by Dannika Dark
“Something going on with you and my baby brother?” Reno asked.
An errant breeze from the open car window ruffled my hair, and I smiled at a group of skinny bicyclists in colorful outfits as they zoomed by.
“He’s just doing what Austin hired him to do.”
“Hmm.”
“Aren’t you a little warm?” I pinched his long sleeve and pulled until it snapped back.
“It’s breathable fabric.”
“It’s eighty-seven degrees, and you’re dressed for an expedition to the South Pole.”
“I like covering up in public,” he murmured, adjusting a pair of mirrored shades on the bridge of his nose. “Didn’t there used to be a clock there?” he asked, pointing to the spot on Wheeler’s dash where only a few sticky pieces of adhesive glue remained.
I brushed a fleck of lint off my tan pants, wondering if I should bother calling Dean after what had happened. I’d grown to love working at Club Sin, but after this fiasco, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind I would be served walking papers, regardless that someone else had instigated the shift. Club owners didn’t knowingly hire panthers. Shifters had a long history with slavery, and everyone had a rank on the totem pole. Many had been alive to remember, so it was no surprise if a deer had problems with predators. But panthers had a reputation all our own.
I didn’t even realize I’d been cursing until Reno pulled down his shades to get a good look at me.
“I’m fine,” I said. “I’m just thinking about my job. Customers talk and rumors spread fast.”
“You can always dance on the human side of town,” he suggested.
“For nickels and dimes. None of the Breed clubs will hire me once they hear about this, and you can bet they’re all talking about it—my ears are already burning. I’ve always had my panther under control. Always. Someone forced me, and if I ever find that man—”
“We’re here,” he said.
My jaw slackened as I scoped the neighborhood. Reno pulled into a parking space in a shady apartment complex, and I don’t mean shady because of trees. Three men were sitting on the hood of a beat-up maroon car, smoking weed. Empty beer cartons littered the edge of the building next to a rusty blue bicycle missing a front wheel. This wasn’t even a Breed complex.
“Oh, Skye,” I whispered.
“She lives in a better neighborhood than this rat hole,” Reno said, lifting a gum wrapper from the floor and putting it in his pocket. “Sure you don’t want to wait in the car?”
“I just want to make sure her baby is okay. That’s all I’m here for.”
“She’s with family. Of course she’s okay.” Reno popped open his door and got out.
I followed behind him up the steps and down a corridor until we reached a green door with a knocker. Reno used his fist instead.
“Hold on, hold on,” someone yelled from inside.
Reno kicked his boot on the welcome mat to straighten it out. I glanced toward the pool area, where kids were splashing and squealing.
When the door swung open, a young man who looked in his twenties answered. He had on long yellow shorts and no shirt. He didn’t look a thing like Skye—red hair and hazel eyes. His cheeks and nose were bright red, and the skin on his sunburned shoulders was peeling. He smelled like chlorine, and the roots of his hair still looked wet.
Reno widened his stance. “Are you Skye’s cousin?”
“Yep. You one of her boyfriends?”
“I’m a PI. I need to ask you a few questions.”
The man hitched up his shorts in the back. “I don’t know jack shit. Her manager called, and I told him what I know. I bet she ran off with one of her johns.”
I folded my arms to keep from wringing his neck. “Don’t be an imbecile. She’s not a prostitute.”
“Whatever. Come on in.” He led us toward an open kitchen on the right. “Trust me—I want to find her as much as you do. This kidsitting shit is not for me. My name’s Jason.”
“When’s the last time you saw her?” Reno asked, closing the door behind him.
“Earlier that day when she dropped off the kid.”
Jason shoved the laundry off the table and onto the floor. I looked around for signs of Lola, but all I saw were some toys.
Reno took a seat in one of the tiny chairs and it made an awful sound. “Did she ever mention not feeling safe? Anyone ever call her or follow her around?”
Jason lit up a cigarette and put his elbows on the table. “Yep. About a week before she went missing. She was bitching about someone following her around. Then one night, someone made her shift in her car. I don’t know how, she didn’t say. Just said she woke up in her car and didn’t remember anything.” He took another long drag and flicked his ashes into a plastic cup. “I hear strippers get a lot of stalkers, so she had it coming. I’ve been telling her to get a real job or find a Shifter to hook up with, but she wants to do things her own way. Women,” he said with a huff.
“Yes, women,” I parroted. “The very thought of them having their own minds and doing whatever is necessary to take care of themselves and their children. The nerve.”
He shot me a frosty glare and looked back at Reno. “You know what I’m talking about. Anyhow, that’s all I know.”
“And no one else has called for her or come around?”
“Look, I don’t live with her.” Jason spoke with the cigarette in his mouth while he got up and grabbed something off the cabinet. “She left her phone here when she dropped the kid off that night. You can look through it for yourself, but there’s nothing weird on there.” He tossed the phone through the air and Reno caught it.
“Where’s the baby?” I asked.
“You mean the terror?” He snorted and sat back down, fumigating the room with his smoke. “Sleeping, I hope. I gave her some cough syrup before I went swimming, so that should keep her down for another hour.”
“Is she sick?”
“No.” He laughed and shook his head.
Rage ripped through me. This man was drugging a child for his own benefit, and then I realized no one else lived here and he’d left her alone!
“Give me the phone back when you’re done,” Jason said. “And when you find Skye, tell her to get her ass over here. She owes me big for this.”
“For taking care of your blood? You pig,” I spat out. “And how exactly is it that you earn your living?”
“Kidsitting,” he said proudly. “I also fix cars.”
“Something tells me you earn more for watching your own family than you do earning a real wage. What decent man charges his cousin money to watch her baby? Family takes care of their own.”
His pale brows sloped as he flicked the ashes into the cup. “You must be one of her stripper friends. Your kind is always high and mighty. You think because you pull in good tips for shaking your ass that you’re somehow better than the rest of us? If my cousin wants to earn money by showing her tits, then I’m charging her money for watching her kid. You can’t judge me on that shit, because she’s the one in the wrong.”
“You are ridiculous!” I launched to my feet and kicked my chair aside.
Reno sat back and looked at the phone. “If you hear anything from her or anyone else, I want you to call me.” He laid down his business card and stood up.
“Mommy,” a little girl cried, walking into the room.
I clutched my heart. The little baby didn’t have on a shirt, only a pair of green shorts. She was even prettier than in the picture, with spirals of curls down to her shoulders and skin the color of caramel. Her blue eyes were sleepy and looked like she’d been crying. She had a few smudges on her face and hands that someone who loved that child would have cleaned off.
Jason’s bare feet slid across the floor as he went to get her. “You’ve got what you need. The front door is thataway.”
“Mommy?” Lola began crying. “I had a bad dream.”
“Come on, kid. Quit being a crybaby.” He held her hand and she yanked it aw
ay. “I said come on.” Jason roughly grabbed her arm and that’s when a chair went flying.
Reno’s chair. It knocked over when he charged at Jason and latched his hand around the guy’s throat. “Let go of her.”
Jason obeyed, his face turning redder than the sunburn. Reno pushed him toward the counter until his head rested against the overhead cabinet.
“I don’t like what’s going on here. Not one bit. Family or not, you don’t ever handle a child like that. I should snap your neck. I’m thinking about it. Thinkin’ real hard.”
The cigarette had fallen out of Jason’s mouth and onto the floor. Reno finally let go and knelt down in front of Lola. “I’m Uncle Reno. Does this princess have a name?”
“Lola,” she sniffed.
“Princess Lola. We’re going on an adventure. Do you like pizza?”
She nodded.
“Good. Because on our way to the castle, we’re going to get some for lunch.”
“The fuck you are.” Jason pushed Reno’s head, and I guess he thought that might be enough to knock the man off-balance.
He thought wrong.
Reno rose to his feet so slowly that I thought I could hear Jason’s heartbeat racing like a stampede of wild horses. Reno towered over him a good six inches. When he put his sunglasses on top of his head and centered his eyes on Jason, that was the last complaint we got out of him.
“Naya, go get her clothes and let’s get out of here.”
I hurried past them to the only bedroom in the apartment. The mattress on the floor didn’t have a sheet, and clothes were everywhere. I frantically grabbed whatever looked like Lola’s and stuffed it all in a paper sack I found on the floor. I also took the only toy I could find—a blue pony with a pink mane.
When I returned to the living room, Reno had Lola perched on his left arm. He glowered, keeping an eye on Jason, who was sitting in a chair by the television, his legs wide apart. Lola had put on Reno’s sunglasses and was resting her head on his shoulder while sucking her thumb.
“You can bet one thing,” Reno said. “Your babysitting days are over.”
I crossed in front of Jason’s chair and bent over. “Skye may dance for a living, but she has dignity. She’s a proud mother, and you’re nothing but a coward—afraid of being a man and taking care of your own. You’re not even worth the slap of my hand.”
I turned around, and you better believe I wanted to slap him. But if I started, I might never stop. What had Lola endured that would make her go willingly into the arms of a stranger and leave the only other person she knew as family?
We headed down to the car, and Reno helped her into the back.
“My name is Miss Naya, and I have someone who wants to keep you company.” I handed her the toy pony, and she hugged it against her chin.
“Bella!”
After stopping off for a slice of cheese pizza, Reno swung by my apartment. I searched everywhere outside the building for Misha, and my heart sank when I didn’t find her. The first thing I planned to do when I got to Austin’s was make a few phone calls to the shelters, just in case they’d picked her up. I went inside and packed a large bag, uncertain of how long I’d be staying with the Weston pack. Change was on the horizon. Usually life shifts in new directions with unfortunate events, more so than it does with positive ones.
When I reached my front door to leave, my blood ran cold.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, staring at the note pinned on the door.
Reno tapped on the horn outside. My trembling hand reached up and tugged the paper off the door.
Naya,
Now that I know who you are, it’s time that you know who I am.
Delgado
At the bottom was a phone number.
But above the letter, nailed to the door, was Misha’s pink collar.
Chapter 11
By the time we made it back to Austin’s house, everyone had returned from the movie. After Reno briefly explained Lola’s situation to the pack, Izzy scooped her up and ran her a bubble bath. Melody was excited to have a friend her age and pulled out all her clothes to find Lola something clean to wear. When I mentioned the living conditions of the apartment we’d found her in and how Jason had given her medicine to keep her sedated, Denver stormed out of the house. He slammed the front door so hard it put a crack in the frame.
“Bet I know where he’s going,” Jericho murmured with a nod of his head.
Lynn sent Wheeler to Home Depot to figure out how to repair the door. Wheeler silently went, not having said a word since my return. He must be blaming me for all this. If not for me, he wouldn’t be on the outs with his Packmaster, and here I was, being given the red carpet.
I skipped lunch and took a nap on the sofa, overcome with emotion. I didn’t tell anyone about the note or Misha’s collar. Reno had noticed I was visibly distraught but he probably assumed it had to do with Lola. Shifters didn’t keep pets, and they simply wouldn’t understand how devastated I was. Of course Skye and Lola were more important, but that didn’t lessen the love I felt for my little princess. After Jericho’s band had swung by on their way to a show, the house quieted.
When I woke up, my head was in someone’s lap.
“Sleep good?” a familiar voice asked.
I stared at the black television in front of the sofa, nestling my head against his lap. “I had nightmares.”
“I have a suggestion for what’ll take care of that.”
I furrowed my brow. It didn’t seem like Wheeler, so I sat up.
It wasn’t Wheeler.
“Ben. Do me a favor and never do that again.”
He smirked and combed his fingers through his short hair. “Do what? Put your head in my lap or sound like my brother?”
I scooted away from him and noticed the last spray of golden light sifting through the front windows.
Ben crossed one leg over the other, wearing a pair of knee-length shorts and a button-up shirt. “You were pretty reluctant until I started sweet-talking you. Just face the facts: I’m the irresistible brother.”
“You’re a grown man who shouldn’t be competitive with your twin. It shows your insecurity.”
Ben snorted. “I’m not insecure. Wheeler’s an ass, and everyone knows it. I pull more money into this house—no question about it. There’s no competition to be had. What I can’t figure out is why Austin chose him to be your bodyguard.”
“Maybe it’s because Wheeler is smarter and tougher,” I suggested in a smooth voice. Ben was undoubtedly attractive. Clean-cut, close shave, a charming smile, and just an easy way about him. Even his body language was open and friendly, from the way his left arm stretched over the back of the couch to the way he made eye contact.
Until his eyes slid south.
“That’s an impressive animal you’ve got,” he said. “Wolves are overrated. I’ve only gone out with two myself. Usually I’ll pair up with a grizzly or something along those lines. I’ve never been with a panther.”
“Well, good luck with your bucket list, because I won’t be filling it.”
I stood up and he gently took my hand.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Naya. Don’t get mixed up with a man like Wheeler.”
“Darling, I don’t get mixed up with anyone. I’m not a cocktail drink. I choose my men, and right now, I’m not choosing anyone.”
He swung my arm a little and smiled. “It’s a shame we haven’t gotten to know each other better. There’s always too much going on when we have the parties or get-togethers to really talk. You should swing by the house more often. I know you’re a busy woman, but I hope you find a reason to visit.”
Ben gave my hand a light squeeze and stood up, brushing my arm in a friendly way before heading outside.
Deciding I needed privacy, I returned to my room. Lexi had offered me one of the upstairs rooms, but I felt like an intruder and had convinced her I’d be happier in their attached heat house.
After closing the door, I sat down on the
sofa and dialed the number from the note left in my apartment.
“I’ve been expecting your call,” a voice replied. The rich timbre of it made me shudder.
“I presume this is Delgado,” I said. “Let’s talk business, shall we?”
“Let’s. I’m sorry to inform you that we are no longer in need of your services at the club. However, I just so happen to have another position that is opening up.”
“And?”
“I ran across a valuable piece of information that suggested you might be of the feline persuasion.”
“And who would have passed along a rumor such as that? Did he happen to be carrying a strobe light?”
“Watch the insults. If you take me for a fool—”
“No,” I quickly said. “You’re obviously a resourceful man. But I’m an inquisitive woman and find it intriguing that you didn’t approach me yourself and ask. Henchmen seem so… last century.”
“Seems a waste of breath to quibble about such an irrelevant topic.”
“So tell me about this position.”
“Now it is you who intrigues me. Have you ever fought in the panther pits? I’m not talking about the amateur fighting rings that go on in the back woods. I’m referring to the well-organized fights that take place indoors. There are admission fees and steep bets on the table. Victors are generously rewarded.”
“It’s illegal.”
“No one seems to comprehend that we are the ones in control now.”
“We? Rumor has it you’re a human.”
Delgado moaned a little. “What I am matters little when I fill pockets with gold coins. Shifter history is tainted in blood. These fights give strong men and women a chance to reclaim their honor. How long do you wish to hide in the shadows, ashamed of someone finding out you’re a panther? I can give you more than just money. You’ll walk among warriors, revered in the most prestigious social circles with the roar of the crowd chanting your name.”