He climbed out of his car and shuffled up the walkway to the first-floor apartment. Karen opened the door as he approached. Her smile didn’t mask the worry in her eyes.
“How is he?” Bryce asked. “I stopped by the hospital, but they said he’d been released.”
“He’s in the living room. Come on in.”
He wiped his feet and stepped through the door. The floorplan matched his own upstairs: kitchen and dining area straight ahead, living room and hallway to the right. A bathroom and two bedrooms lay down the hall, though Bryce used his second bedroom as an office.
Michael sat on the pale-blue sofa, his gaze glued to the television. His skin still held an ashen tinge, but the puffiness encircling his eyes had eased.
“How ya feeling, buddy?” Bryce sat on the couch and put a hand on his shoulder as Karen turned off the TV.
Michael stared into his lap. “Better.”
“Hey, look at me.” He waited for the kid to return his gaze. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. We all go through rough patches.”
Michael nodded, tears brimming in his eyes.
“The important thing is that you’re alive. You’re home with your mom. She loves you. Sam loves you. Hell, even I love you, kid. We’re all glad to have you back.” He wrapped his arms around him as Michael sobbed on his shoulder, and his heart wrenched. This was why Bryce did what he did. Everything he’d worked for from the day he graduated high school led him to this moment. Saving lives was all he’d ever wanted to do.
“Thank you, Sergeant Samuels.” Michael wiped the tears from his cheeks. “I don’t know if I said that before.”
“I’m sure you did. So, what’s the plan now?”
“He’ll be seeing a therapist twice a week,” Karen said. “And he’s supposed to get back to his ‘normal’ routine as soon as possible.” She made air quotes with her fingers. “Though I don’t think going back to school right away is a good idea.”
Michael fiddled with his hands in his lap. “It’s almost winter break anyway. I can go back in January.”
“When does therapy start? Not in January…?”
Karen sank into a chair. “His first appointment is tomorrow.”
“That’s good.” He closed his eyes for a long, relieved blink and nodded. “And when you do go back to school, you won’t have to worry about April Cunningham. She’ll be spending the rest of the year at an alternative campus.”
Michael’s eyes widened. “Because of me?”
“You aren’t the only one she’s bullied. More kids are stepping forward with their own stories of harassment, and lucky for us, your school has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to bullies.”
His posture relaxed. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll start walking Sam again tomorrow.”
Bryce smiled. “He’ll be happy to hear it.” He rose to his feet. “If there’s anything you two need, I’ll be right upstairs. Just give me a holler.”
Karen walked him to the door. “How’s your mother doing?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. Karen and Michael had been his neighbors for five years. They knew his mom when she was functioning. His dad when he was alive. “Oh, you know. Same ol’ same ol’. Sometimes she knows who I am. Sometimes she doesn’t. She’s progressively getting worse.”
“I’m so sorry. I know she’s all the family you have left, and I…” She shook her head.
And when she was gone, he’d have no one. But choosing to take on this tough cop persona and not letting anyone know the real him had been his decision. He may have been living a lie, but at least he could help people this way. A familiar ache tightened his chest. “She’s seventy-five, and it runs in the family. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”
She pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you. I can’t say that enough. Michael is my life. How can I ever repay you?”
“You being here for him is payment enough. I’m pretty fond of that kid.” He patted her back, and she released her hold. “That’s a pretty Christmas tree.” He nodded to the sparkling fir standing in the corner.
“Thank you. Michael helped me decorate it last week. I can’t…” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat. “I can’t imagine what Christmas would have been like if he…”
“You don’t have to imagine it. He’s sitting right there. Go be with your son. I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Bryce.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am.” He stepped through the door and trudged around the building to the stairs. Christmas was a joyous time for people who had a family to share it with. He’d visit his mom on Christmas day, like he visited her every week. If he was lucky, she’d remember his name. Other than that, he’d be spending his holidays alone with his dog, like he had the past three years.
Sam greeted him at the door, doing his famous full-body wag. The tension melted from Bryce’s shoulders, and he stooped to pet his dog. The house already felt too quiet. Like a piece of it was missing. Sam looked expectantly at the front door and whined when no one else stepped through.
“She’s not here, buddy. I’m sorry.”
The dog sat and tilted his head.
Bryce scratched him behind the ears. “You like her, don’t you?”
Sam let out a soft woof and continued looking at the door.
Bryce sighed. “I do too.”
He plopped onto the couch and ran a hand over his face. Where could she have gone? Temptation to call Macey had him reaching for his phone, but he thought better of it. Alexis had been adamant that she not know she was in any kind of trouble. She wouldn’t run to her sister now.
Hopefully she found somewhere warm to spend the night. He shuddered at the thought of her huddled in her car somewhere in the cold. The temperature wouldn’t drop below freezing tonight, but it wouldn’t be pleasant either. Would she go back to that scumbag’s house? Bile lurched into his throat. Surely, she wouldn’t. Even with the bastard spending the night in jail, the image of her taking refuge under his roof had Bryce reaching for his car keys.
He had Eric’s address, but what would he do if he found her there? She was a grown woman, and if she didn’t want his help, he wouldn’t force it on her.
Instead, he closed his eyes, and the image of her leaning toward him filled his mind. He could still taste her lips on his, the soft, velvety feel of her skin lingering in his memory like a warm summer day. She wore his jacket. She’d smelled like his shampoo. He had no claim on her, but the idea she had something of his with her—wherever she was—made him smile. Hopefully it would make her smile too.
Alexis pulled into the parking lot at the Barataria Nature Preserve and dialed David Anderson’s number. She hadn’t spoken to Eric’s father in months, and her stomach turned as it rang once, twice…three times. Would her call be a welcome one?
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Alexis?” His powerful voice held a hint of wariness. It always did when she’d made her weekly reports.
“It’s about Eric.”
“Your relationship with my son was your choice. I paid you to get keep an eye on him for me. No bonuses for sleeping with him.”
She gripped the phone tighter. “I’m not sleeping with him.”
“Not anymore. But you’re off my payroll, so why are you calling?”
Chewing the inside of her cheek, she took a few slow breaths before speaking. “Eric’s in jail. He assaulted a police officer.” She told him how he attacked Bryce in the parking lot.
“Goddammit. That little shit got in trouble with the law again.” He sounded more tired than angry. “I sent him to that Podunk town to stay out of trouble. His ass can sit in jail. I’m not sending bail.”
She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the seat. She’d be safe for a few days at least. “That’s not all. That sound-proof room he begged you for wasn’t so he could start a metal band. He wanted it built so the neighbors wouldn’t hear the screams of his victims.”
He paused. “H
is victims?”
“I know it sounds crazy, but I witnessed it first-hand. He’s trying to start his own pack by attacking humans. He thinks they’ll turn into werewolves if he tears them up enough and they survive.” She crossed her fingers that he’d believe her story. Pack members trusted the word of a rogue about as much as they’d trust a life boat made from papier-mâché.
David let out a long sigh. “Has he been successful?”
“Not yet. He says he’s trying to find the right balance of blood loss and werewolf venom.”
“Werewolves aren’t venomous. The idiot has no idea what he’s doing.”
Silence hung on the line as she waited for him to continue. “Looks like I’ll be making a trip to Pearl River,” David finally said. “Thank you for the information, Alexis. We’ll be in touch.”
The last visitors exited the parking lot, leaving Alexis alone. She moved her car behind a dumpster and shut off the engine before turning off her phone and locking it in the glove box. Eric had been happy to move to the tiny Louisiana town to get away from his controlling father. Hopefully David would enforce some of that control and whisk him back to Biloxi. Then she’d never have to deal with the jackass again.
A twenty-pound weight lifted from her shoulders as she climbed out of her car and strolled into the woods. She’d done all she could do.
She climbed over a game fence and slipped into the trees. Though mostly made up of wetland, the twenty-three-thousand-acre Barataria preserve held plenty of dense forest. A wolf could easily spend the night in the brush unnoticed.
Curtains of Spanish moss cascaded from the leafless branches of bald cypress trees, creating a canopy around the thicket, and dry grass crunched beneath her boots as she made her way deeper into the forest. A wooden boardwalk led off the right, winding through the trees before jutting out over the marsh. Alexis turned left, away from the trail.
Wrapping Bryce’s jacket tighter around her shoulders, she inhaled his scent. Memories of his warm bed flooded her mind. The feel of the soft cotton sheets sliding across her skin. The way his pillow cradled her head. The way his scent lingered in the blankets like it did in his jacket. She’d much prefer Bryce’s bed over the forest floor, especially if he were in it.
But she couldn’t go back to him. She definitely shouldn’t have kissed him. Her lips still tingled every time she thought about it. A peck on the cheek was all she’d meant to give him, but once she’d gotten close, she couldn’t pull away. Everything about that man drew her in. Made her want to stay.
Part of her craved companionship. She wanted to have a real relationship with Macey—and with Bryce—but so far all she’d managed was a brief visit once a month. If she was going to settle down somewhere, New Orleans would be the place. The city was alive with culture, music, food, magic. Her sister was there. Bryce was there.
She shook her head. What was she thinking? She hardly knew the man. He couldn’t possibly be as kind and gentle as he seemed.
Then again, he’d shown her more kindness in twelve hours than she’d seen her entire life. The more she thought about him, the more she needed him. She slipped her hand into her pocket and toyed with his house key. Cold and hard against her skin, it contrasted the warmth and tenderness she felt from him.
Every fiber of her being screamed at her to go to him. To take comfort in the safety of his arms. But what could she offer him in return? She had nothing. No job. No money. She was a flake. A drifter. A rogue. He deserved so much more than she could ever dream of giving him.
She released the key and ran her hand along the coarse bark of a cypress tree. Rough, like her. Bryce deserved a woman more refined, educated, feminine.
Alexis needed to clear her head. Thinking about Bryce did her no good.
It had been ages since she’d hunted. Maybe a quick chase would do the trick. Hunt. Sleep. Get on with her life tomorrow. It sounded like a good plan. As she shifted into wolf form, everything she wore and carried in her pockets was absorbed by the magic. When she shifted back, everything would be in its place. She’d never given it a second thought until now, but she felt comforted to know that a part of Bryce—even if it was just his jacket—would be with her through the night.
Chapter Seven
Bryce put the finishing touches on his anti-bullying PowerPoint and shut down his computer. Macey’s shift would be starting soon, and he had to know if she’d heard from her sister. The temperature had dropped to forty-two last night, and the thought of Alexis shivering in her car, parked somewhere all alone, had him grinding his teeth in frustration. If he could get her phone number. If he could hear her voice to know she was okay, maybe he could relax.
He strolled by Macey’s desk, but it sat empty. His promotion had earned him a coveted spot on the day shift; Macey worked nights. It didn’t matter what time of day he went to bed, as long as he got to sleep, but working without his former partner had left an emptiness inside him he hadn’t expected.
It had taken years of hard work and studying to earn his position as a negotiator, and saving lives and his work in community policing provided a satisfaction like nothing else. Though he’d never felt any kind of romantic stirrings for Macey, losing her as a work partner felt a little like losing a life partner. She was the closest anyone had ever gotten to actually knowing him. If Alexis would let him in, he wouldn’t mind letting her get to know him too.
“Hey, Samuels.” Lieutenant Johnson hovered in his office doorway. He kept his curly, dark hair sheared short, and the sprinkling of gray at his temples gave him that distinguished, senior officer look. A look he wore well. A series of fine lines etched into his forehead revealed the stress of the job.
Bryce made eye contact, and Johnson stepped back into the room and settled into his chair—his way of saying, “Come see me in my office.” He was a man of few words. Bryce could appreciate that.
“What’s up, LT?” He leaned against the door jamb.
“Sit down.” His brow knit as he opened a file folder.
Bryce lowered himself into a chair and waited for the man to speak.
“I’m impressed with your work at the high schools. The kids are connecting with you. The principals are singing your praises.”
A grin tugged at his lips. “Thank you, sir. Just doing my job.”
“You’re doing it well. But…” He pulled a photograph from the folder and slid it across the desk. Michael’s red-rimmed eyes stared back at him. “You didn’t tell me you knew him.”
His throat thickened. “Oh. Yeah, he’s my neighbor.”
Johnson slipped the picture into the folder and let out a slow breath. “There’s a reason we don’t let friends and family talk to the jumpers when they ask for them. Do you remember why that is?”
He twisted his brother’s ring on his finger. “More often than not, the loved ones will be a trigger. When emotions run too high, the jumper’s more likely to go over the edge.” Shit. He’d broken a rule. He was Michael’s friend, and it hadn’t even crossed his mind that he might be a trigger. He’d only been concerned with getting the kid off the ledge.
“Exactly.”
“But, technically, he didn’t ask for me. I happened to be there by coincidence.”
Johnson pushed the folder aside and folded his hands on the desk. “It doesn’t matter. You put that boy’s life at risk by being there.”
Bryce gripped the arms of the chair. “I saved that boy’s life. You want to tell his mother I shouldn’t have been there?”
“I know you did. That’s why I’m giving you a verbal warning. Your record is nearly spotless. Not a single reprimand since you joined the force—aside from the cigarette incident.”
When he’d first made detective, he’d dropped a lit cigarette onto a body, singing the skin a bit. It happened six years ago, but no one would let him live it down. “That was an accident.” He hadn’t had a smoke since.
“I know. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Johnson turned to his computer, ending the conversation.<
br />
Bryce grumbled as he left the office and turned down the hall toward Macey’s desk. Thank God he’d gotten a verbal warning. He was proud of his nearly-untarnished record. He didn’t need it blemished for saving a life. Rules and laws were made to be followed. His job was to enforce them. He couldn’t go around breaking them; that would make him a hypocrite.
He stopped by the vending machine on the way to Macey’s office—out of Snickers bars again—and he bought a Milky Way. Macey sat at her desk, examining a case report.
“How’s it going, boss?” He stood in the doorway and took a bite of the candy bar.
“I think I should be calling you boss now, shouldn’t I, Sergeant?” Macey smiled, her green eyes sparkling in the fluorescent lighting. He’d never noticed how similar they were to Alexis’s eyes. They had the same hair color too, though Macey’s golden locks flowed past her shoulders when she wore it down. Alexis had chopped hers into a short style that showed off her slender neck and heart-shaped face.
He sauntered into the room and plopped into a chair. “If I’ve learned one thing in all my years, it’s that the woman is always the boss.”
Macey rolled her eyes. “As long as she’s cooking for you and keeping the house clean?”
He grinned. “You said it, not me.” She knew damn well he’d never expect a woman to wait on him hand and foot, but it was fun watching her bristle when he joked about it.
She shook her head. “How’s Michael?”
“Better. He’s home now.”
“That’s good. I heard you pulled him in. Going out on the ledge like that? I don’t know how you do it. It’s amazing.”
He shrugged. “Johnson doesn’t think so. Seems I broke a rule.”
She laughed. “You? That’s a first.”
“What can I say? I’m becoming a rebel in my old age.”
“And mixing things up, I see.” She nodded to his candy bar.
“Machine was out of Snickers.” He shoved the last of the chocolate in his mouth and dropped the wrapper in the trash can. “You working on anything important?”
Bound by Blood (Crescent City Wolf Pack Book 3) Page 8
