Life could be short. Damn, why had Maggie’s words suddenly popped into her head? Babies wouldn’t interfere with her school. Not unless she had the fastest pregnancy in history.
“John, I’m almost finished with my degree. These are my last classes, and I’ll finally be finished. It was why I couldn’t lose my job right then. I need the money for the courses and living expenses.” She pressed her palm to his chest.
This wasn’t going to continue for years. And not only him. She should tell her friends, too. They could bitch at her about keeping secrets, and she’d gladly take it.
“Good. We’ll talk about the future, Leslie. We intend to make sure you’re happy and satisfied with us.” John nodded.
She led Archer into her room. He looked around the pale blue and green room. The light color scheme continued from bedding to curtains and even a few of her treasures. The white carpet was the only thing that set off the two colors.
“So you collect dragons.” Archer looked at her.
“My grandpa started the collection for me. He knew I was into fantasy stuff and got me the two dragons in the center of the table over there. The number has been growing with every birthday and Christmas since. The only not strictly dragon figure is the one with a dragon and a cougar. Chloe found it shortly after we met her. She mailed it to me.” Leslie gestured to the dragon with a cougar nestled up next to him.
“She knew then that you were shapeshifters?” Archer used some of the wrap.
“Oh, yeah, there was a situation where one of us used our strength. I’m not even sure which of us it was now, but she knew almost from the first. She didn’t have a problem with it. There were the usual questions and some that weren’t usual, but then Chloe was raised in foster homes after she was orphaned, so most of her attention was on doing good and being prepared to be on her own at eighteen.” Leslie smiled.
“She’s a good friend to you, like Shonna and Dixie. Why didn’t you confide in them about your school or the trouble at your store?” Archer glanced over at her as he went on to another figurine.
“The school, like I said, I wasn’t sure it was going to stick at first. I mean, I knew I wanted to do it, but I didn’t want to get them all excited and me not finish.” Leslie wrapped one of the smaller figures and tucked it into the corner of a box.
“I don’t think that would matter to them. I’m sure they’d have loved to celebrate that you found something that you wanted to do.” Archer put the small bundle in the box, but didn’t grab for another. “Who made you think that it mattered so much that you finish? Finishing is great, yes, but sometimes, the journey is longer than point A to point B.”
“It’s not that they made me think that it’s so important, but I saw how much it disappointed my mother when I walked away from college that first time. I didn’t want my friends to think that I couldn’t ever finish anything.” Leslie lifted a shoulder.
“Leslie, you’ve been working at a job long enough to be a manager. I’m sure they know that you can be relied on to finish things.” Archer shook his head. “And the trouble at your work?”
“I told them about a little of the difficulties, but not that there was stuff coming from higher up and the lack of cooperation. They would have been all for me quitting, but I would still need another job to go to.” Leslie lifted her shoulder. And at times, jobs were hard to come by.
“They’ll understand, but don’t expect them not to rag on you about it.” Archer grinned.
“I know that. I’ll tell them the next time I see them all together.” Leslie glanced around the room. Her stomach churned. “We should get on with it. This room isn’t getting packed by itself, though.”
“And there’s the furniture. You have some nice furniture. I like your little desk.” Archer grinned. “But it wouldn’t hold up to much. I do think it will fit in one of our closets though.”
“I never intended that little desk to hold up through a session of sex. Don’t make fun.” She scowled. It worked for what she needed it to do, and that was all that mattered.
“We’ll get you an adult’s desk and set up an office so that you can study and do homework.” Archer patted her on the shoulder.
“You know I’m not above smacking you.” She narrowed her eyes. Provoking man.
“And I’m not above spanking you and tying you to the bed. You should know though that’s more Judge’s thing.” Archer reached out and tapped her buttocks.
“And what’s your thing and John’s?” She raised an eyebrow.
“You’ll find out.” Archer grinned at her. “I will tell you that I’ll take you any way I can get you, though.”
* * * *
John scowled as he pulled up outside the shrub-lined gray exterior of Jessie’s Homestyle. The family-style restaurant had a loyal clientele and attracted families with children with its indoor playground. John gripped the steering wheel. He took a couple deep breaths before he turned the key and pulled it free of the ignition.
Fucking bastards. Another poisoning in a family-oriented place. He shuddered and clenched his fists. Prickling pressure burst through his gums and fingernails. Damn. He had to get control before he changed.
He’d gotten here a little late. The call came while on the way back to his house in the moving van. He’d left Leslie with Archer and Judge after they’d arrived at the house. Every step away from her pulled him in two directions. He’d never been so torn before, but he had a job to do. She’d be fine.
Some other people weren’t. They had hurt children. The fucking bastards. Somehow, he’d find the people behind this. They wouldn’t get away with it.
John got out of the car, locked it, and marched across the parking lot. He’d be here for a while. They had a lot of information to learn. Who had opportunity to do this? Had there been any sign of a break in?
John entered the restaurant. Medical supplies, food, and napkins littered the cream-colored tile floor. The scent of vomit hung in the air along with the smell of beef. He strode over to where Jason stood talking with one of the officers near the entrance to the kitchen. The big bear straightened as he approached. Jason’s lips pulled down in a grim frown, and he fisted his hand at his side. Did it bring back memories of Jason’s kidnapping or the last poisonings?
“Hi, Jason, what have you learned?” John stopped in front of him.
“We’ve got a wide array of victims again. Wolves, bears, foxes, cougars, and a couple humans. We’re looking for commonalities, but if it’s like last time, there probably won’t be much.” Jason drew in a deep breath.
“Do you know how it was delivered?” John asked.
“It was the drinks they poisoned again, but they must have been working on the taste in the time between the poisonings if it’s the same formula.” Jason rolled his shoulders. “You’d think the bastards wouldn’t want children of their own hurt though.”
“What drink did they poison?” John glanced around. This restaurant didn’t have alcohol, which had helped hide the distinct tang of the poison. “And you know the bastard foxes behind the last round didn’t care who they hurt. I doubt these are any different.”
“The sodas. Everyone who was poisoned ordered sodas. The type varied, but they all had some type of carbonated drink. The symptoms are too close to be a different drug.” Jason scowled. “No one knows who could have put it in or when it happened. They closed the restaurant last night, and things were as they should be. When they opened again this morning, everything seemed untouched. Nothing activated the alarm, but the cameras haven’t been filming for two days.”
“Someone’s working off the same script from last time. I know you checked who turned off the video.” John glanced around the room. “Have you gotten the answer yet?”
They fooled no one by targeting a wide group of people. Children. Those bastards had hurt children. It was one thing to go after locations where only adults would be affected. Adults could make their own decisions and take care of themselves.
Jo
hn glanced around the restaurant. He clenched his hand. They might as well go ahead and drop the fucking pretense, because no one bought the diversions. Foxes were behind this, just as foxes had been involved in the last batch of poisonings. At least keep the attacks to those who were big enough to fight back.
John shook his head. Fuck, he was getting ahead of the evidence. They didn’t know anything at this point. Evidence needed to be collected and analyzed. They couldn’t miss anything because they let suspicion lead them.
“It was done electronically. Someone accessed it from the internet. It’s being checked out, but if these people knew enough to get in, they probably took the extra steps to keep from being traced back to their home IP address.” Jason tapped his foot.
“Is it in the syrup or the soda water? Have they found out?” John watched a tech taking samples from a cup on a table. Had they found some type of evidence of which it was and if more than one package had been dosed with it? They could switch out everything, and if there were other containers poisoned, it would happen again.
“We’ve found it was the syrups that were dosed. The seals had some tampering, but it wasn’t obvious. We’re looking at the other containers now to see if they altered more than the ones in the machine.” Jason nodded. “Fucking foxes.”
“Jason, take a deep breath and look at this as an isolated incident. Yes, we have suspicions about who did this. It is very similar to the others, but we need to let the evidence speak, because whoever did this isn’t slipping away.” John drew in a slow breath. “I went there, too. This is even more upsetting because of the age of the victims, but we have to separate to a degree.”
Jason nodded. “Will do, and I’ll spread the word. We won’t miss any evidence.”
John’s phone went off. He glanced down at it and frowned. The station. He clicked to answer it and lifted it.
“Chief, you might want to come to your office and listen to a tip we just received.” One of the female officers, Betty Lewis, came over the line without even a hello.
“A tip about the poisonings?” John stiffened. That was fast.
“No, this is different,” Betty said. “You need to come to hear it. This needs to be handled tonight.”
John’s eyebrows went up. He’d already foreseen a long night here, but Betty’s insistence told him he should head down to the station. What the hell was this tip about?
“I’ve got to go to the station. If there’s an emergency, call.” John glanced at Jason.
Jason nodded.
John left the scene and drove to the station. He went in and headed straight to the Betty Lewis. She’d been working dispatch tonight. Well, as one of the dispatchers. He stopped at the desk and waited until she could give him her attention. When she did, she handed him a pin drive.
“You’ll want privacy when you listen to this.” Betty nodded and turned her attention back to the computer.
He headed to his office. Must be something special if she thought it shouldn’t be heard by anyone else. With the “come now,” maybe time sensitive information.
John inserted the chip into his tablet and drummed his fingers as the audio cued up. Damn, if only he could be home with Leslie. Even talking to her would help.
That wouldn’t be a good idea. He had work to do, but she was safe. Other people might be at risk. So suck it up. Get on with it, and then go home and hold her all night.
The audio began.
“What is the nature of your call? Do you need fire, ambulance, or police?” the operator asked.
A male voice came on the line. “I need to give you some information. You can stop this. Someone’s trying to set up the mayor. Look into his office staff. If you work fast, you’ll catch them.”
The call ended abruptly. John sat back in his chair and stared at the monitor. Was this another way to distract them from the poisonings? He tapped his fingers. An attack on the mayor would fit in with those on him, both this time and the last time they’d gone after him.
With him out of the way, there would be a change in the person in charge of police force. They probably had the same goal with the mayoral office. The fucking foxes didn’t get along with any type of whyr other than foxes, and they absolutely hated the mayor. Of course, they had a special level of hate for wolves anyway.
If this was foxes. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Fuck. His night had just gotten longer. It looked like tomorrow was going to be a hell of a day, too.
First, a few calls. Hopefully, the mayor would agree to try to catch the person trying to set him up. If he did, John had to quietly move a few men and the equipment to the mayor’s office. He dialed Jake Spenser, the mayor.
He swept his gaze around the office. Leslie’s picture would look good right on the corner of his desk. Something a little sexy would be nice, but he wouldn’t share her looking like that.
A distinct growl preceded Jake’s words. “This better be good. I already know about the poisoning if you wanted to keep me updated.”
“No, I knew you’d be informed about that. We received a tip that we should handle tonight if you decide it’s something that would concern you.” John leaned back in his chair.
“What’s the tip?” The words flowed out slowly, as if the answer itself would cause trouble to explode.
“He said if we act fast we can prevent it. Someone’s trying to set up the mayor. Look into his office staff. So do you think that it’s a possibility, or is someone trying to distract us?” John leaned back in his chair. Maybe Jake had some clue if there was something going on in his office.
“I’ve thought there was a possibility. I definitely have a suspicion about the person who might be responsible. But how are we going to catch him?” Jake asked.
“If you agree, I can bring someone with the equipment over to your office to wire it up for video and sound. We’ll do this now and have it ready for the person who tries to plant information.” John tapped his foot.
“Get your men and the equipment. I’ll be waiting for you at my office. I want that place set. If it’s a member of my office staff, I want that person gone.” Jake’s voice hardened. “I’ll expect them to be charged, too.”
“If we can catch them at it, they definitely will be.” John smiled. Jake might be personable and calm for the most part, but he had a strong will and aggression in certain situations.
John hung up and went to grab someone to help with the install. He had to pick the right people to do this. No foxes as precaution. His fox officers had all been fabulous. He couldn’t risk this trap though.
Chapter Seven
Leslie tousled her hair as she strode to the Wild Beat. The red, black, and silver sign glowed, lighting up the night. She rolled her shoulders, but the knot between her shoulders remained. Arguing with John made her tense as hell. And she hadn’t even won.
No one had made a threat to her or any of his family. Try telling that to Mister “I’ve-seen-too-much-to-take-a-chance.” He’d insisted she have someone with her on girls’ night. Maybe he was being overly cautious, but she couldn’t ignore the recent attacks on the public. The attacks on Chloe and her men proved that things could turn dangerous fast.
So she had a two-man escort. Judge and Archer kept pace with her. Archer’s palm rested on her lower back and Judge held hers. Not leaving any doubt that she was with them. Such possessive men.
“You look fabulous, Leslie.” Archer drew his fingers over her cheek as they stood in line.
She glanced down. Her green shirt draped over one shoulder. The sparkly design on the front of it shimmered in the lights. Perfect for a night at the club with her friends.
On the other hand, her men were delicious as hell. Judge wore a black jacket over a white pinstripe shirt and black slacks. He’d arrived home a few minutes before she and Archer planned to leave. Archer looked dark and dangerous in a black shirt and black pants. His tanned skin glowed against the dark color.
“Thank you. You already know that I love what you’re
both wearing.” She reached over and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze.
“Well, it is hard to improve on perfection.” Archer stepped back and dusted at an imaginary smudge off his shirt.
“You know I might have to mess you up even though that’s all teasing instead of ego.” She glanced over at him. Damn, she missed his warmth already.
“Don’t worry about it. He’ll be pulling out his hair by the end of your girl’s night since he can’t butt in unless you’re in danger.” Judge grinned. “Mr. Perfection will be creased and mussed.”
“Just don’t let him create a bald spot. I kind of like his hair.” She grinned.
“No bald spot, kitten. I can guarantee that. You have fun with your friends. I know Jase and Tony are both here tonight. So we’ll have plenty of people to talk with.” Archer smirked at her.
“I want you to remember to tell your friends about those things you told us. They know you and support you.” Judge curled his arm around her. “You don’t want this to come out if something happens.”
“I plan to, and maybe since I’ll be talking, I can get Chloe to tell me what’s been bothering her, because despite all her protestations, there is something. I don’t think it’s all about the baby or the lack of one rather.” Leslie frowned.
“Well, leading with your information might help, but she could be mad at one of her men.” Archer shrugged. “Their mating is relatively new. They’re probably still adjusting to things within the relationship.”
“I don’t think that’s it.” Leslie shook her head. Chloe hadn’t hesitated to talk about some of her men’s infuriating behavior in the last few girls’ nights.
Leslie peered around some of the people, studying the shapes in front of her. Male and female, but most of them were indistinguishable. Was Maggie here? Had she managed to get Penny to come with her? After talking with Maggie a few times, Leslie had invited them both.
Catching Her Mates Page 7
