by Crystal Red
He kept going at the normal speed, only passing cars when he needed to. Before she knew it, they were in his driveway. Her breath slowed and so did her heart rate. On wobbly legs, she hopped off his motorcycle and then lifted the helmet off her head. She smoothed out her messy helmet hair and wished she had a mirror.
With a huge grin, he pulled his helmet off. “See? Was that so hard?”
“No, it wasn’t, because you were there with me.” She gazed into his eyes. Her heart melted at the sight of him.
“Well,” he said, his voice deepened to a husky tone, “I’ve got something special planned for you later.” He touched the tip of her nose.
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
He chuckled. “You’ll just have to see once I’m done with work.”
“You’re going back to work?” She eyed him up and down. Her heart sunk a little bit. Maybe he wouldn’t sense her disappointment. Much.
He ran a hand through his dark hair. “Yes. Even the boss has to get work done.”
“I’ll try not to miss you too much.” She laughed, but it came out rough and shaky.
How had such a short relationship become so intense for her? Her heart tugged. What if he didn’t feel the same?
Why is she looking at me as if I just broke her heart in two?
Her lips pressed together in a grimace. A heaviness settled in her chest and stomach. As much as she wanted to be wrong, she couldn’t shake off the bad feelings. It crept up on her every time she thought about how much Brandon meant to her and how it’d feel to lose him. She’d never let anyone in until him. Not a man, at least. She always kept her boyfriends at a safe distance, but maybe she couldn’t do that now. There had to be a good reason behind the decision.
“I’ll miss you more.” He grinned as he laced his fingers with hers.
They sauntered over to her house and then he walked her inside. She stood on her tippy toes and gave him a long, slow kiss. He moaned into her mouth as it deepened, and he pushed his tongue inside.
Their tongues twirled together as if they were one, and heat rose to her belly, which made her want more. One touch and kiss was never enough. How can I let him go after I experienced so much with him? Brandon proved he was everything she needed since the day he’d first kissed her. Maybe even since the first day she’d met him.
“Uh, hmm. How do you breathe when you kiss like that?”
Kelsey jumped away as soon as she heard Beth’s voice behind her.
“I should go. Bye, sweetie.” He kissed her one last time before he disappeared out the door.
Kelsey turned to face Beth. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were here.”
“Well,” Beth pinched the bridge of her nose, “you’re too afraid to open up our bookshop again since Ms. Wein’s body was found. So what else am I supposed to do?”
Kelsey groaned, rubbing her temples. “I’m so sorry you’re in this situation. I feel if I hadn’t started dating Brandon, things would be different.”
Beth shook her head. “It’s not your fault, Kelsey. You’re allowed to have a boyfriend, even if he’s a werewolf. I see how much he cares about you.”
“Yeah.” She stared at the floor. “I’m sure you’ll find the right guy soon.”
“I’m not in a hurry,” Beth muttered.
She shuffled her feet. “I’m not sure he’s the right guy for me.” The heaviness in her stomach still hadn’t gone away. She wanted to believe there was something more to her relationship with Brandon, but she still had her doubts.
Beth gaped at her. “Are you kidding me? You two can barely keep your hands off each other.”
She shrugged. “It’s called sexual attraction.”
“Yes, and that’s how it starts.”
Kelsey clutched on to her friend in a tight embrace. “You’re my best friend. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t. I promise,” Beth whispered.
* * * *
After lunch Kelsey paced the floor. Time to get some air. She needed to check on her bookshop in case something else had happened there. Brandon would be at work for another two hours, but she still hoped she’d be safe until she saw him again.
She walked slowly and glanced over her shoulder every couple minutes. No sign of any werewolves lurking around anywhere, so far. Relief washed over her as she caught her breath. She ran the last block to her shop.
Once she made it to the front of the bookshop, she leaned against the side of the brick building and put a hand to her chest. Her breath quickened as she waited for it to slow to normal again.
Kelsey waited a couple more minutes and then went around to the back of the building. She gasped and recognized the dead man right way. Mr. Brown, her mailman. He’d delivered their mail for the past two years. His gray-blue uniform had streaks of blood that soaked his shirt. Large gashes covered his face, arms and bare legs.
Tears filled her eyes. For the last two Christmases, she’d baked cookies for him, his wife and two little boys. Who could be so cruel as to take away a hard-working husband and father? A werewolf, that’s who. She cringed at her own thoughts. It’s still out there. I know it.
Her heart twisted and froze like ice the moment a loud growl came from behind her. She tried not to move or to make a sound, but it wasn’t easy. What if this same werewolf had killed Mr. Brown?
Kelsey screamed at the top of her lungs when the wolf dug its claws into her. She raised her foot and aimed it at the beast’s hairy brown leg and kicked as hard as she could. The werewolf whimpered and backed away.
She quickly pulled her phone out and dialed Brandon’s phone number. The call went to voicemail. Her body went into shock. Her breath burned her throat as the werewolf continued to approach her.
She bit her lower lip. Her heart thumped like mad.
“Leave me alone!” Kelsey kicked the creature again.
The werewolf growled low and deep, the same way Brandon did. No! It couldn’t be him. He said he’d never hurt me. The question continued to stab at her heart even when the werewolf turned into human form. Brandon stared at her. He reached for her as his expression softened.
“Get away from me!” She stumbled into the large green Dumpster behind her.
His eyes widened and he held out his hand. “Kelsey, baby, it’s me. You know I’m not going to hurt you.”
She shook her head. “You lied. You’ve been behind the murders all along. I can’t believe I fell for your bullshit. I bet you and Victoria were in on this together.”
“Kelsey,” he pleaded. “I didn’t kill anyone only the bad werewolves. I was saving you from a wicked one. He would have killed you if I didn’t scare him away.”
Part of her wanted to believe him, but the other said run like hell. Was this really the man she was still getting to know physically and emotionally? She had no real answers for anything and wasn’t sure if she ever would.
“I’m calling the police. Stay away from me. Forever.” Despite how much she trembled, she ran off toward her house and didn’t look back even when he called her name.
The minute she got home, she locked the door behind her and dialed the police department to tell them about Brandon. Now all she could do was wait. Too bad it sucked.
Chapter Thirteen
The moment the police showed up at Brandon’s apartment that was when it hit him—Kelsey no longer believed or trusted him. Now his life really had turned to shit, especially without the one woman he’d grown to care for. What was he going to do without her?
The two police officers read Brandon his rights and handcuffed him as they threw him into the back of the police car. He didn’t resist. What’s the point?
Brandon took one last glimpse toward Kelsey’s house. She stared at him through the window with cold and unforgiving eyes. Maybe his fears were premature, but that look said it all. She may never trust him or speak to him again.
He gagged on his breath as the cop drove off. There had to be a way out of this. He’d never imagined losing
Kelsey this way, but then again he’d never thought she’d still want him after finding out he was a werewolf. What sucked even more was the fact he’d left work to help her. He’d sensed something was wrong the moment she hadn’t answered his texts. She always had, ever since the Tuesday after she’d had a hangover.
Of course when he did find her, she really was in trouble, and she thought it was because of him. No doubt about it. Victoria had set him up with her wolf pack. Why couldn’t his ex-girlfriend just leave him alone? She didn’t let things go so easily and wouldn’t start now.
His anger seethed through him. Damn it. The werewolf who’d tried to hurt Kelsey was still out there. What if the beast came after her and Beth? He groaned and rubbed his temples. How could he prove his innocent?
They finally pulled up to the red-brick police station. One of the cops yanked him along as they went inside. A cop un-cuffed him as they took him into the interrogation room. He winced as he sat on the cold, hard metal chair. His skin prickled with goose bumps. To think he’d made the decision to wear blue jeans shorts today, and this was what bothered him.
Officer Tieman paced the carpet. “We can do this all night if we have to.”
Brandon closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing head. He didn’t want to answer any more of the cops’ questions. All he wanted was for Kelsey to believe him.
“I didn’t do anything wrong!”
Officer Strasser stared down at Brandon. “Oh, really? Then why were you at the scene of the crime? The owner told us she believed you were behind it. Why should we believe you?”
Brandon snorted. Anyone could make up a bunch of lies, but Kelsey probably only thought he was behind the murders because the other werewolf had gotten away. Maybe he would have been better off leaving her alone. Too bad his heart wouldn’t let him.
“If I’m so guilty, why haven’t you found my weapon yet?” he huffed. “The victims were clawed to death. It was as if a bear or a wolf had attacked them.”
Yeah, pretty much true about the wolf part, but they probably wouldn’t believe him anyway. Even if he got into a discussion about werewolves with the cops. Who in their right mind would believe it? Then again, some people don’t believe what they can’t see. Without any kind of proof, they’d have to let him go free.
The vein in Officer Tieman’s neck pulsed. “Maybe we just haven’t found it yet.”
“He doesn’t have a record. We can’t charge him,” Officer Strasser chimed in.
“But,” Officer Tieman rubbed his forehead, “he was there.”
“I was trying to save my girlfriend,” Brandon informed them.
Both officers turned to him with wide eyes.
“You saw the killer?” Officer Tieman frowned.
Brandon slowly nodded. His heart slammed into his ribs at full speed. “It was a wolf. Check the marks on Kelsey’s arm. I stopped the animal from killing her.”
The two cops exchanged long looks and whispered a few words. He could make out everything. They basically talked about letting him go since they had no reason to hold him without proof. His gut clenched until they spoke to him.
“We’ll have Kelsey come in, and we’ll hear her side of the story. After that, we can make a decision if both your stories check out. Until then, you’re free to go,” Officer Strasser said.
Officer Strasser drove him home. During the whole ride, he prayed Kelsey would believe him and find a way to forgive him. He couldn’t imagine a life without her. To see a smile on her face and hear her laugh made his day. It was never about sex with her. She made him feel so wanted and needed. He’d never experienced this with any other woman. She was it for him. He was hooked. Forever. All he knew was that he’d fallen for her. Hard and fast.
* * * *
Kelsey’s rage had built so tight in her gut she couldn’t see straight. How the hell could the man she’d slept with be behind something so cruel? She had to be wrong. The more she paced her kitchen floor, the more it felt as if she’d wear the skin off her bare feet. She cared for him. Still. Something that special didn’t go away so fast. She needed to believe everything would turn out okay. She flinched when someone tapped her on the shoulder. As she whirled around, she faced Beth.
Beth crossed her arms. “You want to tell me why the hell Brandon was arrested instead of his ex-girlfriend? You know damn well he didn’t kill anyone.”
She ground her teeth. “He was there! He was the one who gave me these marks.” She held out her arm with the claw marks for Beth to see.
Beth shook her head. “That’s bullshit. There are other werewolves out there. We’ve seen them.” She sighed, then pinched the bridge of her nose. “I think you’re just scared because you’re falling for a guy who is different than you’re used to. You let him in and it scares you.”
“He’s obviously not the right guy for me.” Kelsey threw her hands up in the air.
“Hmm, sure.”
Kelsey glared at Beth. “I really hate it when you say that.”
“Then maybe you should stop being a scared little wuss and go after what you really want,” Beth shot back.
Kelsey held her chin high, her nostrils flaring. “You’re one to talk. You and Chad have been dancing around the fact that you want each other.”
“Chad isn’t my type.”
Nostrils still flaring, she made tight fists. Beth was so full of shit her green eyes could turn brown. Her friend and Chad had so much chemistry the two could ignite a fire if they didn’t do something about it soon. The tension between them was as thick and hot as the air around them.
Kelsey turned away from Beth. Anger still bubbled inside her even after she marched into her bedroom and then slammed the door behind her. When she’d stomped into her room, she had the intentions of doing something to avoid all the drama going on in her life. Only it wasn’t working. All she wanted to do was cry or throw a fit, but it wouldn’t do any good. She still had turned Brandon in to the police, and had her doubts about it. Did he really care about her? That was the real question that played over and over in the back of her mind.
After an hour of thinking and pacing in her room, she entered the living room to find Beth. Only she wasn’t alone. She and Chad stood at the front door. Beth playfully shoved his muscular arm and laughed at something he said.
Her heartbeat rose. She wanted to be happy for her friend, but deep in her gut a little bit of jealousy coursed through her. Kelsey once had this with Brandon, but she threw it away because she was scared. She didn’t know the truth either. He could really be a murderer for all she knew. That didn’t exactly make him husband and father material.
Just as she looked up, Chad leaned closer to Beth and kissed her. Their kiss was long and so sweet it practically gave Kelsey a toothache. Damn it. Brandon kissed her the same way. Her first kiss with him had been perfect. How often did that happen?
Man, I hope Kelsey isn’t here. Then maybe I can finally get lucky with Beth. Her tits are so round and curvy. I just want to squeeze them.
No matter how hard Kelsey tried to block out Chad’s thoughts, she still heard them. She covered her ears and groaned. Beth and Chad jumped apart from their locked embrace.
“How long have you been standing there?” Beth asked in a shaky whisper.
She smirked. “Long enough to know what Chad wants to do to you.”
Beth scowled, then slapped Chad’s cheek hard enough to make a loud, vibrating sound.
Chad’s eyes widened and he stepped back. He grimaced and gave Beth a wounded look. “What did I do to deserve a slap on the face?”
“You’re being a pervert.” Beth crossed her arms and scowled.
Chad blinked. “How? I didn’t say it out loud.”
Oh, shit. How am I going to get out of this one? Beth and Chad are going to know something is up.
Kelsey rubbed her temples and hoped Beth wouldn’t realize what was actually happening. She’d never told her best friend about her new ability. Reading men’s minds was kind of fu
n, but mostly gross. Ninety percent of the time they thought about sex. Well, Chad did.
She held on to her broken heart. Brandon usually thought about how he could make her happy and how to keep her safe. Had she made a mistake by letting him go? Even though she wanted to hate him she couldn’t. The problem was she cared too much.
Beth frowned. “You’re psychic now?”
Chad shook his head. “Telepathic is the word you’re looking for. Brandon thinks Victoria gave her the ability to read men’s minds.” He rubbed his red cheek where Beth had slapped him moments ago.
“No wonder,” Beth mumbled.
Kelsey glanced at the floor. “Did they arrest Brandon and charge him with murder?”
“No.” Chad exhaled, heavily. “The police don’t have enough evidence to prove Brandon murdered anyone. You should know he didn’t do it.”
“I’m not totally sure about that.”
Chad rubbed his jaw. “Don’t you trust him?”
She swallowed hard. How could she answer that question? “I did, but now I’m not sure what I believe anymore.”
“How can you have sex with someone you don’t trust?” Beth threw up her hands.
“I don’t know,” Kelsey whispered, her throat still tight.
Chad stepped closer to her. “Read his mind. Then you’ll know the truth. You know Victoria is behind this.”
“Maybe, but why?”
“For revenge on Brandon. Why else?” Chad muttered.
Beth stared at her with a stony expression.
“What?” The knot in Kelsey’s stomach grew harder and bigger.
“Don’t ‘what’ me. Go talk to your man. Now!” Beth’s eyes narrowed as she pursed her lips.
Kelsey cursed under her breath as she marched toward the door. Before leaving, she whirled around to face Chad and Beth. She pointed a finger at them. “While I’m gone, you two better not have sex. Get to know each other first. Go on a few dates, then do whatever you want, just not in my bedroom.”
With a satisfied grin, she turned and hurried out the door. Kelsey’s heart hammered louder and faster as she came closer to Brandon’s place. Her legs wobbled as she made her way up to his front porch and then rang the bell. Now all she had to do was wait.