yours. I’m telling you right now that I will help her when she runs. Because, big brother, she will do that to protect the only person in the world she loves.

“What does this mate thing involve? And if you tell me that it means that I’m subservient to you, then you can shove that shit right up your ass. I’m not doing that again.” Darin glanced at his brother and then looked at her when she continued. “And my little girl, what happens to her now that you think that you have some sort of claim over me?”

“My name is Darin. Darin Douglas.” He put out his hand, and she only stared at it. “I have no idea of your name. Other than Crosby. And if you don’t mind, I’d really like to start over.” She eyed him and his hand, and he was sure she wasn’t going to take it. “I’m sorry for before. I’m not...well, to be honest, I’m not sure that’s not normal when one of us finds our mate. You’re my first and only one.”

“I’ve heard that before, that I belonged to someone. And when he came home in a shitty mood, he hit me. Actually, he could be in any sort of mood. When the need to slap or punch came over him, he’d do it. Then he threatened to kill me or my little girl if I so much as tried to leave him.” Darin looked at Bonnie, who was talking to his aunt. “You hurt her, or even look like you’re going to, then I will kill you. Not a threat, Mr. Douglas, but you can count on it.” He looked at her.

She was ferocious, angry, and hurt. Confused as well, but then so was he. And she was protective. Not of herself but of her daughter. And Jace had been right. She would never be his, not ever, if he didn’t do right by them both.

“No one will ever hurt you again. Either of you. For as long as I live, I will do everything within my power to not only protect the two of you, but to love you with all that I am. Provide for you both. My family, too, will be there for you when no one else will. We will stand beside you, no matter if we agree with you or not, but we’re your family and will do all that we can to make sure that you are never alone again.” She looked around the room when he did, at all of them staring at her. Then she looked back at him. “This is a promise that I make to you on my life.”

“No one is that nice.” He smiled at her. “This is...it’s too much. I don’t know what to believe.”

“I can understand that. And thank you.” She asked him for what. “For not telling me to screw off. For not saying that you simply didn’t believe me. Mostly for letting my cat calm enough that I can eat.”

He kissed her hand and put it in his lap. Darin wanted her to leave it there, to hold onto his thigh, to give him some comfort too. And when she didn’t pull away, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his notepad and pen. He noticed that Jessie did the same. It was time for work.

~~~

The dinner was wonderful. After a little while, Mercedes started to relax enough to talk to everyone. They were loud and mean to each other, but mostly she could see that they truly did love one another. When the dinner plates were taken away, she watched both Jessie and Darin write something down and she asked him about it.

“This was a trial run for the kitchen. To make notes on what we need to do when guests arrive. Truman, the chef, asked that we make notes on things we saw that might need improvement, as well as anything that we liked. So far my column on liking things is longer than the improvements side.” He handed her his list. “Tell me what you would put on it.”

“Me? I have no idea.” Mason, as the other side of the table laughed, asked her if she ate out. “Of course. Nothing this fancy, but yes, Bonnie and I go out sometimes.”

“Then tell us what you would suggest. I have one. More of a question really. What happens if all the guests want to have dinner at the same time? I mean, this is really nice and large enough for us to talk, but there are nine suites, right?” Jessie laughed and told them there were only six now. “Six? I thought there were nine floors.” Jessie said he wanted to answer that one.