by Lola Kidd
Her eyes darted to the bartender, who was now watching them as he pretended to clean the bar. Tyler was in trouble. Gunner, the bartender, was good friends with Abe, the King of the Thieves. The last thing he needed was it getting back to Abe that he not only had a human woman in town but that he was arguing with her. He was already drawing enough attention to himself. He had to get her out of the bar now.
“Fine.” He stood up and threw some money on the table. “I’m done here. I’m trying to salvage this trip for your benefit. If you want to be difficult and not trust me, I’m out of here. Find your own way to the Flats.”
He started to walk toward the door. He hoped he was making the right choice. He started to get nervous as his hand touched the door. She wasn’t going for it. Damn. And it was too late to turn around now. He would look like a fool. He hoped Randall hadn’t contacted Ken yet. This was a total disaster.
His tiger started to protest once he was outside in the cold again. It didn’t want to leave Red in the bar. He knew what his animal had on its mind, but that didn’t matter. This woman was a job and not meant for his bed.
“Wait!”
Tyler closed his eyes and smiled. His tiger purred. He didn’t slow down. “You made your choice quite clear inside. I’m out of here.”
She grabbed his arm. “Hold on a minute.”
With her hand on him, there was no way he was going anywhere. He looked at the small, gloved fingers wrapped around his arm. He swore he could feel her warmth through his thick coat. “What?”
Her cloak was pulled up around her face, but he could still see those pouty pink lips that were begging to be kissed. She licked them before speaking again. “I lied.”
“I know. Randall told me that your rendezvous was canceled. I don’t care.”
“Not about that.” She bit nervously at those beautiful lips. “I’m…I’m not who you…who you think I am.”
She was very nervous and afraid. Not as afraid as the first time she’d seen him, but she was still afraid of him. That bothered him. He hadn’t done anything to make her afraid. If she were a man or a Rose Valley townswoman, he would have been glad. But not Red. He was supposed to be keeping her safe. He didn’t need her being afraid of him, even if she thought she’d done something wrong. Lots of women had hang-ups about sex. She was probably starting to get freaked out now that there were problems.
“I don’t care what you do,” he told her. “I’m not here to judge you. My job is to get you to Calico Junction in one piece and I plan to do that. If you’ll let me, anyway.”
She shook her head. “No. I mean I’m not Red. I’m not the woman you were supposed to be meeting.”
Tyler couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He had to be hearing her wrong. “Nope. You’re Red. You’re wearing all red and you were in the forest. You’re her.”
“No. I’m not. I’m so sorry. I don’t know who this Red woman is, but you might still be able to find her.” She let go of his arm. “I didn’t see anyone else out there, but maybe she is. I’m sorry.”
“Are you kidding me?” he exploded as it sank in. “Why would you do this?”
“I didn’t mean to,” she said, backing up. “I was stuck and in trouble. I just needed help.”
“What were you doing in the woods, then?” He stepped forward, forcing her to step back until she was against the wall.
“I’m looking for my grandmother.”
“Is she a shifter?” Tyler demanded.
“No,” Red said quietly.
“Then why would you come here?”
“Someone said she might be here. She’s been missing for days. I had to try.”
“Rose Valley is no place for a grandmother or a pretty girl all by herself,” he scolded. Then he took out his phone and tried to call Randall. He walked away from Red to give her space. He was making her more afraid, getting so close to her.
He left Randall a voicemail and then texted him to not make the deal. They were going to be screwed if Randall had already promised they had the woman in red. The Ganjis would never want to work with them again after a mistake like this. No matter that it wasn’t his fault. If they had given him a name or told him more about the woman, he wouldn’t have made this mistake. But they wouldn’t care about that, not now. It was over.
“I really am sorry,” Red said quietly from behind him. “Thank you for the help you’ve given me so far. I probably would have turned back if it wasn’t for your kindness.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he said. “I thought you were someone else. I wouldn’t have helped you otherwise.”
She smiled. “I don’t think so. But no matter. You’ve helped me anyway. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
They stood together outside the bar. Tyler took a long look at the woman in the cloak. She might have lied to him, but that didn’t matter to his tiger. The animal was still very interested. There was no way it would let him rest if he left her out here in the cold all alone.
“Do you have anywhere to go?” he asked.
“Well, yes. I need to go find my grandmother.”
“No, I mean right now. Do you know where you’re going, or are you going to wander around the valley alone in the middle of the night?”
“I guess wander,” she said, unsure.
“I thought so. Even though you’re a liar, you can come home with me. Sleep, have some breakfast, and then you can go in the morning. It’ll be safer.”
She nodded slowly. “Okay. Thank you.”
Tyler didn’t say anything. He started walking and she fell into step next to him. This night was a total disaster. He hoped this gesture was enough to keep his animal happy.
Five
It was dangerous, but she had to go with him. She realized her plan to wander around the shifter town had been short-sighted. If Gran was in real danger, what was she going to be able to do alone? She needed help. Tyler was her best bet. He didn’t even seem that mad that she’d lied to him. She had a good feeling about the shifter. Maybe if she could get to know him better, he would help her find Gran.
“What kind of shifter are you?” she asked as they walked through an empty alley.
“Tiger. I’m surprised you asked.”
“Why?”
“Most people assume. The last name.”
“Oh.” Suzy laughed. “I guess that is funny. You’re a tiger shifter named Wolf.”
“It’s a little funny.”
“Aren’t you going to ask my name?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Suzy frowned. “My name is—”
“I said it doesn’t matter,” Tyler snarled. “I’ll keep calling you Red.”
“Aren’t you even a little curious?”
“No.” He stopped at a gate. “This is it.”
It looked like all the other houses in Rose Valley. It was one level, tan, and small. Inside, it was really just one big room with a half wall to separate the kitchen and living room. There were two doors at the back. Tyler pointed to the one on the left. “That’s the bathroom. You can see the kitchen. I’ve got bread, peanut butter and stuff if you’re hungry.”
Suzy shook her head. “I’m okay.”
Tyler went into his bedroom and came back with a heavy blanket. He put it on the couch. “You can sleep here.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded and then yawned, stretching his fingers to the ceiling. “I’ll be up in a few hours and I can do breakfast before you go.”
“Okay. Good night.”
He yawned again. “Night.”
She left the small lamp next to the couch on after Tyler went to bed. It felt strange to go to sleep somewhere besides her own bed. She’d never been on a sleepover; the only places she slept were her own home and Gran’s house. She couldn’t believe she was going to sleep in an actual shifter’s home. One she barely knew! What if he had less than noble intentions? In the dark, her mind started to wander to very strange places.
&nbs
p; She took off her cape and tried to calm herself, then covered herself with the blanket and pulled it up to her chin. She could see the whole house from her spot. Strangely, there was no TV in his living room. She wondered if he had one in his bedroom. She didn’t watch much TV, but she couldn’t imagine not having one. How did he have his own home? Did everyone have a home in Rose Valley? Even Penicalla had two homeless people. If there were no homeless in the Valley, that made the town a little better than her home.
Suzy’s curiosity about the town and Tyler’s living arrangements only kept her mind busy for so long. It wasn’t long before she was thinking about the handsome shifter sleeping just one room away again. She imagined him coming out of his room when she’d started to drift off to sleep. He’d stand over her and pull the blanket off roughly. She would ask him what he was doing but he’d just lie down on top of her without answering. She could practically feel the weight of him on top of her.
What would she do if he came out and did that? She supposed she should say no and tell him she wasn’t that kind of girl. But was that the truth? Why had she come home with him? It wasn’t the smartest choice. It went against everything she’d been taught her entire life. Never talk to strangers! Definitely don’t go home with strange men you meet in the woods. She was being very foolhardy. Her mother would be very displeased if she knew where Suzy was.
Her mother! She needed to call her mom one more time before falling asleep. But what was she going to tell her? She was sleeping in the house of a sexy tiger shifter? That wouldn’t do. But if she didn’t call, she would have to wake up to call her after a few hours. Better to get it out of the way now.
Cindy picked up on the first ring again. “Have you found her?”
“Not yet. But I’m going to take a quick nap before continuing. I’m exhausted.” She didn’t tell Cindy that wandering around the forest lost had eaten up a big chunk of her time and energy. It would only make her look incompetent.
“Where are you sleeping?” Cindy asked, sounding panicked.
“At a bar,” Suzy lied. “They’re closing up for the night and a nice waitress agreed to sleep here with me for a few hours.”
“A bar? That doesn’t sound very safe.”
“The waitress is a dragon shifter. She can take care of both of us. I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be calling you for a few hours.”
“I’ll be up until you call again. If it’s more than six hours, I’m going to Roger and we’re coming to find you.”
“Fine. I love you.”
“Love you, too. Be careful!”
Suzy set the alarm on her phone for nine in the morning. She didn’t think she would sleep that long, but she didn’t want to risk Cindy calling Roger. Gran was probably fine, but if Roger decided to send police to the valley, they could all get hurt. The shifters kept to themselves and the government left them alone. That was the deal. Suzy didn’t want to be responsible for breaking the uneasy truce.
She tried to sleep again. The house was so quiet. Even with the light on, she couldn’t keep her eyes closed for long. She was too afraid. She wished Tyler had left his door open. It would have made her feel a little safer if she could see him.
She got up and looked out the kitchen window. There were a few people walking on the street, but the town was still quiet and dark.
Suzy jumped when a door opened behind her.
“You awake?” Tyler came into the kitchen and stood beside her. He was only wearing a pair of boxer shorts. His blond hair was tousled messily and his green eyes were bleary. Suzy couldn’t help but blush as her eyes swept over his body quickly. He was so muscular! His back, his six-pack abs, the hard, defined pecs. She longed to reach out and feel his warm skin under her fingers. He was so beautiful.
She quickly looked away when her eyes began to wander lower, to the bulge in his shorts. She looked out the window. “Yes. I can’t sleep.”
“Are you not tired?”
“I’m afraid,” she admitted. “The only place I’ve ever slept besides my own bed is Gran’s house. I can’t seem to fall asleep here, even though I’m very tired.”
Tyler looked at her with a frown. “I don’t know what to tell you, Red. It’s never been a problem for me. Want some warm milk?”
She giggled. “I don’t think that actually works.”
He shrugged. “I’ve seen it on TV. Figured I could at least try. I’m not going to be able to sleep if you keep moving around out here. And I need to sleep. What if I sit with you until you fall asleep? Would that help?”
“Maybe.”
Tyler walked with her to the couch and after she lay down he pulled the covers up to her chin and tucked her in. He sat on the floor between the couch and the coffee table. “How long you been searching for your grandmother?”
“Since this afternoon. Mostly I’ve just been wandering around the forest, though.”
“Why’d you come to the valley?”
“I got a tip from Gran’s friend from bingo. There’s some kind of betting tournament going on, and Gran went to that. Why did you come to Rose Valley? Did you grow up here?”
“No. I grew up in the human world, but I came here as soon as I was old enough.”
“Did your family come too?”
He shook his head. “I don’t have any family. I was a foster kid.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been really hard. I’ve heard it isn’t easy for shifter kids to get adopted. Were you at least in a shifter home?”
“Nope. I got mainstreamed. It’s supposed to make it easier for shifter kids to fit into the human world.” He laughed harshly. “The guys in charge didn’t think that one through.”
“What do you mean?” Suzy rolled onto her side to face him.
“There are a lot of guys here like me, who grew up in the system and left to come to a shifter sanctuary. That was exactly what they were trying to avoid.”
“Why? Were people mean to you? I thought it had gotten better for shifters.”
“Mostly it has, but not in this case. I don’t know. Growing up like that, you see that humans don’t really want you around. You know?” He drew his legs up to his chest. “There was no chance for a kid like me to get adopted. They’ll let us live but they don’t want us in their homes. As soon as I heard about a place where there were only shifters, I couldn’t get here fast enough.”
“Do you like living here?”
He shrugged. “It’s better than anywhere else I’ve lived, but I think I’m ready for a new place. Do you like where you live?”
“No.” The forcefulness of her answer surprised her. “I mean, I love my home. It’s the only place I’ve ever lived, and my Mom and Gran are the best. I just would like to see more of the world.”
“I get that. If you’ve never slept outside your home at your age, I think you could stand to get out more. Doesn’t really add up, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, and I don’t mean anything bad here, you seem a little naïve. But your grandmother is out here gambling in a rough shifter town. I don’t see how the two go together.”
“My dad died when my mom was pregnant with me, and she’s very protective. She and Gran are opposites in every way. And I’m not naïve.” Suzy rolled over to her back and looked at the ceiling. “I just haven’t gotten to experience much. I know the world is a crazy, scary place. I just choose to still think there are good people out there. Like you. I wasn’t wrong about you.”
Tyler snorted. “You’ve known me for a few hours. You can’t make a good judgment in that time.”
Suzy yawned and looked at him. “You’re still helping me even though I lied to you. You try to seem like a big, bad tiger, but really I think you’re a pussycat. That’s why you want to leave Rose Valley. You don’t fit in with the hardscrabble, tough people here.”
“You’re tired.” Tyler stood up. “I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She nodded. “Good night again.”
“Night.”
This time after he had closed the door, she didn’t have any trouble falling asleep. She was too exhausted. He had talked with her, and that was something. He still didn’t care to ask her name, but it was still something. Maybe she would be able to convince him to help her. In the morning. Now, she needed to sleep or she would be no good to anyone.
Six
Tyler couldn’t sleep anymore. He could have stayed up talking to Red, but she needed sleep. His tiger was also getting out of hand. The animal wanted her. Normally, he wouldn’t be opposed to having a human for the night, but this was too risky. The girl was so naïve. There was no telling how she’d react if he even kissed her. Something told him it would be bad. She would get attached or obsessive or say he had taken advantage of the situation. It would bring undue attention to him and his new business venture.
If he even had a business venture anymore. He checked to make sure his phone was working for the millionth time that night. Why hadn’t Randall called him yet? The rat should have already gotten to the Ganjis and back by now. Hell, he didn’t even need to get back. He could have texted Tyler as soon as the meeting was over.
Tyler couldn’t take it anymore. He sent Randall a “How’s it going?” text.
The minutes ticked by with nothing happening. Then, finally, his phone buzzed to life.
“Well?”
“Not great,” Randall said. “They didn’t take the deal.”
“What? That’s impossible. You must have pitched it wrong. You need to try again.”
“I can’t try again. This is it. They don’t want to work with us on this again. They’ll be open to working with us on something else in the future, though.”
Tyler slammed his fist into his pillow and roared. “Great. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry, man. I was really excited about this too. Don’t worry, we’ll find something else.”
“Sure.”
Tyler hung up and punched his pillow again. Then he got off the bed and paced the room. This couldn’t be real. He’d really thought the new pitch would work. Were the Ganjis really going to cut off all traffic from the south side of the forest? It seemed like overkill and a great way to scare off business. Then again, the kind of woman coming to a shifter gigolo wouldn’t care that she had to travel an extra twenty miles.
