by Bianca D’Arc
Dawn was breaking as they finished. Soon it would be time for her to return to her own apartment. The thought distressed her more than she expected. They’d go their separate ways and—if things worked out well—she would never see him again.
Even touching was off limits. Those accidental brushes would hopefully not cause any of his scent to linger on her, but she’d have to undergo the sniff test he insisted on, even though just the thought of it made her want to giggle.
“What happens if I don’t pass the sniff test?”
Cade held up a spray bottle that contained liquid freshener—the kind that was supposed to take odors out of fabric. Elaine recognized it from the time she’d nearly burned down her own kitchen and needed to treat the curtains and other fabrics to get the stink of smoke out.
“Your friend Gina is well supplied. We can try a few sprays of this. It should be enough to mask any casual contacts. But if that doesn’t work, we can try a few other things.”
They finished putting the small kitchen to rights, and Cade motioned for her to precede him out into the living room. Cade bent to give Chuck one last stroke before spritzing the feline with the odor eliminator. Elaine was surprised the cat stood there and allowed it. He was usually the friskiest when she tried to get him anywhere near water. That he’d sit still to be sprayed was truly a miracle.
“Nothing can fully mask a feline but hopefully this will confuse any scent that I might have left on him. I checked and this stuff isn’t toxic to him. He should be okay when he grooms. Your friend Gina bought the expensive stuff.” Cade sent her a smile as he finished with the cat.
As he stood, their gazes met and held. Both knew this was it. She’d be out that door in a few minutes and hopefully, on her way back to her old life.
“I can’t thank you enough for helping us. Mitch would have died if not for you and your friend, Gina.”
“If I were a believer in coincidence, that certainly would be a doozy.”
“So you think it was fate?” One raised eyebrow challenged her.
“I think ‘there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’” She accompanied the famous quotation from Shakespeare’s Hamlet with a lopsided grin. “So, I guess that’s a yes. Too many things are chalked up to coincidence when I think they really should be described as fate. Why else would you literally run into me—a trained nurse who just happens to have a doctor friend who unbeknownst even to me, is one of you guys? I mean, what are the odds?”
“Pretty low, I’ll give you that.” Cade tilted his head as if considering her words. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re right about fate. She can be fickle and she can be fair, but she definitely plays a role in our lives. Otherwise, I never would have met you.”
Cade leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He was careful not to touch her anywhere else, she noted, to avoid leaving any more traces of his scent on her. It wasn’t enough, but it would have to suffice. There was danger awaiting her, and he knew better than anyone else what it would take to keep her safe. As much as she wanted to burrow into his arms and stay there forever—a strikingly odd thought to have about a man she’d only met hours before—he had managed to convince her how important it was to erase all traces of his presence.
She knew he wasn’t for her. She just had to convince her body of that. Too bad it didn’t seem to want to listen.
Cade drew back, holding her gaze for a long moment.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Ellie. I’ll never forget you.”
She felt the blush rising in her cheeks. She’d never been so touched by a compliment before in her whole life. Then again, she’d never really believed in compliments. Too often, she thought they were passed out too freely with very little sincerity, but when Cade spoke with that look in his eyes, she felt the honesty in his words down to her soul.
“There’s no way I’ll ever forget you either, Cade.” She laughed to lessen the impact of that life altering statement. “It’s not every day I learn about the existence of a whole new species living side by side with my own. Or that my best friend has been keeping it a secret my entire life.”
“Yeah, I can see how that might be memorable.” Cade’s grin put her at ease even though she was about to face one of the most important trials of her life. “Let’s get this over with.”
He motioned for her to precede him to the door. Cade sent Chuck out first, probably to scout around. Then Cade stuck his head into the hallway and had a look around before he allowed her to exit the apartment. He’d explained that they had to do the sniff test, as he called it, outside of Gina’s apartment where his nose wouldn’t be influenced by the residual scent of her lair. The hallway wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do.
Gina’s place was the last at the end of a long, thankfully dim hall. The next apartment’s doorway was yards away and no one was about at this early hour. Cade placed her before him and leaned toward her, sniffing near her ear, then worked his way down her body and back up the other side.
The act itself was one of the most erotic things she’d ever experienced with her clothes on. Elaine closed her eyes to block him out, but it did no good. She felt every nuance, every air current as he worked his way around her body—never touching but making her aware of him in every cell, every breath, every thought.
Oh, this man was dangerous, indeed.
“You’ll do,” he said at long last, spritzing her shoes with a little of the odor removing spray. “You have my number. I’ll be watching until I’m sure you’re in the clear, but if you have problems later, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”
She nodded, trying for bravery. If everything worked out as planned, this was the last she would see of him.
“You’ll be the first to know if I run into trouble. Make sure your friends take good care of Gina. Tell them I’ll kick their asses if they let anything bad happen to my best friend.”
He smiled, as she hoped he would, as she walked down the hall. Chuck led the way to the elevator, and Cade gave her a little wave as the doors opened with a soft chime. She stepped inside and that was the last she saw of her pantera noir.
Cat's Cradle: String of Fate, Book 1
Chapter Five
Elaine let herself into her apartment with little fuss. A quick glance around told her everything looked as she had left it, so she tried to be as nonchalant as possible, yawning as she started making coffee. Trying not to show her anxiety to possible watchers was more nerve wracking than she would have believed. It was going to be a long day.
Since it was her day off, Elaine started the usual chores—laundry, dishes and generally cleaning the entire apartment. Her work was made considerably easier by the fact that Cade had already done much of it when he’d erased all traces of his presence. Of course, she didn’t let that slow her down. Cleaning was a good way to get her mind off the startling events of the night before. It also helped distract her from the possibility that a werewolf was watching every move she made.
She tried her best not to look toward the window, but even the idea that someone—or something—could be out there, watching her, gave her the creeps. The confrontation Cade expected couldn’t come soon enough for her peace of mind. Not knowing whether she could go back to her normal life, or whether she’d have to flee her home with bad guys on her trail was making her crazy. She wanted it settled one way or another so she could get on with her life, and try to forget about Cade.
Yeah, like that was even possible. The man disturbed her on every level, but not necessarily in a bad way. She’d never felt so alive as when he’d kissed her, and she’d never been so attracted to a man. She made a mental note to ask Gina—if and when they spoke again—whether shifters had some kind of magic mojo that made them irresistible. If so, Elaine had most definitely felt its effects.
Just after noon, someone knocked on Elaine’s door. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath before looking out the peephole. A middle-aged man in a suit
stood in the hallway. Next to him was a younger man, in dark dress pants and a blue uniform shirt with some kind of insignia she couldn’t make out through the distorting lens of the peephole. If they’d come looking for a fight, they were dressed all wrong. That thought gave her some small amount of comfort.
She opened the door and tried to look inquisitive rather than fearful. The older man flashed a badge at her, much to her surprise.
“Ms. Spencer? I’m Detective Figueroa, this is Sergeant Bimley of the fire department. We’re investigating a suspicious fire that occurred at a martial arts studio last night. It says here…” He consulted some papers in his hand. “I have a report that you phoned the precinct to report your car stolen from the front of the same building a few minutes before the fire alarms went off.”
“Yes, my car was stolen last night, but I didn’t know anything about a fire. Was anyone hurt?” She and Cade had agreed that she shouldn’t let on she knew about the fire. Better she chance a lie than open up a line of questioning that could cause her even bigger problems.
“Yes, ma’am, I’m afraid there were some fatalities. May we come inside? We’d like to get a statement from you.”
“Oh, my goodness! Of course. But I don’t know how much help I’ll be. I was only there for a few minutes before my car was stolen.” Elaine showed concern as she let the two men into her apartment.
For all she knew, these guys could be exactly what they claimed—investigators following up a lead. They might not be were at all. Other than their amazing physiques, she had no way of distinguishing shifters from regular people. And guys who were employed by the fire and police departments were usually in pretty good shape physically anyway.
The fireman was a reasonably good-looking guy. He was tall and very fit with sandy brown hair and eyes. His nose was kind of narrow which gave him an unfortunate pointed look to his angular face. If either of these men was were, he would be the one she picked.
The detective was less attractive and had a very large nose. His complexion was dark, and he had black hair and dark brown eyes. By his surname she guessed he was of Latin descent. He wasn’t much taller than her, and not particularly fit either. She didn’t know what to make of him. All the shifters she’d seen so far were much more muscular and taller than this guy.
“Now, Ms. Spencer,” Figueroa began after he’d been seated in her small living room. “What brought you to 121 Water Street last night?”
“I’m a student there, at the Silent Tiger dojo located on the lower floor. We were supposed to have class last night, but it was canceled at the last moment. There was a sign posted on the door when I got there.”
“Did you go in?” the firefighter asked.
Elaine knew she would have to stick as close as possible to the truth. If these guys were part of the group that had attacked those people in the dojo, they probably already knew she’d gone inside and come right back out a few minutes later. Cade had been pretty sure the bad guys have been watching for some time before they launched their operation. Heck, they’d probably even orchestrated the theft of her beloved VW bug. The bastards.
“I was in a hurry.” She tried for a self-deprecating smile. “I turned to chirp my car alarm and totally missed seeing the note on the door. I was halfway down the stairs when I met Shihan on the way up. We talked for a few minutes, and he told me that class was canceled for the night. I felt like such a dope. I hope he’s all right. Was he caught in the fire?”
“By Shihan, do you mean Mr. Harris, owner of the Silent Tiger Martial Arts School?” Figueroa asked.
“Yes. Shihan is his rank. Above sensei. He’s more than a teacher. He’s a master. Is he all right?”
“He escaped without injury.”
The fact that Figueroa didn’t look too happy about Harris’s survival clued Elaine in. These guys were more than likely the ones Cade had said would pay her a visit. The fireman looked downright hostile, but the detective was better at hiding his thoughts.
“Thank goodness.” Elaine made a show of relief. She had to tread carefully with these men. Her future depended on it.
“Did you know any of the other people in the dojo?” the sergeant asked. His way of speaking was rapid fire and intense, almost like he was barking. If this guy wasn’t a werewolf, she would be surprised.
“I only saw Shihan. Like I said, we met on the stairs and he told me about the note I’d missed on the door. If anyone else was down in the dojo, I didn’t see them.”
Elaine could have sworn the fireman was grinding his teeth. He did not look like a happy camper, even as he moved closer to her on the couch. She’d known about the sniffing, but it still startled her when he began breathing deeply around her. He was subtle about it, but since she’d known what to expect, she recognized his behavior for what it was. The bastard was sniffing her out.
Fat chance he’d find anything incriminating. Cade had sniffed much closer than that, and he’d said she was clean. Thoughts of the pantera noir alpha brought a pang to her heart. If this kept going so well, she’d be in the clear. No reason to call that super secret spy number on the card he’d given her. No reason to get back in touch with the sexy panther.
Except that she wanted to. She tried not to give in to that thought. Down that road lay trouble. Life was unfair sometimes, she thought with rising annoyance at being subjected to the sniff test. Here she’d finally met a guy that pushed all her buttons and there was no way they could possibly pursue a relationship. So not fair.
“What did you do after you left the building? Did you see anyone lurking in the parking lot?” Figueroa asked sharply.
The look in his eyes told her he knew damned well what happened next. Elaine did her best to hide her anger. These jerks might’ve been the very ones who set the fire, but she was powerless to do anything about it. At the very least, they were in league with the bastards who’d tried to kill Mitch last night. They were scum, but she had to be polite. Her happy, normal life—and Gina’s—depended on her acting skills.
“As a matter of fact, I ran into a creepy guy just as I came out the door. He really scared me, especially when I realized that not only was my car gone, but my cell phone battery was dead. He didn’t have a phone so I got out of there as quickly as I could. I walked all the way home and called the cops from here.”
“Can you describe the man you ran into?” Elaine got the distinct impression that Figueroa asked for a description for form’s sake, not because he really needed one.
Elaine dutifully described Cade’s appearance, being certain to dwell on the fact that he was a very scary guy. She wasn’t entirely sure, but she thought she had both these men convinced. She just had to get through the rest of this interview. Hopefully, once she’d satisfied their curiosity, they would leave her alone.
“Did you see anyone else?” Bimley growled, still sniffing discreetly every once in awhile.
“No. Like I said, it was dark, and even with my martial arts skills, I wanted to get out of there and away from that scary dude as quickly as possible.”
“No doubt that was the wisest course,” Figueroa agreed, closing his small notebook. She hadn’t seen him take one note. “Here’s my card. Please give me a call if you remember anything else.” He stood, and she reached for the card, only to be pulled toward him when he didn’t release it. She heard a loud inhale and knew he was doing the same thing his partner had done. Not giving in to her anger, Elaine covered the strange moment with nervous laughter.
“Sorry, I didn’t get much sleep.”
“Why’s that?” the firefighter asked with suspicion in his tone.
“I loved that car, sergeant. I’m taking its loss pretty hard. I spent the night with a tub of ice cream, a couple of chick flicks and my best friend in the whole world, trying hard not to think about the fact that I’ll have to walk everywhere until the insurance comes through.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Figueroa said in a placating way. It was obvious he didn’t give a dam
n one way or another about her beloved bug.
She was ushering them to the door, when Chuck decided to make an appearance. He hissed at both men, clearly detesting them both on sight. Such a violent reaction was usually reserved for dogs. Elaine had to hide her amusement. Chuck the cat was probably right. At least one of these men was probably the werewolf who’d been hounding her fire escape. What the other one was, she had no idea.
“I’m sorry,” she tried to hurry them out the door. “My cat doesn’t like most people. He’s very territorial.”
Figueroa spared only a disdainful glance at the cat before heading into the hallway. His fireman friend actually bared his teeth at Chuck and the quick glance she got of pointy canines only confirmed her suspicions. That guy was some kind of cur dog, but Chuck, bless his little feline heart, didn’t back down one inch.
They left without further ado, for which Elaine was grateful. Today had been full of ups and downs. Really, from the moment she’d entered the dojo last night, her life had taken a turn for the strange. She felt as if she’d been in the Twilight Zone for the past twelve hours or so. Thank goodness things might actually be getting back to normal.
Hopefully, she’d seen the last of the detective and sergeant. She didn’t think she’d said anything to incriminate herself or her new shifter friends, but only time would tell for certain.
Elaine went to work the next day, glad for the chance to get out of her apartment. She’d never felt so claustrophobic in her own space. Even Chuck’s antics couldn’t cajole her out of the doldrums. It felt creepy to think that at any moment she might be watched. That shifters were silent enough to creep around on fire escapes she didn’t doubt. Cade had admitted to spying on her from the fire escape, and she hadn’t known a thing. She dreaded the idea of looking out her window at night only to see glowing eyes staring back at her from the darkness.