Family

by Crissy Smith

  “I learned from the best.”

  God, she turned him on. He stepped between her legs before running his palms up her thighs.

  His cell phone dinged.

  “That’s probably Jackson,” she told him.

  “I guess I should be going then.” He kissed her one last time.

  “Wear shoes!” she called out. “It looks weird when you don’t.”

  “I’ll wear shoes,” he conceded.

  “And a shirt!”

  Kieran laughed. “And a shirt.” Luckily a pair of sneakers and a T-shirt had been left on the couch. He gave the shirt a quick sniff and found it clean enough. He was probably going to get blood on it anyway. Not his blood, this time, at least.

  Dakota was dropping back down to the carpet when he glanced over his shoulder at her. Okay, if she was getting back to work, that meant he had nothing to worry about. She’d just been taking care of him. Always worrying even when she tried to play down her concerns.

  He took the elevator to the lobby.

  “About time you showed up,” Jackson quipped.

  Kieran smirked at his oldest friend. They’d gone through hell together. Literally. Jackson was the only person who truly understood what Kieran had gone through in the ten years he’d been held by the shifters and experimented on. Jackson had been in the cage right next to him. “Had to give a proper goodbye to Dakota.”

  Jackson narrowed his eyes. “I hate you.”

  “No, you don’t.” Kieran smacked Jackson on the back as he turned serious. “Keep a lookout for anything. I don’t believe my father will approach until he’s gotten to see me with his own eyes. He never did trust others to report back as they should.”

  “Your father won’t touch you,” Jackson promised.

  Kieran nodded. “Just don’t want to be followed.”

  “I sent Alex and a few of my men to patrol around the streets before you came down. They’ll keep a watch out as well.”

  Damn, Kieran really did owe a lot to Jackson. Not only had he sold Kieran the hotel suite for far less than he should have, but Jackson always had his back. Kieran had given real consideration to accepting Jackson’s offer to join his security team, but Kieran couldn’t leave Dakota. They might not work the same cases, but he at least knew what she was up to. If he left the Organization, he wouldn’t have the same opportunity. Since Dakota would never be able to leave the group, Kieran was staying as well.

  “Thank you,” he said with sincerity.

  “Anytime,” Jackson replied. “Ready?”

  “I’ve become a bad influence on you,” Kieran stated as he led the way out of the door. The back of the hotel faced the six-level parking garage. The neighborhood located behind them was old but clean. Still, Kieran could usually find someone around who was up to no good. “You used to use donors only, before I moved in.”

  Jackson stayed walking by his side. “It is safer. But not nearly as fun.”

  “I bet this drives Alex crazy.”

  “Oh yeah,” Jackson agreed with a grin. “I just remind him that it’s good training to remain sharp.” Jackson’s head of security didn’t need more training. Alex was good at having Jackson’s back. But whatever worked. Kieran enjoyed hanging out with Jackson.

  The farther they moved from the hotel, the darker the streets got. This part of the Strip wasn’t where most tourists would be found. The houses and apartment buildings were for the residents who worked in the area. Kieran liked knowing he was keeping those people safe by hunting.

  When he fed, the results for the chosen prey weren’t pretty. Kieran only needed a few sips. He never drained someone. It was nearly impossible for a Walker to drain a body. That much blood wouldn’t be good for the Walker. While it could be hard to stop drinking due to the instant warmth that filled him, Kieran had only needed to feed too much one time and get sick to learn his lesson. But his bite did make the person he fed from ill. If the person was human, they’d end up with flu-like symptoms. Shifters usually only got a headache. But that was why he didn’t feed from Dakota. He would never harm her, not even giving her a headache. He’d given in and showed her the results of feeding and she hadn’t complained but had been disappointed when it wasn’t erotic like books and movies showed.

  “Let’s head east.” Jackson read his phone. “Alex said there’s more people that way.”

  Kieran took a right so they could cut across an alley. He wasn’t getting the feeling that he was being followed so he had to wonder what his father was up to. The two weeks he’d been given to return home had expired. His father had to have known Kieran wouldn’t go home on his own, so there had probably been a plan in place to retrieve him before Kieran had even hung up the phone. The problem was that since Kieran had been sent away at eighteen, he didn’t know what his father would do. Or how he planned to get his way.

  They walked down empty blocks, not coming across anyone. Kieran hated having to feed from someone who didn’t deserve the illness they’d feel. Usually when he couldn’t find prey, he paid one of the homeless or street worker to let him drink. They needed the money and at least Kieran didn’t harm them permanently.

  “We can go back to the hotel and use one of my donors,” Jackson suggested.

  Kieran disliked that even more. He understood the humans who Jackson kept on staff to feed from, but that didn’t give him any enjoyment. He liked the chase and fight when he picked a mugger or thug.

  Glancing at his watch showed him that thirty minutes had passed. Dakota had given him enough time that he could search a little more. “Not yet.”

  Jackson didn’t seem to mind. He shot off a quick text before pocketing his phone.

  They were coming up to one of the bars the locals seemed to favor. Jackson had caught a few people there who had needed to learn a lesson. Even as that thought struck Kieran, he spotted a man trying to stumble to an old beat-up truck. A woman was holding on to his arm, but neither human could walk a straight line. She was urging her man to hurry up so they could stop at the liquor store before it closed. Like either of them needs more alcohol.

  “Ten o’clock,” Kieran murmured.

  “The drunk couple?” Jackson asked with a frown.

  “They shouldn’t be driving,” Jackson said. “They’ve drunk too much. They could kill someone.”

  Jackson’s features changed to a smile. “That’s true. We’ll be doing a public service getting them off the street.”

  “Plus they’re so fucked up, they won’t remember much.”

  “True,” Jackson agreed. He was the one who had to worry about being recognized. The shifters might be out to the public, but no one knew about Day Walkers yet—at least no one who acknowledged it publicly. With the shifters outing themselves, there was still too much unease, so that showing the world Walkers or vampires existed would just be too much for humankind.

  Jackson showed a rich and powerful façade to the public, making him well-known. He also monitored all supernatural types that entered his city. That he didn’t share with the public. But his face was known for giving so much money to the city of sin. That popularity was why he’d been using donors to feed for so long. That and the fact that Jackson had grown bored with life before Kieran had shown up in town.

  “I’ll take the male, you take the female,” Kieran told him.

  “Got it.” Jackson slowed and Kieran matched his stride. It was time to put his acting skills to the test, although Kieran wouldn’t mind if the male fought back.

  “Hey! Another bar!” Kieran slurred. “Let’s get a drink.” He made sure to speak loud enough that the humans would hear.

  “Ah, man.” Jackson played along. “I’m almost out of money.” He pulled a fist full of bills from his pocket. “You think this is enough?” Jackson stumbled and let a few of the bills fall. Predictably, the humans stopped to look at them, their gazes going from the money in Jackson’s hand to what he’d dropped.

  “Fuck,” Kieran drawled. “I think I got some.” He yan
ked out a twenty-dollar bill from his own pocket. He held it up close to his face as though he was having trouble reading it.

  The human man pushed his partner against the truck before zeroing in on him and Jackson. Kieran made sure to drag his feet, kicking up dirt. He waved the twenty around.

  “This has gotta be enough,” Kieran said happily. Then tripped himself so he face-planted. He was good enough that he landed without hurting himself.

  “Hey, buddy,” the human male said. “You okay?”

  Kieran rolled onto his back. Jackson kept walking toward the female, mumbling to himself about tequila, and acting as if he hadn’t seen Kieran’s fall.

  “How’d I get down here?” Kieran asked the human man.

  The guy crouched over him. “I think you fell.”

  “Nuh-uh,” Kieran slurred. “No way.”

  The human reached out to help him up, smoothly taking the twenty from Kieran’s hand, and pocketing it in the process. Oh yeah, this guy would make a good target. Kieran allowed the human male to haul him back to his feet. The human wrapped his arm around Kieran’s back in the guise of holding him steady. He was also trying to get Kieran’s wallet from his pocket. Damn this guy wasn’t very good at pick-pocketing. Kieran was wearing sweats. He could feel every move the guy was making.

  From the direction of the female and Jackson, he heard a squeak. The human man turned his head to check on his girlfriend or whoever she was and that was when Kieran struck.

  He bit down hard on the man’s neck, allowing his fangs to tear cleanly through the soft flesh.

  Warmth flooded his body as the first taste of blood hit his tongue.

  The man tried to bring his arms up, but Kieran easily pinned him and drank deeply for a few sips before he pulled away.

  “Now let’s talk about all the things you did wrong tonight and how you’re going to change your ways,” Kieran told the human.

  Chapter Three

  The lack of information about the sigil and marking was giving Dakota a headache. She’d been researching for hours now and didn’t feel as though she was making any progress. Even with Kieran’s search, she wasn’t finding what she needed.

  She groaned while stretching out her back. Dakota knew she should have moved to the desk or table, but she liked being able to spread out. The number of papers had doubled from when Kieran had left, but none of it was helping her figure out who could be behind the rituals in the Red Rock area.

  The soft knock on the suite door was a welcome distraction. She glanced at the clock in the corner of her laptop screen. It wouldn’t be the food yet, so she cautiously crept to the door. Surely Kieran’s father wouldn’t just show up to the suite. Plus they’d given security a picture of the Elder Argent, so the security system, with its face recognition software, would pick him up if he entered the casino.

  Dakota peered through the peephole of the door and sighed. Damn it, what did Kieran do now?

  She opened the door and glared at the two men who stood in the hall. “You’re not my dinner,” she said. “But you could be if you’re here to make trouble.”

  Caden, the young lion shifter, took a step back. Yeah, Dakota could take him in both human and shifter form. James merely smirked at her while not moving at all.

  “I heard you were just as fierce as your boyfriend,” James said.

  “You should listen to the rumors,” she responded. Dakota didn’t know what Kieran had done that had the two agents showing up, but it couldn’t be good. Still she wouldn’t allow anyone to fuck with her lover.

  “Is he here?” James asked. “I called Remy and he said that he’d dropped Kieran off to change clothes. Guess they were a little bloody.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “And where were you when my boyfriend and his partner were taking on three bear shifters and a bird shifter?”

  James laughed. “We were ditched and trying to find them. Caspar suggested putting a GPS tracker on them, but we thought he was kidding.”

  Okay, Dakota wasn’t surprised at all. She opened the door wider. “Come in. Kieran stepped out for a minute, but he’ll be right back.” It was still technically the middle of their shift so it wasn’t like the agents were out of line showing up there when Kieran and Remy weren’t in the field.

  The Organization ran differently from other companies. While they might technically be on company time from seven p.m. to seven a.m., they didn’t clock in and out. There were too many times they worked other hours during investigations. The monthly salary the agents were paid was huge, but they earned every penny they got.

  Caden peered around the suite with a look of awe on his face. James, being the more experienced partner, was moving toward the research on the carpet. “You’re working the ritual case, right?” James asked.

  “Don’t mess up my piles,” she warned.

  James stuck his hands into the pockets of his suit. Hell, who wore suits when working for the Organization? They needed to blend in. He was eyeing some of the photos spread out.

  “And yes, that’s the case I’m working.” She closed the hotel door, hoping that Kieran wouldn’t be much longer. She didn’t like strangers in their private space, getting their scents on their belongings. She knew it was a possessive shifter trait, but she didn’t care. “You want a drink while you wait?” They didn’t use the kitchen for much, but she could offer beverages.

  “Water?” James asked.

  “Sure.” She turned to Caden, who still looked like he might swallow his tongue. Jeez, had she been that green when she’d gotten out of training? Dakota couldn’t remember ever being that innocent.

  “Could I have a Coke please, if you have one?” Caden asked.

  “You got it.” Remy and Mitch were the only ones who drank Coke, but Dakota and Kieran kept some stocked for that reason.

  She strolled to the kitchen while keeping an eye on James to make sure he wasn’t touching any of her work. By the time she was walking back into the living room, Kieran opened the door and entered. Dakota sighed in relief.

  Kieran stopped in the entry before glaring at their guests. “What the fuck do you two want?” he growled.

  Caden jumped from where he’d been looking out of the large windows overseeing the Strip.

  “Came to meet up with our partner for the case,” James quipped.

  “You are not my partner,” Kieran declared. He stomped in the room, not slowing down until he spotted Dakota. He relaxed visibly before her eyes.

  “Hey,” she murmured, sliding closer to him. “You look better.”

  He gave her a sharp nod before taking the drinks from her hands. Kieran handed the Coke to Caden before he stalked to James. How he knew who had requested what drink, Dakota didn’t know. She’d have to ask him later.

  Kieran tossed the bottle of water to James, making him have to reach out to catch it. Luckily he did. Dakota would have been pissed off if the bottle had fallen on top of her work. “I’m working from here for the rest of the night,” Kieran said. “You’re not needed.”

  James shrugged before he twisted the lid off the top of the bottle of water. “We’re here, so we might as well help. Where were you just now?”

  Kieran’s growl sent a shiver down Dakota’s spine. And it wasn’t from fear. Poor Caden paled, though, so she knew she needed to defuse the situation fast. James should not be questioning Kieran. Does the man have a death wish?

  “Look,” James said, “Remy already filled us in about the bar and what happened. We drove around the area ourselves—while looking for you two, I might add—and didn’t see any trouble. I was just wondering if you were out patrolling on your own. If we should add this area to our rotation.”

  “There was no trouble around here,” Kieran said, without answering James’ question.

  “If the cops get any calls about wild animals, they’ll be directed to us,” James said. “I also have a buddy who works for Animal Control and I told him to give me a ring if he hears anything, too.”

  Kieran
had his lips pressed tightly together, but at least he was listening to James.

  “How do you have a buddy working for the city already?” Kieran questioned.

  “Is this the getting-to-know-you part of our relationship?” James responded. “Want to know my favorite color?”

  “Shit,” Dakota muttered. Kieran was going to kill the stupid human if he kept smarting off.

  “Christ,” Kieran said. “Answer the fucking question and I’ll think about letting you work with me.”

  “I’m pretty sure we were ordered to work with you,” James pointed out.

  “How’s that working out for you?” Kieran asked.

  James barked out a laugh. It made the agent appear younger. “God, you really are an ass.”

  Kieran shrugged.

  “But you’re also the best agent we have in the city. I met Adam, my friend from Animal Control, at a bar. I took him home and fucked him. Found out later what he did for a living. That enough info for you?” James crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

  Kieran opened his mouth and Dakota knew what he was going to ask.

  “Don’t you dare!” she called to him.

  He turned to look at her. “What?”

  “It’s not any of your business if James’ friend is good in bed.”

  Kieran’s wide smile told her that was exactly the question he’d been going to ask. “Fine.” He turned back toward James. “I guess you can help.”

  “Thanks for your consent,” James responded. “Do I need a permission slip to take a piss?”

  “If it’s in the middle of a fight, then yes,” Kieran replied easily.

  James rolled his eyes then glanced back down at the photos he’d remained standing by. “Mind if I pick this up?” he asked her.

  Dakota nodded. She was curious why he was so interested in her case.

  He crouched down before choosing the photo of the brush marks she’d taken from her phone. “They swept the cave first.”

  So she wasn’t the only one who found that tidbit weird. “Yeah.”

  “Huh,” he said. “That adds an even bigger creepy factor.”

  “I know, right?” she agreed.