Bryant: Prince of Tigers – Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  After he was finished, he felt like a fool. Mark had taken the first job that he’d come across, and was making pizzas and subs for a living. He was going to have to find himself something better. This was not a job for him. It was a job for teenagers— No, a job for Bryant.

  Going to the hotel an hour after getting a briefing on making pizzas, Marks mind was a mess in trying to remember all the shit there was to do. Christ, had he been wrong about slapping them together. They were more complicated than matching his suit and tie with a decent silk shirt. Now all he needed was a car to find himself a good pair of shoes. He wondered how much that would cost him, as well as a pair of shorts. He’d not owned any shorts that were black since he’d gotten out of choir practice as a kid.

  Getting a room for the week was by far cheaper than one by the day. He hadn’t any idea what he was going to do about furniture once he found a house to buy or rent, so the hotel was going to have to do for now. This way, he told himself, he’d have clean sheets every day, as well as fresh towels.

  Mark thought about getting back at Bryant, but he knew that was a pipe dream. The man had five of the biggest brothers he’d ever seen—not to mention, they were tigers. Who would have known that? Certainly not him. There was also a thought about turning him in. But what sort of fool would he look like if that didn’t pan out? Yeah, he could see the headlines now; Former Boss Tries to Say His Employee is a Tiger. That would go over as well as him stealing from his company.

  ~*~

  Kylan looked over the spec sheet he’d been given earlier today by his boss. Ace had to be a fake name, Kylan thought. But his boss, Ace Miller, had left it for him to do. It was for a not for profit coat drive. While he could understand charging people ten bucks to get in the door, the little note at the bottom of the specs said that there would be a charge of ten dollars for each coat, hats would be two for ten, and gloves would be marked with a price. Kylan looked at the cubicles around him and wondered who he could ask about such a thing.

  He thought of his mom. After telling her what he was doing, she tisked about it.

  People are donating the coats, you say? He told her that they had donations of all kinds of things, but the drive was advertising the coats for this one. And that’s all donated as well. What do you think is going on, Kylan? You’re a smart boy. You know as well as I that something is up.

  Yes, I thought so as well. But after having my boss go over everything on this thing with me, he took off for lunch. He and I are supposed to be working on this together. He usually runs off on something he has going on until I finish the work up on my own. Mom asked him why he was still working there. I like the job. Also, I think I’m pretty good at it. There have been other things like this that come across my desk, all not for profits that have some sort of prices attached to them.

  Is it always the same company? He pulled up his own spreadsheet, the one that he used to take notes on each of the pitches that he took care of. Kylan told Mom that it looked like it was. Then I’d say that you’re right in questioning this. I don’t know what sort of trouble you could get in for doing that and it not being true, but the simple fact that in your heart you know that it’s wrong worries me greatly.

  This is something else, Mom. I’m to make sure that on the final copy of this, the firm’s name is nowhere on it. It has said that on the last several of them that I’ve done—no name of the company, like they’re hiding it from the public or something. Mom asked if his name was on it. I haven’t ever signed my work with a signature. I have a code number, different for each of my pieces of work that I tag them with. It’s always in the same place, but the codes are always different.

  Kylan would put the four digits of the spec form he’d been given from his boss. If he didn’t use an actual form, like all the not for profits were, Kylan would scan it to the spreadsheet that he had made up and attach it that way. The number that he gave it would be in the notes. After the last drawing was approved by his boss, Kylan would send it to the painting department to be filled in. He’d then attach a photo of the completed work to his notes before going on to another job.

  What is the name of the not for profit, son? I still have some contacts that I can call on to figure this out for us. Like you, I thought that not for profit meant just that—no one was making any kind of profit. Now, if the company was going out and buying the coats, then that would be a different can of worms altogether. Kylan laughed with his mom. He was so glad that she was back. Today had brought home just how much he’d missed her. Let me ask around. I don’t know just yet who it is I’ll ask, but I’ll get back to you on this.

  Kylan worked on the advertising for the rest of the day. He had several more days in which to finish the work, but he never liked to leave something for the last minute. While he was buried deeply in what he was doing, he was startled to look up for a moment and see Randy there. He asked him what was going on.

  “I thought we had a lunch date. You did say one, didn’t you?” He looked at the calendar on his desk, then back at Randy. “Come on, I think it’s my turn to pay. I have a couple of ideas about what you and I were talking about just yesterday. And my wife arrived with our children today. I don’t know who arranged that, but I surely do appreciate it.”

  Kylan, even though he was fuddled a little, did the same thing he did every time he walked away from his computer. He put all his files away, saving them on the thumb drive that was his own. Closing the tabs he’d had opened for reference on things, he pulled the drive out and put it into his pocket. As the computer was being turned off completely, he was glad now that he’d changed his password that morning. Kylan had also saved the paperwork that Ace had given him on the new project, the way he usually did.

  When they were out on the sidewalk, Kylan still having no idea what was going on, Randy told him that his mom had called him. Nodding, still sort of clueless, they walked to the deli that Kylan had been wanting to try but hadn’t, because he’d forget and work through lunch. Which happened to be the only time they were open.

  After ordering, they found a seat in the back of the place and sipped their drinks. It wasn’t until Randy showed him pictures of his children taken in the hotel that he smiled at him. Kylan looked around when he nodded to his left.

  “There is your boss. I didn’t know what he looked like until I was in here yesterday. He’s a bastard, did you know that?” Kylan said that he didn’t know if he was that devious or not. “He is. When I first started out making a few bucks here and there, I decided that I needed someone that I could trust with my money. The same was going on with my other siblings, making money and not having a great deal of trust. So, while it might have taken me a little longer than most, I became an attorney. For us. But, I do have an international license simply because I do a lot of long distance traveling to make some of the profits that I have. That is why when your mom called the hotel asking if I might know an attorney for you, I jumped at the chance to help.”

  “You mean because you feel like you owe us something.” Randy told him that was some of it. “I’m sure you’ve been told, but we don’t feel as if you owe any of us anything. We’re just glad that it’s turned out so well for Bryant and the rest of us.”

  “It has, but for us too. Having Aunt Michelle around, talking about us like we’re real human beings, people that she is very proud of, it was more than we ever expected coming here. I’m sure you realized that the only reason we did come here was to make sure that our parents were dead.”

  “I understand that as well. I cannot even imagine what you all must have gone through growing up with them. Nor that anyone checked up on the four of you.” Randy changed the subject by asking about his job. “Normally I just do the design aspect for the things I’m working with. But with these projects, I do it all, from concept to finished product. The only thing I don’t do is color them in and print them. I know that this is an odd thing to do, donations not for profit. And I don’t think I would have been so concerned if no
t for the fact that I’m beginning to not trust my boss. You might think he’s a bastard, but so far, nothing has been untoward to me.”

  “Yesterday while I was sitting a mere three feet from him and two of his drinking buddies, I overheard him talking about how he had you on the end of his hook. I wasn’t sure what had brought that up, but when I say I overheard it, I mean, anyone in the place would have overheard it as well.” Not really wanting to know what he had to say, Kylan asked Randy about it. “You’re a sap, did you know that? And he can get you to do anything illegal that he wants by just laying it on your desk. He told his two drinking buddies that you’re doing work for him that will never see any kind of worksheet, as it too is illegal. The only person that he knows will get into trouble for it is you. Since, and this is a direct quote, you’re too stupid to—”

  When Randy picked up his glass and started drinking, Kylan had a feeling that his boss was coming toward them. Instead of waiting for him to get to the table, Kylan stood up and faced the man. Not only was it Ace, but his two buddies too. Just as he opened his mouth to tell him off, he saw Officer Bonner, acting police chief, sitting behind Ace, watching the two of them.

  “Did you really think that I’m so stupid that I’d not cover my ass when it came to doing what you told me to do?” Ace looked around. Kylan could see by the look on his face that he’d not expected him to figure it out. “The not for profit flyers that you told me to do. Do the people that donated the coats know that you’re going to be charging people for them? As you did the turkeys at Thanksgiving last year. Or worse yet, you charged each family sixty dollars per child to receive, again, donated items.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We didn’t charge anyone. The only thing that I can think is, Prince, is that you put that on there yourself. Why would you add that at the bottom of your work if you’re not making any kind of money from this?” He pointed out that if he didn’t know about it, how did he know it was at the bottom of the flyer. “It was a good guess. I mean, where else would you have put it? Besides, that’s what I’m here to do. I’m going to fire you for taking advantage of the company you work for.”

  “Okay. You can do that. But I’m going to ask Officer Bonner to come to the office with me so that I can get my things.” Ace said that wasn’t going to happen. Herb stood up, and Ace stretched his body as much as he could to seem bigger than he was. “Officer Bonner, he’s firing me for unjust causes, and I’d like to make sure that I’m covered in the event that he tries to blame something that is going on illegally on me. This is my attorney, Randy Wilson, and he’s going to go with us as well.”

  “Since you’re accusing my client of cheating the good people of this town by making a profit off of donated items, I’d like to see what you have against him in this. Also, Mr. Prince will have a chance to show what he’s got on this.” Randy winked at him and said he was ready.

  After telling the waitress that they’d be back, they headed to his office.

  Kylan was surprised to see Harper there. With her was Meggie, and a man that he didn’t know. Harper had her camera on the desk. She wasn’t touching it, but he’d bet anything that she was capturing everything that was going on. Kylan hoped so—he might have bitten off more than he could chew up and spit out today.

  Chapter 10

  Bryant watched Ace talk to his little brother. He wanted to go there now, tear him a new ass, and then beat the living shit out of him. Kylan could well take care of himself, but things were a little out of hand for him, and he hoped that Harper was right about this man. He didn’t know his ass from a hole in a brown paper bag.

  Was that the way the saying went? Bryant wasn’t sure, but he liked it. Looking through the camera lens that was recording everything, including sound, he hoped this was going to work. It would certainly help Kylan get his own business running so that they could have their own advertising firm.

  Bryant had been surprised by the overwhelming amount of businesses that Harper, and now him, were part to full owners in. Not only was there the cable companies that they now owned all of, but there were a few video rental places, second hand clothing, and baby furniture stores. As of yesterday, Randy told them that they had controlling interest in two other businesses that he didn’t know what they did. He hoped it was something legal. This shit of people taking advantage of his family was for the birds.

  “Mr. Prince?” He told the man to call him Bryant. “Do I need to know what is going on in there? Because to be honest with you, I’m clueless.”

  “See that computer over there, Mr. Sheppard? If you turn on the screen and then push in the code that is written down there, you’ll be able to see everything on the computer that they’re looking at. Right now, there are just a lot of he said, he said things being thrown around.” Mr. Sheppard smiled when he was able to see what was going on. “Has Mr. Miller worked for you for very long, sir?”

  Mr. Conway Sheppard was the owner of C.P. Sheppard Advertising, which had been in business for the last seventy-seven years. This particular Sheppard had no children to take over the business, and he’d told Harper and Bryant that he was going to sell out and move to Florida with his boyfriend and lover. Today he was going to find out why his company was having so many issues in trying to meet deadlines, and why nothing coming out of the place was up to par, as it had been before the last few years.

  “This man here, Ace? He’s trying to say that young Prince there is doing some underhanded things with flyers. With donations of some sort.” Bryant explained to him what he knew. “I see. So, these not for profits are lining the pockets of Ace and someone that is in charge of the donations, correct?”

  “You don’t think my brother is doing what he’s accusing him of?” Mr. Sheppard laughed. “You’re a good man, smart too, so I’m thinking you have a very good reason for not laying the blame at Kylan’s feet.”

  “Well, I’ve met your wife and those brothers of yours over the last couple of hours. And your momma, she’s a hoot, but no one that I’d want to tangle with. Your father seems to be level headed and a very honest man. I would think that if Kylan there was doing some shady business, you’d all have him skinned alive in no time at all.” Bryant laughed with him. “Bryant, may I ask you a personal question? You don’t have to answer me, but I’d like to know. Is it true that you’re all black tigers?”

  “Yes.” There wasn’t any reason to lie to the man. He had come here with only their word that something was going on. And for reasons that he couldn’t explain, Mr. Sheppard had trusted him—a great deal, as a matter of fact. “We’re not shifters like others, Mr. Sheppard. We were tigers before we were made into men. A great and wonderful person wanted us, as the first black tigers, to spread our magic to other tigers so that there would be an abundance of tigers for the enjoyment of others.” He nodded, then looked at him with a sharp look. “Yes, we’re very old—thousands of years old.”

  “I see.” Sheppard looked at the monitor again and didn’t say anything for several moments. Kylan was standing behind the attorney for Mr. Sheppard, Mr. Day, walking him through the work that had been his to do, but they were not bringing up much. “He’s a clever man, that brother of yours. I’m assuming that he has his work and other things on a thumb drive, correct?”

  “Yes. He loves the organization of straight lines and getting things to balance out, so to speak. It’s what he does. His spreadsheet that he uses for projects is detailed and up to date. Kylan has been doing that since his first day on the job six years ago. He’s going to nail Ace to the wall when they ask him for his thumb drive.” Sheppard laughed again, and it made Bryant think of the Santa that was always in the mall around the holidays. “Mr. Sheppard, are you sure you want to sell out? I mean, after you get rid of Ace, which I’m assuming you will, it could be a very profitable company.”

  “I’m very sure. And to be honest with you, Bryant, I’m tired. Watching your brother work earlier when he was oblivious to anyone watching him, I could
see a man that my father would have wanted working this place. A man very proud of what he does, as well as a good man when it comes to just being a friendly person to the other staff members.” Bryant told him that his parents had raised them all to be such men. “Yes, I can see that as well. But you boys—men, I guess—stuck with it. You didn’t get out on your own and do things the wrong way. Most people nowadays, as far as I’m concerned, have no grit when it comes to making a name for themselves. Nor do they have what it takes to be someone you know upon first meeting that you can trust with your life. I like that about all of you gentlemen.”

  “Thank you. I’ll tell my mom when I see her tonight for dinner.” He said that she’d invited him as well. “Good, then you can tell her. I’m sure that it’ll mean more from you than it would from me.”

  Bryant watched as Mr. Day plugged in the drive that Kylan had given him, and captured the fit that Ace was having about stealing property, and that Kylan had to have taken the thumb drive from Ace’s desk. Mr. Day looked at Ace.

  “Are you claiming that this thumb drive is yours, Mr. Miller? I’m sorry about that then.” He got up from the desk and pointed to Ace. “We’ve not put in the password as yet, Mr. Miller. Come here and do that. We’ll wait for you to bring up the work that you’re claiming as your own. I’m sure if you know the way to get into the program, you’ll also be able to tell us how the spreadsheet works, correct?”

  “He’s probably changed it by now. I wouldn’t put anything past him.” The police had arrived now and were standing by the doors, keeping everyone in the place. It didn’t look to him like anyone was trying to leave—they wanted to see what was going on as well. “Get back to work, the lot of you. I swear, what is it I’m paying you for anyway?”