by Crystal Dawn
The day went slow and everyone kept watching her like she was a bomb about to go off. “What’s the matter? You look like someone killed your cat.” Titus said with a chuckle.
“A friend is in trouble and I feel like it could have been avoided had I been more diligent.” Boss answered.
“Why are you responsible for this friend?” Titus asked.
“It’s a long story I don’t feel like sharing.” Boss replied. Titus frowned, but she didn’t care. He’d have to be happy with that answer; it was all he was getting. The day finally came to an end, thankfully. Tomorrow would be a bitch too.
In the truck, she turned to JZ. “You’ll be in charge tomorrow. This is your chance to shine.”
“You won’t be here?” He asked.
“No, I have a personal day. Good luck and remember, if anything unexpected happens that you can’t handle, call Sara. She can call Ariel in if needed. They are both aware of the situation and prepared to help as needed.”
JZ swallowed hard. “Okay. I can do this.”
Boss wasn’t sure if he was trying to assure her or himself. It didn’t matter, at least he was willing to give it a shot. Maybe he would make a good second. She had missed having one. It had been hard to make a choice with nothing, but raw recruits. Titus’ guys looked good, but they were the rawest of all having never worked construction before.
When she dropped her people off at Ariel’s, she stayed for supper. She spoke to Ariel briefly letting her know JZ would be in charge. “Don’t worry. It will be okay.” Ariel assured.
God, she hoped so. Dale was so young to already be in a position where his life could be forfeit. Damn all those involved in the blood drug trade to hell. Maybe this small raid would make a difference, but she doubted it. The trade was too far reaching. It had stolen Daryl from her. She refused to allow it to take Dale too. Boss hoped she was in time to get him back, to save him as she’d been unable to save Daryn.
Once she was home she finished her guest bathroom and she was happy with the way it looked. The next project was the living room. It would be easy compared to the kitchen or the bathrooms. It was floors, walls, and hiring someone to restore the fireplace. The windows were already replaced. She’d had the whole house done at the same time because the old windows were drafty and many were broken.
She took a shower then went to bed, but her spirit was restless and sleep evaded her. When it finally came, it was filled with dreams. In one dream Daryn urged her to help Dale, but not to trust him. The drugs changed a person and it took a while for them to recover. Boss tried to work out what that meant, but her alarm went off and the dream was pushed to the side as she got ready, wearing the same clothes she would have worn to work. A pony tail and her favorite hat completed her outfit. Boss didn’t want to stand out.
Making coffee, she got out a frozen breakfast burrito and nuked it while she waited on her coffee. They were done at the same time. She was through eating and filling her coffee mug when Damon arrived in person. “Want a cup of coffee?” Boss asked.
“Don’t mind if I do. Let’s sit down while I fill you in.”
“Okay.” She said as she filled and prepared the coffee as he liked it. Boss had been around Marissa, Damon’s mate and her cousin, quite a bit after her mating.
“We’ll drive to Springfield and catch a helicopter. It’ll make the trip much shorter. It’s how we’ll come back too. The place we’re going is a dump. It was a nursing home at one time, but it was abandoned and it looks like it. They didn’t buy it, they just moved in and began using it. That allows us to go in unexpectedly because the government owns it. Any questions so far?” Damon asked.
“Sounds pretty clear.”
“A full team will go in and secure the building and any people present. The drugs will immediately be shipped out. The people will be processed and you’ll go in once we find Dale. I’ll give you a chance to reassure him in the hopes it will calm him. If not, he’ll be tranquilized. Many times they don’t recognize their friends or family. They can hurt others or themselves if proper steps aren’t taken.”
“I understand.”
“Once he’s taken, he’ll be sent to a detox station where he’ll be at least a week. Once he’s determined to be clean, he’ll be yours. Are you sure you can handle the responsibility? They can be difficult the first few months while they have a mental need even after their bodies adjust to the loss of drugs.”
“I need to try. Having him in a sterile institution and not offering him a home seems a callous way to treat family.”
“Most of these people have family, but none will take them. We even had one who was almost detoxed and his grandma asked to see him. She slit his throat because he was an embarrassment to their family. Will felt guilty as hell, even testified against the bad grandma, but she got off.”
“That’s awful and that’s not what family should mean. Where was the love?”
“She was a very proper rich woman. The standing in society and the business world meant more to her than her grandson.” Damon explained.
“The situation just showed her true self.”
“Are you ready? If you have music with ear buds, you might want to take them. It’s a dull ride.”
“I do. Won’t we be able to talk?”
“There are some head pieces, but they are on the same channel as the crew.”
“Oh, alright; I’ll grab my music.” She hurried to get it then they headed out the door. Closing and locking it, she went to Damon’s car getting in. Boss had almost expected to see Marissa since she’d never been around Damon alone. He must not take her into these dangerous situations unless necessary. He was making a good decision to keep her safe.
After around an hour of catching up on family and small talk, they met the helicopter at a private field near Springfield. The pilot told Damon the trip, around eleven hours by car, would be a little less than five hours by air. This was going to be a long day, but that was no surprise. The surprise was when the calming music and the vibrations of the helicopter put her to sleep. She woke hours later when Damon shook her gently. He pointed to the ground making her understand they were about to land.
It was a relief that the trip hadn’t been boring, but she was embarrassed that she had slept nearly the whole way. The nap had been good sleep too, she felt more rested than she had in a long time. She felt the copter slowly dropping and saw a large X on the ground ahead. Nothing like a plane, the copter would stop right on the X and he did.
“We’re here now. That SUV is for us. Boomer sent it to take us to the location. They’ve already raided it. The drugs were confiscated and the people divided into groups. Dale is waiting for you. He’s pretty bad, but he’s still recoverable.” Damon explained.
She understood they’d decided to go in without her, both to make things safer for her and so they wouldn’t have to sit around wasting half their day. It wasn’t anything she couldn’t understand. Boss was just anxious to see Dale. The specifics of the raid weren’t her concern. That was up to the professionals who dealt with this every day.
They got in the back of the SUV. There was a driver and a guard assigned to them. Boss understood, they considered Damon a valuable resource and her an untrained civilian. That called for protection being placed on both of them. If anything, she’d expected one guard for her, but two for Damon.
Her nerves acted up as she wondered how Dale looked, if he would even recognize her, and if he’d be a foaming at the mouth beast as many hardcore users of this drug were. It was scary to face, but she needed to. Often she’d wondered if she’d faced Daryn’s addiction and gotten him help, would he still be here today. Oh, she realized on a logical level that he was ultimately responsible for his own actions, but they were family so shouldn’t she have found a way to help?
They hadn’t landed far from the site and Damon took her hand to give her strength. Marissa had probably told him to since she wouldn’t be there to comfort her in person. Family was what gave her s
trength at times like these. She knew many people thought Damon harsh, but that just wasn’t true. He was only harsh with those who deserved it. With victims, he was kind and gentle.
People looked up as they came into view. One smart ass in a local cop uniform moved up to them. “This your wife, Damon? She looks kind of young.”
“This is my wife’s little cousin. You can stay the hell away from her, Marcos.” Damon replied.
“I’m hurt that you would be that way.” Marcos answered with a grin that said he was anything but hurt.
They moved past him and to the room Dale was staying in. As they stepped in, Damon closed the door. Dale was lying on a bunk, restrained. “Dale?” Beth whispered.
“Who are you?” His voice croaked as he spoke.
“I’m Beth.”
“Beth. Beth. Beth. I had a cousin named Beth once. My brother died and she ran away.”
“I’m so sorry, Dale.”
“It doesn’t matter. The drugs comfort me. Tell them to give me my drugs. They’ll listen to you, Beth.”
“The drugs aren’t good for you. Your body is rotting from the inside out.”
“Come on, Beth. Help me.” Dale begged.
“I am. I’m letting them clean you up.”
“You stupid bitch.” He shrieked. “Can’t you do anything right?” That was the Dale she’d expected and been prepared for.
“Let’s go, Beth. You can’t help him until he’s clean.” Damon gently tugged on her hand. She took a sleeve and wiped the tears hoping no one would see them. Damon gave her a half smile. “It’ll be alright.”
Beth knew Damon didn’t know for sure, but she felt better with his assurance anyway. When they walked out, the annoying cop wasn’t there and she was glad. They made it to their SUV as their guards trailed along. She and Damon sat in the back as the guards took the front seat. It was time to head back. Had Damon not assured her they had success with patients addicted at Dale’s level, she would have thought him a lost cause.
Was God giving her a chance to redeem herself? Beth swore to herself she would do all she could if Dale would meet her halfway. She was good with kids, even troubled ones, but she’d never worked with an addict before and she knew it would be different. It would be more challenging than anything she’d ever done. If Dale didn’t get clean and regain a decent life, it would hurt even more than losing Daryn had. It would be like losing him twice.
Chapter 4
My Beth
Titus was upset because Boss wasn’t there and everyone had known yesterday, but no one, not even his own males, had told him. “So let me understand this, okay? You have a confidentiality agreement at work and you think it supersedes your loyalty to your alpha?”
“No, Boss. Of course not. We just can’t go telling you everything that happens every day. If you asked us something, of course we would tell you. Both of us trust you to be discrete so we don’t lose our jobs.” Mack said.
“Yeah, Boss. What he said.” Monroe agreed.
“You didn’t think I’d want to know Boss wasn’t going to be there?”
“Nothing you could do about it and we didn’t know why. She never even said a thing until the end of the shift when she told JZ he was in charge for the day. That won’t happen again.” Mack declared.
“Why not?”
“Everything went to hell by lunch. That was when Ariel dropped by. That she-wolf is like a force of nature. I see where Boss gets it from.” Monroe said.
“You think they’re related?” Titus asked.
“Don’t know, but she was definitely trained by Ariel. Training will tell in the long run. JZ won’t ever allow her to leave him in charge again. The guy had a meltdown and Ariel had to give him a few minutes by himself to calm down. When he came back out, everything was running like a clock. She figured out a trouble maker was pissed that Boss had left the guy in charge instead of her. Ariel fired her on the spot. Said she don’t like no back stabbers. That girl was our worst worker anyway.” Mack explained.
“That’s interesting. I’m surprised Ariel hired someone subpar.”
“We were too so we asked her. She said seeing things that way took a lot out of a person and she saved it for life threatening things. For business she just uses her skills and common sense. Means there’s mistakes sometimes, but she corrects them as fast as she can.” Monroe said. “She and Boss are a lot alike.”
“How do you mean?”
“They work the same way. They both are good at construction. I’d say they’re worth two big strapping men. Boss can’t quite do that because she’s human, but if she changed, damn, that would be amazing to see.” Mack said.
Titus thought she was pretty amazing anyway. His thoughts turned to Beth for a second. She’d been doing some work from home as far as registering students and ordering supplies. Someone was always present for deliveries, but usually not Beth. It was almost like she was hiding a second life. That made him curious, but she was entitled to her privacy.
Beth was easier to track than Boss. He even had an address, although it wasn’t one she’d given him. He’d driven by what looked like a newly remodeled home. It was a large one and he wondered if Ariel had been the one to do the work. Maybe that was where she’d met Beth. He couldn’t detect the deep connection that Ariel had to Boss between her and Beth. They never discussed the past or people they both knew. Yet Ariel had recommended her and all Beth’s references and qualifications were excellent.
Females had always confused him, but in the past he’d never tried to understand them. Now he had found one he felt he needed to understand. Something had happened and by all accounts it had been bad for Boss. Titus wanted to comfort and support her, but she was nowhere to be found. He knew Ariel would never tell him so who did that leave? Maybe an employee would feel some sense of loyalty? Beth always seemed to know everyone because she’d been raised around here.
It was getting late, but maybe tomorrow he would hunt Beth down. He’d wait first to see if Boss was back. That was a good plan and he felt better now that he had one. Tomorrow, nothing would stop him from seeing Boss. For now, it was time to get ready and turn in for the night. Weird dreams plagued him and he was happy when daylight came. Titus was up early so he went to the diner to grab a big breakfast. After all, a male needed his energy.
Once he’d eaten breakfast, he returned to the job site. This would be his home and even if he chose to live elsewhere with his mate, he would spend a lot of time here. The crew was arriving, thank the goddess, Boss was with them. It was odd the way he immediately felt better the moment he saw her. All he wanted to do was to go to her and hold her. Titus knew better because Boss wouldn’t appreciate it. Just the little whisper of a kiss he’d given her had made her avoid him like he had the plague.
Boss wasn’t an easy woman to pursue. That was okay because he didn’t want easy, he wanted right. “Good morning, Boss. Nice to see you back.” The look on her face would curdle milk.
“Thank you. It’s good to be back.” Someone had taught the girl good manners. She wanted to be left alone, but she responded politely even if her face told him to go to hell. He almost laughed, but he knew he’d pay for that a good long while.
“Ariel kept things going for you.”
She frowned. “She was here all day?”
“Half a day. She did some serious work because they got behind.” He didn’t feel bad about informing her.
“I guess that’s why JZ said he never wanted to be in charge again.”
“You also lost a trouble maker.” Titus observed.
“Trouble maker? I thought Tina moved on to greener pastures.”
“She did with Ariel’s strong persuasion. The girl sabotaged JZ and he didn’t realize it.”
“He had a crush on her. The feeling wasn’t returned.” Boss observed.
Titus could see how a strong attraction could blind a male from the truth about a female. Luckily, Boss was a good female in every way that he could see. Beth had a st
rong character and good work ethic too. Why did he always seem to think about her? There was nothing between them, but friendship. He did sometimes wonder what she looked like under that awful clothes she wore and if she ever wore her hair down. It was just harmless conjecture, right?
It was also nothing he’d ever let Boss know about. Females never understood those kinds of things. Hell, if he was honest, he didn’t understand it himself. Why would Beth draw his interest as she had? There was no explanation for it. Once he and Boss were mated, that interest would wane.
Watching, he noticed Boss was doing more physical work. Was it because she was distracting herself from her worries or was she making up for the fact they were one worker short? The workers she had were doing better too, now that they were trained and picking up experience. The project was well in hand and he could only see them working through the holes left for doors and windows.
A few days passes and now the windows and doors were being installed by an outside group. Boss and her crew were inside doing who knows what. He’d managed to talk to her a few times, but she kept an invisible shield between them. Yesterday, he’d talked to Beth briefly when she’d had an evening appointment with a possible assistant and he’d noticed the lights on. Titus had forced his way into the meeting and watching Beth had been fun even though she’d ignored him until the meeting was done.
He discovered she was fun to tease and when her face turned that lovely shade of pink, he found her appealing. Who knew? Teasing and flirting with her had been much more fun than he’d expected. Titus had even managed to get a smile or two out of her. Beth was easy to get comfortable with and he found he liked her, maybe too much.
This morning, he felt horribly confused. The edges between the two women were blurring in his mind and all he saw was similarities. How could that be when they were so different? He’d heard stories about Ariel and her matchmaking tendencies. She always seemed to snag the best matches for her clan. They were either politically powerful, leaders like pack alphas and councilors, or capable like wardens or skilled and talented in some particular area that could be helpful in times of trouble. It made him wonder if she’d sent Beth to him on purpose.