by Vella Day
Len nodded to her. “I’d like to report a break-in.” He explained what she’d told him. “Elana Stanley. Sure. Yes. I didn’t realize he was back in town. Thank you.” Len disconnected. “Seems your fella drove back last night. They said they’d contact him.”
The blood rushed from her head. “Kalan’s here?”
“Seems so.”
He must have returned late last night, and relief coursed through her just knowing he was close by.
Len led her over to the stool behind the counter. “I want you to stay right here. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you,” he said.
While she’d never seen Len shoot fire from his palm like Izzy could, her friend had claimed her father’s aim was quite remarkable. That was good enough for her.
Less than fifteen minutes later, a rather bedraggled Kalan rushed in. The top few buttons of his beige uniform were undone, and it looked as if he hadn’t shaved this morning—unless his scruff grew really fast. From the haunted look in his eyes, one would have thought it had been his place that had been broken into. “Elana, are you okay?”
Before she could respond, he had her in his arms. She almost cried at the comfort of being in his embrace. “No one harmed me physically, if that’s what you’re asking, but emotionally, I’m having a really hard time with it.”
“I know, it has to be difficult. You must feel violated.”
“Yes.” She hadn’t been able to pinpoint the exact emotion, but that description fit perfectly.
Kalan stepped back, sliding his hands down her arms to her hands. “Tell me everything you remember.”
She described how Len had dropped her off at the store and that she immediately went upstairs only to find the door ajar. “I didn’t even think. I just pushed open the door, but I didn’t go in. I was so scared that I ran back down and came here. I wanted to call you, but I left your number in my purse that’s back at the store.” She covered her mouth. “I left the front door to my store unlocked.”
“You stay here and let me check it out. I’ll have our forensic team in right away. Do you have any idea what they might have been after?”
“No.” But hadn’t he previously said it might be the same thing the murderer wanted from her parents?
Kalan turned to Izzy’s dad. “Len, can you stay with her while I check out her place?”
“Absolutely.”
As much as Elana wanted to go with Kalan, she didn’t want to get in the way. “Can you bring my purse back?”
“Sure. What color is it?”
“Pink. I left it on the counter.” She only planned to be upstairs for a minute. As much as she needed her brush, she wouldn’t ask him to look for her extra one.
“I hope it goes with my outfit.” He smiled, but she could tell it was for her benefit.
“Go.”
This nightmare didn’t seem to have an end in sight.
*
As Kalan stepped into Elana’s apartment, he halted. Holy crap. The gold colored sofa was torn up, drawers were tossed on the floor, and some of the artwork on the walls was either knocked to the side or onto the floor. This level of destruction was reminiscent of her parents’ home. While he had no proof, it appeared as if the same thief had destroyed both. Thankfully, Elana wasn’t home at the time or she might have been killed too.
Working hard not to let his bear out, he stepped into her apartment, careful not to touch anything. He detected a wolf scent along with cigarette smoke that he was sure hadn’t been there the other night.
He immediately called Phil Smythe and mentioned his theory about the intruder being the same person who murdered her parents.
“Does she have any idea what they were after?”
“No.”
“I’ll send forensics over. She might be their next target. See if she can stay someplace safe.”
He had just the location, though heaven help him if he’d be able to control himself. He could ask the Berta’s to take care of her, but if a Changeling were involved, even the Bertas’ magic wouldn’t be enough. “Yes, sir.”
He’d have to ask his the Clan council to help decide how to proceed.
Before the CSU team showed up, he contacted his dad. Silver Lake had been relatively calm until Brian Stanley had come to town, and Kalan wanted to check if Brian was anywhere near his sister’s apartment this morning or last night.
“Dad, I’m calling to check on Brian’s whereabouts.”
“All’s quiet on this front. He hasn’t left the hotel this morning.”
He wondered how his dad knew that. “Are you sitting outside his room or something?”
“Not exactly.”
He waited for an explanation, but one wasn’t forthcoming. Sometimes his father drove him crazy with his round about answers. “Someone broke into Elana’s apartment and tore it up bad, rather like the way it was done at her parents’ home. Thankfully, she wasn’t here. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t Brian.”
“It wasn’t.”
“How can you be so sure? The B&E could have occurred in the middle of the night.”
“It wasn’t Brian. Look, it’s better if you aren’t aware of my tactics. Just remember what I did for a living.”
Oh, fuck. His dad probably illegally planted a camera in the man’s room. “Dad?”
“You said this was important.”
He had said that, but his father needed to remember his son was a cop. “Let me know when he leaves.”
“Will do.”
No sooner had he hung up than the forensic team arrived. Not wanting to be in their way and needing to get back to Elana, he told them to contact him if they found anything important.
Feeling a little self-conscious carrying a pink purse, Kalan tucked it under his arm and raced across the street to where Elana had her face pressed against the window. She should know better than to expose herself like that. Just because her parents were stabbed didn’t mean this killer didn’t own a gun. He entered the store and handed her the bag.
“Thank you.”
He thought about tossing out a snarky comment about how good he looked in pink, but then decided now wasn’t the time for levity. “Why don’t you move back behind the counter?”
She turned around, trudged to the middle of the store, and sat down on the stool. “Did you see anything?”
He’d seen a lot. “You mean did I see anyone?”
She dragged her hair away from her face. “No. I mean, could you tell anything from all that mess what he might have been after? I didn’t go inside but I looked. I was hoping maybe he’d left a note or something.”
“I think that only happens in movies. I didn’t touch anything, but the crime scene unit is there now. If there are any fingerprints that don’t belong, they’ll find them.”
“I think I can guess what you’re going to say next. I won’t be able to go back to my apartment or go into work.”
Poor Elana. It was as if he was cutting out her heart. “I’m going to make it even tougher on you. I think you should close your shop all together for a few days. I’ll send someone in to clean up the mess so you won’t have to deal with it. The department hires a service for this purpose, and the Bertas can keep an eye on the storefront. I’ll ask the department to install an alarm system tied directly to the office too. That way we’ll know if anyone tries to break in again.” McKinnon and Associates Security would give the department a good deal on the equipment. If Phil balked at the expense, Kalan would pay for it. He understood how much the store meant to her.
“That’s really nice of you, but that means Anna doesn’t get paid.”
Neither would Elana. “I’m sorry.”
She looked over her shoulder. “Len and Kathryn said I can stay at their place for as long as I’d like.”
The problem with that was they might not be able to stop a Changeling from snatching Elana or killing her, especially during the day when they were at work. How he was going to convince her that he was capable of taking care
of her without giving away he was a bear shifter was anyone’s guess, but he had to try. “I think you’d be safer at my place.”
Her chin tucked in, acting as if he had two heads. He could see her point though. The Bertas had magic on their side to help protect her, while she believed he was a mere human.
“Why? You’ll be at work all day, and I’ll be just as vulnerable to attack there as I am at the Bertas.”
He had to tell her something. “I live near Rye. I don’t have to work tomorrow and Rye might be able to take off the next few days. You’ll be closer to Izzy—at least in the evening.” He hoped that would sway her.
She bit down on one of her nails, and Kalan found himself actually holding his breath. His human side wanted her to say yes because she’d be safer in the shifter’s compound, but the animal in him just plain wanted her. It might be wiser to have her stay with Mr. Berta at his store during the day because Kalan’s inner bear was already acting up. Then again, if the Changelings were involved, she’d be an easy target here too.
“I guess I could stay with you, but do you have room?”
Now wasn’t the time to come back with a smart aleck remark about how his bed could easily accommodate both of them. “I have a spare bedroom.”
She glanced back at her store. “Okay, but I’ll need to pick up my suitcase from the Berta’s.”
“I can drive you.”
“I’m guessing with the CSU team still there, I can’t go back to my apartment.”
With every roadblock he was tossing her way, he could feel her slipping away. “Not right now.”
“Do you want to go now?”
“Yes.” But goddess help him, if this might not be harder on him than it was on her.
Chapter Ten
‡
Elana was conflicted. She was about to go to her dream man’s house and stay under the same roof with him. She should be elated at the offer, but Elana couldn’t be sure of his motives. It would be too good to be true if he wanted to keep her safe because he really cared for her. As a lawman, it was his job to protect.
Kalan first drove her to the station, where he dropped off his cruiser then picked up his Jeep, implying he would stay the day with her, and not return to work.
“Have you ever had to put someone in protective custody like this before?” she asked.
“You mean has anyone stayed at my house because they needed protection?” She nodded. “Never.”
Okay, that put things in a different light. Then again, maybe no one had been in imminent danger before. It wouldn’t be smart to focus on his motives, as she couldn’t afford any more disappointments.
Once in front of his house, Kalan put his Jeep in park, turned off the engine, and unsnapped his seatbelt. The outside of his cute one-story home was brick with white trim, complete with a small front porch. The grass was freshly cut and the shrubs in front were all neatly trimmed. He seemed to own quite a bit of land, though there were several nice homes in the neighborhood close by, including Rye’s.
“You really do near to Izzy and Rye.”
“Not only does Rye live down the street, his family and my whole family live nearby too. It might be why we’ve been best friends since grade school.”
How wonderful to have grown up surrounded by a ton of kids, especially brothers and sisters.
Kalan escorted her inside, and she immediately felt at home. The living room, dining area, and kitchen took up the front of the house, which was compact and cozy. A hallway off the living room led to what she suspected were the bedrooms.
She’d grown up in a place where her parents made her take off her shoes in the wintertime for fear of tracking in snow and dirt. Even when they weren’t home, those in charge of her made sure she did as they had demanded. While her mom was a fan of flowered material and stripes on her furniture, Kalan’s design was simple—dark browns and black. It had a definite masculine flair to it.
If she lived here, she would have added something other than sports memorabilia on the wall, but he was a bachelor so it made sense. “This is really nice.”
“I’m not into decorating, but it serves my purpose. Let me show you the spare bedroom. You’ll have to use the hall bath if that’s okay. I have my own in the master so we won’t have to share.”
Sharing wouldn’t have been all that bad. She might even get to glimpse him naked, or at the very least, see him with a towel wrapped around his deliciously damp body. Kalan placed a hand on her arm, jolting her out of her reverie. “Oh, thanks.”
He escorted her down the hallway and into a decent-sized room that didn’t look anything like the rest of the house. The comforter on the queen-sized bed was a thick duvet done in pinks and greens, and four large pillows leaned against the headboard. The watercolor over the bed was of a lush waterfall surrounded by deep forest greens, very different from the photos in the living room. “This is amazing.”
“You can thank Blair. She feared that if our cousins from up North ever visited and there wasn’t room at my parents, they’d freak if they had to stay at my house given the way I’d furnished it.”
“You have a nice family.”
“I do indeed.”
A knock sounded on the front door and Kalan stiffened. “I’ll be right back. Stay here.”
Elana had held up quite well over the whole breaking and entering thing, but the way Kalan commanded her to remain in the room tightened a band around her chest. She closed the door and locked it in case someone had followed them. Just because Kalan had said no one had, didn’t mean this intruder hadn’t avoided detection.
A moment later, someone tapped on her door. “Elana, it’s me, Izzy.”
Relief weakened her knees and she unlocked the door and tore it open. In seconds, she was hugging her best friend.
“Dad just called me and told me what happened, so I hurried right over.” Izzy wrapped an arm around her waist. “Come sit in the living room and tell me all about it. I can’t believe you have to deal with yet another tragedy.”
Once they were seated, Kalan brought out some iced tea. “Mom made this last night and thought I could use some.”
Elana looked up at him. He seemed to be trying hard to be a good host. “Thank you.”
“While I change out of my uniform, you two chat.”
Once he was out of sight, Izzy faced her. “You’ll be safer here than at my parents’ house.”
That wasn’t what she expected her to say. “Why’s that? Because they need to be at work during the day?”
She glanced to the side as if she was hiding something. “Rye isn’t the only werewolf around.”
Elana had figured that much out, though she’d never asked who was a Were and who wasn’t. Then it hit her. “Is Kalan one?”
“No, but Rye’s family are all werewolves, and they live close by. They can help protect you. His father is retired and said he’d be willing to come over here when Kalan has to go to work.”
“That’s so sweet of him. I’m happy to stay here until the forensic team finishes with my apartment, but then I’d like my life back. I do have a store to run. My flowers can only live so long without care.” Kalan wanted her to stay away for days, but she couldn’t afford the loss in revenue.
A small smile lifted Izzy’s lips. “My powers are not gone, you know. I can keep the flowers alive if you want.”
“I appreciate that, but that isn’t the point. I enjoy working.” She sagged against the seat. “I’ll go stir crazy sitting around here all day worrying if he’ll come after me—whoever he is.”
Izzy cocked a brow. “Perhaps you can convince Kalan to stay home and entertain you.”
“Izzy! It isn’t like that. I’m staying here so he can protect me.”
“Protection can take a lot of different forms.” Her friend winked.
“You’re a hopeless romantic.”
Izzy looked down the hallway to where Kalan had gone. “I know the circumstances suck, but aren’t you a little impressed that
Kalan wanted to bring you to his home to protect you?”
“It’s his job.”
“I’m not so sure. I asked Rye, and he said Kalan has never brought anyone home before who has needed protection.”
“He told me that too. Kalan is going out of his way to be nice, but he seems to have some hidden agenda, only I can’t figure out what it is.”
“He probably doesn’t know how to act around you.”
“What do you mean?”
Izzy clasped Elana’s hands. “He’s probably afraid of saying the wrong thing and upsetting you more. You’ve just lost your parents and now you’ve been robbed.”
Robbed? “Do you know something I don’t? I never went inside to see if he’d taken anything.”
Izzy released her grip. “No, but usually when someone breaks into a place, it’s because he wants something.”
“I wanted to go back and look, but Kalan wouldn’t let me.”
“Do you think you’re ready to handle seeing another violation?”
Her friend was probably right. “I guess not.” She leaned her head back and sighed. “You know what really sucks?”
“More than what you’ve already been through?”
“Yes. The last time I saw my parents, they were acting really nice to me.” Izzy’s eyes widened. “I know, right? They even gave me a present. Let me show you. It’s in my room. I’m not exactly sure what to make of it.”
Elana rushed back to the bedroom and snatched her purse off the bed. As she stepped from the room, she glanced at the closed door down the hall, wondering what was taking Kalan so long. Most likely, he was giving her time to be with Izzy. That was nice of him, though she wasn’t sure she wanted him to turn into Mr. Polite. In her dreams, he’d been anything but.
When she returned to the living room, she opened her bag, lifted the six-inch long piece of highly polished red onyx, and held it out. “Mom said they picked it up in India for me because it reminded her of my good heart.”
