by Mina Carter
"I don't think that's a good idea. Sorry."
She made to turn away once more and he stepped in front of her this time, careful not to touch her. "We could catch up. I'd love to know what you've been doing since graduation. I assure you I'll be a perfect gentleman."
The cab driver honked and drew Forrest's attention away for a short second. He heard a mumbled "I gotta go" and by the time he turned around, the airport entrance door was sliding closed behind Addie's disappearing form.
He sighed and took a seat in the cab, rattling off directions to his father's home in Pepper Valley. His mountain lion whined inside his head, convinced that Forrest had let their fated mate slip away. But first things first. Am I going to live out my contract as a field agent or a desk jockey?
* * * * *
It was almost noon when the driver pulled to a stop in the circular driveway. He saw Fiona look up from the small flower bed to the left of the front door, her red hair a bright flame in the sunlight. When he opened the door and stepped out, her face lit up and she dropped the small trowel to run at him full force, her short legs pumping.
"Stump!"
Forrest umph'd as he caught the kid and lifted her off the ground in a bear hug. "Heya squirt!"
"I missed you so much!" He sat her back down and she clapped her hands together. A brown dust cloud formed in front of her face, causing her to cough.
Forrest turned and paid the cab driver, and the yellow sedan sped off. "I missed you too, Fi. Finn home?" He did not suspect that his father would leave Fiona home alone, even though she was most likely a shifter and mature for her age of nine.
"Inside working on the books. Can we play checkers tonight?"
"Sure. Just don't be a sore loser," he said with a ruffle of her hair.
"As if you'll win," she snorted back.
Forrest grinned and watched her walk back to the flower bed before he slowly made his way up the stairs to the front door. He put his hand on the door knob and breathed deep before pushing it open.
"Do you mind to make some of your special lemonade? These numbers are starting to give me a headache."
"What's special about her lemonade?" Forrest asked.
Finn startled and turned to face him. Though he smiled, it was not the warm welcoming one he'd grown accustomed to from his mission "father" Lawrence.
"Hey. When did you get back in town?"
"About two hours ago."
"Did they fire you?"
Forrest felt his face flush. He'd been there for two fucking minutes and Finn had already insulted him! "No, they did not fuckin' fire me!" he hissed.
"Don't take that tone with me, son." Finn stood and frowned.
"I'll take any damn tone I choose!" Forrest growled. "I should have known that coming back here was a mistake."
Finn walked closer and enveloped him in a hug, but Forrest remained stiff with his arms at his sides. "Let's start over." He brushed a kiss at his temple and pulled back with his hands on Forrest's shoulders, then smiled. "It's so nice to see you, Forrest. I'm glad you're home."
Forrest sighed and felt a bit of his anger melt. If Finn was going to try, he guessed he could too. "Me too, Dad."
Finn grinned, flashing his rarely seen dimples. "The paperwork can wait. I'll make your favorite dinner, Forrest."
Forrest finally smiled. Finn always thought his favorite meal was shepherd's pie. While it was good, his favorite was spaghetti. But the fact that Finn was attempting to act like a father was more than he'd hoped for.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
FORREST GROANED AND rubbed at his overstuffed belly. Shepherd's pie might not be his favorite, but it was damn good, and he ate way more than his fair share. Why leave a small amount in the pan for leftovers when you could eat it hot and fresh?
Finn chuckled. "I haven't seen you eat so much since your first shift."
Forrest immediately clenched his jaw, his face heated in anger. "Don't you dare mention that."
"Uh oh." Fiona stood and grabbed the dishes, rushing off to the kitchen.
"What have I said now?" Finn asked with an exasperated sigh.
"Do you even remember my first shift?" Forrest hissed.
"Of course I do. I was so proud!" Finn exclaimed.
"So you remember the humiliation you put me through?" He felt as though his head was going to explode with his anger. He tried to remember the relaxation exercises that Piper had taught him, but he'd never attempted it with Finn around.
"Forrest, honestly!" Finn grumbled. "You know I've done my best as your dad. I'm sorry I'm such a huge disappointment to you."
"Don't even start playing the martyr! You told me my mother abandoned me because I was useless and she hated me! Of course, that was after depriving me of the essentials for days."
"You may be a cat shifter, but you don't have to be a pussy. Grow a set." Finn rolled his eyes. "I did what I did to teach you to be a man. You owe your career to me."
What. The. Fuck! Forrest could not stop the shift even if he wanted to, which he didn't. His mountain lion leapt over the table, claws raised, and slashed Finn across the face. His mountain lion peered up at a deafening cry to find Fiona letting out one piercing scream after another. A swift knock to the head left his mountain lion reeling, and he stumbled a few feet before collapsing on the wooden floor.
* * * * *
Forrest moaned as he came back to consciousness. He glanced around, finding himself in the bed of his old room. Then he remembered what happened.
He jumped out of bed, doing his best to ignore the dizziness that caused him to stumble, and began throwing his stuff in his bag. Fuck Colorado, and fuck Finn! He was done trying.
"Are you leaving?"
The soft voice of his sister caused him to pause. She was huddled into the corner of the small window seat, looking even smaller than usual.
"Fi, you know I---"
"I know you don't try!" she huffed, swiping at the tears that dotted her cheeks.
He left his clothes beside his bag and went to sit beside her, pulling her into his lap. At times like these, he felt guilty for leaving her alone with Finn. He knew Finn would never hurt her. Actually, he was fairly certain Finn put her on a pedestal so high that nobody could think of reaching her. She was the golden child by all accounts, and God knows she deserved it.
Forrest felt exactly the same way. Fiona was the one bright spot that would keep him coming back to his hometown. If only she had come to live with them sooner, Finn might have acted more like a Dad than a dictator. She had softened Finn in ways Forrest had never thought was possible, though that feeling did not extend to him obviously.
He dropped a kiss on her forehead as she snuggled into his shoulder. "I love you, squirt. You know that, right?"
"I love you too, stump. Why can't you get along with Dad…for me?"
He frowned, nibbling at the inside of his cheek. "I would if I could," he said with a sigh. "Tell me the truth. Has he ever said a cross word to you? Has he ever punished you for something you had no control over?"
Fiona pulled away enough to peer at his face. "No." She shook her head and her red hair whipped back and forth with the force of her denial.
"Good." Forrest tucked her close again, breathing in her soft scent of vanilla and the mint conditioner she used. She was strong and independent, but he wanted to hold her close and protect her from the cruel world. That's what big brothers were for.
"Please stay, Forrest." Her big blue-green eyes pinned him in place.
He nodded, but said nothing. He could not willingly lie to his baby sister, but he wasn't staying.
He placed her on the floor and swatted her butt, and she jumped before giggling. "Get in bed. You have school tomorrow."
She nodded. "Be safe."
With those words, he knew Fiona had his number. How did such a smart woman live in the body of a nine-year-old?
* * * * *
Half an hour later, he dropped a kiss on his sleeping sister's forehead, ignor
ed Finn's room, and waited outside for the cab to arrive.
* * * * *
Hours later, Forrest knocked on Terry's office door at the training facility. He entered, his face blank, as his boss looked up from his desk.
"I'm all in. Field missions, undercover. All of it."
"Okay." Terry leaned back in his chair. "You want to talk about it?"
"Not with you," he replied solemnly.
"Then you better smooth things over with Piper."
Forrest nodded once, then turned to leave.
"And Forrest?"
He turned back. "Leave whatever the fuck happened in Colorado in the past and get your head in the game."
Forrest gave a short head jerk before heading out.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
FORREST PACED INSIDE his apartment, trying to work up the courage to go next door. He didn't want to get the door slammed in his face, but he knew he deserved it.
After an hour of silent brooding, he walked out into the hallway and squared his shoulders before he knocked on the door.
It was only a few seconds before the door swung open. Piper stared at him, her face blank, and didn't say a word.
Forrest cleared his throat. "Can I come in?"
She shrugged and moved aside, leaning back against her small kitchen countertop with her arms crossed over her chest.
He walked inside and closed the door, unsure what to say. He hadn't really thought past knocking, and never considered he'd be let into her apartment. "I…ehm…"
Her eyes began to glare daggers at him, but she remained silent.
"I know you hate me right now, and I can't blame you. You were right, it was a chickenshit move not to break it off with you. But you're gorgeous and---"
Piper snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Piper, you're my best friend. I've never had a true friend before, and I can't lose you. I guess that's pathetic, but it's the truth."
She frowned, but her eyes softened. "Continue."
She finally spoke! I must be saying something right! "I'm so fucked up in the head. I went home, because Terry told me to and I got into it with Finn. I wound up shifting and slashed his face before he knocked me out."
Piper walked closer and peered up at his face. Soft fingers probed at the already healing bruise on his jaw.
He grabbed her wrist and kissed her palm. She yanked her arm from his grasp and stepped back. "Sorry," he sighed.
"I'm not spreading my legs for you ever again, Forrest. I have too much self-respect to do that with you now. So if that's all you want, you can leave and never come back."
The determined set to her eyes and stance told him she meant every word. "I only want your friendship, Piper. I swear I'll never try for more."
She frowned, but gave a quick nod. "If you want to talk about things, let's do it at the training facility. I want to keep business where it belongs."
Forrest nodded. "Anything you want."
"If you want to be friends, just friends, I suppose we can try. I ordered a pizza if you want to stay. But we're talking movies, sports, and weather. That's it."
Forrest felt a grin split his lips. "Deal."
* * * * *
Forrest sat in the small office facing Piper. He might have promised not to make a move on her, but he never said he wouldn't look his fill. She was gorgeous, especially looking professional in her charcoal gray suit with her dark hair up in a bun!
"Tell me what caused you to shift and hurt your father," she said, pen tapping rhythmically on her ever-present notepad.
"He told me how proud he was when I first shifted, and you know how he made that happen. Then he told me he's the one that taught me to be a man, and that I owed my career to him! I mean, that arrogant…" Forrest snapped his mouth shut when his right hand shifted into a paw. He tried his best to hide it, but he knew Piper saw it.
Piper looked back to his face. "I need to tell you something. Promise me you'll remain calm."
Forrest breathed deeply, knowing it was going to be bad. He closed his eyes, practicing his meditation, and felt his hand return to human. "Okay." He nodded, opening his eyes to focus on her.
"The mission with Lawrence was a test. The D.E.A. wanted to know that you could interact with a father figure without projecting Finn onto the man. Lawrence is…was an agent. He died while you were gone to Colorado during a raid on a drug house."
He sighed softly as he looked at his fidgeting hands. The truth was he suspected something like that. He still liked Lawrence, and deep down, he thought maybe Lawrence was making up for his own past with a son he never knew. "I hope he went out knowing I cared about him."
"So you aren't angry at him and the D.E.A .for testing you?"
"After what happened in the park, how could I be angry? They had a right to test me." He looked up to meet her eyes. "I think it's best if we keep working on my trigger. It's the mental abuse that is my trigger, not a father figure per say. I'm willing to try anything."
Piper smiled and rounded her desk to lean against the front edge of it. "You're going to beat it this time, Forrest. You know why?" He shook his head. "Because you recognize it's a problem and that will make all the difference."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
FORREST PLACED THE bud in his ear and turned up the volume. Lester had come in the office and disappeared behind Falcone's office door.
He'd been outfitted with a small device that looked like a Walkman but allowed him to hear into the office as though he was standing inside. He knew the key to ending this mission involved Lester, so he listened intently.
"What's not to like?" Lester asked with a grunt.
"For starters, my guns and girls are worth far more than your drugs. It's not a fair trade," Falcone replied. "I may be a betting man, but I am not a dumb son of a bitch."
Lester let out a throaty laugh. "Never said you were. My stuff is grade A, not cut with any of that usual shit. It's all about supply and demand, Dennis. You get these junkies hooked on the shit and they'll sell their own mamas to get their next hit. How 'bout a little demonstration?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"There's a rave in my neighborhood Saturday night. You bring a few girls, I'll supply the party favors, and you can see how much you'll make."
Falcone hummed before saying, "Let's do it."
Forrest yanked the earbud out and pocketed it as he heard the doorknob rattle. He glanced up at Lester as he began to lumber down the hallway with short huffs of breath.
Lester turned back before he made it to the elevator. "Saronda told me to tell you that she wants another taste of her strawberry."
Forrest blanched and felt his face flush.
Lester laughed so hard that it echoed in Forrest's ears before he turned around and disappeared inside the elevator.
Forrest ducked his head, thinking of the day he lost a little bit of his soul. Never again.
"You got plans Saturday night? If so, you need to cancel them," Dennis said from his office doorway.
Forrest looked up. "No I'm good, boss."
"I want you packing. If you don't have your own, I'll get you some."
Forrest nodded and Falcone went back into the office and shut the door.
* * * * *
Forrest walked in to Terry's office and sat down.
The blond looked up at him with a puzzled expression. "Yes?"
"Something major is going down on Saturday night. I think a team should be ready for a possible takedown."
"You know I need details," Terry replied.
"Lester wants to trade drugs for guns and girls. Falcone thought he was getting the raw end of the deal, says his stuff is worth more than the drugs. So Lester is going to have a demonstration at a rave Saturday night. He says the drugs are pure and men will give their right nuts for another hit." Forrest stared at Terry. He still did not get why Terry was the boss, but he was the most senior agent in their little group. It wasn't as if Forrest had any desire to be the boss, but he would'v
e felt better if a Shifter Division leader was an actual shifter. Oh well.
Terry nodded slowly. "I really think we need to wait for an actual trade. We'll have a team at the rave in civvies, just in case anything goes totally off the rails. But if we want a case to stick and send Lester and Falcone away for good, we need large amounts of guns, drugs, and girls."
Forrest scrubbed his hands down his face. "So we just let innocents get hooked on the drugs and let these girls be used so we can dismantle it at a later date?"
"I doubt those innocents are all that innocent. We'll do our best to keep our team with the girls so they don't get taken advantage of. It may not be fair or right, but sometimes bad things have to happen for the greater good."
Forrest felt his jaw clench. That sounded just like something Finn would say. "Whatever you say, boss." He could not stop the disdain dripping from his lips.
"You have something to say, Mr. Scott? Say it," Terry said, standing from his desk chair.
It was then that he noticed how much Terry had bulked up since Forrest had met him. He must've been working out at the gym like a man on a mission. "Would it matter if I did?"
"No," Terry said with a roll of his shoulder.
"I'll be in contact when I know the location," Forrest muttered, walking out of the office.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
IT WAS AFTER nine p.m. on Saturday night when Forrest was able to get to a payphone and call in the location of the rave. He knew these places moved around in order to avoid the cops shutting it down. As the technology got more advanced, he knew it'd soon become virtually impossible for law enforcement to crack down on these events unless they had a man on the inside.
He stared at the outside of an old industrial building on the west side of Anacostia. The windows of the first floor were boarded over while higher windows were broken and in some cases completely missing. The galvanized steel, though rusty in a few places, was in good condition, if you ignore the colorful graffiti marking almost every inch of the outside walls.
Though ten feet away from the entrance, he could feel the vibrations from the bass music pulsing through the paved, but cracked, parking lot. He saw a few agents he recognized from the training facility walk inside, and Forrest decided it was time for his entrance as well.
