Animal Attraction

by Patricia Rosemoor

  Peterson glared at him. “What an aldermanic argument would have to do with Booker’s murder is puzzling, when you have proof that a gang member did it.”

  “We want to be thorough,” Isabeau said. “No witness, remember. We thought Booker might have given you some kind of clue as to why he needed to die. Did someone have something against him? One of the gangs, perhaps?”

  Ethan started and noted a smirk suddenly replaced Peterson’s glare. “Sorry, I can’t speak to that.”

  Of course he wouldn’t. If the man was guilty of murder—and Ethan was pretty sure he might be—Ethan would take pleasure in ripping the smirk from Peterson’s face.

  “Well, then, we’re done here.”

  Ethan put his casebook and pen away and got to his feet. Isabeau followed suit.

  They started to leave until Peterson said, “You know a gang member did this. I suggest you concentrate your efforts on the Insane Brotherhood.”

  Ethan turned back to him, eyes glued to the alderman’s face as he said, “As a matter of fact, we spoke with Tyrone Moody today.”

  The smirk disappeared. “Moody? What did he have to say?”

  “Something I can’t share. Sorry. I have to keep the investigation sacrosanct. You understand.”

  Peterson’s expression darkened again, and he appeared ready to pop, but somehow, he kept himself in control.

  For now.

  Ethan would find a way to make Peterson lose it and say something he could use against the man.

  If he actually was guilty, of course.

  *

  Nuala was beginning to hate the sound of the buzzer demanding she find out who was at the front door. No doubt Detective Ethan Grainger was back to further irritate her. And intrigue her, if she was going to be truthful. She left the office where she’d been on the computer taking inventory of what Maeve would need. Ordering online seemed her only option. Though she’d slept for ten hours—and if she’d dreamed of Ethan, she thankfully didn’t remember—she had little energy after yesterday’s busy day and night. And now Maeve was kicking up a storm to boot.

  The intercom buzzed.

  Irritated at Ethan’s impatience, she jerked open the door only to be surprised that it wasn’t him, after all. Standing there in the vestibule was Elizabeth Reyes, Luc’s mom, the woman Pop claimed was his soul mate. A young-looking sixtyish, she had masses of dark hair pulled up by a fancy clip. Elizabeth always wore something with an exotic flare. Today it was the big cat and jungle scarf draped over her shoulders with colors that accentuated her lightly bronzed skin and pale gray eyes so like Luc’s.

  “Elizabeth! How nice to see you.” Nuala’s eyes widened when she realized the woman was surrounded by packages and bags. “What’s all this?”

  “Luc said you weren’t exactly prepared for the baby’s arrival. I just bought a few things I figured you would need.”

  Nuala kept her smile for Elizabeth. Part of her hated that her brother had felt it necessary to get her help. And that she actually needed help. Nuala had always been emotionally the strongest of her siblings, had always sorted out problems in the family, especially between her brothers. Now they both felt like they needed to protect her. A hard truth to swallow.

  “This is so nice of you, Elizabeth. Of course I’ll pay you for—”

  “Not a thing. I will be related to your daughter, after all. I’ll be her step great-aunt.” She squinched her eyes in thought for a moment. “I think that’s correct.”

  “Come in.” And when Elizabeth started gathering packages, Nuala said, “Let me take some of those bags.”

  “Oh, good heavens, you’re about ready to pop, and I’m perfectly capable of handling this. Go inside and sit.”

  Nuala choked back saying anything and did as Luc’s mom suggested. She always had liked Elizabeth, but they’d never had a close relationship. Mother had a fit any time her name was brought up, so Nuala had thought it prudent to keep things casual between them. As Elizabeth placed bags and boxes around her, Nuala regretted that decision.

  “This is all so thoughtful of you.”

  “My pleasure. When there’s time, Skye and Luc will take you shopping for a real crib, a high chair, and a car seat. And anything else you still need. I figure there’s enough here for the first month or so.” Elizabeth started ripping open the biggest box. “This is what you can use in the meantime. It’s a portable crib that can turn into a play pen.”

  “I was just about to buy one of those online.”

  “Well, now you don’t have to.” Elizabeth smiled. “Go ahead and open something.”

  Nuala picked the closest bag that held a mobile with several dangling stuffed big cats including a black panther. It reminded her of the charm bracelet Shade had given her—she hadn’t figured out where she’d put it and would have to look for it later. Swinging the mobile, she said, “Perfect.” She began to relax.

  Elizabeth was pulling a frog out of a box. “Humidifier for the baby’s room.” Then she opened another box holding an owl. “A nightlight and sound machine. That will help the baby sleep.”

  And all the packages hadn’t been opened yet. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You just did, honey. And you don’t have to. You’re Luc’s sister, so you’re family. If I can be of any help…”

  A human great mother definitely could be of help. Help Nuala actually did need. She insisted on making coffee after which they sat at the kitchen table and chatted for a while. Finally, she was able to ask all those worrisome questions about taking care of a baby that had been whirling around in her thoughts. Elizabeth made suggestions about breast feeding and personal baby care until the anxiety Nuala had felt building all week subsided.

  Elizabeth reached out and covered Nuala’s hand with her own. “Anything you need, all you have to do is ask.”

  Nuala nodded. “You were a social worker. Do you know anything about hiring nannies? I will take off the next few weeks, but when I return to work, I’ll need to hire someone.”

  “So you want a nanny. A human nanny?”

  Again, the surprise. “I’m living in the human world now.”

  Elizabeth sat back and thought about it for a moment as if considering her words. “That can present surprising problems as I can tell you from my experience with Luc. From the beginning, the Kindred in him came out when I least wanted it to. It was a little disconcerting for me until I got used to handling the unexpected.”

  “Oh. That doesn’t sound good.”

  “Cezar won’t insist on you working, will he?”

  “Of course not. But I want to work part-time. How else will I get to see him or Nik? Or Mother,” she added for good measure. Not that her mother would care one way or the other.

  “You need someone who is… enlightened. Someone who knows about the Kindred and will be okay with surprises.”

  “You mean a human who lost her soul?” Nuala didn’t think she would be comfortable with that.

  “I mean me.”

  “You?”

  “I did raise a child who was both human and Kindred, so I have the kind of experience you need. I’m retired, which means I have the time. And I would love to take care of Maeve part-time. Not that I’m trying to replace your mother,” Elizabeth quickly added as Maeve made herself known again.

  Nuala put a hand on her baby bump. “I think Maeve is telling me to say yes. And don’t worry about my mother’s feelings. She has no more interest in this baby than she did in me and Nik.” An awful truth she might never have admitted if her mother hadn’t referred to Maeve as an it. “Before she would take care of Maeve, she would assign one of her girls from the bordello.”

  If she’d expected Elizabeth to appear shocked, she would be disappointed. Nuala supposed Pop had told her all about the woman who had given birth to two children and then put them out of mind.

  “Well, I’m interested. Just think about it.” Elizabeth rose. “You have some time to decide what you want to do.”

&n
bsp; “I will think about it. I just don’t want to take advantage.”

  “It would be my pleasure, Nuala.”

  When Elizabeth put arms around her for a great hug, Nuala felt tears threaten her. She didn’t really have to think about it. Elizabeth would be perfect. She kept an arm around Nuala as they made their way to the front door.

  “You should just take it easy the rest of the day. Luc said he would stop by later to set everything up as you want it.”

  “I can always count on Luc.”

  “And you can count on me.”

  Nuala let Elizabeth out, closed the door, and leaned her back into it. For the first time in weeks, she felt like her old self. Fearless.

  She didn’t have to do this alone anymore.

  *

  Ethan went alone to meet Diablo, this time to a side street off Logan Square, but the raised hairs on the back of his neck kept him looking around for trouble. From the time he’d left the Area North parking lot, he’d seen a dark sedan wheel in and out of traffic behind him. Was someone actually following him? He kept checking his rearview mirror. Now two cars back, the sedan was still keeping pace with him along Logan Boulevard that ran between green space on either side. Beyond the green were parallel local streets lined with stately greystones and large bungalow-style homes—a mostly gentrified neighborhood kissing butt with Humboldt Lords territory. Another check in the mirror just before reaching the crossroads revealed the sedan suddenly turning off north, and Ethan let the breath he’d been holding whoosh out of him.

  His imagination was working overtime.

  Feeling better, he parked across from Logan Square Park at the end of the boulevard, and when traffic let up for a moment, hotfooted it across the street. Diablo occupied a bench facing the monument at its center—a seventy foot pink-marble column topped by an eagle.

  Ethan was twenty yards from his snitch when a sensation crawling along his spine made him stop. He had the distinct feeling of eyes on him. A quick three-sixty didn’t present any danger, so what the hell had set him off now?

  He started walking backward toward Diablo, his gaze continuing its fruitless search of the area, but that damn Spidey sense was still riding him, had been since leaving the ward office. If Peterson was Kindred, Ethan would undoubtedly be in trouble. But the alderman was all human and had no supernatural powers. He potentially did have a wolf hybrid, but Ethan had a Glock that beat a sharp set of canines any day.

  “Hey, Grainger, que pasa?”

  He held a hand out to stop Diablo from talking and kept scanning his surroundings. But when he rammed into the bench back, he finally gave it up. One last glance over his shoulder and he slid along the seat, stopping a yard from the snitch.

  Diablo seemed jittery. “You making my skin crawl, man. What you got going?”

  “An itch I can’t scratch.”

  “Sounds personal.”

  “May be.”

  Ethan pulled out an envelope from his jacket pocket and slid it across the bench seat. Diablo flicked his fingers over it and made the envelope disappear.

  “There’s more where that came from.”

  “I ain’t messing with Moody or his Brotherhood no more. I told you they be using voodoo. I don’t need no curse on me.”

  Ethan wondered how effective those voodoo artifacts he’d seen in the greystone were. He hadn’t believed in anything supernatural until three months ago when the Kindred had entered his life and his world had imploded. Diablo might have a point.

  “It’s not the Brotherhood I want you to schmooze.”

  “Then who?”

  “The Humboldt Lords. See what any of them have to say about the alderman. Moody swears Peterson is responsible for the Brotherhood and Lords being at war. I need to get to the bottom of that.”

  Diablo started mumbling to himself, using every curse word he could think of.

  Ethan let him run himself out before saying, “But the Lords are your boys, right?” Diablo might be a fringe gangbanger, but he had to have a few relationships that would serve him. “I really need you to get this intel.”

  “You asking for a lot, man.” Diablo wasn’t sounding like he was willing to come through for him this time.

  “Get me what I’m looking for and I’ll double what I usually pay.”

  “Money don’t do me no good if I be dead!”

  Diablo exaggerating as usual. “Do it but be careful.” His snitch knew his way around the gangs. And no one but his partner could connect Diablo to him.

  Not unless they heard it from Diablo himself.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Luc moved the few pieces of furniture out of Shade’s former office so they could set up a proper bedroom for Maeve. Rather he did the work while Nuala decided where she wanted everything. Now she stood in the middle of the room, thinking of what would be perfect baby decorations on the pale gray walls. The room was starting to feel like it had always been meant for a child’s room.

  She grinned at her brother, saying, “It’s looking great, thanks to you. You’re going to be the best uncle in the world.”

  “That’s the plan. But don’t count out Nik.”

  She’d been waiting for Luc to bring up their brother. “You’ve spoken to him?”

  “Afraid not. Pop said Nik wanted a few days off, but no one has a clue as to where Nik went off to.”

  Which worried Nuala when she already had enough to worry about. The baby had been moving again, relieving the pressure under her rib cage. Her baby bump had dropped a few inches. Maeve would probably arrive in the next day or two. At least now Nuala was somewhat prepared for her physically. Emotionally was a whole other thing. A sharp pain caught her unawares but was gone before she knew it.

  She put her mind on Nik. “What about your security team? Did they get anything on Haider?”

  “Only that he hasn’t been shy in expressing his unhappiness about the way Pop runs things. And that he doesn’t feel his experience is appreciated. That we already knew. Look, Nik has always been able to take care of himself. I’m going to believe he still can. He may be laying low because he’s trying to solve the problem, whatever it is, and he doesn’t want you involved.”

  “That isn’t up to him to decide!”

  “Take it easy. He’s looking out for you like a big brother should. Let him.”

  Nuala nodded for Luc’s sake, even while she knew she couldn’t just sit back and let Nik face whatever it was without trying to help. Truthfully, she had no idea of what she could do alone, which is why her thoughts zapped to Ethan, who’d promised—

  “Are we good?” Luc asked, pulling her back to the here and now. “Everything set the way you want it in Maeve’s room?”

  “For now we are.” She gave Luc a big hug. “Maeve and I thank you. And your mom.”

  “She was happy to help.”

  “Did she tell you how she wants to keep helping? Elizabeth offered to take care of Maeve when I go back to work. Did you have something to do with that, too?”

  “No. Didn’t have a clue. I swear. But it sounds like a perfect solution.”

  “At least your mom will know what to expect. More than I do.”

  “You’re a quick learner.” He put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “I have faith in you, Nuala. Just take it one day at a time. Gotta go.” He kissed her forehead. “Night security guards start on shift in forty minutes.”

  “You could always sift there,” she teased, knowing Luc preferred doing things the human way.

  She saw him to the door, but the moment he left, her thoughts were on Ethan. Keeping focused on how he could help her to find Nik and resolve whatever danger lurked in their lives was challenging when her thoughts kept drifting to the sensual dreams she’d had of him. The daydreams were equally compelling.

  For a moment, she felt Ethan’s mouth cover hers… his hand cupping her breast… his other hand exploring lower…

  And then pain ripped through her, all the way from her spine to her bell
y, leaving her screaming “Ethan!”

  *

  Ethan checked his rearview mirror when he left Logan Square. No dark sedan followed. Taking an easy breath, he was thinking about returning home and having a much-needed and well-deserved shower when a weird mind pull struck him that Nuala needed him. He tried fighting it off, but the harder he fought, the stronger the pull for him to pay attention… another kind of psychic warning because he had tasted Nuala’s blood? Could the explanation be that simple?

  What if she was in trouble?

  Without thinking about it, he put on his rotating dashboard light and headed for the Lakeview two-flat as fast as he could navigate traffic. He cursed when one seemingly oblivious driver refused to pull over and out of his way. Traffic was stopped at the intersection ahead, so Ethan pulled into the oncoming lane and shot around the idiot who retaliated by laying on his horn.

  Jaw and gut both clenched when pain suddenly pierced his middle, and he swore he heard the echo of his name. Crap! What was going on?

  Ethan flipped on the siren, slammed the accelerator and went through a major intersection so fast that a car spun to avoid him. As he narrowed the distance to Nuala, he sucked in air. It was getting difficult to breathe. To think straight. Then another pain shot through him and he almost lost control of the car.

  He couldn’t get to the two-flat fast enough, and when he arrived, there was no place to park, so he cut the siren and light and double-parked in front of the building. No sooner did he step out of the vehicle than a scream set him in motion. He took the stairs two at a time, but when he got to the front door, it was locked.

  “Nuala! Are you okay in there?”

  “Ethan? You’re here?”

  “Can you open the door?” He would break it down if necessary.

  “Yes, now I can.”

  Seconds later, the door swung open. Nuala clung to it, her face pale and sweaty.

  “I felt you were in trouble,” he said.

  “Not in trouble exactly.”

  She backed off and Ethan entered, closing the door behind him. The way she looked, the way she was breathing, he had no doubt she was in labor. “How long have you been having contractions?”