TEX (Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Holiday Heat Book 2)

by Hailey Storm

  My insides quivered with the knowledge that my brother was in deep shit as my stomach churned.

  “You’re going to regret helping him.” Liz narrowed her eyes. “He’s just going to ask you for more money.”

  “You’re probably right.” I tapped the circle button on my phone and glanced at the screen as it lit up, revealing my brother’s newest text. “But replying to his text or answering a phone call doesn’t mean I’m obligated to give him anything. He’s my brother, Liz. He’s called me probably fifty-two times in the last three days. I need to at least make sure he’s okay.”

  “I get that.” She nodded. “I do. Just don’t let him suck you in this time, okay?”

  “I won’t.” My eyes drifted to my cell.

  Please, Fifi…

  Two words. Nothing more. An ache built in the back of my throat as I stared at them. Stephen was in trouble. Big trouble.

  I scooted my chair out and stood. “I should go. I need to find out what’s going on with him.”

  Liz looked at her watch. “Yeah, I should probably get going too. I have a client coming in about twenty minutes.”

  I gathered my purse and car keys before scooping up my coffee. “Thanks for meeting me. It’s been way too long.”

  “It has. We should do this more often.” Liz pulled me into a hug.

  “Let’s meet up again next week. Same time, same place?”

  “Sounds good. Let me know what your brother wants. I’m just as curious as you.”

  “I will. Talk to you later.” My heart thumped wildly as I pushed against the cool metal bar of the double doors leading outside.

  By the time I made it to my car, I felt as though my coffee had soured in my stomach and was on its way back up. I needed to calm down before I reached out to my brother. My fingers trembled as I unlocked my car door.

  God, what had he gotten himself into?

  He knew I didn’t have any money. Not after the last time I’d helped him out. If he’d gotten himself into more debt with that crazy coyote group again I would kill him. I’d told him last time he needed to leave them alone. Shifters were nothing besides bad news. Considering what happened to our parents, you’d think Stephen would know this.

  He always had to learn crap the hard way though. Maybe that was what being the youngest was all about?

  I situated myself behind the steering wheel of my car and closed the door, sealing myself off from the noise of Main Street. Inhaling a deep breath, I tapped my brother’s name and replied to his message.

  What have you gotten yourself into this time?

  My heart kick-started inside my chest when he responded seconds later.

  Can you meet me? I need to talk to you. In person.

  Shit. He knew I wouldn’t be able to tell him no in person if he asked me for help. I’d never been able to before.

  I closed my eyes and exhaled a long breath. I could do this. Tough love. I’d already put my foot down by waiting three days to respond to him. I could totally tell him no in person. I was strong. I was brave. I could do this.

  If I kept telling myself that, maybe eventually I would believe it.

  Where do you want to meet?

  The water fountain in town square.

  My muscles relaxed. Meeting in a public place would make it easier to tell him no if he asked for money. He’d be less likely to beg or have an outburst if people were around to witness it.

  I’m leaving the coffee shop on Main Street. I can be there in seven minutes.

  Thank you, FiFi.

  “Don’t thank me yet,” I muttered as I set my cell in the cup holder and reached for my keys. “This meet and greet isn’t going to have the outcome you’re thinking it will.”

  I jammed my keys in the ignition and cranked the engine of my car. It made a God-awful noise before finally roaring to life. I had to get it in the shop soon. It had been on the fritz for too long. I couldn’t give my brother any more money. No matter what he said. No matter how much he begged. Giving him money was off the table. It was time he took responsibility for his own actions, as Liz would say.

  I backed out of my parking space and started down the one-way street toward town square, ready tell my brother just that.

  CHAPTER TWO

  SOPHIA

  My car made a grinding noise as I shifted into park. I frowned as I cut the engine. Jesus, I needed to find a cooking gig. Telling Stephen no if he asked for money was a must too. I exhaled a long breath. Turning Stephen down would be hard, but I could do it.

  I had to.

  I squared my shoulders, blew out a calming breath, and climbed out of my car. My heels clicked against the concrete steps of the parking lot as I jogged up them, heading for the alley that cut between a bookstore and kitchen store. The instant I stepped out of the alley, the water fountain came into view … and so did my brother.

  Stephen stood with his hands crammed into the front pockets of his denim cargo shorts. His dark hair was longer than I remembered and his face wasn’t nearly as baby smooth as the last time I’d seen him. An ache built in the back of my throat. He was thinner too. He’d obviously not given up on his bad habits yet. His gaze darted from person to person as he scanned the crowd, searching for me.

  He was a mess and I couldn’t help feeling like it was all my fault.

  I hoisted my purse higher on my shoulder and clutched it to my side as I continued toward him. The instant he spotted me, his shoulders visibly relaxed and the familiar lopsided grin that always seemed to hang loosely on his face when were we kids sprang free. I’d missed that smile.

  “You came,” he said when I was only a few feet away.

  “I told you I would.” My stomach churned as I took in the dark circles beneath his eyes. I couldn’t remember a time when he’d looked this bad.

  “I gotta admit, I doubted you this time.” His eyes softened as he shook his head and the lopsided grin I loved fell off his face. “I was beginning to think you’d never answer my calls or texts.”

  “I didn’t think I would either. I told you last time I was done giving you money.” My words were harsher than I’d intended. Stephen flinched, causing guilt to shoot through me.

  “I know. I said I would never ask you again.” His eyes grew distant, as though our last argument was flashing through his mind. I braced myself for harsh words to fly from his cracked lips—he always did have a temper—but nothing did. He remained quiet, still.

  “Then why are we here? What do you want?” I bit my bottom lip, hating myself for not taking the time to ask if he was okay. Instead, I jumped to conclusions, thinking he only wanted something from me. I was a horrible sister.

  “I didn’t call to ask for money. I called to ask for a favor. Please, Fifi, just hear me out. Listen to what I have to say before you tell me no, before you decide.”

  I could do that. “Okay.”

  “Promise you’ll hear me out?” His eyes hardened as though he didn’t believe me.

  “Promise.”

  He took a couple steps closer to me and the stench of stale cigarettes hit my nose. When had he started smoking again?

  “I said I wasn’t going to ask you for money, and I’m not. Money won’t help my situation. Not now. Nothing can, besides you.”

  A shiver slipped along my spine. I’d never been afraid of my brother, but he was freaking me out right now. “What do you mean?”

  He fished a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his front pocket and pulled one free. He placed it to his lips while keeping his gaze locked on me, almost as though he was waiting for me to ask when he’d started smoking. I didn’t. Stephen smoking cigarettes was the least of my worries.

  “My life is in your hands.” He flicked his zippo across the side of his shorts, igniting the flame, and tipped his head to the side as he lit his cigarette. Smoke billowed around his face and then curled into the air to disappear above him.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know you think I’ve screwed up a
million times, but this time I really did it. I pissed off someone big. The only thing that can fix what I’ve done is to do them a favor, and my favor involves you.”

  I shook my head. “No.” There was no way in hell I was getting involved with the people he dealt with. “I’m not getting sucked into this. Whatever it is you’ve done, you need to take responsibility for it and handle it yourself.” My words wavered as they rushed past my lips, but I meant every single one.

  “Don’t you think I would if I could?” He scoffed. “I never wanted things to come to this. I never wanted you to be involved.”

  “I’m not involved, Stephen. I’m not.” I started to walk away, but paused to glance at him. “Maybe it’s time you get yourself professional help.”

  “Now wait a minute, Sophia,” an unfamiliar voice called out. It was gruff and raw. There was danger in it that had my heart pounding and the fine hairs along the back on my neck standing on end. “Didn’t you promise you’d hear your brother out before deciding whether to help him or not?”

  I fought against my flight response to the guy and turned to face him. He wore a pair of shiny shoes, pressed slacks, and a crisp button-up shirt. His hair, a salt-and-pepper combo, was slicked back away from his forehead, giving him a sleazy, used-car salesman vibe. And his eyes, they were the color of liquid honey.

  He was a shifter. A coyote.

  Trouble.

  “And you are?” I asked.

  The shifter sauntered toward me, bringing with him the stench of his cologne. It was spicy and woodsy. Too strong. He continued toward me until inches remained between us. His hands crammed into the front pockets of his slacks as he leaned forward until his lips brushed against my ear. “The man who’s going to kill your brother if you don’t agree to the offer I’m proposing.”

  My breath hitched in my throat. Was this real? My eyes shifted to Stephen. His face had paled as panic ate away at him.

  The coyote took a step back. “So, you gonna listen, doll face?”

  I nodded, but couldn’t bring myself to speak. What had my brother done to garner this type of wager? And how the heck had I been dragged into this?

  “Good girl,” the coyote grinned. “Now why don’t the three of us climb into my car and go for a little drive to discuss the details. Shall we?”

  A black sedan waited by the curb. How had I not noticed it until now?

  The coyote placed a hand against my lower back and gently pushed me in its direction. I started walking. Stephen’s eyes were on me, I could feel them, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. Too many emotions bubbled through me. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. This was bad, really bad.

  My stomach rolled as another guy with liquid-gold eyes climbed from behind the steering wheel and popped open the back door for us to slip inside. Shifters made me uneasy. Especially coyotes. They were troublemakers, everyone knew it. While others in Wood Haven seemed to accept the bears and the few other shifters residing within the city limits, it was common knowledge to stay away from the coyotes.

  This was something I wished my brother had adhered to like the rest of us. Instead, he continued to get mixed up with them and their shady dealings. From the looks of this group, I could only imagine the type of dealings he was still involved in. Drugs. Gambling. They were probably where the last five grand I gave to Stephen had gone.

  I slid across the cold, cream-colored leather seat until I was pressed against the opposite door. The kingpin coyote slid in beside me. His cologne saturated the air, choking me. I slipped my purse off my shoulder and placed it in my lap. My hands trembled. I gripped my handbag in an attempt to hide it. Why, I wasn’t sure. These guys could probably smell fear on me, but I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing it as well.

  The driver slammed the door shut after my brother slipped in and then positioned himself behind the wheel again. He pulled away from the curb at a slow speed.

  “There, now we can talk,” the coyote said. His attention was on me. I could feel his eyes boring into me. I licked my lips and tightened my grip on my handbag. My muscles grew rigid. “Stephen, why don’t you go ahead and fill your sister in on our deal.”

  Stephen cleared his throat and leaned forward to look at me. I didn’t glance his way. Instead, I continued to stare straight ahead, barely able to breathe. “I need you to complete a job for Mitch. Once you do, my debt is wiped clean and my life is off the chopping block. Please agree to it, Fifi.”

  I cringed at the sound of my childhood nickname. Earlier it had melted my heart, but now it pissed me off.

  I closed my eyes and released the breath I’d been holding. “What sort of job is it?”

  Mitch’s hand landed on my thigh. I flinched at the contact and he laughed.

  “Glad to see you’re so easily on board,” he said as his hand squeezed my upper thigh.

  I removed his hand and locked eyes with him. “I never said I was on board. All I did was ask what the job was. You wanted me to hear my brother out, so I am.” My scalp prickled as his eyes heated from my tone.

  I cleared my throat, fearful of what he was going to do or say next. My brother’s situation was enough proof that this shifter was not one to piss off. I needed to keep my mouth shut.

  A wicked grin stretched across Mitch’s face. “You have more gusto than you give yourself credit for.”

  My eyes dropped to stare at my hands. My knuckles had gone white from gripping my purse too tight. I didn’t feel as though I had any gusto. I was scared shitless. I had no idea where I was being taken and no idea what the coyote wanted me to do in order to save my brother’s life.

  “I told Mitch you were a cook,” Stephen said. His voice shook when he spoke.

  “And I have a job for you.” Mitch’s warm breath caressed my face. He was too close. I leaned back against the seat, causing him to grin. “I’d like for you to cook for the new alpha of the wolves that recently moved to Wood Haven.”

  “That’s it? You want me to cook a meal for the newest wolf pack in town?”

  There had to be something more. That was too easy.

  “Not exactly,” Mitch said. My heart slammed against my rib cage. “I’d like you to poison their new alpha. Do this, and your brother goes free. Don’t, and your brother dies. It’s up to you. The choice is yours, doll face.” His liquid-gold eyes locked directly on mine, probing me for the answer he wanted to hear.

  My mind went numb and the tips of my fingers grew cold. He’d only left me with one option really, because I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I allowed Stephen to die. Mitch was a man of his word, I had no doubt. He would follow through with what he said.

  “How?” My voice quivered as the word pushed past my lips.

  Mitch snapped his fingers and the driver produced a Manila envelope.

  “Everything you need to know is inside here,” Mitch said, handing it to me.

  My eyes locked with his as I took it from him, their liquid-gold color pulling me in. The car came to a stop and the door beside me opened. I flinched, not having realized we’d pulled over and the driver had stepped out. I gathered my purse and gripped the envelope tight as I slipped out of the car.

  “I’ll be in touch, Ms. Davis,” Mitch insisted. I glanced at him. A slow grin spread across his face as his eyes raked over my body. “You know, you’re a lot prettier than I imagined.”

  I staggered away from the car, clutching the envelope to my chest. Mitch’s crazy deep laugh vibrated the air around me as his car pulled away from the curb. My stomach churned. I felt as though I’d just made a deal with the devil.

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  Want More From Hailey?

  If you want more dreamy Alphas check out the Desired By A Dragon Series available now.

  Here’s a little about SILAS, book one…

  A little heat never hurt anyone.

  Silas LeFroy has been burned in the past, but his inner dragon can take the heat. Now he's ready to move on however, he didn't
plan on the girl next door moving in. His dragon wants to claim her, but he doesn't know where to start.

  Violet Hanner is ready for the next phase in her life, one that doesn't involve her cheating ex-husband or the pity-filled eyes of family and friends. Swearing off men seems like the best place to start until she realizes her new neighbor is basically sex on a stick.

  When Silas's past catches up to him and Violet finds herself in harm's way he has to make a choice. Stay stuck in the past, or let Violet ignite his future.

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  About the Author

  Hailey Storm loves writing hot shifter romances filled with dreamy alpha males and fiery heroines. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two kiddos. When she's not thinking up new story ideas, Hailey can likely be found snuggled into the side of her own alpha male while sipping on a glass of red wine or watching the sunset.

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