The Baby Shift- Florida

by Becca Fanning

  An awkward silence stretched between them before Ezra finally broke it.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t more welcoming. I just...you remind me of someone.”

  “Oh, it’s fine. Uncle Bill told me about your wife. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  The man’s eyes hardened. “So, he told you how they murdered my wife?”

  Jordan could understand why it would feel that way, especially to someone who didn’t have as much knowledge about shifters as someone who’d been raised in a community.

  “He did tell me that she didn’t make the transformation. I’m sorry. I know that must have been terrible for you.”

  He laughed without humor. “That makes it sound like she just died. He didn’t tell you that they killed her? That his best friend murdered my wife?”

  The other man’s bitterness suddenly made even more sense. Sometimes, someone who was weakly willed wasn’t strong-minded enough to be a shifter. They would be stuck in half form, unable to rule their emotions. These shifters were always put down—even if they were someone’s wife—even though their inability to shift was not their fault.

  “I…no. He didn’t. I’m so sorry that she wasn’t able to make the transformation.”

  “Such an inadequate description of murder, don’t you think?”

  Something in the man’s eyes told Jordan that she wouldn’t be able to reason with him.

  “I…I just think it is heartbreaking and must have been so hard for you.”

  She quickly made her excuse and left Ezra standing there. Jordan made her way back to Bill’s cabin. She couldn’t escape her troubled thoughts as she showered and prepared to spend the day locked away with her textbooks. She’d always pictured her residency as time just spent practicing medicine, but it turned out that all she’d learned was just a drop in the bucket compared to how much she would need to understand to become a good doctor.

  Besides, if she was honest with herself, she welcomed the escape from reality. Real life was sloppy, with unexpected twists in trauma cases and stressed or grieving families. Everything in a textbook was neat, orderly, and explained in perfect detail. Tomorrow, she would return to the hospital, to the uncertainty, tears, and heartbreak. Tomorrow, was more than soon enough.

  Chapter 5

  Alex couldn’t seem to get Jordan out of his head. The sight of her through the window the other night still made him hard every time he thought of it, and her scent lingered in his car when she was no longer there. She’d simply climbed in the passenger seat the other morning, explained that it didn’t make sense for both of them to drive if he was going to be behind her everywhere she went anyway and buckled in.

  He’d wanted to tell her to get the hell out. He didn’t need her right there next to him, filling the air with tension and lust. Not when he still wasn’t sure if he or Matt would have to kill her. The enforcer seemed to have backed off, although Alex knew he was still investigating.

  He and the enforcer had become friendly over the past few weeks. Matt hadn’t—and wouldn’t—share any details of the investigation, but Alex felt that if Jordan was still a suspect, surely he would have been informed, considering that Jordan was his employee...a doctor who literally held lives in the palm of her hand. Yet the other man hadn’t mentioned Jordan at all.

  Did that mean that he’d dismissed Jordan as a suspect? If he had...no, Matt reminded himself. He only dated shifters. It would be too exhausting, trying to keep his true nature hidden...but Jordan had grown up in a shifter community...No. He would not date someone who worked for him. And he’d never dated a human before. And she still hadn’t truly been proven innocent. It would be rash and beyond foolish.

  And Alex Preston was not a rash man, no matter what his actions from the last few weeks had shown. He just needed to deny the temptation or find a way to rid himself of it completely. Given that she still had years left in her residency, he sincerely hoped for the latter.

  His musings were interrupted when Matt strode across his office and sat in the chair opposite of Alex. The other man looked weary and disgruntled.

  “Rough day?” He didn’t expect a reply. Matt always shied away from anything involving work.

  “There have been three more poisonings. And I’m still sitting here, spinning my wheels.”

  Alex groaned inwardly. That would mean another long night for him tending to the victims. A task he normally didn’t mind in the least.

  Usually though, he could make a difference. In the case of these poisonings, he was all but useless. It made the families feel better to have him there, but there was nothing he could do other than wait to see if his packmates would die.

  “I know the feeling all too well. I wish I knew a way to counteract the poison, but I just have to wait and see if the victims get better.”

  “Hopefully, one or both of us make some progress soon. Has Jordan done anything to make you suspicious? Anything I should know about?”

  Here was his opening, Alex realized. A chance to find out if Jordan was still under suspicion, and a chance to get his feelings for her off his chest.

  “I’ve been driving her to and from work, and Bill’s been with her the rest of the time. I’m not sure when she would have the opportunity to poison anyone else,” Alex replied truthfully. He paused before continuing, “Besides, I honestly am not sure she’s capable of something like this. She’s been nothing but genuinely kind to all the patients she’s treated, no matter how difficult—”

  “So, she’s got her hooks in you too. Just because she’s beautiful doesn’t mean she’s capable of doing no wrong.”

  Him too? Was there something going on between Matt and Jordan? Maybe he was spending time with her after work, and this whole conversation was just to find out if something was going on between Jordan and himself?

  “I never said any different,” he replied stiffly.

  Matt took his leave soon after, and Alex stewed over the conversation for the rest of the day. Surely if Matt truly suspected her, he would have done something by now—right? He honestly wasn’t sure if Matt suspected Jordan or desired her. Neither outcome sat well with him.

  A long evening spent tending the ill was followed by an even longer night, with dreams that alternated between deadly and lustful.

  Chapter 6

  Jordan stood and stretched before heading to the next patient’s bedside, but the motion didn’t bring any relief to the stiffness and fatigue that filled her muscles. Her internship at the hospital had been unofficially put on hold when another round of poisonings brought the shifter community to its knees. The last week had been a blur of triaging and tending to the ill, interrupted by only brief breaks to sleep and shower.

  Alex had taken off work as well, and both of them worked around the clock to try to keep the shifters alive until their bodies could fight off the poison. Tonight, she would see this one last patient before she went home to try to get a bit of rest.

  She was almost to her last patient’s house when Alex called her name.

  “Jordan! Hold on a minute.” She couldn’t help admiring his physique as he jogged toward her.

  “Hey. What is it? Any new patients?”

  “I was just about to ask you that.” There was a hard edge to the words that left the smile evaporating from Jordan’s lips.

  “I don’t understand…”

  “You’ve been amazing these past few days. You’ve triaged with skill and treated the patients flawlessly.”

  The hard twist of his lips, the accusation burning in his deep brown eyes, told her that the words were not the compliment they could have been. Alarm shot through Jordan. They were alone between two of the cabins, and this was a side of Alex she’d never seen before and one she hadn’t thought existed.

  “Alex, I treated these poisonings in Alabama. I told you that.”

  “No,” he said softly, “you told me they occurred there. You were just an intern though, right?”

  “My supervisor traveled, Alex. When he
was at conferences, I ran the clinic. I was treating poisoning cases like the ones here for weeks by myself.”

  “Just what a killer would say...just what an innocent woman would say. Which are you, Jordan?”

  He’d advanced on her until she could feel the heat radiating from his body in the cool night air. Desire and fear warred inside her, the fear somehow elevating her longing until she could hardly deny the urge to press herself against Alex.

  “I’m innocent, Alex.” He was so close now that if she leaned forward even an inch, their lips would meet.

  “God help me, I almost don’t give a damn,” he ground out before closing the distance between them, catching her lips in a wild, desperate kiss that took her breath away.

  Jordan groaned in approval and pressed her body against his as he deepened the kiss. He bit her lip lightly, and she shuddered, pressing closer to the hot length of his erection. This was wrong. Someone could walk up at any time, and they needed to keep working.

  Words, thoughts, escaped her mind when Alex broke off their kiss and lowered his head to suckle her breast through the thin material of her shirt. She ground her center against his cock, desperate for release.

  Alex let out a ragged breath and grabbed her, pressing her more tightly against his length.

  “Jordan, I—”

  “Jesus, Alex. Show some control.” The words, their accusing tone, sent Jordan spiraling back down to reality. She looked toward the street, and there was Matt, stalking toward them with his fists clenched.

  “Which is it? Are you accusing her of murder, or fucking her?”

  Jordan went cold at the words. “Alex, is that true?”

  Alex looked into her eyes, conflicted turmoil written clearly across his face. He turned to Matt.

  “Matt, I don’t even know anymore. I just—“ Alex looked down at his hands, still wrapped around her from their passion only moments before. He dropped them as though he’d been scalded. “Jordan, I can’t—this shouldn’t have happened. It can’t happen again.”

  “I second that,” Matt said. Striding toward them. “Jordan, whatever has been going on here stops tonight. I still can’t prove your guilt, but I’m keeping you with me until Dalton O’Malley confirms your guilt or innocence.”

  “Doctor O’Malley thinks I might be guilty?” The words crashed out of her. He’d been there with her, had seen the killer with his own eyes. How could he do this to her?

  “I haven’t heard from him. I’ve been calling his clinic the entire time I’ve been in town, with no response. I’m starting to wonder if he isn’t one of your victims.”

  Relief coursed through her. “He travels. He does lectures around the country. The clinic is probably closed when he leaves, now that I’m not there anymore.” She quickly pulled out her phone and got his number out of her contacts. “Call him. He will vouch for me, and he might even be able to give you some new information.”

  Alex’s expression lightened at her words, but she stared at him coldly. She’d been ready to sleep with him, a man who believed her capable of murder. “Doctor Preston, I’m taking the rest of the night off. I hadn’t seen to my last patient yet, Ben Hertz. I hope you don’t mind adding him to your list to check on.”

  She walked stiffly toward Bill’s house, trying to ignore the fatigue in her limbs and the ache in her heart.

  Chapter 7

  The next few days were a blur of weariness and regret for Alex. Jordan had distanced herself from him. She was coldly professional when they talked about which patients needed to be treated that day and updated each other on patients’ status, but when she wasn’t talking about work, she ignored him entirely.

  It was what he’d thought would be best just a few days ago, but now it was eating him from the inside. It seemed crazy now to think that he’d once thought she could be a murderer. She’d never shown him anything but care, patience, and strength. She was the most beautiful, competent woman he’d ever known, and she’d wanted him. And he’d blown it.

  He could still feel her lips against his; her body pressed against his in need. She’d trusted him, wanted him, and he’d done nothing but suspect her.

  Maybe, though...maybe it wasn’t too late to salvage something. If not a relationship, at least a friendship. He had her entire residency to convince her he’d made a mistake, but he couldn’t even begin to try until she was willing to talk to him. That night after, he’d seen his last patient he sought her out.

  “Jordan,” he called to get her attention as she walked toward home.

  “Doctor Preston,” she replied coolly, “is there something you needed?”

  “Alex…call me Alex. After how close we’ve been—”

  “Oh, yes. Let’s talk about how close we’ve been. Close enough to have sex, or close enough to feel comfortable accusing me of murder and then expecting me to just forget about it?”

  “I was wrong, Jordan. I know that now. I had hardly slept for days, and I wasn’t thinking straight. I was wrong to…”

  “Wrong to have kissed me or to accuse me of murder?”

  “Both, probably,” Alex replied tiredly. “But I only regret one.” He met her eyes, didn’t bother to disguise his desire for her.

  “I wish I could say the same. I regret that entire night.” Some of the ire was gone from her voice, though. A chance. He still had a chance, and he could work with that.

  “I promise, the next time you let me taste you, touch you...there won’t be any room for regret.”

  She looked into his eyes, “Alex, I…”

  “You little whore!” The accusation came from nowhere, and Alex looked to see Ezra, Bill’s neighbor, hurtling toward them.

  Ezra quickly came between them. He shoved Alex behind him, then turned to face a threat before him.

  “I told you, I TOLD YOU what they did to my wife, and you still want to fuck one of them? As far as I’m concerned that makes you one of them!”

  A growl rumbled in Alex’s chest as Ezra barreled toward them, but just as he was braced to attack, Matt came out of nowhere, tackling Ezra and sending them both tumbling to the ground.

  “You get her home, Alex. I’ll get this one calmed down,” Matt grunted.

  Alex agreed and quickly led Jordan away from the scene. It wasn’t safe for her while living next door to Ezra. Ezra had always been bitter, but something about Jordan being here seemed to have sent him over the line from bitter into violent. He would have to ask around tomorrow and find another place for Jordan to stay.

  It wouldn’t make Ezra any saner, but at least she would no longer be walking past his house every day.

  Chapter 8

  “Uncle Bill? I brought some broth. Do you think you feel well enough to try to eat?”

  She couldn’t understand his mumbled reply, so Jordan took it for consent and started feeding him the watered-down broth one small spoonful at a time. Bill had fallen ill a few days ago. Bill and Alex had both insisted that she start staying with another family. She had reluctantly agreed, but nothing either of them had said would stop her from coming and taking care of Bill. It was killing her, watching the kind, gregarious man waste away right in front of her while she looked on helplessly.

  Jordan talked to him as he ate, updating him on the shifters who were showing progress. She didn’t mention the still ailing or the dead. When he’d finally finished eating, he collapsed into an exhausted slumber. She pressed a kiss against his craggy brow, straightened his blankets, and then let herself out.

  The night air was crisp and cool, acting as a balm against her fatigued skin. Jordan took a deep breath and imagined breathing out the worry and heartache and the mind-numbing fatigue of the past few weeks as she exhaled. Matt had to find the killer soon. He just had to. She and Alex could go for only so long with such little sleep before they started to make mistakes, and the community as a whole was starting to panic.

  Surely he would find something soon, she assured herself, forcing herself to stand tall and walk more quickly
once she realized she’d fallen into an exhausted scuffle. She’d gone only a few steps when she heard someone running up behind her.

  A quick glance showed Ezra, his eyes filled with rage, barreling in her direction. Jordan gave a cry of alarm and began to run from him as fast as her legs could carry her, even though she knew she was no match for his far greater strength.

  In no time, he was right behind her. She tried to push harder, to run faster, but he reached out and grabbed her hair, jerking her backward.

  “I told you, didn’t I? I warned you that shifters were monsters, but you’re still here. Still taking care of the monsters.”

  Jordan tried to make her voice calm and reassuring. The waver of fear in it told her she hadn’t quite managed. “Ezra, they aren’t monsters. There are good ones and bad ones, just like any other group of people.”

  “Ah, but they aren’t people. They’re murdering monsters.”

  “Ezra,” she said softly, “You’re a shifter, too…”

  He smiled a manic caricature of a grin. “I’m a monster too, Jordan. The biggest monster of them all.”

  He was walking then, dragging her by her hair. Jordan tried to twist out of his grasp, tried to claw his hands off her hair, but it was no use. He just kept moving at the same determined, steady pace, dragging her along behind.

  Once she’d accepted that she wasn’t getting away, Jordan’s mind turned from escape to her eventual rescue. She kicked off her shoes. Maybe he wouldn’t notice. Maybe someone would see them and know that this was where she’d gone missing.

  Hell, maybe Uncle Bill had woken up—but that was wishful thinking. Even if he had woken up and heard her scream, he was too weak to form an intelligible sentence.

  She tried to shout again, louder this time so that she had a hope of someone close by hearing. A large fist struck her temple. There was a flash of pain, almost too quick to register, before everything faded to black.