Rafe’s muscles tensed with the need to put him in his place. He took a step forward but his cell vibrated against his leg. He dug it out, glanced at the screen and let Devin’s call go unanswered. It was too loud in the room and he wasn’t about to leave Josh unsupervised. Knowing the drill, Devin sent a text. The short vibration announcing it traveled up his arm. He peeked at the screen and breathed a sigh.
Devin had found Megan at the first address, Josh’s parents. He was laying low and watching the house. Apparently, they were asleep. And that meant at least one thing had gone right tonight. The most important thing.
Rafe sent a reply saying he’d meet him after talking with Josh. He slid the phone back into his pocket and made his way to the bar.
Josh watched him approach with narrowed eyes but ambled over to the counter when he stepped up to it.
“What can I get you?”
“Actually, the question is, can you help me?” Rafe grinned at the bemused expression on the male’s face. “You see, your brother’s desperation has dropped you in a world I can guarantee you don’t want to be in.”
* * * * *
Jazz locked her car and hurried across the parking lot. She returned waves to those who called her name but she didn’t see them. The only image in her mind was of Tony’s smiling face when she’d dropped off a plate of cookies this morning. She’d known him a long time but over the past couple of months they’d become close friends. And now he was gone. Dead. She paused near the bar’s doorway to blink back tears. They kept filling her eyes, clogging her throat. She released a shaky breath and sat on the bench near the entrance.
The police said it was an armed robbery and were confident they’d find the killer. They had fingerprints, evidence. She hoped they did. Tony’s killer deserved to be punished but what concerned her most was his brother, Josh. He was now part of a world he never knew existed and one that would change his life. It had certainly redirected hers.
Jazz stood, tucked her hair behind her ears and mentally prepped herself to break the news to Josh that the child he’d become responsible for wasn’t really a child…at least not by human standards. She didn’t look forward to the conversation but it was necessary. At least he didn’t have to face it alone. He had her.
She stepped around two college students arguing with the bouncer and slipped inside. On her tiptoes, she scanned the crowd for Josh. He rarely left others in charge of the bar but with Tony’s death, his parents had said he’d asked his head waitress to come home early from her vacation. He was handing the reins over to her.
The Black Widow was busy but it didn’t have a lot of competition. Nearest big city was forty-five minutes away. Great for Josh. He had the monopoly on entertainment. And good for her too. It kept her boys from being discovered. Well, usually. And she didn’t want to think about those unfortunate encounters she’d had over the years. The nightmares would start again.
She didn’t see him at his normal spot behind the counter. Maybe she’d missed him. Shit. She really didn’t want to have this conversation around Megan, which was why she came out tonight. Josh needed to know about Megan’s shifter status—the sooner, the better—but he’d ignored every one of her calls today. Not surprising really. His life had been turned upside-down. And now she was here to give it another spin.
She swept her gaze over the crowd and saw Cindy, another good friend. Jazz waved her over. “Have you seen Josh?”
Cindy leaned against the wall, arms crossed and brows scrunched. “Yeah, I think he’s still around. He was waiting for Sara to get here. He’s itching to get back to Megan.” She studied her, a frown making the fine wrinkles on her face deepen. “What’s wrong?”
Jazz flashed a bright smile. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“You’re a horrible liar.”
Jazz ignored her—she didn’t have time for this. She climbed up on a nearby chair and glanced across the room. She caught sight of Josh in the far corner talking to another man. She couldn’t see the new guy’s face, his back was facing her and he stood in the shadows. But she saw enough to form an initial impression—tall, blond and built like a body-builder. A little shiver ran down her spine. She shook off the weird reaction and waved her arms to get Josh’s attention.
Josh tilted his head and looked in her direction. Anger was stamped on his face but the scowl and narrowed eyes lessened when he met her gaze. She pointed to him then herself. He nodded and the man with him turned his head. She was too far away to see the color of his eyes but they pierced her, seemed to look straight through her. Unblinking, they swept over her in a blatant perusal. Her breath caught and her skin burned under his heated study.
She had the sudden urge to hide but his gaze trapped her. She couldn’t move. The reaction struck her as odd. He wasn’t the first guy to look at her. She didn’t need to act as if his attention was anything special but she still studied him as intensely as he did her. It was impossible not to. He was a sight to behold.
His face was all hard angles and tan skin that looked golden in the wash of light from a nearby beer sign. Blond hair went with the sun-kissed skin. It was pulled in a tail at the base of his head. From the length held in the band, she guessed that unbound it would just brush his shoulders. A surfer. That’s what he reminded her of. She could easily picture him on the beach with a surfboard and a following of bikini-clad women.
She swept her gaze over the length of a body she wouldn’t mind seeing in a pair of swim trunks…or less. His chest rose and fell with quick breaths as if he’d just run a mile. Maybe barefoot and naked across the sand? Oh yeah, she liked that image. It made the horrors of the day disappear.
She smiled and focused on his face. His full lips were parted slightly with pants that explained his heaving chest. She stared at them until one corner of his mouth lifted and he turned his head, breaking the trance.
She reached a hand out to steady her shaky body. Damn. The guy was good-looking. Was he a friend of Josh’s? Jazz pushed that thought away. She didn’t care who he was. Hot guys didn’t have any place in her life. She hopped off the chair and smoothed her halter-top.
Assured Josh would talk to her when he was done with the tanned stranger, she faced Cindy. “I’m not lying. Everything is fine.”
“Do I look stupid?” She huffed. “You’ve been crying.”
With one hand on a flaring hip, Cindy pointed toward the door. Knowing there was no escaping her friend’s probing inquiry and needing the distraction, Jazz followed her outside.
The familiar sounds of the bar spilled out from the open door behind them. It was 80s night, a big draw for the area. Hair bands still lived strong among the locals. Eye of the Tiger, one of her all-time favorites, started playing but even hearing the song she used to dance to with a toddler on each hip didn’t ease her anxiety. She was a wreck.
“Okay, girlfriend. Spill. Are you upset about Tony?”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I’ve known you for a long time, Jazz. You get this little tic in your jaw when you’re not being completely honest. So what is it?”
She shrugged and Cindy narrowed her eyes, not buying into her hedging. As she gathered her thoughts—a necessity considering all the lies she had to keep straight—she caressed the edge of the retro gas pump that stood proudly next to the entryway. Josh had it custom-made with Jazz’s garage name on it—Classic Wyns. Free advertising, he’d said and it matched the theme of the bar. She couldn’t argue with the reasoning, especially when it did send business her way.
“Are you worried about how he died?”
She sighed. Cindy was relentless. Jazz gave the shiny red pump one last, loving caress. “Yeah, they’re saying it was an armed robbery. Tony’s house is only a few miles from mine. What if—”
Cindy held up a hand. “The police are investigating.” She reached forward and gave Jazz’s hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry. They’ll find him.”
“I suppose,” Jazz said, hoping to hurry the convers
ation along.
Cindy flashed a bright smile as if everything was right in the world now that she’d agreed with her. Cindy grabbed her hand and tugged. “Come on. Dan’s brothers will be happy to see you. You never come out anymore.”
Jazz dug her heels in, stopping her. “I don’t feel like socializing. I came to talk to Josh, then go home.”
“You never want to go out. Your life revolves around your garage and your kids.” Cindy leveled her with a hard look. “You know, if you’re not careful, you’re going to end up alone. You’re not getting any younger.”
Jazz groaned and glanced heavenward. “Don’t start, Cindy. I am in no mood to discuss my love life.”
Cindy wrapped her arms around her stomach and openly laughed at her. Jazz glared at her dramatic reaction. Her personal life wasn’t something to laugh at.
“Please. You don’t have a love life.” Cindy wiped her eyes, then waggled a finger at her. “Last date you went on was over three years ago and that was only because I set you up.”
And what a disaster that had turned out to be. Her date had walked her home and she’d ended up purposely tripping him so he didn’t see the two small tigers sleeping on her porch. She’d decided then and there she wasn’t getting involved with a guy. How was she supposed to explain to her boyfriend that not only did she have kids, they weren’t human?
“I don’t have time for a relationship,” Jazz said for the umpteenth time. They’d had this same conversation so many times over the past few months it’d begun to feel as if they were rehearsing for a play.
“You can make time. Your restoration business is booming. Hire an extra hand.”
“I don’t want anyone else touching the cars I’m fixing up. Each one is special to me,” Jazz said. Besides, her garage was on her property. The chances of her new helper learning her kids’ secret was too great. She couldn’t risk it.
Cindy’s jaw worked back and forth. She blew out a rough breath that stirred the edges of her bangs. “Yeah and just think where your life would be if your pappy hadn’t taken you under his wings and taught you the ropes. With the economy the way it is, a lot of the local kids are being forced to move out after they graduate high school and most don’t want to. Give one of them a chance, help them learn some valuable skills.”
She hated this. The lies. The secret world she had to live in. Her life wasn’t meant to end up like this. But it had and it was damn bittersweet. She had the two best kids in the world and nobody to share them with. Well, she did have Mr. Wilkins, the only other person who knew what her kids were, but her retired neighbor didn’t count.
Time to lie and move on. Cindy would never understand. “Okay, you’ve got a point. I’ll look into it.”
Her eyes widened. “Great. Now you have time for a relationship.” Cindy took her hand and yanked her back inside.
She chuckled. It was impossible not to. Cindy looked so happy. “Don’t get any crazy ideas. I am not going out with any of your husband’s friends. No more blind dates, thank you very much.”
“You don’t need any help from me, girlfriend. Once you drop the ‘stay away from me’ glare you usually wear around members of the opposite sex, you’ll have no problem picking up a guy.” Cindy looked her over, finger tapping on her chin. “We might even have to beat them off you, especially if you display your goods a little more.”
She tugged at Jazz’s shirt until the lacy edge barely covered her nipples.
Jazz gasped and slapped her friend’s hands away. She quickly righted her top and glared at her. She hated her goods. Her breasts were too big for her frame but genetics was a crapshoot. You got whatever the DNA mixing bowl dished out.
“Stop it. I am not enticing any lewd perverts with a showing of my goods.”
Cindy raised her hands. “Just promise me you’ll keep an open mind.”
She bit back her sharp retort. Cindy meant well. It wasn’t her fault Jazz had to keep men at arm’s length. Wasn’t hers either, but those were the facts. Until her boys were grown and out of the house, she couldn’t risk a man’s involvement in her private life. But maybe there was one man she could consider. She grinned.
“Fine. The next hot guy who shows any interest in me,” she paused and thought about how Josh flirted with her every chance he got, “will be the one I take home.”
“Ummm, now that’s an offer I can’t resist.”
Jazz pivoted and stared at the wide expanse of muscle in front of her. A black tee stretched over a well-defined chest and stomach. Her gaze slid down. A narrow waist met lean, denim-covered hips. She stared at the growing bulge in his pants open-mouthed. An answering spark of arousal lighted within her. Shivers of awareness, the same ones that had skipped down her spine a few minutes ago, traveled from the hardening tips of her breasts to her clit. The bundle of nerves seemed to suddenly take on a heartbeat of its own. She squirmed and a low groan came from the man standing in front of her.
He tipped her chin up until she met his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. Exotic, up-tilted honey-gold eyes were framed by long blond lashes. Specks of color floated in those oddly bright eyes—brown, blue, green. Beautiful and downright captivating. She couldn’t tear her gaze from them.
Another low, appreciative sound spilled from him. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. Full lips, parted slightly, glistened as if he’d licked them. She swiped her tongue across her suddenly dry ones. Her breath came faster and the fingers holding her chin tightened, not painfully, but more in accompaniment of his moan. She slid her gaze to his and wondered if her eyes betrayed her desire. His did. Half-lidded, dilated and drowsy, they mapped her face before focusing on her mouth.
“Am I hot enough for you?” His thumb traced the lips she’d licked. “Because you’ve caught my attention.” He bent closer and warm, cinnamon-scented breath bathed her face. “I’m interested, little female. Very, very interested.”
Jazz blinked but couldn’t make her mouth work. Up close the man wasn’t just good-looking. He was gorgeous. She watched transfixed as his amber eyes encompassed her vision. Cinnamon and the rich scent of sandalwood filled her lungs. The world tilted but the hand holding her chin kept her righted, anchored to him.
He brushed his lips over hers, back and forth. The light touch tore a whimper from her throat. The tip of his tongue came next. He swiped it over the seam of her lips and she parted them. He took the invitation with a thrust of his tongue that was as controlled as the way he’d licked her lips. Sure of his welcome, he twined his tongue with hers, guiding her, urging her to open farther. She bent her head and matched his rolling movements, drawing him deeper.
She swayed but this time the hand on her chin didn’t ground her. Her weakened legs threatened to give out. She reached for his chest and fisted his shirt. A low groan spilled from him to her. He tilted his head, changing the angle of the kiss, and his sweeping exploration quickened. Her pulse kicked up, matching the increased passion.
Hands on her hips yanked her away. Her back collided with a wall of muscle. She gasped. Josh’s scent, a mix of cocoa butter soap and his favorite shampoo, surrounded her, but his familiar fragrance didn’t comfort her, not like it usually did. Her gaze locked on the man she’d just kissed, she watched him straighten. He closed his eyes as if savoring her flavor and another appreciative moan spilled from his throat.
Josh spun her in his arms and her wide-eyed gaze took in his angry one. Shit, shit, shit.
“Josh,” she mumbled, unsure of what to say.
Josh glanced from her face to the man she sensed still stood behind her. His eyes narrowed and he breathed through flaring nostrils, but when Josh looked at her, the same warm expression he often wore around her returned. He rubbed a finger down her cheek.
“What do you want to talk about?” Josh asked.
For a long moment, she couldn’t remember. She squeezed her eyes shut, opened them and blurted, “Megan.”
Josh grunted. “Seems she’s the topic of the day.” Gaze on the man behind h
er, he asked, “What about her?”
Jazz glanced from Josh to the stranger and finally to Cindy, who stood off to the side watching the exchange with interest. “Not here. I need to talk to you in private.”
Josh sighed and set her away from him. “Not tonight, Jasmine. I’m in no mood.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Okay?”
He turned away but she couldn’t let him go without giving him some basic safety precautions. The shifter world was a dangerous one. Granted, she hadn’t had too many issues since she’d moved home but better safe than sorry.
She grabbed his arm. “Wait.” Josh looked at her with pinched brows. “Throw the dead bolts on the doors tonight and make sure the windows are locked. And…don’t open the door for anyone you don’t know.”
Josh studied her with a deepening frown. “Why?”
“Because,” she shrugged, “I would feel better if you did. Maybe…keep a gun handy. You know…just in case the robber decides to hit another house.” Or if the killer really was a shifter and after Megan, not jewelry. God, she prayed that wasn’t the case but until the cops caught the burglar she’d be edgy.
Josh cupped her cheek and bent to give her a kiss on the forehead. “Okay, love. I’ll call you in the morning.” He stepped away but his hand lingered for a long moment. “You do the same. I want you safe too.”
Jazz watched him leave and held his words close. It was her secret hope too but she couldn’t remember the last time she had felt safe. Maybe she never would.
Chapter Two
Rafe watched the exchange between Josh and the female he called Jasmine and it took more control than he’d like to admit to keep his inner predators contained. His lion had rammed his head into his chest over and over in an effort to be set free. It didn’t like seeing the human’s hands on the woman he’d just kissed. The tiger and jaguar he housed shared in its displeasure too. They wanted Josh’s blood spilling over their tongue, a brutal response, but one he was accustomed to. The laws of the animal world didn’t always mesh with the human world. He was left as the liaison, ensuring both were met when possible. But tonight he couldn’t give them what they wanted.
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