Tony’s fist came up. Even though she flinched in the past with Aaron, she didn’t this time. Things were different now. She wasn’t the scared, helpless girl she’d once been.
The door behind Tony burst open and bounced off the wall.
“Hey!” Brody grabbed Tony’s arm and forced it down.
Molly backed away from the open doorway and turned to wait on a customer. Her face was pale. Perhaps she heard their conversation.
“Let go of me,” Tony snarled.
At some point, Sean must have come down the stairs behind her. He grabbed Nicole around the waist and hauled her backward, against him. “I see the two of you can’t be left alone for more than two seconds.”
To Tony, he said, “I’ll deal with you later. Go help Molly and mind your manners.”
Tony nodded, but Nicole didn’t miss the glare he shot at her.
She couldn’t help but notice the worried look on Brody’s face as he followed Tony out. She couldn’t be sure, but she hoped he’d take it upon himself to keep an eye on Molly.
Once they were alone, Sean led her out the back door to his limousine. “I think I’d better take you home instead.”
The vehicle pulled away from the curb, and the driver made a right hand turn into traffic. Nicole secured her seatbelt and rested against the leather seat. It seemed like she had apologized for irresponsible actions and insensitive words for days on end. She was tired of it.
Sean scrubbed a hand down his face and shook his head. “My heart nearly stopped. He’s at least three times your size.”
A tremor ran the length of her spine. The anger boiled to the surface once again, and she experienced some trouble keeping it tamped down. How dare that asshole say those things about Molly!
Sean scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. His warm hands smoothed down her back. “Calm down and tell me what’s going on. Let me help you, Angel.”
She shrugged him away. He released her and glanced at the driver whose eyes were fixed on the road.
Nicole groaned and reached for her purse. She knew she was losing control, but she was hesitant to take the wolfsbane in front of him. It was in an unmarked bottle, but she just knew he would figure it out. Screw it. She was going to lose more than her job if she didn’t get a grip on her emotions. She shook the last white tablet of wolfsbane into her palm and swallowed it without the aid of water. She could only wait for the bane to saturate her system. At this point, she wasn’t even sure one itty-bitty pill would do the job.
Sean cupped her chin and tilted her head and peered into each her eyes. “Should we stop at the pharmacy?”
She bit her lower lip and looked away. What could she say? Tears pricked her eyes but did not fall. Shame and worry overwhelmed her — shame that she needed the pills in the first place and worry over obtaining them illegally. She might as well be completely honest now. “I don’t have a prescription and that was the last one.”
“Have you seen a physician?”
Unable to meet his eyes, she mumbled an excuse.
“How many do you take?”
Her bark of laughter sounded loud in the confines of the car. Even the driver glanced at her in the mirror. “Some days require more than others.”
He removed a brown pill bottle from his breast pocket. “Sounds like withdrawal. Take this. It’s is the lowest dosage, but it should help until we can wean you off.”
Nicole shook her head. “You take wolfsbane?”
“Occasionally, even I require some help with control. But I can always get more. Take these.”
She took the bottle from him and shook a pill into her palm. She examined the bottle again and frowned. There was no label.
He smiled with expectation. “Go ahead. Take it.”
Doubts still surfaced in her mind, but she swallowed the medication anyway. She dropped the bottle into her purse and settled back into the seat.
Sean pressed his lips against her ear. “I don’t like to see you suffer. Let me know if you need more.”
The driver pulled to the curb outside her apartment complex. Sean got out and opened her door. She pulled herself from the plush leather seats then gripped his arm for balance.
“Hold on,” Sean said and ran his finger down her spine. He returned to the front of the car and leaned down to speak to the driver through the window. “I’ll call when I’m ready for you.”
Sean held her elbow as they navigated through the courtyard and up the stairs.
Once they reached the apartment, she shoved the key in the lock and thrust the door open. She threw her purse on one of the chairs next to the door. “Thanks, Sean. I’ll be okay now.”
He cupped a hand behind her head and guided her toward him. “Don’t mention it.”
He leaned against her, eyes half closed. His arms wrapped around her waist. His tongue sought out hers and Nicole’s back stiffened. Thus far, he hadn’t noticed her hesitation.
Nicole’s hands pushed against his chest. “You should go.”
Her cell phone rang. She reached for it, and Sean grasped her wrist. He brought it to his lips. “Ignore it.”
The back of her legs pressed against the couch. They sank into the cushions, and Sean’s mouth sought hers out again. His right hand opened the buttons of her blouse to expose the lacy bra beneath. Within seconds, his fingers slid under the fabric to cup a bare breast.
Nicole pushed his hand away. “Wait, Sean. Hold on.”
His hand returned to the other breast. He tweaked her nipple through the fabric of her bra. She tried to twist away.
Her limbs felt heavy and lethargic. Her mind spun, or was the room spinning?
Sean’s hands were everywhere at once. They pushed the skirt up over her thighs. His excitement touched her through soft cotton and a whisper of lace. He pushed his hips against her pelvic bone. She shoved him away and sucked in a much-needed breath. “Stop.”
His gray eyes smoldered with desire. “Are you sure?”
One of his hands slithered beneath her skirt to cup her cheek. The other wrapped around her waist and pulled her against him. His tie was gone, and his shirt was unbuttoned down to the navel. She didn’t remember undressing him, and his hands had never left her.
“I can’t do this."
"Don't do this to me, Nicole." He pressed his hips against her, making sure she knew how hard he was. "You turned me on. You can't leave me like this."
She pushed his hands away and struggled to sit up. "There's someone else…"
Keys rattled in the door. Outside, Molly said, “She should be home soon. Do you want to come inside and wait?”
Both Molly and Brody stood in the doorway. Brody averted his eyes and stared at the keys in his hand. “Now’s probably not a good time.”
Molly sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh no, Nicky.”
Sean stood and buttoned his shirt with nimble fingers. There was a shadow of regret in his gaze. “Something’s come up and I may have to go out of town tomorrow night. We’ll have to postpone the dinner party until next week.”
Nicole smoothed the skirt down her hips and buttoned her shirt.
Brody didn’t stick around. His tennis shoes pounded a quick rhythm down the stairs.
“Brody, wait!” Nicole scrambled off the couch. Her legs were leaden and pitched her forward. Somehow she caught herself before she fell across the coffee table.
A strange expression flickered across Sean’s chiseled features. “I’ll see you after I get back, Angel.”
He made quick strides across the living room but stopped in the doorway. He held his head high and met Molly’s glare. “Are you coming with Nicole?”
“I have other plans.” Molly bit off the words. She glared at him until he cleared the doorway.
She shook her head and folded her arms over her chest. “Are you seriously hooking up with him?”
“We’re not hooking up.”
“That’s not what it looked like,” she huffed. “You just ruined any chan
ce you had with Brody, you know that, right?”
Nicole cringed inside. Of course, she knew it. She saw the disgusted look on his face. She flopped onto the couch and gathered a throw pillow to her chest. She rested her chin atop it and stared at her best friend. “Sean wouldn’t take no for an answer. Besides, Brody’s not interested in me that way. He knows I’m not available.”
It was Molly’s turn to laugh. She eased onto the cushion next to Nicole. “Don’t be a friggin’ idiot. He almost fainted when he walked in on you and Stone writhing around on the couch. Shit, I almost did too.”
"Don't." She held up her hand in a request for silence. “I don’t want to have this conversation right now.”
“Am I supposed to ignore it?”
“Yes, you are. Be a good friend and keep your mouth shut.”
Molly’s eyes squinted. “Because I am such a good friend, I can’t.”
“Yeah, you know all about it.” Nicole’s words sounded harsher than she’d meant for them to.
“Excuse me?” Molly’s face contorted. Her arms wrapped around her middle. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Why didn’t you tell me when it happened? I thought it was something I did.” Nicole ducked her head and shut her eyes. Maybe she should just shut her mouth before she said too much.
Molly pulled herself from the beige cushions and glared at her. “Not everything is about you. I got pregnant with the first boy I was ever serious about. He dumped me as soon as he found out. In order to protect the football hero's ass, the entire team said that they'd passed me around at a kegger. And I was supposed to worry about how you felt?”
Tears stung Nicole’s eyes, and her face grew hot. Molly was different back then. She was free-spirited and fun-loving.
"I was so confused and scared after I miscarried. It was all I could do to get through each day.” Molly retreated to the other side of the couch.
"Why didn't you tell me? I had no idea about the baby."
“It wasn’t just you. I didn’t tell anyone.”
Nicole pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and fingers. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’m sorry.”
Molly wasn’t finished having her say. “Besides, you have no room to judge. Need I remind you of all the things Aaron did to you?” She pushed herself up and stomped down the hall. The slam of her bedroom door was loud in their apartment.
Nicole’s hand searched out the twin crescents on her shoulder and rubbed at them. How could she forget? He’d been attacked at the concert and transformed by the next month. She tried to run, tried to get away, but he’d cornered her. She survived the mauling, just barely.
A few minutes later she left the house in her workout clothes. She didn’t need the car. The beach was only a few blocks away.
Chapter Ten
The next night Brody crept toward the silent, dark houses that lined the shore. The wolf’s scent was faint down at the other end of the beach. As he drew closer to the populated area, it became much stronger. He wrinkled his nose, the scent of dirt and wet animal stung his senses.
He pressed his back against the side of the two-story house. Everything was quiet within and there was no sign of movement. Stone was out of town, but what about Tony? Had he gone too? Maybe Tony waited to ambush him on the other side.
He ducked past the sliding glass doors, crouching next to the closest window. Dark lumps that resembled furniture blotted the shadows. He cupped his hands over his eyes and peered through the glass, hoping for anything that would make the risk worthwhile.
Edging around the north side of the house, he encountered a window that was open. A cream colored curtain obscured his view of the room inside. He leaned as close to the screen as he dared. He sensed no one within.
Brody slipped a pair of gloves over his hands and loosened the screen. He leaned it against the exterior wall. A jitter of anticipation rippled through him as he seized the window and lifted the glass. He’d been waiting for a chance to uncover incriminating evidence that could be used against the city’s favorite son. Never mind that it would be inadmissible in court. At least he’d have a new angle to work.
He eased the window up a few inches more, just enough to slip through. If he slithered inside, there’d be no turning back. With one last look over each shoulder, he made the commitment and crawled through on his belly.
Brody stood statue-still and listened for any indication that he was not alone. The house was silent. There was no creaking floorboards, heartbeats, or anxious breaths but his own. As was the case with most houses, the scents were varied. The most prominent was the odor of sweat and Tony’s crappy cologne. He passed the garbage can at the end of the kitchen counter. His nostrils flared, assaulted by the scent of garlic and onions.
He moved through the house with a sense of stealth and purpose. Sean had been upstairs in the study every night that he watched the house. With any luck, that’s where he’d find what he needed. He just wasn’t sure what it was yet.
The stairway was dark, and no lights lit the upper half of the house. Brody kept close to the wall, just in case he had to make a run for it. He figured he’d be harder to spot if he blended with the shadows. The air upstairs was different. Instead of food and Tony, it was all Stone.
A sense of cleanliness saturated the upstairs hallway. Soap and the crisp scent of aftershave hung in the air. The door to the right was ajar, affording him a peek at Stone’s bedroom. The dark coverlet was pulled tight across the mattress. Not one crease or wrinkle marred its appearance. He couldn’t stop himself. He had to know.
There was no indication that Nicole had been inside this room. Her faint scent hadn’t carried further than the kitchen and living room. Of course, that didn’t mean Stone hadn’t bumped uglies with her on a kitchen counter. He growled in frustration.
He'd been prepared to tell her the ugly truth last night. To ask if they could start over with the truth was his only intention. He hadn't counted on finding Nicole and Stone thrashing about on the sofa. Sickened by the memory, all he knew for sure was that he'd lost the opportunity. Stone won again.
Brody crept into Stone’s office and shut the door. The acrid bite of cigar smoke tingled in his nose.
He edged around the desk. Unopened envelopes, most looked like bills, lay in a neat pile on the desk. Beneath that, lay a stack of documents. He thumbed through the paperwork. It consisted of booze invoices and the payroll. Hoping he’d hit pay dirt, he glanced through the names on each sheet. Tony’s compensation was indecent and raised his brows. Other than that, there wasn’t anything incriminating. He spotted a familiar name on one of the papers in the ruffled stack. Ira Johansen.
Ira was one of the best at digging up dirt on people. Prosecutors ran to him every time their cases looked bleak. Candidates for public office asked for his help to slander their opponent. Ira had carved a comfortable niche for himself and ignored his conscience. That is if he had one. The idea that Stone had requested his services had him worried.
Brody opened each desk drawer. A few folders had been shoved inside the bottom right-hand side.
Instead of the shipment times and dates that he hoped for, the names Molly McNeely, Nicole Riley, and F. Brody Dunn were written in Ira’s messy scrawl.
He opened the file with his name on it. Dread settled in his stomach and left a bitter taste at the back of his throat. He should have been more careful, stayed under their radar. He’d taken a chance and stepped out of the shadows. In order to get to know Nicole, he had to immerse himself in neon and strobe lights. He had tipped Stone off.
There were numerous typed pages, old newspaper clippings and a photograph of him in a police uniform.
Ira ignored the unspoken rule of not snitching on colleagues. For the right amount of money, he provided Stone with Brody’s current address as well as info about his stint as a cop, his arrest record since, and his credentials as a private investigator. He’d even spoken to neighbors who swore Brody had lost control one n
ight and murdered Frank Dunn, his father. If anything could be said about Ira, he was thorough. Brody might pay him a visit later.
He dropped the folder back into the drawer and moved to the next. Molly McNeely’s life took up fewer pages. Though he’d given some background information, Ira had focused on her brief stay at college. The people he’d spoken to about an incident during her junior year included a regretful young man. She just dropped out of school and out of sight. He winced at Ira’s cold, impersonal assessment of what had happened. The picture he’d included depicted a younger, thinner Molly in an oversized letterman’s jacket. There was no date on the back.
Nicole’s folder was the thickest of the three. It contained details that dated back to college up to the point where she started working for Sean Stone. The private eye had even listed her favorite foods, colors and other tidbits of useless information.
Ira had spoken to an Aaron James and learned that they were married at one point. Aaron was infected with the Lycan virus at a venue he and his band played a year ago. The venue Nicole herself had set up. Afterward, Nicole left him. Ira penned a note stating he hadn’t found any divorce papers for the two. A Polaroid held with a red plastic paperclip was attached to the back of the folder. It was a blurry shot of a younger Nicole with a scruffy, long-haired man. Their arms were thrown around each other’s shoulders and goofy smiles adorned their faces. Though the photo wasn’t the best quality, he could just make out balloons and ribbons. A number of excited faces bled into the background. Nicole held a wilted bouquet, and it looked odd with her denim shorts and black tank top. His chest tightened. Nicole’s wedding photo?
Brody shoved the folders back into the desk. His search of the office was fruitless. The phone rang. He flinched away from the racket then cursed himself for being so jumpy.
The machine came on, and Stone’s voice instructed the caller to leave a message.
“Boss, pick up if you’re home. There might be a problem,” Tony paused to give his employer time to snatch the phone from its cradle. “Get out of the house. I think the kid headed your way.”
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