Prickly Business

by Piper Vaughn

  Avery bit back a sigh and pushed those thoughts aside. Later. Like when he wasn’t on a date with his mate.

  He turned to Dylan when they stepped onto the sidewalk outside of Callahan’s. “Thanks for the food.”

  “Anytime.”

  A breeze kicked up, and Avery trembled despite his heavy sport coat. It had started drizzling again, and in late September the temperatures grew cooler every day. Some nights got down to the low fifties. Given his species, he really should be more bundled up in weather like this. In the wild, European hedgehogs typically hibernated during winter. Allowing his body temperature to fall too far or too fast could be disastrous. But warm and stylish weren’t mutually inclusive, and he got odd looks when he wore a thick jacket this early in the fall. Sometimes he sacrificed comfort and risked his health for fashion. The bane of being a bit of a narcissist, he supposed.

  Dylan shook his head in obvious exasperation when he noticed Avery shivering. He shrugged off his leather coat and draped it over Avery’s shoulders. “At this rate you’ll have all my jackets soon.” He didn’t sound too put out about it. “Let’s find you a cab. I’d give you a ride home, but I only patched my tire. I’m not sure I trust it with the extra weight.”

  Avery playfully cocked an eyebrow. “Are you calling me fat?”

  Dylan snorted. “Don’t be a brat. I’d be surprised if you had an ounce of fat on you.”

  Avery grinned and trailed behind Dylan as he stepped up to the curb. Taxis were rare in Portland, but the few that were around could usually be found near the bars and clubs.

  Dylan lifted his arm. It took a minute or two before a cab approached and stopped. Dylan yanked open the rear door and leaned in to hand the driver some cash. When he straightened, he gave Avery a small smile. “I’m glad I got to see you tonight. I was worried you’d left when I got to the club. Rain check?”

  Avery nodded and turned to get into the cab, but Dylan stilled him with a hand to the back of his neck. He looked up at Dylan, questioning. Before he could speak, Dylan dipped his head and fitted their mouths together. He kissed Avery, slipping his tongue inside when Avery’s lips parted on a gasp. He tasted of hops from the ale and spice from the wings and of Dylan.

  Dylan.

  Avery moaned and chased Dylan’s mouth when he broke the kiss and tried to pull away.

  Dylan grinned and squeezed his nape. “Good night, Avery.”

  Dazed, Avery let himself be nudged into the backseat of the cab. Dylan closed the door behind him and tapped the roof. As the driver merged into traffic, Avery turned to the window to search for his mate.

  Dylan lifted a hand in a brief wave. Avery touched the glass in return. The increasing drizzle distorted his view, but he watched Dylan until the cab turned the corner. Then he closed his eyes and banged his head against the seat.

  He was in a heap of trouble, as his mama would say. Trouble by the name of Dylan Green.

  DYLAN DIDN’T want to believe Avery was keeping something from him. What right did he have to know every single thing about Avery’s life? He certainly didn’t have the right to call Avery a liar or demand that Avery tell him whatever he was holding back.

  Didn’t mean he had to like it. Because he didn’t. Not even a little bit.

  What he liked even less was the feeling in his gut that he was missing something. The feeling had little to do with the secrets Avery kept and more to do with the gaping distance between them. The wall Avery built around whatever he was guarding didn’t help. Dylan didn’t want to think of it as his business, but part of him defended the fact that Avery, as his mate, should trust him with everything, no matter what. That was the part Dylan had to keep in check. No matter how much he thought he needed to know, he and Avery hadn’t had the best of beginnings. Therefore patience was the key. Maybe if he gave Avery reason to trust him. He’d come to realize the more time he spent with his mate, the less he wanted to be away from him. He thought about Avery constantly, to the point of even further distraction. Hopefully with a little patience, Avery would feel the same.

  Yet Dylan still wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about what was going on between him and Avery. He liked being with Avery. Liked touching him. And the kisses… well, the kisses were an added bonus. Not only had those moments sealed their mutual attraction, but they were the beginning of a connection between Dylan and Avery. One that made Dylan want more. Crave more.

  Could it be possible that finding his mate wasn’t a virtual prison sentence? Could he have what his parents so obviously didn’t? Could he have it without resenting the failed bond between them or the fact that he and Avery had wasted so much time ignoring each other’s presence?

  Lost in his thoughts, Dylan jolted at the knock on the doorframe. Lucas peeked through the office door, where Dylan was accomplishing absolutely nothing in terms of actual work, and arched an eyebrow at him but wisely didn’t comment. Instead he said, “We’re going out for lunch. You want anything?”

  Dylan shook his head. “No, but thanks.” It wasn’t often he didn’t spend lunch with the crew—usually only in the case of meeting his mom—but he wasn’t up to it today.

  Lucas eyed him. “Okay. You know how to get me.” He lingered a little bit longer, like he wanted to say something else, but then he waved a good-bye and left. Dylan was thankful for that.

  Because what would he say, really? The hedgehog I’ve been ignoring for two years is now a constant source of frustration and confusion. Also I’m pretty sure he’s hiding something, but I’m too chickenshit to talk to him about it. Yeah, Dylan could picture Lucas’s reaction to that.

  Dylan grunted, and it echoed loudly off the walls in his small office. Never mind that he sounded like a preteen girl on the verge of a breakdown because her crush wouldn’t talk to her.

  Instead of angsting like said preteen, he picked up his phone and swiped his thumb across the screen. Pulling up Avery’s contact information brought a grin to his face. His hedgehog remained annoyingly self-obsessed, narcissistic, and bratty. But there were those quiet moments when it was just them, when Avery was himself—stuttered words, and shy smiles, real and vulnerable. It warmed the deepest parts of Dylan.

  Rather than dwell on the why of that feeling, he tapped the call symbol and listened for the ring.

  “Hello?” Avery’s voice was less hesitant this time—sweeter, more charming.

  “Hey, brat.”

  Avery’s huff at the nickname brought a chuckle from Dylan. He wished he could see Avery’s face, all flustered and a little irritated from his teasing. Before Avery could deny his bratty status, Dylan said, “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

  Dylan was an early riser. It didn’t matter what time he went to sleep (which was usually pretty late), he was always up before the sun. Maybe Avery wasn’t a morning—or afternoon—person. He checked the wall clock—just after twelve.

  “No.” Dylan could hear the glare almost as well as he could picture it twisting Avery’s features. Then he heard Avery’s heavy yawn just as clearly as if he were in the same room. “Just tired.”

  “Not getting enough sleep?” Dylan couldn’t keep the smile out of his voice.

  “Hmm…. Maybe I would if….” His soft, dreamy voice drifted off. He sounded unsure.

  “If?”

  “If you hadn’t kept me up past my bedtime.”

  It didn’t sound quite right, but Dylan wouldn’t push. Although he wanted to be the reason Avery was up past his bedtime, but with a far different—sweatier—outcome.

  “Me? Keep you up? Need I remind you that the club was your idea?” It came out raspier than Dylan intended, but if Avery heard the difference, he didn’t acknowledge it.

  The melody of Avery’s laugh pooled deep inside Dylan, comforting and sweet. Dylan liked it.

  “Yes.” Avery laughed. “You kept me up. Are you not the guilty party who showed up late?”

  “Touché.” Dylan smiled into the phone. “Maybe I should make it up to you.”

  “
Make it up to me?”

  “Yeah, I was thinking we could hang out tonight—order in or I could cook for you. We can veg in front of the TV, maybe watch a movie?”

  It was a long shot, but the only way for him to figure out what his mate was hiding from him was to gain Avery’s trust, and the only way to do that was to spend time with him. With the added benefit of being alone. And with his mate. It wasn’t a hardship. In fact Dylan was coming to realize he’d rather spend time with Avery than just about anyone.

  At first, Dylan had been afraid the pull of the mating bond was the only thing between them—that they had nothing more than their animal attraction—but the more time he spent with Avery, the easier it was to let go and at least think about what giving into the bond would be like. He wasn’t an idiot. It scared the hell out of him, and he wasn’t one to admit his fear. But this thing with Avery, the real emotions he faced… they were alarming, to say the least.

  “Well….” Avery hesitated and Dylan thought he heard a voice in the background. A male voice. Then Avery’s muffled reply came. Dylan was obviously not meant to be part of that conversation.

  Dylan’s first instinct was to demand to know where Avery was, to rush over, and to kick anybody’s ass who was within looking distance of Avery. But he wasn’t jealous. He couldn’t be. Still, when the growl built in his chest, he was unable to hold back. The idea of Avery with another man sent his wolf into a tailspin. He was ready to challenge anyone who stepped near his mate. And didn’t that contradict everything warring within him five minutes ago? Though he knew if he didn’t have Avery’s trust, if he didn’t trust Avery, they wouldn’t have anything. They couldn’t. Dylan had seen it happen with his parents. He didn’t like the feeling.

  “Are you growling?” Avery asked, a hint of humor in his voice.

  Yes. “No,” Dylan snapped.

  “You are.” Avery was persistent. “You’re growling.” He laughed.

  “Whatever, brat,” he said just to even the score. It was cute, Avery’s teasing. “What about it? You, me, dinner, and a movie?”

  “Oh, you make it sound so romantic,” Avery deadpanned.

  Christ. What did the man want from him?

  Then, completely avoiding the invitation. Again. Avery said, “There’s no reason to be jealous.”

  “I’m not jealous,” he grumbled.

  “Sure you’re not.” He paused, then softer, he continued. “It’s only Jaden. We’re downtown looking for something for his mom’s birthday.”

  Oh. “I’m not jealous,” Dylan repeated, with far less power.

  “It’s okay, you know.” He sounded so sincere. “I’m not… I wouldn’t do that. It’s only Jaden.”

  Just like that, Dylan felt like the biggest ass on the West Coast. Avery had done nothing to garner distrust. Not even keeping a possible secret merited the guilt he was heaping on Avery, and Dylan knew it. Anyway, he and Avery hadn’t made a commitment to each other—monogamous or otherwise. Not like Dylan had asked him to. Or wanted him to.

  Liar.

  It was that last thought—the want to—that knocked the wind out of him. Because Dylan did want it. He didn’t know when or how it happened, but suddenly the thought of being without Avery or, worse, seeing him with someone else left him breathless.

  “I get it,” Dylan soothed. He sensed that Avery needed a little comfort on his end. “I didn’t mean anything by it. It just….” He sighed. “Sorry.”

  When Avery spoke again, Dylan heard his hesitant smile. He could practically see it. “Okay, then.” Avery cleared his throat. “I… I have plans tonight. With Jaden. We’re going out. Maybe we can get together another time?”

  Something about it didn’t quite sit right with Dylan, but just like the alleyway outside the club, Dylan didn’t ask. How could he without sounding like a ridiculously possessive, intrusive asshole?

  “Yeah, sure” was all he said. He was pretty sure his words fell flat. “Next time.”

  “So, yeah,” Avery said. “Then next time.” He sounded sad and a little bit distracted, but once again Dylan let it go.

  “Next time,” Dylan repeated. “See ya.”

  “Okay. Bye.” Then Avery hung up, the silence on the other end of the phone opening a chasm between them.

  Chapter Eleven

  INTREPID SAT somewhere between the trashiness of Howl and the refinement of Avery’s favorite club, Tallgrass. It was massive—three different floors, a patio, outdoor balconies, and even a rooftop lounge area. On any given night, the DJs played a variety of music from Latin to disco to the most current dubstep and techno tracks.

  Avery loved the rooftop lounge and the main level, which was where the hip-hop and dance music usually played. Tonight he forced himself to scope out every floor, though he wasn’t entirely sure what he was searching for. Maybe he hoped to spot Frat Boy again, but the club was so large Frat Boy could be there and Avery might still miss him.

  If he could get just one solid lead today, he’d feel like he’d accomplished something. He wanted to have news for Mr. Otis when they saw each other on Monday. So far he had almost nothing.

  Earlier in the day, he’d gone to the mall with Jaden. While Jaden searched for his mother’s birthday gift, Avery snuck off to the jewelry/accessory store where Mr. Otis told him Lacey had worked. He’d wandered through the color-organized shelves of handbags, shoes, scarves, socks, and other trinkets, and eventually cornered a few of the associates to ask them about Lacey. They’d all admitted to knowing and being sad about her disappearance, but no one had any valuable information to share, save for the girl who’d told him Lacey had been seeing some guy named Troy before she vanished.

  He’d wondered if Troy might be Frat Boy and asked the girl for a description. Unfortunately she’d never seen him. It seemed reasonable Troy and Frat Boy could be the same person, but who was to say Lacey hadn’t been dating multiple people? A hookup did not a relationship make, as Avery damn well knew. Still, it was his only lead of any kind, so he’d searched Lacey’s phone and tried to call the number listed for “Troy.” The only answer was a message about it no longer being in service.

  Avery’s only option left was to find Frat Boy.

  He felt a little guilty about lying to both Jaden and Dylan earlier. He’d told Dylan he would be out with Jaden, and Jaden he’d be staying home. For some reason, he didn’t want either of them knowing about his unofficial investigation. At least not yet. Though it occurred to him now that maybe telling Jaden would’ve been a good idea. They could’ve spread out and canvassed the club separately. If only Avery had thought to take a creeper shot of Frat Boy at Howl last night, that plan might’ve actually worked. Private dicks took sneaky pictures. He needed to remember that. No use trying to recruit someone to help him search if he couldn’t offer anything more than a vague verbal description of Frat Boy.

  After walking the entirety of Intrepid, Avery started seeking out familiar faces and asking about Lacey. Most people were dismissive, too caught up in drinking and partying to be concerned with some missing girl. No one claimed to know Lacey or even recognize her.

  Frustrated, Avery went up to the bar on the second level and ordered himself an amaretto sour. While he waited, a guy slipped into the space between Avery and the stool next to him.

  “Hey,” he said.

  Avery didn’t bother looking. “Not interested.”

  A hand touched his arm, and Avery turned, glancing down at the offending hand and back to the guy’s face with his snottiest “how dare you?” expression.

  Earnest blue eyes stared down into his. “That girl you’re asking about. I know her.”

  Avery put on his most winning smile and dialed his Southern accent up a few notches. “Let me buy you a drink, darlin’. What’re you havin’?”

  “Um.” The guy shifted, his expression nonplussed. “Uh, I’ll take a gin and tonic.”

  Avery waved the bartender over and placed the order. Once the guy had finished that one and was halfwa
y into another, Avery leaned close. “So, what was that you were sayin’, honey? About Lacey?”

  The guy knocked back the rest of his drink, and Avery used his distraction to snap a quick, flash-free picture on his phone. It came out kind of grainy, but it would have to suffice. He couldn’t risk spooking the guy by asking him to pose.

  When the guy set his glass down, Avery motioned for the bartender to keep them coming.

  “I, uh… I know her. Knew her.”

  Avery fought to keep his charming grin in place, but the past tense made his skin prickle with alarm. “Knew her?”

  “Well, yeah. You know, before she disappeared.”

  “Ah.” The bartender set down another glass, and Avery nudged it toward the guy. The drinks here weren’t cheap, but Avery couldn’t allow his only lead of the night to escape before he asked some questions. He’d worry about replacing the money in his bank account later. “Did you know her boyfriend Troy?”

  The guy blanched, his already pale skin going ghostly. “Uh… yeah, I’ve met Troy.”

  “Beefy guy with a fake-bake tan, no fashion sense, looks like a bit of a douche bag? Light eyes and darkish hair?” Avery wasn’t sure of the exact color, but from what he’d seen around the edges of Frat Boy’s hat, it’d appeared to be some kind of brown. Maybe a deep, dishwater blond.

  The guy nodded jerkily.

  Bingo.

  “There’ve been a few girls who disappeared recently.” The guy’s voice held a tremor, and his eyes shifted nervously. “I remember Lacey because I had a crush on her. I wanted to ask her out, but then Troy….”

  “Troy what?” Avery revved up his cute Southern-boy act and rested a hand on the guy’s arm, skimming his fingers along the skin, letting the touch linger. “You can tell me, darlin’. I promise it won’t go any farther than you and me.”

  Goose bumps rose beneath Avery’s fingertips. The guy flushed, but he didn’t pull away, revealing more about himself than he probably realized. Most straight men wouldn’t permit this kind of contact, let alone allow it to continue. Not completely straight, then. Maybe bi, since he’d admitted to crushing on Lacey.