Embracing Fate: A hot paranormal shifter book (Hidden Hills Shifters 4)

by Day, Vella

  Piper grinned and stood. She twisted toward Emmaline. “How long will you be around?”

  “At least for a week or two.”

  “Fantastic. We’ll have to get together and catch up.” Piper hugged her, picked up her purse, and faced Cord. “I’m ready.”

  Cord motioned that she precede him so he wouldn’t chance brushing up against her, but the moment he caught sight of those long legs, her wavy flowing hair, and that delicious ass, he realized he’d made a huge tactical error.

  * * *

  Piper couldn’t believe her good luck. What had started out as a pretty crappy day had ended better than she could have ever hoped. Not only had she learned Cord’s name, he was actually driving her home.

  No one had asked him directly if he was dating anyone, but from the conversation, it seemed as if he lived alone. He’d arrived in town six months ago from Virginia, and if he had been married, she figured he would’ve mentioned his wife’s name.

  Cord escorted her to his truck and opened the door for her. It didn’t surprise her he’d be a gentleman. “Thank you.”

  “Sure,” he mumbled, acting a bit uncomfortable.

  Since he was such a strong and handsome man, she hadn’t expected that reaction. She’d pegged him as a ladies’ man, but maybe she’d been mistaken. He jumped in the driver’s seat, started the engine, and took off without a word.

  He headed west for at least a mile before speaking. “I should have asked how your brother was doing today.”

  That was nice of him to care. “He said he was okay, but I didn’t believe him because he refused to take any pain meds.”

  “He seems like a stubborn kid.”

  She huffed out a laugh. “You have no idea.”

  “I forgot to mention that I found his wallet today. I was hoping Brody would stop by the station to file a complaint against the men, but I never saw him.”

  “I’m not surprised. He’s not one for authority.” From the way his voice had dipped when he mentioned the wallet, she had to guess it had been empty. “Did they leave anything in it?”

  “No. He’ll have to stop payment on any credit cards and apply for a new license.”

  Damn. Piper closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. “What do you think I should do?”

  “Do? About what?”

  “My brother. Our parents divorced about ten years ago, and Brody’s been a bit lost ever since. I’ve tried to teach him the difference between right and wrong, but he seems to be on this path to self-destruction.” Her voice wobbled, and she feared he’d think she was weak, or else wonder if she blurted out her troubles to just anyone. The answer to the latter was a resounding no.

  “Is your dad still around?”

  “He’s alive, if that’s what you mean, but he doesn’t have much to do with us. Our mom died four years ago, so I’ve been trying to watch over Brody ever since.”

  He glanced over at her. “I guess your brother’s not receptive to your suggestions?”

  Cord could read her mind. “That’s an understatement.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Other than asking her for directions, he said little for the rest of the trip. With each mile, any chance of him accepting an offer of coffee dimmed. She pointed to the mailbox that she’d surrounded with small solar lights. “Right here.”

  Her pulse throbbed as he pulled into her drive. Ask him.

  As she was about to, he put his truck in park and came over to her side. For a brief moment, she wanted to pretend this was a date. He opened the door and helped her out.

  Don’t swoon. It was hard not to because he smelled of rich leather and minty soap.

  “I really appreciate the lift. Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?” Butterflies beat against her abdomen as she awaited his answer.

  “Another time, maybe.” As he turned to go, Cord stopped and stared at her front door. “Piper?”

  His tone scared her. “Yes?”

  “Get back in the truck,” he commanded.

  She had no idea what was going on, but she obeyed. As he rushed up to her porch, she spotted the broken glass panel on the left side of the door, and her stomach cramped at the implication. She looked around, trying to see who might have broken into her house, but saw no one nor had she spotted a car parked on her street. Perhaps this was some kind of sick prank.

  A moment later, Cord jogged back down the steps and opened her door. “I need your key to check inside.”

  “Sure.” Flustered, Piper dipped her hand in her purse and handed it to him. “Do you think someone’s still there?”

  “I’m about to find out. Lock the car doors and stay alert. If you see anything, take off.”

  She would never leave him. “What about you?”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  She bet he could.

  Chapter Four

  Cord didn’t like leaving Piper in the car, but he didn’t have much choice. He wasn’t about to let her into the house where someone could be waiting. As soon as he unlocked the door, he set the key on the table and shifted into his panther form. Except for the glass on the floor and some papers that had been blown around, everything appeared neat, but that didn’t mean someone hadn’t been inside. How they would’ve entered without the key and not jimmied the lock, he didn’t know, but he’d learned through the years that thieves could be very creative.

  By only breaking the side window, they couldn’t have reached in and unlocked the door. Hopefully, this was a bunch of kids on a dare.

  A ton of questions shot through his head, but right now he wanted to search every room. The living room took up the front part of the house and the dining room was against the far wall. There was a short hallway to the right with a door behind the dining room that probably led to the kitchen.

  Her house smelled like her, all freshness with a hint of lavender, and he had to work hard not to let his libido take over his thoughts. None of the lights were on in her bedroom or in the kitchen, but he didn’t need them to see. As he studied the area, only her scent lingered, and he was quite confident that no one besides Piper had been in the house in a while. The question now was why had someone broken the window and then not tried to enter?

  He rushed back to the living room and shifted into his human form before leaving. He jogged to the passenger side where Piper was staring straight ahead then knocked on the window. “Piper? Open up.”

  She turned her head and jumped, as if she’d been lost in her own thoughts. Her aura radiated more concern than fear, for which he was thankful. If she had a breakdown, he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to hold her in his arms and give comfort without asking for more. Being around his mate was testing every ounce of his willpower.

  She unlocked her door and pushed it open. “No one was in there?” she asked, her voice shaking.

  “No, and I don’t think anyone was, but there had to be a reason for them breaking the window.”

  He nodded to the ignition. “Can you grab the key for me?”

  She leaned over and removed it. As she placed it in his palm, he was careful not to let her fingers touch his skin. With each minute in her presence, his need for her grew.

  Once she slipped out of the truck, he walked her up to the front of her house. “Did someone mention something about coffee? I sure could use a cup.” He kept his voice upbeat, which seemed to relax her.

  “Me, too, and thank you. I don’t want to be alone right now.”

  He didn’t intend to leave her. Since her brother had been mugged, it was possible the potential intruder was one of the men who’d attacked Brody, though he couldn’t think of a good reason how they’d known where she lived, unless Brody had mentioned it. Then again, it was a small town.

  Perhaps one of them came to see if Brody’s sister was willing to pay her brother’s debt, but for the moment, he’d keep those thoughts to himself.

  As soon as Piper stepped inside, she slipped off her sweater and his inner beast went wild.
The tank top hugged her breasts, and it took every ounce of his control to keep from touching her.

  “Everything looks the same as I left it.” She turned to face the window. “I’ll need to have someone fix this, but for tonight, I can put cardboard or something over the window to keep out the cold.” She scooped up some papers scattered on the floor and set them on the coffee table.

  “I’ll be happy to help.” It would give him something to do with his hands other than take a hold of her and kiss her. “Do you have any wood lying around? It will be a lot sturdier than cardboard.”

  She bit down on her lip, looking way too adorable. “In the garage, I think. I’ll get it.”

  “No!” Piper jumped. Damn. He wasn’t used to being around someone like her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sure no one’s around, but I don’t want to take that chance.”

  He could feel the relief pouring through her. “Thank you. Let me get you a flashlight.”

  He could have shifted, but because he wanted to act as normal as possible, he thought it best if he remained in his human form. A moment later, she returned with the light. “The garage is open. It’s behind the house.”

  In the future, she ought to consider keeping everything locked up, but he wouldn’t mention that now. First, he’d patch the window, and then over coffee, they’d talk about what might have happened.

  * * *

  As soon as Cord stepped from the house, a rush of anxiety swamped Piper, and she had to pace to burn off the energy. No one had ever broken into her house before. Her first thought was that Brody might’ve tried to entered, but then dismissed that thought. He knew where she kept her spare key.

  She slipped her cell from her purse to call him, but then remembered he hadn’t paid his cell phone bill. Dang. He’d be at the garage tomorrow, so she could ask him then if he knew anything.

  Piper couldn’t picture him so high that he’d break a window. Her brother had done a lot of things in his life, but being hooked on drugs hadn’t been one of them. As far as she knew, she hadn’t pissed off anyone, unless this had something to do with Brody somehow. Cord was a cop, so he might have a better idea who might be behind this.

  She leaned against the wall, waiting for him to return. The moment she’d spotted him at the bar, hope had surged that perhaps she’d be given a chance to be with him. Sure, he’d declined her invitation to come in, but she might have figured out something that would have enticed him to stay. Now he was here only because of some crime.

  Heavy footsteps sounded on the front porch. A moment later the door opened, and Cord entered waiving a piece of wood. “This was all I could find. Looks like it will have to do.”

  Anything that would block the wind would be welcome. “Thank you.” Uh-oh. Here she’d promised him something to drink, and she’d done nothing about it. “I’ll fix us that coffee.”

  “While you’re doing that, I’ll patch the hole.”

  Having a man around was comforting, especially in her time of need, but Piper wished Cord had been there under different circumstances. As he hammered away, she brewed the coffee and wondered if he took cream or sugar. Given his fit body, he probably drank it black. She could ask him, but she didn’t want to disturb him.

  Now that they were alone, there were so many things she wanted to ask him, like did he have any siblings, what were his parents like, and how much fun was it to grow up a shifter?

  She’d moved here three years ago and had met some amazing women, many of whom could transform their shape. When she’d asked them what it was like to change, they’d shrugged it off saying it was all they’d ever known. Tasha was the only one who said she didn’t like to shift since she became even more lumbering when in her bear form.

  By the time the coffee was ready, Cord had finished fixing the window. Placing the two coffees, sugar, and creamer on a tray, she carried it out to the living room and set it on the coffee table. “The bathroom’s down the hall if you want to wash up.” Scrounging through her garage would have been a dirty job.

  He smiled briefly and her heart hammered. He was already a handsome man when he was serious, but his smile and perfectly white, straight teeth only added to his good looks.

  “Thank you,” he said then disappeared down the hall.

  She sat on one end of the sofa, hoping he’d sit next to her. He’d probably drink his coffee, thank her, and then leave now that the danger had passed. Spending any time with him, though, would be a bonus.

  Cord returned and slipped next to her, tension plastered across his face. She wanted to know why he was so concerned, but she decided that maybe it was best not to know.

  Not putting anything in his drink, he picked up his coffee then glanced at her. “Do you have any idea who would want to break in?” He sounded very much like a cop taking her report instead of a concerned friend.

  Her spine stiffened. “Are you opening an investigation?”

  His shoulders sagged a bit. “Sorry, I can’t seem to turn off the cop in me, but yes since a crime was committed. You’ll have to fill out a report at some point.”

  “Crap.” She let out a long breath. “I have no idea who would break my window. You said they didn’t get in, right?”

  “They didn’t, but when I was coming back from the garage, I flashed the light on the door and it looked as if someone tried to kick it in but failed.”

  Her stomach churned. “Why didn’t they try another window if they were so determined to get in?”

  “When I find them, I’ll be sure to ask.” He blew on the steaming cup and then drank the hot brew.

  “For a moment, I thought it might have been Brody, but he knows where I keep my spare key.” As she sank back against the sofa, she spotted the two pieces of paper she’d found on the floor. The one on the bottom had been a receipt for a shirt she’d purchased. The other she didn’t remember. Curious, she picked it up, and as she read it, her heart nearly stopped.

  “What is it?” Cord’s voice was laced with concern.

  “I’m not sure. It says, ‘Time’s running out.’” She handed the paper to him but he held up his palm.

  “Set it on the table face up. There might be fingerprints on it.”

  She didn’t care about that, but she did as he asked. “What do you think it means?”

  Cord looked off, as if he was weighing his options. “I didn’t want to bring this up before, or at all really, but I think you should know what happened in that alley.” Cord was holding his coffee with both hands as if he needed the support.

  Her stomach tumbled, and she was glad she hadn’t picked up her drink yet. She would have spilled it. “Tell me, please.”

  “When I arrived on the scene of your brother’s attack, one of the men shouted at Brody, saying he needed to pay them what he owed or the next time the beating would be worse. Perhaps they want you to convince Brody to pay—that his time is running out.”

  She clasped her hand to her chest to stop the pain from squeezing her heart. “I’ve never known him to gamble, and I don’t want to believe he’s doing drugs.”

  “In either case, I doubt it’s something he’d tell his big sister. Perhaps he borrowed money for some other reason, and now is having trouble paying them back, especially if they charged him high interest rates.”

  She thought she had a better relationship with her brother, and that he’d have come to her if he’d been in trouble, but apparently she’d been wrong. “I hope that’s it.”

  Her mind spun. Piper thought back to the time when Brody had borrowed about four hundred dollars from her. He kept saying he’d reimburse her when he could, but he never had. Then there was the fact he’d forgotten to pay his cell phone bill. Damn. These little details pointed to Brody having some kind of addiction. “Do you think these men are trying to extort money from me?”

  “I have no idea what to think, but I’m betting Brody can shed light on the situation. Do you think you can call him?”

  “I was going to while y
ou were in the garage.” She told him about his cell phone being cut off due to lack of payment. “He works at Chandler’s garage and will be there tomorrow morning. I can get a hold of him then.”

  “When you do, see if you can convince him to give you the names of the men who assaulted him. We don’t need them coming around here again.”

  “I will, but I can’t promise anything.” She ran her hands down her pants. “Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d come home, seen the window broken, and then found that note.” Yes, she did. She’d have been scared shitless.

  “I’m glad I was here.” Cord set down his cup of coffee. “I’m not trying to scare you, but it’s possible this person might come back tonight.”

  Fear assaulted her, and she grabbed his wrist. “Why would they do that? They already delivered their message.”

  “Desperate men do desperate things, which is why I’m staying the night.”

  His authoritative comment took her breath away. He glanced down at her hand on his arm, acting as if it made him uncomfortable, so she released her grip. “You don’t have to. You don’t owe me.” If anything, she owed him.

  “I’m born to protect. Now if you would be so kind, could you find me a pillow and a blanket? I’ll stretch out here on the sofa.”

  As she tried to take in all of this information, her body refused to move. Some men might be trying to harm her, and at the same time this amazing man wanted to spend the night in her house. Her mouth couldn’t even form any words as conflicting emotions sped through her.

  “If it’s too much trouble,” he said, “I have no problem sleeping on the floor in my bear form.”

  It took her a moment to realize that he’d said bear instead of bare. For that second, the image of his naked body burned a hole in her brain and hardened her nipples. What was wrong with her?

  Piper jumped up. “Of course.”

  She rushed out of the room, feeling like a fool for thinking such prurient thoughts when danger loomed. Since she didn’t have any spare pillows, she took a clean case from the linen closet then grabbed the extra pillow off her bed along with the folded quilt she always slept with. Her mother had hand-stitched it a year before she died, and it meant a lot to her.