by Lynn Hagen
“Just get here.” Jeremy hung up and rushed to the kitchen. Moose had passed out on the floor, and he was in his black bear form. Holy fuck! It was the biggest bear Jeremy had ever seen.
Then again, Moose was the first bear Jeremy had encountered. Still, he was humungous. If he didn’t know Moose, Jeremy would have been petrified.
He heard the bell jingle. “Maybe you should talk to Grayson.” Jeremy couldn’t stop gaping at the bear. “I’m kind of freaking out right now and wouldn’t be able to talk to him.”
“Stay in here,” Cyril said. “Keep an eye on him.”
Jeremy nodded as Cyril left the kitchen. He still couldn’t believe someone had tried to rob them. None of this felt real, and staring at a giant bear passed out on the floor was freaking Jeremy out.
Grayson stormed into the kitchen and looked right at Moose. His expression went from rage to worry as he knelt down beside his mate.
“His bear will work the bullet out and repair any damages,” Cyril said.
Grayson looked over his shoulder. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better? My fucking mate was shot in the gut.” Grayson pushed to his feet. “I want to know what happened and give me details. I want that son of a bitch found.”
As Cyril and Grayson talked, Jeremy hurried into the diner and locked the front door. He didn’t need anyone else in there until this was resolved.
Whoever the stranger was, Jeremy didn’t want to be that guy. When he was found, Moose, Grayson, and Cyril would want a piece of him. Jeremy had a feeling there wouldn’t be anything left to arrest once they were done with him.
* * * *
“Are you sure you’re doing okay?” Cyril asked when Jeremy brought in a bucket of dishes and set them by the sink.
“I already told you I’m fine,” Jeremy said, although he wasn’t. Not only was Moose still passed out on the floor but Grayson had yet to leave his side. That made for a crowded kitchen, but no one complained.
Worse, Heather and Fred had shown up for work. Clearly Cyril hadn’t gotten around to firing them yet, and truth be told, Jeremy was thankful since Moose wasn’t gonna get any work done in his condition.
Cyril had just made it perfectly clear that Heather and Fred wasn’t allowed in the kitchen.
Jeremy sighed when Cyril cupped his face. “You’re just acting too normal after what happened, and that worries me.”
They couldn’t even tell the deputies about the robber. They’d ask too many questions, and since they were human, they hadn’t the first clue about the nonhuman world.
Jeremy was so angry that he wanted to punch someone. He hated seeing Moose on the floor. He hated that a man who was more like a brother to him had been hurt in the first place. Moose hadn’t deserved that.
“I’ve had years of practice faking the funk,” Jeremy said. He patted Cyril’s hands. “But I promise you I’m holding it together. I’ll freak out tonight when no one is here, okay?”
It had been Jeremy who had talked Cyril into keeping the diner open. Jeremy hadn’t wanted to go home and sit on his thumb. He needed to stay busy so he didn’t try and drown his worries in the bottom of a bottle, and he was still avoiding Alan.
If the guy was still in town.
“If you need some time to yourself, tell me.” The serious look in Cyril’s eyes had Jeremy nodding. He gave Jeremy a quick, but thorough kiss. Cyril’s mouth was warm and tasted like coffee and cinnamons rolls, and Jeremy didn’t want to stop, but he backed away, breathless.
Cyril ran his thumb over Jeremy’s bottom lip. “We’ll pick that up later.”
They most definitely would. Jeremy took the empty tub and headed back out the door, nearly crashing into Fred. If he’d been that close, that meant he’d been peeking through the door.
Thankfully Moose was resting in the part of the kitchen where no one could see him if they did peek. But still, Jeremy let the swing door close behind him and simply stood there. “Was there something you needed?”
Fred looked him up and down. His response time seemed to be sluggish. He blinked and then smiled. “You and Cyril are getting it on.”
Jeremy rolled his eyes and walked away. This wasn’t high school, and he wasn’t gonna let a person he didn’t even know tease him. But Jeremy did look back to make sure Fred hadn’t peeked through the door again. The guy had gone back to pouring coffee and bullshitting with the customers.
“So when did Cyril hire you?” Heather smiled at him, but it was a calculating smile that made him uncomfortable.
“About three days ago.” Jeremy started to say that if she’d shown up to work like she was supposed to, she would’ve already known that. But he wasn’t one to speak his mind, and Jeremy definitely didn’t like confrontation, which was one reason he prayed Alan didn’t return.
Jeremy might’ve had a backbone yesterday, but after everything that had happened that morning, he just wanted peace and quiet.
“Are you sure you’re sober enough to work?” Heather didn’t wait for an answer. She pranced off, her ponytail swinging behind her. Heather had room to talk considering the rumors—whether they were true or not—floating around town about her and her brother screwing.
Jeremy had an urge to whap his tub over her prissy head. Fred wasn’t even a good-looking guy. Yuck. If she was gonna do something that gross, at least Fred should’ve looked like Brad Pitt, then maybe Jeremy might have understood. Okay, not really.
Instead of whapping her he cleaned the two empty tables quickly when he saw customers waiting for a seat. He was doing Fred’s job, only because Fred wasn’t allowed in the kitchen.
Jeremy would much rather be in Cyril’s office going over the spreadsheets. Now he wished he hadn’t talked his mate into keeping the diner open, but as Jeremy looked around at the smiling faces and listened to the low volume of noise filling the diner, he understood why Cyril loved this place so much.
The atmosphere was relaxing, aside from the dirty looks Heather kept giving him. Jeremy even recognized some familiar faces. A few people had greeted him by name when they’d arrived and said how good it was to see him out and about.
Mrs. Callow, one of Jeremy’s neighbors, had come in with her three grandsons. She patted Jeremy’s hand and gave him a warm smile. “I’m sorry about Lily,” she said. “I haven’t seen much of you since…well, I just wanted to let you know I’m here for you if you need me. Lily truly was a real darling.”
Jeremy’s throat burned as he smiled. “Thank you.” He commented on how big the boys were growing, and she told him a story about their trip to the grocery store.
Mrs. Callow took a seat, her grandsons hopping into the booth as Jeremy took his pan to the kitchen. He would’ve thought someone bringing up Lily would’ve made him cry, and although a lump had formed, he hadn’t broken down.
He told Cyril as much.
His mate simply smiled, kissed Jeremy’s forehead, and went back to cooking. As Jeremy emptied the dishes into the sink, he looked at his wedding band. He was so used to having it on that he didn’t even notice it most days.
But how fair was that to Cyril? Guilt enveloped him. But he reminded himself that Cyril had said to take his time in healing. Jeremy touched the gold band and sighed.
“You okay over there?”
It seemed Cyril was asking Jeremy that a lot lately. “I will be when you feed me some lunch.”
Cyril held up his tongs. “I have the power to give you whatever food you desire, young sprite. Just tell me your wishes, and I shall grant them.”
Jeremy cracked up. “My personal genie.”
Cyril gave a flourishing bow. “At your service.”
As Jeremy stared at Cyril, he realized just how much he was falling in love with the guy. But he didn’t feel panicked this time when emotions surged inside him. It was more like the raging storm inside him was calming to gentle breezes.
“I wish for some of that fried chicken and some French fries.”
“One plate of divineness coming
right up.” Cyril pointed the tongs at the door. “Tell Fred to slide the loaded tub through the window.” He looked at Sheriff Copache, who was on his back, his head resting on the bear’s side, while scrolling through his phone. “Hey, you hungry yet?”
Jeremy gasped when the bear transformed into one naked-ass Moose. “What are you offering,” Moose said, although his eyes were still closed.
Figures the mention of food roused him awake.
Moose cracked his eyes open and stretched, pulling Grayson into his arms. Jeremy looked away when the two started kissing. He felt like he was watching something intimate, considering Moose was naked.
“Hey, take that into my office,” Cyril said. “And by the way, glad to have you back, buddy.”
“Thanks.” Moose shoved to his feet. Grayson stood in front of him to block his nudity. “As soon as I’m dressed, I’m hunting that punk down. That is, after you feed me.”
“And I’m helping,” Grayson said.
“With feeding me?” Moose grinned and Grayson rolled his eyes. But Jeremy could also see the relief in them.
“If you don’t find him by the time I close down, I’ll help you guys,” Cyril said. “Nobody tries to rob me and gets away with it. They also don’t get away with shooting my friend.” Cyril looked at Jeremy. “And while we’re out searching, you can stay with Samson and Davidson.”
Jeremy didn’t like the idea of Cyril going on a hunt, but he would have two others with him and they would be in their human forms, which meant no hunters would try to shoot Cyril or Moose.
The worry on his face must have shown. Cyril pulled Jeremy into his arms and whispered into his ear, “I promise I’ll be careful. Nothing’s going to happen to me, sprite.”
Jeremy inhaled deep drafts of Cyril’s spicy aroma and sighed as he rested his head on his mate’s chest. He never realized how much he missed being held by someone until just now. He felt safe in Cyril’s strong arms.
“Moose is gonna wait in your office until I get him some clothes,” Grayson said. “No peeking into the room.”
Jeremy chuckled as he turned to look at the sheriff. “I promise I won’t try to ogle his goodies.” His chest tightened when he saw Moose smiling at him. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’d give you a hug, but I don’t want your beans and wiener pressing into me.”
Cyril gave a low growl.
Grayson narrowed his eyes.
Moose winked and grinned like an idiot. “If I hadn’t found Grayson first…”
“Get your ass into my office,” Cyril snarled. “Keep hitting on my mate and I’ll make Grayson an unhappy man.”
Grayson smiled as Moose slipped into the office. “I’ll be right back.”
“At least now Jeremy can take a break,” Cyril said. “Tell Fred to get off his lazy ass and buss those tables. You can sit in here and keep me company.”
Jeremy tugged on Cyril’s braided beard. “I’ll tell him, but not in those words.”
He was thankful to get off his feet for a while. Jeremy had been working nonstop since the diner had opened and could use the break. He was also looking forward to watching Cyril move around the kitchen, because eyeballing his mate’s body was no hardship.
Cyril slapped Jeremy on his ass and winked at him as Jeremy and Grayson left the kitchen.
Why did his mate have to make him blush? Jeremy smiled as he entered the dining area, but his smile fell short when he noticed a guy with a leather jacket across the street.
It looked like the same leather jacket the guy had been wearing this morning. He grabbed Grayson’s arm and pointed toward the window. “That’s him!”
Grayson took off out the door, Jeremy hot on his trail.
Chapter Eight
“I swear I’m on my way,” Kenny Dunkin said into his phone. “I’m walking right now.”
“The last time you told me you were on your way you hadn’t left the house yet,” Raven McCoy said. “I need these bays cleaned out, and other shit needs to get done around here.”
“I swear I’m on my way.” Kenny picked up his pace. “I should be there in less than ten minutes.”
“You better be.” Raven hung up.
Kenny had no idea what bug had crawled up his boss’s ass, but it hadn’t been his fault that his alarm hadn’t gone off or that he hadn’t been able to find his shoes.
Or that his coffeepot had exploded—not literally—and created a huge mess all over his counter. His morning wasn’t going so well, but Kenny hoped his day improved.
“You, stop!”
Kenny looked to his right and saw a cop and some short, skinny guy racing toward him. He would’ve stood still because, well, one of the men was a cop, but the hatred on their faces made Kenny squeak and take off.
He had no idea why they were chasing him. Kenny had paid off his debt to Brad. Unless Brad had been pissed about Kenny paying him late and had decided to teach him a lesson.
“Go away!” Kenny shouted as he flat-out ran. At least he would make it to work in less than ten minutes. He just didn’t want to get beat to hell in the process.
Worse, he wasn’t a very good runner. Kenny was out of shape, and already his legs were cramping and his lungs were on fire. He had sweat popping out all over his body as he cut the corner and nearly ran into an elderly man who was walking his dog.
“Sorry,” Kenny shouted over his shoulder. Fuck, the two were still after him.
And they were gaining speed while Kenny was losing ground. Could someone in their twenties have a heart attack from running too fast? His chest ached, but he spotted Timely Auto Repair just up ahead.
“Stop or I swear to god I’ll shoot you,” one of the guys shouted.
Kenny was willing to take his chances. If he stopped, the person just might shoot him anyway.
His brother had warned him not to deal with Brad, but Kenny had been desperate to pay his rent. He should’ve listened to Steven. It wasn’t often Steven gave sound advice considering he was…special. But Steven had been right and now Kenny was running for his life, even after he’d paid back his loan.
Brad was a real dickhead. Kenny was gonna give the guy a piece of his mind if he survived this.
Please don’t let them break my legs.
“Raven!” Kenny shouted when he was close enough to the shop. His boss was a big badass, and hopefully he’d stop these goons from kicking Kenny’s ass.
Or worse.
“Raven!” Kenny shouted again as ran into the lot. “Help me!”
Raven came out of the main door just as Kenny was tackled. He hit the ground hard, his face cracking against the asphalt. Pain exploded across his face as his arms were yanked behind his back.
“What the fuck is going on?” Raven demanded. “What did Kenny do, Sheriff Copache?”
Sheriff? Kenny had just thought it was a deputy. Why had the sheriff chased him down? Kenny hadn’t done anything wrong, not that he could think of, but his mind was racing too fast for him to focus.
“He tried to rob the diner this morning and shot my…boyfriend, Moose.”
“I did what!” Kenny tried to turn over, but for an old guy, the sheriff had a firm grip. He also had his knee pressing into Kenny’s back.
“Kenny?” Raven asked. “Are you sure it was Kenny?”
“I didn’t do it,” Kenny shouted as he struggled under the sheriff’s weight. “I was at home this morning until I left for work.”
“Where’d you get this leather jacket?” Sheriff Copache pressed his knee harder into Kenny’s back. “I’m gonna tear you apart for what you did to Moose.”
“I didn’t shoot anyone,” Kenny said as tears gathered in his eyes. This was a complete nightmare, and it seemed the sheriff didn’t want to hear the truth. He wanted someone to pin the crime on, and since Kenny had on a leather jacket…wait. “What about this leather?”
“One just like it was worn this morning,” Sheriff Copache said.
“I even remember that dark patch on the sleeve,” the guy with
the sheriff said.
Kenny looked up in time to see the shrimp pull his leg back, as though he was about to kick him, but Raven yanked the man away.
“This has to be some kind of mistake,” Raven said. “Kenny might be lazy, always late, and scatterbrained, but he’s no criminal.”
“Gee, thanks,” Kenny muttered. If Raven kept talking like that, Kenny wasn’t sure he wanted his boss to defend him.
“You shot my friend,” the shrimp snarled. “I hope Moose eats you.”
“I didn’t shoot anyone,” Kenny argued.
“What time did this happen?” Raven asked.
“A little after five this morning,” the sheriff said.
“I wasn’t even awake at that ungodly hour,” Kenny argued. “You got the wrong guy. This isn’t even my leather. Can’t you tell how big it is on me?”
“Right,” Shrimp said. “That’s what all guilty people say.”
Kenny frowned. “All guilty people say this isn’t their leather?”
Shrimp jabbed a finger at Kenny. “Don’t try and confuse me. You’re guilty, so confess.”
Kenny was hauled to his feet. His face still throbbed, and something wet covered his nose. He had a feeling it was blood. So much for his day improving.
“Fine, I’ll play along,” the sheriff said as he gripped Kenny’s arm even harder. “Whose jacket is it?”
“My roommate’s,” Kenny replied. “I was running late for work and grabbed it off the sofa. He had a gray hoodie inside it, but I tossed that aside.”
Now that he thought about it, why would Brad wear the heavy clothing? It was hot as fuck outside. The only reason Kenny had grabbed it was because it was supposed to rain later that day and since Brad’s leather was so big he figured he could use it as an umbrella.
“Brad?” Raven snarled. “Now that I can believe.” Raven turned to the sheriff. “I’ve told Kenny time and again to find himself another roommate. Brad Kent is bad news. If someone tried to rob the diner, my money is on him.”
Shrimp bounced from foot to foot. “Come on, Grayson. Let’s go arrest this Brad guy.”
“A little bloodthirsty?” Kenny asked.