“I’m not sure yet.”
“Not sure if you’ll tell me, or not sure what the cause is?”
“Both.”
She blinked before widening her eyes.
I watched the gears tick in her head through her expression. Surprise turned back to determination. I liked that look best. It promised a challenge.
“Let’s make a deal,” I suggested. “You show me yours and I show you mine.”
Her fingers laced through mine as her hand tightened around the comforter.
“Show you what?” Her voice was breathy, and hot as hell. Her lips parted ever so slightly, full voluptuous lips that called to me like a siren’s song. I’d go willingly into the water, drown for a single taste. But it was my turn to talk, so I did.
“Your thoughts, gorgeous,” I said.
She tilted her head just a little to the side, like I was a puzzle.
“I’m having lots of big...thoughts.”
“Are you now?” I asked, and inched a little closer on the mattress. Her scent filled my lungs, and it was the most delicious thing I’d never tasted.
There was an urge, not just the one to fuck, but an unfamiliar feeling that clawed at my insides for control. My inner tiger thought he knew something I didn’t. He thought I needed her. He thought Juliana was more than a night of fun, that she was for keeps.
I shook the thought. No woman ties down a kickass action hero. No woman could control the tiger.
“Tell me why you’re so interested in this case,” I said, “and I’ll answer a question for you.”
She popped up from the bed, opened her mouth, then closed it again and headed for the door.
“This was a bad idea,” she said. “I’m sorry I bothered you.”
Whatever her reason, it was deeply personal. She was on the defensive, which had not been my intention. Not even a little. What had I done wrong? I wished desperately to take it back.
“I assure you,” I said. “I—”
“Bye, Mr. Lollygag.” She shut the door behind her.
I peeked through the curtains and watched her go.
She raced down to her car and flew out of the parking lot like she’d seen my true form.
Whatever I’d said wrong, it wasn’t the first time I’d fucked up. It certainly wouldn’t be the last, even if this time, I wished it was.
Chapter Six
Juliana
My only chance for help—flushed down the toilet.
I should have just told Lincoln about Emily. It wasn’t a secret. The rest of the town already knew, but he was different. Telling Lincoln felt like opening up, spilling my guts, revealing my feelings. Generally, I didn’t care if people knew what I thought. But somehow with him, talking about emotion or emotional subjects felt more significant. I was spent. If I gave him what he wanted, he would know me, and the thought was terrifying.
Stupid, too.
I’d regretted my decision as soon as I’d left. But I’d gone home anyway, forced myself to climb into bed, and I’d even slept a little.
But this was a new day, one I was determined to make positive.
Today I would be a badass. I’d go out into town and find some kind of job that could pay the bills and grow my escape fund. Today I’d leave behind all thoughts of Lincoln Lollygag, and do what I had to do to survive. No, I’d fucking thrive.
The post office wasn’t hiring, neither was Milly’s Diner, or the library. It wasn’t entirely surprising. There were limited jobs in Barbetta, and they were already full.
I’d thought the gas station could work, even for something temporary, but Victor said no.
After that, there was only one place left to try, and I was overdue to pick up the essentials anyway.
The small parking lot in front of Grubmart was full, like always, so I parked in the grass alongside Gina Grub’s pickup.
Inside, I grabbed a basket and filled up on peanut butter, ramen noodles, and vitamins, then headed to the check lanes.
The cashier was exactly who I needed to speak to—Gina Grub, owner and operator of the only grocery store in Barbetta. She was like an orange, not just in shape and skin tone, but because she was just that freaking sweet.
“Juliana, dear, how are ya?” A wide smile crossed Gina’s face, revealing her full mouth of bright white, crooked teeth. I couldn’t help but smile back.
“I’m hangin’ in there, thanks. How are you?” I pulled my groceries from the basket and placed them on the belt.
Gina scowled at my food as she scanned the containers and bagged them. “Tell me you’re eatin’ better than this. You got a stock of fresh produce at home I don’t know about?”
“That’s what the vitamins are for.”
“Vitamins don’t make up for good nutrition,” she said. “Tell you what, you come on over to my place for dinner and I’ll feed you something decent.”
“I’m okay,” I said. “Really.”
“With your sister held up, and losing your job, you don’t seem fine, dear.”
Of course she already knew. Everyone probably had already heard that I’d been fired.
“I was hoping to talk to you about that,” I said. “Do you have any openings? I’ll take whatever shifts you’ve got. Weekends, nights—”
“I’m sorry, hon. Wish I could help.”
I nodded. More of the same. Everyone was sorry, but no one could help.
“It’s fine,” I said.
“So I’ll see you at seven at my place for dinner,” she said. It wasn’t a question.
“I appreciate the offer,” I said. “But with any luck I’ll be working.”
“That’s the attitude,” she said. “If you change your mind about dinner, just show up. I’m making a roast. It’s in the slow cooker already.”
“That sounds nice,” I said. “Thanks.”
I waved when I left, but all my positivity was spent. There was no job. My get-the-hell-out-of-Barbetta savings was going to have to pay the bills, and there didn’t seem to be a way around it.
Overwhelmed, all I wanted to do was talk to my sister, so that’s what I did. I went to visit Emily.
I hated the hospital. It was too cold, it smelled like bleach, and it reminded me of how fragile we all were. Emily never minded it. She liked helping people, caring for them when they were sick, making them smile when they needed it most.
Maybe she’d have known what to do in my shoes.
If only she could tell me.
Em looked the same as she had when I left her last. She was in the same room, the same bed. Her brown hair fanned out over the pillow, and her eyes were shut. It was just like she was sleeping.
“Hey, Em.” I sat on the tiny mattress beside her and took her hand in mine.
“I miss you. It’s been eleven days that you’ve been in here. Can you believe that? When you wake up, I bet you’re not going to want to sleep again for a week.”
She lay perfectly still, like Sleeping Beauty. Too bad a kiss couldn’t cure this.
“I got fired. I know, that was stupid. It was my fault. It wasn’t even because of something Ron did. It was completely on me. I left work to follow a tip, thinking somehow I could help you. So far that’s not working out.”
Her chest rose and fell slowly, and the monitors were steadily showing the same numbers and lines. I wondered if she could hear me. And if she could hear me, if she would understand.
“Lana’s in here now, too. Just like you. She was working, and then bam, out in a field unconscious. I thought following her case would help me, that there’d be some clue as to how to wake you up.”
I just wanted her to wake up. Please. Please wake up.
“I met someone, too. A guy. A really smoking hot, on-fire hot guy.” If she’d been awake, I might have held more back, but talking it out made me feel a little better.
“All I would have had to do is tell him about you, and he would have shared information with me. Maybe we could have worked together to figure out what’s going on
with you. But I chickened out, and ran away. Can you believe that? He was right there, all sexy and...well, sexy. Also sexy.
“He’s from the CDC, by the way. I wish you could tell me what’s going on with you. What really happened, and if it’s actually some weird virus.”
Of course she didn’t answer, but still I waited a moment. Maybe one of these times she’d squeeze my hand. Maybe I just hadn’t found the right thing to say yet, to reach her.
I leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “Penis.”
Nothing.
I sighed, having given it my best shot, then continued spilling my guts like she could hear me. Maybe she just couldn’t respond. Maybe she really could hear me. I hoped she could.
“Maybe it’s for the best that I fucked things up with work. Now I have more time to visit, more time to try to figure this whole thing out.
“I bet Dad would have some crazy ideas if he were here. Mix up some mud with bird poo, slap it on the walls and chant until you woke up. At least he’d be doing something.”
I needed to do something.
Maybe there was a clue I missed back at Milly’s Diner, a needle on the seat filled with a sleeping drug, something everyone missed, or maybe a broken vial in the field by the gas station. There had to be something.
I could look, but there was a better option.
It was a simple thing to talk to Agent Lollygag. I could just go up to him and tell him that I was invested in his case because my sister was involved. Maybe his offer still stood. I was being stupid. There was nothing to lose.
But it felt like there was.
“I’m going to do it.” I nodded to my sister and rose from the bed with renewed purpose.
A deep voice cut through the silence. “Do what?”
I jumped.
Leaning on the doorframe with a cocky-ass grin, an expensive navy suit, and way too much self-confidence was Lincoln Lollygag.
Oh fuckballs.
Chapter Seven
Lincoln
Juliana.
Dark hair hung down over her bare shoulders in loose waves and framed her oval face. The same pale freckles that graced her cheeks were spattered across her bare shoulders and collarbones.
Yellow fabric was cinched around her waist and flared out down over her hips. I’d wanted her when I’d seen her in shorts and a loose-fitting tee. But at the sight of her in that curve-hugging dress, I was left drooling.
Excitement pumped through my veins, and not just because she was gorgeous. This woman was fucking stunning, in looks and in personality. With just a glimpse, she drew me in and didn’t let go. She was meant to be mine, and the desire to leave my mark on her neck was undeniable. With every encounter, the tiger won a little more control, and I fought the idea of finding my mate a little less.
But with the way we’d left things, I had no idea where Juliana and I stood. Certainly not in mating territory, maybe not even in the friend zone.
“How long have you been standing there, eavesdropping?”
Juliana’s voice was an octave higher than usual. I loved that I had an effect on her.
Turnabout was fair play. Just hearing her voice, catching the scent of grape and vanilla from the hall, my inner tiger was roaring.
“I was just coming in to see Emily,” I said. “Do you know her?”
It was obvious she did. She had been sitting on the edge of the woman’s bed, and they could have passed for twins.
Juliana squared her shoulders as if she were preparing to fight. Feisty.
“Emily’s my sister.”
I stepped into the room and snagged the clipboard from the foot of the bed, determined to appear like I belonged in the role Leonard had given me.
Juliana’s eyes bore into my back.
“Now that you know, are you going to talk to me?” she asked.
“You think I’m not talking to you?” I turned and met her steely blue gaze.
“Tell me what you think is going on.” She softened, just a little. It was the set of her jaw, the tension in her shoulders. This dynamic left her feeling vulnerable. I was too.
I wasn’t sure how to answer. The easiest, and least appropriate, was the truth. I’m a monster-hunting tiger shifter. I have no fucking idea what’s going on in your town.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
Her eyes dimmed, hope drained.
“Yet,” I added, compelled to make her feel better. “I don’t know—yet.” I didn’t know if I would figure out what was going on. If it was medical, there was no chance. Anything but a big-ass monster was outside my wheelhouse. But Leonard had a good sense for these kinds of things. If he sent me, chances were good that there was something supernatural going on. Chances were good that I’d kick this case square in the ass.
It was the cases I chose myself that ended with me in the dog—no, the cat—house.
“So what’s the next step?” Juliana asked.
“You were there when it happened, weren’t you?” It was in the files that the sister had claimed to see the victim disappear before her eyes, and had been the one to find her.
“Yes.”
“Great,” I said. “Then that’s our starting point. Show me where it happened.”
We left the room, walking side by side. It was like she’d never shown up at my motel room the day before, like I’d never offended her. We were right back to where we were meant to be.
A dynamic duo—Bonnie and Clyde, Superman and Wonder Woman, peanut butter and chocolate.
Smooth peanut butter. Delectable chocolate.
Working together wasn’t the same as throwing her down on a feather-top blanket and having her confess her undying devotion as I left my mark on her neck and made her scream my name. But we’d get there. And I couldn’t fucking wait.
It was kind of nice to have a partner, just a partner, even if she was human and knew nothing of my world. Maybe we’d even develop a rapport like Asher and Lola. We’d be better than them because Asher was a grumpy prick, and I was much more fun.
I could feel her beside me, even though we were walking a foot apart. Her warmth was there, her scent. There was a charge between us, one that couldn’t be denied, a magnetism that would thrust my body to hers if I didn’t fight it.
That wasn’t what partners were supposed to be doing, thrusting on the job. So I ignored the pull, put on my best smile, and looked over at her from a safe distance.
“Who’s your favorite action duo?” I asked.
“Action duo? You mean like buddy-cop movies?” Her eyebrows shot up, but her eyes lingered on my lips. She felt it. Yeah, she felt the sexual tension, the primal allure.
“Sure,” I said. “Kind of. Or like the X-team, anything with Jack Van Steele.”
“I haven’t seen those.” She looked completely serious. She was serious.
“What? I can’t believe that. You’ve been missing out on the best this country has to offer for cinema.”
She cracked a smile, a playful expression that took me to my knees—on the inside. Outwardly, of course, I remained standing.
We stopped at the end of the hall by the elevator.
“Action movies are cheesy as fuck. Some guy with a mullet and over-inflated muscles waddles in shooting everything to rescue some woman, who acts like a complete bimbo.”
“Ouch.”
“That’s really your favorite?” she asked.
“Well they’re not all like that,” I said.
“Really?”
“Really,” I said. “Sometimes there are explosions.”
She laughed, a sweet, hearty sound. I checked a mental box off—another moment with Juliana I wanted to repeat.
The elevator doors opened.
We did not step inside.
A six-foot clown held a candy striper up against the wall. Her bare thighs wrapped around his waist as he pinned her hands above her head. His puffy red wig blocked out their faces, but not their sounds.
“Whoa!” Juliana gaped.
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The clown turned. His smeared white makeup didn’t hide the fifty shades of red that his skin turned.
“Shall we?” I turned to Juliana, gesturing toward the elevator.
“Shit. Shit. Shit.” The clown frantically jabbed what I assumed was the close button on the control panel, and the doors slowly shut.
“Let’s take the stairs,” Juliana smoothed down her skirt.
“You sure?” I asked. “That looked like quite the fun ride.”
She snort-laughed and threw open the door to the stairwell. “With those two-foot long shoes, he’s overcompensating for something.”
“The nose could have some uses,” I replied.
“I don’t think I want to know what that means.” Her smile was bright. She was letting her guard down with me. With any luck, I could keep it going indefinitely.
“I can’t believe they’re doing...that...at work,” she said.
“You’re not much for PDA?”
“That was more than a little affection,” she said. “That was…”
“Taking the tool from the fool? Skinny balloon from the buffoon?”
“Yes!” Juliana laughed. It was such a wonderful sound. The best sound.
“But seriously, you’ve never been caught up in the moment?” I asked. “Thrown caution to the tigers?”
“The wind.”
“Tigers are better.”
“You’re weird,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“And no, I’ve never taken it in an elevator by a clown, thank you very much,” she said. “Have you?”
“Taken it?” I asked, raising a brow. “No, I can’t say that I have. But I wouldn’t rule it out if we’re talking a lady clown.”
“Interesting.”
We jogged down the stairs side by side. Partners—badass partners.
I said, “And don’t think that you’re off the hook about the action hero comment.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” she said. “Can’t take a little ribbing?”
“Oh I’m happy to take whatever you give,” I said. “But after this, how about you let me prove the merit of a good action hero?”
I opened the door at the bottom of the stairwell and she walked through. We crossed the lobby and stepped outside before she answered.
Suave as Shift Page 5
