Not My Shifter/ Sinfully Cursed (Shifter Paradise) (Volume 1)

by Kate Allenton

  Out of sheer curiosity, she opened the pictures folder and immediately scowled at the images. There was a shot of a blonde with her tongue in his ear, another shot of a black-haired beauty practically falling out of her top as she clung to Starke, and yet another of a brunette curled around his arm as though she was glued to it, her clothes practically painted on. She started to toss the phone away in disgust, but she took another look at the pictures. They were taken the night of the second murder, and the last one was time stamped 1:47am. According to this particular photo, Starke wouldn’t have had time to get from the club to Bender’s office in time to kill him. Without meaning to, she’d just cleared him of one murder. But that still didn’t mean he hadn’t killed the first guy.

  She pulled out her notes and started writing, grabbing bites of her sandwich here and there. By the time she was finished notating everything she needed to put in her report, she’d also finished her lunch. Devlin checked her email one more time, but there still wasn’t anything new pertaining to the case. There was, however, a message from Casey Mitchell. She read it and snorted, thinking it would be a cold day in hell before she went out for drinks with him again, and she replied, telling him as much.

  Now what? With her number one, hell, her only suspect, locked up and no new leads, she had nowhere else go. If she cleared Starke of both crimes, she’d be back at square one. The question was had the crimes been committed because someone wanted victim number one dead, or had Starke been set up? If it was the second option, the crime might be a little easier to solve. She just had to figure out who had a beef with the sexy wolf. Shouldn’t be too hard.

  Maybe she needed to go talk to Wills again. The cambion had known who Starke was, so maybe he’d know a little about him, like who would want to harm him.

  Chapter Six

  When Devlin entered O’Leary’s, Wills was wiping down the tables. She strolled over to him and slid into the booth he was cleaning. He flashed her a smile.

  “What can I do for you, beautiful?”

  “I need information.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “And you think I can help you?”

  “You hear things in this job, see things. If anyone can help me with this case, it’s you.”

  He claimed the seat across from her. “I’m flattered. So what is it you want to know? How smokin’ hot you are? Because I have to say, you’re rather delectable today.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Can you cut the crap, Wills? I’m not one of the airheads who throw themselves at you.”

  “Pity. I bet we could have had some fun.”

  She arched a brow. “Information. Remember?”

  “Right. So what is it you think I can tell you?”

  “I’ve cleared Jameson Starke of the second murder. While he still doesn’t have an alibi for the first one, why would someone kill my witness unless they’d committed the first crime? Doesn’t make sense, right?”

  “I see your point. Where are you going with this, Devlin?”

  “I think someone might have framed him. My question is why. Can you think of anyone who would want to do something like that?”

  “He’s a little like you, hits first and asks questions later. But I don’t think he really has any enemies, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “What about women? Any scorned lovers lurking in the wings?”

  “I don’t know about that, but there’s a trio that follows him everywhere. He’s complained about them a time or two. As far as I know, he’s never given them any encouragement, but they seem to hold out hope that he’ll pay them some attention.”

  “They aren’t jealous of one another?”

  Wills shrugged. “What do I know about how a woman’s mind works?”

  Devlin just gave him “the look” and waited.

  “All right. Here’s the thing, they’re Weres, just like him. I think they feel that once he’s done screwing everything in a skirt, he’ll come around to their way of thinking.”

  She briefly wondered how they’d take the news that he was mated, and to a measly human at that. Something told her the news wouldn’t go over too well. She almost smiled, wishing she could be there to see their faces and watch the fallout.

  Wait, he’d said they were Weres. What if they’d gotten tired of waiting for Starke to “come around” as Wills had put it? At one point she wouldn’t have thought it likely that a woman was about to overpower two men, but she’d seen enough over the past six years to know anything was possible. As a Were, a woman could easily overpower a human or a lesser shapeshifter. And they definitely could’ve made the marks on both bodies, both women having the ability to shapeshift into wolves. Granted, it wasn’t a solid lead, but she’d take what she could get. Anything was better than nothing.

  “Do you know who these women are, by chance?”

  His cheeks flushed. “The smaller one is a dancer over at the Stardust.”

  Aww. Wasn’t that cute? The cambion could actually blush, and over knowledge of a strip club no less. Obviously he was a customer if he knew the Were worked there. Either that, or he had carnal knowledge of her. Somehow Devlin doubted that if the woman was after Starke. She wouldn’t want to settle for less than someone of equal standing, and Weres thought they were the top of the pecking order. Of course, if you asked a demon, they’d say they were at the top, so it was all a matter of opinion.

  “Do you have a name for me or at least a description?”

  “Her name’s Amber Painter. She’s tall, maybe five-ten, caramel-colored hair, whiskey-colored eyes, and a body worthy of a fantasy or two.”

  Devlin snickered. “I think you have a hint of drool on your chin there, Wills.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, well, she won’t give me the time of day. Not even when I’m paying.”

  Devlin held up a hand. “Over share. I don’t need to know what you do with your money.”

  “That’s probably why Jameson hasn’t looked her way. I hear she used to whore herself out to Dominic Salazar and Eddie Valentine. Probably sees her as tainted.”

  Devlin pursed her lips. “That’s as close to the mob as you can get around these parts. You don’t think they’d do her any favors do you, like say, kill someone?”

  “Nah, they’ve moved on to greener pastures. She was just a toy to them.”

  Well, there went that theory. It seemed she still needed to focus on the three women, unless there was something she needed to know about the other two, something that would prove she was heading in the right direction.

  “And the other two?”

  “Angela Phelps and Chrissie Martinez. Angela is an assistant to some higher-up at a corporation downtown. Chrissie waits tables at some dive off Melbourne. I don’t really know much more about them.”

  “Any idea what corporation Angela works for?”

  He shrugged. “Big something or other.”

  Devlin’s heart thumped in her chest. “Bigstone Industries?”

  “Yeah, that’s it!”

  This could be it. On the outside, Bigstone appeared to be everything good, a green company wanting peace and to save the planet. They’d installed windmills in various locations around the world as alternative energy, as well as responded to oil spills and other various crises around the globe. Everything appeared on the up and up, until you started digging deeper. It had come to the attention of both P.F.P.D. and P.I.T.S. that firearms, the kind that were military issued, were making their way out of Paradise Falls and into enemy hands. The investigation was still underway, but so far, they’d tracked the orders to Bigstone. They just hadn’t nailed down who was responsible. There was no telling how far up the ladder it went.

  It was a stretch, but if Angela was engaged in the illegal activity of Bigstone, it was possible she’d murdered those two men – or hired someone to do it for her. She’d have the means to do so, but would she have the connections? Maybe that’s where Amber came in. Were the two working together? And, if so, did that mean the third woman, Chrissie, was inno
cent?

  Of course, this was all still speculation. She needed more information, and she needed it fast! But she couldn’t be in three places at once, so unless the women all were working together, she was screwed. If only Needles had given her some backup! She didn’t think her request had been unreasonable, especially given her timetable for solving the crime. It made her wonder if he wanted her to fail for some reason. She knew he was pissed at her, but still, that seemed out of character for the wizard.

  “Thanks, Wills. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

  He nodded. “Anytime, Devlin.”

  She rose and exited the bar, deep in thought as she made her way to her car, so lost in thought, in fact, she missed the two men waiting in the shadows. It wasn’t like her to be careless.

  A thick hand grabbed her hair and jerked her back, making her lose her footing. While she was off balance, the other man roughly pulled her hands behind her back and slipped heavy plastic ties around her wrists, effectively shackling her. But just because she didn’t have her hands didn’t mean she was completely defenseless. Stomping on the foot of the man behind her, she slammed her head back into his face, crushing his nose. She heard his bellow of pain and smiled in satisfaction.

  “Stupid bitch.” The second one spat on the ground and advanced on her.

  She jumped and landed a solid sidekick to his solar plexus. He grabbed the sore area, but it didn’t seem to slow him down. Without her arms free for balance, she was limited on what she could do. Aiming low, she went for his kneecap, hoping to shatter it, but he deflected her blow and backhanded her across her face. Her tongue swiped across her lower lip, tasting the tang of blood. It had been awhile since someone had made her bleed, and she knew these assholes wouldn’t have gotten in the cheap shot if they hadn’t blindsided her and hampered her movements by restraining her hands. Her reputation must precede her if they felt the need to cheat, especially against a woman half their size. She had no doubt she was facing two Weres. Ugly ones at that.

  The one behind her wrapped an arm around her waist. She struggled in his embrace, trying to elbow him in the ribs. All she succeeded in doing was pissing him off. His grip nearly crushed her as he tightened his hold.

  “This is going to be fun,” the other one said as he gave her a grim smile.

  Her heart kicked in her chest. Still trying to fight back, she aimed for his family jewels, but he knocked her leg to the side, and her foot glanced off his hip instead. He closed the distance between them and slammed his meaty fist into her ribs. Her breath gushed out in a whoosh, and she momentarily saw stars as she felt something crack. She struggled against the man holding her again, but it was no use. Devlin tried aiming for his nose again, but when she slammed her head back, he moved to the side, and she met air.

  “You really shouldn’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. You should’ve just arrested the Were and been done with it. But you couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you? It’s your fault that second man is dead.”

  The man in front of her smiled right before his fist smashed into her face, making her cheek feel like it had exploded. Thankfully it didn’t feel broken, just bruised. He must not have connected as well as she’d thought, otherwise he’d have shattered her cheekbone. The question was, how the hell was she going to get out of this? Normally taking down two Weres wouldn’t be a problem, not for her with her special training, but they’d taken her by surprise. That would teach her to let down her guard.

  Feeling a burst of energy, she leapt and used his stomach as a spring board to reach higher and wrapped her legs around the man’s neck. He fought against her, and she tightened her grip. She thought she had him, thought for sure he was going to go down, but the man behind her jerked her away and slammed her into the brick of the building. Black dots swam across her vision, and she sank to her knees.

  Off to her right, she heard the door to O’Leary’s open and then the retreating steps of her attackers. An arm wrapped around her, and she started to fight.

  “Easy, Devlin,” Wills soothed. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

  He helped her stand and walked her into the bar. O’Leary looked her way, and his eyes widened. He tossed Wills a knife, and the cambion immediately cut her loose. Devlin rubbed her wrists, noting the red marks from her struggle. The plastic had even nicked her in one place, and blood trickled down onto her hand.

  Wills seated her at the bar, and O’Leary handed him the first aid kit. She watched the bar owner reach for the phone, and she shook her head. She wasn’t sure if he was calling the cops or Needles, but either way, she didn’t need the aggravation just then. No, the attack pertained to her case, so she’d deal with it, somehow. She’d recognize them if she saw them again.

  After treating her split lip and the cut on her wrist, Wills handed her an ice pack for her cheek. Devlin thanked him and stood, feeling a little wobbly on her feet.

  “Are you sure you should be driving?” O’Leary asked.

  “I’ll be fine. I have a case to solve. This is just a speed bump.”

  Wills wrapped an arm around her waist, and for once, she let him.

  “Let me walk you out to your car. I’ll feel better knowing you make it out there safely.”

  She nodded and let him walk her out. He stood in the parking lot and watched her drive away.

  When she reached the office, she took a deep breath and immediately regretted it. Yeah, she definitely had a cracked rib or two. She placed her hand over the sore area and marched into the office.

  “Holy shit! What the hell happened to you?” Ben asked as she sat at her desk.

  “Two Weres jumped me outside of O’Leary’s. I’ll be fine.”

  Parker stepped over to her. “Like hell! I’ve never seen anyone get the drop on you before, much less do this much damage. You need to go to the hospital and have those ribs x-rayed.”

  Devlin shook her head. “No time.”

  “Devlin, you have to take care of yourself. I know you’re a bad ass and all, but everyone needs help sometimes.”

  “I have a case to solve, Parker. If I’m still hurting after that, I’ll go to the doctor.”

  Parker’s lips thinned in annoyance. “No you won’t.”

  Devlin smirked. “You’re right, I won’t. There isn’t much they can do for a cracked rib anyway. You know I won’t take pain killers, so what’s the point?”

  “Fine, if I can’t talk sense into you, maybe your mate can.”

  Devlin’s eyebrows rose. “What…”

  Parker gripped her arms and propelled her toward the back and the room where Starke was being held. When they entered the room and he got a good look at her, the Were roared in fury and jerked at the chains. Her friend shoved her into a chair and moved across the room to unshackle the big man, who seemed intent on tearing the chains from the wall.

  The moment he was free, Starke knelt at Devlin’s feet and gingerly touched her bruised cheek.

  “Who did this to you?” he demanded.

  “I don’t know, exactly. Two goons jumped me outside of O’Leary’s. I wasn’t paying attention, and they got the upper hand. It isn’t as bad as it looks.”

  Parker’s eyes flashed. “Don’t listen to her. She needs a doctor but is too stubborn to go see one.”

  Starke looked up at her friend for a moment before returning his gaze to her. “Is this true? What else did they do to you?”

  “I may have a cracked rib or two. It’s no big deal.”

  He growled, a low menacing sound that made her shiver. Rising to his rather impressive height, he carefully gathered Devlin in his arms and strode out of the room. If she hadn’t been feeling like she’d been run over by an eighteen wheeler, she would’ve fought against him. She had two perfectly good legs and knew how to use them. There was no sense in him carrying her like she was a baby.

  “Where are you going?” she demanded. “You can’t leave. You’re under arrest.”

  He cut his eyes at her
and kept walking.

  “You don’t honestly think they’re just going to let you walk out of here, do you?”

  “Who said I’m giving them a choice in the matter? You need someone to take care of you, and who better to do that than your mate?”

  “I don’t have time for you to play nursemaid. My boss has given me forty-eight hours to clear your name and find the killer, and time is ticking. There’s no way I’m going to sit on my ass with so much work to do. I have three suspects to track down.”

  “Three?” He sounded intrigued.

  “Your harem.”

  For a moment, he looked confused, and then his expression cleared. “You mean those pains in my ass who follow me everywhere.”

  “Yeah, those three. I can’t think of anyone else who would want to frame you for murder, although, if they want you so bad, I have no clue why they would suddenly want you out of the way.”

  “Maybe because I confronted them last week. I told them they were pathetic, following me around like sheep, and that I wouldn’t be with any of them, even if they were the last women on earth.”

  “And how did that go?”

  “I might have ended up with a drink or two thrown in my face.”

  She laughed softly. “Funny, Wills didn’t mention that.”

  “I don’t think he was working that night.”

  He frowned. “You know, I don’t know how, but maybe they know we’re mated. That would certainly push them over the edge.”

  “We weren’t mated when the first murder took place.”

  “No, but maybe you just being there was enough to set them off. Maybe they knew something was going to happen between us.”

  “What? Are they psychic now?”

  Starke shrugged. “I didn’t say it made sense. I’m just throwing ideas out there.”

  Needles came out of his office and frowned at them.