Beckett: Robinson Destruction – Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  The place was packed. Allie didn’t want to know what she’d had to do to get them a table. Rogen had told her that the Chicken Lombardy was her favorite thing on the menu. Allie tried not to be shocked by the prices. She looked up at Beck when he said her name.

  “It’s fine, you know. We can afford this and more if you want.” She nodded. “No, don’t just do that. I would never lie to you. We have money, the two of us. A great deal of it that we can spend however we want. Both of us have good jobs too, so it’s not like we’re just living off what we have. I promise you, love, we have plenty enough for this dinner.”

  “I’m trying to get that ‘not looking at the price tag’ mentality that Rogen told me I need to adapt to. She said that even if we didn’t have a considerable bank account, we still have money elsewhere.” He said that was right. “I know. But after having nothing my entire life, suddenly having it takes a little getting used to.”

  “I can imagine that. I know you won’t go crazy with spending money, and it is good to look at a price tag, but I can understand what she means.” Allie said she could as well. “So, get whatever you want from the menu, and then maybe, after, you might get lucky.”

  “You know I’ve been lucky several times a day, don’t you? There are times when I swear to you I think you go out and drink some magical potion that makes you want me again.” He told her it was only his love for her. “Thank you. That was sweet. I love you.”

  Dinner was wonderful. Not only did they try several appetizers, but they also shared three meals. Being tigers made them both hungry more often, as well as making their appetites bigger. It made for some strange looks at times, but that was something else she was getting used to. Ignoring people and their looking at her.

  After dinner, they walked around the town. Window shopping with someone was a good deal more fun than shopping alone. As usual, their conversation steered back to the kids and how much they wanted them both to be happy with them.

  Her cell was ringing just as they were getting an ice cream cone at the creamery. It was Rogen.

  “I know you didn’t want to be disturbed tonight, but I knew you’d want this news. When the police went to talk to Mr. Grant and look at his car, he confessed. Not only had he hit the boy, but he had dragged him to his parents’ driveway after he’d done it. I guess he couldn’t get anyone to fix his car because it had blood on it.” Allie asked her what would happen now. “I would imagine that you pick up more work now that word is out that you can find murderers with nothing more than a police report. I’m very proud of you. That really was a good find for you.”

  “I had Beck with me, so he gets some credit too.” She laughed, and Rogen snorted. “I do have two more that I’m working on now. It’s sort of fun, I have to admit. To take a crime scene and make it more real. Thank you for all the stuff to make it work.”

  “It has helped us all out. Now the police department in Nevada owes us one. Not that I didn’t charge them for the job you did for them, but also, they’ll remember this was a solid circumstance of where a case was closed. You did good, my dear, and we’re making connections on an entirely new level for us to tap into.” Allie told her she thought that would help. “It does. All right. I’ll let you go. I do hope he’s taking good care of you. You’re much too stressed all the time as it is.”

  “That put a feather in your cap, I’m thinking.” She nodded at Beck as they had their treat. “I hate to bring this up now, but I have another trip next week. I don’t know how long it will take me to get it taken care of, but at least a week. Will you be all right?”

  “Yes. If you mean with the kids, then double yes. I’m having so much fun being a mom to them.” Beck told her he could tell. “Good. Also, I think your dad has a trip in mind for them to take with him. I don’t have all the details, but then I trust him as much as I do you.”

  “Thank you. My dad is planning to take them on a whole day fishing trip. He’s hoping they enjoy it so much that they’ll want to keep doing it with him.” Allie told him she’d never been. “Apparently, neither have the kids. But it might not be a complete wash for him. Dad would fish every day if he could. Mom would kill him, simply because he is that good at it. But she’d have to get a bigger freezer if he were to catch more than they could eat.”

  “I wouldn’t even know how to take a fish off the hook, much less catch one. But I do love fresh fish. It has a taste so much different than the frozen stuff that I could have it daily. Okay, not daily, but perhaps every other day.”

  Beck told her about the one and only fishing trip that Dad had taken all of them on. “He was either baiting hooks, taking them out of one of us, or keeping us from tipping the boat. When I look back on that, it’s a small wonder that he didn’t drown us all. Mom would have been upset, but Dad, we really put him through a hard time that day.” Beck laughed. “I don’t think we caught a single fish. Thatcher ended up getting three hooks in his head. I think Dawson got soaked twice when we tipped the boat. I really think we should try it again with Dad. Do you think he’d take us?”

  “Doubtful. It sounds to me like you made him not want to do anything with the six of you at once ever again—your poor dad. I can see him, too, getting frustrated with you guys. Trying hard to be patient with you.” She laughed. “I do think your mom would have enjoyed you guys taking more trips with your father. I doubt there was ever any peace for her when you guys were all home.”

  “No. And even when we started to leave home, she still had to contend with us. One of us would need her help with something or another. Most of the time, it was how to cook something, or even for us to come by with a laundry issue. Mom taught us all how to take care of things like that, but an odd thing would pop up unexpectantly.”

  Allie listened to all his stories about his parents and family. The Robinsons, a family that she loved being a part of, seemed to get along better than most families. She didn’t think it was wholly due to them being cats, either. They just loved each other that much. And that hard. Even the in-laws, the other women, loved as they did.

  When they made their way back home, she realized how exhausted she was. There were several messages on her service, nothing that she was going to deal with tonight. Even Beck had a few of his own that he left for tomorrow.

  “I’m thinking before it gets too much later in the year, we should decide if we’re going to put in an outbuilding for the lawn things or just store it in the barn that we have now.” She asked him why he thought of that now. “I have no idea. I was just thinking that we might want to invest in a larger barn so the kids can store their cars in there. Just now, it occurred to me that they’ll have to not want to drive for us to be storing their cars. I never went anywhere that didn’t involve me driving when I got my first car.”

  “Your mom told me that you all had to pay half for your first cars.” He said that was right. “Then, since it worked out so well for you guys, I see no reason to make our kids do anything less. I know that Conor has a job now, and Holly will have one when she’s old enough. Anna did mention to me tonight that she thought that Holly was responsible enough to babysit for the family.”

  “I thought she’d enjoy the kids.” Allie thought of the message she’d gotten from Holly and nearly cried again. “Don’t be getting all mushy with me, my love. I don’t think I can handle your tears tonight. I love you so very much.”

  Even as her head hit the pillow, her last thoughts were on the kids. She let her mind go over the events of having them there and was thrilled beyond words that they’d taken them in. Rolling to her side to snuggle with Beck, she wondered what the next fifty or so years would bring the two of them.

  Chapter 9

  Dawson looked over the file that had come in with the newest patient. She’d passed away not an hour ago, her injuries just too much with the blood loss she’d sustained. He wanted to figure out who he was supposed to notify, and there just wa
sn’t enough information in the thing to tell him if she even had next of kin. He heard someone coming toward him as he closed the file. It was Agent Fry.

  “I can take it from here for you, Doctor. I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner.” He said he’d been able to handle it. “I’m sure you have been. You and Doctor Thatcher have saved more than we’ve been able to before this place opened. It’s nice for the rest of us to know that there is someone out there that will care for us like we’re someone important.”

  “You all are. Every life is.” She nodded at him like she didn’t believe that line anymore than he did. “All right, most every life is important. The lowlife you guys brought in here the other day has had me second guessing everything I worked for in becoming a doctor. Why was he brought here, anyway? I thought this was just for agents.”

  “He’s giving us information that we can use to close up a lot of loose ends. Mr. J will end up in prison when we’ve gotten all we can from him. Right now, he needs to be healthy so we can get it. You did all right. I know for a fact that it was touch and go there for a few minutes when he called you a fucking hack, but you got over it and helped him to mend.” She laughed. “I might well have ended him myself the way he was treating my agents.”

  Agent Fry had been their go to person since the clinic had opened. She made sure that the paperwork was filled out correctly and filed away in the room that held as many files as he’d bet the largest library did books. He’d not been in there but the one time, and that was enough for him to know he wanted no part of it. The place was guarded by armed people that wore only black and carried large guns. Also, the rooms were fireproof as well as protected against any other major disaster that might hit, including a direct hit with a bomb. Yes, he stayed the hell out of there.

  Since they’d been working the clinic, he and Thatcher had lost three patients—one agent, and the other two just people in their town. It was strange having to keep the place he was in now private. He’d bet his last paycheck from the government that not one person would believe him if he were to talk about what they did in here. Not that he ever would.

  The pay was amazing, too, more than triple what he’d been making when he’d been a partner in a firm. As they also paid his malpractice insurance as well as his health, he was able to put away even more than he’d ever been able to before. His home was paid for. A new car was his every year, he’d been told, and since he was working for the government, his home was furnished with the best equipment and staff. They took care of their own very well.

  Thatcher was in his office when he got back to his own. “Hey, do you have a couple of minutes?” Dawson told him he had lots of time, as it was only a half-day for them. “I really needed this half-day today too. Christ, it’s been a strange few weeks. Do you remember that man? His name was Carlos or something like that? He’d been in here for an infected splinter. Do you know who I’m talking about?”

  “Not Carlos, but Theos.” Thatcher said that was it. “Yes. He even did his follow up last week as you told him to do. What’s up? Did he skip out on the bill or something?”

  “No. I don’t know, actually. But I just got a phone call from his wife—or so she said. But he’s going to lose a leg from my work.” Dawson sat down on the other seat in Thatcher’s office and asked him what was going on. “I honestly have no idea. I’m not even sure I believe he’s hurting that badly. I know that sounds crazy, but all we did was remove a splinter. Even at his check up, it was scarred over and healed.”

  “Is she blaming you?” Thatcher nodded. “Have you called it in? I mean, that’s what we were told to do when we get calls like that. I do understand you being confused, but let the insurance handle it.”

  “I did call it in. Then they called me back and told me that there wasn’t anyone alive by the name, and the social that I gave them was for a dead person. That’s why I asked you if you remembered him. Just in case I got it wrong.” Thatcher handed him the file that was marked, outpatient. “Apparently, even the address they gave was bogus. I told the agency that I had called it in as he wasn’t anyone that I knew, but now they want me to give Rogen not only the file but anything I might have kept with his DNA on it. I’m glad they have us take a DNA test from everyone that comes in here. Christ, this is a nightmare.”

  “Rogen say anything? I mean, like this was stupid or something?” Thatcher said that all she said was that the agency was looking into it. “What if they don’t believe you? Do you think they’ll have Rogen take you out?”

  “Like I’d do that. Don’t let your asses get ahead of the big picture.” Rogen joined them in the room and kissed Thatcher on the mouth. “I just got a call from the shitholes that have you thinking I’d take you out. I love you guys too much for me to do that on my own. I’d hire someone. The DNA matches one of the agents that has had his employment ended.”

  “Do I want to know what that means?” Rogen just smiled at him. “All right. I don’t want to know. But what happens now? I mean, are we going to be shut down or something? Did we do anything wrong? I have to tell you, Rogen, I’m enjoying this life of making good money. I was just thinking about how much I love the perks too.”

  “Not that I can see from what they’ve asked about the two of you. He was never beyond the point of no return. He didn’t stay overnight, nor did his wife, who he isn’t married to, make it back to the room with him. I’d say you did just what you were told to do.” Thatcher asked her what happened now. “I have to send Tru out.”

  That meant the man was as good as dead. So was the woman. He wanted to ask why they had jumped to that point but decided he wasn’t really sure he wanted to know. When she sat on the edge of the desk, Dawson was sure he was going to be shot as well.

  “You should never play poker, Dawson. It’s written all over your face that you’re thinking I’m going to hurt you in some way. I’m not.” She did take her gun out, and Dawson finally understood the terminology that people used when their ass puckered tight, and their balls felt like they were going to crawl up there inside of his ass. “Dawson. Breathe, damn it. I’m going to have you carry this from now on. Thatcher is already armed, but you need to be too.”

  “No. I don’t like guns.” Rogen asked him if he thought he’d enjoy dying more. “No. But seriously, with all this firepower around here all the time, who would be stupid enough to try and hurt us?”

  “He got into your clinic, didn’t he?” There was that. Taking the gun from her, he laid it on his lap. “You also need to get more practice with that thing. I know you’ve qualified to use it, but I really need you to feel like if push came to shove, you’d know it’s going to save your life. You can go with your parents. They go down to the shooting range twice a week. Unlike you, they’re armed all the time.”

  “You have no idea how much I hate the thought of having to use this. But I can see your point in knowing how. I’ll go there tomorrow. I promise.” Putting it in his back pocket, for now, he started out the door. Rogen called him back. “I’m carrying it. What now, my dear?”

  “You’ll need this.” She helped him put on the under the arm holster. It wasn’t nearly as cumbersome as he thought it might be. “Wear it, Dawson. If I find your dead body someplace and you’ve not at least pulled that thing to defend yourself, I’m going to have you brought back to life so I can kill you myself.”

  Dawson nodded and walked to his own office. The thing was, he believed her. That not only would she figure out how to bring him back, but that she would indeed kill him again. And not quickly, either.

  As he entered his office, he closed the door behind him. He sat at his desk and thought about what had happened last night. Now that had been a scary ending of a day.

  He and Jonas had been out just fooling around. They’d hit a bar at some point. While neither of them were drunk, they had a nice buzz from the beers. As they were leaving the little diner that was open twenty-four/seven, a woman
approached them. She pulled a knife on them and demanded their money.

  Dawson reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. Jonas just stood there. When she told him to hurry it up, Jonas said that he’d worked hard for his money, and he wasn’t turning it over to anyone. Dawson thought for sure that they were both going to be killed.

  “You fucking moron, Jonas. What the hell are you thinking?” He looked at his brother when the woman said his name. “You’re supposed to give me your money because you owe me support.”

  “I don’t owe you shit, Margo. You’re a junkie and a whore. Literally. I told you the last time that I wasn’t going to help you out anymore. You get straight, and I’ll make sure you’re put up so you can get your kids back. But as it stands right now, you’re fucked.” She stomped her foot, and Jonas laughed. “You don’t scare me one bit. Now, move along before I have to call in a few favors and make sure you never get your kids back.”

  “I fucking hate you.” Jonas told her he didn’t care all that much for her either. “You mother fucker. I should just kill you both right now.”

  Jonas reached out and snatched the knife from her. It scared Dawson so much that he jumped back. When his brother bent the knife in two and snapped it, Dawson wondered what she’d do now.

  “Go home, Margo. And barring that, you should just go back to the rock you crawled out from under. You and I are done. I’m not going to help you again.” She begged him to give her another chance. “No. Go away before I get pissed off and shift. You know that my cat will hurt you if he doesn’t kill you.”

  They were nearly a street away when he finally asked Jonas what that was all about. If anyone had asked him to describe his brother, he would have said he was a nerd. A numbers guy who could take a buck and have a million in no time. Not this stranger that grabbed knives from crazy women and walked away.