Bear Claw

by Crissy Smith

  Looking back, she realized how pathetic she’d been chasing after him. She was also aware that he had encouraged her crush. Whether he liked the attention or because of their families, she wasn’t sure. But she did know he’d strung her along for years.

  “I see. I wasn’t aware anyone else was joining us for dinner,” Brandy stated uneasily.

  “I thought I would surprise you, dear,” her mother told her.

  Brandy knew the real reason was that her mom knew she wouldn’t have come.

  “Now sit. William, will you pour Brandy some wine?”

  Not seeing a way out of the situation, she pressed her lips together but moved to one of the small couches. Her father smiled at her as she passed him and her mother. The warning glare her mother sent her almost had her stopping and giving the woman a piece of her mind. Instead, she would endure drinks and dinner.

  Pick my battles. There would be enough disagreements as soon as the shifters were brought up.

  Annoyed that Colby had sat next to her, she gripped her knees through her slacks. William passed her a glass of wine, and although she didn’t want it, she took a sip.

  Too dry for her taste.

  “So your mother tells me you volunteer in helping children learn to read,” Colby said as he shifted closer, his leg brushing hers.

  Shaking her head, she smiled pleasantly. “I work at a library,” she corrected.

  “What she means,” her mom interrupted, “is that she had to take a position that allowed her the advantage of aiding those in need. Brandy decided to concentrate on the children of the lower class to insure they have every opportunity to read.”

  Not entirely true, but Brandy had often heard her mother’s spin on what she did.

  “That is very admirable,” Colby told her. “Although it can’t be easy having to spend so much time in that neighborhood.”

  “I’ve very comfortable in that neighborhood. I have made many great friends and admire how hard all of the residents work.”

  For just an instant, she saw disgust in Colby’s eyes. He blinked it away to replace his features with the fake, interested mask. “As long as you don’t forget where you truly belong,” Colby said, his tone almost scolding.

  Lifting an eyebrow, Brandy smirked. “Oh, I know my place. Don’t for one second doubt that.”

  Satisfied with her answer, Colby sat back, throwing an arm around the back of the couch. Brandy leaned forward slightly to avoid him touching her.

  “Your brother told me some disturbing news that you’re involved with a group trying to gain support to fight against the shifter registration.”

  “Did he?” She glanced over at William. “And?”

  “He was hoping I could help you see the consequences of being tied to such a faction.”

  Tightening her grip on the delicate wine glass, Brandy forced herself to relax. “I’m sure he is.”

  A knock at the entrance drew their attention.

  “Dinner is ready to be served,” Susie informed them.

  “Please.” Colby stood before reaching down for her hand. “Allow me to escort you to the table where we can continue this discussion.”

  “Yippee,” Brandy mumbled and placed her palm in his.

  * * * *

  “Coma,” Aubrey informed him as she joined him in the small, dim corridor of the hospital. “They are about to take him for a CT scan to check for brain activity.”

  “What do you know so far?” Jaime questioned.

  “Nine-one-one received a tip about a young man found in an alley. Caller wouldn’t identify himself but they are going to send me the recorded conversation. There was no one around by the time the cops arrived. The uniforms brought him in and started running him through the system. He still had his wallet and backpack. When they searched for him, it alerted Lewis.”

  “Lewis is watching the police records?” he asked.

  Aubrey frowned. “I didn’t say that.”

  Jamie let it go. What Lewis was doing was technically illegal but he was simply glad one of the boys had been found. This was a big break in the case. “Are they working with you?”

  “No,” Aubrey told him. “That’s why I need you here.”

  “Ah.” Since he was an agent with the Coalition and the boys’ disappearances were connected with his open case, he could claim jurisdiction. “Let me see what I can do.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jamie made sure his badge was visible to stop any questions about him entering the room. A police officer stood guard in front of the hospital door across from where they had been standing. The cop narrowed his eyes at Jamie as he approached.

  He tapped his badge and received a nod to go ahead. Knocking quietly on the door, he entered the room.

  “Why am I not surprised to see you?” Officer Stacey Fields asked upon spotting him.

  “You knew it was your lucky day,” he replied with a smile.

  She laughed. “Yeah, something like that. As I explained to your girl out there, I can’t release any information about this kid to anyone. Even if she is a private detective hired by his family. After I contact the parents, they can tell her.”

  “It’s actually a little more complicated than that,” Jamie told her. “This boy’s disappearance is connected to a case I’m working.”

  Blowing out a long breath, Stacey nodded. “I’ll fill you in on what we have so far but I need the paperwork so I can let the case be transferred.”

  “That’ll work,” Jamie said.

  Chapter Eight

  Dinner seemed as though it kept stretching on forever. After the dishes were cleared, Brandy could finally see an end to the tortuous night. Colby hadn’t stopped talking since they’d sat down. Her family had been more than willing to allow him to carry the conversation, bringing up the dangers the shifters were to humans.

  Brandy had tried to argue at first but decided it wasn’t worth it. Colby wasn’t actually telling her things she hadn’t already heard. It was sad, really, that the entire opposition to the shifters was out of fear.

  Shifters had been around as long as any human, as far as Brandy knew. The only difference was now their unique abilities were out in the open. Wasn’t that the point of them coming out of hiding? To insure the safety and future of everyone, shifter or human? Instead of finding acceptance, there were so many groups protesting what scared them.

  When her father rose from the table, Brandy sighed with relief and set her napkin down. She stood, pushed her chair in, then faced Colby. “Thank you for joining us tonight. Unfortunately, I must go.”

  “Surely you’re not going to skip out on an after-dinner drink?” Colby said, once again attaching himself to her side.

  One glance at the warning look on her mother’s face told Brandy she couldn’t make her escape quite yet. “Of course not,” she conceded.

  Colby smiled with straight, even, white teeth. Brandy resisted the urge to smash her fist into his mouth and ruin what had to be thousands in dental expenses. “Great, I’d hoped we might take a stroll through the garden.”

  “Sure.”

  Her response was less than enthusiastic, but Colby didn’t seem to mind. Grabbing her hand, he placed it in the crook of his arm and led her away from the dining room.

  They passed the front room to the wide, beautiful porch. The moon hung high above the grounds, casting a silver glow over the entire area. Brandy paused, taking in the sight.

  She had never really appreciated the time and trouble that went into the area as a young girl. It wasn’t until she’d graduated from high school and had been preparing to leave home for the first time that she’d really taken the opportunity to roam the entire property.

  She’d fallen in love with the gardens.

  Of course, no one from the Brooks family actually worked on maintaining or adding to the planters. Brandy herself couldn’t keep one simple ivy plant alive. She’d tried. Each time she would forget all about the poor thing and it would end up dying.

&n
bsp; However, she could enjoy the blooming space the few times she came over to her parents.

  “Beautiful.”

  Colby’s voice jerked her from her admiration. Glancing over at him, she saw he had moved closer.

  “I love the gardens at night,” she said, “especially when the moon is full.”

  “Oh yes, it’s nice, but I was actually talking about you.”

  “Me?” Uneasy, she stepped back.

  “Your face relaxed and you smiled. I think it’s the first time you’ve truly enjoyed the evening.”

  She wasn’t expecting the acknowledgment or the compliment. Not sure how to respond, she shrugged.

  “I mean it,” Colby told her, closing the distance and cupping her face.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to kiss you,” he whispered as he bent forward.

  “Why?” She slapped her hands against his chest.

  “Are you kidding? This is the perfect romantic moment.” He actually looked surprised.

  “That may be but you really shouldn’t be trying to kiss me. What exactly is going on here?”

  Grunting and backing away, Colby released her. “I thought it was obvious. Why else would I have dinner with you and your family? It’s time for us to get serious about our relationship.”

  Where the hell did that come from? “We don’t have a relationship. I haven’t seen you or spoken to you in years.”

  “Your parents informed mine that you were ready to settle down. They decided we would be the perfect couple. I thought you knew about this?”

  “No!” she shrieked. Glancing around to make sure they weren’t being overheard, she lowered her voice. “Are you saying they want us to get married?”

  “Well, yeah.”

  This was unbelievable. Sure, her mom had been pushing men that she thought Brandy should be interested at her, but discussing her marriage? Oh, her mother had crossed the line this time.

  Brandy grasped Colby’s suit jacket and yanked him forward and down the steps. He followed easily enough, although he grumbled about the wrinkles she was causing.

  Once out of any danger someone would be listening, she released him and spun around to talk to him face to face.

  “Listen, I’m sure you’re a great guy and everything,” she said, even though she didn’t think that. “But I am not marrying you. I will not date you. I have no interest in you whatsoever.”

  “What’s wrong with me?” he asked, outraged.

  “What’s wrong? We have nothing in common. You live in LA. I have a life here. I don’t want to get married.”

  “I broke off an engagement with a woman from a very wealthy family to agree to a match with you.”

  “I have no idea why you or my parents would think I’d ever go along with this,” she said in disgust. “This conversation is over.”

  Furious, she stomped forward only to stop because he stepped into her path.

  “You brought this on yourself. Attending rallies for shifters and listening to that cousin of yours. If the only way for your parents to make sure you stay out of trouble is by marrying me, you better believe you don’t have a choice.”

  “I make my own decisions and no one will control me.”

  “You’re not screwing this up for me,” he yelled. “I’ve been promised a lot of money and your father is going to back me once I run for governor.”

  Brandy laughed sadly. She wasn’t getting anywhere with this discussion.

  Colby hadn’t changed one bit. He was still the same arrogant and self-serving ass he had always been.

  “Not my problem,” she said.

  This time she didn’t let him stop her. Dodging out of reach, she hurried back toward the house. She’d almost reached the doorway when her mother stepped out.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Whatever I damn well please,” she told her mom. “I can’t believe you attempted this marriage arrangement. You know I’d never agree to marry Colby.”

  “It’s for the best. I’m only thinking about you, dear.”

  “No, you’re not. All you’ve ever thought about is that anything I do would look like to others. I don’t live my life to please you.”

  “There is no need to raise your voice, young lady!”

  “Mom,” Brandy said, clenching her hands to keep from shaking her mother. “I’m your daughter. My hope is that you will love me no matter what I do. I am not marrying Colby. I’m leaving right now and I hope this is never brought up again. I am very angry with you.”

  The slight shake of her mother’s head informed Brandy that she wasn’t getting through to her.

  “I thought you liked Colby. I had your father go through all this trouble and… There is no reason to be upset.”

  Brandy stared at her mother, who was honestly confused. Jeez, what was going on around here lately? Her mom was an intelligent lady.

  “I’m an adult. I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions. I haven’t liked Colby since I was sixteen and I found out what a jerk he is.”

  “If you really feel that way, I’m sure we can find you someone else who—”

  “Stop, just stop. Really listen to me,” Brandy demanded quietly. She grasped her mother’s hands in hers. “I don’t want you to find me a husband. I would simply like you to support the decisions that I make.”

  “Decisions like hanging out with people who can turn into animals?”

  “Yes.” Exhausted, Brandy released her hold. “Like that.”

  Hoping to avoid being pulled back into another argument or running into anyone else, she jogged into the house. She didn’t see her father or brother around and hoped she could escape, avoiding another fight.

  Luckily, her purse was still on the table. Without slowing down, she picked it up and opened the front door. The coast was clear. Finally, she was getting a little luck.

  Heading to her car, she dug around inside her bag for her cell phone. She was expecting to meet up with Jamie soon and she was not going to miss their date. She wasn’t about to let her family mess up her night.

  Seeing a missed call from Jamie irritated her further with the night’s events.

  Punching the button for voicemail, she closed her eyes as Jamie’s strong, confident voice came over the speaker. She could listen to him talk all day and never get tired of the sound.

  * * * *

  Jamie rushed through his shower, hating that he was running late. Checking with the detectives then filling Aubrey in on matters had taken hours. It seemed like every time he’d thought he would be able to slip away, Lewis had shown up at the hospital and wanted him and Aubrey to go back to the scene.

  Brandy hadn’t answered the phone, so he’d left her a message earlier about pushing their date back. He still wanted to see her but he knew he couldn’t make the dinner he’d planned.

  The lives of the missing boys were more important than a date. He was dying to see Brandy but he knew she would understand.

  Brandy had been more than willing to change their plans. In fact, she’d offered to pick up dessert for the two of them and bring it over to his apartment. She’d already eaten dinner with her family.

  Having Brandy in his personal space was going to be both exciting and torturous. Jamie couldn’t wait.

  It was so important for her to be able to deal with his job. There would be nights he wouldn’t come home and weekends canceled. Brandy had taken this time in stride with no complaint.

  If there had been any way not to screw up his night, he would have done it, but the case was finally moving along.

  Minutes later, after he’d finished showering and changing into fresh clothes, he hurried to his truck then drove out to the alley where the teenager had been dumped. Jamie couldn’t help but worry about the other two missing boys. There was no question that the cops hadn’t taken the scene at face value.

  What was supposed to have been set up as a drug overdose hadn’t been convincing. The boy had no his
tory of drug abuse, no track marks or any other indication of prior addiction. The theory just wasn’t playing for the police or for him and Aubrey.

  The people who were taking the kids were dangerous. Hopefully the teen would wake up soon and be able to tell everyone what had happened.

  His phone rang as Jamie finished pulling on his jeans. Yanking the denim up while trying to hop over to the bedside table wasn’t working. Finally, he got his pants on before he scooped up the small cell phone.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s me.”

  Like he wouldn’t know the second she spoke. He’d fantasized about her voice for so long. “Hey, you still coming over?” he asked while chanting silently please, please, please.

  “Of course. I’m a block away. I wondered where you wanted me to park.”

  Since his building was one of the older ones in the neighborhood, they didn’t actually have enough space for all the residents’ vehicles. It was a common problem throughout the poor side of town.

  “I have a marked visitor space behind the building. Number two-B. I can meet you down there.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Brandy said. “I can walk up one flight of stairs.”

  Jamie chuckled. “Hey, just trying to win good points early in case I get called in.”

  “Well then, you can treat me like you would any other guest and wait for me to knock on your door.”

  But she wasn’t like anyone else. Jamie was certain of it. Still, he knew better than to argue with her. “Fine, I can do that.”

  “Good. Now I’m pulling around back so I’ll see you in a minute.”

  “Sounds good.” He dropped his phone down and rushed to the dresser to grab one of his T-shirts. He pulled it over his head then slipped his arms into the sleeves. Next, he snatched up a pair of black socks.

  Finished with dressing, Jamie quickly ran through the hall into his living room. Luckily, he’d cleaned up during his weekend off and the place was in decent shape. Well, the front anyway. If Brandy saw his room, she probably wouldn’t be too impressed.