“If he is, it shouldn’t be too hard to prove. That’s a rather rare plant, isn’t it?”
“Very rare. The poison can be absorbed through skin and if it gets into the bloodstream, death usually occurs within the hour. A very agonizing hour, at that.” Ian added. “Difficulty in breathing would be the first symptom, then paralysis. Finally the body will be racked with spasms until death.”
“But Adam Nolan died mid-shift.” I looked from one man to the other.
“A shifter’s metabolism works faster than a human’s, my love. It probably only took moments.”
“Was there wolfsbane in the second victim?”
“No, but according to the lab, that wouldn’t be unusual. It doesn’t always show up in the blood. It is the equivalent of a chemical assassin.”
“Sam, there has to be something we can do to stop him.” I said.
“Even if Ambrose is using wolfsbane, his kills are still legal.” Sam sighed deeply. “You need to alert your people, Ian. Keep them close.”
Ian reached up and grabbed my hand. “I’ll secure them at our home.”
“Good. I’ll do what I can on my end. But there really isn’t anything I can do until the law is changed. As it stands, it is legal to kill a shifter. They are considered animals even in human form.” Sam’s warning glance flicked my way.
“Or until he kills a human.” My voice came out cool and sharp.
“It is possible that he’ll cross that line. If he does…” Sam let the rest trail off.
“There has to be another way.” My teeth ground against one another.
“Look, Leah.” Sam stood. “You two are going to have enough problems without adding to it. If you kill Ambrose, it will be considered murder.”
“And by ‘enough problems’ you mean our engagement?” Ian asked calmly, one brow arching.
Sam nodded. “When are you going public?”
“We will announce our engagement at the fundraiser.” Ian rubbed his thumb along my hand.
“Then I’m sure I’ll be hearing from the politicians. The bastards are going to try and spin this in their favor during an election year.”
“Let them spin. I don’t give a damn.” And in that moment, I realized that I really didn’t. It was a liberating feeling.
* * * *
The first thing I noticed as the limousine pulled up to the Biltmore was the amazing architecture, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the impeccable landscaping showcased by exterior lighting. The second thing I noticed was the mass of reporters that lined the driveway. They moved as one, crowding the walkway that led into the beautiful building. Ian kissed me lightly, putting his index finger under my chin, and gave me a reassuring smile as Ozzie pulled the limo to a stop. The windows were tinted and even though I knew no one could see inside, it still felt like all eyes were watching us. I took a deep breath and kissed him again, returning his smile. Time to put on the big girl panties and face the reporters.
Ozzie unfolded his large frame from the seat and walked around the back of the car, both scanning the crowd for anything that he deemed dangerous and clearing a path. He was dressed all in black, suit, shirt and shoes, and his eyes remained hidden behind sunglasses. He looked for all the world like the bodyguard he was hired to be.
He opened Ian’s door and the flashbulbs exploded as cameras started snapping photographs of Ian. He could occasionally be seen at his casino but when he attended a public fundraiser, reporters flocked to get the best picture. Ian lowered his sunglasses and gave me a wink that made me smile—I did so love the playful Ian—and then turned his attention to the crowd. The noise of the paparazzi was muffled as Ozzie shut the door. I took a deep breath that puffed out my cheeks and blew it out of my mouth. I straightened my shoulders and counted the beats of my pounding heart until I heard the slight click of my door opening.
Ian pulled it open and held his hand out to me. I gave him my left hand and he raised it gently to his lips, planting a kiss on my ring finger. For a moment it seemed that the entire world had hushed and all I could hear was my heartbeat.
Then I rose from the limo and Ian pulled me to his side. We made a brief announcement that he and I were, in fact, engaged, and then politely asked the crowd to focus their attention on the evening’s benefit to raise money for cancer research. We walked up the sidewalk to the front doors of the Biltmore, me keeping my arm firmly around Ian’s and praying that I wouldn’t trip on the incredibly long gown that I’d worn. It was a deep, royal blue that matched Ian’s eyes and had tiny sequins spread across the low neckline. The strapless design had me a little concerned but I had fallen in love with the dress the moment I’d seen it. Flashbulbs exploded as reporters peppered us with a flurry of questions that ranged from “how long have you been dating” to “does it hurt when he bites you”. We ignored the questions and continued on with our evening. That only fueled the reports and I had to keep a tight rein on my shields to block out the turmoil of emotions coming from everywhere. By the end of night, the foundation had earned a healthy amount of money for cancer research, and I was exhausted.
When Ian and I pulled up to the gates of his … er, our house, a shifter lay in front of them. Ozzie got out of the car. Ian kept me inside in case it was a trap.
”She’s dead, with a single gunshot wound through her shoulder.” Ozzie announced when he returned.
“That’s not a lethal shot on a human, let alone a shifter. It has to be Ambrose.” I snarled.
Ozzie did a perimeter check then Ian finally let me out of the limo.
“Give me a minute, Ian.”
“My love?”
“I want to see if her soul is still here. Call the morgue, will ya?”
He hesitated but finally nodded and gave me the space I needed. I quieted my mind and scanned the area, as much feeling as looking for anything out of the ordinary.
“It’s not here.”
It took what seemed like forever to get the morgue to even show up. When they arrived they had a barrage of excuses not to take the body.
In the end, Ian had called his personal physician, Lucas, to take care of the body. It was late and we were tired. I could have argued that they couldn’t leave the body lying in the middle of our driveway and they would have eventually taken her, but it seemed easier to just let Lucas handle it.
The woman wasn’t someone close to either of us, though we’d both known of her. She worked as a barmaid in a part of town most people didn’t drive through after dark. But that didn’t mean she had to die. We considered it a warning to us that she’d been placed on our doorstep. Ambrose was getting cocky.
“I have spoken with Bear.” Ian said. I had already crawled into bed, vowing to put the case aside until I got some decent sleep. “Ambrose did not leave his house.”
“Is he sure?”
“He is a shifter, my love. He would have seen Ambrose if he’d left, or at least scented it.”
“He could have masked his scent, left through a hidden door?”
“It is possible. I will have Bear scour the area for a hidden exit.”
Chapter 5
I was packing at my small adobe rental when the doorbell rang. I peeked outside before I opened the door, wincing against the bright sunlight that flooded in around the shape of a tall, well-built man.
“What are you doing here, Joaquin?” I asked as I shoved my left hand in my pocket. “I thought you weren’t coming into town until later in the week.”
I wasn’t really in the mood for company. I’d had to sneak into my own house to avoid the paparazzi that lined the driveway. Now that word was out it seemed they wouldn’t leave us alone as long as the public still gobbled up the gossip. I called Wilson, who let it “slip” to the media that I was having lunch with him across town. The paparazzi fled and I was able to pull my car into the garage and hide out in here to start packing.
Joaquin grabbed my wrist and lifted my hand. “So it’s true.” He said, staring at my finger, now encircled by I
an’s ring.
I sighed. I wasn’t really hiding it from Joaquin. I was tired and more than a little bitchy.
“Why him?” He spoke so low he was barely audible. “Why not me?”
“I love him, Joaquin.”
“And you don’t love me.” It was a statement, not a question.
I picked up my water bottle from the table by the door and took a long, slow drink. “I did,” I finally said. “At one time.”
“Not anymore.”
I sat down on a box. “No Joaquin. Not anymore.”
His eyes dropped to floor. “Why?” He asked again. “What does he have that’s so fucking loveable?”
Now I was starting to get pissed. “He makes me feel special, in a good way.”
“And I didn’t.”
“Dammit, Joaquin.” I so did not want to have this conversation with him. “I can be myself with Ian. He doesn’t think I’m a freak because I raise the dead or kill vampires.”
“He makes you mad. I’ve heard you argue before.”
“He never makes me cry.”
Joaquin swept his fingers down my face, cupping my chin and lifting my face to his. “I never saw you cry.”
“No. You didn’t.” I squared my shoulders and packed a few more things in silence. Joaquin stood in the doorway, deep in thought, his mind miles from here.
“And you’re happy?” He finally said, softly.
That brought a smile to my lips. “Yeah, I am very happy.”
“Hmm. I thought I’d be more upset.” Joaquin cocked his head as if considering his own words.
“Maybe you’re finally starting to grow up.” I said with a little more venom than I meant.
Joaquin winced. “I guess I deserved that.”
“I thought you were supposed to stay up north with your pack. There is a serial shifter killer on the loose down here.”
“I locked down the pack, like you suggested. The pack is taking shifts so we have twenty-four hour protection.”
I nodded, glad that the subject had changed. “Good.”
“Uh,” his eyes flicked inside the house, “Can I come in?”
“Yeah, sure. Sorry. There might be something to drink in the fridge.” I went back to packing as Joaquin went looking for something to drink.
“I was thinking about the case.” He began as he popped open a can of soda. “Two shot dead, both presumably laced with wolfsbane.” He took a drink. “And two torn apart.”
I lifted my head. “Two?”
“The accountant from Tucson and Louis.” He looked at me over the rim of his can.
“You think Louis’ death is related to this?”
“Don’t you?”
I taped the box closed and set it by the door. “I guess I didn’t.”
“Do you have pictures from the crime scene?”
I nodded.
Hours later, my packing long forgotten, Joaquin and I studied the photos from the crime scenes.
He’d taken photos of what was left of Louis and the surrounding area, the cop in him taking over in the face of a crisis, maintaining the chaos while his Alpha lay dead, because when the shit hits the fan, someone needs to pass out the umbrellas.
He kept them from Tala. If she had known they existed she would have insisted on seeing them and no one should ever see their loved one carved up like Louis had been. He lay on the ground like a pile of meat and blood dissected by a psychotic butcher.
We had discarded the photos of Adam Nolan and the unidentified shifter left in front of my gate. Both of them were clean gunshot wounds and neither would have been fatal without the addition of wolfsbane.
We were now drinking coffee. I’d brewed a pot while Joaquin was getting the photos from his truck. I picked up my cup and drained it.
Joaquin screwed up his face in distaste. “Really Leah, you should consider changing your diet.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.”
“Please.” Joaquin raised a hand to stop me. “I do not want the details.”
“That’s not what I meant, you ass.” I shot back.
“Look at these wounds.” Joaquin had a magnifying glass poised over the photo of Morrison Kade. “It looks like he was cut up with a serrated knife, or something sharp was dragged through him.”
I took the magnifying glass from him and examined the photos. “The cuts are too long. That’d be one hell of a long knife.”
“Yes it would. But why didn’t he slice up the other two?”
“I don’t know. He’s fucking crazy and I can’t do a damn thing about it.” I scrubbed my hands over my face as frustration mingled with lack of sleep. “I gotta eat and get some sleep, Joaquin.”
He nodded. “I’m staying at the hotel on Fourth Street. Call me when you’ve rested.”
“Do you think that’s safe?” I asked.
“Do I have any other options?” He retorted sarcastically.
“Ian’s—our house,” I corrected, “Is about the safest place. You can stay in a guest room.”
“And you think your fiancé will be happy about that?”
“No. But he’s practical enough to see the reason behind it. And safety is the only reason for it.”
His eyes dropped but he accepted. “Fair enough.”
I called Bear and let him know that Joaquin would be staying. Him and Mouse were staying at our place and he’d know which room was available.
Shia had decided to take the boys up north to visit her father. While she wasn’t on speaking terms with him she felt it was important to let the boys spend time with other male Therians and arranged for them to be with their grandfather at least one weekend a month. It tore her up every time.
Falcon flew them up to the Grand Canyon airport. No. Falcon cannot sprout wings. He is an experienced pilot who runs his own airline.
Raven had offered to stay in town to help. Ian had assured him that he would call if he “found it necessary”—his words not mine. Raven simply nodded and left. One of these days I was going to have to find out exactly what Raven did for a living. On second thought, maybe I didn’t really want to know.
I stood and the room seemed to wave before my eyes as my stomach protested the movement. Damn. When was the last time I ate something?
The enhanced abilities that I got through my bond with Ian also came with a speedy metabolism. Roughly put, it means I need to eat more to maintain my balance. “Let’s grab some food on the way over, Joaquin.”
“Sounds good. Drive thru?”
“Nah. I’ll call Luigi’s. We can pick it up on the way home.”
* * * *
I crawled into bed next to Ian, my stomach now full and happy. Joaquin, Bear, Mouse and I had stuffed ourselves with Luigi’s lasagna and washed it down with a couple of beers. I’d ordered the party sized meal and took it to go. It was becoming increasingly difficult to eat in restaurants. If I waited too long to eat, which I usually did, then I ate more than a woman my size should be able to. A problem I’m sure that many other people would like to have. I ate like a horse, or a shifter, as Joaquin pointed out, and then slept like a baby.
Chapter 6
A slight shake on my shoulder jolted me awake.
“I am sorry, my love. I did not want to startle you.” Ian smiled down at me. “Your phone was ringing. When you did not answer I grew concerned. It is not like you to sleep so deeply.”
“My phone?” I asked, clearing the sleep from my throat. Ian’s hair was still damp from his shower.
“It was Wilson. It appears there has been another death.”
I sat up. “Shifter?”
“Vampire.”
“Shit! Who…”
“Wilson texted a picture. It was a wanderer. No one I personally knew.”
“Where the hell was Cougar?”
“He and Bear are searching for an alternative exit.”
“Shit!” I yanked the covers off me and stood, pausing when once again the room swam b
efore me.
“My love?” Ian asked, his hand going to my back to steady me.
“Sorry.” I flashed him a weak smile.
“I shall call Lucas.”
I shook my head. “No. I’ll be fine. I waited too long to eat yesterday and its coming back to bite me in the ass.”
“I cannot blame it.” Ian’s eyes hooded. “I wouldn’t mind sinking my teeth into your ass.”
I laughed and threw a pillow at him. “Make some coffee, would ya? I’m gonna take a shower.”
“I shall bring you breakfast as well.”
“I don’t have time to eat.” I protested. “Just coffee is fine.”
“Then perhaps I should call Lucas.” He reached for the phone.
I blew out a sigh. “Fine. I’ll eat breakfast too. But make it to go.”
Ian dropped me off and went to park the car. I stood on the curb next to a little bar near the center of town. It seemed Ambrose was getting more brazen. His kills were no longer kept in the seclusion of the desert, although the alley between the two buildings wasn’t exactly out in the open either. I rounded the corner and nodded at Wilson as I approached. Ramirez closed a notebook and stuffed it in the pocket of his suit. “So you’re going to marry the bloodsucker, eh?”
I rolled my eyes and prayed for patience. Ian and I knew once we went public that we’d get some flack, but it’s been much more than I expected. Hell, there was even an altered photo of us at the fundraiser. I had excused myself from the crowd and escaped to the quiet of an unoccupied balcony. It didn’t take long for Ian to find me. He slipped his arms around my waist and brushed his lips across the back of my neck.
“Are you well, my love?”
“Mmm, I’m much better now.”
“I apologize for all of the photographers.”
I shrugged. “It goes with the territory.”
“It does.” His lips traced a path to my ear. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’d say you didn’t have to but I think I will enjoy it too much to turn it down.”
Ian laughed and turned me in his arms, dipping me deeply and kissing me harder.
Justified (A Leah Wolfe SINS Novel) Page 6