by Milly Taiden
“I don’t think his name was Barry. It was probably one of the other doormen.”
Perhaps Barry had passed information on to tell her. “Winter, I need to go. Can I use your car? I don’t know how long it will take to get mine out of the shop.”
Winter snatched the keys from the counter and tossed them to her. “No worries. Do what you need. I have work to do on the computer.”
Summer caught the keys tossed at her and smirked at Winter. “Call the security company. Just because you meet your mate doesn’t mean you have to jump into a relationship. You need this job too much to screw it up over a man.”
Winter scoffed and waved her away. Summer laughed as she walked out of the house and got into Winter’s car. On the way to Gerri’s apartment, she thought about Quinn. He was so different than what she envisioned an alpha shifter would be. Not that it’s something she thought about a lot, but there had always been shit in newspapers talking about them, so she had made assumptions.
She didn’t mean he wasn’t badass; he was a damn bear. He could kill with a swipe of a paw and she was sure he wouldn’t hesitate. But the softer side of him...that’s the side she hadn’t expected.
But, dang, she loved a well-rounded man and Quinn fit that bill better than she expected. Shit, she could see herself falling head over heels and fast. If she were honest with herself, she was halfway there already. God, when had she gotten so easy to please?
Once past her anger, she was sure she would see that he had made a bigger impression than she had expected on her heart.
Summer pulled up outside Gerri’s apartment complex. It was a fairly quiet day, not a lot of foot traffic. She climbed out of the car and looked around. There was a black pickup truck parking down the way. She wasn’t sure yet, but she thought it might be following her. She didn’t recall seeing one earlier, but Winter had been driving then.
She walked up to the building as Gerri walked out. “Hello, Summer, dear. Were you heading in to see me or is this completely unrelated, and I’m being nosy?”
Summer couldn’t help the laughter that burst out. Gerri Wilder never came across as she expected. “Mrs. Wilder, it’s a pleasure to see you again. I’m not actually here to see you but Barry, one of the doormen.”
“Didn’t I tell you to call me Gerri? Now, are you here to see Barry about my break-in? Because he was not the person who broke into my apartment.”
“No, ma’am,” Summer started then stuttered to a stop when she saw the look on Gerri’s face. “I mean, Gerri. He had something to tell me.”
Gerri smiled. “Okay, that boy’s a shifter, but not very powerful. I would have known if it was him in my apartment. By the way, the human who broke in has been caught, but he won’t talk. I want to know what he was looking for. Did he have any accomplices? Who sent him?”
Gerri put her hands on her hips and Summer suppressed a laugh.
“All great questions and ones I will find the answer to. If you will excuse me, though, I want to catch Barry before his shift ends.” Summer smiled and turned toward the doors.
“Not at all, I’d like to come with you. I’m curious about what information he has to share with you.” Summer felt Gerri’s presence at her back and sighed. She forgot about shifter hearing until she heard Gerri chuckle from behind her.
They stood inside the lobby and looked around for one of the doormen. After a moment, a young man with a name tag that said his name was Peter came through the side door, stopping in front of Gerri. “Mrs. Wilder, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. Is there something I can do for you?”
Summer glanced at Gerri to see her response.
“Hello, I’m sorry, have we met before?” Gerri extended a hand and leaned forward when he took it in his. Summer was sure Gerri was subtly sniffing the air.
“No, ma’am. I’m a new hire. I just finished my required training period. Part of which is recognizing residents by face and name.”
“How does that work, exactly?” Summer asked.
Peter seemed nervous to answer. “Um, we have information packets on each resident.” He looked at Gerri then back to Summer. “It- uh- gives us their pictures. It includes information about them, what they do for a living, and someone even added notes about hobbies and schedules.”
Summer shook her head. “That’s so personal. Way too personal. Who has access to these files and who would gave anyone permission to that information?”
“I never gave permission, but you can expect a call will be coming to the apartment complex management company,” Gerri chimed in.
Summer took a moment to look around the lobby to see if she could locate Barry.
Peter took a hasty step back and looked around frantically.
Summer quickly jumped in. “Listen, Peter, we aren’t blaming you. We are shocked, that’s all. You may have heard about the break-in at Mrs. Wilder’s apartment.” Peter nodded. “Do you understand our concern? The information packets give a potential thief easy access to information they could use to get into anyone’s apartment.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry, ma’am.” Peter’s pale face turned ashen and he started sweating profusely.
“Peter, is Barry still here or has he gone for the day?” Summer decided to go easy on the kid, but changes would be made very soon.
He looked a bit confused about the change of subject for a minute. “He left already, but may I ask your name? He left a note for someone if they came looking for him.”
Interesting.
Chapter Eighteen
Summer glanced at Gerri and then back to Peter. “Summer Delgado.”
Peter nodded before she even finished speaking. “Yes, I have a note for you. One second, ma’am, and I will get that.” Peter ran over to the desk the doormen used on their shifts and opened a drawer. He grabbed a piece of paper and raced back to her. “Here you go, miss.”
“Thank you, Peter. Why don’t you give your boss a call and explain what happened and what he can expect?” Summer smiled at the boy and tried not to laugh as he ran from them.
“I’m normally the one that makes them quake in their boots. That was highly entertaining, Summer. The situation is a bit upsetting, I assure you, but nothing we can’t get taken care of quickly. Now, what important news did Barry have for you?” Gerri leaned forward to get a look at the piece of paper and Summer dutifully opened it.
Ms. Delgado,
I’m sorry I couldn’t speak to you earlier but I had to leave in a rush. I’m not sure who broke into Gerri Wilder’s apartment but this information was given to me by a third party and it seems to be something you need to know.
The human was working for a human matchmaking company and it was a competition.
Go to this house and you will find the answers you seek.
45758 E. Nagani Street.
I’m not sure what any of this means but the importance was stressed to me that you receive this information shortly. I was also advised to run after delivering it, so I wish you the best of luck.
Barry.
Summer folded the paper and glanced at Gerri. “Does this seem a little too cut and dried to you?” Summer tapped the paper against her palm and thought about what she had just read. Why would someone want her to have this information? Was it to throw her off the trail of the real person who broke into Gerri’s apartment? And what was at that address she needed to find?
“I’m not sure, Summer. I know enough about the world to never assume anything. This may have been a divine intervention of some kind. For now, my instincts tell me you need to go to that address. I’m not needed there so I will say goodbye. Give my love to Quinn, too.”
“So you did set us up to meet? Winter said you did but I didn’t believe her. Fool me once and all that shit.” Summer laughed and walked with Gerri to the door.
“Of course, darling. It’s what I do. Winter is one smart girl and she won’t be easy to fool, but I look forward to the challenge she will provide. Now go, you have a mate waiting to claim
you.”
Summer rushed away, spurred on by Gerri’s insistence that she go to the address. “See you later!” She jumped in her car and plugged the address into her phone’s GPS. The map said it was fifteen minutes away.
While she drove, she called Winter. After a few rings, it went to voicemail. “Winter, you were right, dammit! She did set us up. She did mention you would be fun, so you’re right. Now I’m on my way to follow up on a lead in the break-in case. I’ll check in with you later. Love you, sis.”
A few moments later, the mechanical voice on her phone told her to turn right and her destination was on the left. Summer slowly pulled in front of the house and parked. She turned in her seat to look at the home. It didn’t look different than any other on the street and there were no signs of anyone there. No cars in the driveway, no toys, flowers, or anything out front.
She sighed, climbed out of her car, and made her way up to the front door. She knocked and waited a few minutes. When no one answered, she peeked into the window and saw an empty living room. No furniture or any sign of life.
Summer tried the doorknob next and it opened easily. “Hello, anyone here?” Summer didn’t feel unsafe, so she went inside and started looking around. Every room she passed was devoid of any furnishings, nothing on the walls, or any signs of anyone living in the house. Not even dust or cobwebs in the corners of the rooms. She had just walked into the kitchen to check the cabinets and fridge when she heard the front door open again.
“Hello, I’m sorry for trespassing. I was sent here.” Summer figured calling out was good in case it was the police or the homeowner. She didn’t want to get shot. No one responded, so she slowly walked into the living room and glanced at the door. A man stood there. He was older but seemed familiar to her, though she was sure she hadn’t ever met him before.
“Hi, I’m Summer. Do you own this house?”
The man smiled at her. “My girlfriend’s family lives here. I’m supposed to pick her up for our date. Have you seen her?”
Summer glanced around to make sure she wasn’t missing anything then moved toward the front window. She didn’t see a car in the driveway and the only one in the area was the black pickup from earlier.
“I’m sorry, sir. The house is empty. No one lives here anymore. Is there anyone I can call for you?”
“Empty? I’m meeting my family here. Why are you here?” The man walked into the center of the room and glanced up at the ceiling. Summer realized there was a square in the ceiling, like an attic entrance or storage.
He stared at the space for a moment then started to shift and Summer’s back hit the wall. What the hell was going on? Fear had her closing her eyes for a second. In the blink of an eye a large brown bear stood in the living room. He roared and Summer couldn’t help screaming at the top of her lungs.
Chapter Nineteen
Quinn pulled up next to the house where Summer was last seen. “Reno, what’s going on, man?”
“Nothing, Alpha. No one else is inside and they haven’t come out.” Reno glanced at the house and then back to Quinn.
“All right, I got it from here. Fill Donovan in on everything and we will be home shortly.” Quinn watched Reno pulled away and then drove down the street and parked in the driveway. He opened the door just as he heard a scream from the house.
His bear roared and demanded they get inside and protect their mate. He ran up to the door and kicked it open. Two steps inside and he froze. His father stood in full shift pawing at the attic door in the living room. Summer was in the corner staring at him.
“Summer, are you okay?” He rushed to her side and pulled her into a hug.
She wrapped her arms around him and stared over his shoulder.
“Summer, did Dad hurt you at all?”
Summer pulled back and stared at him.
“Dad? That bear is your dad? No wonder he looked familiar. Now I understand why he was talking about his family.” Summer stepped away and he walked closer to his dad.
“Dad, it’s Quinn. Let me help you. Shift back, please. I have clothes in my Jeep. Summer, would you mind grabbing them for me?” Quinn glanced over to make sure Summer left the room. His dad was usually very mild-tempered, but things hadn’t been normal lately. “Dad, I will help you look up there, but please shift back. I need to talk to you and you’re scaring my mate.”
That wasn’t quite true, but he hoped the ploy worked. Sure, at first Summer screamed, but a giant bear standing in the middle of the room pawing at a ceiling would be a bit nerve-racking for anyone. Once Quinn had said it was his dad, she calmed down and seemed more curious than anything.
“Dad, please shift and meet Summer. I told you about her the other day. Remember? I want you to meet her.” Something must have penetrated his father’s thoughts because he lowered his arms and looked at Quinn. “Yeah, Dad, my mate is here. Shift so you can meet her.” After a moment his dad’s form shimmered and he stood there with a huge smile on his face.
“Quinn! I’m so glad you’re here. We need to get into this attic space. I know there is something important up there. I woke up from my nap and I was clear-headed again and I just knew. Now get Summer in here with some clothes and let’s get up there, boy.”
From the doorway, Summer called out, “I’m here. I didn’t want to just walk in and I think the neighbors might appreciate not seeing a naked man in the living room of an empty house.”
Quinn laughed and walked over to the door, took the pants, and shut it.
Quinn watched his dad, and when he was dressed, he turned to open the door. ”No, son. Let me.” Anthony pulled the door open and stood in the doorway with a huge smile on his face.
“I’m sorry, my dear. I’m Anthony and it’s my great pleasure to meet you. Now, if I may, I would like nothing other than a big bear hug.” He put his arms out wide and Summer laughed lightly then stepped into his embrace. “We bears sometimes have to embrace the stereotypes, you know.”
Quinn laughed, but it felt good to have his dad back. “All right, Dad. Let me have my mate. You’ve had her in your arms long enough.”
Anthony released her and took a step back. “All right, but we do need to get into the attic. I know there is something up there.”
Summer walked under the attic space and looked up. “I was given a note saying the answers I’m looking for could be found here, in this house.”
Quinn growled and looked at his dad. “Who gave you the note? This seems really odd and like a bit of a set up. You both were drawn here on the same day, at the same time, which, of course, brought me here.”
Quinn walked over to stand next to Summer and looked up. “If I shift, I should be able to reach it. The question is, will my claws be able to open the latch.”
Summer took a few steps back and watched with wide eyes. He continued. “I’m going to undress first so I have clothes to put on afterward. Shifters don’t really see an issue with nudity, so it doesn’t matter to us. I just wanted you to know.” Summer nodded and glanced at Anthony.
Quinn kicked off his shoes and unbuttoned his pants, never taking his eyes from Summer. Her eyes were glued to his every movement. “If you keep staring at me like that, this is not going to be a comfortable shift.” From behind, he heard his dad snicker. Summer blushed and spun.
“Summer, you can turn around now,” Anthony said with a laugh. Summer pivoted around and stared up at Quinn.
“Wow, he’s huge. Um, Anthony, could I touch him?” Summer took a few steps closer to him.
Quinn’s bear dropped to the ground so she could have easier access. “Yes, you can touch him. He obviously wants you to.”
Summer reached out and stroked Quinn’s head and down his paw. “He’s so soft and adorable.”
“Well, that’s not something every dad expects to hear about their son, but I’ll take it as a compliment. I’m sorry to cut this short, but I don’t know how long I have until my mind slips away again. Can we please look into the attic?” Anthony moved clo
ser and looked up to the ceiling.
“Yes. I’m sorry.” She backed up and waited to see if Quinn would be able to lift the latch.
He stood to his full height and easily reached up with his paw, and after a few fumbled attempts, he was able to snag a claw into the latch and pulled. The door dropped open with a bang.
“There’s a ladder attached to the door. I’m going up.” Anthony yanked on the ladder and climbed. Summer watched him go up and then glanced at Quinn.
“You can shift and get dressed. I’ll go up with your dad.” Summer glanced at him then climbed the ladder and out of sight.
Chapter Twenty
Quinn shifted and dressed quickly. He climbed the ladder to the attic and could hear Summer and Anthony murmuring quietly as he climbed. “Dad, Summer, what did you find?”
“Hey, Quinn, over here. There’s a chest here. We were just looking at the lock, trying to figure out how to open it without breaking anything.” Summer glanced over her shoulder at him and then knelt in front of the chest.
He walked over and stood behind the two of them to see what the lock looked like. “Dad, can’t you just break it open?”
Quinn leaned down so he could see the mechanism better and Summer shivered as his breath ran across her neck. He smirked at her reaction. He knew one of her weak spots now.
“I can’t, son. I don’t have the strength I used to have, but you should be able to.” Anthony moved to the side so Quinn could move closer. He knelt in front of the chest, next to Summer, and grabbed the lock. Quinn gently picked it up in his right hand and pulled until he felt the metal giveaway. “Thankfully, it’s just a padlock. Those aren’t too hard to break.”
Quinn took the lock off and set it next to him. “Dad, do you want to do the honors?” Quinn moved to the other side of Summer so his dad could take his place.
Behind them, a bang sounded, and they all jumped and turned. The attic door was closed, the ladder folded up. “Quinn, do you think that closed on its own or did we just get trapped in here? Fuck, we knew this was odd. Why did we all come up?”