Lord of New York

by Tori Knightwood

She shook her head. “Go ahead.”

  “You were outside your office building when it happened?” Nick asked.

  Mom nodded.

  “Can you describe what happened?”

  Mom took a deep breath, and Ryenne considered asking them to do this another time when Mom had had more time to get over the emotional trauma. But they needed as much information as they could gather to prevent another attempt.

  “I was standing in front of the building, waiting for Ryenne,” Mom said. “I was surprised she wasn’t there because we’d just texted.”

  The guys looked at Ryenne and she explained about chasing Tess.

  “Do you think Tess purposely led you away?” Nick asked.

  “Yeah, I do.” Another reason Ryenne wanted to throttle Tess.

  “Anyway, Ryenne had just come back,” Mom said. “She was across the street, waiting for the light to change, and my attention was on her when the car rammed into me. It took me completely by surprise. One second, I was smiling at my daughter and the next, I was on the ground, and the car backed away and sped off.”

  “Anything you remember about the car?”

  “I think it was gray.”

  Ryenne nodded.

  “A small car, like a Toyota or Honda,” Mom said.

  “Was it a Toyota or Honda?”

  Mom shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t have time to notice the insignia.”

  “Two or four doors?”

  “Four, I think.”

  Ryenne nodded again.

  “Any distinguishing characteristics?” Nick asked. “Anything that stood out to you? Sounds, smells, sights?”

  Mom shook her head. “It happened too fast.”

  “The car was just a car,” Ryenne said. “Not flashy, probably a couple of years old, no dents.”

  “What about the driver?” Scotty asked.

  “Like I said,” Mom began, “I was looking at Ryenne when I got hit and then I was down on the ground. The driver was on the opposite side when he backed up, so I didn’t see him.”

  “But you think he was male?”

  Mom thought for a moment. “I couldn’t swear to it but I think so.”

  They turned to Ryenne.

  Her face turned red. As a hunter, she should have noticed more, but she’d been focused on Mom. And feeling guilty she hadn’t been there when Mom came outside. “Looked like a man, short hair, light skin, that’s all I know. I just wanted to get to Mom as quickly as I could.”

  Nick folded the cover over his notepad and stood. “Okay, that’s enough for now. We’ll let you rest.”

  “We’ll keep you posted,” Scotty added.

  “Another thing. Can you check out her doctor? Nakamura. First name starts with a T. He’s a shifter.”

  “How do you know?” Scotty asked.

  She leveled a stare at him.

  “Oh right. I had forgotten.”

  She play-lunged at him. “Yeah, better be careful around me. I might eat you.” She startled Scotty who flinched back in his chair but Nick just laughed. He gazed back at her with heat burning in his eyes. Bet he’d like her to eat him.

  Ryenne shook herself. No. No more thoughts along those lines. Not in front of her mom, and because she wanted to do right by Lucien. She turned away and smiled at her mom. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No thanks, sweetie. But I’m getting tired. I’d like to nap.”

  Everyone said goodbye and went out to the corridor.

  “One of us will try to be here as often as we can, between running down leads and doing other work,” Scotty said.

  “Can you assign a uniformed officer?” she asked.

  Scotty and Nick exchanged a glance. “Since we suspect shifters are behind this, we’ve taken over your mom’s case, so we’ll see what we can do,” Nick said.

  She smiled her appreciation. “I just don’t trust anyone or anything right now. Except you, of course.”

  The guys took off and Ryenne returned to her mother’s side to watch over her. She took out her phone and checked her messages. It wasn’t long before another visitor showed up. This time it was Lucien.

  “Where’s Gavin?” she whispered.

  “I don’t know. He said he’d be here in about an hour.”

  Ryenne could tell he wasn’t telling the truth, but she let it go for now.

  “Want to take a break?” he asked. “I’ll stay here with Willow.”

  “I don’t want to leave her.” She told him about the flowers from her father.

  “Ryenne, I promise you, no one will get past me. I will not let anything happen to your mom on my watch.”

  “Okay,” she finally relented. “But I won’t be gone long. I’ll just get some fresh air and stretch my legs.”

  She went out past the waiting room where they’d spent too many hours in uncertainty, down in the elevator, and outside. The fresh air felt good. It was mid-afternoon and hot. Inside the hospital was air-conditioned. She pushed up the sleeves of her shirt which covered her back sheath. It wouldn’t do for anyone to know she’d brought a weapon into a hospital.

  She caught sight of a café across the street and realized it must be the one Dr. Nakamura had mentioned early that morning. Not having eaten anything in several hours, she headed there for a snack.

  Inside, she walked to the counter to check out the options and let her eyes roam over the place. In a far corner, she saw Gavin. She redirected her steps and was about to call out his name when she recognized his companion.

  Average height, solid build, dark hair, rigid posture.

  Dr. Nakamura. The unknown shifter.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she muttered under her breath.

  “What can I get you, miss?” the barista asked.

  Indecision gripped her. An unfamiliar feeling. She was pissed. She didn’t want Gavin getting close to a shifter right now when they didn’t know his allegiance. On the other hand, Dr. Nakamura had done a lot for her mom. But she’d at least like to reserve judgment until Scotty and Nick had checked him out.

  Choosing to leave them alone, she picked a turkey and bacon sandwich and went to the other side of the café to sit and wait for it, at a table next to a bald, dark-skinned man who seemed vaguely familiar. He was large enough to hide her from view. She didn’t want Gavin or Nakamura to see her.

  She’d deal with Gavin later.

  ***

  Mom was still sleeping when Ryenne returned to her hospital room. Lucien was reading a book. The cover showed two bare-chested men in a sweet embrace with a dragon behind them.

  “What are you reading?” she whispered.

  He looked up in surprise. “Oh, I borrowed this from Gavin’s bookshelf. I was curious about American culture and wanted something to pass the time.”

  “You do realize it’s an M/M romance,” she said. “And not an accurate depiction of American culture, what with the dragons.”

  “M/M? Is that what you call it? Hmm, I don’t care. Love is love. And if we exist, maybe dragon shifters do, too.”

  He made a fair point. “I don’t think Gavin reads most of those books. He skips to the juicy stuff.” She waggled her eyebrows.

  “I can see why,” Lucien said. “The love scenes are well-written.”

  She gestured toward her mother. “Any change?”

  “No. She’s been sleeping peacefully since you left.”

  Gavin came in then with a goofy smile on his face. Ryenne’s heart plummeted into her stomach. He was falling for this guy, and she hadn’t yet heard back from Nick or Scotty about the doctor. Knowing she had to show interest, she asked, “What has you so happy?”

  “I just had coffee with Doctor Hottie, I mean, Taylor, and it was uh-mazing. Oh gosh, I like him so much.”

  Lucien matched Gavin’s grin with one of his own. “Oh yeah, it went well?”

  “Better than well. I can’t wait to see him again. I hope the next time won’t be in public,” Gavin gushed. “He’s smart and handsom
e and sexy. He’s the whole package.”

  “Be careful, Gav,” Ryenne said. “I don’t want you getting hurt again.”

  “Me neither,” Gavin said. “I’m going to try to take it slow. Anyway, what would he want with me?”

  “What do you mean?” Lucien asked.

  “Well, he’s so accomplished and I’m… just Gavin.” He shrugged his shoulders almost as high as his ears which had turned pink.

  “Hey, you’re amazing,” Ryenne said, indignant. “You’re the whole package, too. He’d be lucky to spend time with you.” Shoot. She didn’t want to encourage him to pursue Nakamura, but she couldn’t let him be so down on himself.

  “Thanks, Ry,” Gavin said. “I’ll take care of myself. Anyway, guys like Taylor aren’t usually into me for long. So, I’ll just use him for sex.”

  Ryenne rolled her eyes. No matter how hard Gavin tried to just use guys for sex, his heart always followed his dick. Hopefully, Scotty and Nick would find something she could use to convince Gavin to back off Taylor and she wouldn’t have to watch him fall for another unattainable guy.

  SEVENTEEN

  The next morning, Ryenne woke in her own bed, feeling alone. She turned to the side, flinging out her arm to feel the cool, empty sheets next to her. No Lucien.

  The hospital wouldn’t let her stay with her mom last night, and the guys convinced her not to spend another night in the waiting room. Nick had sent a uniformed cop to sit outside her mom’s door. She had a little chat with Officer Reynolds and impressed upon him how important his job was.

  She got right in his face and warned him that if she heard from any of the overnight nursing staff that he had fallen asleep on the job, she would personally rip off his balls.

  So, here she was in her bed all alone. Yet she still felt the primal needs she’d been experiencing since she’d changed. To fuck someone, to hit someone, to run as a wolf.

  Since she was alone, the first two were out. Now that it was daylight, the third one was out.

  The only option left to her was to take matters into her own hands.

  She reached an exploratory hand under the sheets and into the boy shorts she’d slept in. She was wet and throbbing within a minute, her left hand covering her breast, her fingers pebbling her nipple. It felt good, but it wasn’t the same as being with someone else. With a partner, there could be as much friction, intensity, power, and even aggression as she needed.

  Next time, she’d use the vibrator in the drawer of her bedside table. For now, she could smell her own juices flowing and it pushed her over the brink to orgasm. It took the edge off but it left her not fully satisfied.

  It certainly wasn’t the same as being with Lucien, who was one of the best lovers she’d ever had. He might be the best, but she didn’t like superlatives.

  Pulling on some exercise clothes, she drank some water, then went down to her building’s gym and pushed herself harder and faster than usual.

  After, she turned the shower on extra hot to further punish her body.

  She couldn’t wait for all of these primal urges to subside. They were no fun without Lucien. She really needed to get back to her dojo where she could spar with another black belt and get out some of her aggression. But even that wouldn’t be as intense as a real fight. Maybe she should take up boxing.

  Her phone beeped with a message. Scotty told her they’d found CCTV footage of the car and had traced the path to its current location. He gave an address for her to meet them.

  Ryenne met Scotty and Nick behind the Fulton Fish Market at South Street Seaport.

  “Are you starting to get the idea they have a headquarters around here somewhere?” she asked them, sauntering through the line of uniformed cops to her two detective friends.

  They nodded. “We’ve canvassed the area but haven’t found anyone willing to cop to it,” Nick said.

  “But instead of leaving the car by the river, this time it’s behind the fish market,” she said. “Why do you think that is?”

  “We’re thinking it’s because of the smell,” Scotty said. “Maybe trying to keep us off their track.”

  Ryenne nodded. It was a sound idea. The fish smell was intense enough to interfere with her shifter senses.

  “It’s been wiped clean, but we had you come down because we thought you might be able to smell something that we obviously can’t,” Scotty explained.

  “Don’t you have any shifters on the Shifter Crimes Taskforce?” she asked.

  “Nope,” Scotty answered with a grin.

  “Most shifters want to stay under the police radar,” Nick explained. “So, even shifters on the force keep it on the down low.”

  Ryenne walked around the car, sniffing. She smelled fox shifter but couldn’t find a trail. “No cameras around here that captured where the driver went next?”

  Nick shook his head. “The car is a complete dead end. Its owner has nothing to do with this. Not a known shifter and he reported the car stolen two days ago.”

  “Which brings us to our other piece of news,” Scotty said. “We got a decent image of the driver.”

  “You know who it was?” she asked, bouncing on her toes.

  A grin spread across their faces, one pale, one dark. “You were right. It was one of the O’Brien boys,” Scotty said. “Joseph. The red-haired one.”

  A sense of victory flooded Ryenne’s system as she remembered fighting him and freeing her mother from his grasp. But it was short-lived. Knowing the driver’s identity only got them so much closer. It didn’t necessarily keep Mom any safer. They had to capture them first. All of the O’Briens. And put a stop to the Fangs.

  “What happens now?” she asked.

  “We’ve got a warrant out for his arrest,” Nick said. “There was no one at their apartment in Brooklyn, but his name and description have gone out over the wire, as well as those of the brother and sister, since they may be able to lead us to Joseph.”

  Ryenne nodded. Progress. She’d take any bit of it she could.

  “Got anything else for me?” she asked. “I want to get back to the hospital.”

  “That’s all for now,” Scotty said. “We’ll talk to any known associates of the O’Briens and track them down.”

  “How about Mom’s doctor? Did you find anything out about him?”

  “So far he’s clean,” Nick said. “No criminal record, just a couple of parking tickets. He’s not even known as a shifter. No malpractice suits, no medical complaints, nothing.”

  This was mostly good news, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t a Fang. There were Fangs who’d flown under the radar their whole lives but happened to agree with the hatred spewed by Mr. Lord and his minions. Granted, it would be unusual for a doctor to be a Fang, considering the Hippocratic oath, but it would be a coup for the Fangs to have a doctor at their beck and call.

  Signs were good, but she wasn’t yet ready to accept Dr. Nakamura.

  ***

  Ryenne spent the rest of the day at the hospital with her mom, who was doing a lot better but was still in pain.

  When Ryenne had first walked into the hospital room, her mom was staring at the card from her dad.

  “What are you doing?” Ryenne asked.

  “Trying to imagine what was going through his mind, all those years ago, and what could possibly be going through his mind now.”

  But there was a faraway look in her mother’s eyes that didn’t match her words. Did she still have feelings for him? It would be natural to hold a torch for someone you thought you had lost when you still loved him. But now she knew part of the truth about him, could Mom still love him?

  Ryenne’s own feelings about her dad were fucked up. She was angry—so angry—for losing these fifteen years with him. But there was also a part of her, larger than she’d like to admit, who was still the little girl who had lost her father and would do almost anything to get him back.

  She found herself wondering sometimes if they would find him, what he was doing, what his role was
with the Fangs, and even worse, what he would think of Lucien. Would he approve?

  When Ryenne had known her father, he had been angry at shifters because of her brother’s murder. But if he now worked for the Fangs, he must’ve put his animosity toward shifters to rest. So maybe he would approve of Lucien. But the Fangs were the closest thing to evil she’d ever encountered, and Lucien, although a shifter, was nowhere near evil. If her father was truly a Fang, then he would not approve of Lucien. But if he was truly a Fang, then Ryenne didn’t see how she could have any place in her father’s life.

  Gavin showed up around dinnertime with another goofy grin.

  “Let me guess,” she said, “you had another date with Doctor Hottie.”

  His grin grew even wider. “Why, yes, smarty pants, I had coffee with him again before his shift.”

  “Oh Gavin,” her mom gushed. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “But, Mom, he’s a shifter.”

  “So are you,” Mom shot back.

  “I thought after Lucien you had put your shifter prejudices to rest,” Gavin said, his grin faltering. “If you can find love with a shifter, why can’t I?”

  “I’m sorry, Gavin. I’m just on edge and I don’t trust anybody right now. I don’t have anything specific against Dr. Nakamura.”

  “Well, good,” Gavin said. “Because I really hope he’s the one.”

  Ryenne’s stomach dropped. In the past, Gavin would have said he was sure some guy was the one, and he was always wrong. Now, he was saying he hoped so. That meant Nakamura really could be the one for Gavin.

  Shit.

  In an attempt to put the conversation behind them, Ryenne turned to a safer subject. “What have you been up to today?”

  “I spent most of the day in the office catching up on work. And Scotty has been emailing me updates on the case, and asking me to look into specific aspects.”

  Ryenne nodded. She was glad Scotty and Nick trusted them enough to include them in this investigation. “Have you found out anything?”

  “Nothing we didn’t already expect,” he said. “All three O’Briens are on the Lord Enterprises payroll.”

  “For how long?”

  “Tess, about twelve years, and the brothers, who are twins, for eight years,” he answered. “In fact, Tess seems to be one of the founding members of Lord Enterprises.”