by Josie Hunter
Esteban ran a hand through his thick gray hair and stared out the window. “I’m sure you’re curious why I didn’t have more children of my own.” He turned back to face Talon, but he wisely kept quiet.
Santos nodded slowly. “Ahhh, you are too much of a gentleman to ask, sí?” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Well, I will tell you. I was gravely injured some years ago, caught by a group of military men who became aware shifters were among them. They wanted to cut me open, to see if I looked the same as a human. Had my family not intervened, I would be dead now. Like my son. Of course my family did intervene, led by my brother, Miguel, and let us just say, those men are no longer a problem—for anyone.”
Talon didn’t know what to say to such personal information. The old man had lost his balls? Well, maybe not that exactly. The Santos men had balls of steel. Something though had obviously interfered with his ability to procreate. He felt something was needed in response, but what did you say to a guy who’d confessed something like that?
Keep out of his personal life. Come on, think, Talon.
He finally saw a glimmer of something safe and grasped at that straw, hoping it was the smart course. “That’s why we need Senator Montgomery dead, why Viper was planning to kill him. You don’t want the senator or someone like him to divulge knowledge of the paranormal community. You’re afraid people will find out and abuse anyone they think is a shifter, like they did you.”
Santos smiled. “You’re partially correct, Talon. If the majority of humans find out we exist, they will want us examined through a microscope, contained and controlled, possibly even dissected and studied.” He paused. “That’s just the tip of the iceberg though. If our talents are discovered, if the humans find out how easy it is for us to control them using those talents, it will be impossible for me to conduct business. With the federal government and humans watching every move shifters make with morbid fascination, my business dealings will be scrutinized even further. As it is, I must be very careful of some of my more…dubious endeavors.”
I should have known it wasn’t an altruistic motive. He’s a snake-shifter after all.
“Considering some of the things we do using Santos Laboratories as a cover, it’s hard enough to conduct my business as it is.”
Running a legal business would help.
For one moment, Talon panicked. Had he said that out loud? No, he couldn’t have. He was still alive. Damn, watch yourself, boy.
He studied Santos as he turned back toward the bar, suddenly wondering if the old man was anywhere near as crazy as his son. Even half as crazy could be deadly. Talon sipped at the tequila and somehow managed not to grimace. He hated tequila. It smelled like body sweat to him. “You do still want the senator killed, right, sir?”
“Oh sí. Sí,” Santos acknowledged. “My Juan, my only son, died trying to stop that man from talking.” Santos waved a hand in the air. “I realize Viper had his own agenda, but he was working toward the goal. He never failed me. Until he set his sights on that Lucas bitch.”
“And are we still concerned with the Lucas bitch, sir?”
“No, Talon, we are not. Carly Lucas was witness to Juan’s activities, not mine. With Juan dead, and no underworld connection to me, I feel she’s no longer a threat to us.”
“And the cause, sir? Is she still a threat to the cause?”
“That remains to be seen. It would appear she’s become the alpha female of Catamount, but I see no political activities stemming from anything she does beyond that of her community role. Her husband and his pride, however, might become an issue a bit further in the future. There’s still the little matter of the planned hit on Senator Montgomery, and even though I am not on their radar, we may still have a problem completing the task.” He studied Talon for a minute, glancing at his mostly full shot glass. “It’s more palatable if done quickly and efficiently…much like murder.”
The old man was probably right. Talon decided it would be easier to gulp the tequila in one fast swallow than to torture himself by sipping the vile liquid. He turned the glass up and threw the liquid to the back of his throat, swallowed, and fought his gag reflex down. His eyes watered so hard tears rolled down his cheeks.
Santos roared with laughter, and when he finally got himself under control, he grew serious once more. “Talon, you must tell your brother he has done well. I will bring him to the laboratories soon and let my chemists and medical personnel work with him. I’m convinced we can restore his body, if not his mind.”
“He will be pleased, sir,” Talon said, feeling a ray of hope bloom in his chest. Maybe if his brother could fly again, some of the anger slowly destroying his mind would dissipate. “Do you have any further instructions?”
Santos nodded. “Sí, I have set him up in Catamount for a purpose, and once I have this sample tested, I will give him more detailed instructions. In the meantime, help him become familiar to my daughter. Let her see your brother around town and have Raptor speak to her every chance he gets. If she is like her mother, she has a kind heart, and she will remember him from the park. He is extremely memorable, is he not? If need be, it will be easier to lure her away if she’s seen him many times and grown comfortable with him. In the meantime, I plan to hold out the olive branch to my daughter and see if we can catch our fly with honey.”
Talon nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“One more thing.”
Talon waited, his shoulders suddenly tense and his bum shoulder twitching like a bitch. This was the part of the interview when Viper usually went off the deep end of crazy.
“Do nothing to alarm my daughter.”
“Of course not, sir.”
“Or the fucking Lucas brothers, no matter how compelling the need might be. Any move against that pride or that town at this point would draw very unwanted attention to my efforts. I need to think of our next move concerning Senator Montgomery.”
“I understand, sir.”
“That’s a good soldier. Give my regards to Raptor.”
Talon took his leave of Esteban Santos and made it to the sidewalk before his stomach protested the tequila and emptied itself into the street. As he stood up and wiped his mouth on the handkerchief he carried in his back pocket, Talon felt that stress coiling deeper into his gut. He’d thought that twisted bundle of stress had ended with Viper’s death. Now he realized there was no real escape from the Santos family. They were both monsters, except Viper was now a dead monster. He’d never been happier than seeing Juan Santos’s decapitated snake head. No coming back from that. No, sir, not ever. He laughed as he relived the relief he’d felt seeing that serpent body in two pieces.
He wasn’t sure how much longer he could live in the shadow of such potential terror. If it weren’t for saving his poor miserable brother, Talon would fly away so far he’d never be found again. Maybe the Appalachians. He missed home. The trouble was he couldn’t leave Raptor behind. Not in the shape he was in. Viper had nearly destroyed him, and now, however slim, there was the chance he could be restored. Talon didn’t have a choice. Even knowing it could turn out badly, he had to take the chance. He’d never had a choice once Viper had gotten his fangs into Raptor.
Snake-shifters were notoriously difficult to deal with. They could seldom be trusted, and their moods changed with the wind. Esteban Santos seemed a shade more stable than his son, but that wasn’t saying much. Besides, despite all the talk of olive branches and honey, what kind of man wanted to kidnap his own daughter to harvest her blood?
Maybe Santos would wise up and just freaking ask her for help with the project. He didn’t have to tell her what it was for. This cloak-and-dagger shit was tiring. Talon sighed and popped two aspirin in his mouth, chewing them without water. Along with the stress came the headaches, but at least he had good news for Raptor. Santos would start him on the experimental drug soon. If it were successful, the CEO of Santos Laboratories would sell it on the black market to shifters who had been wounded and couldn’t change. He’d charge
them an exorbitant price, knowing they would be willing to pay anything for their freedom.
In Raptor’s case, the price of freedom might be his sanity. And for himself…well, Talon figured the price might be his soul. At this point, he was willing to pay anything to get this business done. He headed down the hot New Orleans street. He knew a certain little falcon-shifter in the French Quarter that owed him a blow job. After that, he’d hit the clubs and let off a little steam.
Chapter 3
On Tuesday, Rosa looked up through the one-way mirror when she heard the electronic chime of the door announce Catamount Dance Company had a visitor. Her heart gave a crazy little dance, and she involuntarily squeezed her thighs together to stop the rush of liquid pooling in her pussy. Robb Jackson.
Walking around her desk, she adjusted her hot-pink crop top to accentuate her cleavage. She watched him checking her out as she moved across the studio, her ponytail sliding like a warm caress across her back, her hips swaying beneath the lace frills of her vintage black tutu skirt. The heels of her tap shoes clicked a slow, sensual rumba against the hardwood floor in complete contrast to the samba-like beat of her heart. She met him halfway across the dance floor and could only imagine the pace of his heart. He looked as cool and collected as always, even though she’d nearly burst into hot, licking flames at the sight of him.
“Welcome, Tomcat.”
“Hi yourself.” Robb gave her a lazy grin. “Love the outfit.”
She shrugged. “The little girls love tutus. I have a mother-daughter class in a few minutes. We wear the tutus for every class.” She gestured toward her shoes. “Even tap.”
“It suits you.”
She nearly blushed at the compliment, a thoroughly awkward and very un-Rosa-like thing to do. She tucked a piece of wayward hair behind her ear, struggling to rein in her emotions. “Have you decided to take me up on that offer of a dance class?” she asked in her most beguiling tone.
Robb boldly studied her from head to toe, though he’d already studied every inch of her. Heat infused her face again, and she hoped beyond hope she hadn’t turned the same shade as her top. She couldn’t understand why she felt so flustered around him. Instead of getting more comfortable with him, each moment they spent together had become more torturous than the last. That grin had promise, but he’d grown quiet. Had she said the wrong thing? Why couldn’t she be more like Carly? Her friend never tap-danced around her feelings like this. She just came out and said what she thought.
Just when Rosa thought she would explode waiting for him to respond, he finally focused back on her face.
“Do we really need a class, Rosie? Isn’t that what we’re already doing? Dancing around each other without really touching?”
Rosa was tall. Most snake-shifters were. Even so, she still had to lift her face higher to stare directly in his eyes. “Why do you keep calling me Rosie? No one calls me Rosie outside of the pride.”
He reached toward her, and she steeled herself, trying not to flinch as he caught the length of her ponytail in his hand and pulled it over her shoulder. “I decided I do.”
“You can’t just decide something like that.” She reached up and wrapped her fingers around his hand. Big mistake. A flare of heat surged up her arm and tingled across her chest. Her nipples rose to taut peaks beneath the thin spandex of her top. Despite that, or maybe because of it, she lifted his hand away from her body and took a step backward. “Rosie sounds too…” Any word she chose would be wrong.
His dark, rumbling voice wrapped around her. “Personal.” Not a question. A statement. A tiny smile hovered on his mouth. He knew the effect he had on her. He nearly sucked her willpower from her body with simply the sound of his voice.
“Yes,” she said softly. “Personal.”
“Don’t you like it?”
“Sí, I like it,” she said softly, and then wanted to kick her own ass. How did this man make her say such things? “I…I mean I don’t like it. It’s…it’s…far too—” She closed her mouth before more words could fall out. He had her stammering now. Damn the man.
“Personal,” Robb said again.
Her eyes widened when, undeterred, Robb reached out to run a finger slowly down the side of her face. She swallowed hard and pressed her lips together tightly because, for a moment, she wanted to step into him, wanted him to wrap his arms around her and pull her to his wide chest. She wanted to slide her body against every inch of his and revel in his heat. She mentally shook herself out of such thoughts. They weren’t her thoughts or feelings. They were the feelings of a normal woman, a woman who needed a man to complete her, a submissive woman.
The image of her best friend flickered in her mind. Carly was a normal woman. Well, at least as normal as a woman could be in Catamount. Was it so wrong Carly had become more complete, more of a woman, by submitting to the love and care of her five men? Rosa suddenly wondered if she thought less of Carly for doing so. Certainly not…or did she?
What was it about Robb Jackson that had her acting this way, thinking thoughts that had never entered her mind before?
He should be no different than Marcus or Steve, her two favorite Tomcats. They were strong, disciplined, and capable men also, but they didn’t make her want to be held in the same way Robb did. She wondered what throwing Robb into the mix would be like, but she doubted he was the kind of man that would go for a ménage relationship. A Dom would never allow himself to share. Too bad, because Rosa couldn’t imagine herself ever being fulfilled by only one man. She wasn’t sure even two men could fulfill her. A Domme would never allow herself to submit. Too bad…
His voice jolted her out of her thoughts.
“Would you go out with me?” She realized she must have had a strange look on her face because he smiled and said, “Was the question a stumper? It didn’t seem that tough.”
“Out with you? On a date?” The sound of her voice alone—very squeaky, almost mouselike—told her what she needed to know. She shook her head very quickly, only three shakes, but it was enough to clear her mind. “Oh no. That would certainly not be a good idea.”
“Why not?”
Damn the man for wanting reasons. Why did she have to give reasons? Wasn’t it enough to know it would never, positively never, work out between them? A date would merely prove to them both that a Dom and a Domme could never play happily ever after together.
Rosa frowned. Happily ever after? Who said anything about forever? He was talking about a dinner, a couple drinks, maybe even a bit of body-sliding through his heat. She’d like nothing better than to play physical Slip ’N Slide with him. Quickly, before she could change her mind, she said, “Fine. A date. Just one.” She glanced at him through her lashes. “To see how things go.”
“Maybe Thursday?” Robb asked.
The look he gave her seemed almost speculative. She caught a glint of that little flash of silver in the deep blue. That always seemed to appear when his emotions shifted. Did he know what she did on Thursdays? She lifted her chin, feeling a bit back in control now.
“Thursday… Hmm… Let me think…” She ran her index finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to the ceiling as she pretended to go through her mental calendar. When she brought her gaze back to his, the flash of silver brightened. “Sí…” He looked almost hopeful so she went in for the kill. “Sí, I am sure.” She gave him what she hoped was a disappointed look. “I’m afraid I’m busy on Thursday.”
His mouth dropped, but to his credit, he recovered fast. “Oh, I see. Well, how about Friday then?”
She glanced at the ceiling once more and then nodded. “Sí, Friday is perfect.”
“The new restaurant on the waterfront?”
“Paradiso? Sí, I’ve heard wonderful things about Paradiso from Lisa Fauve.”
Robb chuckled. “Well, Lisa would certainly know. She seems to know everything in this town.”
“Lisa hears the confessions and interests of every woman in Catamount. Men may not understand that
purchasing lingerie takes a bit of time, but it does. Lots of time to spend chatting.”
He glanced down her body as though he could see right through her tutu to her thong. She caught his subtle sniff. Panthers…always sniffing, but he was very good at hiding it. Her body heated up at the thought of his mouth trailing kisses where his eyes dipped. Once again, his voice pulled her out of her heady thoughts.
“Are you still at Cattail? Shall I pick you up there?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. He knew darn well she’d moved off of Catttail Ranch several weeks before and now lived above the studio. She had to give him bonus points for trying to look unaffected by her charms and oblivious to her activities, but that didn’t mean he should be rewarded.
“No, I can meet you.” She saw his face fall, a lot further than she would have thought. She smiled. “My classes sometimes run a bit long. I’d hate for you to have to wait. Will seven-ish work? This way you can have a drink if I’m running behind.”
“Sounds great,” Robb said softly. He leaned down, and his warm breath tickled her ear. “They have dancing at Paradiso. Maybe we can have that dance on the deck.”
She held very still and glanced sideways, meeting his dark blue gaze. “You can count on it.”
Robb threw back his head and laughed just as the electronic chime sang above the door. A small frame dressed in a burgundy leotard and tutu skipped across the floor, her little tap shoes clicking merrily on the wood and her blonde curls bouncing around her shoulders.
“Hi, Rosa! We’re here!”
Suzie Lucas jump-hopped, coming to a stop in front of Rosa. She did a twirl, the tutu bouncing on her thighs. “I got a new color! Like it?”
“Love it,” Rosa said.
“Hey, Tomcat 6!” Suzie said brightly, and then her face scrunched. “Why are you here? We have another Tomcat with us today.”