The next three people didn’t have any nursing skills at all. He had put in the ad that they would need a minimum of three years’ experience, but no one seemed to be reading that. They were turning more away because of that than they were getting any work done. When the next person sat down, she handed over her resume and smiled at them. He fed the information to Harris so she could do a check on the woman.
Got it. Also, I have house guests as of last night. Don’t say anything to anyone. He said he’d never do that. I know you won’t, but I’m pissy and aggravated that they got the drop on me. I would like for you to come and meet them just so I can get them to trust me. They don’t, in the event, you’re wondering. They’re only here because their aunt is someplace hurt, and I was a last option. I don’t want to be last in anything, just so you know.
She gave him the rundown that she found on the nurse in front of them. “I’d hire her as a nanny. But there is one blot on her record. How do you suppose she knew how to contact me?” Rodney was confused for a moment and told Harris that. “The Voice. Paige. How did she get my phone number? It’s not like I’m listed. The woman there, she has an ex-husband. I don’t know how their relationship is. Ask her.”
He did as he was told, still trying to figure out what Harris was going on about. It had been three days, and she was still asking them questions about the woman. After getting the information from Wanda, Rodney waited for Harris to get back to him.
This went on for another twenty minutes. Finally, he had enough and told Harris to shit or get off the pot. They were trying to run a business here. Even after he realized he’d pissed her off, Rodney didn’t care. She’d been beating this dog to death, and they needed to move on.
You’re right. I’m sorry. Don’t think I’m going to let you speak to me like this often, but you are right when I bitch about something when you need me. He thanked her. I’m sorry, Rodney. I truly am.
She was keeping up a steady stream of information to him after that. They needed to hire three people, and so far, it looked as if Wanda was going to be one of them. Also, the woman that had come with her, for security reasons, she told him, Caroline Jamison, was going to fit the bill.
It didn’t take them long to finish up the interviews after that. Harris said she was sorry a few more times, but they were on track to getting done, and he was happy with that. Even Rebel told him not to worry about Harris. If she gave him any shit, she’d take care of her.
The women in his family were very powerful. Scary powerful. His own mate was a grand witch, and she scared the shit out of him on a daily basis. And she wasn’t able to hurt him. As he was packing up his things and taking Rebel’s too, he felt a sudden wash of fear roll over him.
“Someone that we know is in trouble.” He asked Rebel if she knew who it was. “Nope. I’m not even sure if it’s trouble, pain, or just that we know them. This is some weird assed shit if you ask me.”
“I agree.” Then when she stiffened again, he waited for whatever was going to happen. “What is it, Rebel? Do we need to take off?”
“I do. Not you.” He asked her why not him. “She’s not terribly trusting. I’m going because she is a little bit of a witch and needs me.”
“All right. I guess.”
Then she was gone. Getting into his car, he wondered if he’d get used to this happening. People bouncing in and out of his life. The magic would wake him from a sound sleep. It was always important, but so was his rest. Going home, he wondered what he’d get himself into tonight. Nothing that he’d had planned, that’s for sure.
He ate his dinner in the kitchen, watching television with their cook. After he was finished, he went to the living room to take a nap. He loved the fact that there wasn’t a television in this room. Rodney could do whatever he wanted, nap or read, and there were no distractions. Hell, he could—
“What is it?” Rebel appeared in the room with him, and she had a man over her shoulder. Taking him from her, she disappeared again, this time returning with a woman over her shoulder. Taking them up to the bedrooms, he put the man on the bed and began undressing him to see where all the blood had come from.
“Where am I?” He didn’t get a chance to answer the man before he started telling him he couldn’t tell anyone he was there. Not even his family. “The woman that came for us, did she get my sister too?”
“Yes. I didn’t see much of her, but she’s in the other room.” The man closed his eyes, only to open them a few seconds later. “Where are you hurt?”
“I’m shot, but I just need to shift. I’m all right. Go to my sister, she’s not all right. Nor can she shift right now. It’ll weaken her more.” Nodding, he asked the man if he could do anything for him now. “No. I’m just desperately wanting Paige fixed up. Go on, I’ll be all right. I swear to you.”
After checking the wound that had indeed been a through and through, Rodney went to the other room to help Rebel. The woman in there would not be able to shift her wounds away. Nor would she live long if she even tried to shift into whatever she was. It occurred to Rodney that he had no idea what the man was either. Helping Rebel, he told her what he’d found out about the man.
“Which is very little. How about you?” Rebel told him where she’d gone and how she’d found the two of them. “You just entered a warzone and got them both here? Christ, that’s amazing. I’m proud of you.”
“Don’t be. I have a feeling that if either of these two dies, we’re going to be on a long list of shit jobs for the rest of our days.” Rodney asked her if she knew who the woman or man was. “Nope. I mean, other than a name, nothing. She’s Paige, and he’s James. All I heard about them as I boogied out of there with him. When I returned for her, I had to break her out of a jail cell that looked like something you’d see in zoos. Where you’d want to keep the animals that misbehaved a great deal.”
They worked on Paige for nearly three hours. Setting up an IV was the hardest part. Nothing would penetrate her flesh very well. Finally, they had to resort to using a very large needle to make the mark, then stab it into her that way. The two of them put nearly four hundred stitches in her body alone. Her legs and arms were a different matter altogether.
As they were finishing up, James came into the room looking as fresh as a daisy. “I hope you don’t get too upset with me. I put a couple of scratches in your flooring. I’ll pay for its repair.” Rodney told him not to worry about it. “How is she doing? I’ve never seen her down before. In all the years we’ve worked together, I’ve never seen her wounded or even hurt with a broken nail. This is scary for me.”
“Are you related to the people at my brother-in-law’s house?” He told Rebel he was their father. “They’re good and well trained. I have to admit that to you. When I went there to talk to Harris about something, I was down on the floor and spread out before I even knew there was anyone else in the house.”
“Good to hear. Just because they’re on domestic soil doesn’t mean they should be lax. I’ll have to tell them what you said.” She nodded. “Is she going to make it?”
“Yes. For the simple reason that she’s an immortal. However, you weren’t when I got there to get you.” He said he didn’t think it was in the cards for him to live forever. Then he looked at her sharply, asking her what she meant by her statement, “The vampire there when I arrived, the person that was with you two watching over you, they gave you enough blood that put you over the edge of immortality.”
“Fucking bastard.” James said he was sorry for cursing. Rebel told him it was a second language for her. The three of them laughed. “He said he’d watch over us until you came. I don’t know how he contacted you, but I’m—”
“He didn’t. Your sister did.” He asked her what she meant. “She’s part witch. I don’t know how strong—all I can feel from her now is pain. But her being injured this badly called out to me. Had you not been there with her when I arrived,
I would have left you for dead. But she told me you were to come here first. I did what she wanted.”
“I don’t understand.” Rebel told James she didn’t either. That she was a grand witch and that the two of them must be important to someone higher than her. “I don’t know who it would be. I mean, there are any number of people watching out for us, but as for her calling to you, I don’t know.”
“We’ll get answers when she’s ready to give them. For now, we’ll keep it quiet that you’re here with her.” James nodded. Then he sat down in the chair by the bed and held his sister’s hand. “Your family, won’t they miss you?”
“No. They know that when I want them to know where I am, I’ll tell them. As for now, we have to assume that someone knows she’s hurt and I am with her. The fewer people knowing that, the better.” He looked at the two of them. “I’m sorry I can’t give you more information. But it is literally a matter of national security that we aren’t found or killed.”
“I can live with that. I can use a little magic to keep anyone from coming into this room. There is staff that you might hear. Also, and this is a biggy, if I tell you to move your ass or anything else that will keep me and mine safe, you’d better fucking know that I’ll hurt you badly if you don’t. Deal?” He laughed and told Rebel he understood. “Good. Then we should get along just fine and dandy.”
Rodney didn’t know what was going on. But so long as everyone was working well together, he was fine with that. But all bets were off if anyone came here with the thought of hurting his family. That would include the kids at Harris’s home. He had an entire shadow that he’d bring around if anything happened to anyone.
Before You Go…
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Kathi Barton, a winner of the Pinnacle Book Achievement award as well as a best-selling author on Amazon and All Romance books, lives in Nashport, Ohio, with her husband, Paul. When not creating new worlds and romance, Kathi and her husband enjoy camping and going to auctions. She can also be seen at county fairs with her husband, who is an artist and potter.
Her muse, a cross between Jimmy Stewart and Hugh Jackman, brings her stories to life for her readers in a way that has them coming back time and again for more. Her favorite genre is paranormal romance, with a great deal of spice. You can visit Kathi online and drop her an email if you’d like. She loves hearing from her fans. [email protected].
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Rodney: Marshall’s Shadow – Jaguar Shapeshifter Romance Page 13
