by Ashlyn Chase
“Well, it’s no wonder, honey. You’ve been best friends since you were little, and now you’re roommates,” she began. She didn’t quite know where she was going with the conversation, so she couldn’t help being grateful when the phone rang. “I’ll get it,” Gabriella sang out. Hopefully, it was son number six, explaining his absence.
The phone was on the wall in the kitchen, where it had been for a couple of decades. She grabbed it without looking at the caller ID. “Noah?”
“No, it’s Kristine.”
“Oh, Kristine! Did your mother have the baby?”
“Yes! I have a little sister!”
“Oh, that’s so exciting!” Gabriella stuck her hand over the mouthpiece and poked her head around the doorjamb. “We have an announcement! Amy’s had her little dra—I mean, baby! It’s a girl!” Oh my goodness. I almost let the word dragon slip out in front of a human stranger!
“Congratulations, Kristine!” many voices yelled at once.
“So, are mother and baby doing well?”
“Yes,” Kristine said. “Tell everyone both are healthy and my stepdad is thrilled beyond belief. Also, please tell Luca I’m sorry I couldn’t be at his graduation. I’ll try to stop by in a few hours.”
“Oh, don’t worry, darling. Everyone understands.”
They exchanged a few more good wishes and then hung up. Before Gabriella made it back to her seat, the phone rang again.
“I’ll get it.” She spun around and went back the way she came. “Hello?”
“Yeah. Hi, Mom. I’m not going to make it for dinner today.”
She paused for effect. “And why not?”
“I—I have some important stuff to do.”
“Why does it sound like you’re not telling me the real reason, Noah?”
“That is the real reason!”
“Hmph. And this ‘important stuff’ is more important than your family? Including your brother’s college graduation? He’s only the first Fierro to graduate from a four-year college right out of high school.”
Noah groaned. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll try to come by later. If it makes you feel any better, it’s about a girl.”
“Which girl?”
“Huh? Kizzy. Who else would it be?”
“Fine. Well, come over when you get the chance. I want to hear more about this doctor girlfriend of yours.” Then she brightened. “Or maybe you can bring her with you! I’d love to see her again.”
He sighed. “I doubt she’ll come.”
Something wasn’t going well there, but she wasn’t about to get into it while everyone was within earshot. They said goodbye, and she finally returned to the table. “That was Noah. He’ll be over later…and maybe he’ll bring his new girlfriend. I don’t know. He was very evasive.”
Suddenly, Mallory began to shake uncontrollably.
“Babe?” Dante asked. He put an arm around her shoulders and murmured something into her ear.
The girl’s bright-blue eyes were wide, as if she was afraid of something, and she quickly slipped under the table.
“I’ve got this,” Dante said and held up one hand as if telling his family not to worry and leave everything to him. Then he slithered under the table too.
What the…
Gabriella’s concern made her lean over and peek under the tablecloth. To her shock, a little monkey sat on the floor, hugging Dante’s leg. Because the monkey was wearing Mallory’s dress, it didn’t take a genius to surmise that Mallory was a shape-shifter. And it appeared as if she didn’t have terrific control over her shifts. Paranormals didn’t just shift spontaneously in front of people they didn’t know well.
Gabriella did a quick mental check of everyone. They were all aware of the paranormals living among them. Most were shape-shifters themselves. Misty was the newest member of the family, but she was comfortable with the “uniqueness” of the Fierro men—and in fact had her own unique abilities. Sandra was the only one who was a totally unadulterated human, but she’d been a part of this family for so long, she wouldn’t bat an eyelash.
Gabriella smiled. “It’s all right, Mallory. You can come out. We’ve all seen much weirder things.”
Dante grinned at his mother. She resurfaced to see how the rest of the family was taking this. So far, everyone was being quiet and respectful.
Then Antonio peeked under the table and groaned. “Not another one…”
Gabriella gave him the stink eye. He winked at her, then stretched and yawned. “Yup. It’s just another Sunday dinner at the Fierro house.”
* * *
Kizzy had to admit she was missing Noah. He had been sweet and attentive and hadn’t given up on her. He called her almost every night, and when he couldn’t, he let her know why. He was the kind of dependable good guy she would have liked to have in her life—eventually.
She hated to defy her father, but it was her life. She was twenty-seven years old, for gods’ and goddesses’ sakes. She was still fighting with him over using a spell to cause temporary blindness in order to stay home, protecting the book. She understood that she would need an emergency leave, and certainly, a sudden loss of vision would preclude her from doing her job…but couldn’t he come up with something better?
He wanted her to be safe, of course, but the idea of a seeing-eye wolf still rankled. Bostonians weren’t likely to know the difference between a wolf and a dog, but what if she was visited by a colleague who hailed from Montana?
And what would she tell people when she got back? Oh, it was hysterical blindness? It must have happened because I didn’t want to see the news anymore? It’s really depressing. Or, I poked myself in the eye really hard? How could she explain something as dramatic as going blind?
So she became stubborn. Her father couldn’t keep dictating what she should and shouldn’t do. Especially who she should and shouldn’t date. Wait a minute. No, that couldn’t have anything to do with it.
Noah wasn’t just gorgeous. He was interesting—in a geeky kind of way, but they had that in common. He told her about strolling around old bookstores, his interest in science, astronomy, as well as honing his skills as an EMT and firefighter. Plus she liked and respected him for all his charity work. Who wouldn’t? She wanted to spend more time with him and get to know him better. At times, her mind wandered, and she fantasized about kissing him. Even that much got her panties damp.
One evening, during their nightly phone call, he asked her out to the firefighters’ next charity event. It was really hard to say no to charity. And this was something a little goofy, but it sounded like fun. He was participating in the hot dog eating contest. He even mentioned that it might be handy to have a doctor close by in case of choking. How could she say no? Sure, all the firefighters were EMTs, but she was an ER doctor, and her presence might make them feel even safer—and for a good cause.
She agreed to go. Now she just had to come up with a story to tell her father, something that couldn’t be a lie but wouldn’t include the whole truth. She’d tell him she was going to volunteer her time at a charity event. The charity was raising money to benefit widows and orphans. The firemen’s fund did benefit the kids, widows, and widowers of fallen firefighters. That should do it.
* * *
The day of the hot dog eating contest arrived, and Kizzy had her sister pick her up. The two of them were going together, and Daddy would stay home, guarding the book.
When Kizzy spotted Noah, she wanted to run to him and throw her arms around him. Instead, she decided to control herself and sneak up behind him, snaking her arms around his waist. No need to look like a teenager.
He stiffened and swiveled enough to see who it was. A grin split his face when he saw her. He turned around and lifted her off the ground as they shared a warm hug. It didn’t seem like the right time and place for kissing him, but she wanted to. He greeted Ruth as if she were an old friend, givin
g her a quick hug too.
Long tables had been set up on a makeshift stage. The smell of hot dogs cooking filled the air. It wasn’t the most pleasant odor, especially knowing how many disgusting things went into hot dogs. She didn’t have to eat them, however, and Noah would be downing them for charity. She could always pump his stomach later.
Someone blew a whistle.
“I wish I had more time to talk with you, but they need me on stage.”
“I understand. We’ll talk later.”
He swooped in for a quick kiss and jogged up the stairs of the platform. All the contestants found their seats, and piles of hot dogs were placed in front of them.
“Shouldn’t they have buckets up there too?” Ruth asked, smirking.
Kizzy rolled her eyes. “I think they’re disqualified if they vomit.”
“I can’t believe you agreed to watch this disgusting display. You must really like him.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I guess I must.”
When everyone was ready to go, the MC reiterated that one hundred percent of the money raised would go to the charity. It was for the families of fallen firefighters. The thought of Noah ever being one of those lost frightened her.
When the MC blew the whistle, all the contestants started wolfing down hot dog after hot dog.
Just watching Noah shoving more food into his mouth than was healthy, barely chewing, and swallowing down the mashed mess made her feel like turning green. The whole look was extremely unattractive.
Just then, one of the participants threw up. All. Over. The crowd made the grossed-out sounds she’d be making if she weren’t trying to be professional. But did she really want to watch this gluttony? Short answer, no. Longer answer, “Mother-hummer and her five sisters…get me outta here!”
“Really? You want to leave? I thought you were supposed to be on hand in case anyone chokes.”
“If any more of them vomit, I’m going to too. Can you watch the fracas for me and tell me if anyone is in trouble? I’ll pretend to look at my phone.”
Ruth burst out laughing. “I’m pregnant and less nauseous than you are?” She gasped. “Unless you—”
“Whoa. Not even possible. Get that thought out of your head.”
Ruth planted her hand on her hip. “Kizzy, you’re a doctor. You’ve seen way worse things than this.”
“I’d rather hold blood and guts in my bare hands. The minute this thing is over, I want to go for a walk.”
“Not go out to lunch?” Ruth teased.
“Not right away, no.”
Her sister, still giggling, watched the contest as Kizzy pretended to look at her phone.
“Oh shit. I’ve got to go.”
“Why?”
“Massive trauma. They’re calling me in.”
“On your day off?”
“Yeah, it must be really serious.”
“Let’s go.”
* * *
When the contest ended and Noah came in second, he looked around for Kizzy. She was nowhere to be found. He’d had her in the corner of his eye at the beginning of the contest, then he was hunched over for the rest of it.
Glancing down at his mustard- and ketchup-stained shirt, he realized he should change his clothes before he saw her anyway. The guys were given a few temporary lockers inside the fitness center. He washed up and dressed, fearing the worst. What if she hadn’t wanted to see him afterward? Did he disgust her now? Maybe he shouldn’t have even told her about this stupid contest.
When he was finally dressed and clean, he went back out to the platform the sponsors were breaking down. The crowd had thinned out, and he still didn’t see her. There was something glinting on the ground where she had been standing. He jogged over to it and noticed it was a phone with a sparkly gold sleeve. Kizzy’s phone!
Suddenly, the ideas of an assailant and a threat became very real. Oh shit! What happened? Did somebody grab Kizzy and Ruth? Or did Kizzy just drop her phone without realizing it? He would’ve thought there would be a ruckus of some kind if the girls had been taken against their will. Or maybe his smart girl managed to hide herself somewhere else. Realizing that, he tamped down his temporary wave of panic and tried to think rationally.
Noah scanned the area, tapping into his paranormal senses, where he could smell and see farther and clearer than most humans. There was no sweet scent or anyone that resembled Kizzy or Ruth as far as he could see.
What the heck could he do now? He had her phone, but he didn’t know the password. He had his own phone, but he didn’t know Ruth’s phone number or even her last name. Wait. Her last name would be Samuels if she wasn’t married yet. Right? Maybe?
He quickly connected to the internet and looked up Ruth Samuels in the Boston white pages. If she had a landline, he could probably leave a voicemail. No listings. He could go town by town, hoping he’d happen upon some names to call and one of them was her. That would take way too long and was far too inefficient.
He was fighting with himself over the idea of going to her father’s home. It would likely be an unwelcome visit, especially since the elder Dr. Samuels had already told her to break up with him. But if something had happened to his kids, he’d want to know immediately.
It was an easy walk to the nearest subway station, but before alarming their dad, he should at least fly overhead and see if he could catch sight of the telltale white van used for kidnapping victims, or, more likely, Ruth’s Prius. He jogged toward a parking lot that seemed deserted. Behind a car covered with dust, he was able to shed his clothes, shift, roll around in the dirt to hide his red and yellow tail feathers, then take to the sky.
He scanned the entire area, gliding on the wind, until he saw a couple of dark-haired girls walking. He flew over the two young women, landing in a tree before them as they were walking toward it. Nope. They weren’t Kizzy and Ruth. He’d know their similar sweet faces anywhere.
Flying again, he fanned out in gradually widening circles. He began looking at cars and pedestrians who might be the troublesome men he’d seen at the Samuels residence. There were plenty of white sedans but nothing that looked exactly like the vehicle he’d seen in Brookline.
He tried to remember any identifying details about the men and their car. The men were different ages. One was in his late forties or fifties with dirty-blond hair edged with gray temples, and the other was maybe in his twenties. His hair was a light brown. He never saw their eyes up close, but he thought they might be light-colored, like blue or green rather than brown. The car didn’t have any identifying marks or bumper stickers. It was probably a rental.
Flying around and racking his brain for some kind of clearer identifying information was just wasting time. He needed to get to their father, who knew more about the women than he did. Together, they might figure out where the girls were. He’d feel completely stupid if he showed up at her dad’s house and found out she was having coffee with her sister and had just dropped her phone. But if something was wrong…
He headed back to the parking lot where he’d left his clothing. Thankfully, the car hiding his stuff hadn’t moved. Shifting again, he quickly dressed. He was relieved to see both his and Kizzy’s phones were still there under the pile of clothes. He tucked them into his pants pockets, then he raced for the subway.
About forty minutes later, he was walking up to the Samuels’ stately home in Brookline. He rang the doorbell and waited. And waited. And waited…
At last, a stout woman with gray hair opened the door.
“May I help you?”
“I’m Noah Fierro, a friend of Kizzy’s. Is her father here?”
“Yes, I’ll go get him. Would you like to come in and wait in the parlor?”
Noah wasn’t sure how much the patriarch would appreciate his coming into his home, but he certainly didn’t want to refuse hospitality, so he stepped inside.
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The woman ushered him into a separate formal living room and told him to have a seat. He was too antsy to sit still, so he wandered around the room, scanning the built-in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. It looked like their taste in literature was eclectic. There was everything from how-to books, to biographies, to World War II stories, to—Fifty Shades? Oh wow. He wondered who was reading that…and what they thought of it. Something to file away for another day.
When Dr. Samuels entered the room, Noah put on a pleasant expression and stuck out his hand. “Hello, Dr. Samuels. You’re Kizzy’s father, right?”
The gentleman shook his hand. “Yes, and you are?”
“I’m Noah Fierro. A friend of Kizzy’s.”
“I don’t remember hearing your name. What can I do for you?”
“Forgive me. I don’t want to alarm you, but I found Kizzy’s phone on the ground outside Government Center.” Noah produced Kizzy’s phone, handing it to her father. “I was participating in a charity event, and I saw her there before it started. After it was over, all I found was her phone.”
“And where is my daughter?”
“Last time I saw her, she was with her sister. I don’t know her sister’s phone number, or I would’ve called her.”
Dr. Samuels took his own phone out of his pocket, touched the screen a couple of times, and waited. After several rings, he was listening to a message. “Ruth, this is Dad. Call me back. Right away. And if Kizzy is there with you, tell her I have her phone.” He touched the screen once more to end the call. “Thank you for bringing this to me.” He laid the phones on an entry table. Stroking his beard, he said, “I guess Kizzy must’ve told you where she lived. She doesn’t usually do that. You must be a good friend.”
Something like that. “If I may, sir, I overheard her and Ruth saying something about a possible threat. I don’t know any of the details, but if you can tell me anything, I’ll do whatever I can to protect her. I only want to help.”
Dr. Samuels didn’t speak for several moments. When he finally did, Noah could see the man struggling to make up something plausible, since he spoke slowly and deliberately.