by Renee George
In order to find you, you have to be lost. You are important to me, child. If you need me, I will come.
“Uh, thanks.” I felt his presence fade. I rinsed the dishes I’d just scrubbed and contemplated the fact that I’d was talking to a spirit in the aether, a type of otherworld plane of existence. At least that’s how Billy Bob had explained it. And not only was I talking to him, but he'd also turned me into one of his own. I wanted to be mad about it, but without Brother Wolf, I would have never made it out of that hunters’ lodge alive. I would have shifted. I know that now. He’d kept me strong. Sane.
Well, as sane as I could be after everything I’d been through. Belatedly, I sent up a silent thank you to my spiritual guardian. Mom and Dad were going to be seriously freaked out when they found out that not only was I dating a wolf, I was turning into one, and I was talking to the wolf spirit.
Oh well. They’d get over it or they wouldn’t.
“I’ll finish up,” Sunny said as she peeked around the door to the kitchen. “It’s almost noon. I say we close up for the rest of the day. I don’t think we’re going to get more customers. Besides, you better get going for your date with Dominic.” She made kissy faces, and I flipped her the bird.
“Love you too,” she said.
I unplugged the drains in the triple sinks and hung up my apron. After a quick check of my hair and makeup, I headed out for Blonde Bear Cafe.
Main Street was quiet compared to the prior three days. The murders had definitely put a damper on the festivities. However, Blondina’s restaurant was packed. Even horrified, people needed to eat. Dominic was seated at a table in the far corner of the room. His expression was darkly contemplative. He was doing something with his phone, but it was hard to tell what. He could have been texting, searching the Internet, checking out his social media, or playing a game of Angry Turds. When he set his phone down, he looked up and saw me. The darkness ebbed in his expression as his frown turned into a very charming smile. It gave me a warm fuzzy to know he was glad to see me. Bad Chavvah.
He waved at me. I waved back and headed to the table.
Before I could sit down, Blondina Messer came over with a tall glass of ice tea for me. She was a tall, curvy woman, who always reminded me of Flo from Mel’s Diner, a TV show my parents used to watch. She set the tea on the table. Its perfume made me gag. Sassafras. Ugh.
“I’m sorry, Chav.” Blondina blinked. “I thought you’d like it. Elton Brown got some great sassafras wood in for his furniture shop, and he’s chipped the bark for tea and potpourri. It tastes really good. I swear.”
“Elton’s the one selling all this sassafras?”
“Yes,” she said. “He’s made some fine-looking pieces with it as well. Some of his best work.”
The eight-point star was burning a hole in my windbreaker pocket. I resisted the urge to reach for it.
Dominic stood up and came around my side of the table and pulled put my chair. “Speaking of fine-looking,” he said. “You are looking rather fine this afternoon, Ms. Trimmel.”
This close he smelled like cinnamon buns. I had to resist the urge to lean in and inhale deeply. No man should smell like dessert…or maybe all men should. I thought about Billy Bob, and I smiled. He was dessert.
I took the offered seat. “Thank you, Mr. Tartan.”
Blondina picked up the iced tea. “I’ll go get you some regular, hon.”
Two tables over, Wilhelmina aka “Willy” Boden sat with Hans Fisk, Randy and Chance Lowry, and a large man with dark brown hair and eyes. I could tell he was older, but like I said before, with shifters, it was too hard to tell. The shape of his jaw and his angular nose looked enough like the twins for me to suss out he was probably their father. I leaned across the table and asked quietly, “Is that Tri-Council President Lowry?”
Billy Bob had told me Lowry owned a big chain called Beaver Locksmiths. Their slogan was, “Call us if you’re in a jam.” I supposed it was a play on a log jam. Har-har.
He smiled. “Yes, it is. Would you like to meet him?”
I brightened. “Sure.” It would mean being formally introduced to Willy, the dead guy’s girlfriend. After all, she was probably on the suspect list. She had fought with him before his disappearance, and she might say something that would help me put the whole mystery into context.
“After we order, we’ll make a quick appearance.”
“Awesome.”
He had his chin tucked in and his eyes on the menu, and when he turned his gaze up to me, he did it in such a way that if I hadn’t been completely smitten with Billy Bob, I would have been asking, his place or mine. But, as it was…
“Isn’t that your friend from yesterday?” He pointed toward the door.
My back was to the door, so I swiveled my upper body to see whom he indicated. I nearly swallowed my tongue as—speak of the devil—Billy Bob came in with the very sexy and bitchy Bethany Hilliard. My ears burned, and a swift and severe jealousy made me shake. I stuck my hand into my pocket and stroked the star like a stress stone.
Billy Bob’s gaze met mine, and I could see the tension in the fine lines at the corner of his eyes. Had he brought Bethany here to make me jealous, or to keep an eye on me because he was jealous? The way we were both vibrating, I had a feeling it might be both. Billy Bob’s black jeans hugged his ass and his thighs in all the right places. The azure blue button-down shirt he wore made his gray eyes pop with vibrancy. My girly heart squealed for more of him, but my woman brain kept me in check.
“Are you okay?” Dom asked.
“Fine,” I said, unable to tear my gaze away from Billy Bob.
Why was this happening to me? I felt as if I had no control over my reactions when he was in the same room with me. Twenty seconds earlier I’d been a charming, logical, intelligent adult but seeing Billy Bob with Bethany had made me feel like a thirteen-year-old watching another girl flirt with her boyfriend. In other words, I was about to go all middle-school-rumble-in-the-playground on Bethany’s tight booty.
Dom put his hand over mine, and I barely felt his touch. My mouth dried out completely when I saw Billy Bob’s lips peel back ferociously. Crap! I wanted to jump his bones right in the middle of the restaurant.
Dom’s hand withdrew. “Chavvah.”
“Uh-hmm,” I said, still looking at my werewolf mate.
“Chavvah,” he said more urgently.
I dragged my gaze away from Billy Bob to look at Dom. “Yes?” I bit my lower lip.
“If you were already seeing someone, you could’ve told me.” He didn’t sound angry. Maybe disappointed, but not pissed.
Call me petty. I would have been pissed. “I’m sorry, Dom.” I held up my hands. “It literally just happened. And believe me, no one is more surprised than I am.”
“When nature calls,” he said, his tone slightly wistful. “I understand.”
“I’d still like to get lunch if you want.” I smiled at him. “You’re a nice man, Dom. I’d like to be friends.”
“I think your boyfriend would rather see me skinned alive.” He winced. “Sorry. Poor choice of words.”
“So you know then.” I paused as Blondina dropped off a new glass of ice tea. “About me finding the body.” Tripping over it, really.
“Yeah,” he said. “Terrible. Just terrible.”
“Mike wasn’t a peach by any means, but he didn’t deserve that kind of death.”
“No one does,” Dominic agreed.
Since he’d sort of brought up the killings, I pressed forward. “The second victim is Jerard Blackwell. Is that Willy’s boyfriend?”
Dom lips thinned. “Yes. Poor bastard.”
“Agreed. Really awful.”
“He was a delegate from Kansas.” He shook his head. “I hate to be a dick about the dead, but the guy was an ass.”
“It must be awful for Willy and her brother Hans.” I still couldn’t get a read on the broody, moody Hans Fisk.
Dom’s mouth tugged up at the corner. “Will
y will bounce back. She’s not the kind of woman to let flies gather.”
Oh, right. Randy Lowry had told me Willy and Dom had a history. “Did she break up with you?”
He looked at me, his stare assessing. “Not exactly.”
“I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.”
“I’ve been over her a long time. She might shift into a mountain lion, but she can be a raging hellcat.”
His summation took her to the top of my suspect list. But why would she have killed Mike? And why leave him behind Sunny’s Outlook? And why the hell would she skin them? “What did her brother think of Jerry?”
“I don’t think Hans liked Jerry, but I also don’t think it had much to do with his relationship with Willy. Hans and Jerry were business partners in a modular home scheme. I heard through the grapevine they had a falling out.” He glanced at Willy’s table then back to me. “Hans is a general contractor. Worked his way up from journeyman to build his business.”
I could feel Billy Bob’s eyes burning a hole in my back. I tried to ignore him and his date. It was next to impossible. I couldn’t stop looking. I was super proud of myself for not running over and yanking every blonde hair from Bethany’s perky head.
I am the model of civility and restraint.
“Did Mike Wares have any enemies?” Dom asked.
It was a fair question, considering I’d just grilled him about Jerry Blackwell. “There were lots of people in town he rubbed the wrong way, but I don’t know about enemies. Frankly, I’d be sick to think anyone I knew and liked could have anything to do with the killings.”
“Was there anything odd about the body when you found it?”
Tiny alarm bells rang in my head. This was an unusual question to ask. Was Dom making small talk, was he fishing for answers for the council, or did he know more about these murders than he should? I decided to tell a half-truth. “I smelled sassafras. Billy Bob said Blackwell’s body had a similar scent.”
Dom steepled his fingers, his pale green eyes darkening with interest. “Really? Anything else?”
You mean, like the eight-point star in my windbreaker? I raised a brow. “No. At least nothing I saw that night.” Again, a half-truth. I hadn’t known about the star at that time.
He frowned.
Dakota Thompson, Ruth’s oldest daughter, stopped at our table. She wore an apron and held a pad and pen in her hands. “Can I get your order?”
“I’ll take the salmon,” Dom said. “Slightly rare.”
“Sides?”
“Pilaf and broccoli.”
“That’s a healthy meal,” I said. “I’ll take the double bacon cheeseburger with Blonde Bear Secret sauce and all the fixings.” I handed her our menus. “Oh, rare on the burger and an order of fries and onion rings for sides.”
Her brown eyes twinkled as she fixed her gaze on me. “You got it, Chav.”
Dom laughed. “I may have to sneak some of your fries.”
I heard a growl behind me that warmed my entire body. “Probably not a good idea.”
Dom shook his head. “Noted.” He stood up. “Let’s get you introduced to President Lowry.”
As we made our way over, Willy Boden noticed Dominic and her expression soured. For a woman who just lost a boyfriend, she didn’t seem all that upset, but I suppose everyone grieves in his or her own way. Her brother seemed to be perpetually sour. I wondered if anything brought him pleasure.
Maybe skinning therians and slitting their throats, I thought morbidly.
Randy Lowry, or at least I assumed so since he was always smiling and his identical twin sat like a lump, jumped up from his seat. “Hey, Dom.” He shook Dominic’s hand. “And how nice of you to bring us such attractive scenery to go along with our delicious meals.” He looked at me as if he wanted to make a meal out of me.
I laughed. “You’re a funny man, Randy.”
He glanced down at his brother. “She can already tell us apart.”
Chance didn’t bother to respond.
The fiery redhead stood up next. She held out her hand to me and gave mine a firm, confident shake. “I’m Willy Boden.”
“Chavvah Trimmel.”
“Nice to meet you, Chavvah.” She clutched her hands. “This is so awful. Both killings.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I said.
“Poor Jerry. Goddamn maniac getting him, of all things.” She threw up her hands. “And skinning him.” Her raised voice attracted stares from the other diners.
“Calm down, Willy. We don’t want to get everyone riled up,” the large, older man said.
“People should be riled up,” Willy said. “It’s been a security nightmare, for shit’s sake. The town folk should be in their homes, doors locked, and refusing to leave until this goddamn week is over. And the council members and the tourists should be doing the same thing.”
Hans glowered. “You go too far, Wilhelmina. Sit down.”
“When I put you in charge of my ass, I’ll send out an official memo. Until then, fuck off.”
I couldn’t hide my smile. I liked Willy Boden, which meant I hoped like hell she had nothing to do with the murders. I turned to the older man. “You must be President Lowry. It’s so nice to meet you.”
He gave me a tight-lipped smile. “You own that deli down the street, Sunny’s Outreach?”
He made it sound like a halfway house. “Outlook,” I said. “Sunny’s Outlook.” I tried hard not to look irritated. “We specialize in vegetarian meals. We’ll be supplying food for your big meeting tomorrow.”
“Good, good,” he said with bluster. “Nice town you have here. Too bad about the trouble. It’s been an…inconvenience.”
Jacob Lowry made serial killing sound like a flat tire or a broken washer. I was certain Mike Wares and Jerard Blackwell wouldn’t have agreed.
“Good grief.” Hans Fisk stood up. “I’m going back to the Hilltop Hotel. I can’t take any more of this.”
When he raised his hand as if to fend off any arguments, the sleeve of his shirt slid up revealing a tattoo. A star tattoo. “That’s nice,” I blurted out.
“What are you on about?” Hans asked.
“Your tattoo,” I said, then idiotically added, “I’ve been thinking about getting one myself. Can I see yours?”
“No,” he replied, his voice flat. “Willy, text me if this ban on leaving town is lifted.”
“Wait up,” Chance said as he got up from the table. “I’ll walk out with you.”
Hans stalked out of the restaurant with Chance on his heels and a scowl on his face.
“Well, I certainly didn’t mean to offend him,” I said to Willy.
“Don’t mind Hans. He was born dramatic,” she said.
We both laughed.
Randy Lowry leaned in close, wiggled his brows and said, “I have a tattoo I’d love to show you.”
About that time, a wall of werewolf butted up against my back. I could smell the bergamot and spice, along with possessive jealousy and anger.
I raised my brows and smiled. Me likey.
“Dr. Smith,” Jacob Lowry said. “Nice to see you.” He gestured just past me. “Did you enjoy lunch, Bethany?”
I shifted my eyes just enough to catch her in my peripheral vision. She was standing near Billy Bob, but not touching him. Good thing too, otherwise there would have been a schoolyard throw down in Blondina’s restaurant, and I didn’t want to create extra work for my friend.
“The food and the company are just divine,” she said.
The sound of her voice made my teeth hurt. I will be a grown up. I will be a grown up.
“Billy Bob has been such a sweetheart, showing me around town.”
Sweetheart had become extremely quiet.
I will not look. I will not look.
Bethany continued. “I think I could really learn to love this place…given the right incentive.”
I could smell her cloying rose and berry perfume as she moved closer. Be calm, sister.
As you wish.
Great. I’d gone and hurt my spirit guardian’s feelings.
When Bethany’s hand touched my arm after she looped it past Billy Bob’s elbow. I spun on my heel and faced them both. Billy Bob looked as if he’d swallowed a bug. Bethany looked like the cat that ate the canary.
Quickly, he removed her arm, but all too late. I leaped up on him with an agility I hadn’t felt since my recovery, wrapping my legs around his waist as his hands found their way to my back. I growled, snapping at Bethany once, before turning my heated glare upon my handsome werewolf’s face.
He did not look surprised or upset or even chagrinned. He looked…ready to go. Billy Bob yanked my head down by my hair until my lips were on his, and he crushed me with a kiss that had me whimpering with need. I fisted his silver curls with the same ferocity, delving my tongue between his lips as I staked my claim. My man! I thought. My fucking man.
When the overwhelming desire to take possession of him ebbed a tiny bit, I couldn’t help but notice the entire restaurant had gone completely silent. I reluctantly withdrew from the kiss and slowly pivoted my gaze to take in all the gaping town folk and Jubilee attendees who’d witnessed my brain snapping in two.
I bit my lower lip, my legs still wrapped around Billy Bob’s waist, and glanced down at him. He had a big, goofy grin on his face and a dazed look in his eyes.
No help there.
Suddenly, someone shouted, “Oh my God!”
My BFF Sunny stood just inside the door with Ruth Thompson, and they were both squealing like teenage girls who’d gotten a glimpse of their favorite boy band.
I carefully climbed down Billy Bob, hoping my feet wouldn’t fail me when they hit the floor. I gave Bethany a hard stare, pointed my finger right at her, and said, “There will never be the kind of incentive you want to keep you in town.” I looked up at Billy Bob, who grinned like a jackal, and said with great emphasis, “Never.”
Her lower lips quivered as I brushed past her on my way to the door. The questions on both Ruth’s and Sunny’s faces almost had me turning back around and running in the opposite direction. The grilling I would get from those two ladies when they got me alone was going to be a shitshow of epic proportions.