“You just pack her up. I’ll call them right now to see what sort of arrangements I can make with them. It’s a very lovely place. From my understanding, the entire town is getting a makeover.”
They closed the connection and he went to see who was left on staff. Meadow would be moved in the darkness of night. Her things would be packed up by him and
Margaret, and by the next shift change, there would be no trace of the young woman.
That was the way it had to be done. There was still a great deal of—
“Margaret, what’s the date?” She had to look on her cell phone. “Oh my. That’s why we’re having that reporter around. The anniversary is coming up soon. They’ll want to get pictures of her and make up some sort of story like they have spoken to her.
I’ll have to remind Max of that when he calls us later.”
He did call back later, and after talking about the home in Ohio, he said that tonight would be the best time. As much as he hated to sedate her, after her progress from today, they knew that would be the only way to slip her into a body bag—to look as if someone had died—and ship her out. It was the only way, and the safest way for her to be moved.
“Margaret, we’re going to go out tonight too. Head to Ohio to be with Meadow when she wakes up.” She thought that was a good idea. “We don’t have anyone here but her at the moment, and all the staff is on to other places as of the end of the shift tonight at eleven. We won’t even be missed for a few days. The cleaning crew comes in tomorrow, and by then, the place will be empty. Of everything.”
“All right. I’ll pack us up an overnight bag. Also, we should act a little teary for her leaving us if we want that newspaper jerk to believe that she has passed away.” He thought that a splendid idea. “I have them on occasion. We’ll take the flight out then?”
“Yes, it’s being arranged for us.” She nodded, and after she left him to go pack, he started gathering everything up that was related to Meadow. There wouldn’t even be a scrap of paper left behind, and Max was going to see to Meadow being loaded himself.
Judson just hoped that things went well for her—that she’d continue to want to have the sun on her face, and that she smiled once in a while. At this point in her life, it was more than they could have hoped for.
Chapter 12
Lucian was finished setting up his office. He also had a specialized room at the house where he could go and do homework. Since he’d enrolled in his first class, taking it easy his first year, things had begun to fall into a normal place for him. It was like everything that he needed to have done was running along smoothly for a change.
When Josiah entered the office, he showed him around. But Lucian could tell that he was distracted.
“I think perhaps Demi and I are going to have fifty kids in our lifetime. We’re going to name them with numbers. You know, one, two, three. That way we won’t have to come up with a new name each time.” Josiah said that was nice. “Yes, I thought you’d say that. We’re also having a custom car made. It’ll have layers on it so that we only have to push a button and the top opens up to make more seating. But the police have to escort us everywhere, because—”
“Do you think she’s coming?” He asked him who. “My mate, you fucking moron.
Weren’t you listening to me?”
“Apparently neither one of us were listening to each other. No, I don’t have any idea if she’s coming or not.” Josiah picked up the pencil holder that had come with
Lucian’s office set. He was still trying to figure out if he used pens in it, would it be renamed. Josiah said his name. “I don’t understand why you’re obviously upset about this.”
“Is that why you talked me into buying that house?” Lucian just sat on the corner of his desk and waited. “I know you didn’t do that, but I have to blame someone. Did you know that it cost nearly four thousand dollars to tear out a room and put up in another one? Then there is the electrical work. Plumbing has to be redone, even though I have no idea why they’d think that I’d want water in the dining room.” He told him why.
“Oh. Okay, I can see having water outside and it running through that room. But
Christ, Lucian, it’s fucking making me crazy spending all this money.”
“Okay, let me show you something, and I had to learn this way as well. I’m going to show you mine and Demi’s accounts.” Josiah said not to do that. “I promise you, Josiah, you’ll understand if I show you.”
Demi came in the office just as he was pulling up their accounts. Lucian told her what was going on, and she sat in the chair that he’d just unwrapped. Demi smiled at
Josiah and had him sit in the other chair that hadn’t been unwrapped as yet.
“I was wondering how long it would be before you started to feel the pressure of spending money on something. It’s a hard lesson to realize, isn’t it?” Josiah pointed out that she’d grown up with money. “No, I didn’t. My grandma had money. We didn’t.
The only reason that we had food was because of my grandma. And the first year that I was out on my own, I was eating crackers a great deal, and water. Nothing else until I started making money. Now…well, I worry about it, but not like I did before.”
Josiah came around to Lucian’s side of the desk when he called to him. He watched his brother’s face as he looked at the three accounts that he’d pulled up. One of them
was their bank account, the second was their stocks, and the third was their investment in a very large computer company. Josiah asked why the numbers were changing all the time.
“The investment company will fluctuate up and down over the course of the day.
But if you notice, it never goes below the number it was at first. It’ll climb up ten points then lower by four, then go up by seven. It’s ever changing, but always making money.
The computer company is in a good place now.” Demi came around the desk as she continued to explain. “We just expanded to another state, and that took a hit on its bottom line. But as you can see, it’s rebounded quickly and well. I’m very happy with that one. The bank account can only hold so much money. The reason that it goes up over that limit then back down is because the money that hits over the account amount is funneled to four separate accounts. The same thing is there. Once it gets to a limit, it’s funneled again.”
“How do you keep track of all this?” Demi had Lucian pull up the program that had astonished him. “What is that? And are those numbers right?”
“That is where at the end of the day, each and every day, I go in and put in what we made, what we lost, and how many other investments we made into each company.”
Lucian scrolled through the ledger. “Lucian is getting the hang of doing it. It takes me about an hour now because I know just where everything is. But he’s getting it down too.”
“Yes, with plenty of notes, and going back over what I’ve done several times to make sure that I’m not messing the numbers up. It’s a lot of money we have. And I do have to keep reminding myself that this is our money, mine and Demi’s. Josiah, if you need more or if it would make you feel better, I can give you a contract on what we’re doing. But as she said, and she’s right, we don’t care if you ever get around to paying us back. As you can see, we don’t need the money coming in from family.”
Josiah sat down. He did look a good deal less stressed, but he didn’t say much.
Lucian turned to Demi. He knew where she’d been, and he was almost afraid to mention it in front of Josiah. He would think they were setting him up. But all they were doing was helping out the nursing home in town.
“She arrived about an hour ago. They have her room set up just like it had been.
And the doctor that came with her approves. He said that her doctor would be by in a few days to make sure that she didn’t need anything.” Lucian nodded. “I’m also going to go over her paperwork from the trial, as well as her medical records. I don’t have a great deal of experience with the medical stuf
f, but I can get someone to help me.”
“I remember that case.” Demi said that she did as well. “I guess the family murder was grisly. I remember reading that the entire household was murdered, including the dog.”
“Yes. I’m just curious why they thought this girl could have done it. She was only sixteen then, and a good kid.” Josiah asked how the dog was killed. “I guess, from what
I’ve seen so far in the reports, his mouth was ripped open all the way back to his skull.
Why do you ask?”
“She’s human, I’m assuming, this little girl.” Neither of them corrected him about her being nearly twenty-five. “Then she couldn’t have done it. A human, unless in full rage, would not have been able to tear open an animal’s mouth. And I did get that she’s an adult; just trying to equate her with the murders.”
“Also, while you’re in the mood to help me, it says that she wasn’t trying to protect her brother but had hurt herself with the axe she’d been using on him and nearly bled to death. They never explain how she had so many marks on her body, nor the fact that she was hit from behind with the same axe.” Josiah asked if they’d found any fingerprints. He still hadn’t moved from the chair, nor had he looked at either of them.
“Yes, plenty. They’d had a party the night before. It had started raining and everyone came into the house. They were everywhere. Also, and this one I find sort of funny.
They said that Meadow knew the killer; that she’d let them in after everyone was in bed.”
“They never left.” Lucian looked at Demi and she smiled. Josiah looked at the two of them. “You’ve thought of that already.”
“Yes, I had. But apparently, it’s not possible to have happened. At least according to the police. I’ve seen that house. It’s a big place, bigger than yours. And it sets back off the main road. You do remember that it happened not far from here, don’t you? Like the next town over?” Lucian said he’d forgotten where it had happened. “Yes, that’s why they’re bringing her here. To hide out from that reporter and to see if the town sparks some memories. Because why would anyone think that they’d bring her back to the scene of the crime, so to speak, after all this time?”
“Why hide her out at all?” Demi explained to Josiah just as it had been explained to her. “I see. I guess that would be hard on people that might have known the family.
Having no idea who might have killed those people and why. I’m assuming that nothing was ever resolved.”
“No, nothing. She was found to be unfit to stand trial. She hasn’t spoken a word, nor done anything but wheel herself around in her chair. She has some issues with her arm, the one that had nearly been severed that day.” Josiah asked Demi if she’d seen her. “No. They don’t let anyone around her. As far as the place she’s staying, all they know is that her name is Jane Doe, and that she has been in a horrific accident. I don’t know what that would cover, honestly. I mean, has she a lot of scars that make it so no one would know her anyway? Whatever the reason, we’re to make sure that she’s safe, and that if anyone asks about her, we’re to say nothing, but call the two doctors that have put her here.”
Josiah sat there for a few more minutes while Lucian and Demi talked about the upcoming auction for things the city had collected over the years. It was brought to
Demi’s attention that they didn’t have any idea who to contact about it. And after the paperwork was cleared to sell it off for a profit and get rid of the junk that was there, they decided to have it next weekend. Josiah cleared his throat and Lucian could see that he’d come to a decision.
“I’d like for you two to help me with my home. I’m not just overwhelmed, but I haven’t a clue how to go about getting contractors to actually come in and do the work
past getting estimates. I’ve tried getting reviews on a couple of them, but that hit a dead end too. I had no idea that you had to pay money to get into those sites.” Demi told him that she already had a membership to most of them, but she’d help him. “Not just with that, its carpet colors and paint on the walls. As I said, I’m overwhelmed by the amount of questions that they will have for me from the list that I was given when I talked to one of the contractors. I will even have to tell them the color of cabinets and such. I haven’t any idea on that.”
“All right. We can do that for you.” She smiled at his brother as Demi continued.
“You really are doing a great job, Josiah. I didn’t know how long it would take you, what with working full time and helping your dad move furniture and things around in their new home. You are a very smart man too. Jamie called me again last night and told me that he’s going to be sending a few of his low performing managers to you so you can show them what you’ve done in such a short time. Did he tell you that he has employees at dealerships begging to be transferred to your base of operations?”
“He did. I’m not sure I believe him or not, but it felt really good.” Josiah stood up.
“Speaking of which, I have to get back to work. I’m half day tomorrow, so if you want to have me sign any paperwork, let me know. I can’t thank you enough for helping me.
Both of you. The house will look great, I know it will.”
When Josiah left them, Demi sat on Lucian’s lap facing him. She had had a hard morning, he knew that. And when she laid her head on his shoulder, it was all he could do not to run off with her and hide away.
“How about we do this? I hide in the woods. I know that you can find me easily enough, but if you give me some perks, I’ll give you some.” He asked her what sort of perks. “I don’t know. You find me, I take something off. Then when I’m naked, you can fuck me as yourself, and then we’ll lay by the pond back there and pretend that nothing is wrong with the world.”
“Something else happen?” She nodded, then shook her head. “All right, love. We can do that. I’d love to chase you down as my bear. I’m assuming that’s what you were talking about?”
“Yes. Sorry. It’s been a weird and very long morning.” Lucian said he was sorry.
“It’s all right. What I wanted isn’t what I’m going to get in this deal with the city. It’s not bad, just not what I wanted. But let’s not talk about that now. I’m going in the yard.”
He watched her go. She wasn’t running, but he could see that her step was getting lighter as she made her way to the tree line. And when she got there, turned, and flipped him off, Lucian stood up, laughing. Demi was going to pay for that, he thought.
And he’d win, too.
~*~
The woods were darker than she’d thought they’d be this late in the year. Demi assumed that with the leaves falling off the big trees, the sunlight would be better. She heard Lucian growl before he got to her, and they both went tumbling head over ass when he bumped her from behind.
“Not fair, you shithead.” Demi ran her fingers over his soft fur. “Who would have thought that something so large and petrifying could be so soft and cuddly when you got really close? Of course, there are big teeth as well, but I love the way you feel under my hands.”
It’s my big brown eyes that do that for people. She laughed and hit him on the shoulder, standing up to run. Excuse me? I caught you. You have to take something off. And not the shoes. I don’t want you stepping on something sharp out here and ruining all our fun.
“Your fun, you mean.” She took off her shirt and tossed it at the big black bear. “I cannot wait to run with you. I’m glad that we asked your mom first before we started to change me. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to little cub.”
She took off again and ran along the water, splashing the cold stuff up her legs and wetting her jeans. Demi thought to throw him off her scent, then she leapt up on the other side of the little waterway. There was a stand of deer just beyond her.
I see them. They didn’t need to speak aloud anymore. Just with a thought she could talk to Lucian. She could feel his comfort when she needed it, and when she was happy, he felt that a
s well. They come out nearly every night. Ian and I put out some hay for them, as well as some salt. I hope you don’t mind.
“No, I’m glad to see them here. Yesterday when I was on the phone in the office, I saw a pair of fox playing with their little kit. He was a very curious little guy. Nearly came all the way to the house but stopped. What else might we find out here?”
Well, I have seen, in my runs with my brothers, that there are some rabbits out there. A couple of burrows of them, so watch where you walk. Some mink too. But I think that’s because no one will hunt them there. She asked if anything was endangered. Not that I know of, but then I didn’t think to look.
“Grandma would never let anyone rake the leaves up on the estate. She said that we did more harm than good, and if you wanted your yard to be spotless then cut down all your trees and enjoy the boiling sun on your house. She didn’t suffer fools well.” Lucian said that she was like that too. “Yes, well, thank you. Even if you didn’t mean it as a compliment.”
I did. Something startled the deer and she turned to find Lucian. He was there, where she’d entered the waterway, sitting on his butt. He looked so much like a real bear that she asked if it was really him. It’s me, love. So you know, I can smell a stranger has been out here. We might want to be careful about that from now on.
“I can do that.” She started taking off her clothing. “I’ve decided that the grass looks really soft there. Provided that there isn’t a great deal of deer poop. Why don’t you make love to me here, and then later in the bed?”
I can do that. He shifted, his body becoming all man. His cock, hard and stiff, reminded her of a sword that he would carry. “I want you, love. More and more every day.”
“And I want you, Lucian.”
He met her at the side of the water. Lucian picked her up in his arms and carried her to where the deer had been. After looking around, he laid her down. At this
Lucian: McCray Bruin Bear Shifter Romance Page 15