by Lynn Hagen
His father was old school. He didn’t buy anything not American made, grew up on a farm—had one himself when he married Baker’s mom—and believed in liberty and freedom. He was an all-American kind of guy. He was a good guy, fair, kind, and always helped others. Baker never remembered him speaking a harsh word about anyone when he was growing up. The distance between them now was killing him.
Second, he didn’t want to be stuck in this cell. He wanted out. Baker didn’t belong in here any more than Miss Fortuna did for spying on him. Curling his fingers around the bar, Baker glanced down the hallway to make sure he didn’t see anyone. “I need to talk to you. It’s very important.”
His father moved closer, his dark-blue eyes filled with concern. “What is it?”
Shaking his head, Baker prayed his dad listened to him. “Not here.” Baker backed away when the man from the parking lot came down the hallway, heading right for them.
“Son, this is Detective Bianchi.”
Baker had been correct in his guess that the guy was Italian. He looked like he was mixed with something else, but Baker didn’t want to stare too hard to figure out what. He was already behind bars. He didn’t want to remain there for offending the cop. One loony-ass cop after him was enough.
“How did you get in here?” Detective Bianchi asked, his accent thick. “You aren’t on the books.”
Baker was afraid to tell how he had ended up in the cell. Didn’t all cops stick together? What if every policeman in the station was dirty? Baker just didn’t know anymore. He had grown up with the belief that cops were there to help people. Johnson had proved that theory wrong. Now he was hesitant, afraid of the man who stood in front of him. His eyes flickered over to his father for strength before he whispered, “Officer Johnson put me down here.”
Baker really wished Reno was here right now. He felt too damn vulnerable and needed the comfort of his mate. With the way his father had been acting, he wasn’t even sure his dad would help.
“Did he say why he arrested you?” Bianchi asked.
Scratching at his neck, Baker nodded. “He came to my apartment to arrest me for an unpaid ticket.”
Bianchi, who had been standing there with an inscrutable expression, widened his eyes, but didn’t say a word. His father had the same incredulous stare.
Baker’s eyes flickered to Detective Bianchi’s hand when he heard keys jingling. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’ll need you to wait in the interview room until I figure this out.”
That was better than waiting down here. Bianchi shoved the key into the cell door and opened it. Baker had never relished his freedom as much as he did now. He stepped out of the cell quickly, praying he never felt the claustrophobic feeling of being locked up again.
“Follow me.” Detective Bianchi led them down the hallway. Baker peeked into the cell where a man was lying down, his beefy arm over his eyes. That had to be the guy who had been talking to him. Baker wanted to ask what he had done, but kept his lips sealed. It was none of his business.
The detective showed them to a room that had a table and a few chairs. Interview room, my ass. Baker had seen enough cop shows to know that the large glass on the wall was a two-sided mirror. This was an interrogation room. He wanted to turn and run as far as he could from this place, but obediently took a seat at the table. His father took the chair next to him.
“It shouldn’t take long to clear this up.” The detective closed the door behind him, and Baker knew that they were locked in. He glanced around, wondering if someone was behind the mirror. As his eyes swept the room, he noticed a camera mounted in one of the upper corners of the wall. He wouldn’t be surprised if there was a listening device in there as well.
Baker imagined a slew of cops behind the mirror that was fixed on the unfriendly grey wall, waiting for him to confess to a murder or something. Taking a chance, Baker leaned up and cupped his hand to his dad’s ear. Thankfully, his father didn’t pull back. As a matter of fact, he leaned in closer.
“There’s—” Baker wasn’t sure how to say what he had to say without sounding like a crazy person. Before meeting Kenway, if anyone had told him that shifters existed, he would have laughed in their face and thought they needed a heavy dose of therapy or drugs. “There’s more than humans in Brac Village.” He knew he was betraying Reno’s trust, but Baker had to let his dad know what was going on.
His dad did pull back then, shaking his head. Baker felt the hope that his dad would be in his corner slip away. “Do you know what you are saying?”
He knew, and even to his ears it sounded outlandish. “It’s true.”
His father began to rub his forehead. His expression seemed conflicted. “I want to believe you. I do, but what you’re telling me…” Glancing at Baker, he could see the struggle of what to do in his dad’s eyes.
“I’m not crazy,” he whispered.
“Not here.”
Baker wasn’t sure what that meant. Did his father believe him? When the man glanced around the room, and then up at the camera, hope flared once again. Maybe his father was really in his corner. Their relationship was rocky, but he prayed the man didn’t dismiss him as crazy.
“Do you believe me?”
Before his father could answer, the door to the interrogation room opened. Baker was amazed to see the mayor walk in. He was tall, intimidating, and looked pissed as hell. There were a few men with him who followed the mayor into the room. Baker wasn’t sure why the guy was here. It was a freaking unpaid ticket. What the hell was going on, and why did his ticket bring the mayor here?
Baker soon forgot about all his questions when Reno stepped into the room. He immediately jumped from his chair and launched himself at his coyote. Baker had never been happier to see anyone in his life. Reno wrapped his arms around him, and Baker felt as if the world was no longer a bad place. He felt safe and thankful.
“You’re free to go, Baker,” Maverick said. “Try to remember to pay your tickets.”
Baker pulled back slightly to blink up at Maverick. “I was really here for a ticket?”
“I’ll explain it to you,” Reno said as he began to pull Baker from the room.
“I want you at my house, Baker. We need to finish this conversation,” his dad said as he made his way to the door. “We’re not done talking.”
“I’ll be there,” he promised. His dad was willing to listen. It was more than Baker had from him in a very long time. He would ask Reno’s forgiveness and then explain to his father what he knew. It wasn’t much, but Baker felt his father should be armed with the information. It seemed danger was in Brac Village. If his father knew what to steer clear from, it just might keep him safe.
“You told him?”
Baker swallowed hard at Maverick’s question and then gave a small nod. Reno had told him that Maverick was a wolf. Looking into those light-grey eyes and seeing the menace on the man’s face, Baker believed him.
Maverick turned to Baker’s father. “Looks like you and I will be having a talk.”
His father looked confused as he walked out.
“Thanks,” Reno said to Maverick as he pulled Baker from the room.
“What is going on?” Baker asked. “I know that cop is off his freaking rocker, but I have a feeling I’m missing something here.”
“I’ll explain everything once we get to your dad’s. I don’t want to have to repeat myself.”
Baker trusted that Reno would fill him in on what was going on around this place. He saw Detective Bianchi watching him as he exited the station and wondered if he was a shifter as well.
As they approached Reno’s motorcycle, Baker pulled at his hand until his mate stopped. “Just tell me one thing, Reno. Will Johnson be bothering us again?” Because the thought scared Baker. Having someone come after him was frightening enough. Toss in the fact that he was a cop and it was downright terrifying.
Reno tugged on Baker’s hand to get him moving once more. “We don’t have to worry about him any l
onger. The Ultionem has taken care of that little problem.”
“The what?” Somehow Baker had a feeling he really didn’t want to know.
Chapter Twelve
Reno didn’t want to let Baker out of his sight. When Maverick had gotten the call from the station, Reno’s knees nearly buckled with relief. Some detective was telling Maverick about a human being held without being processed and for a parking ticket. The alpha quickly put two and two together.
After that, the Ultionem had taken Johnson away. Reno wasn’t sure what they were going to do with the guy, especially after they found out the cop was working for someone named Kenyon. Reno had a pretty damn good idea what Johnson’s fate was, but he hadn’t stopped to ask.
He wasn’t suicidal enough to question the new governing body of their species. They were the seven deadliest men Reno had ever seen in his life. He knew the rules were still being put on paper, and Reno didn’t want to be the first person they were applied to. Whatever those rules were.
Baker gripped his waist tighter, and Reno welcomed the feel of his mate holding him. For a moment he had feared never seeing the man again. The time Reno had spent unknowing of where Baker was and what was happening to him had been heart stopping. He never wanted to know what that felt like again.
His mate’s fingers gripped him tighter when they pulled into his dad’s driveway. There was a car already parked there, telling Reno the man had made it home. Reno wasn’t sure if he was looking forward to this meeting. The last time he met Baker’s father…well. It hadn’t gone well. He had murdered his first impression and was hoping to make a better second.
Parking his motorcycle next to the car, Reno could feel the tension coming from his mate. Baker really hadn’t talked about his father, but Reno had a feeling their relationship was strained. If Reno hadn’t seen their interaction by the gazebo, Baker’s hunched posture and slumping shoulders gave away the shaky foundation.
Reno looped his arm over Baker’s shoulder, giving him a light kiss on the temple. “It’ll be fine.”
Baker shuffled his feet, looking down toward the ground. “Ever since my mom died, my dad hasn’t been the same. We no longer do things together and I never see him laugh anymore. He’s become harder to deal with, always on me about doing so much better in life and not wasting it.” Baker shoved his hands into his pockets. “Lately all we do is argue.”
“Still sounds like he cares,” Reno said. “He came down to the jail as soon as he found out you’d been arrested. He asked you to come by to talk. My guess”—Reno pulled him closer—“is that he is just lost without your mom. Guys usually aren’t that good at expressing themselves, but if you think about it, I’m pretty sure you can tell me the different ways that he does show he cares.”
“I guess,” Baker finally replied. “We better get this over with.”
Reno chuckled, keeping his arm around Baker as they walked to the door. “Stop sounding like you’re going to stand in front of a firing squad.”
Baker let them in, meeting his dad in the living room. Reno felt like he was under the microscope as Baker’s father scrutinized him. “You’re the one who was having his way with my son out in public.”
The guy didn’t mince words. He shot from the hip and got straight to what was on his mind. What could Reno say? It was true. And he wasn’t about to apologize for having fun with Baker. He would never apologize for loving his mate.
Baker’s father took a seat in what looked to be a well-loved recliner. The green was faded with patches so thin that Reno could see the cushion underneath. There was a large blanket thrown over most of the chair. He grinned. The guy loved his chair.
Baker took a seat on the couch, Reno sitting next to him.
“Now tell me what’s going on,” his father said. “What do you mean there are more than humans in Brac Village?”
Reno snapped his head around to Baker. His mate dipped his head, giving his shoulders a shrug. Reno couldn’t find it in himself to become angry at his mate for telling their secret. In a way, he understood the guy’s need to protect his father.
He just wished Baker had given him some warning. Now he understood what Maverick was saying in the interrogation room. “What he is telling you is true,” Reno answered. “There is more here than meets the eye.”
The man looked skeptical. “Are you trying to tell me aliens live among us?” The tone was condescending, making Reno bristle.
“No,” he said. “I’m trying to tell you that shape shifters live here.” To demonstrate what he was saying, Reno held his hand out, palm up, and allowed his nails to elongate into claws. “I’m a coyote shifter and your son is my mate.”
Mr. Cross stared at Reno’s hand for a very long moment, his expression inscrutable. Retracting his nails, Reno settled his hand in his lap. “Your son was arrested because there was a dirty cop after me. He thought taking Baker would send me over the edge, making it easier for him to kidnap me.”
“But why would he want to kidnap you?” Mr. Cross asked. His eyes never left Reno’s hand, his voice somewhat unsettled.
“There is a corporation where the CEO is also a head Vampire Hunter.”
“Oh, jeez,” Mr. Cross said as he wiped a hand over his mouth. “Now you’re telling me vampires exist.”
“They do,” Reno continued. “Kenyon didn’t know shifters existed until the dirty cop clued him in. This is why Maverick—”
“I knew it!” Mr. Cross said, jabbing a finger in Reno’s direction. “I always knew there was something off about that man. He looks the same now as when I was a little boy. I know some people age gracefully, but he takes that to a whole other level.”
Reno hid his smile. He wasn’t sure how Maverick got away with being the mayor in a small town without aging. People weren’t blind. Some had to suspect something was going on. Mr. Cross just proved that.
“What I was saying,” he said, “is that Maverick is building up the town to make it look normal so Kenyon won’t become too suspicious. It would have worked had Officer Johnson not revealed our secret.”
“I’m not a criminal, Dad,” Baker said. “It was one unpaid ticket.”
“That you should have paid,” his father said. “But I see what happened. What are they going to do about the crooked cop?”
That Reno was not going to talk about. “He’s been fired.” It was close to the truth. Johnson wouldn’t be working at the station any longer.
Mr. Cross wasn’t buying it. “Yeah, and I’m wearing a skirt. I see how deadly Maverick appears when he thinks no one is paying attention to him. My guess is that Johnson is no longer breathing.”
“I would keep that assumption to myself,” Reno advised.
“I may be a lot of things, but stupid was never one of them.” Mr. Cross glanced over at Baker, a wistful expression in his eyes. “So, you two are mates?”
“We are,” Baker stated proudly, his face firm. “It’s like a marriage, only there is no divorce among shifters.”
Mr. Cross looked as if he was mulling over what Baker was saying. Reno slid his arm around the small of Baker’s back, giving his mate support just in case his father rejected the idea of them being together. He didn’t know the man and had no clue how he was going to react.
“You could have invited me,” his father stated in a tone that said he was hurt that he wasn’t included. “I would have come.”
Reno was shocked when Baker burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that he fell into Reno, clutching at his side as he wiped at his face. “Trust me. It wasn’t for the public.” He laughed some more. “It was very…intimate.”
Mr. Cross’s face flushed with understanding. His gaze lowered as he picked at some invisible lint on his pants. “Your mother would have been thrilled at the news.”
Baker sobered, his laughter dying down, but he hadn’t pulled away from Reno. His hand curled into Reno’s shirt instead. “And you?”
His father looked flustered as he waved a hand toward Baker. “I
know I’m hard to deal with lately. I may get on your ass about making something of yourself, but truth is, I’m proud of you, son. You’ve done a heap load better than most boys your age.” The man looked like it had pained him to admit that. Reno wasn’t going to fault Mr. Cross. The guy was trying. As he had explained to Baker outside the house, most men weren’t good at expressing their feelings. He was shocked the man had said that much.
Mr. Cross slapped the palms of his hands on his thighs and then stood. “Well, I best be getting back to work. Have some projects I’m working on.”
The guy was embarrassed. Reno could tell. “And we need to get going. Baker needs to pack so he can move in to my place.” Reno stood and extended his hand. “Be nice if you could come over on Sundays for dinner. Nothing fancy, watch some sports while we chow down.”
“I’ll think about that,” Mr. Cross said, but Reno could see the flicker of interest in the man’s eyes. “Name’s Richard.”
Reno had broken the ice and had made a better second impression. “Reno Davis, fireman down at the firehouse.”
Now Mr. Cross looked impressed. He turned toward Baker, clapping his son on his shoulder. “Did good for yourself.”
“I think so,” Baker said as he grabbed Reno’s hand and led them from the house. “See you Sunday, Dad.”
* * * *
Baker grabbed the last box from Kenway’s truck and took it inside, glad the move was over with. His damn back was hurting. He hadn’t realized how much stuff he had in that one-bedroom apartment until he had to pack it all up.
Thankfully he had help.
“Reno promised us food,” Paine, one of Kenway’s roommates, said as he met Baker at the door and took the box. “I don’t smell anything cooking.”
“We just got finished,” Spencer, another of Kenway’s roommates, stated. “Stop being so dang greedy.”
“I’m not greedy,” Paine countered. “I just want what was promised to me.”