by Olivia Arran
“Still in the closet?” Brian supplied.
Swallowing to clear my mouth, I nodded. “Probably. Though I’d like to think that wasn’t the case.”
“Wouldn’t we all?” Brian wandered off again, grumbling about people needing to drink slower, which was kind of funny for a bar owner.
“So…” Kel swiveled on his stool to face me, fixing me with a stern stare. “…Mandy, then?”
Ah, here we go. The real reason he brought me here. I pushed away the rest of the nachos, wiping my mouth on a napkin. “Yep, Mandy.” I kept my tone firm, but deferential. I wouldn’t be backing down, but I could be polite about it.
Giving me a shrewd look earned through years and rank on the force, he tapped a finger on the bar. “Are you serious about her?”
“Are you asking as her Lieutenant?” I’d seen the way Mandy was with Kel, she treated him like family.
“Her parents died when she was young, and she bounced around the system for a bit before they eventually tracked me down as the only living relative. Distant blood tie by way of a second Aunt, or something. Anyway, I took her in. She was a teenager by then and, though she’d probably have you believing she raised herself, I had a little something to do with it.” At my nod of understanding, he huffed, his eyes sliding away to focus on a spot above my head. “She’s important to me.”
My heart hurt at the thought of Mandy going through something so hard at such a young age. Alone. At least she’d had someone to help pick up the pieces and look after her. I let the gratitude I felt for the man in front of me fill my voice, “She’s important to me, too.” The words weren’t nearly enough to describe how I felt about my mate, but I wasn’t willing to go there, not when Mandy and I still had a lot of talking to do. “I won’t hurt her.” Inside, I winced, knowing damn well I’d already done so, but best intentions had to count, right? And I’d only thought of her when I’d acted like an idiot.
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“On my life.”
He gave me a curt nod, indicating the subject closed. “Best go see our girl, then.” Tossing some money on the bar, he waved me away when I reached for my wallet. “Next time’s on you.”
I followed him outside, slapping him on the shoulder. “It’s a deal.”
“Have you made any progress?” Carter wasted no time getting to the point.
I waved Kel away, waiting until he disappeared around the corner. Checking around me, I wedged the phone between my ear and shoulder before sliding into an empty store room. Static crackled on the line, a strange echoing that let me know I was on loud speaker. “We’re in place. The squad has accepted us as we thought they would, now it’s a waiting game.” I kept my voice low, though it still sounded too loud in the dark, dusty room.
“Anyone catch your eye?” That was Owen, my alpha.
“Apart from Mandy and Sarah.” And that was Bree, his mate, joint alpha and fellow enforcer. Nice girl, even if she couldn’t keep from poking her nose into everyone’s business. “Don’t forget I’m still trying to fix you!”
I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me. “I don’t need fixing, Bree.”
“Hmmmm … we’ll see. You still sound grumpy to me.” Her threat didn’t go unnoticed, if the chuckles coming down the line were anything to go on.
“Hey, I’m a little out of your jurisdiction at the moment. Why don’t you pick on Tiny, or even Axel?”
“Pick on?” I could hear her pout.
“No.” That was Tiny, a man of many words. And huge feet. For a moment, I amused myself with imagining what Brian would say if he ever got the chance to meet my packmate and fellow enforcer. He liked them stacked and Tiny was built like a mountain man. Brian would probably drool over his shoes.
“I think I’d have my work cut out finding a woman who could handle you, big fella.” Oh, shit. It sounded like I’d managed to divert Bree’s interest. Which meant Tiny was going to try and flatten me when I got home.
“Can we try and keep this meeting on track?” I could imagine Carter pinching the bridge of his nose, shooting exasperated glares in Bree’s direction.
Yup, there was Owen’s growl, defending his mate from unwanted—yet maybe, deserved—glaring.
“Fine,” Bree purred. “Do you have any leads, Grant?”
“No, but—”
“See? I can be focused! You’re all just boring, that’s it.”
I cleared my throat, pinching the bridge of my own goddamn nose. After waiting a second to make sure she was done, I continued, filling them in on everything that had happened so far.
“Is there anyone you’re certain isn’t dirty?” Owen’s voice came over the line.
“Mandy.” Dammit! I wanted to bite my own tongue off, but it was too late. I was so used to answering my alpha without thinking, I’d gone and dropped myself right in it.
“And why’s that?” Carter asked.
I took a deep breath. Ah, hell. Here goes nothing. “Because she’s my fated mate.”
Complete silence over the line.
The squeal deafened me and I wrenched the phone away from my ear. “Oh my God! Eeeeeeee! I’m so happy for you both!”
“Bree, we haven’t—”
“Another woman in the house! Mandy is lovely. Sarah, too. Maybe Daryl could get with Sarah and we could bring them both home?”
“I don’t think—”
“Or you, Tiny? What do you think of the lovely Sarah? Does she float your boat? Put a little motion in the ocean?” Bree’s voice became muffled, but I could still hear her mumbling in the background as the line crackled, then Owen’s voice came through loud and clear. “You’re off loud speaker.”
I leaned back against the wall with a thud. “Thank fuck. My eardrums thank you.”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks, but we’re not there yet. I’ve still got to convince her.”
“You’ll find a way.”
I rubbed a hand over my face. “She’s a cop. She’s got a life here.”
Owen fell silent for a moment, chewing over my words. I heard the sound of a door clicking shut, voices fading. “Like I said, you’ll find a way. When it comes to your mate, nothing else matters. Nothing,” he repeated, voice rumbling down the line, letting me know he got it. Knew where I was coming from, and that he’d support me, whatever my decision.
The words stuck in my throat, strangled by a relief I hadn’t known I’d been needing. “Thanks, Alpha.”
“Of course. But, when it comes to telling my mate, you’re on your own.”
I groaned, already dreading it. “You’re making it sound like it’s a sure thing.”
The sound he made was noncommittal. “Carter wants to talk to you and I need to see to my mate. Try and calm her down.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.” The sound of rowdy voices rose in the background again as he passed the phone over with a chuckle, Carter’s voice coming down the line next, “You can’t rule Mandy out.” I jerked away from the wall, but before I could spit out a reply, he continued, “I’m not saying she’s our target, but you can’t eliminate her just because she’s your mate.”
“The fuck I can’t.”
“Eliminate her from our pool of suspects, but do it the right way. You can’t let your personal feelings cloud your judgment, you wouldn’t be doing her any favors.”
The phone casing cracked in my hand as I ground my teeth together, employing every ounce of training and control to keep from ripping into the lion. “I’ll report back when we have more news,” I eventually forced out, though the words came out more of a growl than English.
“Are we in agreement?”
Deep breaths. He’s not threatening her. “I’ve got to go.” I jabbed my finger on the end button, which wasn’t nearly satisfying enough, so I hurled the phone across the room, not giving a shit whether it survived. Daryl could make the next call. Spinning around
, I slammed my fist into the wall, then did it again. Shoving away, I stretched out my arms, shaking them off, walking in tight circles as my wolf clawed and hammered at my skin.
It’s okay. She’s okay. She’s not the dirty cop, so it doesn’t matter.
Only one way to sort this mess out, and that was to do the job we’d come here for, then I could tell Carter to go fuck himself. Game on. Only another 24 hours to wait.
Chapter Ten
Mandy
“Hey, pretty lady.”
I lifted my head from my desk, blinking at the sight of Grant propping up the doorway, looking like a wet dream come to life. Licking my lips to check for drool, I patted my hair, cringing when I felt a mess of snarls. At least I hadn’t fallen asleep in what was left of my nachos while waiting for the kid—now known as Buck, if that was even his real name—to be processed by the front desk. Belatedly, I realized I was staring, not that he seemed to mind. Lifting a hand in a wave, I wriggled my fingers at him. “Hey yourself, wolf man.”
He scratched his chin, bicep bunching underneath the tight shirt he wore. Or it could just be tight because he had a lot of muscles. Which came first, the muscles or the shirt?
Oh man, I was tired.
“Wolf man?”
“Meh.” I jabbed a finger at my forehead. “Not my best effort, that’s for sure. My brain’s asleep.”
Cutting across the room, he crouched down next to me, lifting up the curls that had fallen back over my eyes when I’d relaxed back down into my slumbering position. “Can I take you home?”
I assessed the threat. “No coming in for coffee.”
His lips twitched. “No coffee.”
I let him help me up out of the chair, but only because he evaded my gentle shove. “Because it’s our first date.”
“Third.”
“You’re deluded.” I thought about shoving away the arm he had wrapped around my shoulder, but decided that it wasn’t doing any harm hanging there. Kinda felt nice. Warm. Solid. We shuffled out of the room and along the corridor. “Wait, I’ve got to finish processing Buck.”
“Case worker’s already here,” one of my colleagues called out, eyes nearly bugging out of his head at the sight of Grant draped all over me. “Just sign here and here and you can finish the rest of your report in the morning.”
Taking the pen, I scrawled my name, then passed it back. “Thanks.” My jaw nearly cracked on my next yawn. Slapping a hand over my mouth, I shook my head. “Sorry. It’s been a long day.”
Grant’s arm tightened around me, his hip bumping up against my ribs. “I’m taking you home.”
Catching the disapproving look on my colleague’s face, I rolled my eyes. He was not one of my favorite people, the judgmental asshole. “Alone. Not that it’s any of your business who I choose to have sex with.” Aw, heck, my internal filter was still asleep.
Next to me, Grant shook with silent laughter, wisely keeping his thoughts to himself.
“Double standards,” I muttered, giving it up as a bad job and marching outside, my hunky shadow still glued to my hip.
A short car journey later and I stood outside my front door, resisting the urge to shuffle my feet like a teenager wondering if she’d get a goodnight kiss. “See you tomorrow?” My toe dragged along the concrete as I clutched my purse between us like a makeshift shield. “You didn’t have to walk me to my door. I’m perfectly capable of looking after…”
His lips brushed against my cheek, grazing the corner of my mouth. “I know you are capable. I wanted to.” He leaned back, giving me space that I wasn’t sure I wanted anymore. “Night, pretty lady.”
My skin tingled where he’d brushed against me as I watched him saunter down the path, closing the gate behind him before getting into his car. I stood rooted to the spot as he wound down his window, resting an elbow on the sill.
“I’m hoping to get upgraded to coffee next time,” he called, giving me a look that promised a side order of wicked, naughty things with that caffeine fix, before pulling away into the night.
Falling back against the door, I let out a pathetic wail. “I’m an idiot!”
The door opened behind me and I nearly fell backward, catching myself with my amazing ninja, cop skills.
Sarah stood there, dressed in lime green silk pajamas with her hands tucked behind her back. “No, you’re a tough cookie and you’re going to make him work for the goodies. Now, do you want chocolate or ice-cream?” She whipped her hands out, brandishing treats. “Not better than sex—especially with a man as good looking as that one—but they’ll do in a pinch.”
“I want to lick the ice-cream off his washboard abs,” I whined, following her into the house and shoving the door shut behind me.
I got a pat on the shoulder and a very unsympathetic look for my efforts. “I know, honey. The world is ending.”
I kicked off my shoes, slumping down onto the couch and attacking the chocolate. “Bitch. Where’s my sympathetic shoulder to cry on?”
She snorted, spoon halfway to her mouth. “At least you’ve got washboard abs cruising your horizon. Me, I’m turning celibate.” She licked at the melting ice-cream, using the spoon to punctuate her point. “I’m too good for the men of this world.”
Stretching out my leg, I nudged her with my foot. “There’s a decent guy out there, just waiting for you to rock his world.”
Putting on a mock frown, she flicked my foot away. “He’d better be gorgeous.”
“Hot as hell.”
“Good. Go find him for me, will ya?” Making a shooing motion with the spoon, she flashed me a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Sarah armed herself with a sassy attitude and a wide smile, but underneath the tough front she put on, she was a big ol’ softie. Kind and generous, she was a homebody at heart, preferring to veg out and watch re-runs of the Big Bang Theory or Buffy to being a social butterfly. She treated cooking like it was an exact science, which I knew to steer well clear of, for fear of being covered in unidentifiable goo. I had no defense—I couldn’t cook either. She siphoned money from our grocery budget to feed the local stray cats, which I pretended to not notice, despite the furry crowd that had set up home on our back porch. They were kinda cute, if not a little bit overwhelming en mass. She waited up for me when I was late coming home. Let me hog the remote. Folded my laundry while doing her own.
She didn’t pretend with me, not like she did with everyone else. We’d met in the system, two kids who didn’t have anyone. But we’d had each other. Learned each other’s secrets. Fears. I knew why she woke up crying in the night, why she slept with a nightlight on to burn away the shadows.
I remembered. She never brought it up, but I remembered. So, I’d taught her how to shoot, how to fight, how to face the world and not be scared. We’d joined the force together, inseparable.
“I’ll find him for you.” It was a promise. One day, she’d have someone who’d love her hard enough, that the shadows wouldn’t exist anymore.
But, until then, she had me.
Chapter Eleven
Grant
“Is that coffee I smell?” Daryl stumbled out of the bedroom we were sharing and into the tiny kitchen, bumping off the wall in his haste to get his hands on caffeine. Still wearing the baggy pair of workout pants he’d slept in and hair sticking up all over, he scrubbed one hand at eyes still blurred with sleep while accepting the cup I held out. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.” Exhaling on a sigh, he scratched at his stomach. “I heard about last night.”
Fixing my coffee with another sugar, I sipped, then grimaced. “Yeah, it wasn’t what I’d had in mind.”
His green eyes flashed with merriment. “Not the type of fun you were hoping for?” His snigger was better suited to a teenager, though he regained points when he told me to fuck off when I tried to take the coffee back, punching me in the kidneys.
“So, it’s true then?”
I paused, arm wrapped around his neck, both coffee mugs carefully set down
on the counter. “Was it Owen or Bree?”
“Who do you think?”
Shoving him away, I rubbed a hand over my face while he chuckled. Pointing at him, I shook my head, picking up my mug. “I don’t know why you’re laughing, she’ll be trying to fix you next.”
His expression of panic was enough to have me nearly spitting out my mouthful of coffee. “Uh huh. Nope.” He folded his arms across his chest. “There’s no fixing me.”
I mocked his earlier snigger. “She’ll find a way.”
“There’s nothing to fix!” His jaw firmed, as if I was the threat.
A gloomy shadow swept into the kitchen. Okay, it was Dante. “It’s like living with children.”
“At least you don’t have to room with anyone,” I pointed out.
Daryl shoved his hand in a box of cornflakes, shoving a handful in his mouth. “Nobody wanted to room with him.” He rounded on me, sending flakes flying. “And, hey! I’m the best roommate.”
“Your feet smell and you snore.”
“Coffee.” Talon and Ridge shouldered through the door, shoving each other in a bid to reach the last unchipped mug. Ridge came away the victor, reaching up onto his tiptoes to avoid his fellow hunter’s attempts to grab it back.
“Children.” Dante sat down at the two-seater table, unfolding a newspaper and shaking it out. Beside it sat a cardboard cup decorated with a familiar coffee shop logo, which he sipped with a smirk.
“What are you doing?” Talon frowned at where Daryl was folded up like a pretzel on the floor, limbs getting in everyone’s way.
“My feet don’t smell.” He was wafting one of his feet in front of his face and aiming a smug grin at me.
Talon and Ridge turned to me, looking for an explanation.
I rinsed my empty mug out in the sink and set it on the drainer, then held up my hands. “Nothing to do with me. I’m not his keeper.”
