The Leviticus Club

by Sydney Addae

  She hadn’t, not really. The people in her life blew up at each other often but it didn’t mean stay away, more like go away for now.

  “Um, I... we need your help.” This was unusual turf for her. He didn’t share her goals, wasn’t on the team, had no real reason to cooperate.

  “Tough.” He closed the door in her face.

  She stared at the door for a few moments and then turned the knob. The door opened and she walked in.

  “What the hell?” he said from his chair in front of the television. “You’re trespassing. I should call the cops.”

  Mia frowned. Granted, she had been born in a different century but common courtesy was still common. “Why are you so angry? I don’t understand.” Baffled, she watched the red spots enlarge on his face as his jaw clenched. Her gaze zeroed in on the fast pulse in his neck before searching his gaze. “You’re troubled.”

  “I don’t want you here,” he growled.

  Heat raced to her cheeks as she understood she was the source of his anger. Since she’d never caused that reaction in anyone that she could recall, she took a deep breath and released it slowly. Uncertain of how to proceed, she decided it best to retreat.

  “I see. Well, I will leave you for now and see you later. Tonight.” She backed toward the door.

  “No.” It came out like a low rumbling sound.

  She stopped and looked at him. “No?”

  “No, I won’t see you tonight or tomorrow night or any night. I just want to be left alone.”

  Frowning she faced him. “You have control over your dreams?” When he didn’t answer she continued. “If so I’d love to learn that skill. It would make life so much better.” She tilted her head, took in his mulish glare and sighed.

  “Doesn’t matter. I won’t work with anyone who breaks their word. I refuse to help you. Now go away, and don’t come back.”

  “You’re rude,” she said to hide her hurt feelings.

  “You’re a liar,” he growled his blue eyes like polished marbles.

  “Am not. I never agreed to keep what happened to myself. For goodness sake, I’m here on an assignment, of course, I have to report what I find out. You were in the military and should know that.”

  His mouth opened and closed. “Get out.”

  She turned on a huff and stomped down the porch. Ungrateful...the next time she saw him wallowing in the mist, she wouldn’t help.

  CHAPTER 9

  UNACCUSTOMED TO SUCH treatment, anger ripped through Mia. She whipped the rental car around and sped down the dirt road until she hit the street. Her car bounced and swerved to the side as she heard the horn of an oncoming vehicle.

  She pulled the wheel hard and hit the embankment on the other side of the road. It took a few moments to catch her breath before she looked over her shoulder at the truck she almost hit.

  Two gorgeous, dark-haired hunks were running to her car.

  “Are you alright?”

  “Where did you come from?”

  Mia blinked as her vision sharpened. “Twins?”

  The first one grinned, the other stared at her. “Are you alright?” he asked again.

  She pushed open the door and stood beside it. “Yes, thanks.” She looked at the car. “It’s a rental.”

  One of them walked around and looked it over. “Seems okay, you might want to start it to be sure.”

  “I’m Mia.” Her gaze darted from one to the other.

  “Ryder.” He pointed to the other one. “Ryan.”

  She nodded and inhaled. Her smile dropped. “You’re...”

  Ryder’s eyes chilled as he inhaled.

  Ryan stood next to him. “I’m what?”

  “Different.” She inhaled again. “Can’t place my finger on it, though.”

  “So are you,” Ryder said watching her closely and then looking over her shoulder. “You flew out into the road, somebody chasing you?”

  She had forgotten about Noah and waved it off. “No. Just pissed.” Head tilted, she stared at the two. “Are you gifted?”

  “Gifted?” Ryder asked before looking at his brother. “What do you mean?”

  “Never mind.” She stretched, looked toward Noah’s house and hoped she hadn’t ruined their mission by angering him.

  “Come on, share. What did you mean by gifted?” Ryder asked, with a wide grin.

  “Extra-sensory gifts.” Certain he was more than human, but unsure what, she met his stare.

  Ryder ran his hand through his hair as she stared into dark eyes that held multiple secrets. “Naw, don’t have anything like that. You?” he asked in a teasing tone. He suspected she was more than human but wasn’t sure what or how she suspected he or his brother were more. They were human-deep, with their beasts locked down.

  She smiled and opened the car door. “Let me see if it cranks.”

  Ryder suspected it would and wasn’t surprised when it did. The hair stood up on his arms and neck. “What do you think? Should we call this into Alpha Theron?”

  “She’s human, not wolf,” Ryan said watching her.

  “More than human,” Ryder corrected. “He may want to know there are strange breeds in the state.”

  “Dad would want to know,” Ryan said. “La Patron too.”

  “Yeah. We need to let them in, but let’s try to learn more,” Ryder said as he leaned forward, his face near the window. “Everything alright?”

  She looked at him and nodded. “Yeah, seems fine. Thanks.”

  “Can I buy you a drink? Dinner?” he asked still smiling. “We’re not far from a restaurant that serves the best seafood and steaks in Texas.”

  Her brow arched. “In Texas?” she said in a dry tone.

  He liked her spunk. “Yeah, pinky swear.” He held out his little finger to her. She laughed, it was a tinkling sound that ran through him as she caught his pinky with her own.

  “I’ve got a little downtime, lead on,” she said.

  Still smiling Ryder returned to the passenger side of the truck, turned and led the way to the Lucky G restaurant. During the drive, he contacted Tyrone, his dad, and Alpha Theron. Both told him to be careful and to let them know what he learned after their meal.

  <<<>>>

  AS SOON AS MIA PULLED out to follow the truck, she contacted Thomas, gave him a brief update of what happened at Noah’s, the near miss accident, and her current destination.

  “Didn’t you just eat?” Thomas asked.

  She rolled her eyes. Food was fuel she constantly burned. “Yes, is there a point to that question?”

  He laughed. They all ate a lot but for some reason, he and Tip enjoyed teasing her about her capacity to eat large quantities.

  “No. As far as Noah, the two of you will meet up again whether he wants it or not. The two men could be... well, I’ll wait to hear what you discover.”

  “Could be what?” she asked refusing to allow him to withhold information. It was a rule. They shared all information.

  “Were you at the Liege compound when they brought in wolf pups?” he asked.

  She frowned and tried to remember. After giving birth she worked as a housekeeper and remained in the dorms. “Could’ve been there, but I wouldn’t have known. Wait, wolf pups? Those bastards experimented on animals too?”

  “More than animals. If I’m correct, they experimented on dual-natured humans. Part wolf, part human could be other breeds out there too, don’t know. I heard some humans who worked on that side of the building where they housed the wolf pups talk about it once we escaped. What they did to us was nothing compared to how the dual-natureds were treated. From what I remember, they’re the reason the Liege stopped running tests on us and focused on them. They’re stronger and handled the technology better.”

  Mia whistled. “Holy shit. I didn’t know.” Her entire focus had been on surviving and then searching for her child. Seems she missed huge gaps in learning what was happening in the world.

  “What can you tell me about them? Are they dangerous? Wil
l they attack me?” Her throat tightened as she followed the truck.

  “They have an Alpha in charge of the whole country, La Patron, he’s serious and no one to play with. The Joint Chiefs tried to mess him over and got their asses kicked. Every state has another Alpha beneath him. If they realize you’re not 100% human —”

  “I am 100% human.”

  “Yeah, right. They’ll report it in, the Alphas make the decisions on what to do. For the most part, they don’t or won’t get involved in human affairs, so I doubt they’ll attack. They do speak mind to mind, have keen vision and eyesight, but so do you.”

  “I don’t speak mind to mind,” she said.

  “No, but we all have similar skills, speed, vision, hearing, ability to hear deceit, courtesy of the Liege. Some can enter your thoughts, so lock down your mind.”

  “Locking it,” she said.

  “As far as dangerous? That depends. If you’re a threat to them or their way of life, they’ll kill you without blinking. Don’t tell them you know what they are and it should be alright.”

  “Sounds like this might be a bad idea all around,” she muttered.

  “Yeah, but you’re on their radar now. They wouldn’t have bothered with you unless they sensed you weren’t 100% human either.”

  She scowled at the phone and didn’t correct him since he had a point. “How much can I say?”

  “About yourself? Be honest, won’t hurt. Maybe it’ll help, we could use some right about now. If we’re lucky, one of their Alphas will contact us and we may learn more about these killings. Or they may have files on the Liege and be willing to share.”

  Her heart leaped with hope. “Maybe we can come to some sort of arrangement with them. Help each other out.”

  Thomas snorted. “We don’t have anything to offer them. There’s millions of them in the States alone, and just a few of us.”

  She thought about it. “We really don’t know how many of us there are. Could be more. They could help us find others.”

  “Why would they do that? Why would they get involved with humans?”

  “I don’t know yet when I have an answer I’ll let you know. Nothing happens by coincidence. Not meeting Noah or these twins. Something’s brewing and we need to be prepared for anything.”

  Silence filled the car for several moments. “You’re right.” He sighed. “With Lizzy fading, and the team shrinking, I’m about ready to fade into the sunset myself. Haven’t given much thought to a future, hell after 163 years I’m tired. But you’re right, there is a hint of expectancy in the air. I didn’t want to acknowledge it but that doesn’t change anything. Thanks, and be careful.”

  “Will do. Talk to you later.” She disconnected and pulled into the parking lot behind them.

  There was nothing lucky looking about the Lucky G restaurant. It was an old wood building with a wrap-around porch filled with rocking chairs, in the middle of a large field. Several cars parked haphazardly around the front and sides.

  Mia wasn’t impressed with the building but she was curious about the twins. Wolf Shifters. She stared at them as they left the cab of their truck. Tall, wide shoulders, lean waist, dark shaggy hair, Ryder wore a close-shaven beard, while Ryan’s face was clean. She could see them as wolves now and blanked her expression as they approached and opened her door.

  “May not look like much, but the food’s best in these parts,” Ryder said as Ryan stood a few feet behind her watching.

  Smiling, she slid out the front seat with her purse strap on her shoulder and inhaled the air. “Smells good.” And it did. Her mouth watered and stomach growled in appreciation as she followed Ryan, while Ryder followed her.

  Inside, she sensed more people like the twins. Several eyes followed them as they sat at a large table that would easily accommodate her entire team. Once Ryder and Ryan sat she understood the reason for oversized seating, those two ate up most of the room.

  An older woman walked over to them, smiling. “Guys, I’ve got your beers coming up, what would you like to drink, Ma’am.”

  “Water for now, but I’ll want something to go with dessert, maybe a beer then.”

  “Gotcha, Honey.” The woman turned and left them. Ryan handed her a menu.

  Mia was impressed by the selections. Tired of chicken, she decided on the pulled-pork barbecue and all the fixings. “Thanks, this is nice.” She looked around in appreciation of the laid-back place and atmosphere.

  “What’s a fine, looking chocolate drop like you doing in Littleton, Texas?” Ryder asked with a devilish grin. These guys were sexy, handsome and young.

  Mindful that everyone in the building would probably hear her, she smiled. “Work, what else.”

  Ryder’s brow cocked. “What kind of work?

  She stared at him for a few seconds, glanced at Ryan and then spoke. “A murder investigation.”

  The sudden stillness in the restaurant proved everyone heard her even though she had lowered her voice.

  Ryan frowned.

  She pulled out her badge, placed it on the table and leaned forward. “Please keep this quiet.”

  Ryder lifted her badge, showed it to Ryan and returned it to her. Neither spoke for several moments.

  Were they mind-speaking to each other or someone else? She had no way of telling and picked up a soft roll from the basket the waitress had placed on the table when she took their order.

  “Ohmigod, this is so good. I need to take a few of these back with me.” She took a sip of water and continued eating. When the brush against her forehead happened, she ignored it. No one could access her mind without her permission, once again, thanks to brain tampering from the Liege.

  “Glad you like ’em,” Ryder said. “I’ll have Rita bag a dozen for you to take with you. Food should be out soon.”

  She licked the butter from her fingers, did a quick sweep around the room. There were fewer people but still a sizable amount.

  “Thanks. If the barbecue is as good as the rolls, I owe you.”

  “There's’ been a murder in the area? One that the Feds are interested in?” Ryan asked.

  Mia wondered if this was their version of good cop, bad cop. “There’s been a murder in the area and I’m here to investigate.” Her voice changed, became more serious.

  Ryan nodded.

  A few minutes later, the waitress returned with two platters. She placed one in front of Mia, the other Ryan. Smiling, she inhaled the sweet aroma and picked up a fry, eyeballed the corn on the cob, beans, and barbecue. Perfect.

  Eager for a taste, she scooped a fork-full of barbecue into her mouth and moaned in appreciation as the perfectly blended seasonings hit her tongue. Eyes closed, she smacked her lips and took another bite.

  “This is too good to be true.” She looked at her hosts who wore slight smiles, watching her.

  “You enjoy your food,” Ryan said giving her his first genuine smile since they met.

  “Correction, good food. I love good food,” she said taking another bite as Ryder’s platter was set in front of him.

  Rita smiled brightly at her. “Glad you like it, if you need anything else, holler.”

  “Thanks, Rita. I want to take some rolls with me,” she said.

  “The twins already ordered it,” Rita said then winced.

  Mia ignored Rita’s mistake of mentioning their mind to mind communicating and continued eating. The meal was completed in silence with an occasional moan from her.

  When she finished the platter, she reached for the menu to look at desserts. The last time she dream-walked with Noah she was so drained she could barely stand. Tonight, she needed extra fuel to try and push through the mists that prevented him from seeing Nathaniel on the day of his death.

  Ryan chuckled.

  She looked at him briefly and then decided on a slice of coconut cake. “Are you guys having dessert?” She held up her menu.

  “I might,” Ryder said.

  Ryan shook his head. “I’m good.”

  “
You guys live around here? Near Noah?”

  Ryder frowned. “Noah? Don’t know him.”

  She waved it off. “You live near here?”

  “Got a place about 10 miles from where you almost ran into us,” Ryder said with a slight smile.

  “I apologize for that. Normally, I’m a great driver, and don’t make those kinds of mistakes,” she said with feeling.

  “What happened to make you react like that?” Ryder asked.

  “Misunderstanding.” She clamped her lips tight and watched Rita walk toward them. “I’d like a slice of cake please.”

  Rita removed her platter with a smile. “Bring that right out to you.”

  With thoughts of cake and murder on her mind, Mia didn’t say anything for a few moments.

  “Nathaniel Green,” Ryan said. “The librarian was found dead in his driveway a couple days ago. Hasn’t been buried and you’re here investigating his death. Was there a problem?”

  She sensed a subtle push and bit back a smile. Instead, she frowned, debated whether to share as if pushed or ignore it, which would prove she was gifted. In the end, she did neither.

  “Problem?”

  Ryan nodded. “Feds don’t get involved —”

  “Why do you care? I’m not questioning your whereabouts at the time the crime was committed. Do you know anything about it?”

  His eyes widened and turned cold. Like chips of frosty onyx, he stared at her. “No, unfortunately, I don’t otherwise I’d try to help you. I live in this area and when someone, anyone is snuffed like that, as a citizen I’m concerned.”

  They locked gazes for a few seconds. It seemed the entire building held its breath.

  She nodded. “Thanks. I needed this break, a moment of downtime to enjoy a meal without complications. I can’t discuss an open, ongoing investigation.” Her gaze sharpened as it flicked over both of them.

  The restaurant had all but emptied. Mia sensed something was happening and forced herself to relax. Whatever happened, happened.

  “I understand,” Ryan said. “Just threw me for a loop when you went all cop and accused me—”