“You had a lousy childhood, didn’t you?”
“How’d you know?” she whispered.
“Because I had a lousy childhood, and I can always spot it. I think we carry it in our eyes.”
She’d have to take his word for it, since she couldn’t see his eyes. “Everything was fine until my mother died.”
“Same here.”
After a moment’s silence, Nick stood. “Well, that’s all I have for now.”
They started the trek back across the cavernous office.
“I hear you got away with a nice chunk of change.”
“Um, yeah.”
“Good. Don’t mention it to the Feds—they’ll seize it as evidence. Give it to Bryan to stick in his safe.”
“I thought I’d put it in a bank. I didn’t know he had a safe.”
“Every werewolf has a safe. And you can’t stick a hundred grand in a bank account without raising the wrong eyebrows.”
“Oh.” She blushed. “I didn’t—”
“Don’t worry about it.” He flicked a dismissive hand. “You’re a smart girl. You’ll get used to life in the big city in no time.”
Bryan was standing at the same spot they’d left him. He held out his arms with a questioning look, and she walked into them with a smile.
“See there, B? I didn’t scare her or anything. When TJ gets here, you and I— Ah. Here she is.”
TJ started talking before she was off the elevator. “You ready? We’re meeting Lark in the Village and we’re already running late. Oh hey, your ass looks fantastic in those jeans. Didn’t I tell you it would?”
“Yes, you did. And thanks.”
She’d felt decadent spending so much money—someone else’s money—on a pair of blue jeans and what was basically a T-shirt, even though the T-shirt was lavishly painted and studded with rhinestones. But she had to admit the outfit looked great with her new boots.
“The first place we’re looking at is a little complex around the corner from where we’re eating lunch,” TJ continued. “Lark used to date a guy who lived there and she said the management’s great.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
“What?” Bryan frowned. “What complex? What are y’all looking at?”
“They’re taking me to look for an apartment!” She’d wanted to wait until she’d actually found one before she told him. If he knew she didn’t plan on staying at his place any longer than necessary, then he wouldn’t feel tied down or responsible for her.
He didn’t seem relieved, though. “Why are you looking at apartments?”
“Well, because— Because I can’t stay at your place forever, can I? I mean, I need to find a place to live.”
“No, of course not, I just— I don’t want you to feel like you have to move out, like, today. Have I made you feel unwelcome or something?”
“No! Not at all!”
He took one of her hands in his. “I mean, it’s only been three days. I’m not gonna kick you out after three days.”
“I know, I—” She stammered to a halt as she noticed TJ and Nick staring at them, TJ with a smirk and Nick with a knowing smile. Nancy was smiling as well. Bryan, suddenly aware of the scrutiny, dropped her hand with a shrug.
“Well, you know. Whatever you want to do is fine with me, but don’t feel like you have to jump at the first place you see. Take your time.”
“I will. Thanks.”
TJ took her by the elbow. “All right, now that we’ve got that settled, can we get going, please? I’m hungry, we’re late, let’s go.”
“Wait a minute. Where’s your purse, angel? Don’t you have your phone with you?”
“My purse is at ho— Your place, but I have my phone.” She patted the pocket of her thin brown leather jacket, which cost more than everything else she was wearing combined.
“Good. So if I call you, you’re gonna answer, right? Not like yesterday?”
TJ made an exasperated sound and tugged at her arm. “Come on. Let’s bust a move before he decides he can’t let you out of his sight. Nick, I’m gone for the day.”
Bryan grabbed her other arm and pulled her to him, kissing her quick and hard. “I’ll call you in a little bit, and I want you to answer.”
She laughed. “You are so cute.”
“I am so disgusted. Now let’s move, Lark’s waiting for us.” TJ was already in the elevator.
“Y’all have fun.” Nick threw an arm around Bryan’s shoulder. Sara watched them walk back to his office as the elevator doors closed.
“So we need to stop at the condo, right?”
“Yeah, but I promise I’ll hurry. I didn’t think I’d need my purse to run to Nick’s office, and I don’t like putting it in the saddlebags ’cause they’re already so full.”
“Yeah, well, now that Bryan’s getting ready to settle down, it’s time for him to buy a big boy car.”
“TJ, there’s no reason to think he’s ready to settle down!”
“He didn’t seem all that thrilled with you moving out.”
The memory gave her a warm glow. “No, he didn’t, did he?” She shook her head. “But that doesn’t mean he wants me to move in with him for real. Besides, it would be way too soon. We still don’t really know each other.”
“You’ve known him for a couple months, right? Been out a few times? Lots of people fall in love in less time than that.”
She yelped and covered her face with her hands. “Do
not
use that word. I mean— I’ve thought maybe I— No. No. No no
no.
Can’t think like that. Have to take this one step at a time.”
TJ held up a hand. “Okay, okay. You’re right—one day at a time, can’t hurry love, blah blah blah. But I gotta tell you, I’ve—ooh! Wait, wait. How was the sex last night?”
“Huh? How’d you know we did it?”
“Oh come
on.
”
“Aaargh!” She put her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. “Fine! It was—”
“What, just fine? I always heard he was great in bed.”
She turned her head to see TJ grinning devilishly, and she had to grin back.
“Okay, yeah, it was great. He was great. I mean, really, really good.” She paused. “So…he’s had a lot of women?” He was eight years older than her, so she had to assume…
“Eh. I’m not saying he’s as big a slut as Nick. ’Cause, you know, no one is. But he’s not shy, and chicks dig him.”
Another thing to avoid thinking about right now.
They pulled into the shared driveway of Bryan’s condo.
“I’ll be back in a sec.”
“I’ll be right here.”
She ran upstairs to get her purse out of Bryan’s bedroom. The doorbell rang as she was on her way back down.
“TJ?” she hollered. “Come on in if you need—”
“Okay, we will,” said a horribly familiar voice.
Her legs went weak.
“Wayne?”
Chapter Nine
“Listen, before we get into the Luxor thing, can I ask a favor?”
They were seated on the leather couch in Nick’s office.
“Shoot.”
“Can I kill James Jerezelsky?”
“No.”
“You’re not even gonna give it some thought? Why don’t—?”
“You think you’re the first wolf who ever wanted to kill the guy? No. He’s my wolf. I’ll decide when he’s too obnoxious to live.”
They grinned at each other. Nick turned his attention to the pile of papers on the glass-topped coffee table. “What’d he do to piss you off?”
“He told Sara we’re afraid to date fae chicks because they’re all crazy.”
Nick fixed him with a quizzical look.
“Well, okay, yeah,” Bryan grumbled. “So it’s true. But she didn’t know that yet. I didn’t want her to think I think that way.”
“You
do
, though, Bryan. You won’t date fae girls.”
“But Sara’s not like most of them.”
“Normally I’d expect a woman with a talent like hers to be three quarters batshit.”
Bryan laughed. “I know!”
“But I think you’re too judgmental about fae women. They’re not all crazy.” Nick continued to rifle through the papers as they talked. “So, what next?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know damn well what I mean, wolf. She’s lost her family, her home, all her friends, she’s in a strange city with new people, and she’s only twenty-two. You can’t string this girl along, play house for a few weeks and then move on to the next—”
“That’s not what I’m doing!”
“So what
are
you doing?”
“I don’t know!” He was almost shouting at his Alpha now, but Nick just raised his eyebrows and didn’t say anything. Bryan, feeling restless and pinned down, got up to stretch his legs.
“How long were you seeing her in Luxor?”
“We went out three times.”
“Were you fucking her then?”
“No.”
“But you’ve fucked her since you’ve been home.”
“Yes.” He didn’t like hearing Nick talk about Sara like that, which sort of horrified him.
“If this is easy sex with a hot chick who’s temporarily dependent on you, then you’re being an asshole and—”
“That’s not what this is.”
That’s really not what this is. Oh shit. God help me.
“So, what? You’re in love?”
He didn’t answer.
“Bryan?”
“I don’t wanna be,” he said miserably.
Nick proceeded to twist the knife by laughing at him. “Why are you acting like such a pussy?”
Bryan knew he said it in jest—he was still laughing—but it stung. “That’s what TJ said.”
“What? What is?”
Flinging himself down on the couch next to Nick, he put his head back and stared up at the ceiling as he confessed, “The other night—the first night we were home. Sara started crying, so I called TJ for advice, and TJ called me a pussy.”
“That’s my girl.” He was surprised at the pride and affection in his Alpha’s voice. Nick reached over and backhanded him in the chest. “So what if you’re in love with her? What’s so bad about that?”
“She’s fae.”
“For fuck’s sake, B, is that all it is? That’s the only thing holding you back? If she’s not crazy, what’s the big deal with her fae blood?”
“We couldn’t have kids.”
“Hmm. Yeah, there’s that. I mean, some doctors claim they’ve helped fae women get pregnant by wolves. I don’t know the numbers. But even if y’all can’t conceive, you could adopt.”
“That’s true.” Werewolf babies were hard to place. Werewolf families didn’t often adopt, and human families, even those who wanted boys, didn’t want the responsibility of raising a wolf. “Can you imagine what my dad would say if I told him I was in love with a fae chick?”
“I bet they’d like Sara. And I know your mother’s ready for you to settle down.”
He groaned. “Shit. You’re right. No, I’m not telling them about this for a while.”
Nick laughed again and sat up. “All right.” He pointed at the papers on the coffee table. “Let’s talk about all this.”
“Come on down, Sara Mae, before I hurt her.”
Somehow she made it down the stairs to the second floor landing, and then she saw him. He was standing in the entry hall on the first floor, an arm around TJ’s neck and a gun pointed at her head.
“What are you doing, Wayne?” Sara’s mouth had gone dry. Her voice came out thin and scratchy.
“I’m looking for you. Now get the fuck down here. Me and you’s going home.”
“Okay. Okay, Wayne. I’m coming. Just please, don’t hurt her.”
“Move!”
Slowly and deliberately, she walked down the last flight, making no sudden movements lest Wayne get twitchy. He looked real close to the edge. TJ looked both furious and terrified.
She needed a second, that was all. The gun in her purse was loaded. She just needed Wayne to take his eyes off her for a second so she could reach in, pop the safety and shoot the bastard.
As Sara reached the bottom step, she put a hand out to her new friend, but Wayne flung TJ aside, propelling her into a wall.
He spun back to Sara and ripped the purse off her shoulder. “You don’t need that. Come on.” He shoved her toward the door.
Behind her, she heard footsteps on the hardwood floor. She turned to see TJ sprinting for the guest room.
Wayne stopped, turned and fired. TJ went down with a shrill cry.
Sara screamed. Wayne grabbed her by the hair, forcing her face up to his. “Shut your hole or I’ll shoot her again.”
Biting her lip to keep from screaming, she stumbled behind him as he dragged her out to a battered blue Chevy. She offered no resistance when he shoved her into the front seat and cuffed her left wrist to the glove compartment handle.
“You’re sure the police know about the Hedges?”
“Yeah. I followed Wayne a few times when he met with the chief—name’s Rice—and he was making payoffs. Wayne’s not too bright, but he’s mean as hell and he’s got a ring of guys working for him in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, maybe even Oklahoma. It’s way too big for the cops not to know anything.”
“Damn.” Nick rubbed at the stubble on his jaw. “I had no idea there was that much money in meth.”
“It’s huge in the boondocks. I think Wayne was running pharmaceuticals too.”
“Okay. So if the cops in Luxor—”
“There’s only two of them.”
“Right. If the cops know the Feds are on to them, and the Feds threaten to prosecute, maybe the cops won’t try to protect Hedges.”
“Right,” Bryan replied, “but I think Wayne’s dead.”
Nick’s private line rang.
“You need to get that?”
“No. It’ll roll to Nancy. Yeah, I bet you’re right, Hedges probably—”
“
Nick!
”
Nancy’s scream sent both wolves flying off the couch and into the lobby. The receptionist’s hands shook as she held the phone out.
“It’s TJ. She’s hurt.”
Nick grabbed the receiver. “TJ?”
On the other end, TJ gasped, struggling to speak. “Wayne— He—”
Bryan’s head swam as he heard the gurgle in her voice.
Chest wound? God, please, no.
Nick had gone ashen. “
TJ, where are you?
”
“Bryan’s. I—”
“
Okay. Okay, sweetheart, we’re on the way. Hang on!—I’m coming.” He glanced at the phone as he dropped the receiver. “Call 911 to your house!”
Bryan dialed as they raced for the elevator.
They were headed north on 59—right back to Godforsaken Luxor. Wayne hadn’t said a word since they’d left Bryan’s house. He drove with one bandaged hand on the steering wheel, and the other—the right one, the one closest to her—clutching the pistol atop the console between the seats.