“That they are.” She propped her elbows on the table and dropped her chin on her palms. “My problem is that I’m falling in love with them.”
Trish whistled. “This is a problem, how? Weren’t you the one who’s been moaning about not finding two men to love?”
“Yes, but I want to fall in love with nice, safe men.”
“So you don’t want anyone who puts his life in danger every day?”
“Yeah. I see you understand.”
Trish leaned back. “Let me tell you something. My sister, Connie, was married five years to a banker. That was about as safe as you could get, right? Well, one of the tellers caught his eye, and he was out of her life as if he’d been run over by a car.”
She did appreciate her friend trying to cheer her up. “Even you have to admit it’s not quite the same thing. Even if you’re right, why put myself through the potential heartache?”
Trish waved a dismissive hand. “You don’t know what you want. It’s the danger surrounding them that makes them so attractive.”
She was missing the point. It was the way they connected with her that made them hot. “I need to give this some more thought.”
Trish grinned and shook her head. “Girlfriend, you are so in love that no matter what you do, you’ll never be able to leave them.”
She prayed that wasn’t true.
Chapter Twelve
After Alexandre hinted to Julia that The Sword were near the boiling point, she took her afternoon break and headed over to Kendis’s place. If Jeremiah or Mario were manning the coffee stand, they might be willing to share some intel, assuming they were still in the loop.
She would have called Breck or Daven, but given the secret nature of their jobs, they couldn’t tell her what was happening even if they wanted to.
When she rushed into the Emporium, neither Mario nor Jeremiah was present. Thankfully, Kendis was at her side of the store. Julia went over and waited in line until it was her turn to order. Since there were still a few customers, she ordered an Earl Grey iced tea. While it wasn’t her first choice of drink, she figured she couldn’t go wrong even though a high-octane blend of coffee would have served her better.
Once the crowd left, she slipped onto her favorite stool.
“Am I converting you to the dark side?” Kendis smiled.
“Tea is hardly dark. Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone see me.” Seeing Kendis’s cheer did improve her mood.
“So what brings you here? I thought you were working at the bar today.”
She worked the day shift one day a week. “I’m on break. I heard a rumor of some uprising.” Kendis would know to whom she was referring.
The color left her face. “You didn’t hear this from me, but apparently there was a small explosion in Philadelphia. The authorities are claiming a malfunction, but I’ve heard they are escalating.”
Her stomach tumbled. “Do you know if Derek or Hunter plan to act?” Panther Cove was, after all, the shifter headquarters.
“Let me fix your tea.”
She didn’t like the way her eyes shot to the side. Kendis moved slower than usual, probably trying to decide how much to tell. The fact the uprising happened in Philadelphia had her stomach spinning. Breck and Daven were from there. If The Shield needed to send someone undercover, they’d be the best choice.
“What do you know?”
Her friend delivered the iced tea. “Nothing more than I told you, but you should be prepared for the worst.”
To keep her stomach from heaving, she guzzled her tea. It didn’t help. “I’d call Daven or Breck, but they won’t tell me anything, will they?”
“I doubt it.”
She could call her mom, but even her own mother would keep The Shield’s secrets. Damn.
“I need to get back to work.” Julia paid and left with her drink.
Since she only worked two blocks away, she’d walked. The day was overcast and had a chill in the air, but right now she didn’t care. Her world was about to collapse, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
Being morose at work would only draw attention to her problems so she tried to paint on a happy face. She worked her tables but not with her usual joy. When she was at the bar getting her drinks, Alexandre placed a beer on her tray.
“You might want to take the day off tomorrow.”
Her body froze. “Why?”
He shrugged. “Spend some time with your mom.”
He wasn’t making any sense. He might have been a shifter, but he didn’t live at Panther Cove. However, men who owned bars were well connected. “What do you know?”
“Just take some time to see your family.”
Clearly, he wasn’t willing or able to share more than that. “Thanks.”
For the rest of the night, she walked around in a near stupor. How she was able to get the drink orders right and end up not owing money because she forgot to collect someone’s bill was anyone’s guess.
At the end of her shift, she hugged Tricia. “I’ll see you in a few days.” Julia wanted to confide in her friend, but it wouldn’t have been smart to tell a human about shifter secrets.
“Stay safe.”
Her own safety wasn’t the issue. It was the men’s.
As per Alexandre’s suggestion, she called her mom and said she wanted to visit. While her mother sounded happy, Julia could tell things were tense. In case the situation was worse than she thought, she packed a suitcase to stay a few days. She could always have Trish cover for her if needed. Her art teacher wouldn’t care if she skipped a few days. She was, after all, his top student.
The drive up to Panther Cove put her nerves more on edge. The Sword had uprisings all the time. She didn’t know why this time should be any worse than other times, but her gut told that it might be.
Once through the gate, she spotted the bronze statue honoring the slain shifters through the trees as she headed to her parents’ home. She tried not to look at Breck and Daven’s place as she drove by. They’d either be in the gym working out or at central command, working on a plan.
She gripped the wheel tighter, trying to make it to her mom’s without breaking down.
No sooner had she parked than her mother opened the front door, a sure sign she was upset. Julia left her case in the car, thinking she could get it later. At least no one ever had to worry about someone stealing something up here.
Julia gave her mom a hug then kept an arm around her waist as they walked inside together. “Is everything all right? You look troubled about something.”
“Let me fix us some coffee and we can chat.”
The coffee-fixing thing was proof something bad was going down. Julia scooted on to the kitchen stool at the center island and watched her mom buzz around the kitchen. She might as well get to the point. “Have Breck and Daven been sent to Philadelphia?”
Her mom’s hands stilled. “How did you know?”
“The town has enough shifters that keeping secrets is hard.”
She shook her head. “Then yes.”
Julia’s shoulders sagged. “They didn’t call me.”
Her mom poured the water into the coffeemaker. “They weren’t allowed to.”
“How are Charles and Harvey holding up?”
Mom opened the cabinets and took out two mugs. “I think your fathers feel alive when they’re busy. I’m the one who’s the nervous wreck.”
“They won’t be called up for duty will they?” The only time that would happen would be if the nation declared a state of emergency. Even then they would have to go in under the radar. Even the CIA wasn’t ready to learn shifters existed.
“Probably not. This is more of an exploratory mission for Breck and Daven. It is their hometown.”
“Why can’t the shifters who live in Philadelphia take care of it?”
Her mom pressed her lips together. “You know why. The shifter world is small. They’d be known among The Sword.”
She was right. “How
long will they be gone?”
The coffeemaker beeped. “You act like you’re in love with these men. Are you?”
She’d never spoken the words out loud. “As much as I’ve fought the attraction, I have fallen for them.” If she’d lied, her mother would have been able to tell.
Her mom smiled. “That’s good, dear. After all, they are your mates.”
That was the second person who said that. Make that the third person, but she thought Daven was kidding. “Why would you say that?”
Her mom blinked. “Because your men told me.”
Something weird was going on. “When did you speak with them?”
Her mom poured the coffee and slowly brought the bowl of sugar over. “Cream?”
“Thanks.” She dumped in a truckload of the sweet stuff. “Tell me what they said.”
“They told me you were their mate.”
There had to be more than that. “Mother.”
Her mom picked up her coffee and motioned they go to the living room. From the careful way her mom was moving, she was formulating what to say.
Julia placed her cup on the coffee table and sat. “Now spill.”
“The day before my birthday, Breck and Daven came to the house.”
“They did? I hadn’t even been introduced to them yet.”
Her mom smiled. “My dear. When two shifters find their mate, there are no lengths they won’t go to make sure the mating takes place.”
It would have been easy enough for them to have found out her name. She was at the inaugural party for the coffee house, and Jeremiah or Mario could have given them the details. “They told you in words that I was their mate?”
“Yes. I let them know you were coming for my birthday.”
The pieces clicked together. “I suppose you told them I liked to paint, and they asked who my favorite artists were?”
“You’re acting like I did something wrong. You know me. I don’t want to die without seeing my grandchildren. At the speed with which you’ve discarded men, I thought you’d never find the right ones.”
“Pu-lease. I’m seventy-six and have only had a handful of men.”
“Regardless, your fathers and I had almost given up hope for you.”
Her mom was being overly dramatic. “What happened is now in the past.” She sipped her coffee. “I’m going to end up like you.”
Her brows pinched together. “I hope so. You’ll have a wonderful life.”
“Growing up, all you did was worry about Charles or Harvey getting injured in battle.”
“That’s because I loved them.”
Frustration over a lack of communication made the situation worse. “Don’t tell me there weren’t days that you fretted over losing one of both of them.”
“Of course, I did, but that’s what marriage is about.”
She didn’t need to hear any platitudes. Bottom line was if she wanted to ever live a life without being in a constant state of worry, she needed to find a way to walk away now.
You know you can’t.
Her cell rang and her heart skipped a beat. She looked at the caller ID. “Excuse me. It’s Breck.”
She stood and walked down the hallway toward her former bedroom. She didn’t need her mom to overhear. “Hey!” Even she could tell her upbeat voice lacked her usual enthusiasm.
“Sorry I didn’t call earlier, but we’ve been a little busy here at The Cove.”
She didn’t want Breck to have to break any code. “I’m at Mom’s. I heard you were both in Philadelphia.”
“Yes.”
When he didn’t elaborate, she decided to change the subject a bit just to keep hearing his voice. “What’s it like going back home?”
“It’s good seeing the folks.”
“How’s Daven?”
“He’s very focused on getting to the bottom of our situation.”
He seemed to be taking a lot of care about what he said. No telling who might be listening in on the conversation.
“I miss you.”
“Babe, I miss you more.”
They spent another few minutes talking about what she’d been doing, but she understood he might be putting her in danger if he spent too much time on the phone with her.
“Call me when you can.” She didn’t want to be so needy, but she couldn’t seem to help it.
“Think about how incredible it will be when I get home. Daven and I are going to spend days in bed with you.”
She laughed. “Is sex the only thing you think about?”
“When I’m on a mission, it’s the only thing that helps keep me centered.”
“Then I want you to think about licking my tits and fucking my pussy until your cock explodes.”
That finally got a laugh out of him. “And Daven?”
“Oh, he’ll be sinking his cock deep in my ass.”
“He did say your last encounter is what’s keeping him sane.”
She’d been about to say she loved him, but she decided she wanted to wait until they were both in her arms. After she hung up, her nerves had calmed and a sense of belonging settled in her soul. When she went back to the living room, the sun was streaming in the window and all looked right in the world.
“How’s Breck?”
“Probably wishing he were here, but he didn’t give a status report on The Sword.”
“As well he shouldn’t.”
Now that her crisis was past, she got the urge to paint. “Would you mind if I took my paints outside?”
“I think that’s a marvelous idea. It will let your mind sort through things. I know whenever I was troubled, I’d knit.”
She rolled her eyes. “How well I know. I think you made me at least ten hats and more winter scarves than I could wear in a lifetime.” The image of Daven tying her to the bed with those scarves raced through her brain, and her body tingled.
Her mom chuckled. “I know. Now I make caps for babies. At least they seem to appreciate them.”
On that note, Julia headed back to her studio to collect her supplies. Even though she no longer lived there, she kept a spare of everything here. Once she got her gear, she put on an old sweater she found in her closet that her mom had knitted and went outside.
The fall colors were still vibrant, but she wanted to paint something different. As if there were a string attached to her body pulling her, she ended up by the lake, the same spot where she’d been when she first spoke with Breck and Daven. Hell, the place brought her comfort.
Instead of doing a broad landscape, she decided to do more of a close-up shot. After she set up her chair and easel, she walked to the dock, untied the rope attached to the rowboat, and walked the boat to shore. The beached craft was not only colorful, but it reminded her of the boat ride around the lake.
She moved her easel closer and began her sketch. Once more, she wanted to try bolder strokes. It was almost as if she’d be closer to her men if she could paint something Breck would have created.
For the next three hours, she lost herself in her craft. She got sidetracked all too often as she remembered the boat ride to the middle of the lake. As she splashed a dollop of red on the side of the boat, her thoughts raced to Breck and his bold color scheme.
“Julia?”
She was so lost in idyllic thought that it took a moment for her mother’s voice to register. Julia twisted around to see what why her mom was outside. It wasn’t time for dinner yet. Julie stood. From the way her mom’s shoulders were rounded and her gate labored, something was dreadfully wrong. Julia raced to meet her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Daven’s been shot.”
Chapter Thirteen
Julia didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, but from the way her mom’s face was pale, it was bad. “How is he?” Panthers healed quickly. Bullet wounds were rarely fatal unless they hit an organ. She refused to consider that option.
Mom shook her head. “It’s serious. Pick up your gear and I’ll fill you in.” She turne
d around.
Julia wanted to run after her, but right now her mom was probably hurting, too. Those in Panther Cove cared about everyone.
As she trotted back to get her stuff, she told herself that Daven would be just fine and that her mom was overreacting.
You don’t believe that.
Her fists clenched. He better be fine or she’d kill him herself. When she dragged her gear into the house, both of her fathers were there.
“Hi. Why aren’t you two at the command center?” It was where they loved to be more than anything. It made them feel useful.
“We thought you might need us.” Charles enveloped her in a hug while the more reserved of the two fathers stood next to her mom.
She stepped out of his grasp. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Somehow we had a breach. Breck and Daven were attacked by several Sword members less than half an hour ago.”
That must have happened right after she’d spoken with Breck. “Were The Sword in their human form or tiger form?” She hoped they had shifted. Breck and Daven would have kicked their butts.
“Human. They had guns.”
Her heart lurched and her mouth turned dry as she tried to process what he’d just told her. “I’m guessing Breck and Daven did not.”
“No. This was to be a reconnaissance mission, but things exploded on us.”
She had to sit before her legs gave way. Her mom handed her a glass of water. “Thanks.” As she brought the drink to her lips, water leaked out and dribbled down her shirt. She didn’t bother wiping it away.
“Tell me everything.”
“We’re not sure of the details. Breck is with Daven at the doctor’s office now.”
Shifters couldn’t go to a regular hospital. Once the doctors took his blood sample, his real identity would be compromised. “I’m driving up there.”
Charles knelt beside her. “You should stay here and help your mom.”
Being reasonable was not on her plate today. “I want to see he’s okay. If he’s not, then I want to be there for him.”
Her father nodded and stood. “Leave first thing tomorrow morning.”
Fighting for Julia [Panther Cove 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 10